power of it; they appear to have some notions and opinions about the way of righteousness, but not being taught them of God, nor ever brought under the mighty influence of them, their walk is therefore very uneven and irregular, and generally in the end brings great scandal upon the name and cause of Christ.

We have also many at this day, who set out in the ways of religion, but never felt the ruin of the fall, nor the plague of their own hearts: these are commonly very confident and presumptuous; they make a shining profession, and go on with great parade, until they come to be tried, and then in the time of temptation they fall away.

There are others who are the real children of God, and yet do not walk as becometh their high rank and dignity. An even, holy, happy walk with their reconciled God and Father is their privilege, and there is grace sufficient promised in Jesus, and to be received by his Spirit, to enable them to live up to it, that they may walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing. Yea, the apostles call upon them and encourage them to be going on and advancing in the right way-"Furthermore then we beseech you and "exhort you, brethren, by the Lord Jesus Christ, "that as ye have received of us, how ye ought to "walk and to please God, so ye would abound more " and more," 1 Thess. iv. 1. How few follow this evangelical exhortation! How very few attain and preserve in their consciences the sense of God's being perfectly at peace with them! It ought to rule there always and by all means: but for want of it, they afford continual occasion for a legal and unbelieving spirit to rob them of their peace, and thereby to distress them in their hearts. As guilt comes in love goes out. What weakens the cause must also weaken the effect. Love, with its fruits, must decrease in proportion as the believer withdraws his heart dependence from God. Then he begins to

walk uneven and uncomfortable, he grows cold and indifferent about spiritual things, he gets into darkness and discontent, he becomes quite unhappy in his frame, and unthankful in his affections: whatever was the cause of his falling into this decay, it began at the root. His faith was attacked, and gave way. As this yielded, the decay became general, and it was found true, "If will walk contrary "unto me, saith God, then will I also walk contrary ❝ unto you."

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Reader, if thou hast the faith of God's elect, thou knowest that these things are true. Thou findest it hard work to maintain peace with God: and if this be not maintained, if the foundation give way, the building will certainly totter.

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Look well then to the ground work. Is all safe there?. Dost thou see the infinite glory of the Saviour's work, when he made peace by the blood of the cross, and does this silence guilt in thy conscience? Canst thou at all times draw nigh in love to a reconciled God? Does not the sense of thy failings and remaining corruptions keep thee at a distance from him, and render thy walk uncomfortable? especially when without are fightings, within are fears. If it very difficult under such trials to preserve a sense of God's loving kindness, yet it should be remembered, there is a gracious provision made for the establishing of the soul so safely in Jesus Christ, that the peace of God may rule in it always, and by all means. Is it not necessary then to enquire, what this provision is? how it may be received? and how it may be made use of? For if by daily practice it may be experienced in its divine power, it will then have the same happy effect, which it had upon David, “I will run the way of thy commandments, "when thou hast set my heart at liberty." May thine heart, reader, and mine, enjoy more of the liberty of the children of God, and then we shall not only go forward, but also run fast, and may no

thing stop us from pressing towards the mark, till we win the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

This has been my constant prayer during the writing of the following treatise. It was the fruit of reading, and meditating, and praying over those scriptures, which speak of the walk of faith. Such reflections, as used to occur to myself, I have put down; whether it was in searching my own heart, or in begging the blessing of God upon the text then under consideration. This seemed to me an easy method and very useful; because the doctrine would lead to practice, and frequent and heartsearching meditations would tend, under the teaching of the Holy Ghost, to an increase of faith. There are some soliloquies, addressed to my own soul, and some exercises of devotion, in prayer and thanksgiving. I would have every believer to consider, whether it be not his privilege to join me in them, and to make my words his own. If he cannot follow me in this experience after the 5th chapter, I pray God to increase his faith, that this book and his experience may go hand in hand; and that he may attain to holy fellowship with God in all duties, and to rejoice in God at all times, yea under the cross itself, and to go on conquering and to conquer, till the good fight of faith be over, and he finish his course with joy.

Whoever walks with God, must be first acquainted with the way of peace.

Ir is the constant usage of scripture to represent spiritual things by material, and to speak of the faculties and actions of the soul by terms borrowed from those of the body. Walking is a bodily action, and consists in moving and going from one place to another, hence it is applied to the spiritual walk. The soul reconciled to God and at peace with him has an appointed way, in which it is to walk, in order to enjoy the grace promised to them who are in Christ Jesus. This is enjoyed by faith: and therefore the scripture calls the believer's going on in his walk with God from strength to strength, The walk of faith, "We walk by faith, says the apostle, not by sight."

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When man fell from God he lost his way and had neither will nor power to return. The Old Testament church makes this confession-" All we, like sheep, "have gone astray, we have turned EVERY ONE to his "own way," Isa. liii. 6.

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The apostle Peter reminds believers of this-" Ye are as sheep going astray, but are now returned to "the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls," 1 Pet. ii. To which agree the words of his brother Paul"There is none righteous, no not one, there is none

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"that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after "God, they are ALL gone out of the way," Rom. iii. 10, 11, 12. The whole human race, says the oracles of truth, is gone astray, ALL of them are gone out of the way; they have left the way of God, and turned every one to his own way, they are unable, like a poor lost sheep, the most unable of all creatures, to return: yea, they are unwilling also; for they walk not after the spirit, but after the flesh-carnally minded, and in their carnal mind enmity itself against God and his

ways.

It pleased God in the exceeding riches of his grace to reveal to those wanderers the way of salvation. He made it known to them upon the fall, and believers from that time forward saw it plainly, and went on in it comfortably. Enoch, Noah, Abraham, &c. are said to have walked with God in the very same way, afterwards marked out by the written word; which was a directory to the Jews, showing them how they should walk in the steps of the faith of their father Abraham. Age after age, God raised up the prophets to bring his people into the King's highway, and to put them upon praying, that they might be kept in it. By the mouth of his servant David, he gave them this promise." Good and upright is the Lord, therefore will "he teach sinners in the way-the meek will he guide "in judgment, and the meek will he teach his way." Encouraged by this warrant from the word of God, sinners feeling their wants were led to pray, "Show me "thy ways, O Lord, teach me thy paths, lead me in "thy truth and teach me," Psalm xxv. 4. It is written in the prophets they shall be all taught of God-they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord. If any of his children lack wisdom, and ask it of God, he giveth to all his liberally, and upbraideth not. He brings them by his word and by his Holy Spirit to the knowledge of themselves, and to the knowledge of the true God.

Divine teaching is necessary to make men acquainted