Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ....Rom. xiii. 14.

MAN is an active being. Happiness is his pursuit. "Who will shew me any good?" is his continual enquiry. But to seek it from wrong objects is his constant practice. Hence naturally we are ever restless and uneasy. The new-born soul only has found the centre of true felicity, real good, and permanent happiness, in the knowledge and enjoyment of his Saviour! Here paradise is regained: a heaven of bliss is restored to his soul. It is the peculiar glory of the gospel, it ever presents a precious object to our mind, even the Lord Jesus, from whom alone we derive peace of conscience, joy of heart, and transport of soul. Is there, believer, a day in the year, an hour in the day, wherein thou wouldst pray to be excused from putting on the Lord Jesus Christ as the perfection of thy nature, and the adorning of thy soul? Surely not. As "one made alive from the dead," the Holy Ghost, by the word, stirs up thy "pure mind, by way of remembrance." Thou art not called to dream over dry, heathenish lectures of morality; nor from philosophic rules to acquire this and the other habit of virtue; neither art thou left to licentious liberty, to make provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. But it is to be the daily exercise of thy believing mind to put on the Lord Jesus Christ as the essence of every virtue; for in this consists all thy present comfort and holiness. And by this thou wilt become dead to all the pleasing, inviting objects that stand so thick around thee to beguile thy mind, and draw thine heart from its best friend.

The miser calls his gold his own, it is his god. Hence he exercises all his affections upon it, and derives all his happiness from it. The man of pleasure is in continual search after the enjoyment of new delights from the gay surrounding objects of a perishing world. Infinitely greater blessings are christians called to. O, believer, Jesus is thine. In the exercise of thy mind and the affections of thy soul; put on thy Lord continually as thy righteousness, thy strength, thy riches, thy pleasure, thy honor, thy glory, thy ALL. Oppose Christ to all the pleasures of the world, to all the delights of sense, and every scene of vanity. Put on Christ in thy conscience; there plead the atonement of his precious blood against the guilt of sin, the perfection of his righteousness to every demand of the law, the prevalency of his intercession against all thy fears, the freeness and fulness of his promises against all thy doubts. Boldly withstand every accusation from satan with, "Christ hath died, yea rather is risen again; and ever lives to make intercession for us:" "Who is he that condemneth?"....Rom. viii. $4.

Strangely, my soul, art thou array'd
By the great sacred three !

In sweetest harmony of praise

Let all thy powers agree.

The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer....1 Pet. iv. 7.

YESTERDAY We were born. To-day we live.

To-morrow we

die. The sum totál of human life is justly calculated by the hoaryheaded patriarch, Jacob, "Few and evil have the days of the years of my life been."....Gen. xlvii. 9. A truth this that lies level with the common observation and judgment of all men; but is admitted into the regenerate heart and conscience only with that importance it demands, so as suitably to affect the mind and influence the conduct. Hence, the absolute necessity of divine faith; the continual need of the believing soul exercising his meditations upon the sure and certain approaching dissolution of all things. So he learns to die daily to the perishing objects of time and sense; and to live like himself, as an immortal inhabitant of a city that hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. To live and lean upon our beloved Jesus as the stay of one's soul and the strength of one's hope this is true happiness. While all things below perish in the using; invisible realities ripen in prospect, and most powerfully engage our affections; because they are durable and eternal. Hence, the soul is excited to watchfulness, that he may stand....to prayer, that he may be kept....and to sobriety, that he may persevere. O, believer, thou canst not but count drunkenness and whoredom great sins; but know also, the cares, riches, pleasures, and honors of this world, as really intoxicate the mind and cause the heart to be guilty of spiritual adultery against thy loving, lawful bridegroom, Jesus, as outward, gross sins do the body. What need, what daily need hast thou to watch constantly, to be sober continually, and to pray always? Pride is contrary to sobriety of judgment of thyself. Lust and intemperance are inconsistent with the soundness of thy faith, the stability of thy hope, and the exercise of thy love. These are ever at hand to beset thee. Say, therefore, when canst thou dispense with a watchful frame of spirit? when intermit in prayer to, and dependence on thy God? O, the sweet exercise of watching unto prayer, for divine power: in prayer, for sweet enlargements: after prayer, for a comfortable answer from our Lord! Ever may this just reflection be on thy mind, when tempted or inclined to cast in thy lot with the carnal, and to indulge thyself in attending the bewitching scenes of sin, folly and vanity: am I now acting like one who knows the end of all things is at hand? do I behave as one in his right mind? am I watching unto prayer? can I desire, pray for, and expect the sense of Jesus's love and presence to be with me? Remember thy calling; it is to love and live upon an unseen Jesus, and to act as daily expecting to "receive the end of thy faith, the salvation of thy soul."....1 Pet. i. 9.

But thanks be to God toho giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ....1 Cor. xv. 57.

DEATH, though conquered by Jesus; though disarmed of its strength and sting by our victorious Lord, so that it cannot destroy, nay, not wound or hurt the soul of any one of his dear members; yet it is still an enemy, a formidable, disagreeable enemy to nature. When we are left to our natural conceptions, death appears to us with the grim visage of "the king of terrors.". We cannot get rid of our fears, nor are we able to make him put on a more amiable aspect. But when in the simplicity of little children, we go to our heavenly Father, and tell him how we are affrighted and terrified at the thought and approach of that dreadful enemy, he drives away our fears and terrors, and relieves our minds. But how does our affectionate Father effect this? by telling us we are perfect and sinless, and therefore we have overcome death, we shall never die, we have nothing to fear, death cannot hurt us? No; though we are sinners in ourselves, and as such must die; though we are without strength to grapple with and subdue this powerful enemy, and though our bodies must fall victims to his stroke, yet, "praise the Lord, O my soul, praise him all his saints," he giveth us the victory; he puts songs of triumph into our mouths, our hearts; not for what we have done, but our Father refers us to the glorious atchievements of our elder brother, Jesus; he hath obtained a perfect conquest for all the children of his Father's family; and victory is not only proclaimed but GIVEN. Jesus is the unspeakable gift of the Father's love; victory over death is given through Jesus; faith to believe it in the heart, and triumph over it in the conscience, is his free gift also. Thus the Spirit testifies of, and glorifies Jesus; thus his members rejoice in the truth, and are comforted by the truth.

Death was brought into the world by the father of lies, he is vanquished and destroyed by Jesus, who is essentially THE TRUTH. "The soul that sinneth shall die." Die man, or justice must. The man Jesus, the sinner's surety, fell a sacrifice to this truth; hence truth is fulfilled in his death, justice is satisfied, death is disarmed of its sting, which is sin. Jesus hath "put away sin, by the sacrifice of himself."....Heb. ix. 26. "And the strength of sin, which is the law, Jesus hath perfectly fulfilled in his life for us." He hath fully answered all its demands, and by him all its accusations are silenced. Precious Christ! Happy believer! What harm can the most fierce, poisonous monster do thee when it hath lost its sting, and is without any strength? Most precious truth! "Death is yours.". 1 Cor. iii. 22...

Now to the God of victory
Immortal thanks be paid;

Who makes us conqu'rors while we die,
Thro' Christ our living head.

Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you, from the foundation of the world....Matt. xxv. 34.

1

THIS is a joyful word to our hearts now, "COME, let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow: though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."....Isa. i. 18. This is another precious word from Jesus to our souls, "COME unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." O, but this last COME, from the lips of our KING, will be the most joyful crowning word of all! The best wine is reserved for the last. Every soul who hath tasted of the first on earth, shall assuredly drink his fill at the fountain-head, in a blissful, neverending eternity of glory. "Ye blessed of my Father;" belovedfrom eternity, and blessed to eternity. Chosen in me, blessed in me with all spiritual blessings, I was given to, I sought you, and gathered you to myself in time; now come live and reign with me for ever in my kingdom. O, is not the thoughts of this enough to ipake one wish to break through the walls of our prison, the body!, Praise, O soul! Call together all thy faculties! Rather, O divine Spirit, realize the view, bring near the solemn, joyful day to our minds! Give us even now to dwell on it with rapture of affections and ardor of love.

"Inherit the kingdom prepared for you;" not bought by your good. works, not purchased by your well-doings, not obtained by your faithfulness, but the free-gift of my Father's love and good pleasure,. richly prepared by his free-grace and bounty, purposely reserved for you. Come ye; all of ye. Not one of my little flock shall be wanting; there is a mansion for each of you ere you had a being, or time commenced; the kingdom was established, the heirs chosen, places prepared. I visited you on earth, so that you loyed me. though you saw me not; I invisibly worked upon your hearts, and, drew them out in love to myself, my cause, and my brethren, so you approved yourselves my disciples by following my example. Come ye, enter, possess, and enjoy what you were born for, born again. to be meet for. Q, methinks it strikes one's heart with heavenly, joy, to conceive of the loud hosannas and shoutings, (O that we may catch the heavenly flame!) "Salvation to our God, who sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb, unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."....Rev. i. 5, 6.

Now to the Lord that makes us know
The wonders of his dying love,

Be humble honors paid below,

And strains of nobler praise above.

ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR LEAP-YEAR.

One born out of due time....1 Cor. xv. 8.

GoD's children want no other, they can have no better proof of the life, death, resurrection, ascension, and intercession of their JESUS than what the scriptures afford: they say with their master, "thy word is truth."....John xvii. 17. They wish to have no other ideas of God, of Christ, and of themselves, than what the scriptures impress on their minds. They are fully satisfied of their hope of. salvation by Jesus ONLY. This is the reasoning of their faith: "if we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater.". 1 John v. 9. God has borne witness to his Son Jesus in every type, ceremony, and prophesy of the Old-Testament: and by such signs, miracles, and even by his voice from heaven in the New, as are incontestible. And beside all these, the Spirit of God bears the inward testimony of faith, that our Jesus is risen. For we find our hearts attracted to him, our affections set on him, and we enjoy sweet fellowship with him. This is of distinguishing grace, “One shall be taken and another left." "This is hid from the wise and prudent, and revealed unto babes." What shall we say to this? "Even so Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight." Such humble sentiments are in all who have the mind of Christ. So Paul, when he saw himself a miracle of grace, accounted himself an abortion in nature; as mean, as contemptible as a child born by miscarriage, before its due time and proper growth; "the least of all apostles;" yea, as though he wanted words fully to express the opinion he had of himself, not only a sinner, but THE CHIEF OF SINNERS. Not only the least, but "me who am LESS than the least of all saints."....Eph. iii. 8. Paul had now done with his notions of fulfilling terms and conditions to obtain God's favor, and entitle himself to salvation. O, now Christ was revealed in him! He saw his glory full of grace and truth. This stained all his former pride, laid his honor in the dust, and stopt his mouth to self-righteous confidence and human glorying. Strange pre-requisites Paul possessed to qualify him for the grace of God! Yet no one sinner by nature can boast of any better. But the same Lord who wrought effectually in Peter, was mighty in Paul, and he also converts every redeemed soul to Jesus. Let us not envy others their lofty thoughts of themselves, nor murmur against our Saviour for keeping us low and humble.

But if Paul had, if all the children of God have such mean contemptible thoughts of themselves, are so little and base in their own eyes, will not satan attack and aim to distress them? Doubtless he will. For where he cannot delude sinners into a notion that they