the kingdom of heaven";" and by the opening of their eyes " they are brought out of darkness into marvellous Hght."]
2. He makes them to know their own personal interest in it —
[We are struck with the confidence with which the inspired writers speak, in reference to their own state and the state of their brethren in the faith : " Now are we the sons of God : " " we know that we have passed from death unto life :" " we know that God abideth in u.s, by the Spirit which he has given us : " " we know that we are of God; and the whole world lieth in wickedness"." Now this assurance is no other than what our blessed Lord promised to his believing people : " In that day ye shall know that the Father is in me, and I in you, and you in me p." That the believer may, by fair and rational deduction, ascertain much of his state before God, there can be no doubt: but that internal manifestations are, in many cases, vouchsafed to the soul, is also certain : for our Lord has promised, that " he will manifest himself unto us, as he does not unto the world : " and this promise he has explained, by saying, that " he and his Father will love us, and come unto us, and make their abode with us^." Accordingly we find, that to many is given " the Holy Spirit," as a untness, to " bear witness with their spirit that they are the children of God," and, as " a Spirit of adoption, enabling them, with holy confidence, to cry, Abba, Father"^." They have prayed to him, like the Psalmist, " Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation^:" and God has answered them in the deske of their hearts, and enabled them to say, in reference to him, " O God, thou art my God*;" and, in reference to the Lord Jesus Christ, " My Beloved is mine, and I am his"."]
3. He shews them that every occurrence, of what- ever kind, is in some way or other working for the ultimate salvation of their souls —
[They may not always see this at first : but, when more fully instructed, they learn to trust in God, assured, that though " clouds and darkness are round about him, righteous- ness and judgment are the basis of his throne." See a remark- able instance of this in the Apostle Paul. He was shut up for two fuU years in prison, and was thus deprived of exercising his apostolic office in his accustomed way. Such an event as this would be contemplated, by the Church at large, as a sub- ject of unmixed sorrow: but St. Paul himself had far different
n Mark iv. 11. " 1 John iii. 2, 14, 24. and v. 19.
P John xiv. 20. q John xiv. 21 — 23. ' Rom, viii. 15, 1(3.
s Ps. XXXV. 3. t Ps. Ixiii. 1. " Cant. ii. 1(>.