am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldst go. O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea. Isa. xlviii. 17, 18. Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Rev. iii. 20. How ow often and how variously does the Lord knock at the door of our hearts, by the voice of his word, the voice of his Spirit, or the voice of conscience! But how seldom are we inclined to give him the hearing! We are often so distracted with business or pleasure, that we can hardly observe his voice through the hurry and noise of worldly things, and we are not at home when he knocks, and seeks to take his abode with us. Well, even now he is knocking by this paper. Hearken to his voice and open the door for him directly, since he desires nothing from us that might be grievous; but intends to make our heart a glorious residence and banqueting-room of love, to fill it with heavenly treasure, and give us every thing along with himself. I'll bring him to my mother's home; He gives me there his bleeding heart, I give my soul to him, and there I charge you all, ye earthly toys, up I am the true Vine, and my Father is the Husbandman: every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Abide in me and I in you : he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit. John xv. 1---5, LORD, I trust that this word will have its accomplishment in me also, though as yet I have great reason to be humbled, on account of my barrenness. Grant, therefore, that I may always abide in thee faithfully and quietly; since there is every thing in thy power, and nothing can be done by our own strength; but as it is thy will, and it tends both to the glory of thy Father and thine own, I depend upon being replenished in due scason with fruits of righteousness. O suffer nothing in me which may dishonour thy name, and which would prove hurtful to myself and offensive to others. But whatever thou thinkest as yet fit for me to suffer, let it work for my real good. How can I sufficiently adore the patience of the Lord, my gracious Husbandman, who still bears with me, the weakest of all his branches. He has not cut me off yet, but still dresses me to bring forth more fruit, though like a degenerate plant I have yielded little else but wild grapes. Why then shouldst thou grumble, O my heart, at the application of his pruning-knife? It is really for thy good. He is angry only with the degenerate unfruitful branches. The more these are purged, the more fruit thou shalt bring forth. Is Christ a Vine? His heav'nly root O let a lasting union join My 1 am glorified in them; I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one. John xvii. 10, 26, 23. GLORIOUS promise! -how could he love us more! What blessed and intimate union is this! O for such a faith that could always truly believe it! Christ is the Vine, believers are the branches; he the Bridegroom, they the bride; he the Head, they the members of his body, of his very flesh, and very bones, and consequently one body with him. And whoever hated his own flesh? so in loving and cherishing believers he loves himself. Eph. v. 28, 29. Whenever he shall cease to love himself, then, and no sooner, shall he cease to love and cherish them also. It is his own delight to do them good, more than the mother that suckles her child. Lord, what a Heav'n of saving grace I tread the world beneath my feet, A glimpse of love, a glimpse of thee! I am u earny with groaning. Psalm vi. 6. . Divine Answer: He gives power to the faint, and to them that have no might he increases strength. isa. xl. 29. I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul. Jer. xxxi. 25. Therefore, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest to your souls ; for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matt. xi. 28---30. 66 HERE Christ is commending his own meekness, both as a pattern for imitation, and as an encouragement for heavy laden sinners to draw near to him with confidence. And his rest is promised not for the merit of our labour and humility, but merely for our coming to him and believing in him. He says, "Take my yoke upon you." But how shall I take it? says the sinner. Why," says Christ, "Learn of me: Let me be your teacher, and though you are blind and foolish, fretful, and forgetful, yea wholly polluted with sin, I eat yet bear with you, because I am meek and lowly in heart, not rough and haughty to offenders as Pharisees usually are, but full of compassion towards them, willing to receive them, and ready to forgive and comfort them," &c. Come therefore to him, O sinner, with all thy loads of sin and misery, and he will in nowise cast thee out, but receive thee gladly. Come hither, all ye weary souls ! My yoke is easy to his neck, My grace shall make the burden light! To mould and guide us at thy will ! I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant. Psalm cxix. 176 God's Answer: Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out; I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away; and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick. Ezek. xxxiv. 11, 16. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom. Isa. xl. 11. HE that is wise in his own conceit, as philosophers usually are, does not pray like David to be sought after and healed by Jesus Christ; and therefore he continues, amidst all his boasted wisdom, deeply igno. rant of his fallen nature and his ruined state. But as thou hast given me, O thou good Shepherd, to understand my lost and helpless condi tion; and that like a wandering sheep I can neither find myself when lost, nor advise myself how to return,-I beseech thee to seek, heal, lead, feed, carry, and strengthen me also, as my various needs require; that I may be able to say with David, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want." My Shepherd will supply my need, In pastures fresh he makes me feed, And leads me, for his mercy's sake, |