"Overcome the world!" says some faint-hearted Christian--"Ah me! how infinitely short do I fall of this glorious standard! I have been striving for months, for years, to get the mastery of this powerful adversary, without being yet able to discover that I have gained the least advantage; though I have exerted my utmost endeavours to disengage myself from his subtil, but violent assaults." Hast thou so? But didst thou ever attend to the true and only means, by which the Scriptures have assured thee this conquest may be obtained? "This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our Faith." Now, what is Faith? It is "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen:" that is to say, it is a full and assured trust and confidence in CHRIST, that the things hoped for will be finally obtained, and the things not seen will be fully manifested to our senses. It is such a trust and confidence as realises the immediate possession of them to our minds, so that we regard not any pain or difficulty we meet with in the pursuit, resting upon an OMNIPOTENT GOD, by whose strength in us every obstacle will be gradually removed, and a complete victory at length secured. Why then, O Christian, shouldst thou despair of success? If thou hast hitherto been striving in thine own strength, and depended upon the power of thine own weak resolution, it is no wonder thou hast made such small advances. "Without me, ye can do nothing," says our BLESSED REDEEMER. "I can do all things through CHRIST strengthening me," says his experienced Apostle. When we repose so much confidence in a friend, as to entrust him with the whole management of our temporal affairs, looking to him in every instance, and upon the least appearance of difficulty or embarrassment, running to him for counsel, and implicitly following his directions, from a thorough conviction of our own ignorance, of his superior skill in business, and his known regard and attachment to us; we are then said to have faith in such a friend. And canst thou not, O Christian, have as much Faith in thy SAVIOUR, as one frail mortal has in another? When temptations rise, when dangers threaten, when enemies attack us from within and from without, so that our souls are hard beset, and we know not how to extricate ourselves from the perilous situation; can we not fly with confidence to our Heavenly Friend, ask his counsel, and entreat his powerful interposition in our behalf? He is ever ready and willing to come to our succour. Nothing is wanting but Faith on our part; and "according to our Faith, so shall it be done unto us."