rious light of the gospel begins to shine into our hearts, and the glory of God to spread its enlivening and transporting beams, we find it hard work to "believe in the light, that we may be the children of light," John xii. 36. It appears so glorious, so great, so good, and altogether so clear and so free, that the transported soul ex- [ claims, Surely it never can be true! Now faith begins to triumph, and to believe not only the record that God hath given of his Son, but to believe in the name of the only-begotten Son of God himself. This makes the injurious bar of unbelief give way; the heart enlarges upon the application of every truth; and expectation and hope rise to the very height of the watch-tower. But, in order to exercise patience, it is often observed that these rays, which are but the utmost skirts of the Lord's glory, appear, as Ezekiel calls it, chap. i. 4, a fire infolding itself, or catching itself in. And these intermixtures of light and darkness, and the heart enlarging and contracting in concert with them, keep the poor soul rejoicing and trembling until faith lays hold of the atonement, brings it in, purifies the heart, and purges the conscience from dead works by it; upon which peace with God flows in, and friendship with God takes place. Sin being removed, nearness of access to God succeeds. The righteousness of Christ is put on, and the curse of a broken law goes out. Thus the atonement removes the sting of death, and a justifying righteousness

removes the ministration of death. Verily verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life," John v. 24. This is another precious springing up of the life of God in the soul. 66 Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it," Numb. xxi. 17. "Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily; and the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward."

Now, here I must look about me, and pick out all that I can, for I am quite in my element, and in which my soul delights. First, here is the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace, which is called by Peter the grace of life. Furthermore, upon this forgiveness there is a spiritual blessing pronounced. "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered; Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile," Psal. xxxii. 1, 2. Here is a twofold blessing, and they are both spiritual blessings; and all God's spiritual blessings are life, for upon Mount Zion God commanded the blessing, even life for evermore. "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, and blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity."

And there is also one blessing more in this glorious cluster, "Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God

imputeth righteousness without works." And the reason of this blessing is, because the sentence of death is removed, upon the sentence of justification being passed. "Therefore, as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." And again, "For, if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ,” Rom.v. 17. 18. When I began this scribble, reader, I set mine eyes and my heart upon God's blessing of eternal life; and hitherto I have closely pursued it, and hope in my God that I shall never lose sight of it to all eternity, and I firmly believe that I never shall. And in this my pursuit, I have kept that ghastly enemy, death, in view also, endeavouring to shew that the springing up of this divine life roots out and banishes death. And our great Apostle, in the two last quoted passages, seems to me to have been pursuing the same chase in his ministry; that is, abolishing death, and bringing life and immortality to light by the gospel. And so, in the above description which I have endeavoured to give of this springing well, two branches of death are removed. If we receive the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace, and which is the grace of life, then the sting of death is removed, and access to the living God is

granted. Upon justification unto life the law and its curse are removed; then the ministration of death is abolished from our hearts, 2 Cor. iii. 13. "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Cor. xv. 55—57.

But the believer stops not here; there is a further springing up of this living water. Moses in the Psalm that bears his name, fixes his eyes and his heart, and directs his prayer, for the highest attainment of a work of grace. "Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it," Ps. xc. 16, 17. Moses prays that God's work of grace might appear to his ministering servants, and the children which such servants should beget in their bonds, that the glory of God might appear to them: and this he calls the beauty of the Lord; not that which appeared at the giving of the law, for that was terrible Majesty, which bears that great and fearful name that made him fear and quake. He talks about the good-will of him that dwelt in the bush; the angel of the covenant who went before him, and gave him rest: in whom the glorious covenant name, which God proclaimed before him, was to be found. "Obey his voice,

for my name," says God, "is in him." This beautiful person Moses calls our life, and the length of our days. It was this blessed one that told Moses he knew him, and that he had found grace in his sight; the rays of whose face shone so sweetly upon the skin of Moses, when he was typifying him as mediator: and this beauty of the Lord our God is, God shining reconciled and well-pleased in the face of his dear Son. Here his eternal goodness, mercy, pity, and compassion, faithfulness and truth, all appear. And sure I am that nothing will establish the work of faith in us but this. "When the Lord shall build up

Zion he shall appear in his glory." But what

Knowledge It is in love to

builds us up? Not knowledge. puffeth up, but charity edifieth." men that God laid the foundation, which is Christ crucified; and it is love in men that unites and cements the foundation and building together.

Charity edifieth;" it builds up and raises the edifice of mercy. "When the Lord builds up Zion he shall appear in his glory." And where is this glorious appearance to be made? Why, "God, who caused the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined into our hearts, to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us," 2 Cor. iv. 6, 7 The eye of faith and the enlightened understanding discover this, and this is a thorough trans