MED. best of our abilities, is an evidence of V. our mortified spirit, and will mercifully be accepted by a gracious and an holy God. "O holy and most gracious God! "who, by mortification and the rude "austerities of a penitential life, and "by pious admonitions and holy medi"tations, dost remove all the impedi ments of sin, that the ways of the "Lord may be plain and even, be r pleased to lead me by thy Holy Spirit "in the straight paths of sanctity, "without turning to the right hand or to the left, and without the inter"ruption of deadly sin, that I may with "facility, zeal, assiduity and persever"ing diligence walk in the way of the "Lord: grant that the axe may be " laid to the root of sin, that the whole body of it may be cut down in me, "and no fruit of wickedness may grow "up, to thy displeasure. Thoroughly purge the floor and granary of my V. "heart with thy fan, with the breath of MED. thy diviner Spirit, that it may be a holy repository of graces, and full "of benediction and sanctity, that "when our Lord shall come, I may "at all times be prepared for the "entertainment of so divine a guest. May He ever dwell with me that "I may delight to dwell with Him, "sometimes retiring into his recesses by contemplation, admiring his "beauties and beholding the secrets "of his kingdom, and at all other "times walking in the courts of the "Lord's house by the diligencies and "labours of repentance and an holy life, till thou shalt be pleased to "call me to a nearer communica❝tion of Thy excellencies, which «then grant, when by thy gra"cious assistances I shall have done thy works and glorified thy holy 66 name, by the strict and never-fail"ing purposes and proportionable en MED. "deavours of religion and holiness "through the merits and mercies of V. "Jesus Christ. Amen*." * Bp. Taylor. MEDITATION VI. 2 CHRON. Xxx. 32. Offer peace offerings, and make confession. VI. THOUGH the merit of satisfaction MED. be removed by the contemplation of acknowledged crime, the duty of restitution, as a branch of repentance, remains unimpaired. Though the penitent and the prisoner cannot do all they would, they must do all they can. Concealment is an indication of a mind unconvinced. As it leaves suspicion open, and tends very much to mislead in the imputation of offence, it must, of course, be considered, in most instances, as a continuation of injustice. MED. But it may be asked, why make a disclosure which cannot profit another, but must distress those who make it ? This objection arises from what must be called, under these circumstances, false delicacy, mistaken honor, obstinacy, pride; and originates in an unsubdued heart. He who hath emptied his soul of sin, must empty it also of all palliatives of sin. To throw obscurity over his crimes, is still to retain the savour of them. Under the law of Moses, the offender was required to make a peace-offering; but if this peace-offering were defective, it was unproductive-his sin remained. "The "soul that eateth of the flesh of the "sacrifice of peace-offerings, that per"tain unto the Lord, having his un"cleanness upon him, even that soul "shall be cut off from his people *.” The religion that requires the heart, requires all the heart. The Church of Christ is represented as a glorious * Lev. vii. 20. |