tifying the corrupt inclinations, which are fenfual and devilish;-the fprirt is for mortifying the deeds of the body, and denying all ungodlinefs and worldly lufts. Nature fhudders at the thought of death, and indeed were it to act otherwife, it would deny itfelf-the defire of grace is, To depart and be with Chrift which is far better. Thus we fee that every believer has a carnal, flefhly principle dwelling in him, but not reigning; abiding, but not ruling; in fome measure caft down, but not entirely deftroyed. He has alfo a fpiritual and divine principle, an immortal feed that is fpringing up unto everlasting life. When nature is diffolved, the corrupt principle will be deftroyed, and in the refurrection, the Saints fhall have their bodies fashioned like unto Chrift's glorious body, and their renewed fpirits fhall inhabit this incorruptible frame; and by virtue of that righteoufnefs, which is upon all who believe, enjoy eternal life.

Again: the believer has much experience, arifing from the various trials which his heavenly father fees meet to bring upon him; or which he, through his own weakness or imprudence, may bring upon himself. The trials of his faith may be of various kinds: fometimes profperity, and at other times adversity; which have their different effects upon his mind; all of which tend to convince him, of standing in conftant need of being upheld by the Lord, and in the end prove rich benefits to his foul, Heb. xii. 10. James i. 2. 4. 1. Peter i. 7. He finds under thefe various trials, that Tribulation worketh patience and patience experience: and experience hope. For while under the painful feelings of the body of fin and death, the temptations of fatan, who is continually attacking him, and the trials of life; he experiences divine grace fufficient for him-fo that while in the world he has tribulation, in Jefus he has peace. He has hereby that hope, which is built

alone

alone on the riches of divine grace, confirmed: and hereby knows in whom he has believed, and becomes perfuaded (not only from the certainty that arifeth from the divine declaration, but from his own joyful experience) that he is able to keep that which he has committed to him until that day; having found already that the love and power of Chrift were fufficient to fupport him when, Without were fightings within were fears.

Secondly: we have now to speak more largely of the inward proof and trial that believers have of gofpel truths. Such is the nature of every gospel truth, that no fooner is it received in the light of the Holy Spirit, than it produces in the mind every answerable affection; and as the happy foul advances in the knowledge of the truth, he finds himself, as it were, in an infinite circle. The tranfcendent beauty, glory, and fuitablenefs of divine truth engages his attention ;-with fteady purpose of heart he pursues it, and receives the bleffings contained in it; whereby his foul is fed, nourifhed, and ftrengthened, though far from being cloyed; but finding his life in the enjoyment thereof, preffes after more enlarged views and experience of the bleffed realities, even until he arrives at all riches of the full affurance of understanding, which, in the very nature of the thing, must lead him an eternal round of knowing, and defiring to know-of enjoying and longing to enjoy: ftill rifing higher and higher -fill learning more of the excellent knowledge of Chrift; of his unparalleled, exquifite and fatisfying fweetnefs; which only makes the foul hunger and thirst for more! for the truth of Chrift can never, never cloy.

Here it might be obferved, that what distinguishes true gofpel-experience from its various counterfeits, is, that what the foul feels the force of is, The truth as it is in Jefus, and not any manner in which the mind is exercised, in looking to, or receiving the

truth

truth, but the truth itself, even all the excellent things contained in the gofpel, (viz.)—the glorious character of God-his great love in giving his dear, his only, his well beloved Son to die the juft for the unjuft-the grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift who humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross-and the glory, fufficien-cy, and freeness of the gospel to heal, pardon, and fave the guilty. So that when a chriftian speaks of his experience, he will not furnifh us with a long detail of what he has been affifted to do, what fuccefs and difappointments he has met with (in attempting to establish his own righteousness) what doubts and fears he has had about the goodness of his ftate, and his fecret hope at bottom" from his former experience, and fo on; but having his heart directed into the love of God, out of the fulness thereof he will speak of the fovereign favor of God-the beauties of the Redeemer's perfon, and the glory, excellency, and perfection of his finifhed work. With thefe pleafing realities his foul is fo taken up, that he has no time to beftow any compliments upon himself, or his own attainments: a fenfe of the former, charms, chains, and captivates his foul; an acquaintance with the latter lays him in the dustfhows him what a poor, wretched, helplefs finner he is ftill-how deceitful his heart is-how prone to let flip the gospel-hope, and that he has need of many humbling, and affecting leffons, to fubdue his pride. Hence he learns the neceffity of diftrufting himself, of keeping a watchful eye over his own heart, and of holding faft the beginning of his confidence ftedfaft unto the end.

Having given fome general hints about the nature of gofpel-experience, we fhall now attend a little more particularly to the fubject. But it will not be amifs to collect from the foregoing effays a fummary of the gospel, which we have feen is the genuine fource of all true experience. The Angel in proclaiming

men.

claiming the Saviour's advent, addreffed the fhepherds thus, Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to ALL people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a SAVIOUR who is Chrift the Lord. Which manifestation brings, Glory to Goa in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards The primary glory of the gofpel confifts in the divine perfections of wisdom, holiness, justice, love, mercy, truth and faithfulness being therein glorified in the higheft. But in this bright mirror of DEITY there is alfo reprefented, the most fhocking scene of human mifery, that can poffibly be fet forth, while yet, the good pleasure of God is manifefted to men, in the all-fufficient relief that is provided there for finners of all nations. These things publifhed, contain good tidings of great joy to ALL PEOPLE whether they entertain them as fuch or no; for our reception or rejection of a truth cannot poffibly alter its nature. The glad tidings of the gofpel point immediately to every one who hears them. Unto you is the word of this falvation fent, and through this man is preached unto you the forgivenefs of fins, is its benign language to every one who hears it. Whoever then is taught of God, to understand the gofpel, will not conceive of it merely as an account of what God intends to do for fome unknown perfons; but he fees a wide door opened, to finners of every nation and degree without diftinction. No perfon therefore who doubts of the fufficiency of the finifhed work of Chrift, to give him immediate relief under the deepeft fenfe of guilt, believes that very forgiveness that is with God. No perfon queftioning its unlimited freenefs, or whether it is addreffed to finners as fuch, believes the fame gofpel that Jefus and his Apoftles preached. No one believing that the bleflings of the gospel belong to him, because he is properly principled or qualified, in preference to thofe who are ungodly and without ftrength, understands and knows that gof

N

pel

pel that is good tidings of great joy to all people. It is not denied that either of thefe perfons, heartily, fincerely, affectionately, and fteadily believe the gofpel in fome fenfe, as did Simon Magus, the ftony ground hearers and others. But to receive the gofpel in any other fenfe than that which the holy Spirit teacheth, is the moft fundamental and pernicious error that any can fall into. However, all who have heard and learned of the father, and fo have received the truth in the love of it, will find that it has in fome degree or other, the following effects, which may be called the experience of it.

First Chriftian-experience coníifts in the enjoyment of peace in the confcience. The work of righteouincis that the divine Surety wrought, has made perfect peace with God. Eph. ii. 14. 16.

2.

Cor. v. 19. God is now the very God of peaceChrift is the Prince of peace-the word that proclaims the Saviour's work is the gospel of peace, and the Spirit who enlightens the understanding by that word, to know the truth, is the Spirit of peace. Surely then the necefiary effect of the gospel known and believed, must be peace in the confcience. For as the know

ledge of God and his law gives the guilty confcience torment; fo the knowledge of the ATONEMENT, or full, free, and eyerlaiting forgiveness by the blood of Chrift, who through the eternal Spirit offered himfelf without fpot to God, purges the confcience from dead works to ferve the living God. Now this peace of confcience which always, in fome degree, follows the belief of the truth, arifes merely from the blood of Chrift, as it ficely flows in the gofpel proclamation, to finners of all nations, ranks, and degrees. Hence it appears that true peace does not arife in the guilty confcience, from any thing that the fini.er by reflection finds in himself, or from confideration of what he at any time has done, or under any influence whatever bas been enabled to do; nor even from any evidences of a true work of grace in his foul; but fimply and alone.,

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