a heart dead to the world, and devoted to Christ my Saviour, and full of love to God and man. Work in me, O my Father! to will; work in me, O my Father! to do. Has not Jesus declared, "Without him I can do nothing?" Hast not thou testified, thy grace is sufficient for me? I believe thy word. I implore that all-sufficient grace. Oh, leave not me to myself! Come, Divine Spirit! and deliver my soul. Visit me, O my God! with thy salvation, and satisfy me with thy early mercy. I have no plea to offer but the name of Jesus; I have no claim in myself but my great necessity, and total ruin through sin; everything in me deserves only thy wrath; but here is my claim, here is my hopethe precious promises of thy word and the blood of thine only Son. And give me grace never to cease pleading these with thee, till I obtain those promises, and have an abundant entrance ministered unto me into thy everlasting kingdom, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. 8. THE VOICE OF ALL CREATION PRAISING GOD. In the Book of Psalms, particularly from the 145th to the end, the whole creation is called to praise God our Saviour. It is a song yet to be sung here on earth. It is the right, the reasonable, the happy voice of all creation. It is foretold and anticipated in that bright vision of glory-" I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beasts, and the elders, and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive and power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." Everything, inanimate as well as living, is brought before us in the Psalms as praising the great Jehovah. In the heavens above, sun and moon, stars of light, heaven of heavens, and waters above the heavens; on the earth, fire and hail, snow and vapours, stormy winds fulfilling his word; mountains and hills, trees, beasts, and all cattle, creeping things, and flying fowls, are called upon to praise and magnify him. And who are to be the priests leading and offering up this general song of praise? Christians are priests and kings unto God and the Father, Rev. i. 6. Every part of creation now also should be considered as stirring us up to praise the Creator; and as we are to pray without ceasing, so in and for everything should we give thanks. What a life of praise should be the life of the Christian, who believes in Jesus, and knows that all things work together for his good! And who can tell the happy state of that immortal spirit, in perfect oneness with the great God, delighting and rejoicing in him; basking in the sunshine of his love, who is altogether glorious and lovely, and having him who has all things for a full portion? Oh, what a blessed state, even upon earth, in the land of sin and sorrow, trial and temptation, is that of the soul when, rising through Jesus above these lower scenes, it can for a little time be occupied in the exulting song of redeeming love, and the glorious hope of a heavenly kingdom! But what will it be when faith is lost in sight, and hope in full enjoyment, and we are evermore magnifying and exalting our God with countless hosts of similarly happy beings, for all those higher blessings which shall then on every side stream around us, through his overflowing bounty and loving-kindness! That there is so little of praise now shews how far we are fallen from God. The Sabbath-day is indeed publicly appointed to be a memorial of the first creation, completed in the first Adam, and of the new creation, to be completed by the second Adam; and every Christian will carefully keep holy this Sabbath. But, by and bye, the new heavens and the new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness, for which we, according to his promise, are looking, will be manifested. In that blessed day, when the invitation comes from the throne, "Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great," there will be "heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia! for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth; let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him." Amen! 9. PRAYERS. (1.) Prayer rightly to improve the Works of Creation. O thou who didst create all things that are in heaven and earth, and after furnishing the earth with innumerable proofs of thy wisdom, power, and goodness, didst place man there to be lord of all, and to offer unto thee continual sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving, I beseech thee, let me by these thy works continually ascend in heart to thee, my Father! Oh let not my soul cleave so as it has done to mere earthly things, to dust and vanity; but quicken me, for thy name's sake! And as thou art my Father by creating me, so be still more my Father by new creating me unto righteousness, and adopting me into thy family, and let all the works of thy creation, which surround me on every side, constantly lead me to holy and delightful intercourse and communion with thee! Be not thou as a stranger to my soul! Oh suffer me not to be alienated from thee, my God! Let not thy gifts be turned into sin and rebellion by my resting in them, but be continual means of helping me to see and know, and to love and walk with thee, my God, all the day long. Hear me, for Jesus Christ's sake. (2.) Thanksgiving to God for his Works of Creation and Redemption. and Almighty Father, Lord of heaven and earth, who didst make the worlds by Jesus Christ, whom thou hast appointed heir of all things, how can we enough praise thy name, that thou hast been so mindful of man, and formed such creatures here for his use, given him dominion over all! The earth is full of thy riches, and so is the great and wide sea also; and thou hast given all things to us, that we might, in the enjoyment of all, see thy love, and for ever bless thy name. We, thy sinful creatures, formed and sustained by thy power, and brought nigh again to thee by the blood of Jesus, do give thee praise and glory for all thy works of creation and providence, and every blessing of this life. The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works. But, oh, what thanksgivings we owe thee for the wondrous work of redemption, and that amazing gift of love, thy only-begotten Son, to be the Redeemer and Restorer of lost man! Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away! O our God! may we ever rejoice with joy unspeakable in the hope of that glory, when all things shall be restored, and the heavens shall rejoice, and the earth be glad, and all that is therein, before the Lord. And as thou hast called us out of darkness into thy glorious light, that we might ever praise thee, help us constantly to shew forth thy praises, and live to thy glory, through Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen! LIST OF BOOKS. Hervey's Meditations. Butler's Analogy. Paley's Natural Theology. Ray's Wisdom of God in Creation. Tyerman's Essays on the Wisdom of God. Jones's Book of Nature. PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE. Account of Creation.-Gen. i. ii. Isaiah xl. xlv. Rev. xxi. xxii. Promises of the New Heart.-Jer. xxxi. xxxiii. Ezek. xi. xxxvi. |