therefore does not affure himself of reigning in life by virtue of them; nor yet does he appropriate heaven, &c. without evidence either from fcripture, fense, or reason that he has a right to make fuch a claim. The chriftian's hope of eternal life, is founded upon HIS word who cannot lie; but unless there is fubftantial evidence of a perfonal connection with Chrift, the affurance thereof is groundless and vain; for as the gospel afcertains the certainty of eternal falvation to none but believers of the truth, fo unless we have the witnefs of the Spirit of God with our fpirits (Rom. viii. 16. 1. John iii. 20. 21) that we are of the truth, our affurance that Chrift fhed his blood for us in particular, and that of course, eternal life is infallibly ours, is void of fcriptural foundation. As the firft Epiftle of John was profeffedly written that believers may know that they had eternal life, the best way will be to take no man's opinion about the way by which we are to come to this knowledge, but each for himfelf confult that Epiftle. We have been told, by thofe who deny the neceffity of the work of the Holy Spirit to make the gospel effectual, that "the appropriating act is neceffary to a confcioufnefs, knowledge, and enjoyment of the divine righteoufnefs," which is confiftent enough with their own plan; becaufe as that righteoufnefs ftands in the fcriptures it is proclaimed indefinitely to the world, and therefore muft need fome power to give it efficacy to individuals, and they maintain, as above, that their appropriating act does this; whereas all who are taught of God" in hearing the divine report concerning this righteousness, well know that it is not any working of their mind (whether it be called acting faith, appropriation, or by any other name) that gives knowledge, confcioufnefs, or enjoyment of it; but that the Spirit of truth, taking of the things of Chrift which are written, and opening the understanding thereby, performs every divine operation, and draws forth forth every evangelical act, whether of mind or body. But if any profeffor of the gofpel fo far forgets the only ground of hope and confidence before God, as to take pleasure in the exercises of his own mind, and lives by his privileges, or the change within him, he fo far is guilty of criminal indulgences, and rejoices in the flesh which cannot be done but at the expence of turning afide from Christ. QUESTION. "What are the proper ufes believers fhould make of their experiences?"-It has before been shown what the genuine experience of the gofpel is, and its happy and falutary effects upon the practice; the fum of which is, that the ATONEMENT known and believed gives reft to the guilty confcience; the faved finner lives daily by his faith, or that which the dying Redeemer declared FINISHED, and walks as becometh the gospel of Chrift. Without these things are more or lefs known by us, we are not, at prefent, chriftians: we have no right to believe that we are so ourselves, nor has any one authority to believe it of us. Not the former, because the witnefs of our confcience, and that of the Spirit of God are against us: to perfuade ourselves of it therefore, is not only to believe without evidence which is abfurd; but alfo against the strongeft evidence to the contrary. Not the latter, because the rule given to judge and be judged by is, By their fruits ye shall know them. Without noticing the ufe commonly made of falfe joys, falfe confidence, &c. it may be obferved that a believer might make the following ufe of his experiences, viz. (Ift) What inward experience he has of the body of fin and death, the oppofition of the flesh to the gofpel, and the deceitfulness, pride, and enmity of his heart; fhould be ufed as a prevailing argument for the neceffity of looking daily to the blood of Chrift, for healing, cleanfing, and pardon. (2) The trials in provi dence dence that he meets with, the loffes, difappointments, perfecutions, and fufferings which he is called to endure, fhould be ufed as fo many proofs that this is not his reft, that he should not lay up for himself treasure upon the earth, but be daily Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Fefus Chrift. (3) The precious, peaceful, and comfortable experience of the truth, he should ufe as a confirming evidence of the gospel, which he has believed upon the teftimony of God. For he finds that to be true by bleffed experience that he before received upon the authority of fcripture. John iv. 42. chap. viii. 3032. (4) He may alfo ufe his experience of the gofpel, both his peace of confcience and his obfervance of those things that Chrift has commanded, as a proof that his faith is not falfe or feigued, nor his hope in Christ vain. Rom. v. I. 1. John ii. 3. (5) He may use his experience to lead him to the ' caufe of it, when he needs a revival of it in his foul. But here let me be understood. I do not mean that he fhould renew his enjoyments by reflecting upon his former experiences; or that upon the ground of them, or through them, either as a medium, occafion, or circumftance, he fhould argue his right, or make his claim to prefent comfort: but fimply this is intended; namely, that he may trace the streams up to the fountain; or by recollecting that Chrift and his falvation are the fource of all joy, peace, reft, and comfort; when he feels the want of these things he may apply to Chrift to renew them, under the fame character, upon the fame ground, and with the fame views as he at firft looked unto him for falvation. All who are taught of God, are taught, as guilty finners, conftantly to live by the Righteousness of the Redeemer, which is perfectly confiftent with a full perfuafion of perfonal interest in him, QUESTION. "Does the gospel hope admit of taking relief, under fresh charges of guilt upon the confcience, from any former works or experiences; or any prefent feelings or refolutions ?" From what has been already obferved it is anfwered in the negative; for if any thing appears in the temper and walk of a profeffor, that the word of God condemns; he ought on that account to examine himself whether he be in the faith, according to 2. Cor. xiii. 5. and indeed if but a fmall portion of the fear of God be before his eyes, and his confcience remain tender, a fufpicion of this will force itself upon his mind, whether he chufes to entertain it or no. But the question requires a more diftinct reply. (1) There is nothing that perfons are more deceived in than their feelings. Chrift tells us of fome whofe joy, while it lafted, no one could queftion the truth of. Math. xiii. 20. Luke iv. 20-30. And have not we feen many making a fhining profeffion of religion, perfons who have been high in our esteem as chriftians, and the relation of whofe experiences has often given us pleafure who yet have turned back, and been a fad difgrace to religion, yea even to fociety? And is it not plain from hence, and abundantly confirmed by the word of God, that profeffors may have falle hopes, falfe confidence, falfe comforts, and falfe joys, even while they have made the cleareft profeflion in words? And if this be the cafe, then would it not be confirming the delufion, and fealing the destruction of fuch, to endeavor to comfort them, and caufe them to think well of their ftate from their former fuppofed experiences, or works, or prefent defires, or refolutions? But to fay the best of this method, it is uncertain, and therefore uncomfortable and unfafe; for feeing there have been perfons who have been deceived this way, the leaders of this people fet themselves to divide and fub fub-divide betwixt this kind of conviction, and the other-these kind of defires, repentances, and faith, and those which have been difproved; yet after all, many are held in fad fufpence through life, and awfully prove the deficiency of this hope and comfort in death! And as few are capable of making the neceffary diftinctions, their comfort, in general, depends upon their leaders, not upon God's teftimony.-But (2) The prefent fituation the mind is fuppofed to be in, is an objection to this method of procedure. For this ftate of mind renders a former real experience apparently delufive, and fo cannot give relief: no not even upon the fuppofition that a perfuafion of our election will give peace to a guilty confcience. Because the very ground of the propofed encouragement, or fource of relief, is called in queftion; and indeed if under a fenfe of guilt any can take relief from their past experience, that very fatisfaction which he finds, fhould lead him to fufpect the truth of his faith, hope and experience. For our paft experiences are no otherwife evidenced to be the true joys of faith, and the real comforts of the Holy Ghoft, than as the foul is difpofed thereby to look directly to Chrift alone for peace, when his confcience is charged with fresh guilt. (3) To make ufe of any former works or experiences, or any prefent feelings or refolutions to this end, is in its own nature wrong. I fuppofe it will be admitted that fresh contracted guilt tends to work in the foul fear, darkness, and diftrefs, which, as before obferved render a former real experience apparently delufive. But if this were not the cafe, can our paft experiences, however genuine, remove the ground of our prefent fear, darknets, and diftrefs? If fo, then we have found out fomething different from the blood of Chrift, that can cleanfe us from all fin! But fuppofing it poffible, that a retrospect of our paft experiences could remove the prefent fenfe of guilt, &c. what fense can we make of such an addrefs |