not in God, but in our exercise of this grace. So of those we once viewed saints, many we have proved to be nothing but hypocrites; some only mumping a living under the mask of religion; some lying in wait to deceive; some watching for our halting, to find something amiss in our conduct; and if they can catch any thing, it is marrow and fatness to their bones. Tattling, lying, backbiting, jealousies, and evil speaking. These things we begin to discover, and groan on account of them in Professors, till we can hardly help exclaiming with the Prophet, _There is none upright among men_, _the __best of them is a briar_, _the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge_. Very little spiritual love being now felt, the Silver Cord, appears to be loosed, not that the principle is lost, but God is teaching the Believer wisdom, and directing the principle of love to the proper object, even to the Household of Faith—not to every Professor, but only to those who stand manifest in our consciences, that they are taught of God; yet it must be acknowledged that while the heart is shut up from the exercise of love it is an evil, a trying day. Sin on the conscience, backsliding, getting into a worldly spirit, the affections being entangled with creature love—these things bring on evil days. O! what a mercy to have the heart right with God. When the soul is thus filled with love, it is always attended with an illuminated mind, a mind receiving the truth. Charity rejoiceth in the truth, believeth all things God hath said, as well as hopeth for what God hath promised. But it is possible to stumble upon the dark mountains; God may cause darkness to come on the mind, the judgment to be bewildered, and errors to creep in—the Golden Bowl may be broken.—Ephraim, says God, is oppressed and broken in judgment, either by evil men, who lay in wait to deceive, or by a curious spirit, which a Believer may be plagued with, till he has imbibed some error, which leads him into darkness, bondage, and misery. A sound judgment is valuable, like a Golden Bowl, but many of God’s children have got proud, and God has permitted Satan to lay a snare for their feet, _a haughty Spirit before a fall_, and into awful errors they have run, till days of trouble have come on, and they have found out their errors. Moreover, real contrition for sin; a heart affected with grief after the Saviour, mourning on account of him.—Compunction and godly sorrow of heart is precious, is valuable to God; with this sacrifice he is well pleased; this is a Golden Bowl broken indeed, in the best of senses. _Blessed are they that mourn_, _for they shall be comforted_. The Silver Cord of Love, the Golden Bowl of a sound Judgment, and an heart influenced by the Spirit of Grace, are in sweet connexion; these make a Believer shine in the Church—such are valuable characters, but they are few. _My soul desired the first ripe Fruit_.