"to my foul; do I not well to take to "myself the comforts of the Gospel?" Undoubtedly; if God has authorised you to regard Him as having thus spoken peace to your foul. But where is your warrant to place your confidence on an inward impulse; to regard an indeterminate feeling as an impreffion from the Holy Ghoft, as a token and seal of forgiveness? I read in the Word of God; When the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness which he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall fave his foul alive. In the fame infallible word I read that indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguifh, fhall be upon every foul of man that doeth evil. I read that he who evinces his repentance and his faith by obedience, is forgiven; that he who is disobedient ftands at present condemned. But where am I referred to impreffions and impulfes? Recollect the credulity of the human mind on all fubjects with which fervid paffions are intermingled: the recorded extravagances of the imagination; the inconftant fluctuations of internal feelings, according to the viciffitudes of stronger or weaker fpirits, of health and fickness, of profperity and adverfity; and the facility

with which men of lively conceptions and flender judgement work themselves into a perfuafion, that they experience an indefinite impulfe, which they are taught to expect and are eager to receive; and the difficulty with which men of contrary qualities would venture to credit a fimilar fenfation. Meditate on thefe unquestionable truths; and you may fee reafon warmly to thank your God, that he has not directed you to judge of your state by a vague and variable and tranfient criterion, a criterion fitted to produce presumption or despair; but refers you to plain and fubftantial facts, to the habitual frame of your heart manifefting itself in practice, to a standard which fcarcely leaves the poffibility of delufion to him who applies it with devout and inveftigating obfervation. And what though you persist in your doctrine? Will you exalt an impulfe, of which you cannot certainly know that it proceeds from the Holy Ghoft, above the Scriptures, which you acknowledge to proceed from Him? If you are habitually obedient to Chrift through faith; do you deem the fcriptural promise of forgivenefs to all who thus obey Him an infufficient fecurity, an inadequate ground VOL. II.

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of comfort? If you are habitually disobedient; will you believe on the credit of an impulse that you are forgiven, in opposition to the Scriptures which pronounce you to be in a state of condemnation ?

In the two examples already brought forward, you have heard the truths inculcated by the text applied to the correction of errors in judging of our state, which arife from inaccurate views of Chriftian doctrine. Let me now apply thofe truths to an error connected with mifapprehenfion of the duty of a preacher.

Many persons cherish very imperfect and partial views of the proper nature of preaching. They relish no difcourfes, except fuch as they term comfortable. They delight to hear of the freeness of the Gofpel; of the fulness of the Gospel; of the privileges of the Gofpel; of the comforts of the Gospel of any thing rather than the duties of the Gospel. In their hearts, if not with their lips, they are prepared to fay to their minifter, as the Jews faid to Ifaiah; Prophesy not unto us right things: Speak unto us fmooth things (i). They remember not the admonition which St. Paul

(i) Ifaiah, xxx. 10.

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delivered to Timothy, that it might be the rule of his preaching: All Scripture is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for inftruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works (k). If you love not to hear the ftrict and holy morality of the New Teftament preffed and enforced upon you by Christian principles: is it not a proof that you do not relish the ftrictness and holiness of that morality? Is it not a proof of a secret consciousness that your morality is not of that strict and holy nature? If it is with reluctance that you lend your ear, whenever the terrors referved for the wicked are proclaimed: is it not a proof either that you prefumptuously imagine yourself unconcerned in those denunciations of divine vengeance; or that you wish to fmother and lay afleep your inward mifgivings of fin? Injudicious and dangerous is that fpiritual phyfician, who adminifters little except opiates and cordials. Ignorant and deluded is that private Chriftian, who condemns and rejects every other mode of treatment. Let your wounds be fearched to the bottom, if you are fo

licitous that they should be healed. Welcome every degree of discipline neceffary to your everlasting health. Apply not to yourself the comforts of the Gospel farther than the predominant frame of your tempers, difpofitions, and defires, and the habitual courfe of your life and conversation, afford evidence on which you may be fcripturally authorised to hope that, at prefent, you belong to the people of God. If you are not living unto Chrift through faith; if your converfation is not fuch as becometh the Gofpel of Chrift; if you walk not worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called; if you are not proved to be one of the peculiar people of Chrift by being purified from the dominion of corrupt tempers, principles, and practices, and by having become zealous of good works to prefume on the comforts of the Gospel is unwarranted and deftructive.

But if, after deep and devout self-examination, you have folid reafon to hope that faith in the Son of God has led you to delight in his commandments; if it be your prevailing defire that the renewing grace of the Holy Spirit should fanctify your heart unto obedience; if it be your habitual study and endeavour to bring every thought, every

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