512 A SERIOUS Al]T3itESS TO regarding thy stuff; the poorer thou art the better : the oil of his grace flows most abundantly into empty vessels : his charity is most glorified in the relief of the most miserable objects : his royal bounty scorns the vile compensation of thy wretched merits : he sells like a king, like the King of kings, without money and without price. f Ask and have, and, Take freely, are the encouraging mottos written upon all the un- searchable treasures of his grace. Be of good comfort then, rise, he calleth thee : stretch out thy withered hand, and he will restore it ; open thy mouth wide, and he will fill it : bring an empty vessel, a poor hungry heart, and he will give into thy bosom good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. And now what meanest thou, sleeper ? Why tar - riest thou ? Arise, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. Lose not time in conferring with flesh and blood ; much less in parleying with Sa- tan, or consulting thy unbelieving heart : here delays lead to ruin : the Philistines are upon thee, instantly shake thyself. If thou art not altogether blinded by the god of this world, and led captive by him at his will ; this moment, in the powerful name of JESUS, burst the bonds of spiritual sloth -- break, like a des- perate soul, out of the prison of unbelief escape for thy life look not behind thee stay not in all the plain. This one thing do; leaving the things that are behind, Sodom and her ways, press forwards towards Zoár, and escape to the mount of God, lest thou be consumed. By the new and living way consecrated for us, in full assurance of faith, fly to the Father of mercies pass through the crowd of Laodicean profes- sors press through the opening door of hope take the kingdom of heaven by violence. With halting, yet wrestling Jacob, say to the Friend of sinners, I will not let thee go unless thou bless me. If he makes as if he would go farther, with the two mournful disciples constrain him to stay ; or rather, with the distressed woman of Canaan, follow hirn
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