can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." Not but that a man might make a profession in these words, without the Holy Ghost, but he could not do it heartily, or WITH ALL HIs heart. So 1 John iv. 15," Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God." i. e., Whoever makes this Christian confession (this profession which all Christians were wont to make) cordially, or with his whole heart, God dwells in him, &c. But it was thus that the eunuch was put upon making this confession.

VIII. It is apparent by the epistles of the apostles to the primitive Christian churches, their manner of addressing and treating them throughout all those epistles, and what they say to them and of them, that all those churches were constituted of members so qualified as has been represented, having such a visibility of godliness as has been insisted on; those who were reputed to be real saints, were taken into the church under a notion of their being truly pious persons, made that profession, and had this hope of themselves; and that natural and graceless men were not admitted designedly, but unawares, and beside the aim of the primitive churches and ministers; and that such as remained in good standing, and free from an offensive behavior, continued to have the reputation and esteem of real saints, with the apostles, and one with another.

There were numbers indeed in these churches, who after their admission fell into an offensive behavior; some of which the apostles, in their epistles, speak doubtfully of; others that had behaved themselves very scandalously, they speak of in language that seems to suppose them to be wicked men. The apostle Paul in his epistle to the Corinthians, oftentimes speaks of some among them that had embraced heretical opinions, and had behaved themselves in a very disorderly and schismatical manner, whom he represents as exposed to censure, and to whom he threatens excommunication; and upon occasion of so many offences of this kind appearing among them that for a while had been thought well of, he puts them all upon examining themselves, whether they were indeed in the faith, and whether Christ was truly in them, as they and others had supposed, 2 Cor. xiii. And the same apostle speaks of great numbers among the Galatians, who had made a high profession, and were such as he had thought well of when they were first admitted into the church, but since had given him cause to doubt of their state, by giving heed to seducers, that denied the great gospel doctrine of justification by faith alone: yet notwithstanding, the apostle speaks of them in such language as shows surprise and disappointment, and implies that he had looked upon them as true Christians, and hoped that his labors among them had had a saving effect upon them. Gal. i. 6, “ I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ, unto another gospel." Chap. iv. 11, "I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain." And ver. 20, "I desire to be present with you now, and change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you." As much as to say, "I have heretofore addressed you with the voice of love and charity, as supposing you the dear children of God; but now I begin to think of speaking to you in other language." In the same chapter, to show them what little reason he had to expect that they would come to this, he puts them in mind of the great profession they had made, and the extraordinary appearances there had formerly been in them of fervent piety. Ver. 15, "Where is the blessedness you spake of? For I bear you record, that if it had been possible ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them unto me." The Apostle James in his epistle, speaks of scandalous persons among the twelve tribes that were scattered abroad; some that were men of unbridled tongues; some

that seem to have been a kind of Antinomians in their principles, and of a very bitter and violent spirit, that reproached, condemned, and cursed their brethren, and raised wars and fightings among professing Christians, and were also very unclean in their practice, adulterers and adulteresses, chap, iv. 4. And in the 5th chapter of his epistle, he seems to speak to the unbelieving Jews, who persecuted the Christians, ver. 6. And the apostles are also often speaking of some that had once been admitted into the church, crept in unawares, who had apostatized from Christianity, and finally proved notoriously wicked men. But otherwise, and as to such members of the visible church as continued in the same good standing and visibility of Christianity, wherein they were admitted, it is evident by the epistles of the apostles, they were all in the eye of a Christian judgment truly pious or gracious persons. And here I desire the following things may be particularly observed.

The apostles continually, in their epistles, speak to them and of them, as supposing and judging them to be gracious persons. Thus the Apostle Paul, in his epistle to the church of the Romans, chap. i. 7, speaks of the members of that church as beloved of God. In chap. vi. 17, 18, &c., he " thanks God, that they had obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which had been delivered them, and were made free from sin, and become the servants of righteousness," &c. The apostle in giving thanks to God for this, must not only have a kind of negative charity for them, as not knowing but that they were gracious persons, and so charitably hoping (as we say) that it was so; but he seems to have formed a positive judgment that they were such his thanksgiving must at least be founded on rational probability; since it would be but mocking of God to give him thanks for bestowing a mercy which at the same time he did not see reason positively to believe was bestowed. In chap. vii. 4, 5, 6, the apostle speaks of them as those that once were in the flesh, and were under the law, but now delivered from the law, and dead to it. In chap. viii. 15, and following verses, he tells them, they had received the Spirit of adoption, and speaks of them as having the witness of the Spirit that they were the children of God, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. And the whole of his discourse, to the end of the chapter, implies, that he esteemed them truly gracious persons. In chap. ix. 23, 24, he speaks of the Christian Romans, together with all other Christians, both Jews and Gentiles, as vessels of mercy. In xiv. 6, 7, 8, speaking of the difference that then was among professing Christians, in point of regard to the ceremonial institutions of the law, he speaks of both parties as acting from a gracious principle, and as those that lived to the Lord, and should die unto the Lord: "He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord, &c. For none of us liveth to himself, and no man [i. e. none of us] dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord, or whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's." In chap. xv. 14, he says, "I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye are full of goodness." His being thus persuaded implies a positive judgment of charity.

And the same apostie in his first epistle to the Corinthians, directs it to "the church at Corinth, that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call on the name of the Lord Jesus ;" i. e., to all visible Christians through the world, or all the members of Christ's visible church everywhere: and continuing his speech of these, chap. i. 8, he speaks of them as those "that God would confirm to the end, that they may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ:" plainly speaking of them all, as persons, in Christian esteem, savingly converted. In the next verse, he speaks of the faithfulness of God as engaged thus to preserve them to salvation, having called them

to the fellowship of his Son. And in the 30th verse, he speaks of them as having a saving interest in Christ: "Of him are ye in Christ Jesus; who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption." In chap. iii. 21, 22, 23, he says to the members of the church of Corinth," All things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours, and ye are Christ's." In chapter iv. 15, he tells them, he had begotten them through the gospel. In chap vi. 1, 2, 3, he speaks of them as "those who shall judge the world, and shall judge angels:" and in ver. 11, he says to them, "Ye are washed, ye are sanctified, ye are justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of God." And in chap. xv. 49, to the end, he speaks of them as having an interest, with him and other Christians, in the happiness and glory of the resurrection of the just. And in his second epistle, chap. i. 7, he says to them, "Our hope of you is steadfast; knowing that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation." This steadfast hope implies a positive judgment. We must here understand the apostle to speak of such members of the church of Corinth, as had not visibly backslidden, as they whom he elsewhere speaks doubtfully of. Again, in the 14th and 15th verses, he speaks of a confidence which he had that they should be his rejoicing in the day of the Lord Jesus. In all reason, we must conclude, there was a visibility of grace, carrying with it an apparent probability in the eyes of the Apostle, which was the ground of this his confidence. Such an apparent probability, and his confidence as built upon it, are both expressed in chap. iii. 3, 4, "Ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ, ministered by us; written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in the fleshly tables of the heart; and such trust have we through Christ to God-ward." And in ver. 18, the apostle speaks of them, with himself and other Christians, as all with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, and being changed into the same image from glory to glory.

And in the epistle to the churches of Galatia, chap. iv. 26, the apostle speaks of visible Christians, as visibly belonging to heaven, the Jerusalem which is above. And, ver. 28, 29, represents them to be the children of the promise, as Isaac was; and born after the Spirit. In the 6th verse of the same chapter, he says to the Christian Galatians, because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. And in chap. vi. 1, he speaks of those of them that had not fallen into scandal, as spiritual per

sons.

In his epistle to that great church of Ephesus, at the beginning, he blesses God on behalf of the members of that church, as being together with himself and all the faithful in Christ Jesus, " chosen in him before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blame before him in love, being predestinated to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein God had inade them accepted in the beloved; in whom they had redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins." In chap. i. 13, 14, he thus writes to them: "In whom ye also trusted.-In whom after ye believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession." And in chap. ii. at the beginning: "You hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins." With much more, showing that they were, in a charitable esteem, regenerated persons, and heirs of salvation.

So in the epistle to the members of the church of Philippi, the apostle sa

luting them in the beginning of it, tells them that he "thanks God upon every remembrance of them for their fellowship in the gospel; being confident of this very thing, that he which had begun a good work in them, would perform it until the day of Christ: even (says he) as it is meet for me to think this of you all." If it was meet for him to think this of them, and to be confident of it, he had at least some appearing rational probability to found his judgment and confidence upon; for surely it is not meet for reasonable creatures to think at random, and be confident without reason. In verses 25, 26, he speaks of his "confidence that he should come to them for their furtherance and joy of faith, that their rejoicing might be more abundant in Christ Jesus." Which words certainly suppose that they were persons who had already received Christ, and comfort in him; had already obtained faith and joy in Christ, and only needed to have it increased.

In the epistle to the members of the church of Colosse, the apostle, saluting them in the beginning of the epistle, "gives thanks for their faith in Christ Jesus, and love to all saints, and the hope laid up for them in heaven;" and speaks of "the gospel's bringing forth fruit in them, since the day they knew the grace of God in truth;" i. e., since the day of their saving conversion. In chap. i. 8, he speaks of " their love in the Spirit." Verses 12, 13, 14, he speaks of them as "made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; as being delivered from the power of darkness, and translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son; as having redemption through Christ's blood, and the forgiveness of sins." In chap. iii. at the beginning, he speaks of them as "risen with Christ; as being dead [i. e. to the law, to sin, and the world]; as having their life hid with Christ in God; and being such as "when Christ their life should appear, should appear with him in glory." In ver. 7, he speaks of them as "having once walked and lived in lusts, but having now put off the old man with his deeds, and put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.”

In the first epistle to the members of the church of Thessalonica, in words annexed to his salutation, chap. i., he declares what kind of visibility there was of their election of God, in the appearance there had been of true and saving conversion, and their consequent holy life, verses 3-7. And in the beginning of the second epistle, he speaks of their faith and love greatly increasing; and in verse 7, he expresses his confidence of meeting them in eternal rest, when the Lord Jesus Christ should be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. And in chap. ii. 13, he gives thanks to God that from the beginning he had chosen them to salvation.

In the epistle to the Christian Hebrews, though the apostle speaks of some that once belonged to their churches, but had apostatized and proved themselves hypocrites; yet concerning the rest that remained in good standing, he says, chap. vi. 9, I am persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation. (Where we may again note, his being thus persuaded, evidently implies a positive judgment.) And in chap. xii. 22, &c., he speaks of them as visibly belonging to the glorious society of heaven. And in chap. xiii. 5, 6, he speaks of them as those who may boldly say, The Lord is my helper.

The Apostle James, writing to the Christians of the twelve tribes which were scattered abroad, speaks of them as regenerated persons, meaning, as I observed before, those which were in good standing. Chap. i. 18," Of his own will begat he us by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of hi creatures. The Apostle Peter, writing to the Jewish Christians, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia (large countries, an

therefore they must in the whole be supposed to be a great multitude of people), to all these the apostle in the inscription or direction of his first epistle, gives the title of elect, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. And in the verses next following, speaks of them as regenerated," or begotten again to a lively hope, to an inheritance incorruptible," &c. And as "kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation :" and says to them in verses 8, 9, "Whom (namely, Christ) having not seen, ye love; in whom though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory; receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls." And in verse 18, to the end, the apostle speaks of them as "redeemed from their vain conversation, by the precious blood of Christ.-And as having purified their souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit.-Being born again of incorruptible seed," &c. And in the former part of chap. ii. he speaks of them as "living stones, coming to Christ, and on him built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. And as those that believe, to whom Christ is precious. As a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, called out of darkness into marvellous light." The church at Babylon, occasionally mentioned in chap. v. 13, is said to be elected together with them. And in his second epistle (which appears by chap. iii. 1, to be written to the same persons) the inscription is, To them which have obtained like precious faith with us, i. e., with the apostles and servants of Christ. And in the third chapter, he tells them both his epistles were designed to stir up their PURe minds.

In the first epistle of John, written (for aught appears) to professing Christians in general, chap. ii. 12, &c., the apostle tells them, "He writes to them because their sins were forgiven, because they had known him that was from the beginning.-Because they had overcome the wicked one," &c. In verses 20, 21, he tells them "they have an unction from the Holy One, and know all things; and that he did not write to them because they had not known the truth, but because they had known it," &c. And in verse 27, he says, "The anointing which ye have received of him, abideth in you, and ye need not that any man should teach you; but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie; and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." And in the beginning of chap. iii. he addresses them as those "who were the sons of God, who when he should appear should be like him, because they should see him as he is." In chap. iv. 4, he says, "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome," &c.

The Apostle Jude, in his general epistle, speaks much of apostates and their wickedness; but to other professing Christians, that had not fallen away, he says, verses 20, 21, "But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life :" plainly supposing that they had professed faith with love to God our Saviour, and were by the apostle considered as his friends and lovers.-Many other passages to the like purpose might be observed in the epistles, but these may suffice.

Now how unaccountable would these things be, if the case was, that the members of the primitive Christian churches were not admitted into them under any such notion as their being really godly persons and heirs of eternal life, nor with any respect of such a character appearing on them; and that they themselves joined to these churches without any such pretence, as having no such opinion of themselves!