tion as a poor perishing sinner. I have found this the best way to confound Satan, quiet fear, and obtain comfort under such circumstances; and as one who has proved it, I recommend it to you. Try it, and try it at once; and the result will be; that you will obtain mercy, enjoy peace, and rejoice in God in your Saviour. Forgiveness! 'tis a joyful sound 'Tis the rich gift of love divine: O'er sins unbounded as the sand, For this stupendous love of heaven, "Cheered by the hope of pardoning grace, THE STIMULUS. "I will bless thee."-GEN. xiii. 2. GOD had called Abram to perform a difficult duty. He was required to leave his country and his kindred, and to go to an unknown land, simply because God bade him do so. This required a simple faith, and a strong stimulus, both of which the Lord gave him. The one was wrought in his heart by the Holy Spirit, and the other was contained in this promise, "I will bless thee." Abram believed God, and found him as good as his word; and so shall we, if we exercise confidence in him. The promise belongs to us, if we are believers in Jesus, for" they which be of faith," (who believe for life, in opposition to working for life), "are blessed with faithful Abraham." Gal. iii. 9. Blessed with him in the same Covenant, and with the same blessings. Again, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ." Gal. iii. 14. So that through the obedience and blood-shedding of the Lord Jesus, we come into possession of Abraham's blessing. Once more, 353 "If ye be Christ's then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Gal. iii. 29. Thus being Christians, we are the seed of Abraham, and by heirship, come into possession of his blessing. On other grounds we may claim it also, for by virtue of union to Christ, we are entitled to all that is in Christ, and "all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him, Amen unto the glory of God by us," 2 Cor. i. 20, All the promises are in Christ, and are con-. firmed by his death, both to the Gentile and Jew. But to be a little more particular, and to enter into the Stimulus, let us ask three questions : First.-WHOM WILL HE BLESS? Those whom he has blessed before, for he has blessed all His people, with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus, before the foundation of the world, and because of this, He blesses them in, and all through time. Every one may claim this promise made to Abraham, who has already been blessed with four things. First, a broken heart for sin. This is one of God's choice blessings, and by it, He distinguishes His own people from all around. By the application of His law, and by the revelation of Christ, sin is discovered, hated, and mourned over. The law for a time seems to harden the heart, but the Gospel, when attended by the power of the Spirit, breaks it. Then there is true repentance, godly sorrow for sin, and deep heartfelt grief, because God has been dishonoured, and the Lord Jesus tortured, and put to death. "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." Repentance lies at the root of all experimental religion, and characterizes the true believer all the days of his life. Religion without repentance, abiding repentance, is false. Repentance begins at the Cross, and accompanies the Christian to the gates of the Celestial city. Repentance, or brokenness of heart for sin, is a blessing of the new Covenant, and a gift bestowed by our exalted Redeemer. Second, Faith in His Son. Faith and repentance always go together. They spring from the same root, about the same time, and grow up together. Nothing will break the heart, but a sight of Christ as bearing our sins, and carrying our sorrows: and it is only by faith, that such a sight of Christcan be enjoyed. Faith brings the soul to Christ, strips the soul before Christ, clothes the soul with Christ, and commits the soul to Christ. Faith takes Christ to be a perfect Saviour, to do all, and give all, that is necessary to salvation. Faith interests us in Christ, entitles us to all the wealth of Christ, and warrants us to expect all blessings through Christ. Third, A Spirit of prayer. This also is the gift of God. No one really desires to pray, or knows how to pray, until taught by God. The Holy Spirit is the author of true prayer. He discovers to us our wants, reveals the fulness of Jesus, and awakens desires in the heart, and leads out the soul in confessions, petitions, supplications, and thanksgivings. He teaches us to feel the need of the blessings provided for us, excites ardent desires after them, and stirs us up diligently to seek them. Which leads me to the Fourth thing, A sense of the value of the blessing, and a fervent desire to possess it. God never shows us the value of any blessing, and produces ardent desires in our hearts to possess it, in order to disappoint us. His work within us, answers to his word without us; and our sense of the need of any blessing, and a desire to obtain it, is a proof that it is intended for us. If then God has already blessed us with a broken heart for sin, faith in His beloved Son, a spirit of prayer, and a sense of the value of His blessing, accompanied with a desire to obtain it, the promise is ours, and our God speaks to us when he says, "I will bless thee." Secondly.-WITH WHAT WILL HE BLESS ? He will bless us, in general, with salvation; or a deliverance from sin, the law, death, and hell. Our sins He will pardon our; natures he will sanctify; our state He will change, so that we shall not be under the law, but under grace; from death he will deliver us, so that we shall only sleep in Jesus; and from hell He will preserve us, |