neighbors witness for us, that we have served the Lord with all humility of mind, with many tears and temptations? Can our closets, chambers, shops, and fields testify our secret groans, meditations, self-examinations? Have we performed our relative duties with all care and conscience-as magistrates, punishing sin-as ministers, faithfully preaching at all seasons, suitably to all persons—as householders, instructing, correcting, and leaving a good example as husbands, wives, parents, children, masters, servants? That man is not good at all, who is not good in all relations. Does the treasure of grace and truth prompt our tongues, employ our hands, guide our feet? Do the doctrines in our heads, and the principles in our hearts, dictate to us our duty, and assist us in doing it? Are we fruitful in good works, words, and meditations? And are we useful in our generation? Let us not deceive ourselves. It is not a conceit of some good meanings within, that will serve our turn. The Apostle tells us roundly and plainly, "He that doeth righteousness is righteous." Acts evidence the state, and a man cannot be good, unless he do good.

4. How do you increase this treasure? "To him that hath shall be given." The reality of grace is the prologue to growth in grace; and growth in grace arrives at full strength of grace. The saints

These

"go from strength to strength." The true Christian, like his Master, "increaseth in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." waters of the sanctuary rise up to the ancles, knees, loins, neck, till the soul come to the head, Christand so be swallowed up in the unfathomable ocean of glory. Dwarfs are monstrous in grace, as well as in nature. It is a sad sign that you have no grace, if you think you have grace enough. He was never good that desires not to be better. They are hypocrites, and sure to be apostates, that are contented with a taste. The true believer is insatiate, still hungering and thirsting after righteousness; daily adding one cubit after another to his spiritual stature, that he may be a tall man in Christ, and at last attain to the "measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." Never will he be satisfied, till he arrives at a full maturity in knowledge and holiness. What say you to this? Are you any better than you have been? Are your last works more than your first? What light of knowledge in saving truths, what heat and warmth in sanctifying graces, what heart-refreshing experiences and comforts have you laid up? Have you become more solid, humble, holy, watchful, faithful, fruitful? Do you get more power against your lusts, and more ability to walk with God? Do you forget what is behind, and press forward to

perfection? Are you stirred up more to holiness, and strengthened with all might by His Spirit in the inner man? Are you still sensible of defects, craving for more spiritual riches, as a beggar for alms? I confess I have sometimes wondered at this strange paradox in Christianity, that nothing so fills the soul as grace, and yet nothing makes the soul so hungry for more grace as a principle of grace. Nothing contents but a taste of grace, yet a taste of grace will not content. Believers desire more knowledge, more faith, more love, and, accordingly, they are still perfecting holiness in the fear of God. So that, as the apostle says of some, their faith groweth exceedingly, and charity aboundeth even till it become a treasure. For observe, this spiritual treasure is made up, and increased by accumulation,-by adding more graces, or strengthening graces already conferred.

Many good books have been written to satisfy scrupulous souls in this important particular of growth in grace. Let such as have doubts of their own sincerity read them. It would be a digression here to speak fully to this point. A single observation must suffice. The more life you have added to your light; the more humility to your graces; the more watchfulness to your lives by your expe

nces; and the more tenderness of conscience,

and cheerfulness in holy performances by your comforts;-the more have you grown in grace and increased your treasures: and thereby have given a clearer evidence that you have indeed a spiritual treasure in your hearts.

CHAPTER VII.

NEGLECT OF HEART-TREASURE REPROVED.

Ir it be so necessary to have a treasure within, that the Christian may be fitter to walk, speak, and act holily, then this falls with weight upon the head of four sorts of persons, namely-careless loiterers, vain-glorious boasters, impious offenders, and unprofitable Christians.

1. It admonishes careless loiterers, that sleep out the fair summer day of grace, and forget the day of their visitation. Many ministers have cause to weep over their people, as Christ did over Jerusa lem, and say, "If thou hadst known, at least in this thy day, the things which belong to thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes." If any are without grace, amidst precious means of grace, let such tremble lest the misimprovement of ordinances end in the loss of them. If thou hast sat under the droppings of the sanctuary, and art yet barren, be afraid, lest God either command the clouds to rain no rain upon thee, or the curse of the barren fig-tree be pronounced against thee,"Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever,"