The Captain of our salvation is now putting you to drill under two of his drill serjeants-the devil and the old man of sin, who act under the Captain's orders; and, when you have been well exercised by these, then you will know more of a soldier's life, and will be brought to walk and to live by faith upon the Son of God, and so go steadily on in the heavenly race, not tossed to and fro by every change of frames and feelings that you experience, for you will soon find that these changes are needful and profitable for your growth in grace; but that God's love is the same towards you amidst them all, so as not to alter your state in his sight, who still loves you with an everlasting love, whatever may be your exercises. Every grace that the Lord gives us shall be tried, and we must not be surprised at finding continual changes in us, it being needful that they should take place. "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing had happened unto you; knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world," 1 Peter iv. 12, and v. 9. But I proceed.

You say, "But now my love has withdrawn himself, and I know not where to find him; my harp is hung upon the willow tree, and has lost its pleasant sound." Yes, this is the way of our dearly Beloved; and he does it that the affections of his spouse may be tried, and proved to her

in

own, not for his satisfaction, to be genuine : "Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel the Saviour," Isa. xlv. 15. He is only turned aside for a season, and not lost; for he will surely come again, and by his absence his presence will be more highly prized. Precious things, by constant use, lose, in our esteem, much of their intrinsic value; but, when they are only occasionally used, then we are much more sensible of their real worth: so, by a long indulgence of uncommon prosperity, the soul begins to grow rather proud of its attainments; lives and depends too much upon the experience of grace exercise in the heart, instead of growing up into Christ, and that in all things, and being strong in the grace that is in him; and cannot condescend to those of low degree in the family. And, when the best Beloved sees this, he withdraws himself, that we may know all that is in our heart, and what we are without him. And when the good man thus takes a journey, and the bag of money with him, or strips us of all our comforts, then by the loss we become better ac-. quainted with their worth; and, when we have long sought after him, and he is pleased to manifest himself afresh, then he appears ten thousand times more precious than ever, and the harp is taken from the willow tree, and strikes up its pleasing sound again; for he turns our mourning into dancing, puts off our sackcloth, and girds us with gladness, to the end that our tongue, which

I

is our glory, may sing his praise, and not be silent, Psalm xxx. 11, 12. There is a necessity for these things.

But you say, "I know not where to find him?" He is to be found in searching the scriptures; "Search the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me." Oftentimes in meditation, among private believers, and in the public means of God's appointment, he is to be found by constant prayer; for, if we seek after him thus, we are sure to succeed; and I will tell you one very good plan when he appears shy, which is this-encircle him with his own promises; and, when you have thus brought him near, then desire him to look at them, appealing to him that they are all his own; then put him in mind that his name is faithful and true; and, if you do but keep close to him thus, as God liveth, he cannot long delay; as we see by the church in the Song; she proceeded thus, till at last he was obliged to give her this answer; "Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me," Cant. vi. 5. Then he came into his garden, and ate his pleasant fruits, or was entertained and delighted with the exercise of his own grace upon himself. We have another account in the Song of the church when under the hiding of the Lord's face, which she calls night; saying, "By night on my bed [she was got into carnal ease and security] I sought him whom my soul loveth; I sought him, but I

found him not;" [that is, she felt for him in her conscience, mind, heart and affections, but could not find him present with her, therefore she set off to try other means.] "I will arise now, and go about the city in the streets [i. c. she went and conversed with private believers about him], and in the broad ways, [i. e. in the public ordinances of his house]." She sought after him, but still he kept at a distance; then she inquired of the watchmen concerning him; "The watchmen that go about the city found me; to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?" These watchmen were ministers, who go about in the city of Zion preaching the word of God's grace. And very soon after she had been with them he visited her again; "It was but a little that I passed from them but I found him whom my soul loveth; I held him, and would not let him go until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me," Song iii. 1-4. Her faith, after her diligent search, was so drawn forth into exercise, and so wrought by love to her Saviour, that she sensibly brought him into her heart and affections, and enjoyed his soul-satisfying presence again. When he withdraws his presence from us we must go the same way to work as the church did. But O, what God-dishonouring creatures are we, when left to ourselves to feel the working of corruptions, and the fiery darts of the wicked one! We are oftentimes led to call the work of God upon us in question; ready to believe and set

in with every suggestion, if it be but against God and our own soul's comfort; and of this complaint is made, "Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, saying, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint," Isa. xl. 27-31.

When the Lord left David, and hid his face, he fretted, and his unbelieving heart led him to talk just as you do; "Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? Doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Iath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah." What a production of unbelief is here! and he was brought to confess it as evil; "And I said, this is my infirmity," Psalm 1xxvii. And only mind how faith and infidelity speak alternately, which shews the company of two armies in the church of God, Cant. vi. 13. "But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me." Christ answers her thus; "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should