Choice drop of honey from the rock Christ, or, A short word of advice to all saints and sinners (1)

by Thomas Wilcox

A CHOICE

DROP of HONEY

FROM THE

Rock CHRIST:

OR,

A Short Word of Advice

TO ALL

Saints and Sinners.

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By THOMAS WILCOCKS.

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The Forty fourth Edition.

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FALKIRK:

PRINTED BY T. JOHNSTON.

1807.

A
Choice Drop of Honey
from the
Rock of Christ.

—— O ——

⁠AWord of advice to my own heart and to thine: Thou art a profeſſer, and partakeſt of ordanances; thou doſt well: they are glorious privileges. But if thou haſt no the blood of Chriſt at the root of thy proſeſſion, will wither and prove but painted pageantry to go to hell in

⁠If thou retain guilt, or ſelf-rightouſneſs under it, thoſe vipers will eat out all the vitals of it at length. Try and examine with the greateſt ſtridtneſs, every day, what bottom thy profeſſion and hope of thy glory is built upon, whetwer it was laid by the hand of Chriſt; if not, it will never be able to endure the ſtorm that muſt come against it. Satan will throw it all down, and great will be the fall thereof! Matth, vii. 27.

⁠Glorious profeſſor, thou ſhalt be winnowed every vein of thy proſeſſion will be tryed to purpoſe. It is terrible to have it all tumbling down, and to find nothing but it to bottom upon.

Soaring profeſſor, ſee to thy waxen wings setimes, which will melt with the heat of temptations. What a miſery is it to trade church and break at length, and have no flock, no foundation laid for eternity in thy ſoul.

⁠Gifted profeſſor, look there be not a worm to the root that will ſpoil all thy fine ground, and make it die about thee, in a day of ſcorchings. Look over thy ſoul daily, and aſk where is the blood of Chriſt to be ſeen upon my ſoul? What righteouſneſs is that I stand soon to be ſaved? Have I got off all my ſelf-rightouſneſs? Many eminent profeſſors have come at length to cry out, in the light the ruin of all their duties, “Undone, undone to all eternity.”

Conſider the greateſt ſins may be hid under the greateſt duties, and the greateſt terrors.the wound that ſin hath made in thy ſoul is perfectly cured by the blood of Chriſt; not tanned over with duties, humblings, encouragements, &c. Apply what thou will be to the blood of Chriſt, it will poiſon the curse. Thou wilt find that ſin was never mortared truly; hat thou haſt not ſeen Chriſt standing for thee upon the croſs; nothing to kill it, but the beholding of Chriſt's righteousneſs.” Nature can afford no balſam fit for ſoul cure. Healing from duty, and not from Chriſt, is the moſt deſperate defeaſe. ⟨Poor⟩ ragged nature, with all its higheſt improvements, can never ſpin a garment fine enough without ſpot, to cover the ſoul’s nakedneſs. Nothing can fit the ſoul for that uſe, but Chriſt's perfect rigbteouſneſs.

Whatſoever is of nature’s ſpinning muſt be all unravelled, before the righteouſness of Chriſt can be put on. VVhatſoever is ⟨of⟩ nature’s putting on, ſatan will come and plunder it every rag away, and leave ⟨the⟩ ſoul naked and open to the wrath of ⟨God⟩. All that nature can do, will never make (illegible text) the leaſt drom of grace that can mortify ⟨ſin⟩ or look Chriſt in the face one day.

Thou art a proſeſſor, goeſt on hearing praying and receiveing, yet miſerable maye thou be. Look about thee, didſt thou ⟨ever⟩ yet ſee Ceriſt to this day, in diſtinction ⟨from⟩ all other excellencies and righteouſneſs the world, and all thefe falling before ⟨the⟩ majeſty, of his love and grace, Iſa. ii. 17.

If thou haſt ſeen Chriſt truly thou h(illegible text) ſeen pure grace, pure righteouneſs in ⟨him⟩ every way infinite far exceeding all ſin ⟨and⟩ miſery! If thou haſt ſeen Chriſt, thou ⟨can⟩ trample on all righteouſneſs or men and angels, ſo as to bring thee into acceptation with God. If thou halt ſeen Chriſt, thou wouldſt not do a duty without him for ten thouſand worlds, 1 Cor. ii 2. If thou ever faweſt Chriſt, thou faweſt him. a rock, higher than ſelf-righteouſneſs, ſatan and ſin,Pſ. Ixi. 2. and this rock doth follow thee, (1 Cor. x. 4.) with continual droppings of honey and grace out of that rock to ſatisfy thee, Pſalm Ixxxi. 16. Examine if ever thou haſt beheld Chriſt as “the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth,” John i. 14. Be ſure thou art come to Chriſt, that thou ſtandeſt upon the rock of ages, haſt anſwered to his call to thy ſoul, haſt cloſed with him for juſtification.

Men talk bravely of believing, whilſt whole and found, few know it. Grace the myſtery of Chriſt. Believing is the moſt wonderful thing in the world. Put anything of thine own to it, and thou ſpoileſt it: Chriſt will not ſo much as look at it for believing. When thou believed and comeſt to Chriſt, thou muſt leave behind thee thy own rightouſneſs, and bring nothing but thy ſin, (O that is hard!); leave behind all thy holineſs, ſanctification, duties, humblings, &c. and bring nothing but thy. wants and miſeries, elſe Chriſt in not fit for thee, nor thou for Chriſt. Chriſt will be a pure Redeemer and Mediator, and thou must be an undone firmer, or Chriſt and thou wilt never agree; it is the hardeſt thing in the world to take Chriſt alone for righteouſneſs; that is, to acknowledge him Chriſt. Join any thing to him of thy own, and thou un-Chriſts him.

Whatever comes in when thou goeſt to God for acceptation, (beſides Chriſt) call it Antichriſt; bid it be gone: make only Chriſt's righteouſneſs triumphant: All beſides that, is Babylon, which muſt fall, if Chriſt ſtand, and thou ſhalt rejoice in the day of the fall thereof, Iſa. i. 10. Chriſt alone did “tread the winepreſs, and there was none with him,” Iſa. Ixiii. 3. If thou join any thing to Chriſt, he will trample upon it with fury and anger, and ſtain his raiment with the blood thereof. Thou thinkeſt it eaſy to believe; was ever thy faith tried with an hour of temptations, and a thorough fight of him? Was it ever put to grapple with ſatan? and the wrath of God lying upon the conſcience? When thou waſt in the mouth of hell and the grave then did God ſhow thee Chriſt a ranſom a righteouſneſs, &c.? Then couldeſt thou ſay, “O! I ſee enough of grace in Chriſt? Thou Mayeſt ſay that which is the biggeſt word in the world, Thou believest. Untired faith is uncertain faith.

To believing, there muſt go a clear conviction of ſin, and the merits of the blood of Chriſt, and of Chriſt’s willingneſs to ſave upon this conſideration merely, That thou art a ſinner; things all harder than to make a world. All the power in nature cannot get up ſo high in a ſtorm of ſin and guilt, really to believe, there is any grace, any willingneſs in Chriſt to ſave When ſatan charged ſin upon the concience, then for the to charge it upon Chriſt, that is goſpel-like: that is to make him Chriſt, he ſerves for that uſe. To accept Chriſt’s-righteouſneſs lone, his blood alone for ſalvation, that is it ſum of the goſpel. When the ſoul, in all its duties and diſtreſses, can ſay, Nothing but Chriſt, Chriſt alone, for righteouſeſt, juſtiftcation, ſanctification and redemption, x Cor. i. 30, not humblings, not duties, not graces &c. that ſoul hath got above the breach of the billows.

All temptations, ſatan’s advantages, our complainings are laid in ſelf-righteouſneſs. and ſelf-excellency: God purſueth theſe, be ſetting ſatan upon thee, as Laban did Jacob for his images: theſe muſt be torn from thee, be as unwilling as thou wilt; theſe hinder Chriſt from coming in and till Chriſt come in, guilt will not go out; and where guilt is, there hardneſs of heart: And therefore much guilt argues little, if anything, of Chriſt.

When guilt is raiſed up, take heed of getting it allayed any way but by Chriſt’s blood, that will tend to hartening; make Chriſt thy peace, Eph. ii. 14. not thy duties, thy tears, See. Chriſt thy rightouſneſs, not thy graces, &c. Thou mayeſt deſtroy Chriſt by duties as well as by ſins. Look at Chriſt, and do as much as thou wilt. Stand with all, thy weight upon Chriſt’s righteouſneſs; take heed of having one foot on thy own righteouſneſs and another on Chriſt’s. Till Chriſt come and ſit on high up an a throne of grace in the conſcience, there is ſlothing but guilt, terrors, ſecret ſuſpicious; the ſoul hanging between hope and fear, which is an ungoſpel-like ſtate.

He that fears to ſee ſin's utmoſt vileneſs, the utmoſt hell of his own heart, he ſuſpects the merits of Chriſt. Be thou never ſuch a great ſinner, try Chriſt, to make him the Advocate, and thou ſhalt find him Jeſus Chriſt the righteous, 1 John ii.3. In all doubting fears, ſtorms of conſcience, look at Chriſt continually; do not argue it with ſatan, he deſires no better, bid him go to Chriſt, and he will anſwer him: it is his office to be ou Advocate, i John ii. I. his office to anſwer law as our Surety, Heb.vii.22- his office to anſfwer juſtice, as our Mediator, Gal. iii. 20.

1 Tim. ii. 5. and he is ſworn to that office, heb. vii. 20, 21. Put Chriſt upon it. If thou wilt do any thing thyſelf, as to ſatiſfaction for ſin, thou renounced Chriſt the righteous, who was made ſin for thee, 2 Cor.22, Satan may alledge, and corrupt ſcripture, but he cannot anſwer ſcripture. It is Chriſt’s word of mighty authority; Chriſt's foiled ſatan with it, Matth. iv. 10. In all the ſcripture there is not an ill word againſt a poor ſinner, ſtripped of ſelf-righteouſueſs:

Way, it plainly points out this man to be the subject of the grace of the goſpel, and none elſe, Believe but Chriſt s willingneſs, and that will make thee willing. If thou finded thou canſt not believe, remember it is Chriſt’s work to make thee believe; put him upon it, he “works to will and to do of his good pleaſure, Phil. ii. 13. Mourn for thy unbelief, which is a ſetting up of guilt in the conſcience above Chriſt, an undervaluing the merits of Chriſt, accounting his blood an unholy, a common, and an unſatſifying thing.

Thou complainedeſt much of thyſelf. Doth thy ſin make thee look more at Chriſt, and leſs at thyſelf? That is right, otherwiſt complaining is but hypocriſy. To be looking at duties, graces, enlargements, when thou ſhouldeſt be looking at Chriſt, that is pitiful: Looking at them will but make thee proud, looking at Chriſt’s grace will make thee tumble: “By grace you are ſaved,” Eph. ii. 5. In all thy temptations, be not diſcouraged, James i. 2. Thoſe ſcourges may be, not to break thee, but, to heave thee off thyſelf, on the rock Chriſt.

Thou mayeſt be brought low, even to he brink of hell, ready to tumble in; thou canſt not be brought lower than the belly of hell, many ſaints have been there, even dowſed in hell, yet there thou mayeſt cry, there thou mayeſt look towards his holy temple, Jonah ii. 4. Into that temple none might enter but purified ones, and with an offering too, Acts xvi. 26. But now Chriſt is our temple, ſacrifice, altar and high prieſt,to whom none muſt come but ſinners, and that without any offering, but “his own blood once offered,” Heb: vii. 27.

Remember all the patterns of grace that are in heaven. Thou thinkeſf, Oh! what a monument of grace wouldſt thou be!——There are many thouſands as rich monuments as thou canſt be. The greateſt ſinner did never paſs the grace of Chriſt. Do not deſpair: Hope ſtill, when the clouds are blackeſt; even then look towards Chriſt, the ſtanding pillar of his Father’s love and grace, let up in heaven for all ſinners to gaſe upon continually. Whatſoever ſatan or conſcience ſay, do not conclude again It thyſelf, Chriſt ſhall have the laſt word; he is Judge, of quick and dead, and muſt pronounce the final ſentence: His blood ſpeaks reonciliation, Col. i. 20. Cleanſing, 1 John i, 17.

Purchaſe. Acts 20 28. Redemption, 1 Pet. i. 19. Purging, Heb.ix. 13. 15. Re-
Juſtification, Rom. v. 9. Nighneſs to God, Eph ii. 13. Not a drop of his blood ſhall be oſt. Stand and hearken to what God will ſay, for he will ſpeak peace to his people that they return no more to folly, Pſal. Ixxxv. 8. He ſpeaks grace, mercy and peace, 2 Tim. 2. That is the language of the Father, and of Chriſt. Wait for Chriſt’s appearing, as the morning star, R v. xxii 19. He ſball as certainly as the morning, as refreſhingly as the rain, Hoſ. vi. 3.

⁠The ſun may as well be hindred from riſing, as Chriſt the ſun of rightouſneſs,Mal.iv.2. Look not a moment off Chriſt. Look not on ſim, but look on Chriſt firſt: when thou mourneſt for ſin, if thou doſt not ſee Chriſt then, away with it, ſech. ii. 16. In every duty look at Chriſt; before duty to pardon, in duty to aſſiſt after duty to accept.——

Without this it is carnal, carleſs duty. Do not legalize; the goſpel, as if part did remain for thee to do and ſuffer, and Chriſt were but an half-Mediator, and thou muſt bear part of thy own ſin, make part ſatisfaction. Let ſin break thy heart, but not thy hope in the goſpel.

Look more at juſtification than ſanctification. In the higheſt commands conſider Chriſt, not as an exactor, to require, but a debtor, and an undertaker, to work. If thou haft looked at workings, duties, qualifications, &c. more than at the merits of Chriſt, it will coſt thee dear: No wonder thou goeſt complaining. Graces may be evidences, the merits of Chriſt alone, without them muſt be the foundation of thy hope to bottom on. Chriſt only can be the hope of glory, Col. i. 27.

When we come to God, we muſt bring nothing but Chriſt with us. Any ingredients or any previous qualifications of our own, will poiſon and corrupt faith. He that builds upon duties, graces, &c. knows not the merits of Chriſt. This makes believing ſo hard, ſo far above nature; if you believeſt, thou muſt every day renounce (as dung and droſc, Phil. ill. 7, 8.) thy priviliges, thy obedience, thy baptiſm, thy ſanctification, thy duties, thy graces, thy tears, thy meltings, and thy humblings, and nothing< but Chriſt muſt be held up; every day thy workings and thy ſelf-ſufficiency muſt be deſtroyed. Thou muſt take all out of God’s hand.

Chriſt is the gift, of God, John iv. 10. Faith is the gift of God, Eph. ii. 8. Pardon is a free gift, Rom. v. 16. Ah! how nature ſtorms, frets, and rageth at this, that all is of gift, and it can purchaſe nothing with its actings, and tears, and duties; that all workings rye excluded, and of no value in heaven.

It nature had been to contrive the way of ſalvation, it would rather have put it in the hands of ſaints or angels, to fell it, than of Chriſt, who gives freely, whom therefore it ſuſpects; it would have a way ſet up to purchaſe by doing: Therefore it abominates the merits of Chriſt, as the moſt deſtructive thing to it. Nature would do any thing to be ſaved, rather than to go to Chriſt, or cloſe with him; Chriſt will have nothing; the ſoul will force ſomewhat of its own upon Chriſt.

Here, in that great controverſy, conſider, didſt thou ever yet ſee the merits of Chriſt, and the infinite ſatisfaction made by his death? Didſt thou ſee this when the burthen of ſin, and the wrath of God lay heavy on thy conſcience? that is grace. The greatneſs of Chriſt’s merit is not known but to a poor ſoul as the greateſt loſs. Slight convictions will but have flight prizings of Chriſt’s blood, and merits.

Deſpairing ſinner! Thou lookeſt on thy right hand and on thy left, ſaying, “Who will ſhow us any good?” Thou art tumbling over all thy duties and profeſſions to patch up a righteouſneſs to ſave thee. Look at Chriſt now, “Look to him, and be ſaved, all the ends of the earth” Iſa. xlv. 21. There is none elſe. He is a Saviour, and there is none beſides him, verſe 21. Look any where elſe, and thou art undone. God will look at nothing but Chriſt, and thou muſt look at nothing elſe, Chriſt is lifted up on high, as the brazen serpent in the wilderneſs, that ſinners at the ends of the earth, at the greateſt diſtance, may ſee him, and look towards him. The leaſt ſight of him will be ſaving and the leaſt touch healing to thee; and God intends thou ſhouldeſt look on him, for he hath ſet him upon a high throne of glory, in the open view of all poor ſinners. Thou haſt infinite reaſon to look on him, but no reaſon at all to look off him; for he is meek and lowly of heart, Matth. xi. 26: He will do that himſelf which he requires of his creatures, viſ. bear with infirmities, (Rom. xv.1.) not pleaſing himſelf, not ſtanding upon points of law, (verſe 2) He will reſtore the ſpirit of meekneſs, (Ga!. vi. 1.) and bear the burthens, (ver. 2.) He will forgive, not only till ſeven times, but till ſeventy-times-ſeven, Matth. xviii. 21, 22. It put the faith of the apoſtle to it, to believe this, Luke xvii. 4, 5. Becauſe we are hard to forgive, we think Chriſt is hard.

We ſee ſin great, we think Chriſt doth ſo, and thus meaſure infinite love with our line, infinite merits with our ſins, which is the greateſt pride and blaſphemy, Pſal. ciii. 11. Iſa. xl. 15. Hear what he faith, “I have found a ranſorm,” Job xxxlii. 24. “In him I am well pleaſed,” Matth. iii. 17. God will have nothing elſe; nothing elſe will do thee good, or ſatsfy confidence, but Chriſt, who ſatified the Father. God doth all upon the account of Chriſt. Thy deſterts are hell, wrath, rejection. Chriſt’s deſerts are life, pardon, and acceptation. He will not only ſhow thee the one, but he will give the other. It is Chriſt’s own glory and happineſs to pardon. Conſider whilſt Chriſt was on the earth, he was more among publicans and ſinners, than among. Scribes and Phariſees, his profeſſed adverſaries: for they were right eous ones. It is not as then imagineſt, that his ſtate in glory makes him neglectful, ſcornful to poor ſinners: no, he hath the fame heart now in heaven, he is God, and changeth not: “He is the Lamb of God, that taketh away the ſins of the world,” John i. 29. he went through all thy temptations, dejections, ſorrows, deſertions, and rejections, Matth. iv. 3,—26. Mark xv. 24. Luke xxri. 44. Matth. xxxvi. 38; and hath drunk the bittereſt of the cup, and left thee the ſweet; the condemnation is out, Chriſt drank up all the Father’s wrath at one draught; and nothing but ſalvation is left to thee. Thou ſayeſt thou canst not believe, thou canſt not repent: Fitter for Chriſt, if thou haſt nothing but ſin and miſery. Go to Chriſt with all thy impenitency and unbelief, to get faith and repentance from him; that is glorious. Tell Chriſt, “Lord, I have brought no righteouſneſs, no grace, to be accepted in or juſtified by: I am come for I thine, and muſt have it.” We would be bringing to Chriſt, and. that muſt not be; not a penny of nature’s higheſt improvements will paſs in heaven. Grace will not ſtand with work , Titus iii. 5. Rom. xi. 6. That is a terrible point to nature, which cannot think of being ſtript of all, not having a rag of duty or righteouſneſs left to look at. Self-righteouſneſs and ſelf-ſufficiency are the darlings of nature, which ſhe preſerves as her life; that makes Chriſt ſeem ugly to nature, nature cannot define him; he is juſt directly oppoſite to all nature’s glorious intereſts. Let nature but make a goſpel, and it would make it quite contrary to Chriſt. It would be to the juſt, the innocent, the holy. &c. Chriſt made the goſpel for thee, that is, for needy ſinners, the ungodly, the unrighteous and the accurſed. Nature cannot endure to think the goſpel is only for ſinners; it will rather chuſe to deſpair than to go to Chriſt, upon ſuch terrible terms. When nature is but put to it by guilt or wrath, it will go to its old haunts of ſelf-rightouſneſs, ſelf-goodneſs, 8c. An infinite power muſt call down theſe ſtrong holds. None but the ſelf-juſticiary stands excluded out of the goſpel; Chriſt will look at the moſt abominable ſinner before him, becauſe to ſuch an one Chriſt cannot be made juſtification; he is no ſinner. To ſay in compliment, I am a ſinner, is eaſy, but to pray with the publican, indeed, “Lord, be merciful to me a ſinner,” is the hardeſt prayer in the world. It is eaſy to ſay, I believe in Chriſt: but to ſee Chriſt full of grace and truth, of whole fulneſs thou mayſt recieve grace for grace; that is ſaying. It it is eaſy to profeſs Chriſt with the mouth; but to confeſs him with the heart, as Peter, to be the Chriſt, the Son of the living God, the alone Mediator; that is above fleſh and blood. Many call Chriſt a Saviour; few know him ſo. To ſee grace and ſalvation in Chriſt, is the greateſt ſight in the world; none can do thar, but at the ſame time they ſhall ſee that glory and ſalvation to be theirs. Sights will cauſe applications. I may be aſhamed to think, in the midſt of ſo much profeſſion, that I have known little of the blood of Chriſt, which is the main thing of the goſpel. A Chriſtleſs, formal profeſſion, will be the blackſt light, next to hell, I that can be. Thou mayeſt have many good things, and yet one thing may be a-wanting, that may make thee go away ſorrowful from Chriſt. Thou haſt never ſold all thou haſt, never parted with all thine own righteouſneſs, &c. Thou mayſt be high in duty, and yet a perfect enemy and adverſary to Chriſt, in every prayer, and in every ordinance. Labour after ſanctification to thy utmoſt;
but make not a Chriſt of it, to ſave thee; if ſo, it muſt come down one way or other. Chriſt's infinite ſatisfadion, not thy ſanctification, muſt be thy justification before God. When the Lord ſhall appear terrible out of his holy place, fire ſhall conſume that as hay and ſtubble. This will be found religion, only to bottom all upon the everlaſting mountains of God’s love and grace in Chriſt, to live continually in the ſight of Chriſt’s infinite righteouſneſs and merits,they are ſanctifying, without them the heart is carnal, and in thoſe ſights to ſee the full vileneſs, yet littleneſs of ſin, and to ſee all pardoned; in thoſe ſights to pray, hear, &c. ſeeing thy polluted ſelf, and all thy weak performances accepted continually; in thoſe ſights to trample upon till thy ſelf-glories, righteouſneſs, and privileges, as abominable, and be found continually in the righteouſneſs of Chriſt; only, rejoicing in the ruins of thy own righteouſneſs, the ſpoiling of all thy own excellencies, that Chriſt alone, as Mediator, may be exalted in his throne, mourning over all thy duties, how glorious foever, that thou halt not performed in the ſight and ſenſe of Chriſt’s love: without the blood of Chriſt on the conſcience, all is dead ſervice, Heb. xi. 14.

That opinion of free will, so cried up, will be eaſily confuted, as it in in the ſcripture, in the heart, who hath made any ſpiritual dealing with Jeſus Chriſt, as to the application of his merits, and ſubjection to his righteouſneſs. Chriſt is every-way too magnificent a perſon for a poor nature to; cloſe withal, or to apprehend. Chriſt is ſo infinitely holy, nature can never believe him to be ſuch, when it lies under full ſight of ſin. Chriſt is too high and glorious for nature ſo much as to touch. There muſt be a divine nature firſt put into the ſoul, to make it lay hold on him, he lays ſo infinitely beyond the fight or reach of nature.

That Chriſt which natural free will can apprehend, is but a natural Chriſt, of a man’s own making; not the Father’s Chriſt, nor Jeſus the Son of the living God, to whom none can come without the Father’s drawing, John vi. 44. 46. Finally, Search the ſcriptures daily, as mines of gold, wherein the heart of Chriſt is laid. Watch againſt Conſtitution ſins; ſee them in their vileneſs, and they ſhall never break out into act. Keep always an humble, empty, and broken frame of heart, sensible of any ſpiritual miſcarriage, obſervant of all inward workings, and fit for the hightſt communications. Keep not guilt in the confidence, but apply the blood of Chriſt immediately. God chargeth ſin and guilt upon thee, to make thee look to Chrift the braſen ſerpent.

Judge not Chriſt’s love by providences, but by promiſes. Bleſs God for ſhaking off falſe foundations, and for any way whereby he keeps the ſoul awakened and looking after Chriſt; better ſickneffes and temptations, than ſecnrity and ſlightneſs. A flighty ſpirit will turn a profane ſpirit, and will ſin and pray too. Slightneſs is the bane of profeſſion, if it be not rooted out of the heart, by conſtant and ſerious dealings with, and beholdings of Chriſt in duties; it will grow more ſtrong and more deadly, by being under church ordinances. Meaſure not thy grace by others attainments, but by ſcripture trials. Be ſerious and exact in duty, having the weight of it upon the heart; but be as much afraid of taking comfort from duties, as from ſins. Comfort from any hand but Chrift is deadly. Be much in prayer, or you will never keep up much communion with God. As you are in cloſet-prayer, ſo you will be in all other ordinances.

Reckon not duties by high expreſſions, but by low frames, and the beholdings of Chriſt. Tremble at duties Mid gifts. It was the ſaying of a great ſaint. He was more afraid of his duties than his ſins; the one often made him proud, the other always made him humble. Treaſure up manifeſtations of Chriſt's love, they make the heart low for Chriſt, too high for ſin. Slight not the loweſt, meaneſt evidences of grace: God may put thee to make uſe of the loweſt as thou thinks; even that 1 John iii. 14. that may be worth a thouſand worlds to thee. Be true to truth, but not turbulent and ſcornful; reſtore ſuch as are fallen, help them up again with all the bowels of Chriſt. Set the broken disjointed bones with the grace of the goſpel. O high profeſſor, deſpite not weak ſaints; thou mayſt come to wiſh to be in the condition of the meaneſt of them. Be faithful to others’ infirmities, but ſenſible of thy own. Viſit ſick beds and defected ſouls much, they are excellent ſcholars in experience.

Abide in your calling: be dutiful to all relations, as to the Lord. Be content with little of the world; little will ſerve. Think every little of the earth much, becauſe unworthy the leaſt. Think much of heaven not too little, becauſe Chriſt is ſo rich and free. Think every one better, than thyſelf; and carry ever ſelf-loathing about thee, as one fit to be trampled upon by all ſaints. See the vanity of the world, and the conſumption that is upon all things, and love nothing but Chriſt. Mourn to ſee ſo little of Chriſt in the world, ſo few needing him; triffles pleaſe them better. To a ſecure ſoul Chriſt is but a fable, the ſriptures but a ſtory. Mourn, to think, how many are under baptiſm and church-order, that are not under race; looking much after duty, obedience, but little after Chriſt, little verſed in grace. Prepare for the croſs; welcome it, bear it triumphantly, like Chriſt’s croſs, whether ſcoffs, mockings, jeers, contempt and impriſonments, &c. but ſee it to be Chriſt’s croſs, not thine own.

Thou haſt ſeen Chriſt all, and thyſelf abſolutely nothing, who makeſt Chriſt all thy life and are dead to all righteouſneſs beſides? Thou art the Chriſtian, one highly beloved, and who hath found favour with God, a favourite of heaven. Do Chriſt thiſ one favour for all his love to thee, Love all his poor ſaints and churches, the meaneſt, the weakeſt, notwithſtanding any difference in judgement; they are engraven on his heart, as the names of the children of Iſrael on Aron’s breast-plate, Exod. xxviii. 21. let them be ſo on thine. “Pray for the peace of Jeruſalem, they ſhall proſper that love thee,” Pſal. exxii. 6.

FINIS.

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Falkirk. T. Johnston Printer.