that time, might have some staggerings in his mind concerning the future state of the Israelitish church, and their re-establishment after the accomplishment of their long captivity; which if he had, as I conjecture, he must have been wonderfully strengthened and braced up by spiritual might in the inner man, after being brought three times through the river. You know the King doth nothing in vain.

Steward. Little Faith is so timorous, that he is afraid to venture all his weight upon it, or commit himself wholly to the strength of it, doubting whether it will bear him up or not: though I have often seen him upon the bank of it, tasting of it, and venturing to paddle a little in it, far enough to wet his feet; and very happy he has seemed to be, and has often thought, for a few minutes, that he could swim across the profoundest depths of it. His countenance hath been so brightened up, that he has not envied those who were up to

the neck in it.

Shepherd. And suppose Little Faith had sunk in it, and been drowned, he would not have been lost; for that river is neither destruction nor perdition: "There the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams." And he who ventures there, if he sinks, and lies in it to all eternity, will neither wish to come up nor come

out.

Steward. True: but Little Faith proceeds with caution; he looks before he leaps. He is like

Thomas; he has a great opinion of the testimony of his eyes. Besides, when Little Faith has made an excursion on the banks of the river, and has taken a pleasing survey of it, tasted it, and paddled a little in it, he has often found, as soon as he has lost sight of the river, and the sun hath withdrawn his rays, that the clouds have gathered thick upon his head, the fog has gathered fast upon his heels, and he hath seemed to be farther from the river than ever: and the enemy always visits Little Faith when the clouds and fog are about him; at which time he is sure to gain his attention; and then generally suggests, that it was rashness and presumption in him to venture so near as he did; and a wonder that he was not destroyed for daringly presuming to take but a drop of the river of pleasure to himself; neither the invitation of the King, his favour, promise, nor promised felicity, being by any means, or in any sense, intended for him. And, after Little Faith has been thus begloomed with the clouds and fog, and buffeted by the enemy, he proceeds with more caution than ever; begs pardon for his presumption; and promises never to be guilty of applying any favour, bounty, or royal indulgence, to himself again, by any means, on any terms, or by any entreatment or invitation whatsoever; but that he would say, in his haste, that all men, stewards as well as others, are liars, rather than believe there can be any favour, pity, or compassion, shewn to him, who is by no means worthy

to be called the King's son, nor to be ranked among his hired servants, nor even to be set with the dumb dogs of his flock, Job xxx. 1. Notwithstanding all these secret vows and promises, after such sharp temptations, Little Faith, at times, has forgot all; and, before he hath been aware, while his mind has been engaged in the sanctuary, the waters have issued out from under the threshold of the house a second time, Ezek. xlvii. 1; and he being off his guard, before he was aware, has found himself upon the very banks of the river again, and has been as charmed and delighted as ever; insomuch that he has forgot his former adversity, being answered by the King in the joy of his heart: but, as soon as a thought hath come across his mind respecting a future cloudy and dark day, he has begun to tremble at the distant adversity; and, by pondering on and meeting his troubles half way, the adversary meets him, who is half invited by Little Faith himself; and then robs him, and again chains down all his thoughts to the meditation of terror, Isa. xxxiii. 18.

Shepherd. He is Little Faith, indeed! for he calls his highest acts of obedience his presumption; and that he will find, in the end: for, however he may put these things far from him in times of temptation, he must court them, and gather them all about him too, in times of sickness. It is such presumptuous acts as these, as he falsely calls them, that must bring him into the joyful presence of his Sovereign, and nothing else, let

him go whenever he may. But, I see, it is in the King's household as it is with a shepherd's flock; there are divers sizes, ages, and sorts. I have got rams, Gen. xxxi. 10; sheep, John x. 4; ewes great with young, Isa. xl. 11; and lambs to feed and attend to, John xxi. 15; and you have got old and young, strong and weak, to wait upon and watch

over.

Steward.

The family consists of fathers; young men, 1 John ii. 14; little children, 1 John v. 21; and new-born babes, 1 Peter ii. 2. But, as for Little Faith, I know not which to call him : he is old enough to be a father, and ought by this time to have been a tutor; for, in understanding and discernment, he is a man; in simplicity, a little child; but, in the exercise of faith, he is a babe. He has something about him of each degree; but is complete in neither. In the King's forest there are not only oaks, whose seed is in them, Isa. vi. 13; and cedars, firs, pines, palm trees, Cant. vii. 8, and olives; but also box trees and myrtles, which may be put into pots, and placed on a lady's toilet: and it is to the comfort of Little Faith, and other weaklings, that the King was seen upon a red horse, and stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom, Zech. i. 8. So that these are not without his powerful, though often without his comfortable, presence.

.

Shepherd. And, pray, where does Little Faith creep to when he gets his head in the clouds?

Steward. He is not without his holes, nor yet without his prison houses, Isa. lxii. 22. For when he used to play with Hagar's boys, they often amused themselves, as foolish children will do, with building little houses on the sand, Matt. vii. 26; and to that sand bank he cleaves to this day. Let any storm gather over Little Faith; any shadow of a cloud approach him; any suggestion or fiery dart be hurled at him; any reproof be given him; any frown be felt from the King; any imaginary trouble be expected by him; or even a sharp word, a look of displeasure, or the least slight, from any of the household; he makes no more ado, but he gathers all about him, packs up, and embraces all his real and imaginary troubles together, and into his hole in the sand bank he goes; and you may tole him out again, if you can. That is his haunt, that is his refuge, and that is his last retreat: the fox hath its hole, and Little Faith has his burrow also; he is not without his starting holes in the world. The King has not only got an abundance of the seas, but he has got treasure that is hid in the sand, Deut. xxxiii. 19; and Little Faith is a part of it.

Shepherd. Little Faith is not the only one that cleaves to the sand bank: more build there than on the rock. But, pray, how long may he continue in his dusty residence before he makes his appearance abroad again?

Steward. Nothing brings him out again but the warm rays of the sun, when he arises with