CONDITIONS AND REWARDS. 401 is even more imperfect than our faith ; and let us by fervent and unremitting prayer, labour at once to build up our faith, which is weak, and to perfect .our obedience, which is defective. God not only pardons as a merciful king, He enacts laws as a wise legislator ; still the old revolutionary principles are continuallybreaking out ; to checkwhich, the sovereign proposes terms as proofs of our allegiance. He does by no means annex salvation to them, but He requires them as marks of our repentance, as con- firmations of our loyalty. He requires them as evidences both of our faith and of our submission. By the infusion ofa new spirit of life consequent on His par- don, the acquitted rebel adopts a new set of principles, which shew themselves by overt acts, suggested and nourished by fervent prayer. We are aware that the term " evi- dences" used above, is to many no less revolting, than those which we have pre- viously noticed, but by this excessive
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