is the " God of hope," and the source of all goodh. It is he who provided for us the Saviour, and accepted him in our behalf; and has promised to cast out none who come to him in his Son's name. In vain will be the use of other means, if we apply not to him in prayer. But nothing is too great for God to give to the believing suppliant.]
2. By faith as the means —
[God has " treasured up a fulness for us in Christ Jesus ;" and out of it we receive by faith according to the full extent of our necessities. By faith we resemble an infant at the
mother's breast However favoured we are, we can
receive nothing but by the exercise of faith1; but "in be- lieving we shall he filled with joy and peace." It is faith that enables us to realize invisible things, and, by discovering Christ to the soul, " to rejoice in him with joy unspeakable and glo- rified;" and, by experiencing this joy of faith, our hope is augmented and confirmed k.]
3. Through the Holy Ghost as the agent — [There is no power less than his that will produce these
things. The whole work of grace is, not by might nor by power, but by God's Spirit1. He will afford us clear dis- coveries of the heavenly glory. He will witness to us our adoption, and seal us with God's image m. And thus while he forms us to a meetness for heaven, he gives us also a foretaste of it in our hearts.]
Infer —
1. How much happier is the Christian than others even in this world"!
2. How happy will the Christian be when he shall receive these communications from the Deity, not through the narrow and obstructed channel of faith, but immediately at the fountain head0 !
3. How deservedly will they be left destitute of this happiness hereafter, who now give the pleasures of sin their decided preference11 !
h Jam. i. 17. ' Jam. i. 6, 7. k Rom. v. 5.
1 Zech. iv. 6. m 2 Cor. i. 22. n Deut. xxxiii. 29.
0 1 Cor. xiii. 12. p Prov. i. 22—31.