But still, how is the fact to be explained? Very easily, though not very honorably, for those who furnish evidence of its existence. A neglect to cultivate grace already bestowed, opens the door of the heart to a multitude of those evil doubts. An untender walk-more according to the fashion of this world, than according to the will of God, than your duty, your privileges, your promises, your obligations to redeeming love, exact-grieves the good Spirit of God; mightily shakes your hope; and brings your souls into bondage and terrors. A guilty conscience and a settled piece, or an unbending faith, cannot dwell together in the same bosom. Omissions of known duties-of opportunities of serving and honoring our Master, when fairly put in our way-do naturally and necessarily invite this rebuke. We cannot expect to enjoy the comforts of faith, while the uses for which it was given are unfaithfully overlooked.

But that which is the most common and extensive cause of the criminal state and temper exhibited by the Christian community, in the article of their confidence before God, is walking by SIGHT, and not by faith. Christians are formed for an immortality of action, blessedness, and glory, in a future state and a better world. Earth has no principles from which to draw any conclusions, about the employments or pleasures of

heaven. The philosopher and the clown; the men of large or of little acquaintance with human nature; the most refined reason and the most gross, are alike ignorant and foolish on this point. We know nothing at all but what God has been pleased to tell us. And he has told us no more than is absolutely necessary for our present Christian being. Thus saith the Lord, contains the ground of all our convictions, the elements of all our reasonings, upon the approaching condition of the just. We must take his word for every thing; and take it solely because he hath said it. Yet our principal concern in this world is with the invisible realities of the next, and with those affections, principles, and habits, which are linked in with them, by a continuity of existence; which are the great preparatives for them; and are nurtured, and strengthened, by means and influences as much depending upon our faith, as is our interest in the realities themselves.

Now it is perfectly evident, that a life of mere sense, such a life as is common to men who pretend to nothing more than sense can give them, is utterly hostile to the Christian's hope and calling. And yet what do we see, I do not say among those who profess, but among those who, we must hope, experience the faith of God's elect? What, but an incessant contradiction to their

heavenly vocation? They believe strongly, when all their sensations go on comfortably. But the instant any thing happens to disturb these sensations, their faith and their confidence flag. It is all well so long as they feel comfortably; but the moment any thing untoward happens to their bodily perceptions-if they do not feel well-if their health is disordered-if their spirits are depressed-if the east wind affects their nerves— melancholy forebodings invade them; their past experience is all a delusion; their hope vanishes; despair fills their minds: and so the whole of their confidence turns out to be something which depends upon their physical health, or some accidental circumstance. Do you call this believing on the Son of God? Does his faithfulness rest upon the fickleness of your frame? Or is he to be insulted with your doubts, whenever the mechanism of your body is disturbed? Nay, if you ask for better assurance than his words of promise-if that will not fortify you against the ills of life and death-if you have not learned, with the father of the faithful, against hope to believe in hope, not staggering at the promise of God through unbelief, make thorough work of it; cast away his name, his badge, and his livery; take all the comfort that sense can bring you; but do not, whatever else you

pretend to, do not set up for a believer in Jesus Christ.

Yet to those who can and do trust the faithful Savior and his unaltering word, I say, Fear not. Your Lord will perfect that which concerneth you. Your interests are infinitely safe. Your small concerns, as you may account them, are bound up with him in the bundle of everlasting memory; and will no more be forgotten than the concerns of a world. However seemingly worthless your deposit, he will remember it to your unspeakable joy. Give then your fears to the winds. Order all your doubts to be gone. And let the gracious emotion pass from heart to heart, till the shout of confidence shall drown the voice of repining; and the world and the church shall be surprised with the triumph of that song: I know whom I have believed; and am persuaded that he is able to keep what I have committed to him, until that day. AMEN.