To reveal his Son in me. GAL. i. 16. Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. MATT. xvi. 17.

HENCE begins our spiritual life: a life proceeding from GOD, and holding communion with GOD, and tending to the glory of God; the honour and happiness of our souls ariseth from this revealing of CHRIST in us. Oh, for the reviving comfort of this, while we consider it! To reveal CHRIST in us, is to make such a clear discovery of the matchless charms and glory of his person to our souls, as we never saw before; so that our hearts are enamoured with him, we choose him, love him, delight in him, and cleave to him in all his offices and characters; for, by the eye of our soul we then behold this glory,-the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth to us miserable sinners; hence he is the only-beloved of our souls. Without this revelation of JESUS CHRIST in us, alas! what is all outward profession? No more than mere talk, dry formality, and heavy drudgery. O my soul! O my dear friends! be not content to live without a constant revelation of CHRIST to your souls! This makes the conscience peaceful, the heart heavenly, and the soul happy. This inspires love, subdues lust, captivates the affections, makes the whole man happy in GOD, and creates heaven in the soul. If CHRIST be within the heart, all will be right and well without in the life. If you believe CHRIST as revealed in the word, this blessed promise is for you: "I will manifest myself unto him" (John xiv. 21).

Great GoD, thy Scriptures will impart
The Saviour to my list'ning ear;

Yet oh! reveal him in mine heart!
And let me feel his presence there!

The blood of Jesus cleanseth us from all sin. 1 JOHN i. 7.

WHATEVER we do of ourselves, in answer to our convictions, is a covering, not a cleansing; and if we die in this condition, unwashed, uncleansed, unpurified, it is utterly impossible that we should be admitted into the blessed presence of the holy GOD. Rev. xxi. 7. Let no man deceive you with vain words. It is not the doing a few good works, it is not an outward profession of religion that will give you an access with joy unto GOD. Unless you are washed from your actual transgressions in the blood of CHRIST, and cleansed from the pollution of your nature by the Spirit of GOD, you shall not inherit the Kingdom of GOD; yea, without this washing you will be a horrible sight unto saints and angels, to yourselves, and to one another, when the shame of your nakedness shall be made to appear. If, therefore, you would not perish, and that eternally; if you would not perish as base, defiled creatures, an abhoring unto all flesh, then, when your pride, and your wealth, and your beauty, and your ornaments, and your duties will stand you in no stead, look out betimes after that only way of purifying and cleansing your souls which GOD hath ordained. "Without shedding of blood there is no remission." Heb. ix. 22. "The blood of JESUS cleanseth from all sin." redeemed not with corruptible things, but with the precious blood of CHRIST, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." 1 Pet. i. 18, 19.

No works of ours, the most or best,
Can wash a conscience clean ;

"Ye were

The blood of CHRIST, our great High Priest,
Will only cleanse from sin!

I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. GEN. ix. 13.

THE

HE rainbow is a token of the covenant of preservation made with Noah, and with all the creatures of the earth; it is fixed and sure; it may be considered also as an emblem of the covenant of grace (Isa. liv. 9, 10); or rather, it may be an emblem of CHRIST himself (Rev. x. 1), as appears in many particulars. When we are apt to fear being overwhelmed by the rain, Jehovah shows this seal of his promise that we shall not. Thus he removes our fears, when we weep for sin, and are afraid of a flood of wrath, by reminding us of the covenant of grace established in JESUS. The thicker the cloud, afterwards the brighter the bow in the cloud; so when afflictions abound, consolations do much more abound. The bow appears when one part of the sky is clear; which intimates mercy remembered in the midst of wrath. The rainbow is caused by the refraction of the beams of the sun; so all the glory of the covenant of grace and the significancy of the seals, are derived from CHRIST, the Sun of Righteousness. The bow speaks terror; but this is without string or arrow, is directed upwards, and not to the earth. GOD looks upon the bow to remember his covenant; so should we, that we may be mindful of the covenant of grace with faith and thankfulness.

CHRIST'S open arms like rainbows stand,
To grasp and save a guilty land;
Oh! take me, LORD, within thy bow,
And all its glories sweetly show!

My darken'd mind with light divine,
Irradiate from that bow of thine;
And may my soul thy covenant keep,
And heaven's cternal glories reap.

God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. GAL.

vi. 14.

WHATEVER

HATEVER others may do, or whatever they may exult or glory in, GOD forbid that I should exult, except in the cross of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, and in the grand doctrine of justification and sanctification through him. And what else could I exult or glory in ?-for a true believer has nothing to glory in but CHRIST alone. Even in his very best performances he will be often deeply humbled, and cry out, "LORD, enter not into judgment !"-and well he may; for the ground of our glory, comfort, and salvation, is not in works, but in CHRIST, and the free grace of GOD; who, for his Son's sake, lays nothing to our charge, but daily covers and richly pardons all our iniquities: and thus believers walking steadily, might always be kept in solid peace; for the cross of CHRIST is a solid and unshaken foundation.

When I survey the wondrous cross

On which the Prince of Glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride!

Forbid it, LORD, that I should boast,
Save in the cross of CHRIST my God;
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to his blood!

His dying crimson, like a robe,

Spreads o'er his body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,

Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Purifying their hearts by faith.

ACTS XV.

9.

BY Y faith in the SON of GOD we get an interest in his great and glorious salvation; we are justified by faith; we have peace with GOD by faith. This is an excellent grace, which brings us out of a state of slavery and sin, into the liberty of the sons and daughters of God, and will issue in everlasting salvation. Faith purifies the heart of man, naturally vicious, and unites us to CHRIST, the root of all holiness. Now, reader, examine yourself whether you be in the faith; try the tree by its fruits; ask yourself these questions: Has my faith a purifying influence on my heart? Does the view of CHRIST dying for my sins make me die unto them? Has my faith in CHRIST as wounded for my transgressions and bruised for my iniquities, made me bitterly lament them, sincerely hate them, and seek the death of every one of them? Though there may be still sin in me, is there none allowed? Is there none, no, not one; no, not that sin which does most easily beset me, which I desire to be spared and excused in? Do I rather look upon all sin as the enemy of CHRIST and my own soul, and as such do I hate it with a perfect hatred? Am I praying fervently for divine grace to subdue it? and in the strength of that grace, do I maintain a constant and vigorous war with it, determined never to give it any rest in my heart, never to cease my conflict with it, till I have gained the complete and everlasting victory? Then thou art upright, go on and prosper!

That faith to me, O LORD, impart,

Which while it bringeth peace,

Will daily purify my heart,

And bring in holiness!