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3. Let me now fpeak to thofe, who are truly religious.

Perhaps you have been ready to exclaim, that you have been, more or lefs, difappointed in your expectations: that you have not found in the courfe of your endeavours after faith and holinefs the uniform and full fatisfaction, for which the declarations, of the Scriptures had encouraged you to hope: and that, fince the promises of God can never fail, you are in confequence depreffed with alarming apprehenfions that you have been deceiving your own hearts, and are not in the number of the righteous. Now God fors bid that his minifters fhould affirm, that all perfons who have not experienced in religion the complete confolation, which it holds forth to his fervants, are therefore not religious, The promifes of God never fail. But there may exift fome circumftance, which has hi therto prevented you, which may even now prevent you, from reaping due benefit from them. Sometimes bodily maladies prey úpon the fpirits; and create a melancholy, which is a disease. In this fituation, and poffibly it may have been, or may now be, the fituation of fome whom I addrefs, the accomplishment of the promifes of God is fufpended. For wife purposes known unto Himself comfort VOL. I.

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and peace are at prefent withheld. But to those who perfevere in devout and patient obedience they are, in the ordinary courfe of Providence, extended at laft. Sometimes alfo, perfons, who are carneft in their defires and efforts to be religious, adopt erroneous opinions on fome branches of religion. Perhaps, unable, in common with the reft of mankind, metaphy fically to delineate the mode, in which the foreknowledge of God may be confiftent with the contingent falvation of man, they virtually pronounce them irreconcilable: and having thus adventured to limit the power of Omnipotence, they conceive that their lot has been abfolutel and irrevocably pre-ordained from everlasting; that by the fovereign and unconditional decree of the Almighty they have been created purpofely to be placed, according to his fiat, in the realms of eternal blifs, or to be configned to never-ending woe; and that until death fhall remove the veil which conceals their appointed manfion, it must ever remain a doubt, a doubt loaded with torture and dif may, whether to them heaven be not inac ceffible, and hell inevitable. Perhaps they no less erroneously conclude that the attainment of justifying faith, and the converfion of the heart by the regenerating operation of the Holy Spirit, are events diftinctly manifefted अतर

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to the believer by inward and fupernatural impreffions: and not having experienced in their own bofoms the fenfible tokens of acceptance, they infer that they are unredeemed from the penal confequences of guilt, unfanctified by the purifying influence of divine grace, aliens from God, children of damnation. Sometifies men of piety reftrict themfelves to partial views of religion. Perhaps they nearly confine their meditation to their own guilt };⠀⠀ without fufficiently railing their thoughts to the atonement and the interceffion of Chrift. Perhaps they dwell almost exclu fively on their own weakness and corruption: and thus think too little of the fanctifying, the universal, and the all-fubduing aid of the Holy Ghost. Perhaps they fix their minds fo intently on doctrines, as to pay too little regard to the regulation of their hearts: or, while they are anxious in the perform ance of good works, are too little careful to render them as fruits of faith. Now fo far as you misapprehend the nature of religion, you will neceffarily fall fhort of its genuine comforts. But it is well if the failure of complete confolation in the ways of religion, of which you complain, be not owing to another and a more general caufe. It is well if it be not owing to this circumftance, that

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you are not entirely religious. You can pol fefs the comforts of religion only in proportion as you are religious. If evil inclinations ftill refume at intervals their original dominion over your heart: if the remains of unfubdued paffions agitate your breaft: they will entail their natural confequences, folicitude and anguifh. Charge not then your want of inward peace on religion: charge it on your own deficiency in religion. In proportion as you are finful, you must expect the wages of fin. Be thoroughly religious; that you may have perfect peace.

Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, faith your God (r). Shall not thofe in every congregation, who are indeed the people of God, be exhorted humbly to take unto themselves, while they continue ftedfaft in faith and holinefs, the confolations which their God has provided for them? Fear not ye, who have fet your hearts hearts on falvation through Christ. Fear not ye for ye feek Jefus which was crucified. Fear not ye: for your Redeemer liveth. Fear not ye: for ye have an Almighty Protector. Fear not ye; for he hath promised to strengthen you with might adequate to your trials. Fear not ye: for ye

(r) Ifaiah, xl. 1.

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are under the guidance of infinite wisdom, goodness, and love. Fight the good fight of faith. You shall have ferenity during the conflict, and victory at the clofe. Caft all your care on Him, who careth for you. Rejoice in the word of God; comfort yourselves in the word of the Lord. Verily ye fhall know, that the work of righteoufnefs fhall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and offurance for ever (s), ; ni yonvoltoh awo nov 259sw si; fe(6) Ifaiah, xxxii. 14jình ong ung an

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