This inquiry is the more necessary, because of the place which faith holds in our religion. It reaches to the whole of it: so that nothing is good before God, however fair and specious it may appear to men, without it. The conscience, the heart, and its affections, are purified only by faith. All duties, for their right motive, and for their acceptance, depend upon it. Without faith it is impossible to please God. No trials and afflictions can be patiently and profitably endured, unless faith be in exercise. Our whole warfare is carried on, and canbe, by our being strong in the Lord, and fighting in the power of his might, and finished victoriously only by faith. Indeed it enters so much into every thing wherein we have to do with God, that the strengthening of it is the strengthening of every other grace; which are weak or vi gorous according as more or less faith enters into them. And therefore the scripture encouragements for our growth in faith should be well weighed with much prayer, frequent meditation, and thanksgiving, that they may have their proper effect upon the believer's

heart and life. And as this can be done only by power from on high; assistance must ever be sought from thence, and depended upon. The Holy Spirit is the very breath of spiritual life, and of all spiritual activity. Every godly motion of the heart is from his holy inspiration. So the scripture teaches : 2 Cor. iii. 5. "Not that we (even apostles) are sufficient of ourselves, to think any thing as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God." So we are taught to pray: O Lord, from whom all good things do come, grant to us thy humble servants, that by thy holy inspiration we may think those things that be good, and by thy merciful guiding may perform the same, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Fifth Sunday after Easter, and again, the nineteenth Sunday after Trinity. O God! forasmuch as without thee we are not able to please thee, mercifully grant that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A great Divine has thus expressed the same sentiments.

C

"In those who are truly converted, all saving truths are transcribed out of the scripture into their hearts. They are taught of God; so as they find all truths, both concerning the estate, and the gracious and happy estate of man, in themselves. They carry a body of divinity in them, and about them; so as from a saving feeling they can speak of conversion, of grace, of the Spirit, &c. and from this acquaintance are ready to yield and give up themselves to truth revealed, and to God speaking by it. And thus a man may know his estate before God, by his relish for the word. There is a heavenly and divine relish in the word of God; as for instanceTake the doctrine of his providence, that all things shall work together for the best to them that love God; What a sweet word is this! A whole kingdom is not worth this promise-That whatever befals a Christian in this world, there is an overruling Providence to sway all to good, to help forward his eternal good-that Christ will be present with us in all conditions—that he will give us his Holy Spirit-that when we confess our

sins, and lay them open, he is merciful to forgive them-that if our sins were red as scarlet, they shall be as white as wool. What kind of incredible sweetness is in these to a heart that is prepared for these comforts? The doctrines of reconciliation, of adoption, of glory to come, of the offices of Christ, and such like; how sweet are they? They relish wonderfully to a sanctified soul. These truths that come out of the mouth of Christ, and out of the ministry concerning Christ, they are most sweet of all. Oh how sweet were these words to the poor man-Thy sins are forgiven thee. Do you think they went not to his heart? The best discovery of a true affection to Christ, and of a true state in grace, is from our affection to the word of Christ. Wherever there is an interest in Christ, there is an high respect to the word."

A believer trusting to these helps, and making a diligent use of these means, in reading the charter of grace, will find such a faith frequently described and required, as relies on the truth of God without doubt or

wavering, as depends on his faithfulness to his promises, with the fullest confidence of the heart, and waits on his fufilling them, steadfastly persuaded that he has spoken nothing with his mouth but what he will infal libly make good with his arm.

All the gifts and graces of God come to us in his promises, and cannot be received or enjoyed but in the way of believing. What then can be a greater encouragement not to stagger at any promise through unbelief, than that God has declared it is a service well pleasing and acceptable to him. It is high worship to be strong in faith, giving glory to God for it is a gift of his love, and a grace of his Spirit, and his own special work in the hearts of his people. In the day of his power he makes them willing, and he ena bles them to set to their seal, that God is true. So we read-" by faith in Christ, Enoch walked with God, and he had this testimony, that he pleased God, but without this. faith it is impossible to please him :" Therefore Enoch's state, and his walk, and his translation, were all by faith. Now we know,