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which was not the satisfaction of each man, personally considered, that he was within the covenant of grace; but to prove, that God had put the Gentile Christians, as a collective body, on a footing with the other collective body of Jewish converts. When he had outwardly poured on the Church the miraculous energies of his spirit, his love was thereby inwardly manifested to their hearts; and induced the effects of confidence and patience.

Heb. vi. 11. "We desire that every one of you do show the same diligence, to the full assurance of hope, unto the end." It is the full assurance of hope: and if there be any apparent incongruity in the connexion between the terms, the frequent use and known meaning of the latter should prevail; because the original of the former* will equally well bear to be translated— "the consummation:" which also agrees well with a reference to the end. This passage can never be plausibly urged to the point in question, unless severed from the preceding verse; because when the verses are taken together, it appears that the assurance spoken of originated in labours of Christian love, and not in a divine intimation to the mind.

Verse 19. "Which hope we have as an anchor to the soul, both sure and stedfast." This passage could never have been mistaken, if the word "hope" had been omitted; which is not in the original, and therefore printed in italicks. The immediately preceding verse speaks of "flying for refuge, to lay hold on the hope set before us:" that is, not hope as existing in the mind; but the ground of hope, in the promise and the oath of God, spoken of just before. Accordingly, these are the "anchor of the soul:" and they are "sure and stedfast" in themselves; whatever may be the measure of confidence in them on our part.

Eph. i. 13, 14. "Ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise; which is the earnest of our inheritance:" It is evident, that this sealing cannot be the

* Πληροφορίαν.

assurance in question, which is defined to be cotemporary with true faith: whereas the matter here spoken of, was at some period subsequent to the act of believing. The passage means their being sealed as a Church: and the stamp of the seal, was the pouring out of the miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost. Doubtless, there were also the sanctifying graces of the same blessed agent: but the other is referred to in this passage, as appears in the succeeding words" until [or unto]" the redemption of the purchased possession." The pouring out of the miracul us gifts of the Spirit, was the sealing of the Church: but the end of this, or what it served unto, was the spiritual redemption of the individual members of it; or the making of them a peculiar people and purchased possession.

Concerning all the texts quoted as to the purpose, it is worthy of remark, that they are from the epistles; misapprehended from inattention to the respective connexion; and that none of them are from any of the discourses made by our Lord in person. Now his last instruction to his disciples, related to "the preaching of the forgiveness of sins."* That he had habitually preached this doctrine himself, resting the proposed benefit on the conditions of the faith and the repentance of the recipient, is certain. But it is not alleged, that in any instance he gave the promise of communi. cating it by an inward assurance to the mind of the party. How then can such an assurance be the matter, which, in the passage referred to, the disciples were to publish to all nations, "beginning at Jerusalem."

There has been given only a specimen of the op posite arguing, by remarking on the most promi. nent of its texts. It is now proposed to offer other texts, containing a different standard; quite uselessly, if the opposite principle be correct. When St. Paul says "The fruit of the spirit is love❞—and a long train of other graces; and when he says fur. ther "The fruit of the spirit is in all goodness

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and righteousness and truth," he tests the possession of the principle by these its evidences, on the maxim of knowing a tree by its fruits. When St. Peter says "Give diligence to make your calling and election sure;"* adding-" for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall;" the test referred to must be the things spoken of just before; which were "to add to our faith virtue," and an attendant series of qualities, which constitute inward and produce outward righteousness. In the spirit of the same sentiment, St. John says-"Hereby we do know that we know him, "if we keep his commandments."+ Again: "Hereby"—that is, by loving in deed and in truth-" we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him." And "If our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God." It is to be noticed, that in these and the like places, we are referred to a test very different from that contended for on the other side: which, if it were well grounded, ought to supersede the necessity of any other. The graces of the heart, in proportion as they are manifested in the life and conversation, might be still mentioned as evidences to the world: but in the way of evidence to ourselves, there would be no occasion for the mention of them in scripture. And yet, besides the passages which have been quoted, there are innumerable others of the same tendency; designed as the medium of a knowledge of ourselves, and of our religious state.

There shall be concisely stated the objections conceived to exist, to the opinion which has been discussed; in addition to the circumstance of its not being found in scripture.

First; it places religion rather in animal sensibility, than in good affections habitually exercised. The difference between these two subjects, might be illustrated by a reference to the relations of social life; in which we may observe, how intimate. + v. 21.

* 1 iii. 19.

+ verse 19.

ly real character is connected with the latter, and how little it is influenced by the former.

Secondly; a necessary consequence of the above, is the representing of the religious state of every man, as very much dependent on his bodily constitution. Accordingly it has been observed, how soon an inward assurance of pardon is obtained by many persons, in whom, either before or afterwards, there is not to be discovered any mortification of the wayward passions of their nature; while others, in whom no drawback from religious rectitude is found, are for whole years, and sometimes during their lives, rendered miserable by the want of the personal assurance in question. The former description of persons alluded to, are apt to be thrown off their guard, and rendered an easy prey to temptation; while the latter endure much needless sorrow, and sometimes abandon themselves to despair; or what is worse, dismiss religion from their thoughts.

Thirdly; the assurance in question, does not answer the purpose of a settled security of mind; being subject to ebbs as well as floods, as is confessed generally by the persons who are believed to have received it. This may easily be accounted for, on the principle which occasions paroxysms of animal agitation, under circumstances either of great joy or of great grief, in the relations of the present life. The cause of all of these affections remaining the same, the sensibilities of the subject of them are alternately lively or the contrary.

Fourthly; The opinion has very often encouraged total insensibility to religious duty; and in some instances, habitual indulgence in gross sin: the notion being entertained, that sensibilities formerly experienced cannot be lost for ever, and will certainly return before the last moment of life. Many have lived and died under this delusion. The doc. trine of the perseverance of the saints, and that of testing the religious state by animal sensibility, are not always connected in the same minds. It is here

thought, that there is inconsistency in disjoining them: but however this may be, it may fairly be objected to the one, that it is so liable to be made to sustain the other,

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It would be a mistaking of the opinion of him who now writes, to suppose him advocating a theory barren of satisfaction, as to the important point of our prospects in another state of being. He supposes, that innumerable passages of scripture, and indeed, that the very essence of the gospel, legible in its name, give a ground of hope abundantly sufficient for a sincere, and at the same time humble mind. But he knows of no test, besides that of the fruits of the Spirit, in the heart and in the life. It is true, that in proportion to the experience of deficiency, there will be a drawback from the encouragement of confidence here recognized. One way only remains of getting over this discouragement: and it is by "forgetting the things which are behind, and reaching forward to the things which are before."* The idea of a shorter way is delusive; however it may please with the prospect of present repose. And even this may not be stable; being constantly liable to vicissitudes from changes in the humours of the body, and even in the temperature of the atmosphere.

It has happened to the present author, to have known many persons, who have lived habitually some in gross sin, and others with faults of different kinds, inconsistent with the Christian calling

whom he has believed to have been confirmed in the exceptionable properties of their characters, by continually hankering after a certain feeling; the supposed delights of which were more captivating to their imaginations, than the taking up of the cross, in daily conflict with whatever drew their affections from moral purity. Not only so, he has known sincere and virtuous persons disposed to

Philipp. iii. 13.

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