flesh and my heart faileth; but God is the strength of my heart and portion for ever. The heart's natural strength of spirit and resolution may bear up under outward weakness, or the failing of the flesh: but when the heart itself fails, that is the strength of the flesh, what shall strengthen it? nothing but God, who is the strength of the heart and its portion for ever. Thus faith worketh alone, when the case suits that of the Prophet's', Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, &c. yet, I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

In spiritual trials that are the sharpest and most fiery of all, when the furnace is within a man, when God doth not only shut up his loving kindness from his feeling; but seems to shut him up in hot displeasure, when he writes bitter things against him, yet then to depend upon him, and wait for his salvation, this is not only a true, but a strong, and very refined faith indeed, and the more he smites, the more to cleave to him. Well might he say, When I am tried I shall come forth as gold, who could say that word, though he slay me yet will I trust in him though I saw, as it were, his hand lifted up to destroy me, yet from that same hand would I expect salvation.

2. As the furnace shews faith to be what it is, so also it betters it, and makes it more precious and purer than it was.

The graces of the spirit, as they come from the hand of God that infuses them, are nothing but pureness but being put into a heart where sin dwells, (which till the body be dissolved and taken to pieces, cannot be fully purged out) there they are mixed with corruption and dross: and particularly faith is mixed with unbelief, and love of earthly things, and dependance upon the creature, if not more than God, yet together with him; and for this is the furnace needful, that the soul may be purified from this dross, and made more sublime and spiritual in be

lieving. It is a hard task, and many times comes but slowly forward to teach the heart by discourse and speculation to sit loose from the world at all sides, not to cleave to the best things in it, though we be compassed about with them, though riches do increase, yet not to set our hearts on them, not to trust in such uncertain things, as they are, as the Apostle speaks. Therefore God is pleased to chuse the more effectual way to teach his own the right and pure exercise of faith, either by withholding or withdrawing those things from them. He makes them relish the sweetness of spiritual comfort, by depriving them of those outward comforts whereon they were in most danger to have doated to excess, and so to have forgotten themselves and him; when they are reduced to necessity, and experimentally trained up, easily to let go their hold of any thing earthly, and to stay themselves only upon their rock, this is the very refining of their faith, by those losses and afflictions wherewith they are exercised. They that learn bodily exercises, as fencing, &c. are not taught by sitting still, and hearing rules, or seeing others practise, but they learn by exercising themselves. The way to profit in the art of believing, or coming to this spiritual activity of faith, is, to be often put to that work in the most difficult way, to make up all wants and, losses in God, and to sweeten the bitterest griefs with his loving kindness.

Might be found unto praise and honour and glory.] This is the end that is intended, and shall be certainly obtained by all these hot trials. Faith shall come through them all, and shall be fouud unto praise, &c. An unskilful beholder may think it strange to see gold thrown into the fire, and left there for a time; but he that puts it there would be loth to lose it; his purpose is to make some costly piece of work of it: every believer gives himself to Christ, and he undertakes to present them blameless to the Father; not one of them shall be lost, Psal. lxii. 10. 1 Tim, vi. 17.

nor one drachm of their faith; they shall be found, and their faith shall be found when he appears. That faith that is here in the furnace shall be then made up into a crown of pure gold, it shall be found unto praise and honour and glory.

This praise and honour and glory may be referred to believers themselves, according to the Apostle St. Paul's expression, or to Christ that appears: but the two will agree well together, that it be both to their praise, and to the praise of Christ; for certainly all their praise and glory shall terminate in the glory of their head Christ, who is God blessed for ever; they have each their crown, but their honour is, to cast them all down before his throne. He shall be glorified in his Saints and admired in them that believe. They shall be glorious in him; and therefore in all their glory he shall be glorified: for as they have derived their glory from him, it shall all return back to him again.

At the appearance of Jesus Christ.] This denotes the time when this shall come to pass; for Christ is faithful and true; he hath promised to come again, and to judge the world in righteousness, and he will come, and will not tarry; he shall judge righteously in that day, who was himself unrighteously judged here on earth. It is called the Revelation; all other things shall be revealed in that day, the most hidden things, good and evil unvailed; but it is eminently the day of his Revelation, it shall be by his light, by the brightness of his coming that all other things shall be revealed; but he himself shall be the worthiest sight of all: all eyes shall behold him. He shall then gloriously appear before all men and angels, and shall by all be acknowledged to be the Son of God, and judge of the world some shall with joy know him, and acknowledge him to be so, others to their horror and amazement. How beautiful shall he be to those that love him, when he as the glorious head shall

e Rom. ii. 7,

appear with his whole body mystical together with him?

Then the glory and praise that all the saints shall be honoured with, shall recompense fully all the scorns and ignominies, and distresses they have met with here. And they shall shine the brighter for them. Oh! if we considered often of that solemn day, how light should we set by the opinions of men, and all outward hardships that can befal us? How easily should we digest dispraise and dishonour here, and pass through all chearfully, provided we may be then found in him, and so partakers of praise, and glory, and honour in that day of his appearing!

Ver. 8. Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory.

Ver. 9. Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

Ir is a paradox to the world that the Apostle hath asserted, that there is a joy that can subsist in the midst of sorrow; therefore he insists in the confirmation of it; and in all those words proves it to the full, yea, with advantage, that the saints have not only some measure of joy in the griefs that abound upon them here, but excellent and eminent joy, such as makes good all that can be said of it, cannot be spoke too much of, for it is unspeakable, nor too much magnified, for it is glorious.

To evidence the truth of this, and to confirm his brethren in the experienced knowledge of it, he expresses here more particularly and distinctly the causes of this their joy, which are,

1. The object or matter of it. 2. The apprehension and appropriation of that object, which two conjoined, are the entire cause of all rejoicing.

1. The object is Jesus Christ, ver. 8. and the salvation purchased by him, ver. 9. For these two cannot be severed, and these two verses that speak of

them, require, (as is evident by their connexion) to be considered together. 2. The apprehension of these, set forth, 1. negatively, not by bodily sight. 2. Positively, whereas that might seem to abate the certainty and liveliness of their rejoicing, that it is of things they had not seen, nor do yet see, that is abundantly made up by three for one, each of them more excellent than the mere bodily sight of Christ in the flesh, which many had, which were never the better by it; the three are, those three prime christian graces, faith, love, and hope; the two former in ver. 8. the third in ver. 9. Faith in Christ begetting love to him, and both these giving assured hope of salvation by him, making it as certain to them, as if it were already in their hand, and they in possession of it. And from all those together results this exultation, or leaping for joy, joy unspeakable and full of glory.

This is that one thing that so much concerns us; and therefore we mistake very far, and forget our own highest interest too much, when we either speak or hear of it slightly, and apply not our hearts to it. What is it that all our thoughts and endeavours drive at? What means all that we are doing in the world? though we take several ways to it, and wrong ways for the most part, yea such ways as lead not to it, but set us farther off from it; yet that which we all seek after by all our labour under the sun, is something that may be matter of contentment and rejoicing to us when we have attained it: now here it is, and in vain is it sought for elsewhere. And for this end it is represented to you, that it may be yours, if ye will entertain it; not only that you may know this to be a truth, that in Jesus Christ is laid up true consolation and rejoicing, that he is the magazine and treasury of it, but that you may know how to bring him home into your hearts, and lodge him there, and so to have the spring of joy within you.

That which gives full joy to the soul must be something that is higher and better than itself. In