great barrenness. The individual at one time feels great strength, and finds himself at another in the most deplorable impotency. At one time he possesses great courage, and at another the same degree of timidity; at one time he can call Jesus his, and at another not; at one time he feels himself very able to make a sacred surrender of himself, and at another by no means disposed for it. He at length becomes extremely weary of this continual vicissitude, and inquires if it be impossible for the heart to be established; if only a Paul could say, 'I know in whom I have believed,' and am persuaded and assured; if that faith be unattainable which the Apostle describes as the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen;' if we ought not in the present day, according to the rule laid down by the Apostle John, to believe the love which God has towards us in Christ, and experience that fear is not in love, and must be expelled by the latter; and if we may have boldness even in the day of judgment: and then he asks, "Shall I only be unable to attain to it, seeing that with God nothing is impossible, although in myself I am incompetent to any thing that is good, and inclined to all that is evil? Is that state of grace, described by the Apostle, no longer attainable in the present day, in which the individual is free from an evil conscience, and is able to come boldly to a throne of grace; and where he speaks of a rest in God, and a cleaving to the Lord, by means of which we become one Spirit with him?" In short, he is compelled to believe that there is something higher, more glorious, and blissful in religion, than what he, or even others, have yet experienced; and he feels within him an ar

dent longing after this substantial and permanent state, although he sees and acknowledges himself unworthy of it; although it rests with the Lord's free grace whether he be pleased to lead him out of his present straitened and contracted position into greater liberty; and he counts those elect souls particularly happy, who through grace have attained to it; from whence he learns to believe, that the most honor is frequently put upon those members which are thought to be less honorable, and that no one has reason to despair on account of his unworthiness, because the reward is not of works, but of grace.

Those souls, which in an especial manner hunger and thirst after righteousness, and to whom the promise is given that they shall be satisfied, experience a disgust, a certain dissatisfaction with their former standing in godliness; and in all their good exercises, they feel much poverty, and can no longer continue them in their customary manner; they see too clearly the self-love and self-righteousness which intermingle themselves in every thing; they detest their own working, although they cannot yet give it up; they also perceive that pleasing feelings do not constitute the essential part of religion. They languish until the Son makes them truly free, till salvation shall come upon Israel out of Zion, and the Lord deliver his captive people. The man here obtains a much deeper insight into the corruption and depravity of his own heart, into that dreadful selflove and self-righteousness which pervades us, into the amazing unbelief in which we are immersed, and is compelled to consider all that proceeds from himself as a mere hindrance. The case is now the same with him

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as with Jacob, when his hip was out of joint, and when he was thus deprived of all ability to stand and to continue the combat ; so that only the choice was left him either to fall helpless into the hands of his infuriated brother, or to cast himself upon the neck of his opponent. Nothing now remains for him but to place his hope and confidence entirely upon the Lord, and to say with Jacob, "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me―bless me with a superior light than has hitherto shone upon me, by which I may duly view thee, my Savior, as elevated upon the cross, with a stedfast peace, which shall keep my heart and mind in Christ Jesus instead of the constant mental disturbance I have hitherto experienced: with a complete faith, which receives out of thy fulness grace upon grace, and abides in thee as the,branch in the vine; which affords an entire and constant assent to the work of redemption, and perseveres in it, so that I have a sure confidence that thou wilt bless me with such a real fellowship and intercourse with thee, as to enable me to pray without ceasing, offer thanks unto thee, and thus glorify thee."

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Such is Jacob's prayer, I will not let thee go,'-a prayer to be used not only in the beginning, but also in the progress of the life of grace. Happy is he who employs it in both cases, and to whom light rises in darkness!

May the Lord bestow his blessing upon us all; begin his work in those souls where it is not yet commenced ; and where it is already begun, carry it on until the dawning of the perfect day. May complete knowledge and faith, a perfect cure and perfect love, be, by grace, the lot of all of us! Amen.

SERMON VI.

GENESIS XXXII. 27..

And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.

JACOB had assured the Lord, that he would not let him go, without first receiving his blessing; and, in the words of our text, we find the preparation for the reception of that which he desired. The Lord's sole intention was to impart to the Patriarch a superior blessing to anything he had previously enjoyed. But observe what a singular way he takes for this purpose. It seems as if he intended his entire ruin-nay, it not only seems so, but is so in reality. Jacob is driven more and more into straits. He is afraid of Esau, and the promises he has received, no longer serve to tranquilize his mind. In this way, many an individual miscalculates, upon whom the promises are impressed in a particularly lively manner. He looks upon them as a capital, upon which he can draw in the season of distress, and carefully notes them down, in order to refresh and encourage himself with them when he requires it. But the manna thus laid up, refuses to perform its office. The word, indeed, continues the same; but, as the Spirit is not with it, it produces no more effect than in the case of Jacob, who was afraid notwithstanding; and this is likewise productive of good.

In the most pitiable situation, and whilst hanging on the neck of his opponent, his desire for a superior blessing is increased; and it is then suggested to him, to let him go, who can alone bestow it. Thus it may also seem, as if Jesus did not trouble himself about the grief of soul which the individual experiences, and it seems as if he would be suffered to remain in it. But the Lord's intention is to make the man thoroughly acquainted with the real source from whence every blessing flows, deeply to convince him of the insufficiency of all self amendment, and to heal him of it.

Jacob now implores a blessing, but he does not receive it instantaneously; for the Lord enters into a conversation with him, which causes delay. Pious souls must also be satisfied to wait in like manner. They easily suppose, that when they have prayed once or a few times, with earnestness and fervor, for some particular blessing, it must immediately be bestowed, or else they become apprehensive that their prayer is not of the right kind, and their state of grace uncertain. But, friend, though thou knowest it not, thou art perhaps not yet poor-not yet humbled enough. Look at Jacob! When does he conquer? When is he blest? Only when his hip is dislocated, and no more strength is left him. Probably the Lord intends by it 'that thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame, when he is pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done.' Thou must, therefore, force thyself to be content, whether thou wilt or not.

'And he said unto him, What is thy name? Who