'CONFIRMED CHRISTIAN. 591 with Christ in God," and it yet " appeareth not (to the sight of ourselves or others) what we shall be; yet then, when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, we also shall appear with him in glory ;" Heb. xii. 22, 23. Rev. xxii. 3-5. 14,15. xxi. 3, 4.8. 2 Thess. i. 9, 10. Matt. v. 4. 6. Mal. iii. 18. Eccles. ix. 2. 1 John iii. 2, 3. Col. iii. 3; 4. Away, then, my soul, from this dark, deceitful, and vexatiousworld ! Love not thy diseases; thy fetters and calami- ties. Groan daily to thy Lord, and earnestly groan to be clothed upon with thy house that is from heaven, (2 Cor. v. 2. 4.) that mortality may be swallowedup of life ! join in the harmonious desires ofthe creatures, who groan to be deliveredfrom thebondage of corruption, Into the glorious liberty of the sons of God; Rom. viii. 20-22. "Abide in him, and walk in righteousness, that, whenhe shall appear, thou mayest have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming; " 1 John iii. 28, 29. Join not with the evil servants, who say in their hearts, " Our Lord de- layeth his coming, and begin to smite their fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken ; whose Lord shall come in a day when they look not for him, and in an hour that they are not aware of, and shall cut them asunder, and appoint them their por- tion with the hypocrites, where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth ; " Matt. xliv. 38-51. 0watch and pray that thou enter not into temptation! and be patient, for the. Judge is at the door! Lift up thy head with earnest expectation, O 'my soul, for thy re- demption draweth near ! Rejoice in hope before thy Lord, for he cometh; he cometh to judge the world in righteousness and truth. Behold he cometh quickly, though faith be failing, and iniquity abound, and love waxeth cold, and scorners say, ' Where is the promise ofhis coming !' Make baste, O thou whom my soul de- sireth, and come in glory as thou first vainest in humility, and con- form them to thyself in glory, whom thou madest conformable to thy sufferings and humility! Let the holy city New Jerusalem be prepared As a bride' adorned for her husband ; and let God's tabernaclebe with men, that he may dwell with them, and be their God, and wipe away their tears, and death, and sorrow, and crying ; andpain may be nomore, but former things maypass away ! Keep up our faith, our hope, our love! and daily vouchsafe us some beams of thy directing, consolatory light in this our darkness ! and be not as a stranger to thy scattered flock, in this desolate wil- derness ! But let them hear thy voice,and find thy presence, and have such conversation with thee in heaven, in the exercise of faith, and hope, and love, which is agreeable to their low and. dis- tant state. Testify to their souls that thou art their Savior and Head, and that they abide in thee by the Spirit which thou bast
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