will forget all the toils of the way-then hand in hand with holiness, will fall in an ecstasy of gratitude, before the throne, for "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord."

And you know, my loved friend, that these are just your views and feelings. You love every one that does your soul good. You are grieved when a day has past without obtaining any spiritual improvement. You feel an You feel an acute sorrow when your eye is misty, and you cannot see your lovely guide; and you only recover your peace when you again behold her clearly, and are evidently following her.

Thus then these earnest desires to grow in grace, prove that you are "led by the Spirit of God;" and "as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."

Now I am far from saying that the sanctification of your soul is in any degree complete; or that the fruits of the Spirit are as luxuriant as they ought to be; still on carefully examining the state of your heart by those tests which God has given us, you must be constrained to feel, that a work has been begun in your soul; a work which the Holy Spirit alone could effect, consequently that you "have come to Jesus," that you are reconciled to God, accepted, admitted into his family, and under preparation for glory.

To deny that the Lord is with you, is to imitate the unholy Jews of old, who though they had again and again beheld our Lord's miracles, yet insulted him by saying, "what sign shewest thou," and "what dost thou work?" Is it a grateful way of requiting him for his wondrous mercy, to doubt the exercise of it? and when he says to us by his work of grace upon our souls, "I have

loved you with an everlasting love: therefore, with loving kindness have I drawn you," is it gracious, and humble in us to reply with the Jews, "wherein hast thou loved us ?" Oh no! surely it were far more acceptable and pleasing to the Lord to answer with humble and admiring gratitude "I will always give thanks to thee for what thou hast done, and I will hope in thy name." Abundant are the promises that the Lord will complete the good work of sanctification which he has so condescendingly begun, and we should simply rest our souls upon them, and honour him by believing his word in the midst of every discouragement.

I will mention two or three that I wish

you to dwell upon when your soul is cast down. "Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." "Faithful

is he that calleth you who also will do it." "The Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil." "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” “In due season we shall reap if we faint not." "Wherefore hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

We should thus try and examine our state by the word of God, and not by our own feelings; ever bearing in mind that nothing is so acceptable to him, and nothing is so strongly inculcated in the Scriptures, as a thankful, praising spirit; and consequently every meditation which tends to promote such a spirit, must necessarily promote our sanctification. And be not discouraged by daily observing more and more in your heart that needs

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correction; but be comforted by the thought that "All things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light." Hail therefore your increasing views of the sinful state of your spirit, as a satisfactory evidence, that a stronger light from above has been cast on your soul; for in your days of darkness you saw none of these things.

Oh, how do we dishonor our gracious God by distrusting his willingness to sanctify us! How ill do our doubting, suspicious feelings accord with his own most cheering

declaration, "I will make an everlasting “I covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them (in the nursery of the