do not despair. Exercise dependance upon the Spirit of all grace, confide in his power, and rely upon his mercy. Be thankful that since you were in error, you have discovered it, and have not been permitted to go on in darkness till you had stumbled over the precipice into the yawning pit of destruction below.

If upon examination, you have good reason to think all is right, rejoice in Christ Jesus. Let the peace of God which passeth all understanding, rule in your hearts, to which ye are called, and be ye thankful. "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God, speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem." This discourse is intended not to disturb the peace of God's people, but to destroy the false confidence of his disguised foes. There are two classes of professors to whom the alarming appeals of it do not apply; the first, are those eminent Christians who have the fullest assurance of hope, and whose assurance is sustained by the joy of faith, the obedience of love, and the patience and purity of hope: whose religion is so vigorous and influential as to be selfevident to themselves and others. They have scarcely need to ask the question, “Am I a child of God?” for the proofs of it are ever within them. Blessed state! happy Christians! and all are invited to become such. But there is another class who are not likely to be deceived; those who are truly, and sometimes sorrowfully, anxious about the matter; who are often trying themselves by the Word of God; who know, if they know any thing, they would not be deluded for ten thousand worlds; who, notwithstanding their many imperfections, their painful consciousness of defects, still know they do love the Lord Jesus Christ, though with too lukewarm an affection; who, notwithstanding all their doubts and

fears, are conscious of a real and sometimes an intense longing after holiness. Be comforted, ye timid followers of the Lamb: self-deceivers are rarely afraid that this is their state and character. Dismiss your fears and go on your way rejoicing.

By the Young Professor, I mean the person lately converted, and who has but recently assumed the Christian name, whether in the morning or the meridian of his days. I cannot do better than submit to the consideration of such persons, the following judicious advice given by the justly celebrated Jonathan Edwards, of America, to a young lady, who had just commenced the life of faith.

My dear young Friend,

"As you desired me to send you in writing, some directions how to conduct yourself in your Christian course, I would now answer your request. The sweet remembrance of the great things I have lately seen at S, inclines me to do any thing in my power, to contribute to the spiritual joy and prosperity of God's people there.

"1. I would advise you to keep up as great a strife and earnestness in religion as if you knew yourself to be in a state of nature, and were seeking conversion. We advise persons under conviction, to be earnest and violent for the kingdom of heaven; but when they have attained to conversion, they ought not to be the less watchful, laborious, and earnest in the whole work of religion; but the more so, for they are under infinitely greater obligations. For want of this, many persons, in a few months after their conversion, have begun to lose

their sweet and lively sense of spiritual things, and to grow cold and dark, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows; whereas, if they had done as the apostle did, (Philippians, iii. 12-14.) their path would have been as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.'

"2. Do not leave off seeking, striving, and praying for the very same things that we exhort unconverted persons to strive for, and a degree of which you have had already in conversion. Pray that your eyes may be opened, that you may receive sight, that you may know yourself, and be brought to God's footstool; and that you may see the glory of God and Christ, and may be raised from the dead, and have the love of Christ shed abroad in your heart. Those who have most of these things, have need still to pray for them; for there is so much blindness and hardness, pride and death remaining, that they still need to have that work of God wrought upon them, further to enlighten and enliven them, that shall be bringing them out of darkness into God's marvellous light, and be a kind of new conversion and resurrection from the dead. There are very few requests that are proper for an impenitent man, that are not also, in some sense, proper for the godly.

"3. When you hear a sermon, hear for yourself. Though what is spoken may be more especially directed to the unconverted, or to those that, in other respects, are in different circumstances from yourself; yet, let the chief intent of your mind be to consider, In what respect is this applicable to me? and what improvement ought I to make of this, for my own soul's good?'

"4. Though God has forgiven and forgotten your

past sins, yet do not forget them yourself: often remember, what a wretched bond-slave you were in the land of Egypt. Often bring to mind your particular acts of sin before conversion; as the blessed apostle, Paul, is often mentioning his old blaspheming, persecuting spirit, and his injuriousness to the renewed, humbling his heart, and acknowledging that he was the least of the apostles, and not worthy 'to be called an apostle,' and the least of all saints,' and the chief of sinners;' and be often confessing your old sins to God, and let that text be often in your mind, that thou mayest remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth any more, because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God.'

"5. Remember, that you have more cause, on some accounts, a thousand times to lament and humble yourself for sins that have been committed since conversion, than before, because of the infinitely greater obligations that are upon you to live to God, and to look upon the faithfulness of Christ, in unchangeably continuing his loving kindness, notwithstanding all your great unworthiness since your conversion.

"6. Be always greatly abased for your remaining sin, and never think that you lie low enough for it; but yet be not discouraged or disheartened by it; for, though we are exceeding sinful, yet we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; the preciousness of whose blood, the merit of whose righteousness, and the greatness of whose love and faithfulness, infinitely overtop the highest mountain of our sins.

"7. When you engage in the duty of prayer, or come to the Lord's Supper, or attend any other duty of divine worship, come to Christ as Mary Magda