wills that his people be not flothful in bufinefs, but fteadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of

the Lord.

b. But faith does not reft fatisfied with a bare knowledge of the divine will. The believer is fenfible that not the man who only knows, but he who likewise does the will of God, is bleffed; and at the fame time is perfuaded, that a faith which is not accompanied with obedience to the divine precepts, is not acceptable to God. He therefore makes the work of the Lord his daily employment. In the integrity of his heart he fays with Ifrael, "All that the Lord "hath faid unto us, we will do," Exod. xxiv. 7. He is determined, on THE ONE HAND, through grace, to do nothing which his covenant God hath forbidden. He often thus reafons with himfelf: " I have given myself to be the Lord's for ever-I am no longer my own but his; and therefore I muft and I "will renounce and avoid, as my Father fhall ena"ble me, all that he has forbidden in his law. For "if I were to obferve a different conduct, difregard "his commands, join with the world in their pur"fuits of pleasure, and go with them the round of "amusements, the Eternal, who does not leave un"noticed any conduct of his people, must ceafe to "view me as one of his fervants. An inspired pen“man hath said, "The foundation of the Lord ftand"eth fure, the Lord knoweth them that are his. Let "him that nameth the name of Chrift depart from all

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iniquity. And hence I now wage an eternal war with "thee, O fin. Thy ways are opposed to those of

my Father, my God, my Redeemer, my All!"-And, on THE OTHER HAND, the believer will feek in all things to do what God hath commanded, how much foever the carnal principle may be otherwife

inclined. As faith at firft converfion makes no exceptions to any of the divine precepts, fo in its fubfequent exercises, it approves of the whole law. Do the divine commands fometimes feem difficult to be obeyed? Are the reasons of them fo concealed that they cannot be difcovered? The believer drops the enquiry, and fubmits to infinite wisdom. It is enough for him to know that fuch is the preceptive will of God. His conduct resembles that of Abraham, of whom Paul teftifies, that when he was called to go out into a place which he fhould afterwards receive for an inheritance, he obeyed and went out, not knowing whither he went, Heb. xi. 8. By this confcientious adherence to the commands of his God, the believer's regard to the law fometimes rifes fo high, that the world, by its fmiles or its frowns, its promises or its threatenings, could not induce him to do any thing contrary to it. Yes, were he put to the proof, he would boldly say with the apostle, Whether it be right in the fight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye, Acts iv. 19. As a fubject

is obedient to his king, a fervant to his mafter, and a child to his father, without afking, why does my King, my Mafter, my Father thus? So faith the believing foul, It becomes me to keep my will in fubjection, and to obey my God in all things.

c. Faith thus exercifed will preserve the believer from fuperftition, and from being fubject to ordinances, the commandments of men. The word of God being thus made the rule of all his actions, he commandment becomes a lamp and the law a light unto him; and thus he is taught how to cleanfe his way, by taking heed thereto, according to God's word.

3. To live by faith also confifts IN A HABITUAL

AND WELL-GROUNDED CONFIDENCE IN GOD, in all things, whether temporal or spiritual.

A. This confidence is maintained in ALL SPI

RITUAL DISTRESSES.

a. Under a sense of his having backflidden; and in the experience of the power of corruptions. Such doubts indeed may arife in the believer's mind as may make him ready to say, "A ftate like this is in"confiftent with grace. If God were my Father, "and Jesus my Redeemer and furety, fin would not "exert fuch power in me. If Chrift dwelt in my "heart, it would be more purified." But even in the midst of them, he lofes not his confidence in God. For has he not been taught to know God as one that is gracious, merciful, and abundant in goodnefs; and has he not experienced the virtue of the blood of Christ to cleanse and to purify? He is encouraged therefore with David to pray, Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindnefs: according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my tranfgreffions, Pfal. li. 1. He then confiders the divine COMPASSION, and makes it another ground of his truft. "Thou art," fays he, "a God who "will pardon my fins, and deign to pity me, as a 'father pitieth his children. For thou knoweft our frames, thou remembereft that we are duft, Pfal. Haft thou not declared with thine "own mouth? I, even I, am he that blotteth out all thy

*ciii. 13, 14.

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tranfgreffions for my name's fake, and will not re"member tl fin; furely, as a GOD OF TRUTH, thou "wilt not fail of performing THIS word which thou "haft spoken."— But this is not all; he will plead the atonement of Jefus, he will reft upon his righteousness, and derive fupport from this fruitful fource of encouragement, that he ever liveth to make inter

ceffion; confcious to himself that the Father, for the fake of the merits of such a mediator, will not wholly depart from him, nor for ever caft him from his prefence.

b. The believer maintains this confidence under

fpiritual defertions, when the Lord withholds the light of his countenance from him, hides his face, stands as it were behind the wall, and makes him to bewail with the prophet, "My ftrength and my hope is "perished from the Lord," Lam. iii. 18. and with Zion, "The Lord hath forfaken me, and my Lord hath "forgotten me."

In a cafe like this, the believer does not yield to despondency, but in confidence lays hold of the promises of God. He recollects with delight that his Father hath faid, " For a fmall moment, I have forfaken "thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a "little wrath, I hid my face from thee for a moment ; "but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on "thee, faith the Lord, thy redeemer," Ifai. liv. 8. On these promises the foul refts, and firmly relies; because it believes that the God of truth will perform his own word, and never fuffer his faithfulness to fail.

c. The believer reposes confidence in his God, when affaulted by Satan. Does that cruel adversary affail him with his fiery darts, then faith's truft in the Lord is his fhield. He hath been taught that Jefus hath caft Satan under his feet, bruifed his head, and fo deftroyed his power, that he cannot injure any who belong to him; and further, that the God of peace will fhortly caft this enemy also under his people's feet, and make them join in their redeemer's triumph over him. But

B. The people of God, likewife, exercise a trust in God, in times of temporal afflictions, Does God,

for the trial of his people's faith, vifit them with fickness, or poverty, or bring them into any other afflictive circumstances? Is there nothing but darkness on every fide, without any profpect of relief? Are the ways in which they once expected deliverance obftructed? Do the clouds ftill thicken and cover their path with impenetrable gloom? Be it fo; yet the believer does not give up his confidence, but trufts in the name of the Lord, and ftays upon his God, in the following manner :

a. He looks off from himself, from all creatures, and from all means on which he once depended; and feeing them to be all vain and ineffectual, betakes himself to God as his refuge, and cafts all his concerns, and all his burdens at his feet, acknowledging that his help and deliverance is alone in the Lord; that it is he who bringeth light out of darkness, and that nothing is impoffible with him and hence, he commits his way to Jehovah, that he may order it, and faith, "Thou beholdeft mifchief and fpite, to requite it with thy hand:" and it has been often found, that the more dark the Providence, the stronger has been the believer's confidence, that the Lord was near to help and to deliver. He has, in times past, either experienced this himself, or obferved it to be fo in God's dealings with others, and this makes him to believe, even against hope, both that the Eternal can, and will bring falvation.

b. This believing confidence manifefts itself in times of afflictions, by caufing the Chriftian to have his eye fixed upon SPIRITUAL, heavenly, and invifible objects. "O!" faith the believer, "in this life "I am travelling a dark road, every thing goes "against me: however if I have but a small por"tion of this world's goods, I have an inheritance in