September 17

his own house. Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me."

Should we not also do well to make the conduct of our fellow-creatures towards us a glass in which to contemplate our conduct towards God? Then must our severity fall upon ourselves much more heavily than upon others. For what are our claims upon our connexions compared with God's claims upon us? And what are the forgetfulness, and ingratitude, and perverseness, and unkindness, and treachery of those we have befriended, compared with the instances of vileness which our infinite Benefactor has constantly to witness in us? It is a good turn which Watts gives to our reflections upon the state of the Jews—

"Great God! how oft did Israel prove, By turns, thine anger and thy love! There in a glass our hearts may see, How fickle and how false they be."

SEPTEMBER 17.—"As he which hath called you is holy, so be ve holy in all manner of conversation."—1 Peter 1:15.

CHRISTIANITY is not only, as we see in the preceding verses, a system of grace, but of holiness also; and however the term may be abused or despised, the professors of the Gospel are to be distinguished as saints. Observe the extent and the enforcement of the obligation they are under.

They are to be "holy in all manner of conversation." The word conversation, as now used, signifies discourse; and no little of our religion consists in the sanctification of our speech: but the term never has this acceptance in the Scripture. There it always intends carriage, deportment, the course of action. It would be easy to prove this; but it is needless. Let us rather observe that no part of a Christian's conduct is to be uninfluenced by sanctity. He is to be holy "in all manner of conversation." His holiness is to be universal with regard to times, with regard to places, with regard to conditions, and with regard to circumstances. It is to appear not only in devotional exercises, but in common actions; and whether he eats or drinks, or whatever he does, he is to do all to the glory of God. Not that he can be always distinctly thinking on this end; but by making the word of God his rule in all things, all he does has this tendency and effect. Paul attended to a thousand claims, yet as he made all his actions conduce to the same purpose, he speaks as if he had but one engagement; "This one thing I do." The husbandman manures, ploughs, sows, weeds, reaps, gathers into barns, threshes, fans, and sells; yet all he does is one thing; and that is comprised in husbandry. Even real religion is defective in its degree, but it is always impartial in its regards; and enables the possessor to say "I esteem all thy commandments concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way."

The reason why we are to be thus holy is "because he who called us is holy." We must therefore resemble him. He every where proposes himself as our example; we are commanded to be followers of him as dear children; and we are renewed after the

image of him that created us. Observe the excellency of holiness—It makes us like God—and like him in his highest excellency!

As we cannot be conformed to him, so neither can we love him without holiness. They are only the “saints of his” that can “rejoice and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.” But they, being partakers of his holiness, feel congenial with his very nature, and delight in his law, his gospel, his ordinances, his people, as they all appear in the beauties of holiness.

Without holiness, too, it is impossible for us to enjoy him. How can two walk together except they be agreed? What communion hath righteousness with unrighteousness? Without holiness no man shall see the Lord—no man can see him: he is wholly unprepared for the state, the work, the pleasure. But the holiness which makes us meet for the inheritance of the saints in light insures the blessedness. God does nothing in vain; but he has thus wrought us for the selfsame thing, and given to us the earnest of the Spirit.

It is therefore no easy matter to be a Christian indeed. Yea, it is an impossible one as to ourselves. But with God all things are possible. There are not only millions around the throne, but multitudes now living, who are his workmanship. “This people,” says he, “have I formed for myself, they shall show forth my praise.” Instead of endeavouring to fetch holiness out of yourselves, pray, with David, to the God of all grace: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

Christians! under many of your present feelings, you are ready to conclude that your holiness will never be perfect. But be not dismayed. Consider what he has done for you already. How unlikely was it once that you should ever have valued what you now esteem, and have ever desired what you now above all things seek after! Had he been minded to kill you he would not have shown you such things as these. He who gave you the will, thereby also furnished you with the pledge of the power. And we are confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Soon—what a prospect! you will be sinless, faultless! “It doth not yet appear what you shall be, but this you know, that when he shall appear, you shall be like him, for you shall see him as he is.”

SEPTEMBER 19.—“Let any of you be hardened.”—Hebrews 3:13.

LET us take some views of the evil against which we are here admonished. It may be considered in reference to its seat. In many places it is spoken of as “the heart.” “They hardened their hearts.” “All the house of Israel are hard-hearted.” It is sometimes represented as “the neck.” Nothing can be more common than the expression of hardening the neck. The idea is taken from a refractory ox refusing the yoke, and expresses disobedience to the commands and rejection of the service of God. At other times it is represented as “the face.” “They have made their face harder than a rock, they have refused to return.” This marks insolence, impudence, shamelessness. But these are all related. The hardness of—the heart—of the neck—and of the face follow each other.