Quot. Others have, for years together, refused taking the least comfort to themselves, because they have not experienced such seasons of joy as they have heard some speak of.

Answ. If Timothy's Christians have refused to take the least comfort to themselves for years together, it is because such as Timothy, and not God, have tendered comfort to them; and it is a proof also, that God does not own, bless, or make application of the tenders of any such miserable comforters. This observation and confession of Timothy's serve to confirm us that his preaching has been in vain, and that his Christian's faith is vain; like people, like priest: "So I beheld the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power, but they had no comforter: wherefore I praised the dead more than the living," Eccl. iv. 1, 2.

Quot. Those who have experienced very uncommon manifestations of divine love, ought to be very cautious how they speak of these before weak Christians.

Answ. The whole church tells us, that God appeared of old unto her; saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. And Paul and John make their holy boast of it, and triumph in it; and sure I am, this will never hurt real believers: it may provoke them to jealousy, and to emulation; and may serve to add diligence to their searches, and fervour to their prayers, which

will only help them to find Christ the sooner, and to prize him the more when they have found him. It is the fox, the hypocrite in Zion, who is wrapped up in his sheep's skin as snug as a bug in a rug, that cannot bear to hear of the manifestations of divine love. This lays him open: he spurns at the music and dancing, and is as desperate at love as Timothy is at vision.

Quot. While one has been gratifying his own pride in relating something of the remarkable joys he has been indulged with, another has been, at the same time, drawing the most gloomy conclu

sions.

Answ. This was verified in the elder son, at the return of the prodigal; and in Joseph's brethren, at the hearing of his dreams; and in Paul's countrymen, at the hearing of his conversion; and in Stephen's accusers, at the sound of his voice, and the rays of his face; and, likewise, in our friend Timothy, at the hearing of visions. Nevertheless, we must do as the poor Gadarene was ordered to do: Go into the city, and tell how great things Jesus has done for us, and how he has had mercy on us; whether Timothy and his Christian will hear, or whether they will forbear; for we cannot but speak the things that we have heard and seen. And thus saith the Lord: "Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish, for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though it be told you." Which work is not the work of creation, nor the

work of redemption, but the work of faith in the heart. Paul's audience on the stairs of the castle, when he spake of the power and grace of God in his conversion, drew very melancholy and dreadful conclusions; crying out, "Away with such a fellow from the earth, for it is not fit that he should live."

Quot. The language of this text, "I will go in the strength of the Lord God," &c. is the universal experience of all Christians.

Answ. The last use that was made of this text was, that Christians should read their characters in it to the world's end. But now the language of David, in this resolution, contains the universal experience of all Christians; so that, to go in the strength of the Lord, and to make mention of his righteousness, is at once to grasp the universal experience of all saints and all souls. Thus Timothy has wound up the whole skein into one ball: however, the Christian will want to experience some light as well as support, and some comfort as well as strength; strength will make the Christian stand, but love will make him run, fight, and conquer too.

Quot. Though they are hoping, that such strength as their necessities call for, shall be afforded them, yet they find as absolute a necessity to apply to God for assistance, to help them to lay hold on a promise, as strength to go through the difficulty.

Answ. Here Timothy tells us, that they want

help to lay hold on a promise: I think they want the word of God to come with power in the Holy Ghost, and with much assurance. The Lord of life must speak the word home to the heart, so as for the sheep to hear his voice and live. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God, but not by such preaching as Timothy's, and the word must dwell richly in the saint; it must be rooted in an honest and a good heart, and this good thing must be kept by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us. "The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the master of assemblies. This nailing and fastening is better than Timothy's hand-hold.

Quot. These are lessons the carnal are wholly ignorant of.

Answ. The carnal are ignorant of Timothy's lessons; and he might in truth have added, so are the spiritual also: for I am sure, that all the gospel ministers in the world, and all the children of God, put them all together, could never fix the sense of Timothy in his lessons; and the reason is, because there is no sense to fix. And sure I am, that the author cannot help us out; for he has told us, that he is at the greatest uncertainty in spiritual things; and, where all is uncertain, nothing can be sure.

Quot. None could mention, with propriety, their going in the strength of the Lord, without some humble hope, that God would graciously

afford them his assistance, and the words imply as much; experience increases this hope.

Answ. Our friend Timothy does not understand his text. He sends his Christian forth, in humble hope that God will afford him assistance, which is, hope of future aid; for what is seen is not hope. And he tells us, that the text implies as much; that is, it implies hope of future assistance: but I think David had got that strength in possession, that Tim's Christian has in hope. "I will go in the strength of the Lord God." It does not say, that he went forth in expectation of it, but he went forth in it, in the possession of it. 'Experience increases this hope,' we are told. The plain English of this mystery amounts to this: Timothy's Christian goes forth in humble hope of future assistance; this is implied in the text: and, when he gets this expected assistance, then it is experience which increases his hope. But then I should be glad to know, as it is experience that worketh hope, what that experience was that wrought his humble hope in him, before he went forth at first. Our author can give no answer to this question, reader; and, where there is nothing to be had, the king must lose his right.

Quot. This is not the language of a Christian, at his first entering into the field, but of those who have been taught more lessons than the A, B, C, of Christianity.

Answ. Here, reader, we have got fighting,