on,
and fill the soul with some horror, anguish, and confusion. Therefore, if
ye would walk in the light of joy and comfort, O take heed nothing be
interposed between God and your souls! You must likewise walk in the light
of his law, which is as a lamp to the feet, and this light, as the ray,
begets that light of comfort, as the splendour, which is the second light
of the sun. I know it is a disconsolate and sad condition, to walk without
the light of the knowledge of our interest in God, but I would earnestly
recommend unto you two things to support you, and help you in that. One
is, that you do not give over the chief point of this society with God,
that is, walking in the light of his law and commandments, but that you do
the more seriously address yourself to the one, that you want the other.
Certainly, it ought to be no hinderance of your obedience, and patient
continuing in obedience, that you know not your own interest, and that his
countenance shines not so upon you. You know that sweet resolution, "I
will wait upon the Lord, who hides his face," &c. (Isa. viii. 17, Mic.
vii. 7,) and his own command, Isa. i. 10, Hos. xii. 6. Ye that walk in
such darkness, nevertheless, "stay upon God." Truly, there could be no
greater evidence of thy interest than this,--to give patient attendance
upon him in the ways of obedience, till he shine forth. This would in due
time "bring forth thy righteousness as the light," if we would not
subtract and withdraw ourselves from under the light, because it is
presently overclouded. Then, moreover, you would know, that all this while
that your interest in Christ lies dark and under a cloud, you would then
be most in the application of that blood to your souls, most in trusting
and staying upon the name of God, and his absolute promises. Suppose thou
do not as yet know that he is thine, yet dost thou not know that he is
made thine by believing in him? And therefore, while it is inevident that
it is already, thou oughtest so much the more to labour, that what is not
may be. Now, if thou canst not apply him to thy soul, as thine own
possession, yet thou mayest, and so much the more oughtest to apply thy
soul to him, and resign and offer thyself to him, as willing to be his
possession, to be his, and no more thine own. In a word, when thine own
experimental feeling of the work of God's Spirit fails within thee, then
so much the more insist, and dwell upon the meditation and belief of the
gen