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intereft in the favour of God; fince the Holy Spirit will, in that cafe, be grieved, and withdraw his evidence in our behalf? But could we retain our hope towards God, we certainly should not be eafy or happy. If a traveller were fure of reaching his journey's end in safety, yet if he walked a great part of the way with a thorn in his foot, he must take every step in pain. Such a thorn, as is juftly obferved by a pious writer, will be felt in the confcience, till we are favoured with true fimplicity of heart, and made willing in all things, great and fmall, to yield obedience to the Lord's precepts, and make them the ftanding rule of our conduct, without wilfully admitting a fingle exception. It must be owned, that the best and holiest of men are conscious of innumerable failings, imperfections and mifcarriages; yet their hearts being upright, these things will not break their peace. But if we trifle with light received, and connive at what we know to be wrong, our hands will be weak, and our minds dark, restless, and uncomfortable. Many, who, one would hope, are the children of the King, are lean from day to day, because of the indulgence of fome fecret fin. They are as diftant from the enjoyment of that happiness which arifes from a fenfe of intereft in the divine favour, as they are from the poffibility of recon

Reader, beware of that reluctance to felf-examination which is so common to the human mind.. Look into your own heart; fearch and try your ways, that you may find out that which deprives you of the comfortable sense of God's favour.. Let your spirit make diligent fearch, that you may dif cover the latent iniquity which robs you of fo great a privilege. And if you find it, do not spare it; but, humbling yourself in the fight of the Lord, feek for pardon; and cry to him who is able to fave, for deliverance from the fin which easily befets you. Say with Job, "Wherefore hideft thou thy face, (O God) and holde ft me for thine enemy ? Make me to know my tranfgreffion, and my fin." God giveth grace unto the humble. "Humble yourself in the fight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. He comforteth those that are caft down. He dwells with him that is of a contrite and humble fpirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."

Beware of neglecting God's ordinances. Diligently wait upon him in his appointments. Give good heed to the miniftration of his holy word. Hearken and hear what the Lord fpeaks by his ministers; for he will speak peace to his people and

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to his faints; but let them not turn again to folly. Open your heart to those whom God has appointed to comfort the feeble-minded, and to fupport the weak. Use these means diligently and confcientiously. Wait on the Lord, and he will save you.

Steadily aim at a conformity to the will of God, both in heart and life. Walk in the fear of the Lord all the day long, and make it your conftant care to please him. "His falvation is nigh them that fear him. Unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arife, with healing in his wings; and ye fhall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall." If you favour fin, it is impoffible you should enjoy a comfortable affurance of God's favour; for "your iniquity will separate between you and your God." It will interpose, as a thick mift, to hide his face from you. If you grow indolent, negligent, and of a worldly spirit, you need not wonder to find yourself involved in darkness and perplexity respecting your state towards God; for he hath faid, "If ye walk contrary unto me, I alfo will walk contrary unto you."

It must be owned, as has been before observed, that some pious and upright minds are suffered, for a time, to be involved in darkness through the prevalence of fore temptations; others are awfully tried by fpiritual desertions; and others again are

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fubject to a kind of conftitutional melancholy. All these are objects of pity; and the Lord will eventually appear for their comfort and deliverance. He hath faid, "I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the fouls which I have made." He will heal the broken in heart, and bind up their wounds.

Some are prevented from enjoying an affurance of the divine favour through causeless fears and jealoufies. These are conftantly encouraged not to fear, by him who knows the feebleness of their faith, and the weakness of their hands. "Fear thou not, for I am with thee; be not dismayed, I am thy God. Fear not, thou worm Jacob; neither be dismayed, ye men of Ifrael." They are afraid, because fin is in them as an active and restless principle, that they have no contrary principle of grace or holiness. And, because, for a season they have not strong confolation, they are afraid they have no right to it, nor to any other spiritual bleffing. These jealoufies and fears, at least, evidence a defire to be right, and to be conformed to the will and image of God; which certainly springs from a gracious principle. In these persons, the want of skill to distinguish between the motions of the flesh, and those of the Spirit, is the occafion of

their diftreffing fear. They ought to reason thus, He that fincerely repents of fin, believes in Jefus, and is defirous of giving his whole heart to God, is in a state of acceptance with his Maker, according to the declarations of his word; I cannot deny but this is my cafe; therefore, why do I entertain thefe difquieting fears?

It may be of fervice to fuch perfons, to call to mind past experience, and to think of God's gracious dealings with them. "I call to remembrance my fong in the night; I commune with my own heart, and my spirit made diligent fearch. And I faid, This is my infirmity (to entertain these gloomy fears, and desponding thoughts ;) but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Moft High. The Lord hath appeared of old unto me;" this I muft own; then obferve what he faith to you at present, "Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindnefs have I drawn thee." Let this be for your comfort.

After all, it must be acknowledged, that the true, folid and rational affurance of hope is often the refult of many fevere trials. When young difciples. are filled with comfort, peace and joy, they are, for that feason, ftrangers to doubts and fears refpecting their acceptance with God. But this is not that affurance of which the fcriptures fpeak. Y

No. XVIII. 2.

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