righteousness, and therefore the scripture is called the word of righteousness, and being unskilful in it signifies want of experience in the management of it, unskilful in the knowledge of the person of the Lord our righteousness, who is true and very God, as well as true and very man; unskilful in the nature of his righteousness, that it is absolutely perfect and everlastingly meritorious, so that any sinner by receiving it will be not only delivered from sin, and all the miseries due to sin, but will also be entitled to life and glory; unskilful in the gift of righteousness, how freely God bestows it, nothing being required to make it the sinner's but receiving it, and therefore it is called the righteousness of faith: because by faith he trusts in it for salvation, and for all its blessings in earth and heaven, and expects them as the fruits of righteousness-unskilful in experience, not knowing how to plead this righteousness against the charges of the law, of conscience, and of the accuser of the brethren, and therefore apt to fall into a legal spirit to be distressed in their warfare between the old man and the new, and to covet and to rely more upon sensible feelings, than upon the sure testimony of God in his word. These are some of the principal difficulties which young believers meet with, and they all arise from their unskilfulness in the word of righteousness, and therefore I have particularly considered some scripture motives for removing them out of the way. And after thou hast perused these motives, have they been the means of settling thy judgment, comfortting thy conscience, and strengthening thy faith? Dost thou see more of Christ's grace and power to save thee a sinner than thou didst before, and therefore canst trust him better, and in time of need make more use of his promised grace? If this be thy case, give him the glory, and may he carry thee on from strength to strength. But if thou hast received no improvement from reading thus far-What is the reason? Perhaps thou art under some of the temptations here described. Search and see. And whatever it be, either in doctrine

or experience, which hinders the increase of thy faith, may the Lord discover it to thee, and enable thee to overcome it, that thou mayest be no longer a babe unskilful in the word of righteousness, but mayest grow up to be a young man strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

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The apostle Paul has directed me how to speak to the babes in Christ; and another apostle shews how they grow up to be young men, and thereby he furnishes me with matter for the second part of this trea tise on the life of faith ;- "I have written unto you, young men," says he, "because ye are strong and the "word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome "the wicked one," 1 John ii. 14. These young men knew the principles of the doctrine of Christ; they were established in the belief of his Godhead, of the infinite sufficiency of his salvation, of the free gift of all its graces and blessings promised to him that worketh not, and received by faith only, and all treasured up for the believers use in the fulness of Christ Jesus, to whom he is to bring nothing to recommend him, but the promise of the grace which he then wants and a dependence upon Christ to supply that want. These young men had attained to a good degree of knowledge and experience in these truths. They began to be able to keep the evidence of their union with Christ clear and distinct, and to improve it by their communion with him in all his offices. But notwithstanding their establishment in these points, they had many temptations and great difficulties-still they knew but in part-still they had a fleshly corrupt nature, to watch over, and to fight against, always inclining them to trust to the law, to their feeling to any thing but Christ, and always disposing them to yield to the suggestions of the devil, and to the allurements of the world. warfare, instead of ceasing grows hotter and hotter, but they grow stronger. It is the peculiar character of the young men in Christ to be strong: they have learnt where their strength lays, and they put it forth. They

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go down to battle not trusting in any power or might of their own, but strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. He is their strength. When the enemy cometh in like a flood, then to Jesus they look for safety and victory-"O our God we have no might against this great company that cometh against us, "neither know we what to do, but our eyes are upon "thee." The abiding sense of their own weakness keeps them dependant upon him, so that the more they feel of their helplessness, the stronger they grow: because they live more upon Christ for strength, which illustrates that seeming paradox of the apostle, "When "I am weak, then am I strong"-when I am most sensible of my own weakness, then am I strongest in the Lord, his strength is then perfected in me. And his strength is put forth in the effectual working of it by believing. It is not, neither can it be inherent in them, who without Christ can do nothing, but it is brought in by faith; nor does faith bring it in to lodge it or lay it up in store, till it shall be wanted, but when it is wanted, faith then regards the promise, looks up to Christ to fulfil it, and receives strength out of his ful ness. And being his, freely promised, and freely given, it is therefore called the strength of grace, Thou "therefore, my son, says Paul to Timothy, be strong "in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." Strong faith gets strong grace from Christ, according as it is written :

"All things are possible to him that believeth :" for according to his faith it shall be done unto him. If his faith reach to the full extent of the promises he shall find all things possible, which God hath promised, yea he shall be able to do all things through Christ strengthening him.

This is the life of these young men in Christ. They are strong in him, living upon his promised strength, and by faith receiving it. They live not upon any thing in themselves, but whatever they stand in need of, and whatever they have a promise for, that they expect shall be given them by the power of God their

Saviour. They see themselves poor helpless creatures, full of continual wants, and no means in their own power to supply them. The sense of this empties them of self-greatness and self-dependence, and the abiding sense of this keeps them humble and dependent upon Christ. Thus the Lord teaches them how to live out of themselves, and to be always receiving out of the Saviour's fulness grace for grace. They have his infinite storehouse to repair to, in which there is treasured up for them every thing that they can possibly want. Happy for them their God has promised to supply all their need out of the riches of his grace in Christ Jesus, and by faith they have an abundant supply to the praise of that God, who keepeth his promise for ever.

In him they live he is the Lord and giver of spiri tual life, as Paul says-I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. They are made strong in him. "The "Lord is the strength of my life," says the Psalmist, Psal. xxvii. 1. that life which I live by the faith of the Son of God has all its strength from him.

And is continued by his power-" For none can "keep alive his own soul," Psal. xxii. 29. " It is God "who holdeth our soul in life, Psal. lxvi. 9.

And is kept by faith-" Ye are kept by the power "of God through faith," 1 Pet. i. 5. Whatever strength the believer wants to enable him to bear hardship, endure the cross, fight his spiritual enemies, daily gain victories over them, he expects it from God, and through faith he receives it, and is kept-yea so kept,

As to be confirmed unto the end. He that is able to keep believers from falling, will keep them until they receive the end of their faith, even the salvation of their souls. Thus the life which Christ begins by his grace he continues by his strength; and every act of this spiritual life is from him. The will, the power is his; for he doeth all, and in all. These young men were so well assured of this, that they lived upon Christ for strength, and they received it; they were strong in him. Their faith viewed him in his exalted state with all

power in heaven and earth, and engaged as their cove nant head to use it for them, to make them and to keep them alive to God. On this power they depended. And whatever promise they had of its being used in their behalf, and pleaded it out at the throne of grace, and trusted Christ with the fulfilling of it; he never disappointed them. They were made strong, and stood fast in the Lord; who never withdrew his supporting arm, therefore they never ceased to put their whole trust and confidence in him.

When the enemy sees them thus strong in the Lord through faith, it stirs up his devilish malice and makes him burn with envious rage. He leaves no temptation untried to draw them from Christ. He is well skilled in cunning wiles and sly devices for this purpose. He does not begin with tempting them to open sin; that would at once discover his wicked design: but he artfully tries to sap the foundation, and to weaken their faith. If he can get them from their dependance upon Christ, he carries his point; and too, too often he suc ceeds. Oh! beware, reader, of every thing; suspect it, let its appearance be ever so fair and good, which in the least tends to weaken thy fast hold of Christ. Cleave to him with full purpose of heart, as long as ever thou livest: for the enemy's whole plan is to separate thee from him. Formerly he tried to do this by distressing thee about thy sins-how they could be pardoned-whether being so great, so many, the blood of Christ could cleanse from all: now thou hast through believing received forgiveness of sins, he will try to do the same by distressing thee about thy duties. Sometimes he will try to bring guilt into thy conscience by suggesting to thee thy many failings and short comings in them the disorder of thine imagination-thy wan derings in thy prayersthy dulness in hearing and reading the word-the little life and power thou findest in thine attendance upon the ordinances-and the coldness of thy love to God and man. If he can get thee to dwell upon these things so as to forget Christ, then