བརྒྱ་་》《་ནས་

der. Let me entreat you to regard what the apoftle fays to the Hebrews; "We desire that every one of you do fhew the fame diligence to the full affurance of hope unto the end." The full affurance of hope is a fpecial degree of its advancement and improvement. A weak and imperfect hope will give but a weak and imperfect relief under trouble; but that which rifeth up to a full affurance will carry us comfortably through all the difficulties and afflictions attendant on the present state. Now diligence is necessary to be fhewn, if we would enjoy this full affurance of hope. This is God's appointment: "Give diligence to make your calling and election fure; for if ye do these things, ye fhall never fall; for fo an entrance fhall be miniftered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift."

Diligence hath a proper and natural tendency to the end proposed. For by the use of diligence, we grow in grace, fo that our intereft in the promifes of God is cleared up unto us. There is no inftance wherein we may allow ourselves to lay afide this diligence; for it must be fhewn unto the end. There is no condition in life wherein it will not be neceffary. It must be maintained, if we would enjoy the full affurance of hope, till we are abfolutely difcharged from our warfare.

Many

》ས》རར*

Many fall fhort of a fettled affurance of intereft in the divine favour, for want of seeking it. Could they be perfuaded to pray for themselves, with that earneftness and importunity which the apoftle Paul discovered with refpect to others, they would, no doubt, be brought to experience the privilege in question. "I cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the faints. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner-man; that Chrift may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all faints, what is the breadth, ́ and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Chrift which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God."

Would those who are at uncertainties concerning their spiritual ftate, be prevailed upon to feek with diligence, earnestness, and perseverance for

what

••bབབ་་

what is requested in thefe petitions, they certainly would be brought to experience what they have not yet known. For it is faid by him that cannot lie, Afk, and ye fhall receive; feek, and ye fhall find; knock, and it fhall be opened to you. For every one that afketh, receiveth; he that feeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it fhall be opened." The plain matter of fact then is, "Ye have not because ye afk not." O that you would be entreated to make the experiment, and fee whether the God of truth and grace will falfify his own word.

Some walk perpetually in the dark refpecting their interest in the divine favour, through the indulgence of fome known fin. Conscience! £peak; thou art a witness for God. Difcharge thy office faithfully. Arreft the guilty reader, and urge him him here to make a folemn paufe...... Though no one was farther from a legal spirit than the apostle Paul; though no one was more dependent upon Jefus Chrift for acceptance with the Father; yet he says, "Herein do I exercise myself, to have a confcience void of offence, both towards God and towards men."

If we live in any known fin, or allow ourselves in the customary omiffion of any known duty, how is it poffible to preserve a comfortable sense of our

�རྫ་ན་་

intereft in the favour of God; fince the Holy Spirit will, in that case, be grieved, and withdraw his evidence in our behalf? But could we retain our hope towards God, we certainly should not be eafy or happy. If a traveller were fure of reaching his journey's end in safety, yet if he walked a great part of the way with a thorn in his foot, he must take every step in pain. Such a thorn, as is justly observed by a pious writer, will be felt in the conscience, till we are favoured with true fimplicity of heart, and made willing in all things, great and small, to yield obedience to the Lord's precepts, and make them the standing rule of our conduct, without wilfully admitting a fingle exception. It must be owned, that the best and holieft of men. are conscious of innumerable failings, imperfections and miscarriages; yet their hearts being upright, these things will not break their peace. But if we trifle with light received, and connive at what we know to be wrong, our hands will be weak, and our minds dark, reftlefs, and uncomfortable. Many, who, one would hope, are the children of the King, are lean from day to day, because of the indulgence of fome fecret fin. They are as distant from the enjoyment of that happiness which arifes from a fense of intereft in the divine favour, as they are from the poffibility of recon

བ》བ་》:|:《ནར་༣ན་པ

ciling the incompatible fervices of God and Mam

mon.

Reader, beware of that reluctance to felf-examination which is fo common to the human mind.. Look into your own heart; fearch and try your ways, that you may find out that which deprives you of the comfortable fenfe of God's favour. Lets your spirit make diligent fearch, that you may dif cover the latent iniquity which robs you of fo great a privilege. And if you find it, do not fpare it; but, humbling yourself in the fight of the Lord,. feek for pardon; and cry to him who is able to fave, for deliverance from the fin which easily be fets you. Say with Job, "Wherefore hideft thou thy face, (O God) and holde ft me for thine enemy ?! Make me to know my tranfgreffion, and my fin." God giveth grace unto the humble. "Humble yourself in the fight of the Lord, and he fhall: lift you up. He comforteth those that are caft down. He dwells with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."

Beware of neglecting God's ordinances. Dili gently wait upon him in his appointments. Give good heed to the miniftration of his holy word. Hearken and hear what the Lord fpeaks by his minifters; for he will speak peace to his people and

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