then our liberty, which we have in Christ Jesus, will be perfected, and our happy state will be fixed for ever. Sinner, the jubilee trumpet is now blown, and you may go free. The glorious Gospel proclaims liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound. Believe in Jesus, and your debts are all paid. Believe in Jesus, and your prison door will fly open. Believe in Jesus, and your fetters will all fall off. Believe in Jesus, and Satan the infernal jailor will flee from you. Believe in Jesus, and justice will declare you free. Believe in Jesus, and you are justified, sanctified, and saved. Believe in Jesus, and life, eternal life, with all its glorious accompaniments, is yours. "Blessed are the people that know the joyful sound; they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy counten ance; in thy name shall they rejoice all the day long; and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted." "Ye slaves of sin and hell, The year of Jubilee is come; The Gospel trumpet hear, GOD KNOWS OUR THOGHTS. Do we pay sufficient attention to our thoughts? Every thought has a character, it is either good or bad; every thought produces an effect, it either sanctifies or depraves. Sin begins in thought; holiness begins in thought; misery begins in thought; happiness begins in thought. Thought decides the state of man,-hence the Bible says, "As he thinketh in his heart, so is he." We cannot tell what a man is by his words, nor always by his acts,-but if we could get at his thoughts we could. God attends to our thoughts, and he wishes us to do so. asks, How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?" He testifies, I know the thoughts that come into your mind, every one of them." Not only so, but Jesus has declared, "I will give all the churches to know, that I am he that searcheth the reins and the heart." 66 He Reader, God knows the thoughts that come into your mind! Perhaps you think that religion is a dull, gloomy, miserable thing; you look at some who profess it, and judge by them; instead of this you should read God's word, and believe his testimony concerning it. True religion is righteous ness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost; or, as testified in another place, it is love, joy, Primitive Christians were full peace, &c. of joy, and of the Holy Ghost; and when Philip went down to Samaria, and preached Christ to them, there was great joy in that city. The reason why many professors are not happy is, either they have not true religion, or they have not enough of it. If you encourage any misrepresentation of true religion, and make that an excuse for not seeking it, God knows it-he observes the thoughts that come into your mind, and the encouragement that you give them. Or, you may be deceiving yourself by thinking that God is merciful, and therefore all will be well with you at last. Now God has no mercy for a sinner out of Christ, nor will he ever allow the exercise of his mercy, to obscure the glory of his justice. God must be just, or he could not be God; but he is under no obligation to be merciful. If God give unto his creatures what is right, just, and equal, they cannot complain; he is not bound to give more. But mercy is more. No man has a right to mercy-no man can claim mercy. The exercise of mercy is a sovereign act, and God says, I will have mercy, because I will have mercy ;"-not because I ought: and, "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy;" showing that no one has any claim. Now, if you think that because God is merciful, you may neglect 66 his great salvation, indulge your lusts, and live in sin, and hope to be saved at last, you indulge a thought that is dishonourable to God, and condemning to you. Mercy is revealed-mercy is promised-mercy may be obtained; but no one has any right to expect mercy, unless he feels his need of it, heartily desires it, and prayerfully seeks it. 66 You But, perhaps you are seeking the Lord, and have many thoughts come into your mind; take care how you encourage them; bring them to the Bible, which contains God's thoughts, God's words, and God's fixed purposes. Compare them with what God has said; if they correspond not with his book, discard them; for they are dishonourable to God, and will be injurious to you. God says, I know the thoughts that come into your mind, every one of them.” think, perhaps, that your sins are too many or too great to be pardoned. This is wrong, decidedly wrong; you have no right to think so, for God has said, "Come now, and let us reason together, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow, and though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Jesus also declares, "All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men." John also bears testimony, "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin." Now in face of such testimonies, so plain, so decided, for you to in dulge the thought that your sins are too many, or too great to be pardoned, is to encourage a thought that makes God a liar. But it may be you think, "I have no interest in Christ, and therefore it is no use for me to seek." Jesus says, "I will in no wise cast out." Nothing shall induce him to reject a coming sinner; no matter who he is, what age he is, where he comes from, or what he has done, he will not reject his prayer, or refuse to save his soul. Every one has an interest in Christ, who comes to him for salvation. Jesus loves every soul, that right heartily calls upon him; Jesus died for every sinner, that is willing to be saved by him. An interest in Christ! you believe his word, fly for refuge to his cross, throw yourself into his merciful arms, and you will soon find that you have an interest in him. But if you encourage thoughts that contradict the plain assurance given you by the Saviour, God knows it, and will correct you for it. If it is injected into your mind, that it is no use for you to seek, for you will never find; or to come to Christ, for he will not receive you; these thoughts come from Satan, and should not meet with one moment's encouragement. Further, you may be about deciding for God; you have thought of it, you have been on the point of it, but you have drawn back. Some thought was the cause of that, and God says, "I know the thoughts that come into your mind, every one of them." You |