AND being warned of God in a Dream, that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own Country another Way. Matth. ii. 12.

Let us, like thefe Wife-men, be obedient to his Infpirations, and like them take the contrary Courfe from the World. --- It is one of the first Leffons given to the firft Chriftians, That they must obey God rather than Man. We can never return to Heaven but by a Road different from That which has carried us away from it. It is the greatest of all Delufions, to pretend to be con-. verted without changing our Lives, and to go to Heaven by that Way which was leading us to Hell.

In the decifive Hour.

'Tis Faith that changes all the Heart, This is the Grace that shall prevail
"Tis Faith that works by Love,
That bids all finful Joys depart,

And lifts the Thoughts above.
'Tis Faith that conquers Earth and Hell
By a celeftial Pow'r ;

F

Faith must obey her Father's Will,
As well as trust his Grace,
A pard'ning God is jealous kill
For his own Holiness.

REPENT ye: for the Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand.

Matth. iii. 2.

Repentance is the true Preparation for the Kingdom of Heaven. Let this therefore keep us every Moment prepared for it, because this Kingdom is every Moment approaching nearer to us. --- If this Kingdom is a Kingdom of Love, the Repentance which prepares us for it, must likewise be a Repentance of Love. It is from thee, O Lord, that we hope to receive both this Love, and this Repentance; both the Principle and the Works.

The Summons reach thro' all the Earth,

Let Earth attend and fear, Liften ye Men of royal Birth, And let their Vaffals hear.

Together in his Prefence bow,

And all your Guilt confefs, Accept the offer'd Saviour now, Nor trifle with the Grace.

Bow e'er the awful Trumpet found,
And call you to his Bar,
ForMercy knows the appointed Bound,
And turns to Vengeance there.
Amazing Love! that yet will call,
And yet prolong our Days,

Our Hearts fubdu'd by Goodness fall,
And weep, and love, and praise.

FOR this is he that was spoken of by the Prophet Efaias, faying, The Voice of one crying in the Wilderneís, Prepare ye the Way of the Lord, make his Paths ftraight. Mat. iii. 3.

It is difficult to hear this Voice except in the Wilderness, that is, in Retirement, and out of the Ncife and Hurry of worldly Affairs; or, at least, in a recollected, fedate Mind. The Sinner is gone too far from GOD, to be called back any otherwise than by a great Cry, that is to fay, a great Grace. Repentance is not the Bufinefs of a Moment, because it is a Preparation for being reconci'd with GOD; nor does this Preparation confift only in a few Thoughts or Words, because the Way of GOD lies in the Will: nor is this Way easy to be prepared, fince by it the Heart muft pafs from Darkness to Light, nor is all this the Work of Man, because The Preparations of the Heart in Man are from the Lord, and He only can order and direct his Steps and make him chufe and delight in his Way.

Return, my roving Heart, return, And chase these shadowy Forms no more, Seek out fome Solitude to mourn, And thy forfaken GoD implore.

Wisdom and Pleasure dwell at Home, Retir'd and filent, feek them there; True Conqueft is ourselves t' o'ercome, Trueftrength to break the tempter's fnare.

T HINK not to say within your felves, We have Abraham to our Father: for I fay unto you, that God is able of thefe Stones to raise up Children unto Abraham. Mat. iii. 9.

The Virtue of Fathers is of no Advantage to Children, unless they tread in the fame Steps. --- God has no need of us to ferve him, because he can make Worfhippers of the most hardened Sinners, can change Hearts of Stone into tender Lovers of his Word, and form Children out of the vileft Slaves. O that this Heart, O Lord, hitherto fo hard, may feel the Effects of this Sovereign Power! Vouchsafe to fhew thy Glory in making me a Child of Faith and Promise.

O thou, my God, whofe piercing Eye,
Diftinct furveys each deep Recefs,
In these abstracted Hours draw nigh,
And with thy Prefence fill the Place.
Thro' all the Mazes of my Heart,

My Search let heav'nly Wisdom guide,

And fill its radiant Beams impart,

"Till all be fearch'd and purify'd. Then with the Vifits of thy Love,

Vouchsafe my inmoft Soul to chear, 'Till ev'ry Grace fhall join to prove, ThatGod hath fix'd his dwelling there.

WHOSE Fan is in his Hand, and he will throughly purge his Floor, and gather his Wheat into the Garner; but he will burn up the Chaff with unquenchable Fire. Mat. iii. 12.

The prefent and visible Church is the Floor where the Corn is as yet mingled with the Chaff, the Children of GoD with the Children of Satan. The Sufferings for the Gospel separate them in this Life, the one from the other, the Fan of the laft Judgement fhall remove them from the Floor, in order to be either carried into the Garner, or caft into the Fire. Terrible but inevitable Separation! We fhall eternally belong either to the one or the other; and out of the Floor we fhall be the fame that we have been in it, either Chaff or Wheat. Grant, O LORD, that I may have a Heart not as of Chaff, feeble, light, empty, barren, and toft about with every Wind: but as of Wheat, pure, full of fubftantial Virtue, firm in Goodness, and fruitful in good Works, and fit to become the Bread of God.

Who may His Day abide,
Or ftand by Jefus tried?
He whofe Sin the Flames confume,
Glad to be by Fire refin'd,
He fhall from the Furnace come,
Leave his inbred Drofs behind.

Come then the purging Flame,
The Power of Jesus' Name!
Jefus with thy Blood appear,
Blood that washes white as Snow,
Purify a People here,

Sinless make thy Church below.