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النشر الإلكتروني

THE RIGHTEOUS MORE EXCELLENT THAN

HIS NEIGHBOUR.

REFLECTIONS ON 1 CHRON. iv. 9, 10.

"And Jabez was more honourable than his Brethren," &c.

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T is impoffible to fay whether the life of a Chriftian ought moft to abound with prayer, or praife-with prayer for mercies needed, or praife for bleffings imparted; they are graces which ought never to be feparated; "in every thing, by prayer and fupplication, with thankfgiving, let your requefts be made known unto God." The believer's circumstances in this life, are never fo ill, but he has much to be thankful for, nor fo well, but he has many wants to be fupplied; and for thefe fupplies, the Lord will be fought unto, and enquired of by his people.

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To those who are unacquainted with the plague of their own hearts, and therefore, fubftitute the form for the power of religion, it may feem unneceffary that the duty of prayer fhould be fo earnestly and repeatedly inculcated upon the difciples of Jefus; but thofe who feel their awful backward. nefs to engage in that high and holy privilege, will thankfully accept every well meant hint upon fo important a point. With a view to this, as there is fomething in example, which is calculated to ftrike the mind with peculiar force, let us attend to the fubject before us, and suggest a few thoughts as they offer themfelves for our contide

ration.

The very name of this diftinguished perfon is fignificant, Jabez, "A child of sorrow"-a name, not only applicable to him, but to all the degenerated pofterity of Adam; "Man is born to trouble, as the fparks fly upward."-But it is a circumftance which the Holy Ghost hath thought proper to record that this expreflive name was given him by his Mother, "becaufe fe bare him with forrow." Doubtlefs her defign herein was to fet up a grateful Ebenezer to that goodnefs, which not only brought to the birth, but gave ftrength to bring forth; and probably to be a memorial to her beloved fon, of the duty which he owed to her who had fuffered fo many pangs on his account, and of

what he must expect to encounter in his paffage through the finful world into which he had been brought-for though defcended from the highly favoured Tribe of Judah, in which the heavenly Shiloh condefcended to take our nature, Jabez must be taught by daily experience, that, "Human greatnefs confers no exemption from the cares and forrows of life, on the contrary, its fhare of them frequently bears a melancholy proportion to its exaltation."

Of Jabez it is faid, that, "he was more honourable than "his brethren," not only, I prefume, on account of his temporal circumstances, but becaufe, he was fo eminently diftinguished with the favour of Him, "whofe bleffing alone "maketh rich, and addeth no forrow with it;" for, in the eftimation of a gracious heart, "Honourable age is not that "which standeth in length of time, nor that is me fured by "number of years, but wifdom is the grey hair unto man, "and an unfpotted life is old age." Be ambitious then, O my foul! Be ambitious, O my reader, to afpire after "that "honour which cometh from God only"-to experience the regenerating power of his grace-to bear the Redeemer's image-to enjoy the light of his countenance in his waysand finally to be for ever exalted in his righteousness.

That which particularly diftinguishes the character of Jabez, is, that he was a man of prayer. "He called upon "the God of Israel, saying, O that thou wouldest bless me in"deed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be "with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it "may not grieve me." Obferve, his prayer was prefented to the only true and proper object, "The God of Ifrael"-a God in Covenant-even to Him, who hath faid, “Look un"to me, and be ye faved, all the ends of the earth, for, I am "God, and there is none befide me, a juft God, and a Sa"viour!"-Mark the holy fervour with which he addreffes the glorious object of his adoration, "O that thou wouldest "bless me indeed!" that I may not only partake of thy fpecial favours, but enjoy Thee in them, as my fatisfying and eternal portion. The matter of his prayer is choice and comprehenfive. "Not only do thou blefs me indeed," faid this true Ifraelite, but, "enlarge my coasts," not merely as it refpecs the things of this life, but, above all, with reference to the richer bleffings of thy grace. Was it not saying in effect, "O Lord enlarge my heart towards Thee, and towards thy caufe and people; increase my faith, enliven my foul with thy love, brighten my hope, that with greater diligence and delight I may run the race which thou haft fet before me." And, "Let thine hand be with me "As a

God of power, to protect and keep me. (Ifaiah xii. 10.) As a God of providence, to fupply me. (Pfalm civ. 27, 28.) ›! And as a God of grace, to fanctify and biefs me. (Phil. iv. 19.) O that thou wouldest alfo "keep me from evil, that it "may not grieve me."-What an holy jealoufy had this amiable character over his own heart! Confcious of much remaining corruption within, of much abounding evil around him, and taught of his God to know that it is not of man that walketh to direct his own steps, or keep his own heart, he betakes himself to his God with humility. Happy the man who is bleffed with fuch tendernefs of confcience, who, inftead of verging to the extreme of his liberty, fhuns the very appearance of evil, divinely enabled to engage the guidance and protection of Omnipotence, by the powerful plea of believing prayer. Such was the character of Jabez.

This Ifraelite, like his great progenitor, was not only a pleader, but a prevailer with the Lord. "God granted him "that which he requested." Nor fhall it ever be said that praying breath is lost.

"Does not the word ftill fix'd remain,

"That none fhall feek His face in vain."

Yes! the Lord may delay, but he will never deny thofe bleflings to his children, which are for his glory to grant, or for their good to enjoy. "Look unto the generations of "old, and fee if ever any trufted in God and were confound"ed."-"Open thy mouth wide, faith the God of Love, and "I will fill it."-What then my reader is thy petition, and what is thy requeft? Does fin lie heavy on thine heart?Do fierce and fiery temptations affault thy foul?-Are thine inbred corruptions like a mighty torrent, ready to overwhelm thee?-Do doubts and fears deprefs thy fpirits?-Or, art thou finking under the preffure of temporal afflictions? -Remember, Jefus is ftill on his throne, and still it flands on record in the faithful word, "Call upon me in the day "of trouble, and I will deliver thee, and thou fhalt glorify "me.-Tarry thou, then, the Lord's leifure, be ftrong, and "he fhall comfort thine heart; wait, I fay, upon the Lord." J. A. K,

AN ALTAR FOR A MEMORIAL.

Gen. xxxiii. 20. "And he erected there an altar, and called it El-elohe Israel."

THE

HE practice of erecting altars on various occafions, prevailed much in the patriarchal ages, as is abundantly evident from thofe fet up by Noah, Abraham, Ifaac, Joshua and others. The general defign of erecting them was to perpetuate the recollection of God's wonderful and gracious dealings with the children of men. Gratitude was the leading motive. They were intended likewife to convey important inftruction to the generations to come, to inspire them with a belief in God's providence and a hope in his grace.

"El-elohe Ifrael," (i, e. God, the God of Ifrael) is a brief, but very expreffive motto. It conveys an idea of the mutual and lafting relation which fubfifts between Jehovah and his covenant people. Nor does it refer merely to Ifrael, "after the flesh," but to Ifrael in that spirit and faith which feal them the children of Abraham.

The Ifrael of God are the people of his choice, "Chofen in Chrift, before the foundation of the world." In themfelves they are equally corrupt with others, and by nature, "the children of wrath." They are feparated from the ungodly world by effectual vocation, they carry his confpicuous image in their lives, and demonftrate that they are exclufively devoted to him. They are here exercifed with many and peculiar trials. They are fometimes favoured with Bethel manifeftations, and at other feafons, have their Peniel wreflings, in which they alfo prevail.

It is not among their fmalleft mercies that they are related to God in a covenant, well ordered in all things and fure. In this covenant it is provided that in Chrift, one of the covenant contractors, all the feed of Ifrael fhall be juftified and fhall glory. This covenant fupplies a firm ftaff in the promifes on which they do fweetly lean when they worship God in the fpirit. 'Tis this that blunts and breaks every weapon formed against them; 'tis this enables them by faith to rejoice in the glorious profpect of inheriting their spiritual Canaan, that better country; and emboldens them at the

verge of Jordan to exclaim, We have waited for thy salvation, O Lord.

O my foul, canft thou claim an interest in the covenant of God? What innumerable obligations art thou laid underto love him in fincerity and truth-to cleave unto him with full purpose of heart-to serve him in the Gospel of his Son and, finally, to follow him without the Camp, bearing hame and reproach for his name fake. Thus wilt thou prove thy felf an Ifraelite indeed; and God, the God of Ifrael, hall give thee his bleffing.

Alfred's-stone, near Lewes, Sussex.

T. H.

REFLECTIONS ON THE PLEASURES AND ADVANTAGES OF VITAL GODLINESS;

In a Dialogue between Philemon and Theophilus. To the Reader.

THE

HE common civilities of life require, that when firangers are introduced into our company, we fhould have fome information refpecting their names and characters;as I am about to introduce two vifitors to thee, it is proper that I fhould comply with this established custom, and I truft, at the clofe of the vifit, thou wilt have no reason to regret the interview. Philemon is an aged, honourable and deeply experienced Chriftian, whofe happiness it was to be favingly called by the grace of the Holy Spirit in his early youth, and though time has fhed his filver froft on his venerable head, his heart ftill glows with all the holy fervour of his early profeffion, and, with that generous pleasure which is only known to a gracious heart, rejoices unfeignedly in the falvation of finners and the profperity of his fellow-faints; hence, it was with a fincere pleafure that he faw the dawnings of divine grace on the foul of Theophilus, a modeft amiable youth, who was much perfecuted by his father on account of his religious profeffion. To the affectionate admonitions of Philemon, young Theophilus was peculiarly attentive, and to him as his kind inftructor, he freely unbofomed his very foul. In a former vifit he had given Philemon an affecting account of his father's conduct in oppofing his fpiritual progrefs, and, therefore, his aged

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