The truth of this has often been proved by experience; and this should encourage you to "Go and do likewise."

You will see, then, that when you are in spiritual darkness, instead of sitting down in indolent discouragement, you should be up and active.— You see, that instead of waiting in disobedient idleness for God to come and scatter the cloud that surrounds you, you should make diligent, and vigorous, and persevering exertions to rush from the midst of it. You see that you need to bestow much attention on the nature and cause of your darkness; you need to look back on your past experience; you need to engage much in religious meditations; you need to converse much with pious friends respecting your case; you need to read much on the subject; you need to be very cautious to keep from worldly care and temptations; you need to be very constant and exact in outward duties, and especially to be much in prayer.

The

I would add, that what you do should be done quickly, and resolutely, and perseveringly. longer you delay to arise, the deeper will your darkness become; the greater will be your reluctance to employ the necessary means to dispel it, and the more obstinate will your difficulty become. The sooner you arise, the sooner will you obtain relief, and the less effort you will have to make for obtaining it. What you do, do resolutely. By a half determination, and a faint and fickle endeavour, you will effect nothing. To succeed, you must be firm in your determination, and vigorous in your endeavours to obtain relief. What you

do, do perseveringly If you give back after striving for a while, you lose all you have done; when, perhaps, but a little longer continuance would have brought success. Never think of relaxing your exertions, till you are in the full enjoyment of the light of God's countenance.

HAVING said so much for the purpose of assisting the saint to escape from spiritual darkness, it seems proper before closing the subject, to say a few words for his direction after he has escaped.And this seems the more necessary, because he will still be liable to run into darkness again.

When once you have been delivered from this darkness, you will be liable to think you shall never be in danger of wandering into it again; and this very persuasion is what will most expose you to it. Keep it, then, in mind, that there is danger; and therefore that you need to be on guard against

it. Remember, too, how painful this darkness has been to you; and let the recollection set you on the more faithful watchfulness. Consider, too, how much easier it is to get into darkness, than to get out again. The former is all the way down hill; and you slide into it by your own weight: nay, you need exertion to keep from doing so. But the latter is all up hill, steep and difficult, and requires most laborious exertions to regain your standing. It is much easier to keep out, than to get out of this distressing state.

It will not be expedient here, to enumerate the several means which should be employed for keeping the soul from spiritual darkness. It may be said with few exceptions, that those means which restore the light, are the best for retaining it. In other words, whatever keeps us in the vigorous exercise of holy affections, and the faithful discharge of Christian duty, will secure us against spiritual darkness. God grant that the reader and the writer may be constantly faithful in duty, and thus secure the continued light of the Sun of righteous

ness.