of the love and power of Jesus; which makes them wish for more, still more faith, that they may glorify their blessed Saviour by trusting him more. However, in this they are growing, increasing day by day in their knowledge of the salvation, and gaining a closer acquaintance and fellowship with the person of God their Saviour, until they come to see him as he is.

This is the character of those believers who are steadfast in the faith, and are becomẹ fathers, able now to teach others also. They have attained to that knowledge of Christ, which is life eternal, and they are daily pressing forward. What they already know of him, increases their desire to know more. And by being always conversant with him, (for without him they can do nothing,) they have continual opportunities of making new discoveries. In him are laid up treasures of every thing that is great and good. His riches are unsearchable, infinite, and eternal. There is no coming to the end of them. Believers are persuaded of it, and therefore they try to dig deep into this golden mine,

It is all theirs. The further they go, the more is their faith strengthened, and the more precious Christ becomes; for they find such an excellency in the knowledge of Christ Jesus their Lord, that their souls hunger and thrist to know more of him. The more they attain, the more the appetite increases, and nothing can perfectly satisfy it, but the full enjoyment of Christ in glory, when they shall know, even as also they are known. Till that blessed time come, they will be growing in grace, and in the knowledge of God their Saviour.

This is the distinguishing mark of these fathers--they are pressing forward. They have not yet attained to the perfect knowledge of Christ, but they are going on to perfection: and they make an happy progress. God meets them in and blesses the means, which he has appointed for their daily growth. In those he requires them to depend and to wait upon him; and he gives them clearer discoveries of the adorable person, and of the gracious offices of the Lord Christ, and thereby enables them to live more by N

faith upon him, for all things belonging to their temporal, their spiritual, and their eternal concerns. These particulars will include the principal acts of the life of faith; and while we take a short view of them, may every page, reader, be made the means of increasing and strengthening thy faith in the Lord Jesus.

First, they grow in the knowledge of his person, which is altogether wonderful; so that they can never come to the end of his perfections, nor to eternity can they show forth all his praise; for he is God and man in one Christ-Jehovah, incarnate—Immanuel, God with us. This is the great mystery of Godliness, God manifest in the flesh; in which he came amongst us, that he might be the second Adam, who is the Lord from heaven; that as the first Adam by sin had ruined all those who are born of him after the flesh, so the second Adam might save all those who are born of him after the Spirit. And for this end he has all power in heaven and earth committed to him he has all fulness, yea, the fulness of the Godhead, dwelling in him; that he

might be the head of the body the church; and that out of his fulness his members might be receiving grace in time, and glory in eternity. Of this divine Person all the prophets have spoken since the world began; and what they have spoken in many words, the apostle sums up in a short description, Col. i. 15, &c. where he is treat ing of that Person in the Godhead, who covenanted to come into the world to save sinners; "who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature: for, by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by him and for him; and he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the Head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in all things he might have the pre-eminence; for it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell." In which words these three glorious truths are declared of Christ Jesus; first, that he

created all things visible and invisible; secondly, that he upholds them all by the word of his power; thirdly, that he has redeemed unto himself a peculiar people through his own blood, who are his church; and he is to them what the head is to the body, the head of authority, the first in rank and dignity, and the head of influence; from whom life, and motion, and sense, are communicated to all his members: for in him they live, and move, and have their being. In all things he is first, or has the pre-eminence; he is Jehovah, the Creator and the Preserver of all things-Jehovah incarnate, the Head of his church, and the Saviour of the body. This is the blessed Object of faith and what can there be conceived beautiful, useful, or happy; what excellency is there, or perfection, which is not in its highest degree in this most adorable Godman? What can a believer want, what can his heart desire, which is not here treasured up for his use? Here is a Surety perfectly qualified, as man to act and suffer for man, as God to merit infinitely and eternally by