the bridegroom is with them. The Lord's abfence and the stirrings of our corruptions fharpen our appetite, and the Lord's vifits and revivals of his work afford us infinite fulness and fatisfaction. Thus by degrees does the Lord difcover himself, and by flow advances approach the hearts of the darlings of his foul, when he comes to caft aut the ftrong man armed, and to affume the throne of our affections. Hence it appears, alfo, that convictions by the law, and divine life by the Spirit, together with fore temptations, are fent to debafe and humble us, to foften and meeken us, to mortify and empty us, that the kingdom of God may be much longed for, fought after, and. fenfibly needed; for whofoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child fhall in no. wife enter therein.": The kingdom of God ftands in power, in rightepusness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft. This power dethrones Satan, mars the reign of fin, and delivers us from the fear of death; righteoufnefs juftifies us from all fins, all things, and all charges; peace is the bleffed effect of pardon, and a fure pledge of favour and friendship with God; joy fprings from a fenfe of divine love and a hope of future glory and it is under the influence of the Holy Spirit that these things are seen, known, felt, and enjoyed; and all these things bear an everlasting date. In the King of Zion the believer finds everlasting strength: Jefus brought 1 brought in for us everlasting righteousness, he bestows upon us everlasting peace, and promifes that we shall return to Zion with everlasting joy, and that grace shall reign to everlasting life and grace is nothing less than everlasting love. The scorner's chair is the highest feat in Satan's kingdom; the Saviour's feet the highest feat in Chrift's kingdom: the proudeft profeffor is the greatest man in Satan's empire, and the most like his fovereign; and he that humbles himfelf like a little child, the fame is greatest in the kingdom of God. THE END. E 4 A FEW THOUGHTS ON THE ORIGIN AND OF GENUINE FAITH. FAITH is a perfuafion in the mind of the truth of God, whether it refpects his word or works. "God shall perfuade Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem." It is a fruit of God's Spirit. The faith of God's elect ftands in the manifeftations of God's holiness, truth, and juftice, attended with divine light and the power of God's anger, fuch an one "is convinced of all, he is judged of all: and thus are the fecrets of his heart made manifeft; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth." 1 Cor. xiv. 24. This is the man that God debafes and humbles, who is wounded, made fore, and inwardly fmarts for fin, and who trembles at God's word; to fuch God looks, and with fuch will he dwell. 2. Such 2. Such a foul knows and feels himself in the hand of God, and that he is at God's difpofal, and at the disposal of no other; and what God intends to do with him, whether to fave him or deftroy him, whether to make a public example of him or fhew mercy on him, he knows not; but, as there is a powerful and perpetual cry in his heart for mercy, and now and then a word of encouragement applied to him, there is a peradventure and fome expectation; and the finner is as fenfible of the power that holds him, and that bears him up, as he is of the terrible majesty that makes him tremble. His faith, from firft to last, "ftands not in the wifdom of men, but in the power of God." 1. Cor. ii. 5.:. 13. When the Spirit of God produces hope, and energy in prayer increases, and many scriptures defcriptive of our cafe are prefented to view, and fome fhort intervals of godly forrow are felt, the darts of Satan lose their force, and the reflections of divine anger often fubfide, till future deliverance through Christ appears no less at times than certain. Fear not," fays God, "I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteoufncfs." On this powerful arm faith refts. "Who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?" God's arm and faith in the report go together. 4. When pardon takes place faith receives the atonement of Chrift and ftands in it. "By the blood |