GOSPET, - The Gospel Magazine

a !'RAGMENT. 503
faitlr is the gift of God (Epb. ii. 8), rhat Jesus is not only ifs Author, but itr
Finisher (H;b. xii. 2y, inil so we feol orrr need and knorv tire source of ihe suppl1',
plead his prornise, " aalc and it ahaltr be giuen," have a feeling sense of
'Io
need, to knorv tlre source ot supply, arrd to lle put in possessiun of tbe gift, are
all great mercies bestowed upoo us freely throuqh his grace.
Did my friend ask nre again, " ought oot our lairh to, be always the same?"
I rvoull reply by askirrg to be shown the cbild of God that is always llte sarne;
this cannot be as to the exercise of faith, becauie we ure snl{ect to so many
changes through tbe body ofsin and deatlr, and the warfare carried on thereirr.
1'lre standinE of a child of God iu Cirrist is alwavs the same, l)u! the realization of
itisnot alrvays the same. It is realizetl by faiih, nor I'v flesh; and \r'eare too
apt to judge of our stantlinE by our feelings. There are tlre weak in faith, arrtl
the strong in faith, norv both of these possess faith; hut the exercise is different'
and tbe effect,s are diferent also. As we are dependant upou God for the gifi !
6o are we depctrdant upon lris gracc for the exercise.
\l'hen untier a sense'of sin iii the conscieneeo rvhat is the feeling r'f the soul ?
Isrrotthatsoullearlytodoulltof itsinrerestintheprecioussalvation! Yea,verily,
uotil it iE enatrled try God the Holy Ghos[ to look to the healirrg. fountaiu, arrd
to tlre Lord Jesus r,iith the try, " increase my fairh." When so exercised, the
breathilg of the poet in the follirrving liues rvrll not l)e out, of place,
\Yhen sjns anil fears prevailing lise
And fainting bope ahnost expires,
Jesus to thee I lift mine eres,
To thee I breathe rny soul s desirer.
Here, oh my soul, thY trust rePose,
If Jesus is for ever miue ;
Not tieath itselt', the last of foes,
Shall break a union so divine.
Sometirnes the soul has access granted at the throtre' a fervency of desire goes
up urrder an unctious bederving; ihe soul realizes its acceptance in Jesus, the
paldon of sin is eealrd upon the conscience tlrrouglr a freslr applit:atiorr of atorring
blood, so that it can indeed be s6irl,5'I am rtrybeloled's, arld he is rnine." 'l'he
rpirit of adoption in the cry of Abba, Father, is put fortir .anrl
the relationsbip'
orvrredl tbere is a trustinE'and harrrllirrg oftlie rvord of life, the rvlrite stone .is
giverr on rvhieir there is a'narrie tvrittett secret t,r all but he rvho possesses it.
l'he child of God realizes cotnplete salvation, arrd is happy in the eurbraces of
his covenant God. It is a season [hat causes hirl to feel out of the body. 'I'here
has been a corrrrnunion behveen ttre Lord Jesus aud his soul; a tirne of which
it might indeed be saitl, " bis lranner over nre was love" (Oant. ii. 4J ; wherr out
of our rock Christ, rae have been satisfied sittr honey, through his precious commurricatious,
our lips have then, ir the estitnation of lrirn, " dropped_ as tlte
lroney-ron-,b" (Cant-. iv. l0). These are incleerl precious seasons' but do tlrey last
longi Oh I if this was our state yesterciay, to-day rve rnight lre heard saying,
" rny soul cleaveth urrto the rlurt, qriicken thou me according to thy u'ord.lPsalrn
cxix. 25;; or rvith our (.'ovenarrt-Head, " O nry God, I cry in the day-tirne aud
thou healest not, and in the nigtrt season, atrd am not silent" fand yet for all
tlris he continues holy] (Psalrn ixii.2). Or rr'itirI)arid, " Lorrl,.rvhy castestthou
off rly soul I why hidest thou thy face frorn rre" (P.altn lxxxviii. l4; ! Or rvith
Jereuriab, " that he seerns to shut out our prayer;" and lhat " he has covered
lrimself rvitlr a cloud, that our prayer catltlot bleak through" (i,am. iii. 8 and
41).
l.hese are not uncommon seasons : if Davirl the man after God's own heart
knew thern, shall we escape ? Paiuful as these arc, they are noI lvithout tl]eir
spiritual ufe, they lrumble us, they slrorv,tts our eniird dept'uriertce uport the
Holy Spirit for every rpiritual desire, aud for tlre exercise of the grace of faith,
and'when rightl;-uied-shorrld teach us, to reell lor grace " to keep our hcarts
rvith all tliligelce f,'r 6sg og tbem are the issues of life'" If rve refer to Attra.
ham, Isaac, Jacolt, illoses, lllijair, David, &c., we shall find in each these seasons
of strong f,rith, and also those times u'hen faittr appearcd to have gircn
pl*ce to unbelicf, a$ to the particular circumstauets in lhich lllel'rr'ere lrlaccd'