9. I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O Lord; I will keep thy statutes. Great peace have they which love thy law; and nothing shall offend them. I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies; for all my ways are before thee. I have gone astray like a lost sheep: seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments. Psalm 119: 145, 165, 168, 176. The word of God should be ever connected with prayer; for why is it that many hear and read without being the better? They do not pray in faith for a blessing. We must, like David, pray with the utmost fervor, that we may understand and retain the word of God, and bring forth fruit; for a Christian has nothing so much at heart as that he may always act up to the word and will of God: his prayer is, Lord, let my footsteps be sure, according to thy word; and let nothing contrary to thy law have dominion over me, either in my doctrine or practice. If this prayer be granted, great will be our peace; Jesus himself will be our peace, and then nothing shall offend us; we shall take heed unto all our ways before God, and so walk before him as to continue humble, like David, who considered himself as a straying and lost sheep. Lord, we are by nature straying and lost sheep; seek and fetch us back from the error of our ways, and preserve us in thy pasture. My soul has gone too far astray, Yet since I've not forgot thy way, 10. I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord. Gen. 49: 18. Many have received comfort from these words in death, and waited in faith for their salvation. The thoughtless and impenitent wait only for temporal prosperity in their lives, and therefore cannot expect eternal bliss; but on the contrary, a dreadful judgment awaits them after death. O that they would seek the Lord this very day, that at the eve of life they might, like Jacob and Simeon, depart in peace. We will not, therefore, look for any earthly things, but for the Saviour, who is already come, who will grant us his salvation, his aid and deliverance in life and death, and will conduct us safely at last, though we should wait sometime for his help. Yes, my Redeemer, they who wait, depend upon, and hope in thee, shall not be ashamed. Grant us only faith and patience, that we may wait on thee from one morning-watch to another; and enduring all things, make the whole course of our lives one perpetual expectation of thy aid; and may we ever abundantly experience thy help and salvation, especially at our latter end. His own soft hand shall wipe the tears From every weeping eye; And pains and groans, and griefs and fears, How long, dear Saviour, O how long 11. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him, is not condemned. John 3:16-18. O that these truly precious words were ever warmly impressed on our hearts; that they were our last thoughts at night, and the first at our waking in the morning; and that they were improved in such a manner as to make our dying bed easy in the evening of our life, and to insure our rising with gladness in the morning of the resurrection. And what more blessed and delightful meditations can I daily dwell upon than to think thus: God has loved me, even me, when I was his enemy; and so loved me, that he gave me his only Son. Bless me with faith in Christ, then Christ is mine, and all things are mine, 1 Cor. 3:21; for "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" Rom. 8:32. He will never suffer a believing soul to perish; he has passed his word for it. It is he that says I "shall not perish," I "shall not be condemned," but have everlasting life, if I believe. This will I build and depend upon to my last moments, as upon an immovable rock. Amen and amen. O, for this love, let earth and skies And the full choir of human tongues 12. In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Col. 1:14. Having forgiven you all trespasses. Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. Col. 2:13, 14. It is finished. John 19:30. Hast thou, O my soul, felt the weight of thy own guilt and misery, and been enabled, in reality and truth, to lay hold by faith of the blood of Christ for thy redemption, and faithfully to devote thyself to him in heart and life? Then hast thou a sure foundation to go upon; let it be thy constant care firmly to depend upon these and suchlike blessed declarations; look to Jesus for every blessing thou standest in need of. Has Christ brought life and immortality to light? then look unto him and live. Is there redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins? then throw all thy guilt upon his atonement. Has he blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that were against thee? then shake off self-righteous dependences, and legal fears also. Did he die for thy sins? then let his goodness and love lead thee to unfeigned repentance; let the sense of thy sins break thine heart, but encourage thy hope in the gospel. Not all the blood of beasts On Jewish altars slain, But Christ, the heavenly Lamb, Takes all our sins away A sacrifice of nobler name My faith would lay her hand On that dear head of thine, My soul looks back to see The burdens thou didst bear, |