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selves, and condemn our own unbelieving hearts,. that can, in the midst of so many exceeding great and precious promises, under the sun-shine of so much tender mercy and loving kindness, cry out, I perish, I perish!

How horrid, how hateful, and how hurtful a sin is nbelief! It spits in the face of the promise, and acthe faithfulness of God a lie. It forgets all the great things which God hath done before, and despairs of ever seeing again the like displays of divine power. It heightens the calamity, doubles the distress, and concludes deliverance impossible. As the prayer of faith opens heaven, so the despondence of unbelief shuts it. It starves the soul, and disturbs sweet tranquillity of mind. It musters fears, multiplies enemies, and says, like Solomon's sluggard, "There is a lion in the way, I shall be slain." As strong faith glorifies God most, so great unbelief dishonours him to the highest degree. It binds up the very arm of God, who cannot, who will not do many mighty works where unbelief prevails. It draws death out of the book of life, by gathering up the threatenings, and passing over the promises. As the most perfect degree of faith, which is assurance, is heaven begun below, so the highest degree of unbelief, which is despair, is hell begun in time. How daringly does it contend with God, and dispute the matter with the Most High! Says God, "Put me in remembrance," to wit, of my promise; but says unbelief, "Thou hast forgotten to be gracious, and in thy wrath hast shut up thy tender mercies." Says God, "Remember what enemies consulted against thee, and what enemies answered, that thou mayest know the righteousness of the Lord;" but says unbe

lief, "This evil is of the Lord, why should I wait for him any longer?" Says God, "I have blotted out your sins as a cloud, and your iniquities as a thick cloud;" "No," says unbelief, " they are marked before thee in a book, for the time to come, for ever and ever."

Now, shall I harbour such a monster in my breast, that would turn my whole soul into confusion? Shall I circumscribe that power that has often displayed its glory in my deliverance? Shall I deny the merits of the sufferings of the Son of God, or the virtue of his blood? Shall I be afraid that his grace be not sufficient to strengthen me for the performance of every duty to which he may call me? It is not only ungenerous, but sinful, to entertain thoughts so detracting from the glory of God, and so destructive to mine own soul. Henceforth, let me be strong in the faith, giving glory to God. Let me lift mine eyes from growing difficulties of every kind, on every hand, and look to God; so shall the mountain become a plain, and over the stream of affliction I shall go dry shod.

But why condemn Israel, and not myself? The God that did those wonders, is the same with whom I have to do. As I believe them to be true, I am as much bound to believe him, as they were who saw them, seeing he changes not, nor faints, nor is weary, and since his care over his church and saints is the same in all ages. And though I am not to expect miracles, by which he confirmed the church to himself in those times, yet I am with as great confidence to depend on that God, to whom miracles are as easy as the common course of nature, as if I were governed by the interposition of miracles. Let me not, then, myself commit what I condemn in others,

but learn spiritual wisdom from spiritual folly! Yea, how egregiously guilty shall I be if I retain a transgression in my right hand, for which I have seen, in the sacred records, men so awfully punished, and with which God has shown himself so highly displeased! And no wonder, for unbelief strikes against God; whatever the language of other sins be, still this speaks against God, even in every murmuring whisper! Against his faithfulness, as if his promise might not be depended on, nor his record received; against his power, as if it could not perform and bring to pass; his wisdom, as if he could not foresee; his providence, as if he could not protect, defend, provide; his counsel, as if he could not direct; his mercy, as if he had no compassion; his conduct, as if he could err; and, in a word, against all his glorious perfections, as if he were not God.

If my unbelief respects my sin, I look more to the demerit of my transgressions, than to the dignity of the divine Redeemer, that taketh away the sin of the world. Now, as the Creator is infinitely greater than the creature, so the Saviour, who is Immanuel, God with us, is infinitely above the sinner, and from eternal wrath can save to the uttermost all that come to God through him. It is but cruel unbelief at the bottom, however I may pretend to put honour on the holiness of God, when I say that my sins are too atrocious to be satisfied for by the death and sufferings of our incarnate God, too black to be washed away by the blood of the Lamb of God.

Again, if mine unbelief respects the affairs of this life, I measure omnipotence by my weakness, infinite wisdom by my folly, and God by myself. So, when I am nonplussed, I think that God is so too, else why

should I be disquieted in any condition, were not my thoughts of this detestable stamp, seeing he can redeem out of all distress? Then let me look, in all cases and afflicting circumstances, beyond the appearance, above the probability, yea, above apparent impossibilities, to God alone, and I shall never repent my confidence, nor be ashamed of my hope.

MEDITATION CX.

OUR SHORT LIFE SHOULD NOT GIVE MUCH CONCERN,

Gulph of Lyons, July 3, 1759.

My mind is like a piece of ground, which, being

over-run with weeds, no diligence can render quite clean, no care can keep them from appearing again, even after they have been plucked away. Surely so it fares with me and my sinful anxieties. They are ever springing up anew and troubling me, and nothing will utterly and entirely destroy them, till the ground be turned up by the plough of death, and left fallow till the resurrection. Yet, that I be not altogether barren and unfruitful in the work of the Lord, let the busy hand of faith be ever plucking up the base weeds of noxious unbelief.

Again, why am I so much concerned about a world I am so soon to leave? Were my possessions to fall on this side Jordan, and I to inhabit here for ever, what more could I do than I have done, and am doing? Yet I am but a stranger, a sojourner, and a pilgrim; here to-night, but gone to-morrow, to return no more. Yea, this night, what dare I boast of tomorrow, not knowing what the silent watches of the

night may bring forth? and if not one day, far less of many, may I boast. It is but a look, and I have lost sight of this world eternally; why then set my heart on that which shall one time or other so terribly deceive me? A few moments, and my eternal state is begun, and I am naturalized in the world of spirits, and dashed out of the roll of the sons of Adam, yea, out of the remembrance of all my nearest relations! Should I, then, mind much what entertainment I meet with by the way, if I may make an happy journey's end? The traveller ought to think more on his home, than on his usage in his way home. Surely, one should be ready to think, that men carried their riches to eternity with them, yea, and were more welcome on that account, or why these unwearied endeavours, and perpetual bereavings of rest, to obtain them? O folly! O fear! O faithlessness! Folly, that I concern myself with moments, and neglect eternity: Fear, that I should be distressed about a day, which scarce has dawned till done, and dwell not with joy on ages to come: Faithlessness, that I should doubt the promise, yea, the appendix to the promise; for salvation from sin, and eternal life, is the promise, and all things that respect this life are only appendixes thereto; as if he who is faithful in one thing, and the only thing, could falsify in trifles.

Now, though my whole life were one continued scene of affliction, yet the very shortness of it might sweeten it. Though it be a vapour, a shadow, a wind that passeth away, surely the attending calamities can be of no longer continuance, than that duration upon which they attend. Nothing can pass from this world to that, but my disembodied immortality; yea, the painful remembrance of my troubles and present dis

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