GOD commendeth his Love towards us, in that while we were

yet Sinners, Chrift died for us, Rom. v. 8.

The Excefs of God's Love proceeds fo far as to deliver up his Son to Death for Sinners. The Excefs of their Ingratitude proceeds fo far as to defpife fuch tranfcendent Love. --- Is it then poffible, that Chrift fhould demand of us nothing but our Love, in return for fuch ftupendous Love; and that there should be found any Heart fo hard and unjust as to refuse him even that? Take this Heart thyfelf, O Jefus, and fhed abroad thy Love therein, fince thou haft the abfolute Command and Dominion over it.

JESUS, my Strength and Hope,

My Righteoufnefs, and Pow'r, My Soul is lifted up

Thy Mercy to implore,

My Hands I ftill ftretch out to Thee,
My Hands I faften to the Tree.

Thy Wounds have wounded me,

Thy bloody Cross fubdu'd,
I feel my Mifery,

And ever gafp for God, [join,
My Prayers, and Griefs, and Groans I
And mingle all my Pangs with thine.

NOT as it was by one that finned, fo is the Gift: For the Judgement was by one to Condemnation; but the free Giftis of many Offences unto Juftification, Rom. v. 16.

How great foever the Weight and Burthen of our Sin is, let us truft in Jefus Chrift. His Grace is more powerful and efficacious to fave, than Sin is deftroy. --- Man is, of himself, able to do nothing but to render the Gifts of God ineffectual: God alone can repair the Loffes of Man. ---- Sin caufed the Deftruction of the original Righteousness of Adam; but the Grace of Chrift destroys that Sin, and an infinite Number of others, re-eftablishes Righteousness in a victorious and triumphant Manner, gives it us more abundantly, causes us to persevere therein, and renders it glorious and immortal in Heaven.

Deep in the Duft before thy Throne, Adam the Sinner, at his Fall,

Our Guilt and our Difgrace we own, Death, like a Conqueror, feiz'd us all, Great God we own th' unhappy Name A thoufand new-born Babes are dead, Whence fprung our Nature and our By fatal Union to their Head.

Shame.

THAT. as Sin hath reigned unto Death, even fo might Grace reign through Righteousness unto eternal Life by Jefus Chrift our Lord, Rom. v. 21.

GOD, jealous of his own Glory, fuffers Sin to abound that his Grace may triumph in destroying it by JESUS CHRIST; and it feems as if the Will of Man would difpute with him the Victory over it, and attribute to itself the Honour thereof. The Reign or Dominion of earthly Corruptions diminifhes, in Proportion as that of Faith and Love grows ftronger: The latter begins here below, but is perfect only in Heaven. Nothing fo much oppofes this Dominion as our Prefumption and Confidence in our own Strength and Merits. May the Grace of Chrift always reign and triumph, and may human Prefumption be ftill humbled and confounded. What Heart can here reftrain its Joy and Gratitude? Who can refuse his Love to his blessed Saviour, who defires to reign in our Hearts to no other End, but only to render us holy in this Life, and happy in the other.

Father of Peace, and God of Love,
We own thy Power to fave,

-

We triumph in that Shepherd's Name,
Still watchful for our Good,

That Power by which ourShepherd rofe Who brought the eternal Coy'nant down
Victorious o'er the Grave.
And feal'd it with his Blood.

WHAT fhall we fay then? Shall we continue in Sin, that Grace may abound? Rom. vi. 1.

The Tongue does not perhaps fay this; but the Prefumption and the Life of Sinners Jay it too plainly. --- The Doctrine of Grace humbles the Children of Grace; but it nourishes the Pride and Slothfulness of the Children of Adam, by their Abuse thereof, and the falfe Confequences they draw from it. --- It requires us to alk and to receive it with a plain and fimple Faith. The Prefumption of human Reafon, which would fain become its Judge, and the Love of Sin, are fo far from attracting it in greater Abundance, that they cause it to remove at a greater Distance.

Shall we go on Sin,

Because thy Grace abounds, Or crucify the LORD again,

And open

all his Wounds,

Forbid it, mighty God,

Nor let it e'er be faid,
That we, whofe Sins are crucify'd,
Should raise them from the Dead.

A Certain Samaritane, as he journeyed, came where he (the wounded Man) was, and when he faw him, he had Compaffion on him, Luke x. 33.

Jefus Chrift, the true Samaritane, a Stranger to us before the Incarnation, feparate from Sinners, and journeying, as it were, among us by becoming Man, vouchfafed to look upon finful Man, groveling on the Earth, and wounded in every Part. O Saviour and Guardian of my Soul, ceafe not to caft thy Eyes upon it, to observe its Wounds, and to have Compaffion on its Miseries.