cannot stand in the congregation of the righteous, Psalm i. 5.

But though God seems to deal so terribly with the poor sinner, yet he only aims to humble him, debase him, empty him of self, and meeken and soften his stubborn spirit, and not to destroy him; and therefore he says, "I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth; for the Spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made," Isai. lvii. 16. A continual sense of wrath would drink up the spirits, Job vi. 4; and perpetual contention would drown the soul in despair; but God says this shall not be the case, for, "I will not contend for ever." And no sooner does the Holy Spirit produce a godly sorrow, but the terrible and threatening parts of God's word seem, as it were, to blow over; and the softening, alluring, and encouraging promises seem to operate; yea, the comforting, inviting, soul-cheering, enlivening, and attracting parts of the scriptures flow in with much light and comfort; and the promissory parts of the word of God appear sweet, salutary, and enlarging; which animates and cheers the soul wonderfully: on which account the gospel, and the promises of it, are called by the angel, "All the words of this life," Acts v. 20. As soon as the encouraging and comforting promises enter, wrath subsides; while light and love diffuse their distant rays, working a surprising change in the soul. "And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise

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thee; though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortest me,' Isai. xii. 1. Now, though these first entrances of truth and comforting power may not root up, nor root out, all doubts and fears, and the ground of them; yet such a change is made, and such enlivening and cheering sensations are enjoyed, that the sinner gets comfort against the fears of death: and in the enlivening frames which he feels, though he be far from deliverance from all his troubles. "This is my comfort in my affliction, for thy word hath quickened me," Psalm cxix. 50.

The next springing up of this divine life discovers itself in the rising up of hope. Hope is intended to counteract despondency, to hold the shattered vessel from sinking; it turns the mind from looking back to looking forward, from bitter reflections to future expectations, from meditations of terror to contemplations of mercy. Hope is employed about things future, things good, things promised, and things much needed; and is always annexed with salvation; "For we are saved by hope," Rom. viii. 24. And this hope is a sweet handmaid to the poor distressed soul; it attends him in prayer, and is a firm expectation of future prevalency with God: It attends him to the house of God; and, if it meets with discouragement or disappointment, which is called hope deferred, and which is said to make the heart sick, so as for the poor sinner to begin to

sink and despond, yet it rises up again, and at times carries a considerable degree of assurance in it. "I will," says Paul, "that every one of you do shew the same diligence, and full assurance of hope, firm to the end." Hope waxes stronger and stronger by labouring under difficulties, and rises up with more vigour after strong oppositions. Moreover, hope makes our troubles lighter; it enables the sinner to submit to the will of God, and is a great promoter of, and much encourages to, the exercise of patience. "If we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it." I always think that the vessel of mercy crosses the line when hope springs up, and that the bitterness of death is then past; for, as we sink deeper and deeper in the horrible pit, and matters get worse and worse, and all future prospects look more and more dismal, while we appear without God, and have no hope in the world, so when hope springs up we rise higher and higher, and matters look more and more promising. This makes us hug and kiss the rod, and teaches us to submit, and accept the punishment of our iniquities. Nor would such a soul part with the chastisements of his most propitious Father, or be without them, for all the world. He knows that things will end well with him, and this keeps him steadfast, and watchful at wisdom's gate. And this hope is not a dead thing, but a most laborious grace; for, as faith works by love, so hope works with patience; it makes

us eye the promises, and leads us to expect the accomplishment of them. Nor shall the hoping soul be disappointed; "For surely there is an end, and thine expectation shall not be cut off," Prov. xxiii. 18.

The Spirit shining upon the word, and affording the soul some relief and encouragement, that very relief and encouragement discovered in the word, is by the Spirit realized to the heart. And it is an experience of these sweet influences that worketh hope. "For whatsoever things were written afore time, were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope," Rom. xv. 4. Το this hope does our covenant God and Father beget us; and it is as true that divine life lies in this hope. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again to a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," 1 Peter i. 3. If it be a lively hope, then life must be in it, as there is but one hope; for, "We are all called in one hope of our calling;" then all hopes but this are dead. And, as this hope hath life in it, so eternal life is the expectation of it. A lively hope through grace expects a life in glory, and shall have it.

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hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began," Titus i. 2.

The springing up of this divine life appears further, in the power and energy which often

attend the word, the suitableness and seasonableness of the promises in their soul-dissolving applications, the strength and encouragement that attends their powerful entrance, the nobleness and richness conveyed thereby to the mind, the wonderful field that appears to open, and the transporting and ravishing views presented to the enlightened understanding thereby. And, though the poor awakened sinner may be but now and then favoured with these banquets, and these may be very short, and succeeded with much bitterness, yet they are highly prized by him; and he finds by these things, though but in a small degree, yet it is going in and out and finding pasture, and Satan is sorely displeased at it. And this appears by the most violent temptations which generally follow upon such kind indulgences, and which Satan, by the instrumentality of carnal reason and unbelief, labours hard to dispute him out of; and the poor creature labours as hard to hold them fast. And it gives him such a relish for the heavenly fare, that he esteems the word of God's mouth more than his necessary food, Job xxiii. 12. And this feeds the living principle within, called the hidden man of the heart; for that which is born of God is nourished and fed by the Spirit and word of God; for the principal thing in the new man is life, and it is divine life that feeds and nourishes that principle. It eats the word of life, the bread of life, and drinks the water of life, and every drop of com