128 THE HIDDEN LIFE OF A CHRISTIAN'. bread from heaven; John vi. 32, 33. by which the believer is nourished ; he is the hidden manna, the divine food of souls : It is upon him the christian lives daily and hourly ; it is upon the blood of the Lamb, which is carried up to the mercy-seat, that the believer lives for pardon and peace with God : It is upon the righteousness of his Lord and Head, that he lives for his ever- lasting acceptance before the throne ; it is upon the grace and strengthof Christ, that he rests and depends all the day, when he is called forth to encounter the boldest temptations, to fulfil the most difficult duties, or to sustain the heaviest strokes of a painful providence. " Surely, saith the saint, in the Lord alone have I righteousness and strength; Is. xlv. 24. In the Lord my Saviour, whom the world sees not; but I see him by the eye of faith" I shall enlarge farther on this subject under the second doctrine. Thus, whether we consider the spiritual acts and exercises of this christian life, or the springs and principles of it, still we shall find it has just reason to be called a secret, or a hidden life. BeforeI proceed, I shall lay down these two cautions : 1st Caution. Though it is ahidden life, yet I entreat my ehristian friends, that they would not suffer it to be such a secret, as tobe unknown to themselves. God has ordained it to be hid- den, not that it might always be unknown to you, but that you might search after it with diligence ; and that when you findyour- selves possessed of it, you might rejoice in the evidences of your life and his love. Be not satisfied then, O ye professors of the gospel ! until you have searched and found this divine life within you. What a poor life must that christian live, who goes from day today, and from year to year, and still complains, I know not whether I am alive or no ! Labour, therefore, after self acquaintance, since God has been pleased in his word, to furnishus with sufficient means to find out our estate ; I Johnv. I3. Thesethings I write unto you, says the apostle, that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God, and that ye may know that yebelieve. It is a dishonour to the gospel of Christ, to abide alway in darkness and doubtings, and to rest contented in so uncomfortable a frame. We are told in Rev. ii. 17. that those whose life is supported by this hidden manna, have also a white stone given them, with a new name in it, which no man knows, save he that receives it: that is, they have divine absolution and pardon of their sins, which was repre- sented heretofore, in some courts of judicature, by the gift of a white stone ; but surely, if my own name were written in it, I would use my utmost endeavours to read the inscription myself, though it may be a secret to the rest of mankind ; then my God
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