crucifying and slaying it, that we attain unto rest. And in this we must not be slothful nor negligent, but diligent, and commence this diligence at the very outset of our conversion, and continue it steadfastly. It is because men do not strive and struggle earnestly, that they do not overcome, and hence they continue probably all their lives, self-willed, wrathful, and perverse; uneasy, unhappy, and discontented characters. Now when such a man is laid upon a sick bed; his self-will and unmortified desires serve as a scourge, with which he is most severely chastised and punished.

But we must also enter upon the passive denial of ourselves. By this I understand, that when God puts his hand to the work, to mortify us by affliction and suffering, we ought not to withdraw ourselves from it in any way, but rather love and embrace it, and endure it with patience. Man, in his natural state is so disposed, that he is unwilling to hear of affliction and suffering, much less taste any thing of it. But it were to be wished, that there were no such characters to be found amongst good and converted souls. Yet even amongst such, it is become too common, immediately to wish to get rid of all that which is only a little inconvenience, and does not exactly suit them. What is not just according to our own mind and taste, we wish directly to have altered and cleared away, that we may be at rest, because, in our opinion, it is an hindrance to us in that which is good. But this proceeds from nothing else, than from the unmortified state of our

nature, which would gladly continue ignorant of affliction and mortification, which seeks only an easy religion, in which it may not be so necessary to learn and repeat such difficult lessons, although Christ did not teach an easy, but a narrow and rough path, and entered upon and walked in it himself; and hence we never can, nor ever shall find rest, but in following him.

As long as the individual insists upon his own opinions, and his own will; as long as he does not embrace the cross with both arms, nor forsake the ease of nature from love to God and Christ, but continues to pass his life in his unmortified state, and does not deny himself: he cannot possibly find the rest of his soul, either here in this life, or attain it at death; on the contrary, experience teaches, that when such persons are laid upon a sick, or it may be, a dying bed: they are then in the greatest uneasiness; they want first one thing and then another; first this thing and then that is wrong; and they are dissatisfied, first with one thing and then another. Ah, my dearest friends! God, since the fall, has so ordered the present life, that nothing but tribulation is to be found in it, and that the rest of the soul is not to be obtained by avoiding the cross, but, much rather, by willingly bearing it; and on the contrary, that a man only falls into so much greater uneasiness, the more he seeks to avoid the cross. O let us therefore not flee from the cross, but embrace it; let us willingly bear it, and by so doing, tread in his steps, who so impressively invites

us thus to follow him, with the comfortable promise, that in this way we shall find rest unto our souls. That is a miserable rest, which can be immediately disturbed and thrown into confusion by any little outward circumstance. People think they shall possess rest, when every thing is according to their own mind and self-will. Ah, this is not the eternal rest of the soul; this is the false and mistaken rest of the flesh, which must soon be disturbed, and which we must deny. Hence, my dear friends! if we would thus deny ourselves, both in an active and passive manner, we should become true men of God, susceptible of the Spirit, and partakers of the divine nature, and should not only find and attain the rest of our souls, here in this life, but also when we come to die.

Sixthly, if we are desirous of finding the eternal rest of our souls in this life, and fully attaining to it at death we must seek to walk, by the grace of God, in an entire dependance upon the divine guidance and direction. When the children of Israel were travelling to the land of Canaan, to the land of their rest, they were obliged invariably to govern themselves by the pillar of fire and cloud, which went before them. Soon after their arrival in the desart, the law was given them from Mount Sinai, which was to be the rule of their conduct. They were not permitted to go forwards, nor pitch their tents when and where they would; nor were they allowed, in other respects, to act as they thought proper: they were obliged to govern themselves, in all things, most minutely according to the divine

precepts, and to live, in every respect, in entire dependance on God and his will, before they could attain to the promised rest. Such must also be the case with us, if we are desirous of entering upon the true rest of our souls. God has also granted to his spiritual Israel, a fiery and cloudy pillar for their guide, in order that they may pass safely through the desart of this life. He has put his law into our hearts, according to which we must live and govern ourselves. But what is the fiery and cloudy pillar, which God has granted us, to which we are to look, and which we must follow, in order to enter into rest? It is Christ and his Spirit. The pillar of fire and of cloud was not only a type of Christ, but was Christ himself. The Angel of the Covenant was in this cloud, and went before the people of Israel, to lead and guide them. Now he must also be our guide. We must not form our religion either according to our own judgment or that of others, but according to the precepts of the divine word, and hear, not what this or that person says, but what the Lord says. We must seek to remain continually near our hearts, and be attentive to the operations of grace within us. Now when we feel, and are conscious in our hearts, that God desires this thing or that of us, or that he wishes us to do something or let it alone; we must continue simply by this testimony, not confer with reason, nor speculate upon it, and think, that religion does not consist in such things, that these things are only trifles; and that prohibiting them savours too much of legality; O, this cannot

be called depending upon the leading and guidance of divine grace! In this way it is impossible to attain to rest. Much less ought we to look at others, and think, such and such a one does not walk so circumspectly, is not so particularly careful in these things, permits himself this thing or that. Soul! what hast thou to do with others? follow thou Jesus; follow the attraction and the vocation of his grace in thy heart, otherwise thou canst not possibly find rest. A believer can often speak with certainty of a thing and say, it is the will of God that he should deny and give up this or that particular thing, but because it appears to be a trifle he passes over it, speculates upon it, and thinks it is only a matter of small importance, and exercises himself, on the contrary, in other things, which appear more important. But it avails not; if we will enter into rest, we must follow the suggestions of the Spirit. We must show fidelity, when grace and the Holy Spirit require it of us, or we shall never be at peace.

We must, therefore, filially cleave to the guidance of divine grace, in child-like and simple obedience. If we walk in this manner, very near our King, if we keep our fiery and cloudy pillar, I mean Jesus Christ and his Spirit, before our eyes, we shall be led by him, from one virtue to another, and be brought to perfection in godliness. No man can so well inform us, what is the good, the acceptable, and the perfect will of God, as the Spirit of Truth, which is the Spirit of Jesus Christ, who reveals to us one truth after another: gives us more and more to