honour upon them. Believe them without doubt or wavering. Why dost thou draw back thy confidence? Trust, and not be afraid. Thou mayest safely venture to believe all that the Lord hath spoken. He will make it good; and the more thou believest, the more will be made good. More faith will bring thee in a richer revenue of peace. The Lord increase thy faith. May it entirely influence thy conscience, that it may agree with God; neither questioning the infinite value of the righteousness and atonement of Immanuel, nor yet the faithfulness of his promise, under which thou claimest them-" WHOSOEVER WILL, may take them freely." Let thy faith be ever so well established, yet thou wilt meet with something every day to try it; but remember, the foundation on which thou standest, cannot fail, and none, nothing shall remove thee from it. The Lord brought thee to build upon this foundation. He hath begun the good work, and he will not leave his work unfinished. The top-stone shall certainly be brought forth with shouting GRACE GRACE: for his love is like himself. His purposes, his word, his works change not. What if thou feel many things wrong in thyself, thou art sometimes low in spirits; thou canst not be pleased with thy corruption, and thou art not pleased with thy duties; thy graces are weak; thy love not as it should be; thy best services unprofitable; yet these very things, rightly understood, and improved by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, will be the means of establishing thy conscience in the peace of God. They will lead thee every day to a greater dependence upon Sovereign grace: for they will leave thee nothing to trust in, but the righteousness and the atonement of Immanuel; nothing to keep thee, but his faithfulness to his word and work; and nothing to bless thee, but his free covenant mercy. Thus they will work together for thy good. tle thee. Enemies will confirm thee in peace. Troubles will bring thee nearer to God. Amidst all discouragements thou wilt have this promise to stay thy soul upon "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." His friendship is fixed. It springs from the purpose and love of his own breast, and therefore was and is always unchangeably the same in him. Whom he loveth, he loveth unto the end. Well then, O my soul! thou hast examined thyself. How is it with thee? Dost thou know the way of peace? Art thou at peace with God, being justified by faith? Canst thou plead this peace, and maintain it in thy conscience? Is it a good conscience; does it witness for God? Is it a pure conscience, cleansed from guilt and condemnation? Is it satisfied, that the Father is perfectly reconciled through the life and death of his Son? And is it satisfied with the divine record, giving thee a free grant of the benefits of his life and death, and putting thee into possession by believing? Art thou of one heart and of one mind in this matter with the Father; and now being at peace with him, agreed to walk in his way? If indeed he has been thus gracious unto thee, bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me praise him for the exceeding rich es of his love! What a mercy is it, that he has brought thee into the way of peace! O go on fear not. Set out daily with an holy humble boldness to walk with thy God. And for the guiding of thy feet in his way, and that thy steps may not decline from it, be diligent in hearing and reading the word of God. Study it. Pray over it. Mind what encouragement it gives thee-"Having, therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by that new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil; that is to say, his flesh, and having an high-priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart, and in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." Heb. x. 19, 20, &c. What perfect peace is here proclaimed to the children of God! Sin had separated them from him, but there is access through Jesus. He is the way to the Father. He is a new way, He is a new way, in opposition to the old way of works, which upon the fall was shut for ever. He is a living way, all that are alive to God live by the faith of the Son of God. He is a consecrated way, every thing needful for their holy walk being provided in him. And they are required to walk in this way with boldness; trusting to the blood of Jesus, and depending on the intercession of the high-priest over the house of God, they have access with confidence in the holiest. It is their undoubted privilege to draw near with a true heart, not like a double-minded man, wavering and unstable; but with full assurance of faith, entirely satisfied that God in Christ has nothing in his breast, but love towards them; therefore they should believe in him, and serve him without fear, having their hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, maintaining peace with God through the continual application of the blood of Jesus, and having their bodies washed with pure water, body and soul being cleansed from the guilt and filth of sin by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost. O may this be my happy experience. May I ever have grace to draw near to my |