603 Ox ExCIT1IdG TIIE t)EVOUT AEEECTIOxS, day. 0 blessed souls who imitate the practiceof that sublime saint, the manafter God's ownheart. VIII." Confine not your religion always to your thoughts." Sometimes, perhaps, while you are musing, thefire will burn, as Davidfound-it; Ps. xxxix. 3. Then speak with ,our tongue, to God, or to man, asDavid did, who was most exquisitely skilled in all the holy methods of a devout life, and was the noblest pattern ofsacred fervor. Gain sonic acquaintance with lively Christians Mutual conversation shall raise the divine flame higher, like united torches, which increase each other's blaze. Sharpen your desires, and kindle your hopes and joys, by mutual and holy dis- course. Borrow a coal from the altar ofthe sanctuary, from the ordinances of public worship, and warm your own hearts, by en- deavouring to warm the heart of your neighbour. - Speak to one another, of the heavenly world, till each of you find your wings stretched for the flight, and you long for the divine summons. Mix yourflames ofcelestial love, as angels do, and let them aspire upward, andpoint toward Jesus, your beloved. Man is a social creature, and his passions were made to be raised by converse. Break therefore through the reproach and shame ofadegenerate age, and aspire to the life and discourse, and joy of angels. XI. "Seek earnestly the influencesofthe quickeningSpirit." Without himyou can do nothing. It is the Spirit of God, who raises dead sinners at first into a divine life, and be puts all the languid springs oflife into new motion. Those vigorous and and active powers of the soul, which have so strong an influence to promote thevivacity and beauty of true religion, are under his government, and they want a divine touch from his finger, to quicken and accelerate theirmotions. It is lie who awakens our fear, who excites our hopes, who kindles our love and desire to things holy and heavenly ; and it is he who exalts our spiritual joys. How often does the pious psalmist cry out for quickening grace in thecxix. psalm, and for the continued influences of the holySpirit, in others parts of his devotional writings ? The whole church prays for the same quickening operations ; Ps. lxxx. 11. Quicken us, O Lord, so will we call upon thee. Let this be the matter of oar daily and importunate requests to heaven. And let us remember too, that, under the gospel, Christ is the spring of our life ; he is appointed by the Father to bestow his spirit : He himself is called our life ; Col. iii. 3. He himself is a quicken- ing Spirit ; 1 Cor. xv. 45. All the principles of our holiness must be derived from him, as our head of vital influence. X. The last thingI shall propose in order to keep the de- vout passions awake and lively in religion, is to live much in the faith of unseen things; and to die daily. Set yourselves continu- ally as on the borders of the grave, and the invisible world : This
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=