and fpiritual fongs. By fuch an intercourse with him, we shall obtain the character given to Noah in the fixth of Genefis, "That he walked with God." And then we may expect that, according to his gracious word, he will reveal his fecret to us: that when we caft our burdens upon him, he will fuftain us, and that he will give us the defires of our hearts.

C. In order to maintain a well-grounded confidence respecting our covenant relation to God, we must be CIRCUMSPECT in our conduct, as it respects our neighbour and ourselves, as well as God; for, when we become unwatchful over ourselves, neglect our duty towards our neighbour, or indulge in any fin, we may expect that God will have a controverfy with us, and hide his face from us. We fhall then fit in darkness, and be unable to approach with boldness to the throne of grace; and thus we shall be taught by fad experience, that a God of spotlefs purity will be ferved in a holy manner, and that it is an evil thing and bitter, to fin against him.

D. But however watchful we may be, we must re member that we are but men, and finful men, prone to ftumble and fall. In order, therefore, that the ground of our confidence may not be removed, we muft fuffer no fin to remain UNCONFESSED and unrepented of. When we fall, we must rise and return to God, and feek for pardon through the blood of Chrift, agreeably to the encouragement and exhortation of the Apostle, 1 John ii. 1, My little children, thefe things I write unto you, that ye fin not; and if any man fin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jefus Chrift the righteous, who is the propitiation for our fins. Though we depart from God, yet if we return unto him with humble confeffion of our fin, and faith in the Mediator, he will yet rejoice over us to do us good; his kind

nefs fhall not depart from us, nor fhall the covenant of his peace be removed. When a child has committed a fault, if he continues obftinate, and disobedient, he meets the difpleasure of his father; but if he submits. to his authority, with suitable contrition, the compaffionate father forgives him, and receives him to his favour; juft fo our heavenly Father deals with his children. When they tranfgrefs, and continue infenfible of the offence, they may expect his frowns, or his chastizing rod; but if they return to him with. humble confeffion of their fins, his language towards them is, "As a father pitieth his children, fo the Lord "pitieth them that fear him," Pf. ciii. 13.

E. That the people of God may preserve the confidence of faith, nothing is more ufeful than a FREQUENT, a DAILY RENEWAL of the covenant. Of this we have already spoken at fome length; but do any inquire whether the covenant muft in the fame folemn manner be renewed? we answer that it is not neceffary that it be always done with the fame formality; yet we ought every day, in fecret, to prefent ourselves before God, profeffing ourselves to be his, declaring our refolution to cleave to him, and fupplicating him, to enable us to be faithful to all our covenant engagements.

F. Would we preferve our confidence towards God? we must be CLOTHED WITH HUMILITY, The confideration of the auguft and awful majefty of God, fhould excite in us the moft profound reverence, and a fenfe of our meannefs fhould lead us to appear before him with the deepest abasement and lowlinefs of mind. Whilft nothing is more offenfive than pride, nothing is more pleafing to him than humility. Therefore, it is that he refifteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble, James iv. 6.

2. But if so much is neceffary in order to preferve the confidence of the people of God, it follows that, though the covenant be unchangeable in its nature, yet that confidence may in a measure be loft, and the peace and joy of the believer be interrupted, by reason of God's hiding his face, and withholding the manifestations of his love. Is it asked why are God's children deprived of the light of their Father's coun. tenance? for this we may affign a variety of reasons, arifing partly from God, and partly from believers themselves.

A. God does this,

a. To fhew that he is a SOVEREIGN God; that from him cometh every good and perfect gift. The believer's confidence being weakened is not always the confequence of fome particular offence. God faid of Job that Satan moved him to deftroy him without a cause; that is, that he was not chargeable with any remarkable fin, which should occafion his extraordinary afflictions.

b. TO TRY them, and to CALL them to the more vigorous exercife of grace; to ftrengthen their faith, and to increase their holy defires; to make them fenfible of their own infufficiency, and lead them to cry more fervently to their God.

c. To teach them that this world is not the place of their reft; that here their most delightful exercifes and experiences are tranfient, and that it is only at God's right hand above that they may expect to receive fulness of joy, and pleafures for evermore.

d. To make them PRIZE his grace, and fet a higher value on the bleffings of the covenant. These are always rendered far more precious to their fouls, when they enjoy them after having drunken largely of the bitter cup of affliction.

e. To display his amazing POWER and GOODNESS. Does the Eternal not only preferve them in the enjoyment of the fpiritual life, but reftore them again to their former ftrength, and cause them afterwards to triumph over Satan, and thus revive the hearts of the contrite ones. He displays his unbounded benevolence and love, and exhibits power which infinitely transcends the energies of creatures the most exalted in the fcale of beings.

B. The REASONS of God's dealing thus with his people are not found only on his fide, but also on the part of BELIEVERS; and these refpect either the time PAST or the FUTURE.

With refpect to the time PAST, we obferve that God withholds the light of his countenance;

a. When the children of his love have committed great and aggravated fins. The holinefs of his nature, in such case, requires that they fhould be chastized; be made to feel the rod; cease to enjoy, at least for a season, their wonted intercourse with him; and thus learn that God cannot have fellowship with those who work iniquity. David experienced this, though a man after God's own heart; he no fooner fell into fin, than he loft the joys of his falvation, Pf. li. 14.

b. When abufing the goodness of God, they treat his DIVINE MAJESTY with little reverence and respect, or when through floth, and inattention, they do not cherish those bleffed experiences which they have had of his grace and love. The spouse laid herself on the bed of floth, and fuffered the bridegroom to stand knocking without. However, to her great furprise, fhe foon found that her beloved had withdrawn himself. Songs v. 2, 7.

c. When they CONFIDE in an arm of flesh, or

lean upon their own arm to bring falvation, faying with Peter, Matt. xxvi. 33, Though all men Should be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.

d. When SPIRITUAL PRIDE, on account of any gifts or qualifications, arife in his people. Then God manifefts to them his divine difpleasure, and by withdrawing his favours, evidences that he refifteth the proud, 1 Pet. v. 5.

e. When they are not fufficiently WEANED from the things of this world. It is found frequently to be the cafe at converfion, when God's people are made firft to enjoy communion with him, that they look with a comparative degree of contempt on things below, and have their hearts loofed from them. But afterwards, when their firft ardour has abated, and they have been longer on the way, their former attachments, fometimes engrofs too much of their attention, and they display too great a conformity to the world. Hence God is difpleafed, and Jefus, the great head of the covenant, will upbraid them, as he did the angel of the church of Ephefus, Rev. ii. 5, saying, “I have fomewhat against thee, because thou haft left thy first love."

C. For, the above reasons arising from the past. misconduct of the people of God, Jehovah hides his face from them; but there are others which respect the FUTURE, why he deals thus with them.

a. That he may TRY their FAITH. By means of withholding his fpiritual favours, God discovers whether, though they do not tafte and fee, yet will believe his teftimony of himself, that he is good; and thus prove that they love God for what he is in himself, as well as for what he has been unto them.

b. That he may awaken them to fervency in prayer.