be often viewing these things, as it will be of peculiar service to your soul, in ani'nating you with zeal and resolution, in quickening you to duty, and in encouraging you with the hopes of perseverence in the midst of the most threatening difficulties.When you stumble, up and be pressing on towards the mark, for the prize is secured. Fear not, for no weapons formed against you shall prosper; you are not of them that draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe unto the saving of the

soul.

3. Be not self-confident, but entertain a Godly jealousy over your heart, and watch against the first appearance of backslidings. Whilst you are rejoicing in what God has done for you, take care that your heart is not filled with pride; neither grow fall secure and careless. Though you are safe, so as not totally to from grace, yet you may fall so as to dishonour God, and darken your evidences of an interest in Jesus, and wound your soul. Peter was too self-sufficient, therefore he fell into an open abomination. I would advise you to attend to the exhortation of the Plalmist, Psalm ii. 11. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Do not be afraid, yet do not be secure, nor full of self. Watch against whatever has a tendency to lead you aside the more self-confident you are, the more you are in danger of falling; the more diffident of self, and the more you honour God, the more you are secured from falling into sin.-Oh, ever remember, that though through grace sin cannot destroy you, yet it may greatly weaken and wound you.

4. Walk worthy of that vocation wherewith you are called. I am certain you cannot, you will not conclude from what has been said, that you have liberty to sin, that your state is safe and therefore you will indulge yourself in every outward pleasure.He that draws such a conclusion from the doctrines of divine grace, or from an apprehension of the grace of God to his soul, cannot be a Christian, at least he acts not like one. O my friend, if you have a suitable sense of what God has done for you, you will be saying, O what shall I render unto the Lord for all his goodness? How shall I honour God? Oh be not cold in his service, oh my soul ! let it be my great concern to make the glory of God my aim, and let this be my motto, For me to live is Christ.

Thus be concerned to walk, so as that you may honour God; let your conversation be suitable to that profession you make; be concerned that your graces be in a flourishing condition, and that your daily walk is becoming the gospel of Christ; that so you may have growing evidences of a real change in your heart, and may be rejoicing in the prospect of that glorious world, where you shall clearly see the footstepts of divine providence and grace to you in bringing you to Jesus, and triumph in God as your everlasting portion.-I shall now close all with one remark.

Hence we learn, The greatest sinners have encouragement to come to Jesus, and to hope for salvation. Have you stifled one conviction after another? Have you made a profession, bound yourselves by solemn vows to be the Lord's, made numberless resolutions, and broke them all, and turned again to fol. ly; Yet are you now sensible of sin? You have encouragement to come to the Redeemer, and hope for acceptance. Here is a young person that once made some appearance of religion, and afterwards stifled every conviction, run into many known sins, and was taking all methods to harden his heart against God; yet see, the grace of God has melted his heart; he now hates sin, and gives a comfortable evidence of his having experienced a saving change in his soul.

Oh let this encourage you, ye children of believing parents, who have wandered into the ways of sin, let this encourage you to come to Jesus, and plead free grace and the blood of Christ. Whoever you are, let not secret despair keep you at a distance from the Redeemer. Hear what the gospel proclamation is, Isaiah lv. 1. Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat, yea, come, buy wine and milk without money, and without price. Our Lord himself, in that general promise, John vi. 37, encourages all that come to him with the hopes of salvation, And him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.-Art thou thirsty ? art thou willing to come to Christ? Thy willingness to come is an evidence of his willingness to receive and save thee. It is he that has made thee willing to come to him; and for what purpose, but that he may exalt the riches of his grace in thy salvation.-Let none then despair of pardon, that are desirous of leaving sin and of coming to Jesus.

CASE XXX.

What judgment must a person form of his state, or what must he do, who is in total darkness, and cannot see any thing of a work of grace in his heart ?

WH

THAT a difference is there between the hypocrite and the real believer? The one is always full of self-flattery, entertaining the kindest thoughts of his state; the other is writ ing bitter things against himself, ever humble, and afraid lest to entertain a hope of an interest in Jesus would be esteemed presumption. He appears so unworthy in his own eyes, so vile and despicable, that he dare not draw a favourable conclusion concerning himself; but as he knows he has deserved the everlasting indignation of a just and holy God, so he is ready to fear that will be his awful portion, notwithstanding all the promises of divine grace, and all the encouragements the gos X

pel exhibits to the greatest sinners. He can see no amiableness in himself, nothing to give him any hopes he is a child of God, but a thick cloud hangs over his soul, hides the Sun of right. eousness from his view, and all is dark within.-This is not always the case with the believer; but when it is, it is peculiarly melancholy. He has no joy or peace in believing; he is full of doubts and fears, is surrounded with darkness, and is under the most fearful apprehensions of sin and wrath.

This appears to be your case, my friend, according to the account you have sent in. Distressed as it is, perhaps, many here can join with you, and say they feel, they fear the same you do. In addressing one therefore, I address you all; and may the Spirit accompany what may be said, with his almighty power, that it may be made effectual to still your minds under all discouragements, and to lead you to a cheerful dependance upon Jesus Christ for all the blessings of salvation.

That I may answer this question in a manner that may be in some respects suitable, I would,

1. Take all the complaints represented in this person's case, and shew their consistency with our being Christians; or that a total darkness and great fears about our spiritual state, lay no just foundation for us to conclude, that we are not Christians indeed. If it can be made to appear from scripture and experience, that these are the complaints of God's own people, then we have no reason to conclude, that our state is bad, unless we bear the real marks and characters of an unrenewed soul.

Let us then view the case in all its particulars-And we find here a complaint of violent and sore temptations.-But it is plain this is no ways in consistent with an interest in Christ, because Christ himself was tempted. The devil tempted him in the wilderness to distrust, presumption, &c. Matth. iv: 3, &c. And when the awful hour of his sufferings, approached, the prince of the world again attacked him, and made his last furious onset upon him, John xiv. 30. Thus our Lord likewise tells Peter, that Satan had desired to have him, that he might sift him as wheat, Luke xxii. 31. The words seem to be ex

pressive of sore temptations.

The apostle Paul, though so great a Christian, and distin guished with such high enjoyments, yet had a messenger of Sasan'sent to buffet him, 2 Cor. xii. 7. Thus temptations are consistent with grace; for always observe, it is not our sin for the most blasphemous things to be offered to our minds by Satan; we are no further chargeable with temptations, than we encourage and fall in with them.

Again, Another circumstance our friend brings in as unfavourable, is the frowns of providence.-This has been a common case with God's people. They have met with various disappointments as to this world, have lost their outward enjoyments, and have been under afflictive dispensations. Thus

it was with Job, with David, and with many others. Nay the apostle tells us, that it is through much tribulation that we must enter into the kingdom of heaven, Acts xiv. 22. So that whatever afflictions we may be exercised with in the present state, they lay no just foundation for us to suspect or conclude that we are not real Christians.

Again, We find in this case want of assurance, and fears of being a cast-away: And these also are consistent with grace. because we find them in God's people. Thus the Psalmist cries out, Psalm 1xxvii. 7. under awful fears that God had left him, Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? Doth his promise fail forevermore ? Hath God forgotton to be gra cious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? His unbelieving heart seems to lead him to suspect the faithfulness, unchangeableness, and mercy of God. Thus the church in captivity is represented as drawing a sad conclusion that God had left her, Isaiah xlix. 14, 15. God addresses the timorous and doubting, Isaiah xli. 10. Fear not, for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God: Iwill strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Here is plainly a want of assurance and here are fears, supposed to arise in the soul that God is not our God, and yet God says, I am thy God: From whence we conclude, that this complaint is not inconsistent with an experience of divine grace m the heart.

Again, The person that sent in the above case complains of being under the hidings of God's face, and appears to be in great darkness of soul. But even this is a case that has been common to God's people. Thus Job enquires wherefore God hid his face from him, chapter xiii. 24. __ David represents God as hiding himself in times of trouble, Pslam x. 1. and Pslam xxx. 7. he speaks of God's hiding his face, and his soul being therefore troubled. Nay the prophet goes still further, Is. 1. 10, and says, that walking in darkness and having no light, is consistent with our interest in a covenant God; therefore he exhorts such to trust in the name of the Lord, and to stay upon their God. If we examine the experiences cf be levers, we shall find this to be frequently the case. God has hid his face; their souls are in great darkness; they can see no traces of the divine image in their souls; but a shade is drawn over all the work of God.-Were we to conclude, bec-use this is the case with us, that we were but nominal Christians, how small would be the number of real ones; and how unfavourably must we think of those, who notwithstanding this, give the clearest evidences of their experience of the grace of God.

Again, Another complaint is, fears of death, and distressing views of hell. This was the very case with the Psalmist, as he expresses it, Psalm cxvi. 3. The sorrows of death com

passed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. How frequent is it to find the Christian alarmed at the views of death, and afraid of falling into the hands of an angry God? It requires strong faith to triumph over death, or even to calm the soul under the views of it; especially when the Christian has a deep sense of his guilt and unworthiness. It cannot then be an evidence of our having no grace when we are under fears of death, and under any melancholy apprehensions of the bottomless pit. Your case my friend is not singular, for many, even of eminent saints, have felt the sante, who are now standing in the presence of God as conquerors through him that loved them.

Again, Our friend represents many Scriptures brought to his mind which are discouraging-Such as these, What will it profit you if you gain the whole world and lose your soul. Matth. xvi. 26. and Heb. ii. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? This is a case very frequent amongst the children of God. When Satan has any design to execute, or any temptation to offer, he knows how to apply scripture itself. Thus when he tempted our Lord to presumption, to give the temptation the greater force, he quotes scripture, saying, For it is written he shall give his angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone, Matth. iv. 6. Thus when he has a design of distressing the Christian, he will perhaps offer a text of scripture to the mind, to fill the soul with awful fears, and, if possible, to lead him to despair.-This complaint, therefore, lays no foundation for us to conclude that we are strangers to the grace of God.

Lastly, Another dark circumstance is, that our friend has 1 answers to prayer.This has been the complaint of others. They have prayed and waited, and God hath not satisfied their desires. The woman of Canaan seemed to be put off at first: our Lord answered her not a word.-When his disciples intreated for her, he appeared to cast contempt upon her, though at last he gave her the blessing, Matth. xv. 22. &c.Here we must observe, that God does not always answer the prayers of his people in the very particulars they seek to him about. Yet he may answer them, and does do it, by giving them blessings equivalent to those they asked. Thus Paul prayed three times, that the difficulty he was under might be removed. God did not remove it, yet he heard and answered his prayer, by saying, My grace is sufficient for thee, 2 Cor. xii. 8, 9. Thus when we say we have prayed with earnestness, with a view to God's glory, but have met with no acceptance, we are under a mistake; he hears our prayers, though we perceive it not; and our souls are the better for praying, though we may not be so sensible of it.Thus we see that all the complaints represented in this case, are consist