Wouldst thou have pardon? I freely for
give thee all the debt. Wouldst thou
have gnr'c? and jjeace? Thou shalt have
themjxfrth. ‘ Wqtfldst thou have myself?
Behold, I afn thine, thy Friend, thy Lord,
they Brother; Husband,1 and Head.
Wouldst thou Have the Feather? 1 will
bring thee to him, and thou shalt have
him, in and by me 1 ' These were my
Lord’s reviving words. After all, when
1 water doubtful of his love, methinks I
yet remember his overcoming arguments:
“Have I done so much, sinner, td tes
tify my love, and yet dost (hou doubt?
Have I offered thee mysdlf and love
so long, and yet dost thou question my
willingness to be thine? At what dear
er rate should I tell thee that 1 love
thee? Wilt thou not believe ray bitter
pisskm proceeded from love? Have 1
made myself in the gospel a lion to thine
enemies, and a iamb to thee, and dost thou
overlook my lamb-like nature? Had I
been willing to. let thee perish, what need
I have done and suffered so much? What
need I follow thee with strefc patience and
importunity? Why dust thou tell me of
thy wants ; have I not enough for me and
the? or of thy unworthiness ; for if thou
wast thyself worthy, what shouldst thou
do with my worthiness? Did I ever in
vite, or save, the worthy land righteous?
or is there any such upon earth? Hast
thou nothing? art thou lost’ and miserable,
helpless and forlorn? Dost thou believe
I am an all-sufficient Saviour, and WOilldst
thou have me? Lo, I am thine; take
me; if thou art willing, I am; and neither
sin nor Satan shall! break the match/
These, O these were the blessed Words
which the Spirit from his Gospel spoke
unto me, tilt he made me cast myself at
his feet, and cry out, ‘ My Saviour and
my Lord, thou hast broken, thou^hast
revived my heart; thou hast overcome,
thou hast won my heart;^ke it, it is thine;
if such a heart can please thee, take it; if
it cannot, make it such as thou wouldst
have if.’ Thus, Q my soul, raayst thou
remember the sweet familiarity thou hast
had with Christ; therefore, if acquaintance
witi pause' affection, let out thy heart unto
him. It is he that hath Stood by thy bed
of sickness, hath eased thy pains, refresh
ed thy weariness, and removed thy fears.
Jle hath beds always ready, when thou
hast earnestly sought him; hath inetlheein
public and private; bath been found ofthttf
in the congregation, in thy house, in thy
eloset, m the fielS, in thy waking nights,
in thy deepest dangers,
“ If bounty and compassion be an at
tractive of love, hew unmeasurably, then,
am I bound to love him! ATI the nveVcies
that have filled up my life, all the places »
that ever I abode in, all the societies and
persons I have been coversant with, all
my employments and relations, every Con
dition I have been m,- and every change
I passed through, all tell me thaithe foun
tain is overflowing gohdness. Lord, what
a slim of love am I indebted to ihec! Ami
how does my debt continually increase !
IIow should I love again for so much love?
But shall I dare to think of requiting thee,
or of recompensing all thy love with mine?
Will my mite requite thee for thy golden
mines; ihy aeldoin wishes, for thy con
stant bounty; mine, which is nothing,
or ridl mine, for thine, which is infinite,
and, thi/tie own? Shall I dare to coa
tend^iiiove with thee, 6r set my borrow
ed, languid spark, against the sun of love?
Can I love as high, as deep, as broad, as
long, as Love itself? as much as he that made
me and made me love; and gave me all that
little which 1 have? As I cannot match thee
in the works of power, nor make,-nor pre
serve, nor rule the worlds; no more can I
match thee in I6v£. No, Lord, I yield ; I
am. overcome. G Blessed conquest! Go
on victoriously, and still prevail, and tri
umph in thy love. The captive of love
shall proclaim thy victory; when thou
Ieadest me in triumph from earth to hea
ven, from death to life, from the tribunal
to the throne; myself, and all that see it,
shall acknowledge thou hast prevailed, and
all shall say, ‘Behold,howhe lovedhim!’
Yet let me lave in. subjection to thy love ;
as tny redeemed capuve, tnougn not iny
peer. Shall I not love at alh because I
cannot reach thy measure? O thatlc;5uld
feelingly say, * I love thee,’ even as I love
my friend and myself! Though I cannot
say, as the Apostle, ‘ Thou knowcst that
f love thee;? yet I can say, Lord,
thou knowest that I would love thee. T
am angry \vith my heart, that it doth net
love thee; I chide it, yet it doth not mend;
Treason with it, and would fain persuadd’
it, yet I do not perceive it stir; I mb and
chafe it in the u£e of ordinances, and yet
I feel it not Warm wilhin'ine* Unworthy