themselves than we can; this makes us fear in the way. All these fears is for want of looking unto Jesus, and permitting Satan to get so much ground, by listening to his suggestions. These fears, likewise, are occasioned by other feelings, and trying parts of our experience. What Satan principally aims at is to make us as miserable as himself, and as rebellious against God; to this end he endeavours to get us to look within in seasons of darkness, that we may dispute the whole of the Spirit’s work, and consider all our sins, failings, and corruptions as sure tokens of a speedy destruction, just as Jeremiah saw the rod of an Almond tree speedily flourishing; so might have been our profession, but soon gone away. So we fear may be all our religion, and then be damned for being hypocrites. O the misery of looking within, when we should be looking unto Jesus! What a gloomy prospect before us! what unbelieving fears are indulged; and this must be our misery, till the Saviour shines again. But what a mercy when we have grace enough to look from our sins, our grace, our Religion, or any thing in us, or done by us, to God the Father’s Christ, who lived and died for poor sinners. A second source of fears is, Sin but little felt, so as to be lamented, so as to break the heart, humble the spirit, and endear the Saviour. It appears God sometimes sent the Grasshoppers to devour the fruits of the earth, as in Amos, chapter 7, where the Prophet foresees the Destruction of Jerusalem, by Pul, king of Assyria, bringing his vast troop to devour that land, coming up like Grasshoppers for their number and destructive influence. So in the Book of Judges it is said, the enemies came up among them as Grasshoppers for multitude to destroy them. As these represented the enemies of God’s dear people of old, do they not point out the corruptions of the heart, inbred sin, the Old man, with its deceitful lusts? Are they not numerous is Grasshoppers, and as destructive to every thing that is good? Do not these destroy our peace, our joy, our bright evidences, and cause us, sometimes, to fear we have neither part nor lot in the matter, especially when we cannot see that these sins are pardoned by the precious blood of Christ?—These are felt as a burden too heavy to bear, and a burden we fear will sink us to hell, till we believe they are all blotted out, then the inbeing of them becomes a burden to us. But here we must admire divine mercy, communicating to us spiritual life that we may feel these things a burden. As this life operates the difference between a child of God and one that is not, is clearly seen; they who are not quickened by the Spirit do not feel these things; but, alas, my dear Friend, have not you been left in such a strange state of mind, that you have neither felt sin, nor grace, neither mourned at the judgments of God, the terrors of hell, the sufferings of Christ, the afflictions of the Church, nor the plague of the heart.