tre which king Ahafuerus held forth to queen Efther, and by which she was permitted and emboldened to prefent her fuit unto him. Efther it is faid put on her royal apparel when he was about to appear before the king, fo the believer makes his approaches to the throne of grace, in royal apparel, even in the righteoufnefs of the Redeemer, which faith cloaths and adorns the foul withal; and thus appearing, nothing that may contribute to the believer's happiness can be denied him, juftice itfelf is on his fide, pleads his caufe, and procures his petition. Hence is the believer's encouragement to pray and look up for every needful bleffing, for to the heirs of grace and glory, no good thing fhall be withholden. Pf. lxxxiv. 11. Afk, faid our Lord, that ye may receive, and have your joy compleat; ye have not, fays the apoftle James, because ye afk not; the prayer of faith is never difregarded.

6th. They that are after the flesh, fays Paul, do mind the things of the flesh, Rom. viii. 5. and the eye of fenfe is moftly converfant about fenfual things; the eye of reafon can look a little higher ftill, and amuse itself with curious enquiries and deep fpeculations; but is ftill confined within certain narrow limits that it cannot pafs; whereas precious faith, has an eye both strong and piercing, and looks beyond the little limits of created things, for the things that are feen are temporal, but the things which are not feen, and which faith is converfant about, are eternal. Precious faith, throws back the curtain of time, and leads the foul into the eternal world; faith is a Caleb it goes couragiously to Tpy out the good land, brings whole clusters from Efocol, and encourages the foul to go up and pof

fefs

fefs it. Faith represents to the foul, the vail torn from top to bottom, and a way acceffible into the holy of holies. Faith ftands not in the outer court, but enters by the new and living way "that Jefus has confecrated by his blood," within the vail whither HE the great high-prieft is entered. Faith like an honeft ambaffadour, or rather like a diligent and curious fpy, marks well whatever is defirable in the good land, writes down its delicacies, describes its spicy mountains, and its oily rivers, and affures the foul that it is a good and defirable land, and in comparison of which, all the moft fertile lands below are but as a barren wilderness, and all the boafted things of time are but as drofs and dung. Faith fees laid up in heaven, and referved by an omnipotent arm "an inheritance that is incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away," 1 Pet. i. 4, and affures the foul," that eye has not seen, ear hath not heard, nor has it entered into the heart of "man to conceive, what God has treasured up for "his people;" but fays precious faith these treafures are difcovered to me by the fpirit, 1 Cor. ii. 9. 10. But precious faith, in this tour to the heavenly canaan, although fhe obferves crowns and kingdoms, &c. laid up in ftore for the believer, yet these fhe regards as nothing in comparison of that more defirable vifion on which she feasts her wifhful eyes, even the king in his beauty, this is what faith efteems the perfection of happiness, the very life and foul of blifs and felicity, even where all is tranquility and peace.

7th. Bear with me whilft I add one instance more in which faith appears of fo great use, that may well be called precious, and this refpects

it

the

A

the providences of God, concerning which the believer will often have reason to fubfcribe to the truth of those words, clouds and darkness are round about him, Pf. xcvii. 2.

There is no state in life without its peculiar trials, and a variation in circumftances will but be to vary our trials; these are truths in fome measure applicable to all men, but chriftians have their trials not as men, but peculiar to them as men profeffing godlinefs, and being the difciples of Jefus Chrift. Now faith is most excellent in its ufe to the believer, whatever his trials are, and from what quarter foever they come; for faith has refpect always unto God, not only as the God of grace, but as the God of nature and of providence; and therefore never fupposes any fuch accidents in the world, as happen without the knowledge and permiffion of the moft high; for this fays faith would be to depofe the king of kings, and refuse God the government of his own world and creatures. Faith has therefore learnt the holy and the happy art, of laying low the mountains, and aspiring hills, of filling deep and otherwife impaffible vallies, and making every crooked path ftraight; for faith is ever fpeaking: to the foul in the time of dark difpenfations in the words of Jefus to his wondering difciples, "What "I do now ye know not, but ye fhall know "hereafter," John xiii. 7. Sometimes the believer in his paffage through the world, is called to walk through deep waters; and then faith is more than a staff unto him; for it leads him to Jefus, and affures him of his prefence and fupport; Peter's faith once failed, but it caft him on Christ and Christ has never yet failed. If the believer's

trials are of a fiery nature, so that he walks as it were through the midft of devouring flames, faith ftill preferves him from the confuming power thereof; and as the prophet Ifaiah has it, draws water from the wells of falvation, fo that the fire forgets to burn.

It often happens in the believers fiery trials through the divine bleffing, as it did to Shadrach, Mefbach, and Abednego, of whom it is faid they were caft into the fire bound, but the fire burned their bands, but hurt not their bodies, fo that they walked loofe amidst the burning fiery furnace. Believers too often have their hearts engaged with fome worldly thing that rivets thofe affections to earth, that ought to be placed on heaven and heavenly things; to remedy which evil, divine goodness may permit them to be plunged as it were in deep waters, and fees good to lead them through the fire, but all this proceeds from parental affection and everlasting love to them, and is intended as a means whereby to heal those praved inclinations and to bring them to the wealthy place. Faith views all the providences of God in this light, and therefore teaches the foul with calmnefs to fubmit unto them, and to rejoice under them; and even to be thankful for them. James i. 2, affuring the foul that the chaftenings of the Lord are marks of favour, feeing "he correcteth every fon whom he receiveth, and maketh all "things work together for good to them that love "him, to them that are the called according to "his purpose." Heb. xii. 6. Rom. viii. 28.

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Obfervations upon the whole. From what has been delivered it appears that the true believer may well be the most joyful man,

feeing he has many reasons for joy and gladness, which others have not, and ift. What the free and abundant grace of God has done for him; he like others was by nature a child of wrath, and a creature deferving hell and eternal damnation, having a heart and nature defiled, and the image of his maker spoiled and defaced in his very formation. Pf. li. 5, and from this fource of corruption, did like others go on to fulfil the lufts of the flesh and of the mind. Eph. ii. 2; but now through faith he has the affurance given him that he shall not go down into the pit, Jefus the Saviour having become a ransom for him, Job xxxiii. 24. As through the agency of the eternal fpirit, he has passed from death unto life, and is “tranf"lated from the power of darkness into the king"dom of God's dear fon, having obtained redemption through his blood even the forgive"nefs of fin," Coloff. i. 13. 14.

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What he through the difcriminating grace of God now is; no longer an heir of hell, but of heaven, an beir of God and a joint heir, of eternal bleffedness with Jefus Christ. Rom. viii. 17. adopted into the family of heaven, a citizen of the new Jerufalem, and a living member of the Redeemer's myftical body. What a spring of heavenly confolation must it open in the believing breaft, to think, that omnipotence is engaged for him against all opponent power, and that he is the object of that love which is unchangeable; hence in the exulting language of the princely prophet, he can triumphantly fay, "Behold God is my falvation, I will truft and not "be afraid," for now can fuch an one "draw water "with joy from the wells of falvation," If. xii. 2. 3. How muft it fill the believer's heart with gladness

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