God has no where declared that I am.-Nay he has declared that persons of such and such a character are ungodly, and the children of the devil: and, if I be of such a character, then, in proportion as I credit what God says, I shall not only doubt my good state, but be sure that I am no Christian: and, if I do not in such a case doubt my safety, I evidently do make God a liar; that is, treat him as such.-Again, if he declares positively what is the character of all true believers, and I either am not conscious that this is my character, or never examined whether it is or not, and yet will not doubt of my good state, I make him a liar; for I will not believe his word.

"There is abundant evidence that the Bible is the word of God; and we cannot be unacquainted with it but through pride and sloth; and therefore to doubt of it is sinful. There is, further, abundant evidence that such and such truths are revealed in the Bible; and it is therefore criminal to doubt of them: there is abundant evidence that Christ is able, willing, faithful, to save all that come to him, and very sincere in his invitations; and therefore it is sinful unbelief for me to doubt his power or willingness to save me-in case I come aright to him. But, unless I am conscious of sincerity in repenting of and forsaking sin; casting myself on God's free mercy in Christ; renouncing the world; and giving myself up to the Lord, to serve him in righteousness and true holiness; I have no sufficient evidence that I am a true believer: and, so far is it from being sinful, in such circumstances, to doubt of my good state, that it is my bounden duty to do it; and in that uncertainty to examine myself whether I be in the faith,* and never to rest till I find evidence of my conversion to God; yea, and always to renew my doubting in proportion as this evidence disappears.

"It is true, when we are conscious of sincerity in these things, and yet indulge doubting because we are not perfect, this is a sinful unbelief; because it is a refusal to believe what God says, when he declares in his word that persons of such an experience, and affections, and character, are converted, and in the way to heaven; or it is fancying that there are some exceptions-that we ourselves are exceptions, though conscious of the things described, because there are other things opposing themselves, and

* 2 Cor. xiii, 5.

preventing our doing as we would, the things which we would.

"In many ways our doubting may originate in unbelief, and so be a sin; and, at all times, it is our sin to be of such a character, and to live in such a way as to have cause to doubt: but to doubt of our Christian state when we have no evidence of it, but much evidence to the contrary, is so far right, and the only way to be brought right: and not to doubt, in such a case, is blind and carnal security, bold presumption in defiance of God's word, pernicious enthusiasm, and diabolical delusion. And all assurance of our conversion and safe state, which rises above the degree of evidence which exists for it, partakes of the same character, and produces a measure of the same consequences.

"Would to God these things were attended to in a manner proportioned to their importance to the credit of religion, the glory of God, and the good of souls!"

5. FINAL PERSEVERANCE

Is the next doctrine deduced from the principles already laid down. There is nothing uncommon in the writer's way of arguing in support of this doctrine, but on the use and application of it he has observations which deserve to be quoted.

"Not every work is that work of grace, which being begun, a faithful God stands engaged to perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ. A man may be reformed in his outward conduct; be proselyted to a new sect; be a convert to a new and orthodox system of doctrine; have convictions and alarms followed by comforts, in a regular order; be able to relate a very plausible experience with sincerity; make a credible profession; have high affections; be endued with valuable gifts for the edification of others; yea, preach like an apostle; speak with the tongues of men and of angels; work miracles; have a flaming zeal; abound in all outward duties; outstrip real Christians in all external appearances, and be more free from any thing offensive; and yet not be converted. This is plain from many examples of scripture. Nor can man upon earth, from any external evidence, absolutely pronounce another to be a converted person. This is the prerogative of a heartsearching God. Charity hopeth all things: and we ought to judge favorably, so far as is consistent with withdrawing

from those who walk disorderly. Light enough ministers and Christians may have from the words and works of men to regulate their own conduct: but, if they pretend to certainty, they pretend to more than any can have respecting another, except by revelation. When therefore one who has made a high profession, like Judas, apostatizes, or finally falls away, we ought to say, A specious hypocrite is unmasked; not, A saint has fallen away.-Though however we cannot be assured of others, we may of ourselves,. by the testimony of our conscience to the sincerity of our love to God and holiness, &c."

We may here take occasion to remark, that the question concerning the final perseverance of the saints, whether it be a true doctrine or not, must be decided by the evidence of scripture exclusively, and not at all (as is often attempted,) by an appeal to facts: because every case adduced against it may be solved in one, perhaps in either, of these two ways, that the person never was sincere, or that we do not certainly know his fall to have been total and final. As the next passage speaks of guarding the doctrine, I would observe, that many persons are very averse to the use of this term: it appears to convey to their minds, inevitably, the idea of proposing a doctrine timidly and feebly, bereft of more than half its force and glory. That the term bore no such sense in my father's use of it, I trust it is superfluous to state. Then only is a doctrine properly guarded, when it is proposed as scripture pro- poses it: in the same manner, for the same purposes, with the same restrictions, and no others, and particularly in connexion with all those other truths with which scripture combines it. This premised, I proceed with my extracts.

"Ministers, in preaching this doctrine, are particularly called well to state and guard it, lest, through inadvertency, they take the children's bread and cast it to the dogs; or, at least, permit the dogs to run away with it. I rest this appeal with the consciences of all sober and godly men, whether the unguarded preaching of this doctrine has not done immense mischief in the church of God, by strengthening the hands of those who are living in sin, that they should not return from their evil ways. Numbers on insufficient grounds take it as a determined matter that they are saints; and, being taught that the saints always persevere,

and are recovered from their declensions, they soothe themselves in their sloth and worldliness; sleep secure in sin; are proof against the terrors of God's word, which belong to the wicked, and not (they think) to them; are a scandal and reproach to religion; and live and die under the delusion.

But, not only can no man on scriptural grounds take encouragement from this doctrine, except he have substantial evidence of his being a true Christian; no man can legitimately take more encouragement from it, than in proportion to his evidence.-Therefore true saints under declension, having their evidence obscured, must lose their assurance that they are saints, and have no right to comfort from this doctrine, further than they are consciously sincere in repenting and turning to God. If these things were carefully attended to, a formidable objection to the doctrine, drawn from the abuse of it, would be more effectually answered them by volumes of controversial arguments.

"Again, no man has any right to take encouragement from this doctrine, further than he is consciously sincere in using all the means which God has appointed for his preservation. God keeps his people by inclining them to keep themselves;* by putting his fear in their hearts, that they should not depart from him: and this makes them constant and diligent in using the appointed means of grace with earnestness; and alarmed when slackness creeps upon them -by which means that evil is remedied. And, if at any time they get over this barrier, and grow secure, he rouses them by rebukes and chastisements; which stir them up again to diligence: and thus he preserves them from falling away. The means and end are inseparable in reality, and should never be separated in speculation.-If it were possible for God so to leave a true saint, that he should entirely cease to watch and pray, to read, and meditate, and hear the word, and be entirely secure in sin and carnality, and live and die in such a state; it would be possible for such an one to perish: yea, it would be impossible that he should not. But this God will never do. He will by the influences of his Spirit, and the chastisements of his rod, bring him to repentance; and incline his heart to continue in a course of religion habitually and persever

* Jam. i, 27. Jude 21. 1 John v, 18.

ingly to the end. And he that endureth to the end shall be saved. The rest were stony ground or thorny ground hearers.

"But now, when a person has no heart to watch, pray, hear, read, meditate, examine himself, believe, obey; and yet pretends to trust in God's engagement that true saints shall persevere, he perversely counteracts God's method; takes for granted the very thing which wants proof, by assuming himself to be a true saint without evidence, and even against evidence; thinks himself something, when probably he is nothing, thus deceiving his own soul; and, should there be any grace in his heart, (which is extremely unlikely;) he takes the very method the devil would have him take for continuing in this awful situation, by shutting out that fear which God puts into the hearts of his people to bring them back from their declensions.

"This again, well considered, is the best answer to another objection against this doctrine, as if it rendered watchfulness unnecessary. It is not designed to comfort even true Christians in sloth and lukewarmness; it being much better for them in such a state to be put in great fear: but to cheer the diligent, active, thriving Christian in his conflict with Satan and the corruptions of his own heart; that, while fighting, animated by the assurance of victory, he may fight manfully, when otherwise he would be discouraged by fears lest all should be in vain. And, if Satan and wicked men abuse this doctrine, as they do every other good gift of God, this should only teach the servants of God to protest against such abuses, not to deny the doctrine of God's word, and offend against the generation of his children.

CASES OF DECLENSION AND INCONSISTENCY.

"AND here I would propose it to the serious consideration of pious ministers, whether in some cases an improper and prejudicial method is not adopted in dealing with our people. When persons who have appeared for some time to be sincere Christians fall into any particular fault, though a considerable one; or when there are many infirmities which call for ministerial reproof; I readily allow that it is best to treat with them as Christians,—not much admitting the contrary supposition. But, when such per