and Views in Affairs of this Kind. For Want of this Guard upon yourselves, you will be in Danger of embracing any Thing that is fhining and promifing to an Eye of Senfe, to the Lofs and Detriment of thofe Things that alone can make you truly happy, com fortable, and useful.

(3.) When, upon due Confideration, nothing appears in the Neceffity of the Cafe, or the Pointings of Providence, to make your Way clear; don't hurry Provi dence, but remain in a State of Sufpence, or abide where you are; waiting upon the LORD in the Way of Prayer, and waiting for the LORD in the Way of his Providence: And you need not fear, but that, as foon as it is needful for you to determine, God will by his Providence either hedge up the wrong Way, by making it impracticable, uncomfortable, unprofitable, or imprudent to you, and fhut you up unto his chofen Way: Or elfe he will foon give you fuch a Turn in Affairs as fhall turn the Scale; fo that Confcience, Prudence, or a Defire of Ufefulness will be fufficient to determine you, without your making any felt Impreffi ons, or any fuppofed Revelations, the Rule of your Conduct.

(4.) I would lay before you the following general Rules, which fuit to every Cafe, and fo conclude. In all Cafes let it be your perpetual Concern to keep as much as poffible out of the Way of Temptation to omit any Duty, or commit any Sin. Let the fixth Pe tition of the Lord's Prayer be always yours, and act ac cordingly: Lead us not into Temptation, but deliver us from Evil.

In all Cafes take the Word of God for your Rule: See whether there be any Thing in it, which, according to its proper Meaning, fuits your Cafe; whether

[CASE XI. its Rules of Duty and its prudential Maxims will not help and direct you in deciding the Point. Compare the Declarations of the Word with the Dispenfations of Providence towards you; and thence learn what the Lord requires of you in your prefent Circumftance. Be earnest with God, that his Spirit would bring fuch Texts or Truths to your Mind, as may be proper to direct you; and that he would give you a true Infight into them, and help your Thoughts to apply them to your Cafe, that you might rightly judge upon the Principles of Prudence and Confcience. And thus you will experimentally prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect Will of God; and will find the facred Oracles to be a Light to your Feet, and a Lamp to your Path.

In all Cafes keep up a Reverence for the Word and Providence of God upon your Hearts. Whatever these render unlawful or imprudent, look upon it to be against his Will, and accordingly avoid it: And what these render neceffary from Confcience and Prudence, efteem it agreeable to his Will, and comply with it accordingly; not merely as your Choice, nor as invented by your Prudence; but as the Will of the LORD himself.

ons.

In all Cafes have a steady Eye to his Glory. Let this be the grand View of your Minds, the grand Principle of your Conduct, and the grand Spring of your ActiAnd if his Glory and your real spiritual Good lie uppermoft in your Minds, it will be a moft ufeful, valuable, and effectual Directory to your Actions. Lay to Heart that excellent Caution, Direction, and Encouragement, which are found together in Prov. iii. 5, 6. Truft in the Lord with all thine Heart, and lean not to thine own Understanding. In all thy Ways acknowledge him: Acknowledge his Word by consulting it, his Hand

of

173 of Providence by obferving it, his Wifdom by admiring it, his Sovereignty by acquiefcing in it, his Faithfulness by relying on it, and his Kindness by being thankful for it: And be fhall direct thy Paths.

Finally, In every Cafe let it be your great Concern and Defire to behold God in Covenant, as managing every providential Circumftance in Subferviency to his gracious Purposes in Chrift Jefus. He, as a CovenantGod, has committed the Management of the Kingdom of Providence, as well as of Grace, into the Hands, the faithful, powerful, and gracious Hands of our exalted Redeemer: For Chrift has all the Power both in Heaven and Earth; and this Power is given him on Purpose that he should give eternal Life to as many as were given him. Beholding every Circumftance as thus conducted by the Lord Jefus, in Purfuance of the Designs of the everlasting Covenant, will alleviate every Trial, will sweeten every Crofs, and add a double Sweetness to every providential Favour. If Providence renders our present Situation uncomfortable, a Sight of God's Love in Chrift will make us contented, till there be an Opening for our Escape. If Providence renders our abiding in our present State impracticable or unlawful, the viewing Jefus Chrift at the Helm of all Affairs will enable us boldly to venture out in his Name and Strength into any unknown or rugged Path, which Neceffity or Duty may drive us into. drive us into. When two different Situations are offered to our Choice; here is now a Trial of our Love to God in Chrift: For the Head of the Church brings his People into such a State of Sufpence, in order to try what Influence our Love to his Name, our Regard to his Word, and cur View to his Honour, will have upon the deciding our Conduct. And, if we could always view fuch Circumftances in Providence as

Trials of our Choice, this very Thought would be a great Means of quickening and directing our Way. If Providence keeps us for a Time in fuch a State of Sufpence, we should look upon this as a Trial of our Patience, to see whether we can wait upon the Lord, and believe in his Salvation.

Thus, whatever our Circumftances are, a real Belief of God's Love and Faithfulness to us in Jefus Chrift, and a realizing View of Providence as in his Hands, will be found of eminent Service to keep us close to our Duty, and to keep us from entering into any forbidden Path; to keep our View upon the Honour of Christ, and to keep our Faith from failing, our Patience from being exhaufted, and our Souls from mifinterpreting and mifimproving the Difpenfations of Providence towards us.

CASE

*

***

CASE XII.

Should not a Perfon, who is not comfortably perfuaded of his being a real Christian, abstain from the Ordinance of the Lord's Supper, left he should eat and drink Damnation to himself? - And, what Method must that Perfor take to fatisfy a Church of Chrift of his being a real Chriftian, who cannot relate any particular Experience of the Dealings of God with his Soul?

THESE Queftions are of great Importance, and therefore deserve a diftinct Confideration. They were occafioned by two Letters fent to me, one of which is as follows, viz.

66

Reverend Sir,

I

SHOULD be glad you would refolve the fol lowing Cafe, on the Wednesday Night, as soon as Opportunity will permit. A Perfon has fome "Hopes he has experienced a real faving Change, and "is therefore defirous of waiting upon Chrift at his "Table; but is greatly difcouraged, from a View of "what the Apostle fays upon this Subject, I Cor. xi. "27, 29. This Paffage has occafioned the following "Thoughts, viz. If he has really experienced a saving Change, he shall be faved, whether he is a Partaker "of this Ordinance or not: But on the other hand, "if he should be deceived with Regard to the State of "his Soul, he then must eat and drink Damnation to "himself,

66