man.

ing sense of my want of him, and from a dependence on thy promise to give the Spirit to them that ask him. Lord, I ask. Grant me to be strengthened by him, with every needful gift and grace in the inner Send him to manifest plainer and plainer my union with Jesus, in order to my keeping up communion with him; that, having him dwelling in my heart by faith, I may be so established in the experience of thy love to me in him, as to be able to comprehend, with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height of thy love. All the saints comprehend it; but the saints below less than they above. And some of them below comprehend more than others. I know but little: O my God, increase my knowledge of thy love in Jesus! Whereunto I have attained, establish me; and keep me pressing forward for clearer discoveries of it. Help me to survey it, so far as faith is able, in its most glorious dimensions, and to praise thee for mine experience of its rich mercies. Holy Father, teach me still more by thy Spirit of the boundless freeness, and of the endless fulness of thy love-let me know thy love in Christ, which passeth knowledge. Although I cannot know it as it is, my limited understanding being incapable of measuring the infinity of thy love, yet for this very reason let me be daily studying to know more of it-growing up into Christ Jesus by faith-abounding in hope by the power of the Holy Ghost; and increasing in the love of God. Holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, let me thus partake of the fulness of grace below, grace for grace, till I partake of the fulness of glory above; that I may be filled with all the fulness which is of

God, with which thou hast promised to fill thy children in earth and heaven. O magnify thy love towards me according to its greatness, and not according to my deserts or to my prayers. I know thou canst do exceeding abundantly above all that I can ask or think, according to the power that worketh effectually in me.

Το

Thy power engaged to act for me is the support of my faith, and mine encouragement in my prayer. It is an infinite and almighty power, which has graciously begun, and has hitherto prosperously carried on the good work in my soul. it all things are possible. Lord forbid I should doubt of thy granting the petitions, which I have been offering up unto thee in thy Son's name. That which thou hast promised, thou art able also to perform. O my God and Father, set thy power to work more effectually in me. Let the Spirit of might enlarge my thoughts of, and my faith in, thy precious love. Let me experience daily, how much more thou art able to do than I have yet obtained; to give, than I have yet asked; to increase, than I have yet thought. And whatever increase thou givest, may it draw out mine affections in greater love to thee and to thy ways, and so be the means of bringing more glory to thee. For thy love in Jesus, the whole family in heaven and earth is ascribing honour and praise. Accept my thanks, Holy Father, together with theirs. To thee be glory in the church by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

CHAPTER IV.

The believer goes on successfully, while he walks by faith in a constant dependence upon his reconciled God and loving Father.

THE leading principle upon which he sets out is this:-God is my God and Father. He is perfectly reconciled unto me, and my conscience is at peace with him, through faith in his beloved Son. He loves me in him. He has manifested it plainly to me, and now my heart would cleave to him as my most tender parent. I would rest in my love to him, as he rests in his love to me. It is entirely through

the

grace of the eternal Spirit, that I have been enabled thus to believe in the finished work of Jesus, and to experience the Father's love in him. By which means I have been satisfied of the love of the ever-blessed Trinity to my soul. Father, Son, and Spirit, have covenanted to make me an heir of God, and a joint-heir with Christ. From my belief and

experience of these truths, I have been enabled to choose God for my portion. His will is become mine. His appointed way is my course; and now I desire so to walk with him, as to maintain in my conscience the peace of God, and in my heart the love of God. I do not expect any new title to these inestimable graces. My claim is good and valid under Christ. I would not disparage it, by supposing that my close walk with God was to make any atonement for my sins, or to be the least part of my

justifying righteousness. I have these already, and perfectly too, in Jesus. The enjoyment of them is the thing I want. I am seeking for more of that

peace with and love to the Father, to which I am entitled in his Son. His fulness, the fulness of him that filleth all in all, is mine. A free grant of it has passed in the court of heaven, has been revealed in the record of truth, and I by believing have accepted the grant. I am in possession of its privileges, and am enjoying its blessings. On the fulness of Jesus I live this day. Out of it I hope to be receiving every grace which I shall want for my safe and happy walk with his Father and my Father. Bless the Lord, O my soul, for what thou knowest and hast experienced of his abundant grace; which has enabled thee thus to walk with thy reconciled God and loving Father. This day thou art called upon to maintain peace with him in thy conscience, and love to him in thy heart-peace like his, flowing from the sense of his being perfectly reconciled to thee-love like his, the happy fruit of his unchangeable love to thee. Whatever thou meetest with in thy work or warfare, ought not to lessen, but ought to exercise and to improve those graces. Never forget that he is thy God-the God of peace. stands related to thee in the dearest and most indissoluble bond of love. He is thy Father in Jesus. Keep the sense of this always fresh upon thy mind, and thy steps will be ordered aright. Nothing will be able to stop thee in the way to heaven, or to seduce thee out of it; but every thing will bring thee forward. Whilst thou canst maintain peace and love, thou wilt go on prosperously against guilt and

He

self-righteousness, against the wiles and assaults of thy spiritual foes, against the world which lieth in wickedness, and against every inward and outward trial. The Lord being on thy side, all these shall work together, under him, for thy good; and they shall be the means of making thee walk safely in the way, and of bringing thee happily to the end of it. The apostle has given us the whole plan in few words "We walk,” says he, "by faith, and not by

sight." We direct our Christian course by believing, and not by seeing. Faith is to us the evidence of things not seen, and the ground of our hoping to enjoy them. We believe upon the authority of God's word, that they are what he describes them to be; for faith, as a grace of the Spirit, consists in giving credit to what God says. If it be a truth proposed to the understanding, faith relies upon the infallible word. If it be a promise, faith depends upon the arm of God to make it good. And whatever he has promised, faith (when it is as it should be) does not stagger at difficulties, but rests fully persuaded, that what God hath promised, he is able also to perform. Faith looks at the word spoken, and overlooks seeming impossibilities. THUS SAITH THE LORD that is enough for faith-full of satisfying evidence for it knows, that to speak and to do are the same thing with an unchangeable God.

How many errors in judgment, and consequent mistakes in practice, prevail at this day, chiefly arising from confounding faith with its fruits; and from not distinguishing between the word of God believed, and what will follow upon believing it aright! Thus, some make assurance to be of the essence of faith,