he taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." Now it is easy to tell what our mind and heart is fixed upon for salvation; and whether this salvation hath any weight upon us or not; and which weigheth heaviest on our minds, this world or our soul's salvation; and which is uppermost in our affections, the pleasures of sin, or the glory of Christ. Here I have shown my reader who they are that God promises to protect and keep. And we may well say that they are well kept whom God keepeth. But then, as God promises to keep us by his power, there must be in us a sense of our own weakness; for those who, like the prodigal, can shift for themselves do not feel their need of this keeping. God gives power to the faint, and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. But such as are strong in themselves the power of God is not engaged to support, but rather to pull them down: "Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall." That denunciation is not against youth, but against self-confidence. It is an honour to find young folks in the ways of God, as may be seen in Samuel, Timothy, Josiah, and others; and God says, "Remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them." The glory of old men, says Solomon, is the grey head, the glory of children is their fathers, and the

glory of young men is their strength. "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, nor the strong in his strength; but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me." Here is the foundation of all real glory; and in this all believers may glory, whether young or old. In all this we may see that God has not engaged his power and faithfulness in behalf of unbelievers who never seek after him, nor call upon him, much less put their trust in him. It is the law of the mother that is to keep us.

"When thou sleepest, it shall keep thee. For although it be God's power that keepeth the soul in safety, yet it is faith that lays hold of that power. "Let him take hold of my strength," says God, "and he shall make peace with me." The inheri tance is for them "who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time." Thus God promises to keep us by his power, and faith receives the promise and confides in this promised strength. You shall now see one who is going to bed in the exercise of faith, and hear what he says: "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety," Psalm iv. 8. It is faith that discriminates those that are God's charge, and those that are not. His family is the household of faith; and, as father and master of this household, he keeps it. "While I was with them in the world I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of

them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled." Those that believed on the Lord he kept; but he that believeth not is condemned already, and the wrath of God abideth on him; and the Lord will not preserve and keep in safety the sons of perdition. "My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest it shall keep thee."

"And when thou awakest it shall talk with thee." The language of faith is in high or low strains, according to her stature, and according to the believer's attainments, and the difficulties she has to cope with; and this may be seen in David. "And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again, and shew me both it and his habitation. But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him," 2 Sam. xv. 25, 26. There the voice of faith is heard dubiously, and yet with much humiliation and submission. And thus we see faith never works alone, but has her handmaids, her attendant graces with her; so that, if she cannot work by joys, which are the flames of love, she will work by humility; and she is sure to conquer work how she may. Sometimes we hear her voice with such fortitude, and in such resolute and determined

strains, as if she would die on the field before she would yield so much as even to fear. "Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident."

The voice of faith is heard sometimes on the hills, and sometimes in the vallies. Upon the hills: "And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved. Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong." Next she speaks in the vallies: "But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me."

Sometimes faith speaks in the fire, and sometimes in the water. In the fire: "But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold." Her voice is also in the waters: "Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. Yet the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the day time, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life." Sometimes she speaks in darkness, and sometimes in the light. In darkness: "Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall I shall rise; when I sit in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto me. He will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness." Sometimes she speaks in the light: "I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation." Sometimes faith speaks from the frontiers of heaven, and sometimes from the depths

of hell: "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vine; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places." Sometimes she speaks from the depths of hell: "Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly, and said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice," Jonah ii. 1, 2.

Now the voice of faith to the believer's conscience is high or low, strong or feeble, according to the believer's growth or stature. Faith works by love; and if faith has brought love into the heart so as to cast out all fear, then her voice is, He loved me, and gave himself for me. If well established in the faith, and built up in the Lord, she grasps things future as well as things present. "The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. All that faith can bring in she gives to the soul; all that faith claims, therefore, is ours. "And when he was come into the house the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They