These young men kn the doctrine of Chris lished in the belief of infinite sufficiency of free gift of all its grace mised to him that w ceived by faith only, a for the believer's use in Jesus, to whom he is to recommend him, the grace which he th pendance upon Christ t These young men had degree of knowledge these truths. They b keep the evidence of Christ clear and distin it by their communio his offices. But noty establishment in these many temptations and still they knew but in p a fleshly corrupt natu and to fight against, alw to trust to the law, to any thing but Christ, a ing them to yield to t the devil and to the

world. This warfare, instead of ceasing, grows hotter and hotter, but they grow stronger. It is the peculiar character of the young men in Christ, to be strong: they have learnt where their strength lays, and they put it forth. They go down to battle, not trusting in any power or might of their own, but strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. He is their strength. When the enemy cometh in like a flood, then to Jesus they look for safety and victory-" O our God, we "have no might against this great company that cometh against us, neither "know we what to do, but our eyes are upon thee." The abiding sense of their own weakness keeps them dependant upon him, so that the more they feel of their helplessness, the stronger they grow: because they live more upon Christ for strength, which illustrates that seeming paradox of the apostles, "When I am weak, then am I strong❞—when I am most sensible of my own weakness, then am I strongest in the Lord, his strength is then perfected in me. And his strength put forth in the effectual working of it by believing. It is not, neither can it be

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inherent in them, who without Christ can do nothing, but it is brought in by faith; nor does faith bring it in to lodge it, or lay it up in store, till it shall be wanted, but when it is wanted, faith then regards the promise, looks up to Christ to fulfil it, and receives strength out of his fulness. And being his, freely promis ed, and freely given, it is therefore called the strength of grace, "Thou therefore • my son, says Paul to Timothy, be strong "in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.' Strong faith gets strong grace from Christ, according as it is written-" All things 66 are possible to him that believeth :" for according to his faith it shall be done unto him. If his faith reach to the full extent of the promises he shall find all things possible, which God hath promised, yea he shall be able to do all things, through Christ strengthening him.

This is the life of these young men in Christ. They are strong in him, living upon his promised strength, and by faith receiving it. They live not upon any thing in themselves, but whatever they stand in need of, and whatever they have a promise for, that they expect shall be

be given them by the power of God their Saviour. They see themselves poor helpless creatures, full of continual wants, and no means in their own power to supply them. The sense of this empties them of self-greatness and self-dependence, and the abiding sense of this keeps them humble and dependant upon Christ. Thus

the Lord teaches them how to live out of themselves, and to be always receiving out of the Saviour's fulness grace for grace. They have his infinite storehouse to repair to, in which there is treasured up for them every thing, that they can possibly want. Happy for them, their God has promised to supply all their needs out of the riches of his grace in Christ Jesus, and by faith they have an abundant. supply to the praise of that God, who keepeth his promise for ever.

In him they live-he is the Lord and giver of spiritual life, as Paul says—I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.

They are made strong in him. "The "Lord is the strength of my life," says the Psalmist, Ps. xxvii. 1. that life which I live by the faith of the Son of God has all its strength from him; and is contin

ued by his power-"It is God who holdeth our soul in life," Ps. lxvi. 9.

And is kept by faith-"Ye are kept "by the power of God through faith," 1 Pet. i. 5. Whatever strength the believer wants to enable him to bear hardship, endure the cross, fight his spiritual enemies, daily gain victories over them, he expects it from God, and through faith he receives it, and is kept-yea so kept

As to be confirmed unto the end. He that is able to keep believers from falling, will keep them until they receive the end of their faith, even the salvation of their souls. Thus the life which Christ begins by his grace, he continues by his strength; and every act of this spiritual life is from him. The will, the power is his : for he doeth all, and in all. These young men were so well assured of this, that they lived upon Christ for strength, and they received it; they were strong in him. Their faith viewed him in his exalted state with all power in heaven and earth, and engaged as their covenant head to use it for them, to make them and to keep them alive to God, On this power