same peace-speaking blood, I daily present myself in his presence, and know that he sees no iniquity in me, so as to condemn me. O Lord, I received thee as my justifying righteousness, disclaiming all confidence in my own works, throwing them aside as filthy rags. I placed my sole dependence upon an imputed righteousness; that righteousness, wrought out by thee as my surety, in thy holy meritorious life and death: believing thy testimony, that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Just so must I go on, trusting in, resting upon, rejoicing in, the Lord, my righteousness. By one man's offence many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many (and I among others) be made righteous. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness, therefore I walk at liberty, free from all dread of condemnation. Not as a slave; not as a servant; not as an hireling; not as a probationer; but as a son, and heir of God, to whom the inheritance is made sure. I have received the seal of the testament, ratified, and made sure, by the death of the testator. All the blessings contained in this Bible, the records of the well-ordered covenant, are mine: and, O glorious truth! The testator died to ratify and ensure this testament; but he lives again, the glorious executor. O Lord, I received thee as my king: depending upon promised strength, I swore allegiance to thee, and to thy government. Just so, my dear sovereign Master, must I go on; rejoicing in its privileges, subjecting myself cheerfully to its restrictions; studying with care its positive commands, and setting myself to obey; submitting with meekness to its discipline; claiming thy kingly power to subdue the corruptions of my heart, to defend from foes within and foes without; and when thou callest me to fight, to arm me for battle, and to lead me on to victory. I received thee as my divine Saviour, as the covenant of the people; the covenant arranged, ratified, and fulfilled; to me a covenant of free gift. Receiving thee, I received all the promises in their fullest extent, as legally made over, and confirmed to me by the irrevocable gift of Deity; and in thee, as my Saviour, dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. Yes, dwelleth in him for his people, his ransomed; dwelleth in him as our head; we are united to him, one with him, as he and the father are one, and being one with him, we are complete in him: He is the head, we the members; he is the vine, we the branches: He is the foundation and chief corner stone, we the building. Thus let us walk in him; rooted and built up in him ; filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; walking worthy of the Lord, unto all pleasing-being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power; unto all patience, and long suffering, with joyfulness; for it is he who worketh in us, both to will, and to do of his good pleasure; and although of ourselves we can do nothing, yet we can do all things through Christ strengthening us; and he has promised, that as our day, so shall our strength be. It is well, Lord, it is well. Thou art mine, and I am thine thou art mine with all thy fulness, what can I want besides? Nothing, Lord. Thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name: I am satisfied with my portion. Amen. Be my God, and the God of my seed, and glorify thy name in us. 1797. PSALM CXIX. Remove far from me vanity and lies. The way of lies, deception; sin, sin metaphorical, alluding to an archer missing his mark, or a traveller missing his way. Every deviation from rectitude and truth, is sin. Who that knows any thing of the corruption of the human heart, and its strange tendency to stray, to err; yea, even to pervert the plainest and simplest, and most obvious truths, but must see the propriety of his joining the Psalmist, and crying out, Lord, remove far from me the way of lies." The way of lies, as it respects our judgment and sentiments; as it respects our motives of action; and as it respects our conduct. As it respects our judgment: how does every species of error abound: even the serious and earnest seekers of truth differ in many things, which although they may not mar their final salvation, mar their progress in knowledge, in holiness, and in comfort. "Lord, remove far from us the way of lies." Lead us to the pure, unmixt, unerring word of truth, as it respects our sentiments, and as it respects our conduct. O how many deceive themselves by resting on a speculative knowledge of the truth, or what they esteem such, while their hearts remain unaffected, their tempers unsanctified, and their lives unfruitful. Passionate, stubborn, relentless, unmerciful, implacable tempers indulged and unmortified, must be a way of lies. Learn of me, says the Saviour, for I am meek and lowly, and ye shall find rest to your souls. The meek will he teach his way, the meek will he guide in judgment. Remove far from me the way of lies, and teach me thy law graciously. Teach me thy law graciously, not the ceremonial and the moral law alone, but the whole of God's revealed will. The Psalmist knew the law ceremonial and moral, but he wants more and more of the teaching of the Spirit of God. He, the Spirit of truth, shall take of mine, and show it unto you. The word of God is ever the same, it contains the whole truth, and nothing but the truth; every thing necessary to safety, to holiness, and happiness: but O the difference between him who reads with a mind enlightened by the Spirit of God, and him who reads with no other assistance than his own poor blinded darkened reason. Teach me then thy law graciously. I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy judgments. Open thou mine eyes, that 1 may behold wondrous things out of thy The Psalmist thirsted after more and more extensive views of the word of God, and still as his views were enlarged he desired more. Verse 64. The earth is full of thy mercy: this was one lesson, but still he cries, teach me thy statutes; thou hast dealt bountifully with me, O Lord, according to thy word: still he cries, Teach me good judgment and knowledge. It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes. law. 1797. I love to feel the kindlings of repentance; self loathing under a sense of ingratitude; heart melting with the view of pardoning grace. I love to feel the sprinkling of my Redeemer's blood on my conscience, drawing forth the tears of joy and gratitude in the view of a free pardon. I love to dwell on the seal of reconciliation, while my heart, glowing with gratitude, sinks into the arms of my redeeming Lord, in full confidence of his love, and my safety for ever. I love to feel longings after closer communion, after more conformity to his image, more usefulness in his church, to my fellow members of the body of Christ, and to all his creatures. I love to feel deeply interested in the success of the Gospel, in the declarative glory of Jehovah, as manifested in his works of creation and providence, but chiefly in the super-excellent work of redemption: for thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy great name. 1798. On Pope's essay, "Glows in the stars, and blossoms in the trees," There the poet must stop: thus far the natural mind, richly endowed with human powers, can go and trace a God of power, wisdom, and beneficence: O that thou hadst had eyes to see, and discern what flesh and blood could never reach: that all these glories, glorious as they are, dwindle into tapers, when compared with Jehovah manifested in the face of Jesus Christ. Every star, every tree, all vegetating, bursting, blooming life, set thee at a distance; they all answer the end of their creation, manifesting his glory as thou sayest; but can they tell thee, how this God can be just, and yet justify the ungodly, rebels to his sovereignty, and to every attribute as really possessed |