lift up the light of thy countenance upon us," and when that is done, "Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep, for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety." Four blessings are here mentioned as the effects of enjoying the light of God's countenance. 1st. Gladness of heart; and this gladness is of more worth than all perishable things. 2nd. Peace. 3rd. Rest. 4th. Safety. And these also are the effects of assurance. When the Israelites drew near the Red Sea, seeing the Egyptians behind them, they feared and trembled; but when they crossed the Red Sea, and saw their enemies dead on the shore, then they sang and triumphed in their God. So it is with a dear child of God; he fears and trembles till the Lord shows him that all his enemies are destroyed, that his sin is drowned in atoning blood, God is reconciled to him, and he is eternally saved: then he sings the song of Moses and the Lamb. 2nd. When the blessing of assurance is enjoyed, all the graces of the Spirit in the heart are in sweet exercise. When the south wind blows, the spices are flowing out—“ Awake, O north wind, and come thou south, blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits." The church prays here for two things:-1st. The operation of God the Holy Ghost. 2nd. A visit from Christ; and her prayer being offered up in faith, she received an answer to her petition" I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice." Faith, hope, love, prayer, praises, patience, resignation, meekness, and humility, all uniting their odoriferous perfumes, which was well pleasing to Christ. The soul is revived and enlarged; it makes it lively in the ways of God. He attends the means with such affection and alacrity. The soul is full of praise and admiration, and blesses God for pardon of sin. He takes delight in drawing near to God, and his confidence in Him is strengthened. It is a preservative against sin and temptation-" How can I do such great wickedness, and sin against God ?" said Joseph. "Should such a man as I flee?" said Nehemiah. What! says the living soul, shall I sin against love and blood? Should I thus requite the Lord? Should I make such returns to my loving Friend? 3rd. This sweetens all blessings; there is no real enjoyment without it. Gold, silver, and estates, are very insipid comparatively; but when the sinner can say Christ is mine, he enjoys his temporal blessings with greater sweetness. He feels more of his un worthiness, his undeservedness, and the goodness of his heavenly Father. It sweetens all losses and crosses. What was it that sweetened Job's troubles? It was his assurance in his living Redeemer, and that his record was on high, and his witness was in heaven. With God's light he could walk through darkness-" For our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." 4th. It enables us to carry our burdens and worldly cares easier, and keeps us from being over anxious about temporal things. God who gave me his dear Son, will also supply my need. I have a goodly heritage-thou art my portion. It comforts the soul in death. Death is to him no more a terror, but a going home to his Father's house. "Come raise your thankful voice, And mix no more with mud: Dearly we're bought, highly esteemed, "Christians are priests and kings, Dearly we're bought, highly esteemed, Redeemed with Jesus' blood, redeemed. "With heart, and soul, and mind, Exalt redeeming love; And set your minds above: Dearly we're bought, highly esteemed, "Lift up your ravished eyes, And view the glory given; Ye citizens of heaven: Dearly we're bought, highly esteemed, Redeemed with Jesus' blood, redeemed. L "Be to this world as dead, Who soon shall call us home: Dearly we're bought, highly esteemed, CHAPTER XXI. MERITS OF CHRIST. THE fifth cluster which grows upon the tree of life, is that, that Christ has merited by his sufferings. The sufferings of Christ we may consider in a twofold way; one was to satisfy divine justice, and the second, to merit for us all blessings. 1st. He has purchased the church by his precious blood-" Feed the church of God which He hath purchased with his own blood (Acts xx. 28). The church also is called his purchased possession "Which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." And as Christ has purchased his church, so also his blood was meritorious. 2nd. Christ has merited everlasting life. In the fall we have forfeited it, but Christ by his sufferings has merited it for us; and so, it is in his power to give eternal life. We had no right to a heavenly inheritance, but for his sufferings. 3rd. Nearness of relation. By nature we were strangers and enemies to God, and are now made nigh by the blood of Christ"But now in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were afar off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ; to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." 4th. The gift of the Holy Ghost, with his gracious assistance and comfort. "I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name." If Christ had not suffered, we could not have enjoyed the blessed Spirit" Nevertheless I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you: but if I depart, I will send Him unto you.” Forgiveness of sins flows through the same channel-"In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." In one word, all we have, and all we shall enjoy to all eternity, is merited by Christ. By nature we have no right to the least of God's mercies. What plea can we make with God? Could I expect, or challenge heaven upon my own obedience, or upon the ground of my own righteousness? Could any fallen man dare say to God, I have done this, or suffered that, therefore I claim heaven, and thy mercy is due to me? Oh no, poor sinner; if we have no more than we deserve, it will not be heaven, nor mercy, but hell and wrath. A stranger has no right to an inheritance; but if he is adopted into the family, then he has a legal right, and his title is good, and adoption denotes free favour. Thus is the case with a child of God, being adopted into the family, he may go humbly to his Father, and say, Lord, show me mercy, give me thy Holy Spirit, forgive all my sins, give me eternal life, and a right to thy kingdom. If the Lord should ask, Who are you? and what right have you to these things? the poor sinner would reply, Lord, I have nothing of my own to show but the blood of thy beloved Son, the dignity of his person, and his active and passive obedience; it is his merits alone that I plead, and not my own. And you may be sure, poor soul, that you will speed well with such a plea. The Lord is faithful and just; He has promised thus much to his Son, to do these things for the redeemed, according to the agreement in the eternal council-" When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, He shall see his seed, He shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied." The Father will never forfeit his promise to his Son. Christ cannot be disappointed, after his sufferings and bitter agonies which He endured. You may depend there is nothing so safe and secure as those blessings that depend upon his merits. Christ himself is God, equal with the Father; and as God will bestow those blessings on his people, and as Mediator He intercedes for it—“ Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me." "The Father dearly loves the Son, And rates his merits high: For no mean cause He sent Him down, ઃઃ "The blessings from his death that flow, "Oh could we but with clearer eyes, Could we his person learn to prize, CHAPTER XXII. COVENANT. HAVING Considered the five clusters, as Satisfaction, Remission, Reconciliation, Redemption, and Merit, we will now endeavour, God willing to consider the sixth. I do not mean to convey the idea that there are no more than six clusters, but these are all I have mentioned. The last is the confirmation of the Covenant. The death, or blood of Christ is the confirmation of it. We read of a two-fold confirmation of the covenant. 1st. God the Father confirmed the Covenant with an oath, "For men verily swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise, the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath.' "My Covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips; once have I sworn by my holiness, that I will not lie unto David." دو The second confirmation was the blood of Christ. Hence it is called the blood of the everlasting Covenant. "Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting Covenant." It is also called the blood of the New Testament "For this is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many, for the remission of sins." It is the death of Christ which gives force unto it. "And for this cause He is the Mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the First Testament, they which were called might re |