but, from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Strange how mighty is the love of God! they which were enemies and disgraced, have all at once become saints and sons. For when he calls him Father, he shows them to be sons; and when he has said sons, he has unvailed the whole treasure of blessings.

Let us then keep showing a conversation worthy of the gift, and hold on in peace and holiness. For other dignities are but for a time, and are brought to an end along with this life present, and may be bought with money. Whence one should not even call them dignities, but names of dignities only, having their strength in the investiture of fine array and servility of attendants. But this as having been given of God, the gift of sanctification and adoption, is not broken through even by death, but even here maketh men conspicuous, and also departs with us upon our journey to the life to come. For he that holdeth on in the adoption, and keeps an exact watch upon his holiness, is much brighter and more worthy of being thought happy even than he that is arrayed with the diadem itself, and has the purple; and has the delight of abundant peace in the present life, and is nurtured up with godly hopes, and hath no ground for worry and disturbance, but enjoys constant pleasure. For as for good spirits and joy, it is not greatness of power, not abundance of wealth, not pomp of authority, not strength of body, not sumptuousness of the table, not the adorning of dresses, nor any other of the things in man's reach that ordinarily produces them, but spiritual success, and a good conscience alone. And he that hathi this cleaned, even though he be clad in rags and struggling with famine, is of better spirits than they that live so softly. So, too, he that is conscious of wicked deeds, though he may gather to himself all men's goods, is the most wretched of all men. For this cause Paul, living in continual hunger and nakedness, and being scourged every day, was joyful, and went more softly than they that were then emperors. But Ahab, when king, and indulging in a sumptuous luxury, when he had done that one sin, groaned and was out of spirits, and his countenance was fallen both before the sin and after the sin. If, then, we wish to enjoy pleasure, above all things else let us shun wickedness, and follow after virtue; since it is not in the nature of things for one to have a share thereof on any other terms, even if we were mounted upon the king's throne itself. Wherefore also Paul says, But

the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace. This fruit then let us keep growing by us, that we may be in the fruition of joy here, and may obtain the kingdom to come, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also be glory to the Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, even unto all ages. Amen.

OCTOBER 17.

For we walk by faith, not by sight.—2 Cor. v. 7.

DR. BATES.

THE unregenerate world are controlled in their conduct, and moulded in their characters, by the seen and the sensible-in neither respect do they rise higher than the scope of their vision. But the true people of God are brought under the influence of another and higher order of things by the power of faith. By faith in the unseen and eternal they walk. Hence they acquire a peculiar elevation and sanctity in their conduct and character.

According to the degrees of our assent to future eternal things, such is their victorious power in our souls. The objective efficacy of things is not from their existence, but from their evidence to our minds. Now according as our apprehensions are more clear, and our belief is more steadfast of things future, such impressions are made either of terror or desire in our breasts. The apostle defines faith to be, The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. It represents things future and distant, as present, and in our actual possession. A superficial fluctuating belief of the good or evil things in the next state, is of no force to encounter temptations, and vanquish the carnal affections. The report of the senses concerning things present, will preponderate the authority of God's word, that declares things future infinitely to exceed them. All fire has heat, but not strong enough to melt down gold and silver. There is an assent in every degree of faith, but not able to overcome the world. A radicated firm belief of the infallible truth, the transcendent goodness, and our sure right in heavenly things, will cause all the false colors of this world, the shadows in masquerade, to disappear.

The evidence and importance of things, fixes our resolutions to adhere to them. The son of a king, and heir of a kingdom,

ors.

will invincibly assert the truth of his relation and title. A sincere believer of the heavenly glory, and his eternal interest in it, will live in that faith, and die in it, if necessity require. The belief of it has a vital taste, a joy sincere and sweet, that makes the pleasant temptations of the world nauseous. As faith is the foundation and basis of hope, (it is the substance of things hoped for,) so hope is reciprocally as a strong pillar that establishes the basis upon which it is fixed :-for one voluntarily and steadfastly believes that which is for his advantage and comfort. The serious belief of the prepared plagues for those who are unfaithful to God, and their souls hereafter, will make all the evils threatened and inflicted upon the godly here, to be contemptible. If we are surrounded by an army of evils, let faith draw forth the powers of the world to come, we shall be more than conquerThere are many temptations we can not avoid; there are none but we may vanquish by the power of faith. The fear of God, like Aaron's rod turned into a serpent, that swallowed up the rods of the magicians, will overrule the fear of men, and make those evils that to naked nature are invincible, easily endured. This is evident from the courage and constancy of the martyrs, who despised the proudest tyrants upon their thrones, and most cruel executioners upon the scaffold: the effect of faith in the time of its triumph. If the same objects have not the same efficacy in the minds of men, it is for want of faith. If faith declines, we shall faint, and die away. Peter walked on the sea while he relied on the word of Christ, but when a blast of wind shook his faith, he presently sunk. The apostles doubted of Christ's power, when a storm fell upon the ship our Saviour first rebuked their fear before he laid the storm, as a danger more near and of worse consequence: Why are ye afraid, O ye of little faith?

Let us try the singular efficacy of faith, by exercising it upon eternal objects. Let our faith represent to us in as lively a manner the eternal judgment, as Enoch had a prospect of it; Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to judge all the ungodly-let faith direct its view to him, rending the heavens, and coming in his own glory, as the Son of God; and in his Father's glory, as constituted by him to be Judge of the world; and in the glory of the mighty angels, his attendants :-let faith contemplate the Judge upon a white throne, the emblem of his

holiness, whom none can surprise nor resist :-let faith make that day as present, when there will be no place for repentance; when the fountain of mercy to sinners will be sealed for ever; when the books of eternal life and death shall be opened, and all men shall receive an irrevocable judgment; a judgment so fearful, that sinners, how great and terrible soever they were in this world to others, shall call to the mountains to fall on them, and the hills to cover them, from the wrath of the Lamb: for his day is come. A judgment so strict, that the righteous shall scarcely be saved. Now what impressions of tormenting fear, or reviving hopes, will the strong belief of the eternal judgment, and the consequences of it, make in us, when heaven and hell shall divide all men, according as we are prepared or unprepared for the trial of that deciding day? How will it make us circumspect and cautious to avoid evil, active and ardent in doing good? for every thing must be brought into judgment. How ambitious and diligent to be accepted of our Judge? Let faith open a window into heaven, and represent the saints in their sunlike brightness, their glory and joy, and triumphant felicity in the eternal kingdom, where God is all in all. How will the believing view of this rectify our minds, and convince us that nothing deserves our high esteem and love, but the favor and fruition of the blessed God?

Let faith open the fatal gates of hell, that are ever shut upon the damned, and discover the scenes of woe, the sights of horror, the tormenting passions of reprobates, their desperate sorrow for the loss of heaven, and fierce indignation that others enjoy it; both which are implied in their weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth. How powerful will this representation be, to keep us in awe and order, to control the lusts and licentiousness of carnal appetites? How would this double vision make us esteem all the good things here as vile dross, and all the evil as light as feathers, in comparison of eternal things? How would this inspire us with resolutions to take heaven by violence, and to fly from the wrath to come?

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.-Matt. v. 6.

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THIS grace is the greatest indication of spiritual health, when our appetite is right, strong, and regular; when we are desirous of spiritual nourishment, when we long for manna, and "follow Christ for loaves," not of a low and terrestrial relish, but that "bread which came down from heaven." Now there are two sorts of holy repast which are the proper objects of our desires. The bread of heaven, which is proportioned to our hunger; that is, all those immediate emanations from Christ's pardon of our sins, and redemption from our former conversation, holy laws, and commandments. To this food there is also a spiritual beverage to quench our thirst: and this is the effect of the Holy Spirit, who first became to us "the breath of life," giving us holy inspirations and assistances, refreshing our weariness, cooling our fevers, and allaying all our intemperate passions, making us holy, humble, resigned, and pure, "according to the pattern in the mount," even as our Father is pure." So that the first redemption and pardon of us by Christ's merits is the bread of life, for which we must hunger; and the refreshments and daily emanations of the Spirit, who is the spring of comforts and purity, is that drink which we must thirst after: as being first reconciled to God by Jesus, and a being sanctified and preserved in purity by the Holy Spirit, is the adequate object of our desires. Some, to hunger and thirst best, fancy the analogy and proportion of the two sacraments, the waters of baptism, and the food of the eucharist; some the bread of the patin, and the wine of the chalice. But it is certain they signify one desire, expressed by the most impatient and necessary of our appetites, hungering and thirsting. And the object is whatsoever is the principle or the effect, the beginning, or the way, or the end of righteousness; that is, the mercies of God, the pardon of Jesus, the graces of the Spirit, a holy life, a holy death, and a blessed eternity.

The blessing and reward of this grace is fullness or satisfaction: which relates immediately to heaven, because nothing here below can satisfy us.› The grace of God is our viaticum, and