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to thee, thou shalt be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. But if thou art tempted to doubt, finding thy revolting heart apt to turn from the Lord, "I will put my fear, says he, into thy heart, "that thou shalt not depart from me." Observe, it is his faithfulness and power, and not thine, which is to keep thee, and has covenanted to do it, and he has all power in heaven and earth, and he has given thee promise upon promise for the establishment of thy faith, that thou mightest be certain he will love thee, and keep thee unto the end. And when he has brought thee to a certainty of it, then thy comfort will be full. Christ will be magnified in thee, now he has made thee one of those fathers, who have known him that is from the beginning. He has taught thee so to know him, as to trust him for all things and in all times. This is his crown and glory. He has enthroned himself in thy heart, as thy perfect Saviour, and his kingdom is within thee, even righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Now thy calling and thy election is sure. Thou knowest that he is faithful who has promised to keep thee, who also will do it. And having this assurance of faith, attended with the rejoicing of hope, and being sealed by the blessed Spirit to the day of redemption, surely thou art an happy man, thrice happy, whom the Lord has thus highly favoured. How infinitely indebted art thou to his grace! Oh! what thanks and praises dost thou owe, more than thou canst ever pay, for what he has already done for thee! And yet this is only the dawning of the perfect day. His present favours are only earnests and pledges of what he will hereafter give thee. Therefore still trust in him, and he will enlighten thee more by his Word and Spirit, he will enliven, strengthen, and establish thee more. Thy faith will daily rest more assuredly upon him, the joy of thy hope will increase, thy love will yet more abound. He will guide thee by his counsel in an even course, and will receive thee into glory.

Thus have I treated, as I was able, of the safety and

happiness of living by faith upon the Son of God, and have described the common hinderances which stop its growth, and the victory over them, which the Lord gives his people. I have been forced to be very short, and could only throw out some hints upon this copious subject. May the good Lord pardon what is amiss, and bliss abundantly what is according to his mind and will. If thou hast followed me, reader, in thy experience, and art indeed a happy believer, living upon thy blessed Jesus, for his promised heaven; and for all things promised to thee in the way thither, think what a debt thou owest him! how dear and precious should he be to thy heart! He has saved thee from all evil, he will bless thee with all good. As surely as thou hast the earnest, thou shalt have the purchased possession. Oh! what a Saviour is this! he has already bestowed upon thee the exceeding riches of his grace, but how great will be the riches of the glory, which he will give thee? Thou wilt soon see him as he is, and then thou shalt be like him. No tongue can tell how great that glory will be, not all the tongues in heaven, after the number of the elect shall be perfected, no not after they have enjoyed it for millions of ages: never, never will they be able to shew forth all his praise for making them like himself. Surely then, while thou art waiting for this glory, which shall be revealed, thou wilt be gaing on from faith to faith, that thy beloved Saviour may become more dear to thee; and that thou mayest have more close and intimate communion with him. Every day's experience should bring thee to love his appearing more. Having tasted how gracious he is, thou shouldest be longing for the marriage supper of the Lamb with fervent desire. And being now a Father in Christ, and strong in faith, thou wilt be often looking up to him and saying,"

Make haste, my beloved, and take me to thyself-let me see thee face to face, and enjoy thee, thou dearest Jesus, whom my soul longeth after. It is good to live upon thee by faith, but to live with thee is best of all.

I have found one day in thy courts, conversing sweetly with thee, better than a thousand, but this has only whetted my appetite: the more communion I have with thee, I hunger and thirst still for more. My soul panteth for nearer, still nearer communion with thee. When shall I come to appear before the presence of God? O thou Light of my life, thou Joy of my heart, thou knowest how I wish for the end of my faith, when I shall no longer see through a glass darkly, but with open face behold the glory of my Lord. Thou hast so endeared thyself to me, thou precious Immanuel, by ten thousand thousand kindnesses, that I cannot be en tirely satisfied, until I have the full vision and complete enjoyment of thyself. The day of our espousals has been a blessed time. O for the marriage of the Lamb, when I shall be presented as a chaste virgin to my heavenly Bridegroom! How can I but long earnestly for this full enjoyment of thy everlasting love! Come, Lord Jesus, let me see thee as thou art. Come and make me like unto thee. I do love thee, I am now happy in thy love, but not so as I hope to be. I am often interrupted here, and never love thee so much as I desire; but these blessed spirits standing now round thy throne are perfected in love. Oh! that I was once admitted to see as they do, the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ! Is not that the voice of my Beloved, which I hear answering, Surely I come quickly! Amen, say I, even so come, Lord Jesus. Make haste, my Beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.

Art not these, believer, the breathings of thy soul? Since the time for them is short, may they grow warmer and more affectionate every day! Thou wilt wait but a little while before thou shalt see the King in his perfect beauty, and thou shalt be a blessed partaker of his eternal glory. And if he make these few lines any means of bringing thee to see more of his beauty at present, to live more upon his fulness, and to be happier in him; I hope thou and I shall, through his grace,

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meet him soon, and give him to eternity the glory of this and of all his other mercies. To the Lord I commend thee, on whom thou hast believed. May he strengthen and establish thy faith daily, that it may grow exceedingly until he bring thee to the end of it, and admit thee into that innumerable company, ascribing blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, to Him that was slain, and hath redeemed them unto God by his blood: to whom, with the Father, and the eternal Spirit, three Persons in one Jehovah, be equal and everlasting praise. Amen.

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