This Subject may lead us to further experimental remarks, I do not decidedly pretend to fix the mind of the Holy Ghost on this passage, but while I contemplate the keepers of the house, in the worst sense, may we not look at them in a better point of view; as faith, hope, fear, and love, the christian’s keepers; the believer’s strong men, who have done much for the Church. Paul has given us a whole chapter on what faith has done, 11th of Hebrews. Hope keeps us at an anchor, firm in our confidence, though it may be small in enjoyment. Fear will never let us wholly depart from God, while love bears us up, and carries us through difficulties, duties, and dangers, and abides with us for ever. These graces are not self-active, they cannot act but as the Spirit keeps them up; they are always in us as spiritual principles, but they are set always active, though perhaps all the ways in which they operate are not known to us. These are very strong in time of tribulation; at least in most cases. Faith is tried deeply when guilt is felt on the conscience, when Satan roars, when the mind is distressed, when outward circumstances run crooked; then faith often leans towards the Atonement; trusts in an unseen, though not an unknown God; waits on God till light springs up, and is looking for suitable promises to support the soul, to plead with God, and to animate the mind at a future day. Thus faith keeps us from sinking. _I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living_.