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,choice ,sayings4                       
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,choice ,sayings4                       
,,being ,,notes ,,of                    
,,expositions ,,of ,,the ,,scriptures   
,revised by                             
,,robert ,c4 ,,chapman                  
,,new ,,edition4                        
,,london3 ,,morgan ,,and ,,scott1       
,office of ,the ,christian1             
#ab1 ,,paternoster ,,buildings4         
,and may be ordered of any ,bookseller4 
,contents                               
--------------  ,the ,gospel  ,the ,law 
and the ,gospel  ,the ,scriptures  ,the 
,natural ,man and his ,religion  ,sin   
,confession of ,sin  ,conscience  ,the  
,cross of ,christ  ,human ,nature       
,faith  ,communion with ,god  ,christ   
,christ and the ,church  ,the ,holy     
,spirit  ,christ's ,example  ,the ,trial
 of ,faith  ,the ,calling of the ,church
  ,the ,new ,creature  ,unbelief  ,the  
,sins of ,believers  ,the ,coming of the

 ,lord  ,prayer  ,conflict  ,service    
,service to ,christ  ,forgiveness       
,poverty of ,spirit  ,evil ,passions    
,self-,knowledge and ,self-,judgement   
,humility and ,self-,abasement          
,circumstances  ,strength and           
,continuance  ,character  ,obedience    
,cares  ,chastisement  ,discipline      
,experience  ,a ,sound ,mind  ,dangers  
and ,temptations  ,the ,christian's     
,walk  ,trial of the ,servants of       
,christ  ,dealing with the ,faults of   
,others  ,evil ,speaking  ,deep and     
,silent ,work  ,little ,things  ,fruit  
,christian ,communion  ,love  ,justice  
and ,judgement  ,the ,love of ,god  ,the
 ,heart and its ,deceitfulness  ,the    
,form of ,godliness  ,salvation1        
,justification1 ,pardon  ,god's ,wise   
and ,gracious ,dealings  ,obedience     
,watchfulness and ,self-denial          
,temptations and ,falls  ,prayer        
,answers to ,prayer  ,holiness  ,the    
,secret ,life and the ,daily ,path  ,the
 ,day of ,small ,things  ,the           

,believer's ,testimony to ,others       
,happiness1 ,joy1 ,comfort1 and ,peace  
,church ,discipline  ,the ,servants of  
the ,lord  ,spiritual ,warfare  ,god's  
,deeper ,dealings  ,pleasing the ,lord  
,providences  ,gratitude  ,praise       
,the ,gospel    ,the very first sigh on 
account of sin which is begotten in the 
heart of a sinner by the ,holy ,spirit1 
is the beginning of an  eternal         
communion with ,god4    ,among hearers  
of the ,gospel ,god remembers the sins  
of those only  who remember not the     
blood of ,jesus4    ,if ,god build ,his 
glory upon ,christ1 shall not we build  
on ,him  our hope of salvation8    ,do  
we heartily renounce our own            
righteousness8 and are we looking  only 
to the atoning blood of ,jesus for      
justification and sanctification8  ,if  
so1 we are poor sinners saved by grace4 
,the very commandment of                
,god--,repent--shows a dispensation     
above the law1 and supposes a fountain  
of grace in the heart  of ,god4 ,were   

there not forgiveness with ,god1 there  
could have  been no commandment to      
repent4    ,as divine justice was       
honoured by the condemnation and cross  
of ,christ1 the ,head1 so is the same   
justice honoured by the salvation  of   
the members4    ,the natural man has no 
apprehension of the ,gospel4 ,what must 
,i do8 is ever his cry4 ,man has done   
his work perfectly--that  of            
self-destruction4 ,he is wholly bent    
upon evil1 altogether  ruined4 ,hence he
 is a fitting object for the ,gospel of 
,god4    ,unbelief is the height of     
presumption3 it plainly proves that  we 
are seeking for some cause of ,god's    
love in the creature1  which can never  
be4    ,it is among the highest         
provocations the sinner can be guilty   
of against ,god1 when1 without the blood
 of ,christ sprinkled on  his           
conscience1 he1 in will-worship1 calls  
,god his ,father4    ,no cup of poison  
so deadly as that mingled cup of law and
 grace1  of works and faith1 which is   

presented to men by false teachers1     
instead of the ,gospel of the grace of  
,god4 ,yet1 alas1 do men  gladly        
receive1 and eagerly drink1 seeking to  
satisfy conscience6    ,to seek healing 
of soul from duties instead of the blood
 of ,christ1  is taking poison to cure  
disease4    ,when we would consider the 
love of ,god in ,christ1 we are as one  
approaching the ocean3 he casts a glance
 on the surface1 but  the depths he     
cannot sound4          ,the ,law and the
 ,gospel    ,yet a sinner look at       
himself in the glass of ,god's holiness1
  he must see his own condemnation2 but 
by faith in ,jesus he beholds  himself  
free from condemnation1 and stands      
before ,god in ,christ  as ,christ      
,himself4    ,the ,law was magnified by 
,christ1 and made honourable2 and       
therefore  ,god in ,his righteousness   
must magnify for ever ,christ and ,his  
members with ,him4    ,under the ,law   
they laboured first1 and rested after   
7,exod4 #bj3h-aa72  but under the       

,gospel we rest first1 by faith in      
,jesus1 and then  work4 ,the ,law begins
 with commands and ends with blessings2 
but  the blessings are fruit upon lofty 
branches1 which fallen man  can never   
reach3 he cannot and will not climb the 
tree4 ,the ,gospel1  on the contrary1   
begins with promises2 and promises give 
birth  to precepts4 ,the ,law demands   
justice2 the ,gospel delights in  mercy 
through satisfied justice4 ,moses       
blesses the law-doer2  ,jesus pardons   
the guilty and saves the lost4    ,every
 one who hears the ,gospel has a door   
opened to him of escape  from the wrath 
to come4 ,in the ,day of ,judgment men  
shall know  all the past4 ,forgetful    
hearers of the ,gospel shall then with  
gnashing of teeth remember how they once
 neglected so great salvation  7,heb4   
#b3c73 their worm will never die1 their 
fire never be quenched4  7,mark #i3dd47 
,no child of ,adam has a right to       
anything from ,god save the wages  of   
sin4 ,justice1 apart from grace in      

,christ's cross1 must allot  to every   
sinner hell for his wages and portion4  
,if the sinner  is to have eternal life1
 he must have it as a free gift from    
,god4 ,alas that thousands of sinners   
who hear the ,gospel will  not have it1 
because they are too proud to be saved  
on ,god's  terms of pure grace6    ,what
 is it to obey the ,gospel1 but to      
believe the ,gospel8 ,unbelief  says1 ,i
 will not receive ,christ as a gift from
 ,god4 ,faith1  on the contrary1 says1  
,i want ,christ in ,his fulness2 my     
pinching  poverty makes me glad of so   
rich and all-sufficient a ,saviour4     
,the ,scriptures    ,there are mysteries
 of grace and love in every page of the 
,bible3  it is a thriving soul that     
finds the ,book of ,god growing more    
and more precious4    ,a careless reader
 of the ,scriptures never made a close  
walker  with ,god4    ,spread the ,bible
 before the ,lord2 ask ,him to teach you
 what your  ignorance and what ,his     
wisdom4    ,meditation on the ,word of  

,god is the chief means of our growth   
in grace3 without this even prayer      
itself will be little better  than an   
empty form4 ,meditation nourishes faith1
 and faith and  prayer are the keys     
which unlock the hidden treasures of the
  word4    ,we have great need to be    
prepared for trials of faith and        
patience  in so great a business as     
reading the ,scriptures with            
understanding  heart4 ,it is only by    
faith and patience1 and prayerful       
meditation  of the ,word1 that we are   
delivered from imaginations of the flesh
  -- from sacrificing to our own net1   
and burning incense to our  own drag4   
,the laying open the heart of ,god is   
the great design of the ,scriptures3    
happy the reader who falls in with that 
design6    ,the ,bible is always a new  
book to those well acquainted with  it4 
,we shall never become established in   
grace until we credit the  ,word of ,god
 as the selfproving voice of ,him who   
speaks it4    ,satan has ten thousand   

devices for drawing us away from the    
,scriptures4  ,this done1 we are in his 
net2 and1 though our gracious ,god put  
us not to shame by any outward and gross
 transgression1 we shall  become barren 
and unfruitful4    ,no believer can     
flourish in the ways of ,christ1 unless 
it be  his custom to deal with ,god by  
the ,word in the closet4    ,the        
children of ,god in the furnace without 
a good store of ,scripture  in their    
hearts are always impatient1 struggling 
in self-will  for deliverance1 and      
thereby they do but add fuel to the     
fire4    ,if we read the ,word of ,god  
chiefly to get comfort1 we shall have   
but little1 and that of doubtful kind4  
,let us put away this selfishness1  and 
use the ,word of ,god as the sword of   
the ,spirit against the  flesh in us2 so
 will the ,scriptures unfold themselves 
more and  more1 and endear ,christ to   
us4 ,that sword1 well handled against   
the flesh in ourselves1 will serve us in
 good stead against ,satan4    ,the     

,book of ,god is a store of manna for   
,god's pilgrim children2  and we ought  
to see to it that the soul get not sick 
and loathe  the manna4 ,the great cause 
of our neglecting the ,scriptures is    
not want of time1 but want of heart1    
some idol taking the place  of ,christ4 
,satan has been marvellously wise to    
entice away ,god's  people from the     
,scriptures4 ,a child of ,god who       
neglects the ,scriptures  cannot make it
 his business to please the ,lord of    
glory3 cannot  make ,him ,lord of the   
conscience2 ruler of the heart2 the joy1
  portion1 and treasure of the soul4    
,the threatenings of ,god's ,word are   
designed to discourage men  from their  
wickedness1 and to drive them out of all
 refuges of  lies to the ,saviour4 ,for 
the utterly self-condemned sinner there 
is nothing but encouragement in the     
whole compass of the ,bible4    ,if it  
be asked1 ,what is the proof that we    
digest our spiritual  food8 -- that our 
knowledge of ,god's truth turns to      

growth in  grace8 the answer is1 ,does  
it lead us into communion with ,god1    
and submission to ,his will8 ,among the 
marks of true communion  with ,god1 two 
of the plainest are a spirit of         
thanksgiving and  a spirit of           
confession4          ,the ,natural ,man 
and his ,religion    ,the ,religion of  
the ,natural ,man is made up of pride1  
ignorance1  and a guilty conscience3    
these effectually keep the sinner far   
from ,god4 ,grace1 on the contrary1     
moves us to draw near to ,god  by the   
blood of ,jesus4 ,it was the obedience  
of faith that made  ,abel the acceptable
 worshipper4    ,the fairest things in  
the world's sight are the foulest in the
  sight of ,god2 to wit1 the world's    
,wisdom and the world's ,religion4      
,to judge by the number of creeds in the
 world1 its ,religions  are many2 yet   
there are but two--man's ,religion and  
,god's4  ,the former ever builds on the 
false righteousness of the flesh2  the  
latter on the rock ,christ4    ,all the 

,religion of the ,natural ,man turns the
 ,bible upside down3  it begins with    
works1 and then leads men to hope for   
mercy4 ,whereas  the ,bible begins with 
the pardon of sin1 and then enjoins     
obedience4    ,nadab and ,abihu went up 
with ,moses into the mount with ,god1   
yet  afterwards perished while offering 
strange fire4 ,were natural  men that   
profess ,christ to be caught up into    
heaven1 and sent  down to earth again1  
they would be still but ,nadabs and     
,abihus  at enmity with ,god4 ,the      
carnal mind must be crucified2 it cannot
  be mended or improved4    ,the man who
 worships ,god without the new birth is 
a mocker of  ,god1 not a worshipper4    
,it is natural to the corrupt heart of  
man to deny its weakness  and           
sinfulness1 and to boast of its strength
 and righteousness4    ,if ,adam in his 
state of uprightness could not uphold   
himself1  how shall we1 his corrupt     
seed1 by native strength rise up out  of
 our fall8    ,there are many stirrings 

of conscience in the ,natural ,man which
  are not grace1 though often mistaken  
for it4 ,balaam1 ,saul1 and  many       
others1 had such stirrings-conscience   
pulling one way and  the heart another4 
,without grace there is no              
self-abhorrence1  and therefore no      
looking to the blood of ,christ4 ,where 
grace is1  the soul desires deliverance 
from the power of sin as well as  its   
punishment4    ,if you be not converted 
to ,god1 you have not to be doing good  
works1 but to learn that you can do     
none1 and that you are to  come empty to
 receive ,god's gift of eternal life by 
faith in  ,christ ,jesus4 ,your best    
prayer for mercy is the true confession 
of your sin4 ,made alive in ,christ1 you
 are to bring forth fruit  to ,god4     
,that fruit will not be apples of ,sodom
 or grapes of ,gomorrah3  such are all  
your good works in your natural         
state-your fruit  will be from ,jesus1  
the true and living vine4          ,sin 
,the perfection of our obedience in the 

sight of our heavenly  ,father lies not 
so much in attainment as in endeavour4  
,reserves  spoil obedience4 ,we may be  
dealing honestly with ,sin that is  seen
 outwardly1 and yet not skilfully and   
effectually1 because  of not striking at
 the deep roots of evil within4    ,god 
indeed1 as our ,father in ,christ       
,jesus1 does not blame us  for          
,indwelling ,sin2 but ,he does require  
that we should contend  against it4     
,it is one thing to be blameless before 
men1 and another to be  aiming at that  
perfect obedience which ,christ rendered
 to the  ,father3 ,i do always those    
things that please ,him4    ,the first  
sign of spiritual life in the soul is   
generally the  cry of distress from the 
sight of that which never gave trouble  
before--the pollution of ,sin4 ,the mere
 natural man may dread  the punishment  
of ,sin1 its uncleanness he cannot feel1
 he cannot  discern4    ,david said1    
,horror hath taken hold upon me1 because
 of the wicked  that forsake ,thy law4  

,if we be spiritually-minded1 we shall  
in like manner mourn over the           
unregenerate4 ,lot did not apprehend  as
 did ,abraham the state of ,sodom1      
because1 without ,god's leading1  he was
 in it1 and1 alas6 too much of it4      
,god would ever have us regard ,sin in  
its pollution and guilt1  and deal with 
it as done against ,him4 7,ps4 #ea3d47  
,those who deny the ,godhead of ,christ1
 and atonement by ,his blood1  know not 
their sickness2 and such need not the   
,physician that  ,god hath sent1 nor the
 remedy that ,god hath provided4    ,it 
is a great principle of ,god's          
government1 that a sin not repented  of 
becomes a seed which greatly multiplies4
    ,the slack conscience that questions
 the everlasting punishment  of the     
ungodly1 betrays the soul's neglect of  
solemn dealing  with the death of the   
,son of ,god on the tree1 and of the    
testimonies  of the scriptures thereto4 
,sin does not lie in being tempted1 but 
in not resisting temptation4  ,the ,lord

 ,jesus ,himself was tempted1 and1      
because of ,his holiness1  suffered pain
 unspeakable1 yet could not be defiled4 
,so far as  we have ,his mind1 we1 ,his 
members1 suffer pain in temptation2  and
 the greater the pain of the soul the   
less the defilement4    ,how precious   
the words of ,rom4 #f3aj4aa6 ,in that   
,he died1 ,he died  unto ,sin once444   
,likewise reckon ye also yourselves4 ,he
 liveth  unto ,god4 ,we with ,him live  
to ,god4 ,he died to ,sin by dying for  
,sin4 ,it was once imputed to ,him4 ,he 
put it away by the sacrifice  of        
,himself2 and now1 with the glory of    
,his atonement1 lives at  the right hand
 of ,god4 ,the poor and needy one1 by   
faith in the  ,son of ,god1 is in       
,christ as ,christ in ,god's sight4 ,is 
no  ,sin now imputed to ,christ8 -so    
none to the believer4 ,is ,christ1  with
 the glory of ,his atonement1 accepted  
of ,god8 -so the believer4  ,the        
apprehending by faith these great things
 is the true way  of mortifying ,sin4   

,sin shall not have dominion over you2  
for  ye are not under the law1 but under
 grace 7v4 #ad74    ,the sinner thinks  
to improve himself by lopping off this  
or that  branch of his ,sin2 knows not  
that thereby he does but nourish  the   
evil root4    ,the greater power we have
 over ,sin1 the more intolerable do we  
feel the burden of it1 and the more     
earnestly do we seek the  cleansing of  
that blood which purges the conscience  
from its  defilement4    ,let us not be 
discouraged by any humiliating          
discoveries we may  make of the evils of
 our hearts4 ,god knows them all1 and   
has  provided the blood of ,jesus       
,christ ,his ,son to cleanse us from    
all sin4    ,god regards our ,sins with 
the heart of a father1 but not with  the
 eye of a judge2 for his sin-avenging   
justice has no further  demands3 the    
cross made satisfaction4    ,the        
imaginations of man's heart are only    
evil continually4 ,oh  to come to close 
quarters with this truth6 to be willing 

to be  judged by it6 ,there must be     
something more than man's own will  for 
this2 there must be the working of the  
,spirit of ,god4    ,we little know the 
deep mysteries of the human heart3 it is
 because  of our deep sin and pride that
 we bear correction with so much        
impatience2 but if we had a dangerous   
malady1 and knew it1 we  should not     
complain of the bitter taste and        
troublesome effects  of the medicine    
given us to heal our disease4    ,romans
 #h3ac4ad4 ,one blow will sometimes take
 the life of the  body2 but to mortify  
sin we must be always striking1 because 
,sin is always struggling4    ,if we    
contend with ,sin1 be assured that we   
shall be victorious  sooner or later3   
there is not a single sin but the       
defiling power  thereof may be subdued4 
7#a ,john #a3g47    ,the so-called      
innocent amusements of the world are    
only contrivances  to forget ,god4      
,it is the nature of ,sin to obtain     
great power by little beginnings4       

,confession of ,sin    ,soon as the word
 is uttered1 ,i have sinned1 that very  
moment  flies the seraph4 7,isa4 #f7    
,god is faithful and just to forgive  us
 our sins4 ,when we confess them in the 
name of ,jesus1 justice1  having been   
satisfied by the blood of ,christ1 is   
swift to pardon4    ,god cannot seal a  
pardon in the soul without confession4  
7,ps4  #cb3c-e47    ,as we practise     
confession1 so will be our happiness and
 joy2  for all true confession is       
followed by the spirit of praise4    ,if
 in coming to ,god we complain against  
ourselves1 let us thank  ,him that we   
have a heart to complain4    ,the       
,spirit of ,god never heals save as ,he 
wounds2 and if those  seeking ,christ   
have not peace1 it is because there is  
still in  them some remnant of fancied  
goodness4 ,tell out the whole heart  to 
,god1 and the conscience will be        
cleansed by confessing sin  over the    
head of the scapegoat4    ,there is a   
counterfeit ,confession of ,sin2 let us 

beware of this  counterfeit4 ,we may be 
sure the sorrow is not deep if the sin  
be not subdued4    ,if so be we are     
ready in the confession of our faults1  
and have  faith in the blood of         
sprinkling1 those very faults will serve
  our growth in grace3 they will be like
 manure to the field or  garden4    ,god
 kills to make alive4 ,he smites men's  
consciences to make  them judge         
themselves4 ,the first great step when a
 man desires  to be saved is unqualified
 self-condemnation4 ,sin unconfessed  is
 imputed2 but sin confessed is blotted  
out by ,god4 ,the sinner1  coming in the
 name of ,jesus1 has a title to life3   
the ground  of that title is the very   
name and justice of ,god4    ,we should 
confess to ,god every inward evil as    
soon as it is discovered  to us3 and if 
we have trespassed against our brother1 
to ,him  also we should speedily make   
confession4 ,by so doing we shall  keep 
up the communion of love with ,god and  
with each other4    ,it was the         

imputation of our sins to ,christ that  
hid from ,him  the face of ,god the     
,father4 ,it is our unconfessed         
disobedience  that brings a cloud       
between ,christ and us4    ,when on     
entering a house ,i see a child in      
disgrace for disobedience1  although ,i 
tenderly consider the erring child1 ,i  
especially feel  with the grieved1      
sorrowing parent4 ,when we sin1 and are 
chastened  of ,god1 we should rather    
consider how the heart of our heavenly  
,father has by us been grieved1 than be 
taken up with the smart  of our stripes 
by ,his rod of correction4    ,if we    
practise the true ,confession of ,sin1  
and so cease to grieve  the ,holy       
,spirit of ,god1 we shall have the      
testimony of the ,spirit  that the ear1 
thumb1 and toe1 are tipped with blood   
and oil4    ,keep no secrets from ,god4 
,confession of ,sin to ,him in all      
detail  will greatly help us in the     
subduing it4    ,the sinful thought of  
the heart is1 in the sight of ,god1 the 

act3 evils in life always proceed from  
evils nourished in the  heart4    ,do we
 think that ,god is pleased with shallow
 confessions of deep  sins8 ,compare    
,job #dj3d with #db3b-f4    ,after we   
have been able1 by the grace of ,god1 to
 subdue any besetting  sin1 and it seems
 to be dead1 let us still be confessing 
to ,god  that it is within us4 ,by thus 
doing we shall show that we are  not    
living on the victory but on ,god       
,himself4 ,indwelling sin  will be thus 
regarded by the eye of our ,father      
rather as our  sickness than our fault4 
,all unconfessed sin has power over us2 
but all confessed sin  ,god helps us to 
subdue3 ,he will never blame us for sins
 confessed4    ,the speediest confession
 is the easiest and the best4           
,conscience    ,when peace reigns in the
 ,conscience there is always power over 
sin4 ,peace is like a sentinel that     
keeps guard at the door of  the heart2  
if the sentinel be off his post1 either 
the tumult  within drowns the voice of  

the ,spirit1 or1 because of the         
stillness  of death1 his voice is not   
heard4    ,a guilty ,conscience is one  
of ,satan's great weapons against the   
children of ,god3 faith can only be bold
 as the ,conscience is  clean4    ,there
 is no trial to the believer like guilt 
upon the ,conscience2  but it is the    
triumph of faith to see guilt removed by
 the atoning  blood of ,christ4 ,a very 
little stain upon the ,conscience makes 
a wide breach in our communion with     
,god4    ,if we have a doubt upon our   
minds upon any point1 we should go      
straight to ,jesus to get it solved4    
,love abhors a winding course4    ,if   
the ,conscience be not rightly          
instructed1 it becomes a tool  for      
,satan2 if it speaks a false peace1 it  
works ruin2 and if  it does not speak   
peace at all1 it is a tormentor4    ,we 
should never deal lightly with the      
whispers of a doubtful  ,conscience4    
,let ,christ keep the heart1 and the    
heart shall keep the life4    ,our lack 

of walking in the ,spirit often moves   
others to like  negligence4    ,how     
great a blessing is a tender            
,conscience2 one that will discern  and 
deal with a little sin--that will lead  
us to say1 ,search  me1 ,o ,god6 ,in    
this state we not only grieve at an     
angry thought1  or an outbreak of       
temper1 but even for a thought of       
unbelief  that may but glance across the
 mind4    ,the pardon of sin sealed on  
the ,conscience strengthens the soul    
for communion with ,god2 whilst guilt on
 the ,conscience drives  us from ,god4  
,these are noiseless things in the      
world1 but great  things with ,god4     
,the child of ,god should remember that 
he has the root of every  evil within   
him3 if he take not heed to tend the    
garden of his  ,conscience1 evil weeds  
will spring up and grow2 especially will
  the besetting sins of his unconverted 
days be his plague4    ,a scrupulous    
,conscience comes of the flesh1 and     
ignorance of  ,god's will2 but a good   

,conscience is among the best of ,god's 
blessings1 for it is cleansed by the    
blood of ,christ1 and enlightened  by   
the scriptures and the ,spirit of ,god4 
,we must deal with our ,consciences as  
people do with their houses3  if they   
would keep their dwellings clean1 they  
must day by day  be cleaning4    ,a     
spiritual ,conscience deals most with   
the evil of the heart2  but when the    
conscience is not spiritual1 the heart  
is the last  thing dealt with4    ,a    
rebuke from the ,lord duly regarded will
 lead us into safe paths1  whilst a     
rebuke not heeded is the forerunner of  
sharp correction4    ,the heavenly      
,conscience never says1 ,must ,i give up
 this8 must  ,i give up that for this   
pleases not the heart of ,christ4       
,have ,i faith and a good ,conscience8  
then ,i can leave everything  to        
,god--let ,him give1 or take1 or        
withhold as ,he pleases4    ,a pure     
,conscience is a conscience so          
thoroughly purged by the  blood of      

,christ1 that it makes the soul1 as it  
were1 a mirror  wherein is seen the face
 of our heavenly ,father4    ,a tender  
,conscience concerning unbelief and its 
slightest stirrings1  will greatly help 
us in our path of obedience1 and in our 
walk  with ,god4    ,we ought to be ever
 trying our ,consciences by the ,word of
 ,god1  and helping our neighbours to do
 the same4 ,it would indeed be  a       
blessing to the saints1 were they to    
exercise themselves in  judging         
everything by the ,scriptures4 ,a child 
of ,god may walk  unblameably in men's  
eyes1 yet have little of the mind of    
,christ1  and little of the spirit of   
communion3 his ,conscience may be  in so
 small a measure guided by the word of  
,god1 that as to edifying  others1 he is
 little better than a piece of lumber4  
,the ,cross of ,christ    ,the ,cross of
 ,christ is the life of all true        
communion with ,god1  and those who draw
 nearest to ,god best know the mystery  
of that  ,cross4    ,if the sufferings  

of ,christ1 who humbled ,himself and    
became obedient  unto death--the death  
of the ,cross1 be much in my heart1 ,i  
shall see my worst enemy to be pride1   
especially pride of wisdom1  and pride  
of righteousness4 ,i shall charge my    
soul1 as did the  king of ,syria his    
captains3 ,fight neither with small nor 
great1  save only with the king of      
,israel4 ,in my soul's warfare let      
pride be subdued1 and every other sin is
 held in chains4    ,it is the secret of
 the prevention and cure of all evil to 
begin1  and go through1 each day1 with  
the ,cross of ,christ4 7,john #f3ef47   
,the precepts of ,scripture are given to
 guide the life of a ,christian1  and   
their claims are all founded on the     
,cross of ,christ4    ,in the ,cross of 
,christ is life2 in the way of ,his     
precepts1 liberty4  ,let us take up     
every cross that lies in our way--cut   
off the  right hand and pluck out the   
right eye3 the blessing must come  down4
    ,by the ,cross of ,christ the world 

is crucified to us1 and we are          
crucified to the world2 whilst we1      
through the ,spirit1 are mortifying  the
 deeds of the body1 we are gaining by   
all our losses1 and  have good success  
even by that which the flesh accounts   
bitter  disappointment4    ,there is    
virtue in the name of ,christ to make   
this vale of tears  a fruitful1 pleasant
 place4    ,he who most walks in        
fellowship with ,god has the deepest and
  truest apprehension of ,christ4 ,such 
a one will love to consider  how ,he who
 was in the form of ,god1 emptied       
,himself of ,his state  of pure equality
 with ,god2 how the ,word made flesh1 at
 every  step of ,his humiliation1 above 
all on the cross1 made manifest  ,his   
glory4 ,of all the works of ,god1       
redemption is the greatest4  ,it is only
 in the ,cross of our ,lord ,jesus      
,christ that the perfections  of ,god   
are fully manifested2 and of that ,cross
 we can have no  true understanding1    
save by the ,holy ,scriptures and by the

 ,holy  ,spirit of ,god4    ,when the   
,son of ,god had taken on ,him the form 
of a servant1 ,he  could say1 ,my       
,father is greater than ,i2 but ,his    
obedience showed  ,him to be equal with 
,god3 obedience unto the death of the   
,cross  was such as only the ,son of    
,god could be called unto1 and only  ,he
 could render4    ,from the sixth to the
 ninth hour there was darkness over the 
land2 darkness at noon-day4 ,in the     
proper natural course of the  love of   
,god the ,father towards ,his ,son1 the 
,father's countenance  must have been   
ever lifted up on the ,lord ,jesus2 but 
,christ was  the ,surety of the better  
covenant1 and ,god must deal as a       
sin-revenging  judge with ,his own ,son 
on the cross as our surety and          
sin-bearer3  ,cursed is every one that  
hangeth on a tree4 ,the land is a type  
of ,christ2 and while from the sixth to 
the ninth hour1 the course  of the old  
creation was suffering1 in regard to the
 land1 strange  and awful interruption1 

even thick darkness at noon1 thereby    
was shown forth the greatest work1 the  
greatest event of the  new creation2    
,god not sparing ,his own ,son1 but     
delivering ,him  up for us all2 ,christ 
who knew no sin made sin for us1 that we
  might be made the righteousness of    
,god in ,him2 ,christ made a  curse for 
us1 to redeem us from the curse of the  
law4 ,the mind  of the ,lord ,jesus was 
at every moment one with the mind of    
,god  the ,father2 but the ,lord's      
obedience grew with growing trial1  and 
according to demand upon ,him3 it was on
 the ,cross that ,he  obeyed to the     
uttermost2 on the ,cross ,he made       
manifest to the  full ,his oneness of   
mind with the ,father4 ,now ,he dieth no
 more2  as having once been crucified1  
and as having glorified the ,father  on 
the earth1 ,he dwells for ever in the   
bosom of the ,father1  in the light of  
,his countenance4 ,by faith we dwell    
with ,christ  the ,lord1 and learn a    
little of ,his ,cross3 at the           

resurrection  we shall learn indeed2 yet
 evermore be learning--and evermore  be 
praising the ,lamb that was slain4 ,be  
it then ever present  with us in our    
sojourn here1 that ,christ1 through the 
eternal  ,spirit1 offered ,himself      
without spot to ,god4 ,so shall our     
hearts  be full of the song1 ,holy1     
holy1 holy1 is the ,jehovah of hosts6   
7,isaiah #f3c47    ,christ's work is the
 light1 life1 joy1 glory1 and perfume of
  heaven4    ,there is no testimony to  
,god's hatred of sin like the ,cross of 
,christ4 ,there are testimonies thereto 
above1 around1 and beneath  us2 but in  
the cross1 and that only1 we see to the 
full ,god's  hatred of sin4    ,christ  
descended lower and lower1 even to the  
depths of the  ,cross2 but in ,god's    
sight it was a perpetual ascent to the  
throne  of glory4    ,if with godly     
sorrow we would grieve for sin1 we must 
regard  it in fellowship with ,christ in
 the light of the ,cross4    ,the law of
 nature1 the law of ,moses1 and a       

corrupted gospel1  are so many refuges  
of lies which men flee to for salvation1
  instead of coming to the ,cross of    
,christ4    ,the ,cross of ,christ is   
the meeting-place for ,god and the      
sinner4  ,it is the meeting-place of    
,god with ,his people4 ,it is also the  
meeting-place of saints with one        
another3 it is only as ,jesus  crucified
 dwells in the midst of them that they  
can meet each  other to profit4         
,mercy to ,christ1 my ,surety1 would    
have been death eternal to  me4    ,in  
the ,cross of ,christ the holiness of   
,god is perfectly revealed3  such is    
,his holiness that the heavens are not  
clean in ,his sight4    ,the ,scriptures
 show us that it is by the ,cross of    
,christ ,god  bears with the ungodly4   
,the justice of ,god is so magnified by 
that ,cross1 that it can delight in     
long-suffering towards the              
unregenerate2 one great end of this     
long-suffering is the calling  out of   
the church4    ,all the trials and all  

the sufferings of all creatures--were   
they heaped together--must not be       
compared with ,christ's sufferings  on  
the cross4    ,as the sin avenging ,god 
of holiness and justice1 ,god forsook   
,christ on the ,cross2 but ,he was      
infinitely well-pleased with  ,christ   
and ,his death of atonement4 ,god       
accepted the work of ,his  beloved ,son1
 and in token of that acceptance1 raised
 ,him from  the dead4          ,human   
,nature    ,the carnal mind ever lies in
 wait for self-exaltation1 and will     
catch at any straw for this end4        
,deceptions are recorded in ,god's ,word
 with their corrections1  that we may   
avoid them3 if ,abraham deceived1 we    
find him corrected2  if ,isaac deceived1
 he is rebuked2 and the deception ,jacob
 practised  on his father was visited   
upon him for almost all his life4 ,if   
,david and ,jonathan had agreed to cast 
themselves only upon ,god1  how much    
after-trouble would have been prevented6
 7#a ,sam4 #bj  and on47    ,correction 

does not always consist in bitter things
 coming upon  us1 but it may be in our  
failing to obtain some higher honour1   
which1 had we walked in greater         
simplicity1 we should have received     
from ,god4    ,that is the hardest to   
bear which touches my pride2 offended   
pride has no bowels1 and hearkens to no 
reason4    ,hurry is the working of the 
flesh2 faith1 like ,god1 works at       
leisure4    ,angels have no envy1       
because they have no pride4 ,is ,god    
glorified8  angels are happy4 ,let the  
glory of ,god be our delight1 our meat1 
our drink4 ,love envieth not3 if one    
member be honoured1 saith  love1 that is
 my honour1 my joy4    ,christ must be  
extolled and be very high in our hearts1
 if the  unruly flesh and its wayward   
cravings are to be curbed4              
,self-righteousness and carnal wisdom   
are ringleaders of the enemies  of the  
soul4    ,we should deal with our       
corrupt nature as we would with a       
notorious  thief1--never trust it4      

,the greater part of our sorrows arise  
from mortified pride1 thwarted          
self-will1 and anxious unbelief4        
,pride has always an envious eye and an 
envious tongue3 envy is  but the        
vexation of pride4    ,it is a mark of  
true growth in grace and spirituality of
 mind1  to be looking back and dealing  
afresh with ,god respecting past        
iniquities4 ,the soul is greatly        
profited by a tender conscience  dealing
 before the ,lord with the sins of early
 youth4 ,defects  of character1 and     
feeble resistance of temptation1 may be 
traced  up to neglect of dealing with   
,god through the cross about our  easily
 besetting sins4 ,looking back and      
reviewing our past state  will enable us
 to read the story of ,god's present    
discipline1  and aid us in the present  
and future growth of our souls4    ,the 
gospel of ,christ is a more open enemy  
to the pride of man  than is the law of 
,moses4 ,israel received ,moses'        
commandments  with vows of obedience1   

but said of ,christ1 ,away with ,him6   
crucify  ,him6    ,the master-sin of man
 is independence of ,god4 ,what is the  
cure8  ,christ the ,son of ,god         
self-abased1 even to the death of the   
cross4  7,phil4 #b3e-h47    ,naaman1 the
 ,syrian1 was somebody in his own sight2
 therefore  he was angry at the         
commandment which made him nothing4     
,if we think we are undervalued1 let us 
weigh ourselves in ,god's  balances1 and
 we shall easily bear the slight4       
,the vauntings of self-exalting man are 
but the trickery of his  pride1 to hide 
his native vanity from his own eye and  
his neighbour's4    ,man without ,god   
may seem something at a distance4 ,come 
near him2  be familiar with him2 you    
find him to be nothing4 ,but blessed    
are they that dwell in ,thy house2 they 
will be still praising  ,thee4 ,even    
now1 while yet in the earthly house of  
this tabernacle1  we find that growing  
acquaintance with ,god brings with it   
increase  of reverence and love4 ,oh1   

blessed hope6 we shall know as we  are  
known2 see face to face and be          
satisfied2 waking up in the  likeness of
 the ,lord4    ,many there are who can  
talk well of the truth of the gospel1   
but who1 when called to self-denial1    
taking up crosses1 suffering  for       
,christ's sake1 prove sounding brass and
 tinkling cymbals3  knowledge puffeth   
up1 but love edifieth4    ,absalom's    
vanity let his hair grow long2 and his  
long hair did  the service of the       
hangman's rope4 ,let parents hear the   
warning  voice1 and teach their children
 from earliest days to reckon  the fear 
of ,god their best ornament4            
,faith    ,if we act only because our   
path is clear of difficulty1 this  is   
not ,faith4 ,faith acts upon ,god's     
,word whatever the difficulty2  and to  
walk by faith brings highest glory to   
,god2 but it is a  crucifying the flesh4
    ,to be strong in ,faith two things  
are needful1--a very low esteem  of     
ourselves1 and a very high esteem of    

,christ4    ,the chief excellency of    
,faith is that it brings us into        
fellowship  with ,god4 ,abel--the first 
spoken of in ,heb4 #aa4--;is commended1 
not because of any great deed in man's  
account1 but because he  worshipped ,god
 acceptably4 ,nevertheless1 if we trust 
,god1 there  is no limit to the power of
 ,faith1 whatever the thing to be done4 
,god shelters the weak in faith from    
many a storm1 whereby the  strong in    
faith must be proved4 7,gen4 #bb47      
,when a man builds house or ship1 he    
takes heed that no beam be  strained2 so
 ,god never overtaxes our ,faith1 but   
brings in comfort1  knowing our frame1  
not suffering us to have sorrow upon    
sorrow1  according to ,phil4 #b3bg4     
,by neglect of ,god1 and forgetfulness  
of ,his word and promise1  our minds may
 become blinded to plainest things4     
,isaac1 through  self-will and allowing 
his natural partiality to blind him1    
would  have set aside as nothing the    
purposes of ,god concerning ,jacob4     

,when we are especially strong in       
,faith1 we have especial need  to watch 
against unbelief 7compare #a ,sam4 #bf3e
 and on1 with #bg3a7    for as the flesh
 takes great occasion by sin1 so by     
grace2 and  no one who studies much that
 profitable book1 his own heart1  but   
must know it4    ,soon after ,abraham   
had greatly trusted ,god1 he through    
unbelief  denied his wife4 ,moses1 the  
meekest of men1 spake unadvisedly  with 
his lips4 ,david1 the humble1 forgiving 
man1 was moved to  proud wrath by the   
words of ,nabal4    ,faith1 which always
 acts according to the mind of ,christ1 
stoops  to no unworthy device for       
deliverance from trial1 leaving         
consequences  wholly with ,god4    ,a   
little increase of ,faith works great   
changes of judgment in  us1 and brings  
forth the otherwise hidden riches of the
 grace  and wisdom of ,god3 it stirs    
,his power to do wonders for us1        
dividing  the sea when the waves thereof
 roar4    ,heb4 #aa3bd4--,moses' first  

great step of ,faith was the refusing   
to be called the son of ,pharaoh's      
daughter4 ,yet ,moses mistook  the time 
for delivering ,israel by forty years4  
,he was too hasty2  right in point of   
purpose1 not in point of time4 ,he was  
not content  with the bare doing the    
will of ,god2 he would straightway      
accomplish  some great thing4 ,after    
leaving ,pharaoh's house he should have 
asked of ,god further guidance4 ,we need
 guidance step by step4  ,i 7saith the  
,lord7 taught ,ephraim to go1 taking    
them by their  arms 7,hos4 #aa3c74      
,faith looks straight to the command in 
order to obey it1 and  takes the promise
 for her support4 ,she pushes on her    
way1 regardless  of dangers4 ,moses must
 go forward1 though the next step lead  
the people into the sea4 ,whatever      
appearances may say to us1  it is by    
advancing in the narrow way of obedience
 that we prove  the truth of the        
promises2 and the faithfulness1 the     
wisdom1  and the power of our           

promise-giving ,god4    ,we must not be 
deceived by appearances1 but be         
sustained by promises4  ,when ,jacob    
looked upon ,joseph's coat1 which had   
been brought  to him1 he should have    
said1 ,i see the coat that is covered   
with blood2 ,i hear the report of the   
death of ,joseph2 but1  ,lord1 ,i       
believe ,thy word--,thy promises        
concerning the greatness  and the glory 
of my son3 what ,thou hast spoken ,thou 
wilt perform4    ,it is a great proof of
 the strength and steadiness of ,faith  
when1  diligent in pleasing ,god1 we    
rise above our obedience to ,god        
,himself4    ,grace makes light of      
sacrifices1 because of looking straight 
to ,jesus4    ,unbelief begets all sorts
 of evils2 ,faith prevents and cures    
them4    ,would that the saints of ,god 
tried themselves by this test3 ,how     
much do ,i believe8 instead of ,how much
 do ,i know8    ,we please ,god by      
trusting ,him2 trusting ,his grace1 ,his
 love1  ,his wisdom2 trusting without   

limit3 but it is only by little  and    
little that we come to account our own  
wisdom folly1 and  ,god's wisdom true   
wisdom--wisdom infinite2 then we are    
able  to yield up ourselves unreservedly
 unto ,him4    ,faith labours1 and holds
 on1 despite of all appearances1 and  in
 the midst of all difficulties4         
,rather let us look by ,faith to ,christ
 at ,god's right hand1 than  at the     
mountain of difficulties before our     
eyes4    ,one of the best answers to    
prayer is to be able to continue in     
prayer4 7,see ,matt4 #ae3ba-bh47        
,faith perpetually cries to ,god for its
 own increase4    ,all things that are  
within the compass of ,god's promises   
are  within the compass of ,faith4      
,let ,faith lay heart-sins upon ,christ1
 and there will be no plague-spots  upon
 the skin4    ,faith waits upon ,god2   
but she waits also for ,god4 ,jacob 7in 
,gen4  #cb3i-ab7 waited upon ,god       
regarding ,esau his brother2 but he did 
not wait for ,god4 ,had he done so1 he  

would not have bowed down  7#cc3c7 seven
 times to his brother3 ,esau must have  
bowed down  to him 7#bg3bi74    ,god    
delights in putting faith to do that    
which the flesh declares  impossible4   
,oh1 how precious a jewel is that       
resolute ,faith which  walks with ,god  
under all circumstances1 wrestling      
against the  powers of darkness1 making 
no bow to the ,haman of evil customs1   
or evil principles6    ,we cannot be    
losers by trusting ,god1 for ,he is     
honoured by ,faith1  and most honoured  
when ,faith discerns ,his love and truth
 behind  a thick cloud of ,his ways and 
providence4 ,happy those who are  thus  
tried6 ,thus saith the ,lord1 ,count it1
 all joy when ye fall  into divers      
temptations 7,james #b3c74 ,let us only 
be clear of  unbelief and a guilty      
conscience1 and we shall hide ourselves 
in the rock and pavilion of the ,lord1  
sheltered beneath the wings  of         
everlasting love till all calamities be 
overpast4    ,faith can bear the test of

 death and burial1 and can sing praises 
to ,god under any circumstances4    ,a  
steadfast purpose to trust ,god1 when   
,he seems to unbelief to  be breaking   
promise1 betokens a growth in faith4    
,though ,he slay  me1 yet will ,i trust 
in ,him 7,job #ac3ae74    ,god often    
encourages the weak in faith by giving  
speedy answers  to prayer2 but the      
strong in faith will be tested by ,god's
 delays4    ,the prayer of self-will may
 get its answer1 as with the            
,israelites3  ,he gave them their       
request1 but sent leanness into their   
soul  7,ps4 #ajf3ae74    ,faith is the  
good cable that1 stretched and strained1
 does not  break in the storm4    ,trial
 humbles the soul and enables it to bear
 the ripened blessing1  and to carry a  
full cup with a steady hand4 ,faith is  
not discouraged1  but holds on in       
patience1 expecting the promised        
blessing in  the fitting time4    ,what 
is the food and nourishment of ,faith8  
,my flesh is meat  indeed1 and ,my blood

 is drink indeed 7,john #f3ee74    ,to  
take ,god at ,his word is the business  
of ,faith4    ,faith can never fail of  
the reward of perseverance3 the ,lord   
delights in persevering faith4    ,in   
trial of faith1 let us take heed to our 
spirit that we trust  ,god without      
stint4 ,the soul's repose in ,him is    
,his delight2 and  ,he will honour it4  
,jehovah sitteth ,king upon the floods1 
and  faith sits with ,him4              
,communion with ,god    ,god1 in ,his   
dealings with ,his froward children1    
shows the forbearance  of ,his love2 but
 it is with the obedient that ,he walks 
in the  fellowship of ,his love4 ,in    
both cases ,he gets glory to ,himself4  
,happy are they who live under ,his     
smile of approbation4    ,fellowship    
with the ,father1 and with ,his ,son    
,jesus ,christ1 and  the communion of   
the ,spirit1 should be the daily        
household bread  to our souls4          
,unless the great truths of ,god's      
eternal purpose of grace1 and  ,his     

electing love1 occupy their due place in
 our hearts1 we must  of necessity1 more
 or less1 misapprehend all truth3 we can
 neither  fulfil our obligations to ,god
 nor even duly discern them4    ,if we  
come forth from the closet of communion1
 the atmosphere  of evil speaking will  
be to us as the tainted air of some     
great  city to one that has been        
breathing the pure air of a             
mountain-top1  or the fresh breezes of  
the seashore4    ,unless our souls are  
living in communion with ,god1 the      
scriptures  will not yield us their     
strength and nourishment4    ,there is  
nothing so teaching as walking with     
,god2 nothing so  sifting to the heart  
and conscience as seeking in all things 
to walk before ,him2 to hear1 to speak1 
and to act for one great  end1 namely1  
to please ,god1 and to do ,his will from
 the heart4    ,the ,lord guides us with
 ,his eye2 that is1 ,he will so guide   
us1  as to assure us of ,his guidance4  
,he will deal with us as a tender       

mother with her little ones1 who suffers
 them not out of her  sight4    ,there  
is no fellowship with ,god1 but through 
the blood of ,his  dear ,son4 ,it is by 
this ,he speaks to us1 and calls us     
children2  and by it we cry1 ,abba1     
,father1 pouring out our hearts into    
,his bosom4 ,and we can speak to ,him as
 we cannot speak to human  ear1 because 
the heart of man is not as the heart of 
,god4    ,we can never thrive except we 
seek ,god in secret2 and if we begin  in
 our closets we shall not end there1 we 
shall also seek and  find ,him in the   
assemblies of the saints4    ,it is one 
of the blessed fruits of the habit of   
walking with  ,god1 that the soul knows 
what to do when it has displeased ,god4 
,a wounded spirit who can bear8 ,yet1   
even that burden ,god can  enable us to 
cast upon ,him4    ,when ,abraham first 
set foot on his pilgrimage1 he knew not 
what  meetings with ,god were laid up   
for him3 he ventured on the bidding  and
 promise of ,god1 and his mercies       

multiplied on him as he advanced4       
,whenever we are living before man      
instead of walking before  ,god1 there  
will be restlessness and disquietude4   
,it is impossible for ,god to meet ,his 
saints in the way of fellowship1  except
 in the path of obedience4 ,when they   
are out of that path1  ,he meets them   
with correction1 in order to bring them 
into fellowship  with ,himself4    ,if  
we see the least trace of the mind of   
,christ in any one1 we  should remember 
that in such the heart of ,god delights4
    ,carelessness about the friendship  
of ,christ is the crying sin  of the    
church4    ,when we say1 ,lord1 bring us
 near to ,thyself1 we pray for many     
things1 which1 when they come1 will be  
bitter to our taste4 ,at  such times it 
is well to remember our ,forerunner3 ,he
 asked to  be glorified2 but before     
heaven was opened to ,him and ,he       
received  therein1 ,he had to pass      
through the garden of ,gethsemane1 and  
on the cross to cry1 ,my ,god1 my ,god1 

why hast ,thou forsaken  me8    ,it     
ought to be a grievous thing to us to   
have a wish1 however  slight1 contrary  
to the mind of ,christ4    ,as soon as  
it is our settled purpose to please     
,christ1 ,he takes  us for ,his bosom   
friends4    ,the more we have of ,christ
 in our hearts1 the less room for self4 
,how sweetly1 how pleasantly1 may a     
,christian beguile his way  to glory1 by
 casting all his burden of sin and care 
upon ,jesus1  and walking in love and   
fellowship with ,him all the day long6  
,he who casts his burdens upon the ,lord
 walks lightly and happily1  as one who 
has no burden at all4    ,communion with
 ,christ can only be kept up by constant
 watchfulness4  ,where there is much    
love between friends1 a cold look is    
matter  of complaint4 ,let us be very   
jealous over ourselves for the ,lord2   
watching against the least shyness      
between the soul and ,christ4  ,keep up 
constant intercourse with ,him2 be quick
 and dexterous  in taking small matters 

to ,him2 and the fruit will be growth   
of communion4    ,though in a season of 
temptation we may see nothing in        
ourselves  but what is vile and hateful1
 our very struggles of love after       
,christ betoken ,his ,spirit dwelling   
within us4    ,if we would have         
experience of the sympathy of the ,lord 
,jesus1  we must be much at ,his cross1 
and be much occupied with the sorrows   
of others4    ,there is a short road to 
comfort in affliction that few of ,god's
  people tread2 it is to be thinking    
much more of ,christ's blessedness  than
 of our own sorrow2 but1 alas6 sympathy 
is for the most part  all on one side4  
,christ has perfect sympathy with us4   
,oh that  we had fellowship with ,him in
 ,his joy at the right hand of ,god6    
,though ,christ can be grieved at a     
thousand things in us that  no eye but  
,his can see1 yet none so easily pleased
 as ,he by our  little endeavours of    
love4    ,our joy in ,christ speaks a   
language that all hearts can understand1

  and is a testimony for ,him1 such as  
mere knowledge and utterance  can never 
give4    ,it is but a small proof of    
love to visit a friend who lives next   
door1 but to go to a distance over hill 
and dale bespeaks love  indeed4 ,let us 
show our love to ,christ1 by sparing no 
pains1  no labour1 in order to seek ,him
 in prayer1 in reading the word1  and in
 meditation thereon4 ,let us joyfully   
surmount all difficulties1  and joyful  
communion will be our recompense4    ,if
 we do anything without taking counsel  
of ,god1 we--to speak  of ,him after the
 manner of men--hide the matter from    
,him our  ,father1 and so grieve ,his   
,spirit4 ,we do ,him wrong1 and         
ourselves  also1 if in anything we have 
not fellowship with ,him4    ,when it is
 whispered by the ,spirit of ,god1 that 
,he who is at  ,god's right hand would  
be honoured if we do such a thing1 or   
if we do it not--if we disregard the    
still small voice1 although  we may not 
be put to open shame1 we shall miss the 

smile of approval  so precious to the   
obedient child4    ,the cause of lack of
 communion with ,god is summed up in    
this  -- disobedience4 ,another may take
 away my substance1 or my life1  but    
cannot spoil me of my communion with    
,god2 if ,i lack this1  ,i am myself the
 thief and the robber4    ,we ought to  
be always happy in ,god1 and in ,his    
ways2 if we are  not1 we mar the quality
 of our obedience4    ,we are never so  
well prepared for effectual service to  
man1 as  when we are holding fellowship 
with ,god4    ,let us be skilful to make
 ,god's matters ours3 then shall we see 
that ,he makes our matters ,his4        
,those who know what it is to deal much 
with ,god1 know that their  hopes and   
desires must1 as it were1 be buried1 and
 that they  must leave it with ,him to  
bring about a resurrection in ,his own  
time and way4    ,god measures out ,his 
communion of love according to diligence
  in seeking ,him4    ,it is well for us
 to shut up our desires within the      

compass of  trusting and pleasing ,god4 
,if our fellowship be with the ,father  
and ,his dear ,son1 we shall  know from 
the character of our ,father what are   
,his wishes4 ,errors  in judgment spring
 more or less from lack of fellowship   
with  ,him4 ,acquaintance with ,his     
heart of love will enlarge ours4    ,we 
have access to ,god with boldness and   
confidence through ,jesus1  the ,son of 
the ,father4 ,do we tell out our tale at
 the throne  of grace8 ,fellowship      
signifies the opening the heart on both 
sides1 and that without reserve4        
,christ    ,christ twice passed the     
angels by4 ,he sank far below them in   
,his humiliation2 ,he rose far above    
them in ,his exaltation4    ,if ,christ 
be the life and beauty of our days of   
sunshine1 so  is ,he the brother born   
for our adversity2 and ,his love shall  
gild and strike through the darkest     
cloud4 ,having been once a  sufferer1   
,he communes with ,his suffering        
members1 and instructs  us to put our   

trials into a just balance2 to call our 
affliction  light and momentary4 7#b    
,cor4 #d3ag4ah47    ,resting wholly on  
,christ2 ceasing wholly from the works  
of the  flesh--is the secret of abiding 
in ,him4    ,growing acquaintance with  
,christ makes ,him more and more        
precious  to our souls4 ,if ,christ were
 anything less than unsearchable1  ,he  
could not satisfy us--could neither fill
 the heart1 nor  give peace to the      
conscience4    ,the strength of love is 
shown in great things2 the tenderness   
of love in little things4 ,christ showed
 the strength of ,his love  on the cross
 by dying and bearing the curse for us2 
the tenderness  of ,his love when ,he   
said1 ,behold ,my mother6 ,children1    
have  ye any meat8 ,woman1 why weepest  
thou8    ,there was an immeasurable     
difference between the state of ,christ 
on the cross when ,he said1 under the   
terrors of the ,judge1 ,my  ,god1 my    
,god1 why hast ,thou forsaken ,me8 and  
when ,he said1 ,father1  into ,thy hands

 ,i commend ,my ,spirit4    ,let this   
mind be in you1 which was also in       
,christ ,jesus 7,phil4  #b3e74 ,he could
 not sink lower than ,his cross3 we can 
no more  fathom the depths of ,his      
humiliation than comprehend the glory   
of ,his ,godhead4 ,his exaltation       
answers to ,his cross4 ,he cannot  rise 
higher than the right hand of ,god1 nor 
find sweeter resting-place  from ,his   
sufferings and ,his toil than the bosom 
of the ,father4  ,his rest and          
exaltation we must share1 being         
joint-heirs with  ,christ2 nor will ,he 
be satisfied until ,his members be      
seated  with ,him on ,his throne4 ,then 
let this mind rule and reign in  us     
which reigned in ,christ ,jesus 7see    
,phil4 #b3e-ae72 and since  the humble  
mind1 so hard of attainment1 must needs 
go before  honour from ,god1 let us be  
thankful for all ,god's discipline1     
however bitter1 without which pride will
 not stoop1 nor vain  man come to       
knowledge of himself4    ,may the       

fulness of ,christ replenish our        
enlarged hearts day by  day4 ,by        
communion with ,him the soul grows more 
and more capacious1  and yet            
acquaintance with ,him makes us feel    
more and more our  own littleness4      
,let it be our habit to feed daily upon 
,christ in secret2 thus  shall we eat   
and drink1 discerning the ,lord's body1 
in the assembly  for the supper of the  
,lord4    ,would we be filled with love 
towards ,christ--let us consider        
,christ's love towards us in the death  
of the cross4          ,christ and the  
,church    ,how precious1 also1 are ,thy
 thoughts unto me1 ,o ,god6 how great   
is the sum of them6 7,ps4 #aci3ag74     
,this is the language of ,christ1  the  
,head1 regarding the members as one with
 ,himself4 ,the ,epistle  to the        
,ephesians is the beating out of this   
piece of gold4    ,never take a winding 
path to look for acceptance with ,god --
  go straight to ,christ2 but when you  
would look at the children  of ,god1    

look well at ,christ first1 and then see
 the saints  in ,him4    ,christ calls  
,himself the ,husband of ,his ,church1  
because the bond  of marriage is the    
closest and tenderest of all human ties2
 and  to show the purity of ,his love1  
,he calls her at the same time  ,his    
sister4 ,his tenderness delights to take
 occasion by the infirmities  of ,his   
spouse4 ,she leans on ,him1 not only for
 support1 protection1  and guidance1 but
 also and chiefly for communion2 and    
leaning  is melted into adoring love1   
which is to ,him as spiced wine4  ,he   
sees ,his own image in the ,church1 and 
this is among ,his chief  joys4    ,it  
was the ,bridegroom who bare the sins of
 ,his spouse in ,his  own body on the   
tree4 ,what other burden will ,he not   
bear8 ,even  the troubles that our own  
folly brings upon us are occasions  to  
,his love1 if we do but cast the burden 
upon ,him2 but if we  do not judge      
ourselves1 ,he knows how to chasten us  
to bring us  to self-judgment1 that ,he 

may comfort ,his mourners with ,his     
immeasurable  grace and love4    ,the   
lonely1 the mournful1 the friendless1   
the tempted1 the dejected1  the         
despised1 the forsaken1 the outcast1    
,christ will wait on  each one of them1 
whatever his case1 as though that one   
were  ,his only charge4 ,by this exact  
and special oversight of each  member of
 ,his body1 how precious1 how lovely1   
how glorious1 does  ,christ appear6     
,if ,christ will not be satisfied with  
,his present glory at the  right hand of
 ,god without having ,his ,church1 the  
members of ,his  body1 with ,him1 how   
can we be content without ,him in this  
valley  of the shadow of death1 this    
present evil world8    ,the candlestick 
in the temple was a type of the ,church4
 ,it was  for the high priest to supply 
the oil1 to trim the lamp1 to watch  and
 tend it2 the light must be ever        
brightly burning4    ,the ruin of a     
kingdom is a little thing in ,god's     
sight1 in comparison  with division     

among a handful of sinners redeemed by  
the blood  of ,christ4    ,when the body
 is in perfect health1 there is a       
noiseless1 perfect  co-operation of the 
members2 so was it with the church at   
,pentecost1  and so it ought to be with 
us now4    ,to reform the ,church of    
,god we should always begin with        
self-reform4  ,schisms and divisions    
will increase so long as we begin with  
reforming others4 ,wisdom is only with  
the lowly4    ,every kind of            
self-pleasing is rebuked and put down in
 the #bnd  of ,philippians2 but1 alas6  
the ,church of ,god in these days is    
more like the carnal1 puffed up1        
schismatic ,corinthians1 than  the lowly
 saints at ,philippi1 whose fellowship  
in the ,spirit  made glad the heart of  
,paul4    ,the new creation is ,god's   
delight2 of that new creation ,christ   
is the ,head2 as one with the ,church   
,christ stands before ,god4    ,the     
,church1 the body of ,christ1 cannot    
rise above its present  low estate1     

until there be a conscience in the      
members of fulfilling  each one his     
office in the body4    ,while ,i mourn  
over schisms and divisions in the       
,church of ,god  ,i justify ,god1 and   
bless ,him for the wisdom and equity of 
,his  discipline3 ,he gives us to reap  
as we sow4    ,the titles given to the  
,church in ,scripture bespeak heavenly  
unity1 such as the body1 the vine1      
temple of ,god1 a holy  nation1 a chosen
 generation1 a royal priesthood4 ,such  
words  set forth the church of ,god as a
 witness for ,him in the world2  but the
 names which have been invented by men  
are names of sects1  and declare our    
shame4    ,the ,church of ,god is a     
field that needs double ploughing4      
,christ ever enjoys perfect communion   
with ,his ,father2 ,he craves  also     
communion with us ,his members 7,rev4   
#c3bj72 and when this  is denied ,him by
 our ways of selfishness1 ,he turns to  
the ,father1  and finds joy and rest in 
communion with ,him4 ,the mourners in   

the ,church of ,god over its low estate 
must in like manner betake  themselves  
to the ,father and the ,son1 for        
fellowship by the ,spirit1  when they   
cannot find what their hearts long after
 among their  brethren4    ,the ark of  
,god at ,jordan went before the         
people--was in their  midst--followed   
after4 ,christ is the leader1 the       
rereward1  and the glory in the midst of
 the ,church2 their life1 and bond  of  
fellowship4    ,as ,christ is the       
brightness of the glory of the ,father1 
so is  the ,church the brightness of    
,christ's glory4 ,he1 as the ,sun of    
righteousness1 sheds forth1 through the 
church1 the beams of  ,his light4    ,as
 without ,christ the perfections of the 
,father were not manifested1  so the    
glory of ,christ was not shown until    
,his body the ,church1  which is ,his   
fulness1 was manifested4 ,but the       
,church does not  shine by native       
excellency2 she is made up of those who1
 being  by nature vile and of the earth1

 are created anew by the ,spirit  of    
,god4 ,the life1 beauty1 and glory of   
the ,church are all from  ,christ her   
,lord derived4 ,whereas ,christ is by   
nature the brightness  of the ,father's 
glory4          ,the ,holy ,spirit      
,how sure a teacher is the ,spirit of   
,truth6 ,he searcheth all  things3 yea1 
the deep things of ,god 7#a ,cor4       
#b3aj74 ,he comprehends  the love of    
,christ1 which passeth knowledge1 and   
all the windings  of the heart of man4  
,he is the ,paraclete within us1        
pleading  for ,christ with our heart1   
printing the name of ,jesus on its      
fleshly tables1 and causing us to       
increase in the knowledge of  ,god4 ,we 
never give up what by ,his anointing we 
have once embraced2  it is graven on the
 heart as with the point of a diamond4  
,the ,spirit of ,god1 who is of one mind
 with ,christ1 the ,son of  ,god1 dwells
 in believers by virtue of their oneness
 with ,christ2  and1 although so often  
grieved1 will never give up to          

destruction  any one1 even the weakest1 
of ,christ's members4    ,god always    
dwells by ,his ,holy ,spirit in ,his    
people4 ,let us be  careful not to      
grieve this glorious ,paraclete4 ,let us
 be looking  continually at the blood of
 ,christ1 and watch against little      
trespasses1 little breaches of love1    
suspicions1 rash censures1  and coldness
 of heart4    ,by the mere natural      
understanding men may learn much of the 
truth  of ,god1 but afterwards renounce 
and deny it4 ,if by the ,spirit's       
unction we learn anything1 we hold it   
fast4 ,his true teaching  carries with  
it assurance to the soul that it is     
,god's truth  we are learning4 ,of this 
assurance ,satan has his counterfeit1   
and only by walking humbly with ,god    
shall we detect the fraud4              
,christ's ,example    ,he that saith he 
abideth in ,him1 ought himself also so  
to walk1  even as ,he walked 7#a ,john  
#b3f74 ,christ's ,example is our rule4  
,it is to the ,christian what imperial  

weights and measures are  to men of     
traffic3 from that standard there is no 
appeal4    ,it is not in every act of   
the blessed ,lord that we should follow 
,him2 but the mind of ,christ is always 
our pattern4 ,instance3  ,his forty     
days' fasting4 ,his precepts will guide 
us to discern  ,his mind in considering 
,his acts4    ,adam1 by creation ,god's 
servant1 brake away from the yoke3      
,christ1  the ,son of ,god1 took on ,him
 the servant's form4    ,the children of
 ,god cannot grow in the knowledge of   
their own  hearts1 unless they be       
accustomed to set the ,example of       
,christ  before their inward eye4 ,we   
ought to try our spirits1 aims1         
thoughts1  and desires1 by the example  
of ,christ4 ,if we do this1 we shall    
discern the current of self-willed pride
 running through our  corrupt nature4 ,a
 great discovery6    ,the ,saviour was  
especially pleasing to ,god when ,he was
 dumb1  and opened not ,his mouth--doing
 nothing1 only suffering the  will of   

,god4 ,it is well with us when treading 
in our ,master's  steps4    ,the child  
of ,god proves the strength and grace of
 ,his heavenly  ,father only as he walks
 in the ways of the ,lord ,jesus        
,christ4          ,the ,trial of ,faith 
,we are to distinguish between ,trial of
 ,faith and chastisement3  in the former
 case we readily bow1 and bring forth   
fruits of  grace2 but if we be          
rebellious1 we are under correction4    
,paul's thorn in the flesh was ,god's   
gift to preserve him from  pride1       
although it was the messenger of ,satan 
to buffet him4  ,thus ,god uses the     
,wicked ,one for our profit1 for the    
glory of  ,his all-sufficient grace1 and
 for the ,tempter's confusion4    ,our  
trials are needful now for the exercise 
and growth of faith1  and no less       
needful for our joy and glory at the    
appearing of  the ,lord4    ,temptation 
to sin is painful to us only as we are  
sanctified  by the ,spirit of grace1 and
 walk with ,god4    ,we ought not to    

wish for deliverance from trial until   
the trial  has done its office4 ,shall  
the gold be taken out of the furnace    
before the dross has been consumed8     
,faith's expectation in the day of      
trouble is large showers of  blessing4  
,sorrow and temptation 7,pet4 #a3f4g7   
are the seeds of joy and praise4  ,they 
that sow in tears shall reap in joy     
7,ps4 #abf3e74    ,confidence in ,god   
proves itself in time of ,trial2 it     
grows in  the day of battle4 ,david1 in 
the valley of ,elah1 was most bold  when
 the giant cursed him1 and drew nigh to 
slay him4    ,god has blessed us with   
all spiritual blessings in heavenly     
places  in ,christ3 we have oneness with
 ,christ2 we have faith and the         
,spirit3 what more1 then1 do we need but
 the ,trial of ,faith and  the ,spirit's
 fellowship8    ,if we have a steadfast 
purpose to overcome temptation1 sooner  
or later we surely prevail4 ,abraham1   
through the weakness of  the flesh1 did 
not leave his father when ,god commanded

 him to  go into the land of ,canaan2   
but it was his steadfast purpose  to    
obey ,god2 so that at the last1 when he 
offered up ,isaac1 he  conferred not    
with flesh and blood4    ,are we content
 to leave our cause in the hands of     
,god8 ,job should  have done this at the
 first2 but by justifying himself he    
increased  his trouble4    ,james #a3b4 
,count it all joy when ye fall into     
divers temptations4  ,there is grace in 
,christ for our fulfilling the precept4 
,if1 being tried1 ,i am entangled in    
unbelief1 ,i cannot count my  ,trial    
joy2 so to do1 ,i must by the ,spirit's 
power resist the  ,tempter4    ,satan   
has no pity on us1 be we sick or well3  
if he leave us for  a season1 it is     
because the time decreed is spent1 and  
he cannot  exceed his commission4       
,faith never expects to learn deep      
lessons without deep difficulties2      
therefore she is not surprised by       
strange and dark providences4    ,how   
many are apt to say1 ,my temptation is  

peculiar6 ,but we  should remember that 
it is the peculiar aggravations which   
make  a trial effectual1 and should not 
forget the word1 ,there hath  no        
temptation taken you1 but such as is    
common to man 7#a ,cor4  #aj3ac74       
,our faith is greatly strengthened when 
we are brought to see  that no arm but  
,god's can help2 no wisdom but ,his can 
guide2  and no love but ,his can        
satisfy4    ,the thickest cloud brings  
the heaviest shower of blessings4       
,those very circumstances which make    
unbelief despond are meat  and drink to 
faith4    ,satan is employed for ,god's 
people--for their discipline1 their     
correction1 their sifting1 but not for  
their destruction4    ,christ often     
wounds in order to heal2 and if ,he give
 pain it  is that we may find peace and 
rest in ,himself4 ,his wounds are  full 
of kindness1 and always tend to life1   
and health1 and peace4    ,we often make
 this great mistake--we expect in the   
kingdom  of patience what is only       

promised in the kingdom of glory2 and   
we ask ,god rather for deliverance from 
the warfare than grace  for it as long  
as ,he is pleased that it shall last4   
,our impatience  for victory often      
increases the heat of the battle4    ,to
 preserve purity of life in time of     
temptation1 we must take  constant heed 
to purity of thought4    ,god has       
settled in heaven certain ,trials of our
 ,faith1 which  will as surely befal us 
as the crown of glory be given us at    
,christ's appearing4 ,god's purposes of 
grace are a golden chain2  not a link   
must be missing4    ,temptations which  
find us dwelling in ,god are to our     
faith like  winds that more firmly root 
the tree4 7,james #a3b-d47    ,how much 
of adversity do we need in order to     
bring down the lofty  thoughts within   
us6 ,a knowledge of our own weakness is 
generally  learnt through humiliation   
and suffering4    ,those trials which   
put our wisdom to confusion1 thwart our 
pride1  and starve the lusts of the     

flesh1 best fit and enable us to  trust 
the living ,god4 ,let us1 then1 not     
suffer such trials to  pass without     
making right use of them1 giving thanks 
to ,god for  them all4    ,he is most   
likely to fall into temptation and sin  
who most slights  a warning4 ,he who    
most truly depends upon the ,lord for   
succour  in the time of temptation1 will
 be the most thankful for counsel  or   
reproof4    ,when a trial comes upon me1
 let me look upon it as sent for a      
peculiar blessing4 ,if ,i receive it    
thus1 ,i shall not consider  how heavy  
it is6 nor ask when will it be removed8 
but how  much advantage shall ,i gain   
through it8 and how shall ,i turn  it to
 the best account8    ,often when       
saints1 by right steps1 bring           
afflictions upon them1  they are tempted
 to think their course wrong2 but faith 
seizes  the opportunity of glorifying   
,god4 ,thus the apparent loss becomes   
great gain4 7,esth4 #d3ac-af47    ,how  
much will our trials weigh when this    

mortal shall have put  on immortality1  
and we shall appear with ,christ in     
glory8 7#b  ,cor4 #d3ag4ah47    ,the    
troubles of the way do us good service1 
if they raise the  eyes of our mind to  
look at things unseen and eternal4      
,present faith1 not past experience or  
comfort1 keeps us from  fainting in the 
hour of trial4    ,which of us can be   
kept near to ,christ without some thorn 
in  the flesh8    ,faith1 patience1 and 
prayer1 can overcome all difficulties4  
,affliction coming upon ,god's people is
 no proof that they are  displeasing    
,him4 ,is ,god with them or not8 is the 
test4 ,jeremiah  was cast into the      
dungeon1 and sank in the mire2 but ,god 
was  with him4 7,jer4 #ch47 ,so was it  
with ,joseph4 7,gen4 #ci3ba47    ,we can
 never walk with steady step in the time
 of trial of our  faith1 save as we are 
looking onward to the resurrection of   
the  just4 ,in #a ,cor4 #ae3eh1 the     
apostle1 in view of it says1 ,be ye     
steadfast1 unmoveable1 always abounding 

in the work of the ,lord1  forasmuch as 
ye know that your labour is not in vain 
in the ,lord4    ,difficulties and ill  
success encourage me2 for the life which
  ,i now live in the flesh1 ,i live by  
the faith of the ,son of ,god1  who     
loved me1 and gave ,himself for me4     
,do we meet with unkindness from        
brethren8 ,instead of shooting  our     
bitter words at them1 let us judge      
ourselves2 and endeavour1  in love and  
wisdom1 to overcome evil with good4     
,is the child of ,god overwhelmed by the
 trials of the way1 and  ready to turn  
his back in the day of battle1 because  
of the rage  of hellish powers8 ,let me 
remind him that ,samson first slew the  
lion1 and afterwards out of the same    
lion got honey and to spare4    ,when   
,god gave ,paul the thorn in the flesh1 
he knew not at first  the value of the  
gift1 and would have cast it away1 had  
he been  left in his own hands4 ,the    
,lord was his keeper1 and taught him1   
and us by him1 that the strength of     

,christ is made perfect in  weakness4   
,the ,calling of the ,church    ,the    
church is not only quickened by ,christ1
 but quickened together  with ,him444   
,if this truth were received into the   
understanding  and affections1 and lived
 upon daily by the children of ,god1    
their very garments would smell of myrrh
 and frankincense1 with  all powders of 
the merchant2 and their conversation    
would bespeak  their heavenly calling in
 ,christ ,jesus4    ,to rise above the  
first ,adam we must live in the last    
,adam4 ,we  shall then be able in spirit
 to use the language of the #hth ,psalm1
  and have all things under our feet4   
,our life is in ,christ3 therefore it is
 eternal life2 for ,christ  is the same 
yesterday1 to-day1 and for ever4        
,god's design was not only to save us   
from hell1 however great  that          
salvation1 but to make us ,his sons and 
daughters1 in order  that we1 with      
,himself and the ,lord ,jesus1 the      
first-born from  the dead1 might dwell  

for ever in our ,father's house4        
,true love has its source in ,christ    
,himself4 ,it is therefore bold  in     
defence of ,his truth1 and knows no man 
after the flesh when  ,his honour is to 
be maintained or defended4    ,we have  
three chief characters to sustain--child
 of ,god2 soldier2  spouse of ,christ4  
,we have to feast2 to fight2 and to     
sing4 ,christ  has won the victory4 ,we 
gather up the spoils2 and though so     
doing  we must fight1 the victory is    
ours and its fruit4    ,to have the     
,lord ,jesus revealed to us by the      
,spirit of ,god  is enough4 ,it sufficed
 ,stephen amidst his persecutors1 and   
suffices  us amidst all our difficulties
 and adversaries1 amidst all trials1    
great and small4    ,god's people are   
,his witnesses2 they are the light in   
this dark  world3 they should therefore 
be so filled with the ,spirit1 as  to be
 ,christ's epistles1 known and read of  
all men4    ,the church has spiritual1  
heavenly1 eternal life in ,christ1 her  

risen ,lord1 the last ,adam4 ,his       
pierced side is the fountain of  life to
 us ,his spouse4    ,we are under the   
law of ,god's love and grace in our new 
relation  as children2 we are under     
obligation to ,christ as first-born     
among many brethren2 and as ,his        
members1 to obey ,him as our  ,head4    
,we have often the words members of     
,christ upon our lips2 would  that they 
were always accompanied with reverence  
and love6    ,col4 #b3ad4 ,the          
forgiveness of ,god is like the ,god who
 grants  it--everlasting1               
all-comprehensive1 immeasurable4444 ,no 
possibility  of condemnation4 ,the bond 
that was against me is now nailed up1   
as it were1 in the court of justice for 
the protection of the  debtor4 ,i now   
owe everything to the love of ,god2 ,i  
owe my whole  self4 ,let ,christ dwell  
in my heart1 to guide every glance of   
the eye1 every thought of the mind4     
,how strange would it seem to us to see 
a prince in sorry garments  seated on   

the alebench in company with common men6
 how much greater  the inconsistency    
when a child of the living ,god1 a king 
and  a priest unto ,god1 degrades       
himself to fellowship with the          
unregenerate6    ,in order of time we   
were in the first man ,adam1 the man of 
the  earth1 first3 but not so in order  
of purpose and decree2 according  to    
this we were in the last ,adam1 the     
second man1 the ,lord from  heaven1 ere 
we fell in the first4    ,every flock   
bears the mark of its owner2 so the     
sheep of ,christ  have their mark1 even 
poverty of spirit2 each one is a poor   
needy  sinner1 self-judged and          
self-condemned1 according to the justice
  of ,god4    ,for a child of ,god to   
talk of his heavenly calling1 and not to
  walk according to it1 how sad a sight6
 ,the moment ,i am born of  ,god1 ,i am 
in the world in a new relation2 ,i am a 
crucified man  and that ,i am such      
should be evident to all around4    ,god
 holds us accountable for what we have1 

and not for what we  have not4 ,if ,i   
have only ten minutes to read the ,word1
 do ,i employ  those ten minutes        
according to my accountability8    ,many
 believers1 though they live in ,new    
,testament times1 walk  in the ,old     
,testament spirit4          ,the ,new   
,creature    ,the believer in ,jesus1   
being created anew1 has the likeness of 
,god stamped upon him4 ,in nature the   
child resembles the parent4  ,there is  
no feature of the countenance of ,god   
the ,father but  is to be found in the  
feeblest child of grace4 7#b ,pet4      
#a3d47    ,according to the new man1 we 
crave the knowledge of ,god's truth  for
 the sake of obedience2 but the flesh   
desires knowledge for  the vain-glorious
 talk of the lips that tendeth to       
penury4 7,prov4  #ad3bc47    ,as a      
vessel takes its shape from the mould1  
so should our will  be formed in the    
mould of the will of ,god3 then shall we
 have  everything our own way4 7,john   
#ae3g47    ,christ had no will but the  

will of ,his ,father1 and in ,his       
delight  to do that will we see ,his    
perfect holiness3 for what is holiness  
but ,thy will be done8    ,as the       
weakness of the old man lies in its vain
 conceit of its  strength2 so the       
strength of the new man lies in its true
 sense  of perfect weakness4    ,god is 
no respecter of persons2 but ,he will   
honour them that  honour ,him1 whereas  
they that despise ,him shall be lightly 
esteemed4  7#a ,sam4 #b3cj47 ,he honours
 us for ,his own grace in us1 and       
corrects  us for our evil ways4         
,unbelief    ,unbelief is oft a         
hypocrite clothed in a white robe1 as an
 angel  of light1 having the semblance  
of all humility2 but drag him  to the   
light1 and the monster appears6 ,he     
would cast down ,god  from ,his throne  
and set himself thereon4    ,where      
,unbelief is1 there is pride2 and where 
pride is1 her whole  brood of evils are 
to be found with her4 ,so with the      
obedience  of faith1 there is humility  

with all her train4    ,there will be no
 room for the fretfulness of ,unbelief1 
if ,i only  see that ,he who is the     
,ruler of heaven and earth is my very   
,kinsman  -- my ,brother4    ,when a    
child of ,god takes an unbelieving step1
 and ,god suffers  it to succeed1 this  
is one of the sharpest corrections he   
can  be visited with4 7#b ,chron4       
#af3b-i47    ,let us not nourish        
,unbelief by plans and contrivances of  
fleshly  prudence4    ,one step of      
,unbelief unrepented of leads to        
another4    ,hard thoughts of ,god are1 
alas6 natural to us2 and swarm in our   
breast3 it is only as the love of ,god  
is revealed to us in the  cross of      
,christ that we are able to cast them   
out4    ,if in great tribulation we are 
by faith walking upon the flood1  we    
shall seem to the eye of ,unbelief to be
 sinking in the flood4    ,if ,unbelief 
prevail in saints1 they slight the      
assemblies of  ,god's people2 but let us
 who diligently frequent them be able   

to say1 ,we have seen the ,lord 7,john  
#bj3be73 that will be the  best rebuke  
for the negligent4    ,unbelief is in   
man's sight no sin at all--whilst in    
,god's sight  it is of all sins the     
greatest4    ,whilst we are looking to  
,jesus at the right hand of ,god1 all   
circumstances are our occasions for     
honouring ,god by faith2 but  if we look
 to circumstances and not to ,christ1   
they cast us down1  and leave us a prey 
to ,unbelief4    ,by ,unbelief the child
 of ,god degrades himself2 losing sight 
of  his heavenly robe he makes much of  
the earthly rags of this world's        
honour1 and can even envy the wearers4  
7,ps4 #gc3c47    ,we do well to remember
 that ,god is as true to ,his           
forewarnings  of wrath and curse1 as ,he
 is to ,his promises of grace4 ,we take 
the latter for our peculiar comfort1 but
 should also solemnly  meditate the     
former for our ripe and full            
acquaintance with ,god4    ,unbelief    
cripples and puts in fear where no fear 

is2 it leads  to despair1 and despair is
 but unbelief without a bridle4    ,do  
you1 at the ,mercy-seat1 confess the    
iniquity of ,unbelief8  ,remember that  
it makes ,god to be the very contrary of
 what ,he  is4    ,unbelief and its     
rebellion will make of a mere nothing a 
great  mountain4    ,every murmuring    
thought is the child of ,unbelief1 and  
makes ,god  a liar4          ,the ,sins 
of ,believers    ,the heart of man is a 
restless deep1 ever casting up mire and 
dirt 7,isa4 #eg3bj72 but in the sins of 
,god's children there is  a pre-eminence
 of guilt4    ,jonah could not sin      
himself out of the love of ,god2        
therefore1  sinning himself out of      
communion with ,god1 he had the greater 
guilt4    ,i count myself more vile than
 the murderer who suffers death by  the 
hangman's hand1 because the atoning     
blood of the ,son of ,god  acquaints me 
with myself4444 ,that which shows me my 
forgiveness  reveals to me my pollution4
    ,by far the greater part of the sins

 of ,god's children are sins  of        
ignorance4 ,how needful therefore the   
cry1 ,cleanse ,thou me  from secret     
faults 7,ps4 #ai3ab7--;faults hidden    
from mine own  eye and from mine own    
conscience4 ,without atoning blood they 
would bring down ,god's curse on the    
offender's head4 ,oh1 let  us not make  
light of sins of ignorance6    ,the sins
 of our unregenerate state should indeed
 be ever before  us2 but by frowardness1
 since we tasted that ,god is gracious1 
we sin 7as natural men cannot sin7      
against the heart of ,christ1  against  
,god's love and ,his ,spirit1 who seals 
us unto the day  of redemption4 ,the    
natural man is a rebel against his      
,maker2  but it is against a ,father    
that we1 the saved1 offend4 ,forgetting 
the cross1 we go astray4 ,the remedy is 
true and speedy confession2  for we have
 an ,advocate with the ,father4 7#a     
,john #b3a47    ,we must be ever waging 
war with the secret workings of sin4    
,where  it is but in a little measure   

allowed1 ,god may suffer ,his child  to 
go further and further in that          
allowance1 until the seven  locks are   
shorn on ,delilah's lap4    ,to be      
doubting ,christ's love1 to be limiting 
,his grace1 is alike  unworthy of us and
 grieving to ,him4 ,the last offence of 
,joseph's  brethren 7,gen4 #ej3ae-ba7   
was not the least4    ,there is no fault
 in our character that the grace of ,god
 cannot  cure4 ,it becomes us therefore 
to give no quarter to the ,canaanites4  
7,judges #b7    ,god deals with us after
 conversion otherwise than before it3   
,he1 as a wise ,father1 has a rod of    
correction for ,his children1  and      
smites them when ,he might let them     
alone1 did they not know  ,his love4    
,peculiar temptations bring forth       
peculiar corruptions1 after  neglected  
warnings4    ,the ,lord ,jesus took     
loving pains to make ,peter acquainted  
with  ,himself1 and was compelled to    
humble him by his threefold denial  of  
his ,lord1 but without exposing him to  

the eye of enemies4  ,overcome by a     
sudden temptation1 he was quickly       
forgiven and  restored4 7,luke          
#bb3ee-fb47 ,whereas ,david1 who had    
deliberately  transgressed1 and who had 
long been in a backsliding state of     
heart1 was exposed to the people as well
 as made loathsome in  his own eyes4 7#b
 ,sam4 #ab2 #af7 ,when ,christ restores 
a fallen one1  ,he often makes that     
disciple stronger than before his fall4 
,when  thou art converted1 strengthen   
thy brethren 7,luke #bb3cb74 ,so  it    
will be with those who1 like ,david and 
,peter1 have been wont  to follow the   
,lord fully4    ,the people of ,god are 
in general slack and slothful in        
searching  out sins of ignorance2 but if
 we persevere in the search1 asking     
,god to reveal them to us1 ,he will give
 us very humbling knowledge  of         
ourselves and of our secret faults2 with
 it also blessed comfort  and communion1
 which otherwise we could not enjoy4    
,the ,coming of the ,lord    ,yet the   

blessed hope of the coming of ,christ   
keep us ever on  the watchtower2        
looking1 longing for it1 and hasting    
towards  it4    ,would that we duly     
considered our accountability to        
,christ1 who  in the day of ,his        
appearing will judge the secrets of all 
hearts4  ,then we shall each be called  
on to give an account of his            
stewardship - an account1 not only of   
gifts of understanding  and substance1  
but of daily employment1 and of all the 
minutes  of the day4 7,see #a ,cor4     
#d3a-f47          ,prayer    ,it is a   
high place that is given to the prayers 
of saints in  #a ,tim4 #b3a4b4 ,if      
,christians only knew how their prayers 
for kings  and governors are heard in   
heaven1 they would not be meddlers  with
 this world's politics4    ,every wish  
that the ,holy ,ghost breathes into the 
soul of a believer  is a voice which    
enters into the ear of ,god4    ,it is  
well for a child of ,god to pray for    
himself1 but a more  excellent thing to 

pray for others4 ,god honours the spirit
 of  intercession4    ,we are too apt to
 set ,god a time and a way of answering 
our prayers2  and even when our prayers 
are answered1 we are often surprised    
and ready to faint4 ,if we desire much  
communion with ,god and  with ,christ1  
we must not be surprised if the ,holy   
,spirit come  upon us as a keen north   
wind1 revealing our own corruption and  
evil to us3 when it comes1 let us not   
say1 ,how can we bear this8  but rather 
be thankful for ,god's wise answer to   
prayer4    ,if we have not the spirit of
 supplication and thanksgiving1 let  us 
begin with the spirit of confession4    
,when we pray1 let us be sure ,god is   
hearing us4 ,if we ask help1  kindness1 
favour1 from a fellow-man1 it cheers us 
to observe  the kind attentive look3 let
 us by faith regard our unseen  ,saviour
 and ,priest1 and settle it in our      
hearts that our prayer  is received2 the
 answer will come in the best time4 ,if 
we cannot  comply with ,god's just      

demands to be singing and triumphing    
with  ,christ above1 ,he will listen to 
,his unbelieving1 groaning children4    
,he bows down ,his ear to hear their    
cry4    ,when the ,word of ,god enters  
the conscience1 men pour out their      
hearts indeed to the ,lord4    ,our need
 of ,prayer is as frequent as the       
moments of the day2  and as we grow in  
spirituality of mind1 our continual need
 will  be felt by us more and more4     
,in order to have power with ,god in    
,prayer1 there must be an undivided     
heart2 if we would come boldly to the   
throne of grace1 we must  come          
obediently4    ,daniel made prayer and  
meditation of the ,scriptures the chief 
business of his life2 yet1 if we        
consider the circumstances in  which he 
was placed1 we shall see that few ever  
had greater obstacles  than he in the   
way of seeking ,god4    ,god gives1 as a
 wise ,father1 prized benefits to ,his  
supplicating  children4    ,when we ask 
for more communion with ,god1 are we    

willing to part  with all that hinders8 
,let us take heed that our ways agree   
with  our words when we come to the     
,mercy-seat4    ,it is a great help to  
us when we see that our prayers and our 
labours are to be as the grain of wheat 
falling into the ground4  ,if we look   
for death and burial first1 we shall be 
able to go  on in patience2 and in due  
time shall assuredly reap an abundant   
harvest4    ,we ought to go to ,god with
 our matters as altogether ,his4    ,how
 great is our favour and power with     
,god6 for we are kings  and priests unto
 ,god--,his sons and daughters by       
adoption and  grace4 ,let us take heed  
that we grieve not the ,spirit who      
sealed  us unto the day of redemption2  
and nothing will ,god deny us4  7,john  
#ae3g47    ,the best testimony that     
,stephen bore was his last not when he  
was preaching and working miracles1 but 
when he pleaded for his  persecutors2   
for then he most resembled the ,lord    
,jesus in patience1  forgiveness1 and   

love4    ,when some peculiar pressure is
 upon you1 be like ,queen ,esther1      
whose first request was the king's      
company4 ,in each trial seek  first the 
kingdom of ,god and ,his righteousness1 
and all other  things shall be added3   
your seeking first the removal of the   
trial shows that you need the           
continuance of it4    ,we must not look 
on that only as ,prayer to which our    
lips give  utterance2 the wish of the   
believing heart is counted prayer  by   
,god2 it is the smoke of the incense    
which ascends in silence  before ,him4  
,if a path be overgrown with moss and   
briers1 it is difficult  to trace it2 if
 well frequented1 it is plainly seen4   
,our pathway  to the fountain of ,jesus'
 blood should be ever well trodden by   
our confessions4    ,unbelief lightly   
esteems both our ,own prayers and those 
of others4    ,we can never draw nigh to
 ,god in believing prayer1 but the      
answer  will be more than we had grace  
to hope for4 ,expectation from  ,god is 

a precious fruit of prayer4    ,a guilty
 conscience stops prayer1 but a cleansed
 conscience makes  prayer to flow4 ,we  
may often have the spirit of prayer     
without  the comfort of prayer4         
,conflict    ,when the corruptions of   
the flesh1 like an armed host1 invade   
the soul1 they aim first at the capital 
city1 which is ,faith4  ,success there  
would ensure possession of the whole    
land4    ,it is ever ,satan's aim to    
debase the heart and conscience of  the 
children of ,god4 ,their heart should be
 filled with ,christ2  their conscience 
ruled by ,his word and ways4 ,satan     
would entice  away the heart from       
,christ1 and set up in the conscience a 
standard  inferior to that of ,christ's 
example4 ,oh that the saints were  not  
ignorant of ,satan's devices1 but       
willing to pluck out the  right eye1 to 
cut off hand or foot1 rather than give  
place at  all to the adversary4    ,let 
our affections be resting in ,christ1   
and engrossed with ,him2  then will all 

saints be dear to us in ,him1 because   
they are one  with ,him1 and we shall   
please ,him concerning them4 ,to prevent
  our attaining to this grace1 or to    
spoil us of it1 is the aim  of the      
powers of darkness that war against us4 
,it is only as we have rest in ,christ1 
only as we have peace through  faith in 
,his atoning blood1 only as we have the 
purged conscience1  with the heart's    
affections set upon ,christ1 that we    
have any  strength to war against our   
spiritual enemies3 it is whilst we  are 
fighting against them1 that strength is 
given equal to the  need1 and we        
experience the precious sympathy of the 
,captain  of our salvation4 ,put on the 
whole armour of ,god4 7,eph4 #f3aj-ai47 
,david put away the armour of ,saul1 and
 went against ,goliath with  nothing    
save the weapons of weakness4           
,service    ,god1 in fitting any servant
 for special service1 often subjects    
him to painful discipline of soul3 the  
end of this training is  the breaking   

down self-confidence1 so that when at   
last the servant  goes forth to his work
 he says1 ,who am ,i8 ,the flesh will   
not  say1 ,who am ,i8 ,but to this we   
must be brought ere ,god can put  us to 
honourable use4    ,we are not the most 
useful when most wordy1 but when most   
prayerful4    ,though ,god marks that   
which is wrong in ,his servants1        
notwithstanding  all their faithfulness1
 ,he never forgets that which is right  
in them1 notwithstanding all their      
imperfections4    ,if we do not live    
beyond time1 we are not fit to live in  
time4    ,we cannot bestow kindnesses   
upon the unconverted for ,christ's  sake
 without obtaining peculiar fellowship  
with ,god4    ,that man is miserable who
 is wrapped up in himself and cares  not
 for others2 such a man keeps happiness 
outside1 and bolts  the door against    
her4    ,the ways of ,christ in the days
 of ,his flesh are the true pattern  for
 ,his people4    ,it is a mark of steady
 progress in the ways of ,god1 when a   

servant  of ,christ1 like his ,master1  
makes no choice of service1 seeking     
only to please his ,lord4    ,if by     
walking before ,god we rise above the   
praise of men1 we  shall not be vexed or
 discouraged by their disapproval and   
blame4    ,he that is humble1 and ever  
desiring to serve others1 will surely   
find others desiring to serve him4      
,if we have but the heart to serve      
,christ1 ,he will surely employ  us2 and
 if ,he have any special service for us1
 ,he will grant  us special guidance4   
7,acts #h3bf47    ,the conversion of    
sinners1 the prosperity of saints--these
  are precious things1 but not the      
object of the soul3 that should  be to  
please ,god4    ,the moment a servant   
acts independently1 he acts from        
himself1  and out of character4 7,john  
#ba3c47    ,in all you do be the servant
 of ,christ1 forgetting yourself --     
engrossed with ,him4    ,we need        
readiness of heart1 and skilfulness of  
hands1 to serve  the church of ,god     

aright4          ,service to ,christ    
,there is much that the ,lord's true    
servants do which no human  eye takes   
knowledge of4 ,what they do they are to 
do as to the  ,lord1 and to look for    
reward from ,him2 learning also to have 
fellowship with ,christ in ,his         
sufferings and service4    ,it is our   
wisdom not to seek praise of men3 if1 in
 our intercourse  with saints1 rather   
than look after a good name1 we seek to 
approve  ourselves to ,god1 a good name 
will surely follow us4    ,look not at  
the quantity1 but at the quality of your
 service1  whatsoever that service may  
be4 ,if it be preaching1 preaching  is  
not the first thing3 the heart must     
first be kept2 then two  or three words 
spoken in the power of the ,spirit may  
avail more  than many a long discourse4 
,forgiveness    ,peter said to our      
,lord1 ,how oft shall my brother sin    
against  me1 and ,i forgive him1 until  
seven times8 7,matt4 #ah3ba4bb47  ,what 
warrant had ,peter for saying1 ,how oft8

 ,had he been standing  at the foot of  
,mount ,sinai1 he might have said1 ,how 
oft8 ,standing  in the covenant of      
grace1 we say1 ,seventy times seven4    
,if we be called to judge offending     
brethren1 we should judge  before the   
,mercy-seat4 ,there we are self-judged1 
as oft offending  and oft forgiven4     
,those injuries are often hardest to    
forgive which are only known  to the    
injured and the wrong-doer4    ,if      
others act with want of uprightness     
towards us1 and we are  irritated1 it is
 a proof that we are then dealing rather
 with  the creature than with ,god4     
,those are the best fitted for the work 
of reproof1 who are severe  against     
themselves1 but gentle towards others2  
whilst such as  are forward to reprove  
most need reproof themselves4           
,poverty of ,spirit    ,we must live as 
beggars upon the love of ,christ2 we are
 never  safe from snares but as we are  
thus poor in spirit4    ,christ was the 
only one who could1 without a struggle1 

be content  to be a worm1 and no man4   
7,ps4 #bb3f47    ,the self-exalted      
person as much degrades himself in      
,god's sight1  as he exalts himself in  
his own4    ,we sink into nothingness as
 we grow up into ,christ4    ,to grow in
 poverty of spirit is truly to grow in  
grace3 ,without  ,me ye can do nothing4 
7,john #ae3e47 ,if we be sitting at the 
feet  of ,jesus1 all carnal boasting is 
excluded1 we have ,his mind of  wisdom  
in all things1 and cannot behave        
ourselves unseemly4    ,no rest have we 
for the sole of our foot except in      
,christ2 and  whenever a poor needy one 
seeks ,him1 ,he deals by such an one  as
 did ,noah by the dove4 ,noah put forth 
his hand and took her  in unto him into 
the ark4    ,if we upbraid ourselves1   
,christ justifies4 ,if we be dumb in our
  own defence1 ,he opens ,his mouth to  
plead our cause1 and our wounded  hearts
 ,he binds up4    ,if ,i be content to  
be nothing1 ,i cannot take offence2 and 
when  ,i am really humble1 and know     

myself a worm1 ,i shall not complain  if
 trampled on4    ,pride nourishes the   
remembrance of injuries3 humility       
forgets  as well as forgives them4      
,lot never drew near enough to ,god to  
know his own heart2 it was  ,abraham1   
and not ,lot1 who said1 ,i am but dust  
and ashes4 7,gen4  #ah3bg47             
,evil ,passions    ,oh1 how unseemly in 
a ,christian are murmurings1 envyings1  
and  such like6 ,if we look beneath the 
surface we shall find the root  of these
 things to be unmortified pride1 and a  
conscience not  purged4    ,pride never 
stoops but to take a higher flight4     
,the drunkard1 the murderer1 the        
idolater1 cannot enter into the  kingdom
 of heaven4 ,the sins of such are       
counted great even by  the natural      
conscience2 but covetousness1 who       
condemns it8 ,yet  the man who thirsts  
for gold is alike with the murderer     
accursed  from ,god4    ,satan gets no  
more advantage over us than we allow    
him4    ,it is one of ,satan's great    

aims to seduce the children of ,god  and
 the servants of ,christ into error2 if 
he cannot do that1  he will tempt them  
to keep back part of the truth1 or to   
dwell  upon any other part rather than  
,jesus ,christ1 and ,him crucified4     
,the sum of man's excellency is dust and
 ashes3 nevertheless1  ,satan deludes   
men into thinking themselves something2 
he helps  them to carnal self-amendment 
and self-improvement1 and so makes  them
 blind to their true state before ,god4 
,self-,knowledge and ,self-,judgement   
,true ,self-judgment shuts out the      
adversary4    ,the more we exercise     
ourselves in ,self-judgment1 the more   
will  the flesh in us be discerned by   
ourselves1 and the less will  it be seen
 by others4    ,in our exercise of      
,self-judgment1 we should keep our eye  
upon  the ,advocate with the ,father1   
else we shall have a self-vexing        
conscience which profits not4           
,self-examination is a solemn and       
profitable business it should  mainly   

consist in this1 ,my soul1 believest    
thou8 lovest thou8  7,heb4 #aa3f2       
#c3ab4ac2 ,john #ac3cd4ce2 ,rom4 #ac3aj2
 #a ,cor4 #ac7    ,the custom of        
,self-judgment is among the best of     
spiritual habits4    ,the ,lord is a    
,god of knowledge1 and by ,him actions  
are weighed  7#a ,sam4 #b3c74 ,because  
,god tries the heart1 therefore1 in     
instances  innumerable1 ,god's judgment 
condemns where man may approve and      
praise4    ,the oftener we invite ,him  
with whom we have to do to use the  keen
 edge of the sword of the ,spirit in our
 own consciences1  the less will there  
be in us for ,satan's fiery darts to fix
 upon4    ,if we better considered that 
we have an ,advocate with the ,father   
7#a ,john #b3a71 we should not go far   
from the paths of the ,lord  and the    
presence of ,god4 ,this ,advocate speaks
 to the pity and  love as well as to the
 holiness of the ,father4 ,it was the   
,advocate  who said1 ,the spirit is     
willing1 but the flesh is weak 7,matt4  

#bf3da74 ,he knows all our              
circumstances1 and the power of         
temptation  and trial4 ,let it be the   
first business of the conscience to     
think of this ,advocate with the        
,father2 then what child of  ,god will  
be slow to make confession whenever it  
is due8    ,each one of us has in       
himself some especially besetting evil  
-- a weight to be laid aside4 7,heb4    
#ab3a47    ,let me ask the ,lord to give
 me self-knowledge2 for self-knowledge1 
though a painful1 is a necessary thing1 
worth all the trouble  of the search1   
and all the mortification it may cost   
me4    ,when ,israel suffers defeat     
before ,ai1 it is time to do what should
  indeed have been done before3 to      
search out the ,achan in the  camp4     
7,see ,joshua #g7    ,when ,i see a     
brother overtaken in a fault1 let me    
beware of my  own besetments1 and seek  
to restore him in the spirit of         
meekness4          ,humility and        
,self-,abasement    ,self-humiliation   

brings with it tenderness of spirit2 and
 as  we sink in our own esteem1 the     
,lord fulfils in us that precious       
promise1 ,to this man will ,i look1 even
 to him that is poor and  of a contrite 
spirit1 and trembleth at ,my word 7,isa4
 #ff3b74    ,if we be self-loathed1 we  
shall be willing1 when brought low1  to 
sink lower still4 7#b ,sam4 #ae3be4bf47 
,he that is self-abased before ,god1 and
 so carries himself humbly  towards     
others1 must obtain honour2 but if any  
child of ,god exalt  himself1 sure as   
,god is1 shame will come of that        
self-exaltation4    ,our reputation is  
the last thing we are willing to lose we
 cleave  to it even when1 in point of   
justification and peace with ,god1  we  
have counted our own righteousness      
filthy rags4 ,let the saints  take heed 
to their walk before ,god and man2 but  
this done1 so  that they have in all    
things a conscience void of offence1 let
  them account their reputation ,god's  
jewel1 not their own4    ,knowledge     

often exceeds grace2 but communion with 
,god and poverty  of ,spirit go         
together3 if the one decline1 so will   
the other4    ,the low place is the safe
 place2 and whatever the tribulation1   
it will surely bring its blessings1 ,god
 being trusted4    ,samson was never so 
strong as when1 through his own folly   
brought  low and put to shame1 he said1 
,strengthen me1 ,i pray ,thee1 ,o  ,god1
 only this once 7,jud4 #af3bh74    ,we  
are wont to consider ,david's slaying   
,goliath a great deed  of faith1 and    
such it was2 but more to be admired is  
,david's  dominion over himself that    
marked his course4 ,his blemishes and   
sins were not his character4            
,confidence in ,god and self-distrust   
are sure companions4    ,it is true     
humility and true holiness to judge     
ourselves dead  and buried with ,christ 
as children of the first ,adam1 whatever
  the flesh within us2 and as children  
of ,god raised up together  with        
,christ1 and seated with ,him1 the last 

,adam1 the head of  the new creation4   
,we thus discern1 and subdue1 and loathe
 the  flesh1 which1 though crucified    
with ,christ in the account of  ,god and
 of faith1 is ever struggling to regain 
lost dominion4  ,satan1 taking occasion 
by the flesh1 would cast us down in the 
spirit of our minds from our heavenly   
places4 ,resisting him in  faith1 we    
wage the war of ,eph4 #f4 ,good soldiers
 of ,christ will  have the peace of ,god
 ruling in their hearts4 ,they cannot   
but  live in peace2 for the ,god of love
 and peace is with them4 ,schism  and   
division proclaim the victories and     
triumphs of ,satan4 ,would  ,god we were
 all by ,his ,spirit awakened to        
consider these things6  ,the day is at  
hand that will make us and our ways all 
manifest2  and we ourselves shall then  
no more mistake the talk of the lips    
for the obedience of faith4             
,circumstances    ,our ,circumstances   
are what we make them4 ,if they be not  
by faith  kept under our feet1 they will

 by unbelief become our masters4    ,our
 song of praise can never be checked    
unless we rejoice in  ,circumstances1   
and in things around us1 more than in   
,god ,himself4    ,it is to our shame   
that we are easily wrought upon by      
shifting  ,circumstances4 ,how good for 
us that we have an unchangeable ,god  to
 rest in6    ,the natural man is the    
slave of ,circumstances4    ,never let  
me be compelled to say1 ,i have driven  
my stakes so  deep into the earth that  
,i cannot pull them up2 but rather let  
me so pitch my tent that in a moment ,i 
may strike it at the bidding  of the    
,lord4 7,num4 #i3ae-bc47    ,all things 
are working together for good to them   
that love ,god2  albeit sometimes in the
 way of chastening and judgment4    ,if 
we honour ,god in the little matters of 
our daily life1 ,he  will prepare       
greater occasions for our faith1 and so 
put honour  on the obedience that was   
little known to any but ,himself4       
,abraham  had so dealt with ,god about  

all the daily little matters of tent    
and household1 that when the great      
occasion comes 7,gen4 #bb7 the  man of  
faith shines forth4    ,god orders our  
steps in our natural state 7the guilt of
 our sins  our own7 to further us in    
,his service after regeneration4 7,gal4 
#a3ae47    ,it matters little what our  
,circumstances1 if in the spirit of  our
 mind we be before ,god offering up     
spiritual sacrifices acceptable  to ,him
 by ,jesus ,christ4 ,to faith all       
,circumstances are opportunities  of    
pleasing ,god and serving ,christ4      
,that station of life is most desirable 
which has least in it  to cumber the    
spirit1 and to entice away the heart    
from ,christ4  ,shall we not then rather
 desire to stoop with our ,lord1 than   
to rise with the men of the world8      
,every state in life has temptations2   
but these thicken upon us1 and grow in  
seducing power1 according  to rise in   
earthly honour4    ,howsoever we may    
deplore the sin of one that has injured 

us1  we ought to be thankful for the    
occasion of showing the mind  of ,christ
 towards the wrong-doer4    ,if our     
hearts be set upon enjoying the light of
 our ,father's  countenance1 we shall   
find that all ,circumstances1 bitter as 
well as sweet1 will afford us           
opportunity of bearing something1  or   
doing something1 for ,his sake4    ,my  
happiness in ,christ will grow through  
every new ,circumstance1  if ,i have no 
will but ,god's4 ,god1 by all           
,circumstances1 delights  to make glad  
,his obedient children4 7#b ,thess4     
#c3af47    ,if we judge not ,god's      
character by ,his providences1 but ,his 
providences  by ,his character1 we shall
 be able to rejoice when the flesh      
would repine4    ,when ,elijah in       
unbelief fled from ,jezebel he had the  
meet rebuke  from the ,lord2 but the    
fault of the hour of temptation did not 
hide from ,god's gracious eye the       
faithfulness of ,his servant4  7#a      
,kings #ai7 ,in like manner dealt the   

,lord ,jesus with that other            
,elijah--,john the ,baptist--when he    
seemed like a reed shaken  with the     
wind4 7,matt4 #aa3b-ae47 ,we are to be  
imitators of ,god  as dear1 as pleasant1
 children2 and if we are not to suffer  
sin  upon our brethren1 whatever their  
grace1 neither should the fault  in them
 be a cover to our eyes of their grace  
and service to  ,christ4                
,strength and ,continuance    ,phil4    
#c3ab4 ,it is ,christ's hold upon us    
that enables us1 by faith1  to lay hold 
on and to keep hold of ,him4    ,they   
who seem the most tried are not always  
those that have the  sharpest warfare4  
,sometimes things appear to us so       
difficult that we are daunted2  at other
 times so easy that we think we are     
equal to them2 and  thus in either case 
we fail4    ,he that is running a race  
looks not at witnesses admiring1 but    
only at the mark4    ,we need to discern
 the ,lord's body i4e4 ,christ as having
 been  crucified 7#a ,cor4 #aa3bi7 for  

steadfastness of communion with  ,god1  
no less than to trust in ,his blood to  
obtain salvation from  wrath to come4   
7,john #f3ed4ef47    ,the fulfilling of 
,god's promises depends not upon the    
creature's  strength1 and cannot be     
prevented by the creature's weakness4   
,we need a close walk with ,god1 a      
having respect to all ,his commandments1
  if we would obtain of ,him whatsoever 
we ask4    ,true persevering diligence  
in spiritual things always begins  in   
self-abasement4    ,it is one mark of   
growth in spirituality to be more       
afflicted  by the pleasing--than by the 
distressing--temptations of  ,satan4    
,we should always take great trials and 
great temptations as the  forerunners of
 great blessings and growth of          
fellowship with  ,god4    ,the obedience
 of grace obtains for us the profitable 
knowledge  of truth1 and teaches us to  
prize it more than much fine gold4      
,mere knowledge puffeth up1 and the talk
 of the lips tendeth only  to penury4   

7,prov4 #ad3bc47    ,deep spirituality  
of mind is only obtained by a thorough  
crucifixion  of self3 self-denial is    
discipline for life--the work of every  
hour4    ,to make a good soldier1 put   
him in front of the battle2 a good      
seaman1 let him brave the storm3 so with
 the ,christian4    ,true readiness to  
confess sin1 and joy in self-abasement1 
mark  a growth in grace and knowledge of
 the character of ,god4    ,i know of no
 one who1 with so little promise in his 
beginnings  of faith1 had a sunset so   
glorious as had ,jacob4 7,gen4 #dh1 #di7
    ,it is the constant crucifying the  
flesh in little things that  makes a    
giant in the ,christian warfare4 ,but   
true self-crucifixion  is a thing       
impossible1 save by grace2 and to have  
the needful  supplies of that grace we  
must be in perpetual communion with     
,god3 it is only thus we shall overcome 
in little things4    ,it is a great     
salvation wrought for us1 if the soul be
 resolved  to suffer the will of ,god1  

cost what it may4    ,do you desire a   
humble mind1 a soft heart1 an obedient  
spirit8  ,ask and receive1 that your joy
 may be full4 ,but remember1 ,the  soul 
of the sluggard desireth1 and hath      
nothing 7,prov4 #ac3d74  ,be the clean  
vessel that ,god delights to fill and   
use4    ,not ,god's answering prayer in 
respect of earthly things and earthly   
gifts1 but growth of the new man1 is the
 true proof that we please  ,god4    ,we
 are commanded to lay aside every       
weight1 and the sin that  does so easily
 beset us3 if we contend not against the
 latter  -- that is unbelief--how shall 
we rightly deal with the former8  ,we   
have every one in himself his own       
peculiar hindrances--weights  which1 if 
not laid aside1 will clog the soul in   
her race4    ,how shall ,i run my race  
and not stumble8 how shall ,i have      
,christ's  approval in the day of ,his  
appearing8 are questions to be daily    
put by every child of ,god to his own   
soul4          ,character    ,in the    

members of ,christ1 even those in whom  
much excellency  of character is        
manifest1 too often1 alas6 we find the  
flies  of death in the apothecary's     
ointment 7,eccles4 #aj3a72 but in  the  
,lord ,jesus all excellences are blended
 in full perfection  and harmony3 ,he is
 the altogether lovely 7,song ,sol4     
#e3af74  ,but oh for a conversion of    
saints6--that we who are renewed1       
anointed1 and sealed by the ,spirit of  
,god2 that we in whom dwells  that ,holy
 ,spirit of promise1 who are the temple 
of ,god--might  be altogether like our  
,lord1 altogether pleasing to ,him      
,blessed  be ,god ,his people ,israel   
must be by-and-by ,his delightsome child
  knowing and doing ,his will4 7,isa4   
#fb7    ,walking with ,god teaches us   
the courtesy and kindness of love4      
,we do not glorify ,god so much by what 
we do1 as by what we are4  ,it is the   
spirit of our mind which glorifies ,him4
 ,i dwell1  says ,jehovah1 in the high  
and holy place2 with him also that  is  

of a contrite and humble spirit4 7,isa4 
#eg3ae47    ,if we walk much with ,god  
and with ,christ1 it will give us a     
certain  rightness of character1 so that
 we shall have the ready grace  for     
every circumstance4    ,god with us     
makes our service honourable1 be that   
service what  it may4                   
,obedience    ,david was keeping sheep  
in the wilderness with no eye upon him  
but ,god's4 ,in prompt obedience to his 
father he went to the valley  of ,elah1 
taking loaves and cheeses to his        
brethren3 if we are  content to serve   
,god in mean things1 ,god will bring us 
forth  in greater4 ,in the valley of    
,elah was ,goliath ready for ,david's   
sling4 7#a ,sam4 #ag3ag-bc47            
,obedience to ,christ brings upon us    
opposition from ,satan1 the  world1 the 
flesh in ourselves1 and the unbelief1   
ignorance1 and  lack of mind of ,christ 
in our brethren4 ,to meet all these     
aright1  let it be our business1 even in
 the smallest matters1 to please        

,christ1 that we may have ,his power and
 ,his truth for our strength  and       
guidance4 ,he trod this path before us1 
and has also given  ,his ,holy ,spirit  
to lead us and to comfort us through the
 journey4    ,the highest attainment in 
the spiritual life is to be able always 
and in all things to say1 ,thy will be  
done6 ,gen4 #bb gives us  a perfect     
sample of the obedience of faith4       
,there is no prevailing against our     
enemies without full obedience  to ,god4
 ,when ,israel must fight1 ,joshua must 
take heed that they  are keeping ,god's 
commandments4 7,see ,joshua #g7    ,he  
that allows himself in small sins will  
at length break out  in great ones3 be  
it our business1 then1 to watch against 
the  beginnings of departure from ,god1 
or these will surely lead to  bitter    
endings4    ,the ,word of the ,lord1 and
 the attentive ear of the faithful      
servant1  are all we need to carry us   
safely and happily onward4    ,whatever 
imperfections were in ,abraham1 whatever

 his haltings  and stumblings1 he never 
settled down1 as to purpose1 into       
half-hearted  obedience2 so if any child
 of ,god1 howsoever he may fail1 have  a
 steady1 fixed purpose to please ,god1  
he will surely become  strong in faith  
at the last4    ,all the children of    
,god receive ,christ as ,redeemer from  
curse  and wrath2 but they do not all   
take ,him for their portion and         
inheritance3 if we do this1 we cannot   
fail to be witnesses for  ,him1 and     
lights in this dark world4              
,cares    ,have you one anxious thought 
you do not bring to ,jesus8 ,have  you  
one care you deem too light1 too small1 
to lay before ,him8  ,it is then too    
small to give you one moment's concern4 
,either  cast your care 7great or small7
 upon ,him that careth for you1  or cast
 it away from you altogether3 if it be  
unfit for ,his sympathy1  it is unworthy
 of you4 7#a ,peter #e3g47    ,if we    
examine the troubles of ,god's children1
 we shall find that  too many of them   

arise from unbelieving fears concerning 
the  future2 let me but remember that   
,christ1 at the right hand of  ,god1    
counts all my troubles ,his own2 and    
then away with all  my fears concerning 
the morrow6 ,it is only at the          
,mercy-seat  we may lawfully think of   
the morrow4          ,chastisement      
,to quarrel with the instruments ,god   
used for our correction is  to quarrel  
with ,god ,himself4 ,it is1 in fact1 to 
say to ,him1 ,i  do not approve of ,thy 
government1 and ,i could order matters  
better  if they were left to me4 ,what  
is this but to aim at casting  down ,god
 from ,his throne1 and setting ourselves
 thereon8    ,though the ,lord often    
spares reproof1 ,he never spares        
commendation4  ,he is slow to anger2 ,he
 makes haste to be gracious4 7,neh4     
#i3ag2  ,ps4 #dj3ac47    ,jacob         
underwent discipline and chastisement   
for upwards of fifty  years1 for the    
withering in him the evil root of the   
spirit of  unbelieving contrivance4 ,god

 blesses ,his child1 and in ,his very   
love withholds not the rod of           
correction4    ,the pain that ,god's    
discipline gives us shows its wisdom3 it
  is the diseased part that feels under 
the surgeon's hand4    ,god never puts  
us to shame before the world1 or even   
before the  church1 unless we compel    
,him4    ,the ,lord always deals with us
 according to the state of our souls4   
,how small the knowledge of ,god that   
,job would have attained to1  but for   
the deep and marvellous discipline      
whereby he was sifted  and taught6      
,when we deal with ,god in prayer about 
the difficulties of our  path1 we must  
not set ,him a time for clearing away   
those difficulties1  but wait upon ,him1
 who accepts the sacrifice of our       
willing hearts4    ,the ,lord's jewels  
need grinding1 and cutting1 and         
polishing4  ,why forget8    ,it is not  
of necessity that a child of ,god       
beginning well goes  on well2 but if he 
take good heed to his ways--according to

  ,psalm #aai41 #b ,peter #a3e-g1 and   
like ,scriptures--he will surely  run   
well to the end of his race4    ,the    
more bitter the cup of discipline1 the  
more reason for our  thankfulness4 ,if  
we be not thankful1 let us give ,god no 
rest1  nor ourselves1 until ,he make us 
so4    ,correction despised brings      
sharper correction4    ,when ,god visits
 us with certain special discipline1 it 
is our  wisdom to accept the cup and    
drink it cheerfully1 however bitter1    
for health is in it4    ,let us have no 
reserves of conscience4 ,when ,god gives
 us light1  let us follow it            
whithersoever it may lead2 for1 while   
,god has  no judgments of curse for ,his
 children1 ,he has judgments of         
displeasure  of love because of         
disobedience4    ,be more desirous of   
inward help and deliverance1 than the   
removal  of ,god's hand1 when ,he lays  
affliction upon you4    ,impatience     
under ,god's corrections only shows our 
need of the  discipline ,he is pleased  

to visit us with4 ,we can least bear    
correction when we most need it4    ,one
 of the evil fruits of long-continued   
spiritual negligence1  is the soul's    
ignorance of its own state4    ,how     
often1 under discipline1 are the        
children of ,god struggling  amidst the 
thickets and briers of circumstances1   
instead of judging  the state of their  
hearts6 ,this lack of pondering their   
ways1  prevents their seeing the equity 
of ,god's dealings with them4           
,discipline    ,wherefore all the       
discipline with which ,job was          
exercised8 ,he  could say in truth1 ,i  
know that my ,redeemer liveth 7,job     
#ai3be74  ,as ,god's witness there was  
none like him in all the earth4 ,he     
walked in uprightness1 humility1        
patience1 and wisdom2 a perfect  and    
upright man1 fearing ,god and eschewing 
evil4 ,why then his  afflictions and    
humiliations1 before unheard-of among   
the saints8  ,there was the flesh in    
,job2 and the sifting discipline went   

on1  until ,job had learnt so to know   
both ,god and himself as to abhor       
himself1 and justify ,god4    ,i seek to
 keep short accounts with ,god3 this    
saves not only much  trouble and time1  
but also much sharp discipline4    ,a   
reproof entereth more into a wise man   
than an hundred stripes  into a fool4   
7,prov4 #ag3aj47    ,it is indeed rare1 
when judgments come upon men1 that those
 judgments  yield their due profit4     
,those who walk with a tender spirit    
before  ,god profit more by a word or   
gentle rebuke of ,his love1 that  none  
but themselves know of1 than do others1 
who are careless  walkers1 by heavy     
judgments4 ,if1 however1 great          
afflictions come1  the heart being      
prepared1 the end will be the double    
blessing4  7,job #db7    ,the cry of    
,abba1 ,father6 in the time of trouble1 
is often a  sign of quick deliverance4  
,when we kiss the hand that smites1  the
 rod drops4 ,is it not to resist the    
will of ,god when we flee  from those   

trials which ,he sends to prove our     
faith8    ,as children we may ask for   
understanding of our ,father's will2    
but it belongs not to us to think for   
,him4    ,we may be sorrowful1 yet not  
unhappy4 ,unhappiness is caused by      
self-will1 that frets against the       
,lord's way of dealing with  us4 ,but we
 may have sorrow without sinning1 and by
 such sadness  the heart is made better4
 7,eccl4 #g3c47 ,grace does not steel   
the  heart1 but makes it more tender4   
,we may feel1 but must not rebel4       
,every child of ,god needs to be put    
into the sieve3 but when sifted1  if we 
be willing to endure the ,lord's        
dealings with us1 we shall  not be put  
to shame4    ,how few the words of      
,jesus when all the earth1 in its       
representatives  -- ,herod1 ,pilate1    
priests and elders--rose up against     
,him6  ,he never uttered more or less   
than was needed for ,god's glory4  ,that
 perfect guidance of the tongue         
proceeded from the perfect  subjection  

of ,his will to ,god4    ,the proper    
fruit of the ,lord's discipline is that 
blessed state  described by the         
psalmist1 when the fretting of the flesh
 is  silenced1 the soul composing itself
 to rest in the everlasting  arms4      
,surely ,i have behaved and quieted     
myself1 as a child that  is weaned of   
his mother3 my soul is even as a weaned 
child 7,psalm  #aca3b74    ,it is not   
every child of ,god who1 by reason of   
acquaintance with  ,god and with        
himself1 reckons upon discipline1 and   
resolves to  go through it with ,god1   
how bitter soever it may be3 hence when 
it comes he frets2 he is the bullock    
unaccustomed to the yoke4  7,jer4       
#ca3ah47    ,christ had a lawful desire 
to be spared suffering4 ,he could not   
otherwise have been a pattern to us of  
patience and submission3  but ,his      
submission brought ,him into the floods 
of ,his sufferings4  ,our afflictions   
are light1 soon as we can say1 ,not my  
will1  but ,thine be done4    ,deep     

inwrought patience is precious fruit of 
suffering ,god's  will according to     
,god's mind4    ,if we desire that      
patience have her perfect work1 we shall
 thank  the only-wise ,god for all      
things whatsoever that afflict us2  and 
whosoever they be that ,god uses for    
pruning our souls --  be they unjust men
 or froward brethren--we shall love and 
pray  for them1 and seek to overcome    
their evil with good4    ,a child of    
,god may be greatly afflicted1 yet be   
far from murmuring  against his heavenly
 ,father4 ,sorrow sanctified obtains    
,god's  embrace2 rebellious grief spoils
 the soul of communion4 ,the cluster    
must be bruised to yield its wine1 and  
the sufferings of heavenly  patience    
procure for the soul an overflowing cup 
of consolation1  both for its own       
comfort and that of others4 7#b ,cor4   
#a3d-f47    ,how many snares1 how much  
harm1 and loss1 and shame1 would the    
people of ,god avoid and escape1 had    
they a little more patience  in waiting 

for the ,lord6 ,had ,saul but waited a  
few minutes longer  for ,samuel then    
would the ,lord have established his    
kingdom  upon ,israel for ever 7#a ,sam4
 #ac3ac74          ,experience    ,it is
 only as by faith we see our ,home      
above1 that we are proper  pilgrims     
here4    ,we rightly use our past       
,experience1 if1 in time present1 we    
have  no confidence in the flesh4       
,experience obtained without much       
waiting on ,god is not worthy  the name3
 ,patience worketh ,experience 7,rom4   
#e3d74    ,our past ,experience should  
be well pondered before ,god4 ,the      
record  of the pilgrimage of every one  
of us will be found in the great  book  
of ,god's government1 by-and-by to be   
opened4    ,god requires steadfastness  
of faith from those who have had        
especial  proofs of ,his love4    ,the  
spring of instability of purpose is some
 hankering within  us after praise of   
man4    ,the more we walk with ,god1 the
 more we shall sorrow for our sins  and 

those of others4 ,this sorrow well      
consists with joy in the  ,holy ,ghost4 
,we never hinder another's service or   
grace without hindering  our own3       
,quench not the ,spirit4    ,let us     
always be aiming at perfection3 thus we 
shall grow in  the knowledge of our     
imperfection4    ,tribulation worketh   
,patience2 but if tribulation pass by   
without  working patience1 we cannot    
have ,experience 7,rom4 #e3c74          
,a ,sound ,mind    ,one special mark of 
a sound mind is a readiness to take     
counsel  of ,god1 and a bringing into   
subjection all notions of our own  or of
 others to ,his revealed will4    ,it is
 not by change of circumstances that we 
can be made happy1  but by submission to
 the will of ,god4 ,this submission is  
manifested  by our steadfast purpose to 
mortify the will of the flesh1 and  by  
our contending against everything that  
offends ,god4    ,without confidence in 
the love of ,god we cannot cheerfully   
submit  to ,his discipline4    ,let not 

the morrow be as a thief to rob you of  
this day's blessing4    ,we are apt to  
judge of things by present appearances2 
but the  ,lord sees them in all their   
consequences4    ,murmurers always extol
 times past as better than the present4 
,the people of ,israel in ,egypt groaned
 by reason of hard bondage4  ,having    
passed the ,red ,sea they sang the song 
of redemption3 but  how ready were they 
to say one to another1 ,let us make a   
captain1  and let us return into ,egypt 
7,num4 #ad3d74 ,had ,moses desired  to  
shame them1 he might have asked3 ,what  
said you under ,pharaoh's  yoke8        
,dangers and ,temptations    ,if we     
would keep the creature in its place1 we
 must take ,god  as our portion4        
,being an heir of glory ,i would1 by    
,god's grace1 rather break  stones on   
the road for ,him than be put to the    
drudgery of ruling  an empire4          
,spiritual prosperity is always attended
 with strong temptation  to the high    
thought1 the lofty imagination4    ,the 

worst temptations are those which so    
pamper and please the  flesh that they  
do not vex us at all3 they are perilous 
by their  deceitfulness4    ,the outward
 falls of the children of ,god always   
bespeak the foregoing  state of the     
heart4    ,the wearing of apparel is a  
special mark of our fall and shame4     
,how unseemly then is pride of dress6   
,does the convict glory in  the         
convict's coat8          ,the           
,christian's ,walk    ,if we can fight  
well in the closet1 we shall walk       
happily with  ,god in all ,his ways4 ,we
 should begin our every day's journey   
with ,him3 and1 comparing need with     
supply1 shall we not take  pleasure in  
infirmities and necessities8 because    
,christ will  thereby take occasion to  
magnify ,his grace1 and to lead us to   
springs of consolation in ,himself4     
,evil speaking has place in the heart   
before it escapes the lip4    ,happy    
they who never hang upon the creature's 
favour they who  expect everything from 

,god and nothing from man will have no  
disappointment4    ,to be a true witness
 for ,jesus ,i must be much in ,his     
company1  hear ,his voice1 and observe  
,his ways4 ,how can we know the         
character  of one with whom we have but 
little intercourse8    ,humility helps  
us to know our pride2 and if we would   
have the  rest that is for the lowly1 we
 must tread under foot our pride4       
7,matt4 #aa3bi47    ,those temptations  
which prove the most defiling are       
oft-times  the least painful4    ,when  
,god's will rules in us1 and overrules  
our will1 we shall  then indeed1 but not
 till then1 know the pleasures of having
  our will4 7#a ,john #c3bb2 #e3ad4ae47 
,the ,christian's path in the world is  
obedience to ,christ2 following  ,him1  
suffering for ,his sake4 ,when we take  
part with the world  to put it in order1
 and to make the crooked straight1 we1  
as  it were1 take off our robes of      
heavenly priesthood to act as  citizens 
of earth4    ,we ought so to walk before

 the world1 that the evil eye1 looking  
for a blot1 may find none4 ,the people  
of the world are keen judges  of what a 
child of ,god should be4    ,did the    
children of ,god walk worthy of ,god1   
they would no more  seek worldly honours
 and glories than a king's son in his   
princely  apparel would stitch thereon a
 beggar's rags4    ,bless them that     
curse you 7,matt4 #e3dd74 ,the deed of  
grace is  to be done at the moment of   
receiving the injury4 ,when the curse   
proceeds from the mouth of the enemy1   
let the blessing proceed  from yours4   
,remember the words1 ,father1 forgive   
them1 ,lord1  lay not this sin to their 
charge4 7,lu4 #bc3cd2 ,acts #g3fj47     
,there is light for the pilgrim's path1 
though there be not an  unclouded sky4  
,if a man's heart were filled with      
,christ and ,his coming in glory1  would
 it not be seen in all his ways1-       
whether in the family1  the church1 or  
the world8    ,to be spiritually-minded 
is life and peace to ourselves3 but  how

 profitable to others also6 ,that       
utterance and knowledge may  be used    
aright1 he that has them must walk with 
,god4    ,let ,christ be with you       
wherever you go1 and let it be known    
that  ,his presence is with you4        
,take good heed to your walk3 ,god will 
care for your good name4    ,god has    
great ends to answer by leaving ,his    
children in the world2  even that they  
may be living witnesses for ,him whom   
they love  -- the unseen ,lord ,jesus4  
,we should be ever giving thanks for    
such an office2 and for our continuance 
on earth1 that we may  fulfil it4       
,let us be pilgrims1 not by constraint1 
but by loving choice4          ,trial of
 the ,servants of ,christ    ,when      
,christ would put peculiar honour upon  
,his servants1 ,he often  suffers them  
to be brought low in the sight of men4  
,if the saints  are favoured to suffer  
reproach for ,christ's sake1 then will  
they own the honour put upon them to be 
thus conformed to their  ,master4 ,paul 

and ,silas1 thrust into prison at       
,philippi1 sang  praises to ,god4       
,christ never allows any faithful       
servant of ,his to suffer loss1  but ,he
 turns that loss to great gain4    ,god 
always honours faithful servants1 and   
comforts persecuted  ones4              
,dealing with the ,faults of ,others    
,if we would wisely reprove the flesh in
 our brethren1 we must  first1 after the
 ,lord's example1 remember and commend  
the grace  in them4    ,those who are   
much acquainted with the cross of       
,christ1 and with  their own hearts1    
will be slow to take the reprover's     
office3  if they do reprove1 they will  
make it a solemn matter1 knowing  how   
much evil comes of the unwise handling  
of a fault4    ,let us begin by         
searching ourselves1 if we would be     
profitable  reprovers of others4        
,much self-judgment makes a man slow to 
judge others2 and the  very gentleness  
of such an one gives a keen edge to his 
rebukes4    ,in reproving sin in others1

 we should remember the ways of the     
,holy ,spirit of ,god towards us4 ,he   
comes as the ,spirit of ,love2  and     
whatever ,his rebukes1 ,he wins the     
heart by mercy and forgiveness  through 
,christ4    ,to forgive without         
upbraiding1 even by manner or look1 is a
 high  exercise of grace--it is         
imitation of ,christ4    ,if ,i have    
been injured by another1 let me bethink 
myself--,how  much better to be the     
sufferer than the wrongdoer6    ,the    
flesh would punish to prevent a         
repetition of wrongs2 but  ,grace       
teaches us to defend ourselves without  
weapons4 ,the man  who seventy times    
seven forgives injuries1 is he who best 
knows  how to protect himself4    ,if   
one do me a wrong1 let me with the      
bowels of ,christ seek after  him1 and  
entreat ,god to move him to repentance4 
,we partake in the guilt of an offending
 member of ,christ1 until  we have      
confessed his sin as our own 7,dan4 #i71
 mourned over it1  prayed for its       

forgiveness1 and sought in the spirit of
 love  the restoration of the erring    
one4    ,if our tongue have been        
betrayed into speaking contemptuously   
or even slightingly of an absent        
brother1 let us quickly say1  ,alas6 we 
have wounded ,christ4    ,if in love ,i 
speak to a brother of his fault1 it is  
because ,i  hate the sin4 ,if ,i speak  
of it with backbiting tongue1 it is     
self-pleasing that moves me4    ,if     
under the law1 when the bond was only in
 the flesh1 the ,israelite  must not    
suffer sin upon his brother 7,lev4      
#ai3ag71 how much less  should it be    
suffered under the ,gospel1 which binds 
the saints  together spiritually and    
eternally6    ,the figure of the mote in
 the eye shows what skill and tenderness
  he has need of who would be a reprover
 to his brother4 ,who would  trust so   
precious a member as the eye to a rough1
 unskilful hand8    ,the ,lord loves to 
manifest peculiar tenderness towards    
those  who have been brought low1 even  

though it may have been through  their  
own folly4 ,go tell ,his disciples1 and 
,peter4 7,mark #af3g47          ,evil   
,speaking    ,we shall not escape the   
tongues of others1 unless we first      
escape  from self-love and              
self-flattery4    ,no sword so sharp as 
the tongue4    ,only the bridling of the
 heart can effectually bridle the lips4 
,the backbiter is one who maliciously   
speaks evil of others2 the  babbler does
 so through lack of the thoughtfulness  
of love4          ,deep and ,silent     
,work    ,what is most precious in the  
sight of ,god is often least noticed  by
 men4    ,the work of the ,holy ,ghost  
is often most mighty when least of  its 
power is seen by the common eye4 ,judas 
working miracles1  and king ,saul       
prophesying1 were not such proofs of the
 ,spirit's  power as the tears of ,peter
 after he had denied his ,lord4    ,if  
we would be strong we must make pleasing
 ,god our business3  then what adversary
 can harm us8    ,before our knowledge  

can be of much profit to others it must 
become a channel of our own soul's      
communion with ,god in secret4    ,how  
needful is it to take heed to our ways1 
to seek counsel1  not only of ,god1 but 
of those who are faithful and prudent6  
,satan  watches for our halting1 and    
entangles us by little and little2      
questionable things first1 then things  
plainly evil4 ,great sins  may spring   
out of little trespasses4    ,that      
confession to others which is frequent  
and unasked1 is seldom  deep before     
,god4    ,they are most alive to snares 
and temptations who by reason of        
walking with ,god are most blameless3 we
 rarely see the snare  when entangled   
therein4    ,david1 ,elijah1 and others1
 obtained victories over themselves  in 
solitude1 and there had power with ,god3
 when afterwards they  came forth1 how  
calmly did they undertake the greatest  
things1  and how easily perform them6   
,how great a victory was that which     
,jonathan must have gained  over        

himself1 when he rejoiced to see ,david 
raised above him6  ,he discerned the    
mind of ,god in ,david1 and had so      
learnt to delight  in ,god1 that he did 
not see in ,david one who was to        
outshine  him1 but another faithful man 
raised up for ,god and for ,israel4     
,not so ,joab1 who in hellish jealousy  
slew his kinsman ,amasa4  7#a ,sam4     
#bc3ag2 #b ,sam4 #bj3i4aj47    ,to have 
nothing1 and to be nothing1 this is     
riches1 quietness1  rest4               
,little ,things    ,who would have      
thought that from ,pharaoh's daughter   
going to  bathe in the river of ,egypt  
would spring the deliverance of ,israel8
    ,the mind of ,christ in us is       
chiefly to be seen in little things4    
,to walk before ,god in the every-day   
matters of life1 and to have  our words 
and actions savoured daily with the name
 of ,jesus1  this is true holiness4     
,in the least matters what need there is
 of looking upwards6 ,i  ought not to   
write a note without looking up to ,god1

 seeking  ,his help2 for ,i can write   
folly enough in one sentence to cause   
myself and others disquietude for       
months4    ,let us turn every           
circumstance of the day into an occasion
 of  communion with ,god4 ,things of    
small amount will then bring us  great  
blessings4    ,in small points of       
obedience are found the best test of the
 soul's  state4    ,what great grace it 
needs to find no excuses for our little 
faults6  -- still greater to confess    
them6          ,fruit    ,god sometimes 
sends us a wintry season that we may the
 better  bring forth summer fruit4      
,it is the way of the ,lord to work for 
a season1 as it were1 under  ground3 and
 as the seed that dies in the earth1    
through dying1  comes to life1 so ,god  
will seem to cut off the hope of fruit  
of our labour2 yet when we have humbled 
ourselves under ,his hand1  and ,he has 
secured the glory to ,himself1 ,he will 
put forth ,his  power and bring to life 
our buried hopes4    ,there may be much 

communion with ,god when there is but   
little  comfort in the soul1 and much   
fruitfulness when there is but  little  
joy and gladness4 ,we bear fruit when we
 credit the ,word  of ,god against      
appearances1 and when we submit our will
 to ,his4    ,there is no security for  
our bringing forth fruit in time to     
come1 if we are not bringing forth fruit
 in the present hour4    ,how often we  
fail and miscarry toward the end of a   
trial of patience6    ,do not expect to 
make great strides at once in believing2
 or  that deep sanctification is to be  
wrought in a day4    ,we can never be   
said to have outlived our usefulness1   
unless  we have outlived our            
spirituality4    ,we must first come to 
the withering of the flesh1 before we   
can  become spiritually strong and      
fruitful4          ,christian ,communion
    ,we need one another2 are dependent 
on one another--not as fountains1  but  
as channels of blessing4    ,when mutual
 intercession takes the place of mutual 

accusation1  then will the differences  
and difficulties of brethren be         
overcome4  7,job #db3h4aj47    ,the     
infirmities of our brethren are fair    
occasions for our patience  and         
long-suffering3 let us have grace for   
each opportunity4    ,the hearts of true
 believers crave a fellowship which will
 last  -- a fellowship in the ,spirit   
with each other1 because of common      
fellowship with the ,father1 and with   
,his ,son ,jesus ,christ4    ,humility  
is the secret of fellowship1 and pride  
the secret of  division4    ,if ,christ 
be not the bond of friendship and of    
communion1 and  if ,his blood be not the
 life of love1 how quickly may          
indifference  take the place of warm    
affections1 and how easily may close    
friends  turn to stubborn adversaries1  
through the clashings of self-seeking   
and thwarted pride1 or man's native     
fickleness6    ,in ,john #ag and in     
,ephes4 #a we see what the ,church is in
 the sight  of ,god in ,christ--what it 

ought to be in its ways2 and would  be1 
did we not grieve the ,holy ,ghost1     
which is given to us to  lead us into   
all truth1 and to glorify ,christ in us4
 ,but the  ,church has not been true to 
her heavenly calling2 she has forgotten 
her dignity2 she has lost her strength2 
the grey hairs are here  and there upon 
her1 and she knoweth it not4 7,hosea    
#g3i47    ,the fellowship of believers  
ought to be like the fellowship of  the 
,father and the ,son3 any differences of
 judgment1 therefore1  which arise      
between two members of ,christ about the
 truth of  ,god should be a cause of    
humiliation1 but not of strife1 and     
separation4 ,god would soon make ,his   
children of one mind1 did  they         
steadfastly set their faces toward the  
,mercy-seat1 seeking  unity according to
 #a ,cor4 #a and ,ephes4 #d2 #e    ,it  
is sweet to talk of ,jesus with our     
brethren1 the children  of ,god3 but how
 much sweeter is it to talk with the    
,lord ,jesus  ,himself6    ,if there be 

but a shadow of disunion between us and 
any brother  or sister1 let us not give 
ourselves rest until we bring about  a  
reconciliation2 let us search out what  
in our own ways may  have caused the    
breach1 and seek after a communion with 
our brother  like that of the ,father   
with ,his dear ,son4 ,we should1        
moreover1  watch against everything in  
us that may wound or grieve our brother1
  so that we may be wise to prevent     
breaches of fellowship2 observant  of #a
 ,cor4 #ac2 our ways fashioned by the   
love that behaves itself  not unseemly1 
and which faileth not4 ,nor shall we be 
skilful  to heal breaches1 if we be not 
watchful to prevent them4    ,the secret
 of lasting fellowship is that ,christ  
is the life of  it4 ,he maintains1      
rules1 and sanctifies its mutual tender 
love  and confidence1 which will grow   
more heavenly the more we are  like     
,christ1 the more we abide in ,him4     
,when ,he comes in ,his glory1  what joy
 will it be to remember former          

friendships1 and see ,jesus  ,himself1  
the spring and the stability of them    
all6    ,suppose all the saints in a    
town met together in one place1 with  no
 outward sign of division2 yet1 if it   
were not the common aim  to be of one   
mind with ,god1 and with ,christ1 the   
,spirit would  still be grieved by      
divisions of heart and judgment4    ,the
 communion of the members of ,christ    
with each other is by  the ,holy ,ghost1
 who1 dwelling in them1 gives them      
fellowship  with the ,father and with   
the ,son4 ,the oneness of mind between  
the ,father1 the ,word1 and the ,holy   
,ghost1 is the spring and pattern  of   
the one new mind that should be found   
in1 and mark out1 the  members of       
,christ4    ,unless we have a spiritual 
understanding of this divine unity1  we 
cannot rightly grieve for the divisions 
of ,god's people4 ,by  looking into this
 glass1 we discover the nature and the  
guilt  of schisms and divisions4        
,love    ,god is love 7#a ,john #d3af74 

,his children please ,him only so  far  
as they are like ,him1 and walk in love 
7,eph4 #e3b74    ,true heavenly love has
 its life and root in the cross of      
,christ2  it has the single eye1 and is 
its own recompense2 endures ingratitude1
  and survives indifference and         
contempt2 has quick sense of wrongs1    
but is ready to forgive2 and covers a   
multitude of sins4 ,the  love we speak  
of is meek and lowly2 behaves itself    
wisely and  edifies2 bearing with the   
foolish and self-conceited1 while it    
shuns their folly4 ,this holy love is   
the durable work of the  ,spirit of     
,god3 it proves faithful in wintry days2
 and1 ever ready  to rejoice with them  
that do rejoice1 adds gladness to their 
days of sunshine4    ,if we would so    
love all saints as to please ,god1 we   
must bear  in mind that their names are 
written in heaven and on ,christ's      
heart2 otherwise we shall love some     
because they are lovely1  and dislike   
others because of their blemishes4      

,we only know the heart and thoughts of 
others by proof of word  or deed4 ,if a 
brother wound us1 we should first hear  
him1 and  hear him thoroughly1 before we
 judge him to be in fault2 but  in many 
cases we may find ourselves not less to 
blame than our  brother4    ,the more   
excellent way is love1 which beareth all
 things1 hopeth  all things1 imputeth no
 evil4 ,nevertheless1 if love see a     
fault1  love will reprove in            
faithfulness the fault it sees4 ,i say  
sees1 for love is discerning1 and love  
is faithful4 ,i cannot  but deal in such
 faithfulness with all my brethren1 and 
entreat  them to smite me in like       
manner1 which1 indeed1 is to anoint  my 
head with excellent oil4 7,ps4 #ada3e47 
,if we delight in ,god's glory1 we shall
 delight to honour those  whom ,god     
honours1 and shall ourselves be no      
losers thereby4          ,justice and   
,judgement    ,every man stands before  
,god on the ground of justice4 ,the     
unregenerate  sinner stands in his own  

name1 and obtains death1 the wages  of  
sin3 the believing sinner stands in the 
name of ,jesus2 and  because sin was    
borne by the ,lord ,jesus1 and justice  
satisfied1  has everlasting life4    ,as
 deeds and thoughts of wicked men do now
 appear to the all-seeing  eye of ,god1 
so will ,he represent them to their     
memory and conscience  at the great day3
 the offender will be chief witness     
against  himself4    ,the children of   
,god enter heaven1 not by sufferance1   
but by right  and title3 the justice of 
,god demands it1 because ,christ has    
died and is risen4    ,the justice of   
,god can never show mercy where sin is  
imputed4  ,no mercy1 therefore1 was     
shown to ,christ4 ,as the sinner's      
,surety  ,he drank the cup of vengeance 
to the dregs2 and now the cup ,he  gives
 us overflows with blessings4    ,christ
 never keeps a man outside who knocks at
 ,his door2 but  those who will not come
 as beggars1 who are blinded by pride1  
self-will1 and unbelief1--how can they  

complain if sent empty  away8           
,the ,love of ,god    ,we speak of      
,christ showing ,his love by the death  
of the ,cross2  let us also evermore    
consider the ,father's love1 in whose   
hand  was the sword4 ,oh1 the yearnings 
of ,his heart1 when ,he was bruising    
the ,son of ,his love6    ,the children 
of ,god ought to count it their chief   
joy1 in drawing  nigh to ,god1 that they
 have ,his ear and heart4 ,great is the 
difference  between a child of ,god     
confiding in ,him1 and a child of ,god  
full  of petitions and burdens1 but     
doubting ,god until some outward        
deliverance be granted4 ,the character  
of ,god and ,his love demand  our       
perfect trust at all times4    ,the love
 of ,god is not purchased for us by the 
blood of ,christ4  ,that love springs up
 out of ,god's own heart and nature4    
,self-moved1  ,he sent ,his ,son4    ,we
 could not be the object of the         
,father's love1 which is from           
everlasting to everlasting1 but as      

chosen in ,christ4 ,he loves  us with   
love perfect and unchangeable4          
,the ,heart and its ,deceitfulness      
,david would never have fallen into     
gross outward sin1 had he  not been too 
familiar with it in his heart2 there had
 the evil  been oft-times committed     
before it broke out in the wicked deed4 
,nor would he have numbered the people1 
had he not first strayed  from the      
presence of ,god1 and so become puffed  
up with pride4  7#b ,sam4 #aa2 #a       
,chron4 #ba7    ,saints rarely see the  
guilt of a murmuring1 unbelieving       
spirit1  while they do feel the         
discomfort and weakness it brings with  
it4 ,how great the deceitfulness of sin 
that can hide such guilt  from the      
conscience of a child of ,god4    ,the  
,lord would have us all deal truly with 
our state1 and with  our hearts4 ,we    
cannot otherwise deal truly with ,him4  
,when we desire any special guidance1   
let us look first at the  state of our  
heart3 we have natural reason2 let us   

take heed  that we put it not into the  
hands of the devil by self-will1  but   
into the hands of ,god4    ,the mistake 
of ignorance is one thing2 the darkness 
of self-will  is another4 ,there may be 
the former though the eye be single1    
but not the latter4    ,it is good for a
 child of ,god to search his heart1 that
 he may  know whether it is by nature or
 by grace that he is kept from  outward 
evil4 ,fear of shame1 love of           
reputation1 power of conscience1        
natural affection1 self-interest1       
greatly preserve the unregenerate  from 
the commission of sin2 and may in part  
also keep the children  of ,god from    
defiling their garments2 but it is only 
by the power  of grace1 and when the    
heart keeps the life1 that our good     
conversation  is a sweet savour to ,god4
    ,the great outlet of sin is the     
tongue2 the great inlets of temptation  
are the ear and eye2 but of the whole   
body the heart is mistress4  ,therefore 
let grace rule the heart1 and the whole 

man shall be  subject4          ,the    
,form of ,godliness    ,the enmity of   
the carnal mind is wont to hide itself  
by imitating  the outward forms of the  
kingdom of ,god4 ,the grace of ,god     
subduing  the heart to ,christ is the   
sign of the birth from above4    ,the   
drunkard and the thief are evidently in 
the broad road that  leadeth to         
destruction4 ,the ,pharisee seems to    
tread the narrow  way1 yet does but keep
 the clean side of the broad road4      
,all who build their hope of eternal    
life on their prayers1 reading  the     
,scriptures1 and other outward works of 
righteousness1 come  short of the rest  
that is in ,christ1 and the salvation   
that is  in ,him4 ,the sinner's hands   
must be emptied of all such             
recommendations3  it is with his        
poverty1 and his poverty only1 that he  
must come  to the crucified ,son of     
,god4    ,the sinner that comes with his
 own good works to ,god for eternal     
life1 is a debtor who brings a bag of   

base coin of his own forging1  to pay   
his creditor withal4    ,the good works 
of the flesh1 though so well-pleasing to
 the carnal  mind1 tested by ,god's     
justice1 are at the ,king's mint        
adjudged  base coin4                    
,salvation1 ,justification1 ,pardon     
,the salvation of ,god delivers a man1  
not only from the guilt1  but the       
dominion of sin1 and brings him into    
fellowship with  ,god4 ,this salvation  
is preached to every creature under     
heaven2  and it leaves without excuse   
every one who does not receive it4      
,what shall ,i do8 says the sinner4     
,alas6 man has done his  work           
completely--the work of                 
self-destruction4 ,christ has wrought  a
 perfect work--the work of redemption   
for the salvation of  the inexcusably   
guilty1 the utterly lost4    ,god       
justifies the sinner believing4 ,when   
,god pardons1 ,he justifies4  ,man may  
pardon2 he cannot blot out4 ,god alone  
can justify2 and  ,he justifies by      

,christ1 who was made sin for us1 that  
we might  be made the righteousness of  
,god in ,him4    ,had the ,lord waited  
ere ,he came into this world till men   
knew  their own sickness1 then would    
pride and ignorance have shut  ,him out 
for ever4    ,god1 in self-moved love1  
sent ,his own ,son to save the lost4    
,the poor sinner1 fleeing to ,christ for
 salvation1 cannot possibly  be         
overtaken by the sword of the avenger1  
because that poor sinner  is taught by  
the ,spirit of ,god1 and is drawn by    
,god's loving  kindness to the ,saviour 
,christ4 ,great may be his fear and     
perplexity2  but he is safe from curse  
in ,christ the ,city of ,refuge4 ,god   
sees  him already there1 while he       
himself doubts of reaching it4    ,how  
can ,i be pardoned8 says the poor       
self-condemned sinner4  ,how can ,i not 
pardon8 says ,god4 ,the sinner looks at 
his sins2  but ,god looks at ,his ,son's
 atoning blood4 ,sinner1 do thou        
likewise4    ,i was slain and hanged on 

the cross eighteen hundred years ago    
with ,christ4 7,gal4 #b3bj47 ,did ,he   
rise8 ,yes4 ,therefore ,i am risen4     
,the ,christian is a dead and buried    
man1 and also risen4 ,as a  child of    
,adam1 dead and buried2 as a child of   
,god1 risen with  ,christ3 the world is 
crucified to him1 and he is crucified to
  the world4 ,satan ever aims to raise  
the dead1 and bury the living4          
,god's ,wise and ,gracious ,dealings    
,if we have especially trusted ,god in  
any matter1 ,he will after  these things
 7,gen4 #bb7 prove our faith3 and though
 ,he may seem  not to regard us1 and    
that for a long time2 yet1 in the end1  
,he will show that ,his way of          
performing ,his promise is worthy  of   
,him--good for us4    ,god's discipline 
of ,his children always bears the mark  
of long-suffering4    ,when the ,lord is
 about to give great blessings1 ,he     
commonly begins  with great trials4 ,he 
writes death upon the purposed mercy1   
that  when life springs out of death1 we

 may know from whom that life           
proceeds--even ,jesus1 the ,i am that ,i
 am4    ,our peculiar corruptions are   
often brought out by the peculiarities  
of others4    ,if ,god in ,his kindness 
make manifest to ourselves the evil that
  is in us1 it is in order that we may  
be driven to ,christ1 and  that we may  
know the subduing power of ,his blood4  
,the ,lord has bound up the rod of      
correction in our bundle of  blessings4 
,we have not wisdom to judge of ,god's  
ways1 unless we have patience  to wait  
their issue4    ,god is wont to         
frustrate our devices in order to       
execute ,his  own purposes1 and thereby 
to do us good to the utmost4    ,elisha 
was singularly honoured after going down
 to the grave3  a dead body touching the
 prophet's bones came to life again4    
,elijah was honoured by translation3    
like ,enoch1 he did not see  death4 ,god
 will1 in manifold wisdom1 honour each  
and every one  of them that honour ,him4
    ,when ,god is about to do the very  

best for us1 ,his discipline  is often  
such that at first our flesh rebels3 but
 let us leave  ,god to bless us in ,his 
own way2 only let our hearts be set upon
  ,himself1 and on pleasing ,him4 ,he   
will be ever true to ,himself4          
,obedience    ,vain man would be wise1  
though he be born like a wild ass's     
colt 7,job #aa3ab74 ,but ,god demands it
 of man that he become a  fool1 that he 
may be wise4 7#a ,cor4 #c3ah47    ,god  
honoured the obedience of ,his saints in
 time of the old covenant  with the     
abundance of earthly things3 if at any  
time ,he dealt  otherwise1 as in ,job's 
case1 ,he departed from ,his ordinary   
course4  ,now the obedience of faith    
brings with it tribulation1 more  or    
less4 ,if we bear not this in mind1     
trials will often take  us by surprise4 
,the state of the heart of ,god's       
children is not to be judged  by what   
they call comfort1 or the lack of it2 by
 strong words  or lively feelings2 but  
by steady obedience to ,his ,word--not  

obedience on great occasions only3 it is
 easier to do great things  for ,christ 
than to hold on our way1 keeping heart  
and lips in  our every-day walk4    ,the
 only path of safety and happiness is   
prompt1 unquestioning1  obedience to the
 commandments of the ,lord4    ,if we   
would be led into ,god's truth1 we must 
put our neck into  ,christ's yoke1 and  
in such subjection of spirit as not to  
be  galled thereby4    ,if you compare a
 path of obedience with one of          
disobedience1  the great difference may 
not immediately appear2 but years will  
speak1 and show things in their true    
light4    ,it is good to bear in mind   
that whatever our circumstances1 it     
cannot be necessary to disobey ,god4    
,let us not wish for anything  unless   
the means to obtain it be as much       
approved of by ,god as  the end4    ,the
 perfect man is he who has a deliberate 
purpose to do the  will of ,god in all  
things1 under all circumstances1 and at 
all  times2 never resting in this or    

that measure of obedience1 but  still   
running the race1 his eye fixed on the  
goal4    ,being delivered from the law1 
we are under obligation to try  all our 
ways1 past and present1 by the example  
of the ,lord ,jesus  ,christ4           
,watchfulness and ,self-denial    ,make 
no thought for the morrow 7,matt4       
#f3cd7--that is1 no  anxious            
thought--for this comes of distrust of  
,god4 ,but there  is a thought for the  
morrow which is a holy carefulness3 ,a  
prudent  man foreseeth the evil1 and    
hideth himself 7,prov4 #bb3c74          
,gathering  clouds bespeak a coming     
storm4 ,watch and be ready for every    
storm3  be it in your own heart1 in the 
church1 or in the world1 provide        
against it by abiding in ,christ2 ,he is
 our hiding-place1 our  high tower into 
which the righteous runneth and is safe4
 ,watch  ye1 and pray1 lest ye enter    
into temptation4    ,even when we have  
most of the consolations of ,christ1 and
 most  of ,his approval1 let us be on   

the watch1 lest like the spouse  in the 
,song1 through the deceitfulness of the 
flesh1 we leave  the blessedness of     
tender communion and put ourselves to   
shame  by ,i sleep1 but my heart waketh 
7,s4 ,sol4 #e3b74    ,what love to the  
,thessalonians must ,paul have had1 who1
 though  he so greatly delighted in his 
brethren's fellowship1 sent ,timothy    
from ,athens to ,thessalonica1 and was  
content to be left alone6    ,if a child
 of ,god pleases the flesh under colour 
of liberty1  mistaking carnal liberty   
for spiritual1 who can say how far he   
may go wrong8 ,it is the self-denial of 
grace that is true liberty4    ,christ  
measures our kindness to others1        
especially toward ,his  members1 not by 
the greatness of our gifts1 but by our  
faith  and self-denial4    ,when we see 
any servant of ,christ lowly and        
self-denying1 such  we must esteem and  
revere4 ,to great gifts of knowledge and
 utterance  unaccompanied with          
lowliness1 we pay the tax of admiration2

 but  our esteem and reverence they     
cannot command4    ,the habit of denying
 self in little things will give us a   
vigour  of spiritual life4    ,in       
looking out for opportunities of doing  
great things in the  ,lord's cause1 we  
lose the daily1 hourly opportunities for
 little  acts of self-denial which      
especially require the grace of ,christ4
  ,to be crucifying self when no eye but
 that of ,god sees us1 this  is the most
 acceptable service to our ,lord and    
,master4    ,that is the best watching  
and waiting which puts the keeping  of  
our souls into the hands of ,god2 for1  
,except the ,lord keep  the city1 the   
watchman waketh but in vain4 7,psalm    
#abg3a47    #a 7,a ,song of degrees for 
,solomon47 ,except the ,,lord build  the
 house1 they labour in vain that build  
it3 except the ,,lord  keep the city1   
the watchman waketh but in vain4        
,temptations and ,falls    ,when mercy  
comes in the form of affliction1 we     
often need time  and grace to call it a 

mercy3 happy they who need not time to  
do so4    ,the letter from ,hezekiah's  
enemy drave him to ,god2 whilst that    
from the flattering king ensnared his   
feet4 7#b ,kings #ai2 #bj7    ,some     
,temptations are best withstood by      
fleeing from them4    ,we should        
distinguish between a dead state of soul
 and a tempted  state4 ,job1 in his     
trouble1 was in a tempted state3 he says
 in  his sorrow1 ,oh that ,i were as in 
months past 7,job #bi3b74 ,david  was in
 a dead state of soul when he rose from 
his bed to walk  upon the house-top4 7#b
 ,sam4 #aa3b47 ,job felt his temptation3
 ,david  was not awake to danger4       
,the devil is often like the practised  
sharper1 who allows his  dupes a little 
success that he may strip them of their 
all at  the last4 ,thus can ,satan      
suffer his slaves to break off grosser  
sins1 that he may hold them fast bound  
in the chains of self-righteousness  and
 false peace4    ,if through confidence 
in the flesh we take not counsel of     

,god1  ,he is wont to leave us to       
ourselves1 that we may prove our wisdom 
to be folly4 ,had ,joshua sought counsel
 of ,god1 he would not have  been       
deceived by the ,gibeonites1 and their  
tokens of a long journey4  7,josh4 #i7  
,the evil of the heart is best revealed 
to ,god's people by their  abiding at   
the ,mercy-seat3 if they will not learn 
there1 ,god  may leave them to learn by 
some gross outbreak4 ,paul exercised    
himself to keep always a conscience void
 of offence1 and by constant  communion 
with ,god well-knew the deceitfulness of
 the flesh4    ,if we are found mourning
 within the vail over inward evil1 we   
shall be preserved from outwardly       
dishonouring the ,lord4    ,no child of 
,god ever falls at once into the mire of
 sin4 ,all  declension begins in        
unwatchfulness and neglect of secret    
dealing  with ,god1 whereby ,satan finds
 a door of entrance into the heart1  and
 we are taken in his snares4            
,prayer    ,a child knocks at the       

father's door with boldness and         
perseverance1  and1 knowing the rights  
of a child1 takes no denial4 ,thus      
should  it be with the children of ,god1
 who1 through ,christ's atonement1  have
 liberty of access to the ,father4      
,every child of ,god prays1 but not all 
know what it is to labour  in prayer4   
7,col4 #d3ab47    ,much prayer for the  
ungodly is a sign of a thriving soul4   
,christ  prayed for ,his enemies1       
,father1 forgive them2 for they know    
not what they do 7,luke #bc3cd74 ,paul  
prayed for the ,jews2 his  heart's      
desire and prayer to ,god for ,israel   
was1 that they might  be saved 7,rom4   
#aj3a74 ,god's precepts 7not ,his       
decrees7 are the  rule for our prayers4 
,he would have us pray for all men4 7#a 
,tim4  #b3a47    ,to be sustained in    
faith under long delay of the answer to 
prayer1  is itself an answer to prayer  
beyond price4 7,matt4 #ae3bb-bh47       
,when we cannot pray at all1 then is it 
high time to pray4 ,we  honour ,god by  

fighting with inward difficulties1 and  
show our  faith in the intercession of  
the ,lord ,jesus by bringing our        
coldness  of spirit to the great ,high  
,priest4    ,true boldness in prayer is 
not to be judged by good words1 but  by 
this test3 ,how far is the will of the  
flesh trodden under  foot1 and ,god's   
will the guide of the soul8    ,if the  
ear of sinners be shut to our words1 let
 our mouth be  opened at the ,mercy-seat
 in their behalf4    ,the children of   
,god are apt to think meanly of their   
prayers  and holy things1 and to doubt  
the acceptance of their offerings       
because of imperfections4 ,it is well   
indeed to have the humble  mind2 but    
unbelief is not pleasing to ,god4 ,the  
prattlings of  a child are sweeter in   
the ,father's ear than all the best     
spoken  words of a bond-servant4        
,elisha asked for a hard thing 7#b      
,kings #b3aj74 ,so with many  of our    
requests2 they are not things too hard  
for the ,lord1 who  delights to give    

liberally1 and with whom nothing is     
impossible3  but a prepared heart is    
needed to receive a great spiritual     
blessing2  and it is by much self-denial
 the heart is prepared4    ,christ's    
intercession is grounded on ,his        
atonement2 and so is  the prayer of     
faith4    ,when we ask for conformity to
 ,christ1 and are not content to  be    
stripped and emptied1 it is prayer going
 out of feigned lips4  7,ps4 #ae3a47    
,god our ,father can refuse ,his        
children nothing that is for their      
good4 ,those who have acquaintance with 
,god desire only what is  according to  
,his will--they know their happiness    
lies in having  no will but ,his4 ,thus 
they have everything their own way3 it  
is their delight to please ,god1 and    
what pleases ,god pleases  them4    ,the
 prayers recorded in ,scripture say much
 in few words2 and  the soul persuaded  
that ,god is cannot be wordy--takes hold
  of ,god1 and prevails4    ,few are    
strangers to making prayers1 but how    

many1 alas1 are  strangers to prayer6   
,the soul in true prayer looks at the   
,cross1  and says1 ,were it not for that
 ,cross ,i should never have prayed  at 
all4    ,the prayer of the psalmist is  
often no more than a cry1 a sigh1  a    
desire of the poor1 the contrite soul4  
,it is not by our much outward work that
 the value of our service  will be      
judged in the day of the ,lord4 ,many of
 the church's best  helpers are         
intercessors confined to their beds4    
,the importunate widow 7,luke #ah7      
represents the whole of ,god's  elect4  
,they are a praying people and the      
parable teaches them  that ,god will    
prove their faith2 will seem to the     
flesh to favour  their adversary2 but   
that perseverance in prayer will surely 
prevail4    ,the circumstances of every 
hour furnish us with errands to the     
throne of grace2 and we ought1 in the   
secret of our hearts1 to  be communing  
with ,god our ,father all the day long1 
hearing ,his  voice1 asking ,his        

guidance1 or making confession1 if in   
any of  these things we fail4 ,as we    
advance in acquaintance with ,god  and  
with ourselves1 we shall have more and  
more of the spirit  of little children1 
distrusting ourselves1 and putting all  
our trust in ,him4    #a ,brethren1 my  
heart's desire and prayer to ,god for   
,israel  is1 that they might be saved4  
#a ,i exhort therefore1 that1 first of  
all1 supplications1  prayers1           
intercessions1 and giving of thanks1 be 
made for all  men2    #a 7,a ,psalm of  
,david47 ,,lord1 who shall abide in thy 
tabernacle8  who shall dwell in thy holy
 hill8          ,answers to ,prayer     
,the best answers to prayer are those we
 have to wait and trust  for4 ,if we are
 answered quickly1 let us be thankful2  
but let  us be assured that by-and-by   
,god will change ,his method with  us1  
and that we shall be often made to wait4
    ,i will cry unto ,god444 that       
performeth all things for me 7,psalm    
#fb3b74 ,every such prayer must be      

answered2 but we must wait ,god's  time 
and way4 ,the finest fruit of the       
,spirit ripens the latest2  the longer  
we have to wait for answers to our      
prayers1 the richer  the blessing we are
 blessed while we continue to pray2     
faith  grows by waiting2 the blessing is
 full when it comes1 and the  time of   
the answer is seen to be the right time4
    ,asking of ,god what is most        
precious in ,his sight1 we surely obtain
  all inferior good4 ,thus did ,solomon4
 7#a ,kings #c3f-ad47 ,all mercies  are 
bound up with ,god's gift of ,christ4   
,it is not good for us to obtain        
deliverance and gifts from ,god1  until 
we fully justify ,him in ,his way of    
dealing with us4 7,psalm  #bb7 ,the     
answer to prayer will sometimes come    
when our patience  is spent4 ,let       
patience have her perfect work 7,james  
#a3d71 that  such rebukes of ,god's love
 may not be needful4    ,many of ,god's 
people pray without waiting for ,god to 
work in  ,his own time and manner4 ,let 

us not quiet conscience by praying1  and
 then1 in fleshly haste1 take our own   
way4    ,the way wherein it pleases ,god
 to answer our prayer1 if we have  a    
right mind1 will always please us well4 
,holiness    ,as is our faith in ,jesus1
 so will be the holiness of our walk4   
,where there is much dealing by faith   
with the blood of atonement1  there will
 be sure and even walking in the path of
 obedience  to the precepts of ,christ4 
,how careful should we be to keep clean 
the house that is the  dwelling of the  
,king of ,glory6    ,holiness first and 
pardon after1 says the blind ,pharisee2 
but  ,god's way is1 ,pardon and peace   
with ,god first3 holiness the fruit  of 
pardon4    ,the deep engraving of ,thou 
art holy 7,psalm #bb3c71 on the heart   
of a believer1 is necessary to his wise 
and prudent walk4    ,neglected hearts  
become like dwellings with slovenly     
occupants  -- void of comfort4    ,every
 saint is a vessel of mercy1 but not    
every saint a vessel  unto honour3 yet  

it is his obligation to be such2 lack of
 obedience  gains nothing but harm and  
loss4          ,the ,secret ,life and   
the ,daily ,path    ,the soul that aims 
high1 in point of obedience to ,god1    
will account  that a transgression1     
which may not seem to be a fault to the 
eyes of others4    ,so soon as we behave
 and quiet ourselves1 and become as a   
weaned  child1 our troubles vanish3 take
 away self-will1 and the sorrows  that  
remain in our cup are made sweet4    ,be
 much with ,god in secret1 so will you  
bring profit into the  saints'          
assemblies1 and bring profit away from  
them4    ,god makes more of the         
dedication of the heart1 than of any    
outward  service we can render4         
,would you grow up into ,christ1 make a 
conscience of obedience  to ,him in the 
smallest matters4    ,believers should  
so live and commune in secret with      
,christ1 that  all around may see       
,christ in them4    ,if we would deal   
wisely with our daily matters1 we must  

bring  ,god's eternal counsels into     
them1 and consider their eternal        
issues2 holding ourselves ,god's        
servants1 doing each his part  in       
preparing the way for the ,lord's       
appearing in glory4    ,the path for a  
believer to walk in without stumbling is
 that  of ,god's precepts2 in treading  
which he keeps his conscience  purged by
 the blood of ,christ1 takes up his     
cross daily1 and  denies himself4 ,this 
path1 alas1 is not much trodden by the  
saints  -- to the unregenerate utterly  
unknown4    ,do you dread to grieve the 
heart of ,christ1 as you once dreaded   
wrath and condemnation8          ,the   
,day of ,small ,things    ,god never    
blames us for our slow progress and     
small attainments  in holiness1 but for 
our sluggish coldhearted submitting to  
evil1  and allowing it dominion over us4
    ,even our purposes to do right are  
made much of by our gracious  and       
pitiful ,god3 therefore let us not      
despise the desires of  our hearts to   

please ,him4    ,if we watch against    
pride2 if we struggle and pray against  
it2  if we are pained at its inward     
workings--then that which we  feel to be
 only a struggle after humility1 ,god   
accounts humility  true and deep4 ,he   
accepts us in ,his dear ,son ,he accepts
 our offerings  also2 and the sighs of  
the contrite ,he calls incense4         
,the ,believer's ,testimony to ,others  
,let me not consider what ,i have as    
mine own2 for ,i myself am  not mine    
own4 ,whatever ,i have1                 
therefore--talents1 substance  -- ,i am 
,god's steward to use all at ,his       
bidding1 for ,his glory4    ,the guilt  
of sin was not revealed to saints of    
,old ,testament  time as now to us4     
,christ1 that was to come1 was dimly    
seen by  them3 ,christ1 who has come1 is
 fully revealed to us4 ,obligations  are
 according to revelation4    ,this world
 is but a desert--a foreign land1 where 
the children  of ,god can find no rest3 
if1 through unbelief1 they seek it1     

they will only find disappointment4     
,we ought so to behave ourselves1 that  
the ungodly may see the  mind of ,christ
 in all our ways2 even look and voice   
should bear  witness for ,christ3 ,ye   
are ,my witnesses 7,isa4 #dc3aj74       
,one word spoken with a savour of       
,christ may sink into the soul  of the  
hearer1 and bring forth fruit unto      
eternal life4    ,there is something in 
the very countenance of those who walk  
with ,god1 that gives authority to all  
they say4          ,happiness1 ,joy1    
,comfort1 and ,peace    ,all our wounds 
are for ,christ's binding up3 our broken
 hearts  become witnesses to ,his skill 
and loving kindness2 for it is  spoken  
by the prophet1 ,himself took our       
infirmities1 and bare  our sicknesses4  
7,matt4 #h3ag47    ,special comfort and 
consolation may be given to any         
,christian2  but it is the diligence of 
the soul in walking with ,god that      
brings settled comfort4    ,consolation 
in ,jesus will abound as our sorrow for 

sin is deep1  and our desire for        
obedience sincere4    ,if our peace be  
marred amidst our upright desires to    
please the  ,lord1 it is because of     
self-willed purposes mingled with those 
upright desires4    ,we speak of our    
comfort and peace being marred by the   
ways of  others towards us1 little      
considering that ,self-will is the      
author  of our vexation4    ,it is our  
duty to be always happy4 ,true1 we may  
be sorrowful2  but if we be unhappy1 it 
is because we have been drinking of     
some foul stream1 and not of our        
fountain of joy--,god ,himself4    ,a   
happy1 joyful spirit spreads joy        
everywhere2 a fretful spirit  is a      
trouble to ourselves1 and to all around 
us4    ,let us solemnly consider how    
much we may injure others when we  are  
fretful and wilful1 and how much we may 
help others when  we are joyful in ,god4
    ,if ,god impart to us peculiar joy  
in the ,holy ,ghost1 filling us  with   
,christ and ,his love1 causing us to    

keep holy ,sabbath in  the soul by faith
 of ,jesus1 it is for this end--that we 
may  come down from the mount to do the 
work of the ,lord1 ready to  bear all   
things for ,jesus' sake4    ,if any     
believer lack peace and joy1 let him    
examine himself by  the ,word1 and use  
diligence in cleansing heart and        
conscience  by the blood of ,jesus4     
,the joy of the ,holy ,ghost is a holy1 
solemn thing4 ,it always  humbles the   
soul1 and keeps it low4 ,not so the joy 
of the flesh4    ,begin every day with  
the ,word of ,god and prayer1 if you    
would  enjoy settled blessedness4 ,it is
 in the ,word of ,god that the  fulness 
of ,christ is revealed1 as the rich     
portion of every one  who trusts in the 
blood of ,christ4    ,the peace of the  
believer1 through faith in the atoning  
blood  of ,jesus1 if the soul be        
flourishing1 flows like a river2 joy  in
 believing is the same river overflowing
 its banks4 ,let watchfulness  keep pace
 with joy4          ,church ,discipline 

,the discipline exercised by the church 
of ,god should be a picture  of our     
heavenly ,father's character4    ,a     
sober mind1 a tender heart1 a watchful  
spirit1 should mark  those who put away 
the evil doer4    ,all ,god's           
corrections and judgments are designed  
to bring to  repentance4 ,so likewise   
any censure pronounced by an assembly   
of saints1 while manifestly righteous1  
should be as a medicine  to restore1    
that the spirit may be saved in the day 
of ,christ4  7#a ,cor4 #e3e47    ,paul  
says not to the ,corinthians1 when he   
reproves their evil1  lest my ,god      
should humble you1 but lest my ,god     
should humble  me among you2 not lest ,i
 should be wrathful and cut off many1   
but lest ,i should bewail many which    
have sinned 7#b ,cor4 #ab3ba74    ,my   
brother1 defiling himself1 is my own    
hand touching pitch4  ,in this mind we  
are like ,christ1 who is touched with   
the feeling  of our infirmities1 and is 
able to succour the tempted4    ,in how 

many instances1 alas6 where sharp or    
bitter reproof is  given1 heavenly      
wisdom would deal in tender-hearted     
counsel and  admonition4    ,col4 #d3aj 
is a testimony that ,mark was restored  
and stablished  after having forsaken   
,paul and ,barnabas4 ,we find him not   
with  ,barnabas1 but with ,paul1 who had
 so gravely judged his fault4  ,rebuke a
 wise man1 and he will love thee 7,prov4
 #i3h74    ,let us imitate our ,lord in 
,his pity toward those who have erred   
from ,his way2 thus we best             
discountenance their sins1 and help     
them to make the confession that obtains
 forgiveness from ,god4  ,carnal        
severity hardens the heart which might  
be won by heavenly  tenderness and      
compassion4    ,in the fellowship of    
saints' assemblies are many joys and    
many  comforts4 ,it is not1 however1 a  
bed of roses2 for it is in the          
intercourse of that fellowship that the 
infirmities and faults  of believers    
especially appear4 ,in the church's best

 state there  was always the flesh to be
 subdued1 and ,satan resisted4 ,hence   
forbearing one another1 and forgiving   
one another1 if any man  have a quarrel 
against any even as ,christ forgave you1
 even also  do ye 7,col4 #c3ac74        
,judgments of offences should be such as
 to commend themselves  to the common   
conscience4 ,all are accountable to ,god
 for those  judgments4    ,the love of  
,christ filling our hearts1 we shall be 
keen-sighted  to discern1 whether in    
ourselves or others1 whatsoever pleases 
not the ,lord4 ,this love1 and this love
 only1 will enable us to  maintain the  
order and discipline of the house of    
,god1 so as  to be approved by the ,son 
of ,god1 the ,lord of ,his own house4   
,we shall thereby1 while observing the  
laws of ,christ as to offending         
brethren1 be raised above the fear of   
man that bringeth a snare2  and1 what is
 higher still1 be free of false love1   
which spares  the rod when ,god would   
have us smite4 ,let the righteous smite 

me2 it shall be a kindness 7,ps4        
#ada3e74 ,faithful are the wounds  of a 
friend 7,prov4 #bg3f74          ,the    
,servants of the ,lord    ,whatever     
carnal titles of honour men may give to 
professed ministers  of the ,gospel1 the
 conscience of the unregenerate will not
 account  them holy men of ,god unless  
they be such of a truth4    ,for those  
who are to exercise any office in the   
church--that  of evangelist1 pastor1--it
 is not knowledge and utterance only    
which are needed2 but also1 and above   
all1 grace and an unblameable           
conversation4 ,whilst they be harmless  
as doves in regard to carnal  policy1   
they should be wise as serpents in      
respect of spiritual  wisdom and        
prudence1 so as to cut off occasion from
 them which  desire occasion4 7#b ,cor4 
#aa3ab47    ,it was a small thing with  
,paul to be judged by the saints at     
,corinth4 ,whatever their judgments1 he 
is intent on doing them  good1 and holds
 on his course1 glorifying ,god4 ,he    

labours to  restore them to a sound     
heart and mind4 ,we do all things1      
dearly  beloved1 for your edifying3 for 
,i fear lest1 when ,i come1 ,i shall    
not find you such as ,i would4 7#b ,cor4
 #ab3ai4bj47    ,the servant of the     
,lord ,jesus must be instant in season  
and out  of season1 knowing that he is  
the ,lord's messenger to every one  with
 whom he has to do3 ever learning of the
 ,lord2 for1 seeing  that he is to be   
continually ministering to others1 he   
must be  receiving fresh supplies from  
the ,god of all grace through all       
channels4 ,meditation of the ,word and  
prayer should occupy the  chief part of 
his time4 ,in his public ministry and   
private conversation1  he should aim at 
heart and conscience1 seeking in every  
way to  magnify ,christ and abase the   
creature4 ,in short1 he should set  the 
,lord always before him1 and so walk in 
,his steps as to represent  ,him to     
every eye4    ,if ,paul had much joy in 
his spiritual children at ,philippi1 he 

had much profit1 though little joy1 by  
those at ,corinth1 who  by their many   
evils gave him so great occasion to show
 the heart  of ,christ4    ,those who   
walk with ,god hear ,his voice and ,he  
employs them4    ,a good workman gains  
skill by his mistakes4    ,the ,lord    
,jesus always finds service for willing 
hearts and willing  hands3 let us desire
 only that service for which ,he has    
fitted  us4    ,if each child of ,god1  
each member of ,christ1 had due         
conscience  of his own accountability1  
we should soon see better things in  the
 church of ,god4 ,if we be careless in  
the ,lord's service1 ,he  will surely   
require it of us4    ,let the servants  
of ,christ put toil and hardship by the 
side  of the recompense1 and look well  
to the state of their hearts1  taking   
heed day by day that they please ,god3  
so will they be  always rejoicing1      
though always sorrowful4    ,the joy and
 triumph of faith are only to be found  
in the way  of unreserved consecration  

of ourselves to ,god1 and of diligent   
service of ,christ4    ,all who labour  
for ,christ shall receive great wages   
for little  toil4    ,it is our wisdom  
to account the pleasing ,god our great  
reward4  ,if we leave it altogether to  
,his will how and when to give us  fruit
 of our labour1 we shall obtain         
abundantly what1 as our  chief aim1 we  
do not seek4    ,martha would please the
 ,lord in her own way2 ,mary in her     
,lord's  way4 ,there are many who would 
please the ,lord2 but in their own  way1
 for lack of trying their works by the  
,scriptures3 amid much  labour they are 
unspiritual and barren4    ,from the    
charge of ,paul to ,timothy 7#a ,tim4   
#d3ab-af71 we gather  the true and      
proper character of the servant of ,god4
    ,the work of a servant of the ,lord 
demands entire self-denial4  ,even      
,christ pleased not ,himself 7,rom4     
#ae3c74 ,he must be the  servant of all 
men for ,jesus' sake1 that he may be1   
under his  ,lord1 a leader and a        

commander of the people3 the foremost to
  suffer2 the most laborious in all     
service2 ever caring for others1  ever  
forgetting himself4          ,spiritual 
,warfare    ,the children of ,god in    
their spiritual warfare too much        
resemble  the children of ,israel after 
,joshua fell asleep4 7,jud4 #c3e-h47    
,they did not cast out the remnants of  
the ,canaanites1 but made  a league with
 them3 so1 alas6 we have allowed        
remnants of evil  things to hold        
peaceable possession of corners of our  
hearts2  and1 through lack of diligence 
in weeding the soul's garden1  ,god is  
but little with us4 ,we have neglected  
to take the foxes1  the little foxes1   
which spoil the vines4 7,s4 ,sol4       
#b3ae47    ,there were four things which
 made ,israel fight well under ,joshua3 
#ast1 the necessity of fighting2 #bnd1  
the certainty of victory2  #crd1 ,god   
with them2 and #dth1 the rich spoil4    
,how is it that ,god's  people1 with    
,christ for their ,captain1 are but     

sorry soldiers8    ,if ,christ be with  
us1 what is the city of strength1 what  
are  the walls of ,jericho1 but an      
occasion to faith8 7,josh4 #f7    ,the  
slothful believer may have trouble      
through the flesh2 but  he never knows  
the evil and power of the flesh as do   
those who  fight against it and subdue  
it4          ,god's ,deeper ,dealings   
,witness for ,christ lies in            
self-condemnation according to the  rule
 of the ,word of ,god4 ,sinners are as  
many as the race of ,adam2  but a poor  
and needy sinner is a precious jewel in 
the sight  of ,christ4    ,we are not to
 gather from the angel's feeding ,elijah
 that ,god  approved of his going to    
,horeb4 7#a ,kings #ai7 ,if ,god gives  
us  good things when we are out of the  
way1 we ought to see keen  reproof in   
,his very kindness4    ,god will put    
,his faithful servants into the furnace 
to prove  them and fit them for honour4 
7,gen4 #ci7 ,joseph was steadfast  in   
obedience to ,god1 and true to ,potiphar

 in all things2 yet  his service to     
,potiphar ended in bonds and dishonour4 
,joseph  in prison seemed forgotten of  
,god2 but ,god was faithful1 and  raised
 ,his faithful servant to promised      
honour1 after fitting  him for that     
honour by humiliation and suffering4    
,the cross of ,christ brought in a new  
order of faith1 so that  now the        
children of ,god1 when walking in       
obedience and simplicity  of heart      
before ,god1 should expect trials of    
faith like those  of ,christ4 ,did they 
settle this in their hearts1 they would 
not  be surprised at ,god's giving them 
to drink of ,christ's cup1 and  to share
 ,his baptism3 they would suffer gladly1
 remembering that  the curse of the law 
cannot touch them4    ,if we walk in    
self-will and unbelief1 the holy rebukes
 of the  still small voice of the       
,spirit will not be heard2 but if our   
hearts are listening1 ,god will be ever 
teaching us by ways innumerable1  --    
chiefly by the ,holy ,scriptures4       

,pleasing the ,lord    ,a wish of       
,david's was a law to his three mighty  
men4 7#b ,sam4  #bc3ae4af47 ,should no  
then a wish of ,christ's be a law to us8
  ,shall ,christ have one mind2 and we1 
,his flesh and bones1 another8  ,with   
this tender mind toward our ,lord1 we   
shall follow hard after  ,him1 and      
pursue nothing that may bring shame upon
 us4    ,oh1 let us think of the        
tenderness of the heart of ,christ6 ,no 
apple of the eye so tender as that      
heart4 ,let us then be careful  to do   
,his will2 chiefly lest we grieve ,him2 
but also for our  own comfort and joy4  
,a child of ,god ought to be ever       
committing himself into ,god's  hand1   
that ,god may direct his way for him4   
,the natural man deviseth  his own way2 
but ,god would have ,his children hang  
upon ,him for  counsel and guidance in  
everything4    ,one of ,david's mighty  
men fought singlehanded with the        
,philistine  host for a piece of ground 
full of lentiles3 others might have     

thought it not worth fighting for1 but  
it was parcel of king  ,david's land2   
and to his faithful one that was enough4
 ,let us  in our spiritual warfare be   
like that good soldier4 7#b ,sam4       
#bc3aa4ab47    ,be content1 for ,he hath
 said1 ,i will never leave thee1 nor    
forsake  thee4 ,this promise was first  
given to ,jacob2 then to ,joshua3  now  
it is spoken to all ,god's children4    
7,gen4 #bh3ae2 ,josh4 #a3e2  ,heb4      
#ac3e47 ,let me lay up this promise in  
my heart1 and ,i am  a rich man4 ,how   
can ,i please ,god to-day8 ,he will take
 care of  to-morrow1 will be my settled1
 blessed mind4          ,providences    
,never judge ,god by ,his providence1   
unless your will is wholly  subject to  
,his will4 ,to judge ,him before the    
issue of ,his dealings  is to judge     
rashly and wrongly4 ,the end of the     
,lord will justify  all ,his ways4 ,when
 ,job rashly judged1 he said1 ,thou art 
become  cruel to me2 but at last he     
justified ,god1 saying1 ,behold1  ,i am 

vile4 ,i abhor myself4 7,job #cj3ba2    
#dj3d2 #db3f7    ,let us put all our    
matters into ,god's hands1 and leave    
them there4  ,can they be better ordered
 than by ,him8 ,we never think that the 
sun1 moon1 and stars will go wrong1     
because man has nothing to  do with the 
ordering of them4    ,be familiar with  
this precious thought1 that ,god decrees
 the  little as well as the great things
 of ,his providence2 and that  all ,his 
decrees are those of love to ,his       
people4          ,gratitude    ,mercies 
reviewed and pondered are even sweeter  
than when first  bestowed4    ,amongst  
the perilous mercies pleasing to nature1
 is health of  body4 ,sickness1 although
 a mark of the curse1 usually favours1  
more than health1 communion with ,god4  
,true gratitude never says1 ,i have done
 enough4    ,the best way to keep our   
mercies1 is to be ready at all times  to
 give them up at ,god's call4    ,a     
child of ,god1 taking a cup of cold     
water with a thankful heart1  may render

 a better service to ,god than one who  
gives thousands  of gold and silver4    
,ingratitude towards ,god for benefits  
received makes us distrustful  of ,him  
as to the future4          ,praise      
,praising ,god should be to us our      
chiefest1 happiest employ4 ,it  is the  
service of song of the sanctuary4 ,god  
preserve us from  ingratitude1 that     
abominable thing1 that viper which      
creeps forth  when the sun is up2 for   
when signal mercies demand especial     
thankfulness1  how often have we        
resembled ,hezekiah1 who rendered not   
again  according to the benefit4 7#b    
,chron4 #cb3be7    ,to hang my harp upon
 the willows is to say1 ,christ is not  
ruling  well4    ,so long as our hearts 
are cleaving to earthly things1 we shall
  not be able to sing the pilgrim's     
song2 but if we are thorough  pilgrims1 
and apprehend our great ,high ,priest   
ever living for  us at the right hand of
 ,god1 we shall be perpetually giving   
thanks4    ,can ,i fail to praise ,god  

always for all things1 if ,i have no    
interests but the interests of ,christ1 
and no purposes but those  of ,christ8  
,let me1 by faith1 but see ,christ at   
the right hand  of ,god ordering all    
things by ,his wisdom as the head of the
 body  the church 7,eph4 #a3bb4bc2      
#e3bc71 ,i shall then see ,him          
prospering  in all that ,he doeth1 and  
with ,him ,i shall ever rejoice4    ,to 
avoid an unthankful spirit1 we must make
 thankfulness a business4    ,if we     
thank ,god for wants1 we shall not      
distrust ,him for supplies4    ,if1     
because of painful circumstances1 we    
cannot praise the ,lord1  we ought to   
confess the sin4 7,eph4 #e3bj7    ,i    
would especially urge it upon the people
 of ,god to maintain  a good conscience 
and a thankful heart4    ,look back on  
the last seven days of your life how    
much of thanksgiving  and praise has    
your heart rendered to ,god8            
,communion with ,god1 by hearkening to  
,his voice in the ,scriptures1  and     

speaking with ,him in praise and prayer 
by the ,spirit of ,his  ,son1 each      
member of ,christ fulfilling his own    
office1 is the  proper end of every     
assembly of saints4    ,oh that we were 
wise and tender-hearted1 to cease from  
grieving  that ,holy ,spirit of promise1
 our indwelling ,paraclete6 ,then would 
the comfort of love1 and fellowship of  
the ,spirit1 in every assembly1  be     
earnest and foretaste of our perfect    
fellowship at the coming  of the ,lord4 
,behold1 ,i come quickly2 and ,my reward
 is with ,me1 to give every  man        
according as his work shall be 7,rev4   
#bb3ab7    ,if ye keep ,my commandments1
 ye shall abide in ,my love that  is1 in
 the communion of ,my love2 even as ,i  
have kept ,my ,father's  commandments1  
and abide in ,his love4 7,john #ae3aj7  
,ye are ,my friends1 if ye do whatsoever
 ,i command you 7,john  #ae3ad74        
,abide in ,me1 and ,i in you 7,john     
#ae3d7    ,he that eateth ,my flesh1 and
 drinketh ,my blood1 dwelleth or        

abideth in ,me1 and ,i in him 7,john    
#f3ef7