and languishing creatures as we are, in our essays towards holiness. And when once it hath taken hold of a soul, and kindled in it the smallest spark of divine love, will he not preserve and cherish, and bring it forth into a flame, which many waters shall not quench⁶. Whenever this day begins to dawn, and _the day-star to rise in their heart_⁷, it will dispel the powers of darkness, and make ignorance and folly, and all corrupt affections, flee away as fast before it as the shades of night, when the sun cometh out of his chambers. _For the path of the just is as the shining light, which shineth more and more unto the perfect day⁸. They shall go on from strength to strength, till every one of them appear before God in Sion⁹._ ¹ Psalms lxxxix. 19. ² Isaiah xxvi. 18. ³ Isaiah liii. 11. ⁴ Hebrews vii. 24, 25. ⁵ Matthew xii. 29. ⁶ Canticles viii. 7. ⁷ 2 Peter i. 19. ⁸ Proverbs iv. 18. ⁹ Psalms lxxxiv. 7. 3. Why should we think it impossible that true goodness and universal love should come to sway and prevail in our souls? Is not this their primitive condition, as they came out of the hands of their maker? Sin and corruption are but usurpers; and though they have long kept the possession, yet _from the beginning it was not so_. That inordinate self-love which one would think were interwoven with our nature, is nevertheless of foreign extraction, and had no place at all in the state of integrity. We have still so much reason left as to condemn it. Our understandings are easily convinced that we ought to be wholly devoted to him from whom we have our being, and to love him infinitely more than ourselves, who is infinitely better than we. And our wills would readily comply with this, if they were not disordered and out of tune. And is not he who made our souls able to mend them again? Shall we not be able, by his assistance, to vanquish and expel those violent intruders, _and turn unto flight the armies of the aliens_¹. ¹ Hebrews xi. 34. 4. No sooner shall we take up arms in this holy war, but we shall have all the saints on earth, and all the angels in heaven engaged on our side. The holy church throughout the world is daily interceding with God for the success of all such endeavours. And doubtless those heavenly hosts above, are nearly concerned in the interests of religion, and infinitely desirous to see the divine life prevailing in this inferior world, and that the will of God may be done by us on earth, as it is done by them in heaven. May we not then encourage ourselves, as the prophet did his servant, when he shewed him the horses and chariots of fire, _Fear not, for they that be with us, are more than they that are against us_¹? ¹ 2 Kings vi. 16, 17. _We must do what we can, and depend on the divine assistance._