“know even as also I am known.”* Would you but re flect upon yourselves, Chriftians, you would be ashamed of your complaints. You would be afhamed that you fhould fo much as lay claim to fo high a degree of comfort, when you are fo carelefs in your duty. Your improvement in the fpiritual life is but very gradual, and therefore it is no wonder your hope fhould be but in proportion to it.

It is of the greatest confequence in religion, to diftinguifh carefully between that hope and comfort which arifes directly from the promifes of God in fcripture, and that which arifes from a reflex obfervation of the change that has taken place in our own temper and practice. To entertain and encourage doubts in the former cafe, is directly contrary both to our duty and intereft; but in the other, perhaps fufpicion and diffidence is moft becoming the Chriftian temper, and moft conducive to the advancement of the Chriftian life. Is there any perfon perufing this treatife, who is incommoded and diftreffed with anxiety and fear? Take heed that you be not doubting as much of the certainty of God's word, as you are jealous of your own state. Is it not more than fufficient that you have fo many gracious invitations, fo many full, free and unlimited offers of mercy, through a Redeemer, to the chief of finners? Does it not give repofe to the mind, and reft to the confcience, when, by direct acts of faith, you receive and rely on Chrift alone for falvation; feeing him to be fingle in this undertaking, and all-fufficient for its accomplishment, and therefore cleaving to him as your Lord and your God, and your all. I would not choose to affirm, that affurance, in the ordinary fenfe of that word, is effential to faith, or that its proper defcription is, to believe that my fins, are forgiven me; yet furely, fome measure of hope is infeparable from it. Faith and despair are oppofite and inconfiftent. If you do really believe the fincerity of the offer; if you do really believe the fulness and ability of the Saviour," the God of hope will fill you "with all joy and peace in believing, through the power "of the Holy Ghoft."

* 1 Cor. xiii. 12.

To this let me add, that confidering the matter, even with regard to a renewing and fanctifying work of the Spirit upon your hearts, your complaints are often exceffive and unreafonable. You would have evidence, not that the work is begun, but that it is finifhed. You defire comfort, not fuch as is fufficient to ftrengthen you against temptation, and bear you up under fuffering; but fuch as would make temptation to be no temptation, and suffering to be no fuffering. But if you are fenfible that you still adhere to God as your portion, that you cannot find peace or rest in any thing elfe; and that a whole world would not induce you to give up even your doubtful title to his favor and love, furely you ought to endeavor after compofure of mind: you may be frequently in the ftate of the apottle Paul, who fays of himself, " Our flesh had no rest, "but we were troubled on every fide, without were fight"ings, within were fears."* And yet fay with the fame apostle, "We are troubled on every fide, yet not diftref "fed; we are perplexed, but not in defpair; perfecuted, "but not forfaken; caft down, but not deftroyed." It is not meant by this to condemn an earnest defire to abound. in hope, or a frequent and ftrict examination of our state and temper, but to warn Christians against impatience, and against an unthankful, fretful difpofition, which indeed difappoints itself, and prevents the attainment of that peace, for the want of which it complains.

This leads naturally to the mention of another fault incident to serious perfons, which will lay a foundation for a very important leffon upon this fubject. The fault here intended is, falling into a flothful, defpondent neglect of duty. The devices of fatan, our great enemy, are very various, and unspeakably artful. When he cannot keep men in fecurity, and drive them blindly along the broad path which leadeth to deftruction, he endeavors to make their duty as painful and burdenfome to them as poffible. When fome perfons give themselves to ferious felf-examination, he embarrasses them with fcruples, he involves them in doubts, he diftreffes them with fears. This often

brings on a relaxation, or fufpenfion of their diligence in duty; they give themfelves up to anxious, complaining thoughts; they ftand ftill, and will go no farther in religion, till they are fatisfied whether they have as yet gone any length at all. But whatever good ground any perfon may have to be diffatisfied with himfelf, fo foon as he perceives that this is its effect, he ought to refift it as a tempta. tion. I cannot better illuftrate this, than by a fimilitude borrowed from the fcripture language on the fame fubject. Whether do you think that child moft dutiful, under a fenfe of his father's displeasure, who patiently and filently applies himfelf to his work, or he who faunters about in idlenefs, and with peevifh and fullen complaints, is conftantly calling in queftion his father's love?

This lays the foundation for a very neceflary and useful direction, which indeed flows naturally from all that has been faid on the evidence of regeneration. Endeavor, Chriftians, to preferve and increase your hope in God, by further degrees of fanctification, by zeal and diligence in doing his will. The more the image of God in you is perfected, it will be the more eafily difcerned. If you are at any time ready to doubt whether fuch or fuch corruptions are confiftent with real religion; if you find this a hard queftion to refolve, go another way to work, and ftrive by vigilance and prayer to mortify these corruptions, and then the difficulty is removed. If in a time of affliction and diftrefs, you find it hard to determine whether it ought to be confidered as the correction of a father, or the feverity of a judge, endeavor through divine grace to bear it with the patience of a child, and you will foon fee its merciful original by its falutary effect. What fhould be the daily fludy of a Chriflian, but to mortify fin in heart and converfation? and his comfort fhould arise from his apparent fuccefs in this important ftrife. When grain of different kinds is but springing from the ground, it is not easy to diftinguith between one and another; but their growth afcertains their quality, which is ftill more fully difcerned as they approah nearer to maturity. Imitate in this the great apoftle of the Gentiles, "Not as though I had already attained, either were already per

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"fect; but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for "which alfo I am apprehended of Chrift Jefus. Brethren, I count not myfelf to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting thofe things which are behind, "and reaching forth unto thofe things which are before, I prefs toward the mark for the prize of the high "calling of God in Chrift Jefus !"*

แ

Before closing this fection, I muft obferve that though the account I have given of the great mark of real reli gion, may ftill leave fome in the dark, yet furely it carries in it the cleareft and plaineft condemnation of many hearers of the gospel. Oh, that it were poffible to faften a conviction of it upon their minds! Are there not many who appear from fabbath to fabbath in the houfe of God, who dare not affirm ferioufly to their own hearts, that God and his fervice has more of their habitual fettled affection than the world, or any of its enjoyments? I do not here understand grofs finners, whofe crimes are "open going "before unto judgment;" but I mean the more fober and regular profeffors of religion, who may have "a form "of godlinefs, and deny the power thereof." I am perfuaded this is a more proper trial of their flate, than any particular rule of duty. Many fuch perfons know fo little of the extent and fpirituality of the law of God, that it is not impoffible they may be ready to affirm they do not allow themselves in any known fin, as the young man in gospel seems to have answered fincerely, when he faid to our Saviour," Mafter, all thefe have I obferved from my "youth."t

But I would farther afk them, Whether hath God or the world most of your love, moft of your thoughts, and most of your care? Can fuch of you pretend this, whofe eager, ardent, nightly thought and daily pleafure, is only to increase your substance? who would not go to market without re-examining your tranfactions, and computing your gain; but can daily go to the houfe of God, without obferving, enquiring after, or defiring to fee its proper fruits? Can fuch of you pretend this, to whom all ferious Mark x. 20.

Phil. iii. 12, 13, 14.

converfation is tedious and difguftful, and the fociety of good men a painful restraint? to whom the fabbath is a dull, melancholy, and burdenfome feafon? Oh, my brethren, let me befeech you to be faithful to your own fouls. Your precious time is daily hastening on; the day of your merciful vifitation is wearing faft away, Hear while there is yet peace, and intreat that God, for Chrift's fake, would freely pardon all your fins; would renew you in the fpirit of your minds; would fit you for his fervice on earth, and for his prefence and enjoyment in heaven.

Thus I have explained at confiderable length, and with all the care and accuracy in my power, the great and general evidence of regeneration, viz. the fuperiority of the intereft of God and the Redeemer in the heart, above the intereft of inferior good. This, I hope, will be of use in itfelf, to distinguish the precious from the vile, to preserve you from fin, and excite you to diligence in every part of your duty, that it may be more and more manifeft. At the fame time, it will be of the greatest service, in the use and application of other figns of real religion, by fhewing when they are conclufive, and when they are not.