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.

The apostle Paul has directed me how to speak to the babes in Christ: and another apostle shows how they grow up to be young men, and thereby he furnishes me with matter for the second part of this treatise 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 believer's 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 dependance 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 partstill 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. This 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 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 dependent 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 fulness. 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 dependant 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 spiritual life, as Paul says-“I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." They are