Je from the power of it. Thrice happy are they, for whom he thus gave himself. O my soul, read and study the everlasting honours of this great victory, and see, whether thou art indeed a partaker of them. hovah was made flesh for his people, and as their divine surety came to conquer their enemies, the world among the rest. He was in their nature to enter into open war with it, and to overcome every temptation, by which it had drawn Adam or any of his descendants from God. Thus he was to conquer the world for them; and then by his Spirit he was to conquer it in them. He begun the battle with his first breath, and every moment of his life he was victorious. The world has its snares for every age and state, but he fell into none of them. His hands were clean. His heart was pure. He never lift up his soul to vanity. He was in his infancy the holy child Jesus: And he grew in wisdom and stature. When he was twelve years old he was wiser than his teachers; for he sat in the midst of the doctors both hearing them, and asking them questions: And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. His delight was in the law of the Lord, and in his law did he meditate day and night. He saw things as they are there described in their true nature. The world could not impose upon him. He lived above its offers of good. And he feared not the worst of its threatened evils. When he begun his ministry he fought a pitcht battle; and became an eternal conqueror: The prince of this world was permitted to try every object by which the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, or the pride of life, had seduced mankind. They were presented to Christ in their richest dress. The beauty, the pleasure, the honour, and riches of the world were set before him in all their glory. But they made no impression. They did not darken his understanding, nor influence his heart, nor provoke any sensual appetite. He rejected every pleasing offer: He withstood every flattering allurement. Thus he conquered the world; 66 66 ye but not for himself. His victory over all its temptations was for his people. He accounted their enemies his. He fought their battles. He conquered, as a king for his subjects. And he gives them to share with him in his triumph, when they believe in him: for thus he encourages them-"These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace, in the world shall have tribulation: but be of good courage, I 66 HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD." The world is your enemy. It had you in bondage, and you could not free yourselves: therefore I came in your nature, God manifest in the flesh, to conquer it for you; and I have obtained a perfect conquest. When I have proclaimed it to your consciences, and pardoned your idolatrous attachment to the world-when IN me ye have found peace, yet still the world will be your enemy. Because I have chosen you out of it, therefore it will hate you. My peace will occasion and increase your tribulation in it, But fear not. Remember it is a vanquished foe, Attack it in my strength, as partakers of my victory. Fight against it, and treat it, as under my feet and made my footstool. Whenever it tempts you, depend absolutely upon my conquest, and you will find grace almighty to crucify the world to you, and you to it. my How animating are these words! with what courage should they inspire the Christian soldier! although the world be his enemy, yet it cannot conquer him, and rob him of his crown. The main battle has been fought, the victory is gained, and the conqueror is already crowned in the name and person of all the redeemed. By faith he gives them their share in this victory, as it is written" Whatsoever is born of God "overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith." Every person who is born again by the Spirit has a new nature spiritual and heavenly, and has new senses to exercise about spiritual things. His renewed faculties are formed for heavenly things, as his bodily senses are for material. By faith he sees a better world than this, and surveys its beauties and glories. He has ears to hear the joyful sound of gospel grace, and to receive it. When that name, which is dear and precious above every name, is preached, it is to him as ointment poured forth the sweet smelling savour refreshes his heart and exhilarates his spirits. Then he tastes that the Lord is gracious-foretastes his heavenly love, and as truly lays hold of and enjoys its spiritual blessings, as he ever did of any thing material. He is created anew in Christ Jesus, not only that he may know these things, but may also partake of them-as truly now by faith, as he ever will by sense: And the more he knows and the more he partakes of them, the more will he be delivered from this present evil world; " For this is the victory "that overcometh the world, even our faith." By faith we see the victory of Christ, and rest upon it, and the more safely we put our trust and confidence in it, the more fellowship we shall have with him in his fruitsmore wisdom to see the vanity of the world, as he saw it-more grace to deliver us from the love of it-and more strength to subdue its temptations. These are some of the happy effects of his conquests, which he left us to enjoy here, as pledges of our being one day what he now is. He is more than conqueror, so shall we be through him that loveth us. As our faith increases we shall share more with him, and triumph more over the smiles and frowns of the world. Since this is the only way to conquer the world, art thou, O my soul, conquering it in this way, and hast thou faith in the victory of Jesus? Dost thou depend on him for the pardon of thy former love of the world, and for the crucifying the love of it in thy heart? Art thou relying upon his victorious grace to make thee a daily conqueror over all its temptations? Examine thy warfare, and see whether it be carried on according to the scripture rule, and with the promised success. Look at some of the Lord's champions. Survey the triumphs of Moses, and remember the Lord's hand is not short ened-" BY FAITH Moses when he was come to years "refused to be called the Son of Pharaoh's daughter, "choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people "of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a "season, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater "riches than the treasures of Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward." How great was this faith! how glorious its victories! It was a divine grace, and exercised by a divine operationmighty through God. By it Moses saw the reality of heavenly things: by it he tasted their sweetness, enjoyed their blessedness, and had a hope full of glory and immortality. The world made him its highest offers, but he rejected them. His eye was kept single, his heart chaste towards his God. The honour of Pharaoh's alliance he despised. He preferred affliction with the people of God to the pleasures of sin. He embraced reproach when it came on him for following Christ, and he esteemed it beyond all the treasures of Egypt. He saw the vanity and emptiness of earthly enjoyments, and he trampled upon them, having respect to the recompence of reward. Thus he was crucified to the world. What an exalted character! There is no such hero in the records of profane history, but thank God there are great numbers in sacred, who followed the steps of his faith. Every soldier of Christ Jesus is called to war against the world, and every good soldier is a daily conqueror. The world is always present, and has its temptations ready to stop him, but he meets them strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, trusting to the whole armour of God. Then victory is certain. And in order that the Lord may have all the glory, he will keep him fighting and praying in this manner This world is not my portion. My happiness does not consist in loving and enjoying the things of it. It is an evil world-it lieth in wickedness-Satan has his seat and throne in it-and it is condemned to fire. Thank God, mine eyes are opened to see a better world than this, and I am travelling to it. I believe it was the purpose and will of the eternal Three to choose me to be an heir of the world to come. Glory be to the Father for his free choice, and for all the blessings of his love. Glory be to the co-equal Son, for his complete and everlastingly perfect salvation. Glory be to the eternal Spirit to whom I am indebted, for what I believe of the Son's salvation, and for what I have experienced of the Father's love. On thee, O God the Holy Ghost, I place my dependence for carrying on the work which thou hast begun. I would be guided by thy counsel every step of my walk, and strengthened by thee for every part of my warfare. Keep me in the right way, and make me conqueror over all the enemies who would stop me in it, or turn me out of it; especially deliver me from this present evil world. While I am going through it to a better, preserve my heart from the love of it. O my God, give me a stranger's temper, and a pilgrim's frame. Let me live as a sojourner here below, that the good things I meet with on my journey may not tempt me to make this my rest, and the evil things I meet with may not lead me to fret and murmur, as if God was not my Father, and his heaven my home. O thou divine teacher, shew me daily the glory of my Saviour's victory over the world, that I may share with him in it; and enable me to go forth conquering and to conquer in his strength, and to his praise. Help me to look upon the world, and to treat it, as he did, that feeling the emptiness of its offered happiness, I may with a single heart cleave to my Father in Jesus, and may be saved from the spirit of the world. Keep me waiting for my appointed time, sitting quite loose and free to the things about me-And let heavenly and eternal things be always present to my faith, in their reality and blessedness, that I may grow more alive to them, and more dead to every thing else. Preserve my heart, O my gracious God, that it may be simple with thee, when I am in my worldly business. Enable me to cast all my cares and burdens on thee, believing thou |