"believeth in him should not perish, but have everlast"ing life."

Now consider, of what do you doubt? Has Jesus made full atonement for sin, and brought in everlasting righteousness? Has the Father demonstrated again and again his perfect delight in his person, and his infinite satisfaction in his work. Certainly you cannot question this docrine, if you believe the scripture to be a divine revelation. Do you doubt then of God's free promise, or of his faithfulness to fulfil it? What! Can his word be broken? Can his promise fail? His word and promise ratified in the immutable covenant, and sealed with the immutable oath of the eternal Three? This is your warrant to believe. And do you question the veracity of it?"He, that believeth not God, hath “made him a liar." O what a dreadful sin to give the lie to the Holy Trinity! The Father says, whosoever cometh; the Son says, all that come unto me shall be saved; the Spirit says, come whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely, and be saved. Are not these faithful sayings worthy of all credit? especially as they are delivered with divine auhority under the great seal of heaven. If doubts still remain, pray against them, and meditate upon the unreasonableness as well as well as the wickedness of them, and continue to hear and to read the word (for faith cometh, and groweth too by hearing) that you may be enabled to put honour upon it by venturing your soul upon the divine faithfulness to make it good to you.

Perhaps you may believe the record, which God hath given of his Son, but you cannot do it with stedfastness; you can at times stay your mind upon God with sweet peace, but you are not able to maintain it: yea, lose it when you want it most. How in this case shall the believer keep the peace of God ruling always in his conscience?

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It is to be maintained in the same way, by which it was first received. It came by believing, and is thereby

strengthened. By the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ peace was made between God and man, by the sprinkling of his blood peace is made between man and God. When this is applied to the conscience by the Holy Spirit, and received by faith, there is a continual preservative against guilt: "For the blood of Jesus "Christ cleanseth from all sin." Here is the witness of God; and it is always the same. This believed will always bring the same cleansing virtue, and keep the conscience purged from dead works. If at any time guilt defile it, then unbelief has entered, and has been denying, either that the blood of Christ does cleanse from all sin, or that the divine testimony concerning it does deserve credit. Guilt cannot easily enter into the conscience but by one of these two ways. Examine, and see which it is. Do you doubt of the virtue of Christ's blood, or of the trnth of God's record concerning it?

You reply, I dare not question either of them, yet nevertheless I cannot with any settled comfort maintain peace with God. But it is your privilege to maintain it, confirmed to you by the royal charter of grace, and ratified in it by many express promises. Jesus has made peace by the blood of his cross, and if you believe what the God of truth says of it, peace should rule in your heart always: for all things are well ordered for you, and sure in the everlasting covenant. On the part of God all is unalterably fixed and settled. What is it then, which unsettles you? Is it something you find in yourself? Is it from indwelling sin, remaining corrup tion, a body of sin and death, or from the weakness of your faith and of your other graces? What! have you forgotten, that from all these the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth? Is it from a suspicion, that your peace is not right, because it ebbs and flows! This should humble, but not discourage you: because there is a gracious provision made to remove your suspicion. God has taken the charge both of you and of your peace: he keeps bath by his mighty power, as it is written, the peace of God which surpasses all understanding shall keep with

a safe guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. You are as safe in the hand of God at the lowest ebb, as at the highest spring-tide of sensible comfort: because your safeguard is almighty, and he is equally concerned about your peace, whether you feel it, or not. Your sense of it may vary, but he varies not. There is in him no variableness, nor shadow of turning. How should the belief of this stay your mind upon your God, and keep guilt out of the conscience, even when you are walking in darkness, and have no light!

O my soul, meditate upon those precious truths. Give thyself wholly to them. Consider how deeply they enter into the very being of thy peace. Unless they be understood, thou canst not know the way of peace; and unless they be received by faith, thy conscience will not be purged from guilt and unbelief. And while these defile it, thou canst not look upon God as reconciled, or delight thyself in him or in his ways. Can two walk together, except they be agreed? But when they are agreed, and of one mind, then walking with God becomes pleasant, and all his paths are peace.

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Search then, and examine thyself, O my soul, and that not lightly, and after the manner of dissemblers with God, but closely and thoroughly by the light of the divine word, and under the teaching of the divine Spirit. Dost thou understand what is revealed concerning the way of peace-what was covenanted in the counsel of the eternal Three-and what has been done in consequence of it? Jesus Christ is the great peace-maker. He has made peace through the blood of his cross. Father sent him, gave him to be a covenant of the ple, to fulfil for them all righteousness, and to be their atoning sacrifice. The Father has seen the work which he gave him to do, and has accepted it is perfectly satisfied with it, and therefore is infinitely delighted with him and with all his. He would now be known by the high style and title of the GoD of PEACE. Fury is not in him to those whom he sees in the beloved. He is a Father, fully, for ever reconciled to all his children

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in Christ Jesus. He loves them, as he loves him, with every kind feeling of the most tender parent. And he will bring every one of them to partake with their glorified head of the blessings of his everlasting love.

If thine understanding be enlightened with this knowledge of God, is it effectual in thy conscience? Canst thou plead it there? This is the principal thing. Hast thou a good conscience, freed from guilt and condemnation, by believing the record which God hath given of his Son? He is well pleased with him for his righteousness sake. His soul delighted in the sweet smelling savour of his Son's sacrifice. Because he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, therefore the Father hath highly exalted him. This is the witness of God. Dost thou yield to it, and give it full credit? What canst thou set to thy seal that God is true, and that what satisfied him has perfectly satisfied thee, and therefore the peace of God rules in thy conscience always and by all means?

Remember, this is thy privilege. Thou art called to the enjoyment of it. The evidence is as full as could be desired, for the ending of all strife in thy conscience. The greatest honour thou canst put upon the divine witnesses, is so to end it, as to suffer no appeal to be made from their decree. Thy conscience should join issue. It should say the same that God does, It should plead thy discharge from guilt under the broad seal of heaven; and should stop the mouth of unbelief with those words written in golden letters in the royal charter of grace" There is No condemnation to them that "are in Christ Jesus-They are freely forgiven ALL "trespasses"-" They are justified from ALL things "thy sins and iniquities, says God himself, will I re"member NO MORE." These are the immutable words of truth. They cannot be broken. O my soul, put honour upon them. Believe them without doubt or wavering. Why dost thou draw back thy confidence? Trust, and not be afraid. Thou mayest safely venture to believe all that the Lord hath spoken. He will

make it good; and the more thou believest, the more will be made good. More faith will bring thee in a richer revenue of peace. The Lord increase thy faith. May it entirely influence thy conscience, that it may agree with God; neither questioning the infinite value of the righteousness and atonement of Immanuel, nor yet the faithfulness of his promise, under which thou claimest them" WHOSOEVER WILL may take them freely."

Let thy faith be ever so well established, yet thou wilt meet with something every day, to try it; but remember, the foundation on which thou standest, cannot fail, and none, nothing shall remove thee from it. The Lord brought thee to build upon this foundation. He hath begun the good work, and he will not leave his work unfinished. The top-stone shall certainly be brought forth with shouting GRACE-GRACE : for his love is like himself. His purposes, his word, his works change not. What if thou feel many things wrong in thyself, thou art sometimes low in spirits; thou canst not be pleased with thy corruption, and thou art not pleased with thy duties, thy graces are weak, thy love not as it should be, thy best services unprofitable; yet those very things rightly understood, and improved by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, will be the means of establishing thy conscience in the peace of God. They will lead thee every day to a greater dependance upon sovereign grace: for they will leave thee nothing to trust in, but the righteousness and the atonement of Immanuel, nothing to keep thee, but his faithfulness to his word and work, and nothing to bless thee but his free covenant mercy. Thus they will work together for thy good. Trials will settle thee. Enemies will confirm thee in peace. Troubles will bring thee nearer to God. Amidst all discouragements thou wilt have this promise to stay thy soul upon-" I "will never leave thee nor forsake thee." His friendship is fixed. It springs from the purpose and love of his own breast, and therefore was and is always un