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promised in the covenant and word of the Most High, and performed or purchased by the Redeem, are secured to EVERY ONE, of every age, profession, or nation, that are and shall be found in him. The whole multitude of infants from the beginning of the world, with an immense number of souls, who had not the ordinary means of grace, but whom grace secretly quickened amidst the obscurities of dark times or of erroneous professions, and among people too not greater. idolaters to sin and the world than the vast buik of those now usually called Christians; probably these, and thousands and tens of thousands of other hidden ones, shall find their place in the Lord's spiritual Eden, through the Redeemer's merits, and join the more known and more perfectly instructed believers, in giving thanks for the operation of his hands. Certainly, all that are saved, of every age and every tongue, shall agree, without one dissenting voice, to ascribe their salvation, with blessing and honor, and glory, and power, unto HIM that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the LAMB for ever and ever. They will uniformly rejoice to acknowledge, that their redemption was to them most gratuitously free, that the whole design of it was planned by the TRIUNE JEHOVAH, that the whole preparation was by the blood and righteousness of the GOD-MAN, and the whole accomplishment by the power of GOD THE SPIRIT. This will be their united confession of praise: and their praise, as well as the cause of it, never shall end.

See, then, my fellow Christian, thy privilege and thy portion. Thou art a tree of the Lord's planting, that he may be glorified, and that thou mightest bear fruit

here

here, and be blessed hereafter. His church is his garden this garden is enclosed, inaccessibly enclosed, against the powers of evil; thou, even thou, art in it; nor shalt thou ever be removed from thine appointed portion. God will not take thee from it; and the creature,

cannot.

It is at once thy duty and thine interest, then, to bring forth fruit, and much fruit to his praise; and it is thy comfort to be assured by the Lord of the vineyard, that thy fruit shall remain, and that not the least fragment of his goodness, bestowed upon thee, or wrought in thee, shall ever be lost. Thou wert taken out of the waste by his own will and by the word of truth, though nothing better in thyself than the rest of the plants around thee. The selection, O remember it with gratitude, was not in thee, but in him. If he had not loved thee before all time, he could not afterwards have set his heart upon thee; for from an infant thou wert before him a sinner both in nature and practice, and hadst not one good or inviting disposition towards him. Yea, before, thou wert born, guilt was upon thee; for, with the Psalmist, thou mayest say, behold, mark it well, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Again, Thine eyes (O Lord) did see my substance yet being imperfect, and in thy book [the book and covenant of life] all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. He loved thee, indeed, before all time, with an everlasting love, and THEREFORE it was, that with loving kindness he hath drawn thee,

James i. 18,

† John xv. 16.

He,

He, and he only, drew thee out of thy former miserable state, and established thee in his vineyard, his plantation, his field, his garden: and as to all thy sins, they shall be as none; they shall not be found; for the LORD hath expressly said, I will pardon them whom I reserve. O seek, then, to show, how truly thou belongest to him, by thy love towards himself, by thy likeness in temper and conduct to thy Saviour's holy pattern, by care and affection to the persons and things which belong to him, and by patience and benevolence in general towards all others about thee. Convince the opposers of that free grace and mercy which thou hast tasted, that the firm belief of thy heavenly Father's particular mercy, doth not spring from pride of heart in thyself, or from sourness of disposition towards other men (as they are fond to suppose;) but from the sweetest submission and obedience to his will and word, and from the most humbling conviction of thy own turpitude and unwor thiness. Let thy forbearance, meekness, and good-will demonstrate, whom and what it is thou art striving to follow, and that thou art ready to join in heart, as well as in tongue, the noble confession of that blessed seed, who sang; Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's

sake.

With respect to thy brethren in the world, thou wilt have many, and perhaps constant, calls upon thy heart, for that charity, which suffereth long and is kind; which envieth not; which vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

Jer. 1. 20;

doth

doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; which beareth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Many of the children of God are unskilful children in the word and way of righteousness, and, through natural infirmity, do often fall into petulance or frowardness. But, if thou art a young man, or a father, in Christ; wilt thou strike them, as it were, with a club; or wilt thou not rather use thy superior wisdom and strength, to set them right in the course of their holy profession? And if thou canst not accomplish this, through their obstinacy or their ignorance; yet, thou canst leave them with mildness to their Father and thine, and canst put up many a kind petition in their behalf. These may possibly be heard for them; but, at all events, shall certainly not be forgotten for thee. If thy prayer be heard, thou gainest thy brethren; or, if not, thou wilt find an increasing faith and patience for thine own soul.

Blessed be God! soon shall these disturbances and infirmities cease, and his holy name be magnified, by all his redeemed, in the fullest harmony and most perfect love. Then, if regret can enter heaven, many of the faithful will look back with concern upon the petty feuds and debates, which divided them here, and will rejoice to embrace those, with the tenderest affection, whom perhaps they could scarcely endure to meet, or at least could not think well of below. Their differences will then be all at an end, and buried (as they deserve) in everlasting oblivion. Filial love to God in Christ, and fraternal love to each other, will give a perfect emphasis

to

to their united bliss, will heighten the sweet melody of the heavenly choir, and fill every saint and every spirit with the sublimest joy. O happy consummation of the being of the redeemed! how delightful to anticipate this in faithful expectation! But how much more delightful, to possess and know!-Thanks be to God; the hour shall shortly come, when this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal shall be clothed with immortality; when every believing eye shall see the glorious JESUS as he is, and when every Christian indeed shall be for ever like unto him.

O blissful dawn of endless day,

When sin shall cease and death shall die;

When CHRIST his glory shall display

And beam upon my longing eye.

Then, then, my God, this soul of mine,

Bought, dearly bought, and made thine own,

In thy bright righteousness shall shine,

And claim a portion near thy throne.

Then, rapt in everlasting joy,
Midst heav'n's innumerable throng,
Thy love shall all my pow'rs employ,
And be the theme of ev'ry song.

WATERED.

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