infinite sufficiency of Christ's person, as God-man, and the everlasting merit of his life and death to save his people from their sins. And whatever hinders thee from seeing the fulness of Christ's salvation, and resting comfortably by faith upon it, earnestly entreat the Lord to remove it. If it be sin, beg of God to make thee more willing to part with it. If it be guilt, pray him to ordain peace in thy conscience through the blood of sprinkling. If it be much corruption, it cannot be subdued until it be first pardoned. If thou hast got under the spirit of bondage, look up to the Lord Christ for that liberty wherewith he makes his people free. Whatever it be, as soon as it is discovered to thee, make use of prayer, believing God's word of faithfulness, that what thou askest thou shalt have, and that he will so establish thee that thou shalt go on from faith to faith. May it be thy happy case. Amen.

Reader, if thou art an awakened man, convinced of sin by the word and Spirit of God, all thine enemies will try to keep thee from the clear knowledge of thy union with Christ. The reason is plain ; because then thou wilt not be able to depend upon Christ's promised strength, and to make use of it by faith, which is almighty to defeat them all. Hearken not, therefore, to any suggestion, nor be afraid of any opposition, which would hinder thee from seeking to be fully convinced of thine interest in Christ, and of thy being a branch in the true vine. Satan will use all his wiles and fiery darts, and all carnal professors will be on his side, and they will have close allies in thine own breast, in thine unbelief, in thy legal spirit, and in thy lusts and corruptions.

Consider, why do these enemies fight so hard against thy being safely settled, and comfortably grounded upon Christ by living faith? Is it not, because thou wilt then be an overmatch for them through the strength of Jesus? And does not this plainly show thee the absolute necessity of knowing that Christ and thou art one? Till this be known, thou wilt be afraid to apply to him and to make use of his strength; and till thou dost use it, all thine enemies will triumph over thee. O beg of God, then, to increase thy faith, that thou mayest be fully convinced of thy union with Christ, and mayest live in him safe, and on him happy. Hear and read his word, and pray for the effectual working of the Lord, the Spirit in him, and by it, that faith may come and grow by hearing, until it be finally settled, without doubt or wavering, that Christ is thine, and thou art his.

After the believer is thus grounded and established in the knowledge of his union with Christ, it behooves him then to inquire, what God has given him a right to in consequence of this union; and the Scripture will inform him, that, in the covenant of grace, it has pleased the Father, that all fulness should dwell in his Son, as the head for the use of his members. He has it to supply all their need. They cannot possibly want any thing, but it is treasured up for them in his infinite fulness: there they may have it, grace for grace, every moment as their occasions require; and they have it in no other way, and by no other hand than faith, trusting the word of promise, and relying upon Christ's faithfulness and power to fulfil it; as it is written, "The just shall

live by his faith," Habak. ii. 4. Having received justification to life by faith in the righteousness of Christ, he depends on Christ to keep him alive, and makes use of Christ's fulness for all the wants of that spiritual life which he has given; he trusts him for them all, and lives upon him by faith for the continual receiving of them all, and according to his faith so it is done unto him.

Let this be well weighed and considered, that the justified person lives and performs every act of spiritual life by faith. This is a very important lesson, and therefore it is taught in Scripture as plainly as

words can speak.
is received by faith.

Every thing is promised to, and Thus it is said, "Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus; and if children, then heirs, according to the promise, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, and holiness:" made for their use wisdom to teach them, righteousness to justify them, and holiness to sanctify them; yea, he has all things in his fulness for their use, as the free grant speaks, 1 Cor. iii. 21, &c. "All things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours, and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's." Consider, believer, what a large estate this is; thy title to it is good, and thou enterest into possession by faith. See then that thou makest use of thine inheritance, and live upon it. Do not say, when thou wantest any thing, I know not where to get it; for whatever the God-man has of wisdom, righteousness, holiness, power, and glory, he has it, as the head of the body, for thee as one of

his members, for thy use and benefit, and he has promised it to thee in his word. Make free with him

then. Go to him with confidence. Thou canst not do him greater honour than to receive from him what he has to give. That is glorifying him. It is putting the crown upon his head, and confessing him to be a perfect, all-sufficient Christ, when it pleaseth thee, as it did his Father, that in him should all fulness dwell, and when thou art content to live out of thyself upon his fulness, for the supply of all thy needs in time and in eternity. To live thus upon him is his glory, and it is thy privilege, thy interest, and thy happiness. In every state, spiritual and temporal, and in every circumstance thou canst possibly be in, thou art commanded to look up to Christ, that thou mayest receive out of his fulness, and to depend upon him to save thee from every evil, and to bestow upon thee every good. In thy walk heavenwards, and in every thing thou meetest with by the way, put thy trust in Christ, and expect from him the fulfilling of all his promises. He has all power in heaven and earth for that very purpose. Still rely upon him, and cast thy burdens on him, when thou art tempted, when old corruptions arise, when the world and the devil assault thee, when under a sense of weakness and dulness in duty, when in darkness and desertion, in persecution and trouble, in pain and poverty, in sickness and death. This is the life of faith. Thou wilt live like a Christian indeed, if, being in any of these cases, thou believest that Christ is able, because he is almighty; and willing, because he has promised to supply thy wants, and then canst trust in him for that supply. Depend upon it thou

shalt have it, and it shall be done unto thee according to his word.

be

After the believer is become one with Christ, and through him has a right to all the riches of grace, and may by faith make use of them as his own, why is he so long in learning this lesson perfectly? Being adopted into the. heavenly family, and an heir of the heavenly inheritance, why does not he immediately live up to his privilege and to his estate? His title is good; the inheritance is sure; all things are become his; for all fulness is in Christ, and by virtue of his union with Christ, this fulness is his, and he may by faith be always receiving out of it every grace and blessing which Christ has promised: why then does not he at once attain to this happy life of faith? Sad experience proves that young lievers do not. They meet with so many difficulties, that they grow up slowly into Christ in all things. They do not attain to a solid establishment in the faith in a day. Enemies without and within stop their progress, insomuch that they often continue little children for a long time. They have the same right to Christ, the same privileges, and the same promised grace, which young men and fathers in Christ have, but they have not learned by experience how to improve their interest in him, and to make the most of it. The difficulties and temptations which weaken their hold of Christ, and stay their growth in him, are many; some of the chief are these:

I. They continue little children and weak in faith, because they do not presently attain a solid acquaintance with the person of Christ, and are not thoroughly satisfied how able he was, and sufficient for every