to believers as the following, AS ye have therefore received Chrift Jefus the Lord, so walk ye in him. Col. ii. 6. A finner does not at first receive Chrift thro the medium of his experiences, or upon the ground of his own working under any confideration whatever; but rather as Chrift is freely given a fanctuary for the diftreffed, and upon the unqualified hope of the guilty. If then, when guilt burthens the confcience again, we can get relief from any other quarter, than we did at firft; that is, through any other medium than the gofpel of the grace of God, we muft certainly obtain it at the expence of turning out of the way to God; and instead of holding the beginning of cur confidence (which if well-founded must be in Chrift) ftedfaft unto the end, as we are exhorted. Heb. iii. 14. we are moved away from the hope of the gospel. Col. 1. 23. to another hope and another gofpel: Which indeed is not another; but there be fome that trouble you, and would PERVERT THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. (Gal. i. 6. 9.) In fhort, if a believer can at any time take relief in this way, to say the least of it, he does not obey the exhortation to walk in Chrift As he first received him. But it must be acknowledged this method of giving peace to the guilty confcience, is confiftent enough with that doctrine which teaches the neceffity of certain pre-requifites to qualify us for receiving Chrift. But, (4) this method tends to give us flight notions of fin; which is a fufficient argument against it if no other could be urged. It leads profeffors to think that their fins are not infinitely criminal, and as fuch deferve the wrath of God: which fentiment is purely Antinomian, and fo, is opposed to Jehovah's moral government. Nor can any perfon have the fear of God before his eyes, who entertains fuch thoughts of fin. If every defect in loving God with all our hearts is infinitely criminal, as without doubt it is, then the fear arifing from a consciousness of it cannot be removed

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by any thing lefs, than an atonement of infinite dignity and worth. Hence we may see one reason, why the chriftian fhould live daily by the faith of the Son of God. (5) There is no occafion for fuch a procedure. For even while we view nothing about ourselves, but what leads to defpair, yet against all hope from within ourselves, we may believe in hope of what is fet before us in the gospel. It cannot be proved by any logical deduction, of one propofition from another, or a taking for granted certain premises, and then drawing rational conclufions from them, that we are believers in Chrift, unless we reft in the perfuafion, that He is able to fave to the uttermost all that come unto God by him, and that the gofpel is good tidings of great joy to ALL PEOPLE; and if the fufficiency and freenefs of the Redeemer's work is believed; and thereby a perfuafion arifes in the foul from the faithfulnefs of God, that whofoever believeth fhall be faved; that perfon will find no neceffity to look to any other quarter for peace. But if our knowledge and belief of thefe things do not bring peace, without doubt we do not believe them; or to speak the most cautiously, we have our minds fadly clouded about them. In short, if we could reconcile our minds, to attend to the direction of God himself, we fhould fee that he propofes nothing, to renew or revive the peace and joy of the most eminent faint, but that which he fets before the moft guilty finner, which may be feen, 2. Cor. xii. 8. 9. Rev. i. 17. 18.

Obj. "But did not David in a time of trouble and forrow feek comfort and peace in referring to his paft experiences?". (Pfalm xlii. 5. II. Pfalm xliii. 5) In reply to this it may be obferved, that these Pfalms feem to have been composed by the fame author, and upon the fame occafion: probably David was the author of them, who at this time was banifhed from the Houfe of God, either by Saul's tyranny or Abfalom's rebellion. He longs to be restored to the worship

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worship of God, with as much ardor as the longchafed Hart, ready to expire, pants for the waterbrooks. He looks back to the happiness he was used to enjoy in going to the house of the Lord, and contrafts it with his prefent forlorn fituation: the effect whereof is that his foul is caft down within him. However he is far from looking to, or expecting help from himself or any human aids; but in the midft of his grief he encourages himself in the Lord. He looks to his works of providence (ver. 6.) which are the ground upon which he exhorts his foul to (ver. 1.) hope in God; even as he at another time fays, "Becaufe thou has been my help, therefore under the fhadow of thy wings will I rejoice." If therefore this might be applied to chriftian-experience, it is a fuitable direction in what way we fhould proceed to renew our comforts (viz) looking from ourfelves, and upon the ground of the faithful word, which records the mighty acts of the Lord, hope in his mercy, and confide in his veracity.

The penman of Pfalm lxxvii. had fo far forgot himfelf as to look to his former experiences to relieve him, under the fenfe of prefent guilt; but found the method fail in the trial. Ver. 1-4. he gives a diftreffing view of that which troubled his confcience, and ver. 5. 6. he tries what looking to his paft enjoyments would do for him. I have confidered the days of old, the years of antient times. I call to remembrance my fong in the night: I commune with mine own heart, and my spirit made diligent fearch. Thus we fee he took the fame method that is commonly recommended to, and practifed by profeffors in our day. But his confcience was too fenfibly affected with the wrath that lay upon it, to take comfort from any fuch quarter-ftill he complains, ver. 7. 9. Convinced, in the trial, of the folly of this method he acknowledges his error ver. 10. And I faid this is any infirmity. He tries another expedient ver. 10-20. this is oppofed to ver. 5. 6. This method then is

quite the reverfe of the former. Inftead of looking. to his former experience, his fong in the night, &c. he looks now to the wonderful works of God, which were a type of the fpiritual redemption by the greatest of all the divine works. If then we count the Pfalmift a pattern worthy to be imitated, let us follow his example, ceafe from this former fruitless method of looking for relief, and renew our joys, by looking to the finished work of the Re-deemer.

To conclude: to know the truth as it is in Jefus, is to be wife unto falvation. To experience its genuine influences upon our fouls, is to be truly happy And to contend earnestly for it, against every oppofition to it, or fubtle corruption of it, is the Chriftian's highest honor. To profefs the faith without enjoying the genuine effects of it, is to have the form without the power of godliness. To talk of experience without a fcriptural knowledge of the Son of God, is mere enthusiasm. And the most flaming profeffion of knowledge and experience without obferving the things that Chrift has commanded, is nothing better than a miserable delufion...

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