and expect this very important favour.

Yet if ever I was a believer

in Jesus, I am sure it was then, when I would have given my life for assurance. May a gracious God shine away all our suspicions of his truth, and give us substantial evidence of our interest in his favour, which is better than life.

I remain,

With sincerity of respect and affection, your Son,

JOHN COOKE.

Dear Madam,

LETTER VI. TO MRS. SHRopshire.

(On the same Subject.)

In a former letter, I considered faith, as it respected our condition before God, in the womb, infancy, childhood, youth, manhood, and old age. I produced some Scripture testimonies of the state, temper, actions, and desert of mankind; and the effects such a faith, in these declarations of God, must necessarily bring forth. I left the lost soul in conviction of his real state and danger, filled with self-despair, looking without himself for relief. Now I shall suggest a hint or two respecting faith, as it relates to the ENCOURAGING testimonies of the Bible. As, for instance: a soul, in the circumstances I have described, enters a place of worship, hears a minister, describe his state, and breathe forth our Lord's winning invitation. Matt. xi. 27, 28. "All power is given unto me, in Heaven and in Earth." Matt. xxviii. 18. Power-power on earth-all power on earth. Yea more, power in Heaven-ALL power in Heaven and earth is given to me! A person of such glory, power and authority, appears every way equal to grant any blessing, in Heaven and earth to render a ruined and needy soul happy.— Here, his ability to help the soul appears. The soul believes in his sufficiency, because he has a divine, and therefore infallible testimony. But, here, too many comfortless Christians long rest. They believe; they heartily believe that Jesus is able to save to the uttermost. And what is the effect of this belief? Believing him able, they, in consequence rely, lean, trust, or hope in his sufficiency. They have no other hope, they renounce their own wisdom,

strength, and works, in point of dependence. They utterly disclaim all ideas of merit in themselves, or the works of their hands; and say, "there is no other name, under Heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved." They allow themselves in no sin, though they painfully feel many unhallowed ones within them. They constantly attend the respective duties of their callings, and the ordinances of God; and, in short, desire to "follow the Lord fully. But still, they cry (far from having an assurance of their interest in Christ!) O, that I could but believe him as willing as he is able. Then, I should "walk at liberty." But, alas! I feel my weakness. Lord! I believe thy power is able, O, help my unbelief: for still I feel a thousand doubts about thy willingness.We might address them in the language of affectionate rebuke; "O thou of little faith, wherefore dost thou doubt?" They have not a strong faith, much less assurance. No, no! 'tis time they had faith; though but little.

Now, there is every reason to believe that, one congregation with another, three parts of Christians in each, are of this description. They walk on, with doubts, fears, and struggles against unbelief all their days, safe as others; but not so happy. Ask them, if they have an assurance, that Christ is their Saviour? Oh! no-no, I would give the world for it, if I had the world to give. They are far, very far from "having an assured persuasion of God's present favour, and their own final happiness," as you indicate of the holy men of old. To say with Mr. Hervey, that their assurance of personal interest in Christ, is "liable to assaults both from outward temptation and inward corruption." To say that, " for a while, its vigour is impaired, and its lustre eclipsed; but its being not DESTROYED;" is, speaking inconsistently; for the above description of Christians, do not POSSESS this assurance. It has not a BEING in them to be attacked, eclipsed, impaired, or destroyed. And Mr. Hervey's saying, that an appropriating persuasion, or, an ASSURANCE of salvation by Christ, is the sure, genuine, adequate nature of faith; is, in other words, to say, that ten thousand Christians, or three parts of them, are not possessed of faith; because they are destitute of assurance. Thousands of Christians who possess "true and genuine faith," are, and have been for years, longing, praying, and waiting for this assurance of their interest in Christ: but have not yet obtained it.

And yet, they cannot possibly be in possession even of faith, if Mr. Hervey is right; because he makes ASSURANCE of the essence of faith; which assurance they have not.

Tens of thousands of Christians believe, Christ an able saviour, and can say, year after year," Lord if thou wilt, thou canst save me." But all these Christians, all these years, have no faith at all, if assurance, enters into the very essence of faith!—an assurance that Christ is mine! They believe him able: but are not assured that he is willing-much less, assured of their salvation by him. They have little faith in his power; less, in his willingness to save: but no assurance at all, that they are interested in his love and salvation.

But there are thousands who go much further than these, who, nevertheless, have not assurance. They hear of, and believe in Christ's power to save, and also attend to his invitation" Come unto me—all ye, that labour and are heavy laden," and also to his promise," and I will give you rest." They meditate on these consolotary truths. Ah, say they, how happy the soul, that comes to Jesus and obtains rest! They believe in a wavering manner, that if they come, he is willing to save them; but when they go to him, in fervent, re. peated, and unfeigned prayer, they stagger at the promise, through remaining unbelief, and whilst they rely wholly on Christ alone, for rest and salvation, entertain a hope that he is their Saviour― find comfort more or less, from this hope; still-still they are far, very far, from assurance! "Christ is theirs-grace is theirs-Heaven is theirs:" but they do not know it. They are not assured of either—and, therefore, they cannot say so in Mr. Hervey's appropriating language. It is one thing, to have eternal life; and another to know that I have eternal life. 1 John, v. 13. Saint John wrote to them that believed on the Son of God, that they might have an assurance of their interest in him, and of eternal life through him. Many who profess to have it, prove the contrary, among other ways, by never blessing for assurance, in social prayer. Is it not a blessing of unspeakable magnitude? Would it not influence the heart to gratitude, if it were really possessed?—— And it is no contemptible manner of knowing, whether I possess it, if, when I solemnly address the Lord in secret, after impartial deliberation, I can lift up my heart in general, and say, ' O my God, I thank thee, that notwithstanding thousands of Christians are destitute of assurance, I possess it. I am sure, that I am one of

thine elect-that Christ died for me in particular-that Iam savingly converted to thee!' If many were to try their assurance thus, they would faulter-fear to go on; lest they should bless God for what they never had, and so, deceive themselves.

What you have quoted from Mr. Hervey's note, (nay, even that note contradicts itself,) overthrows his own former assertion, viz. that assurance is of the ESSENCE of faith-that is, that faith cannot have a being, without assurance; for, he says" this assurance, we allow, may be encountered with doubts, and conflict with fears, but still, it is assurance, real assurance," What! I am assured that I am interested in Christ; but I doubt whether, I am, or not. I am assured, that Christ is mine; but I fear he is not! Can you bring these contraries together, dear madam? If so, I will thank you to do it; for, I must own, that I can as soon bring the north and south poles together! By this concession, Mr. Hervey overturns all he has been writing about truth: because he mentions, that assurance enters into the very being of faith.

But he goes on and says, "It is assurance, real assurance, and proves itself to be such, by opposing, and struggling, with the contrary principle." Here, he brings proof; but what does this amount to? Why, that doubts, and fears, that I am not interested in Christ; meet with opposition from my assurance that I am interested in him, and hence arises much" struggling." This certainly proves, as Mr. Hervey says, but what? Not that such a soul has assurance, that Christ, pardon, and Heaven belong to it; but that it has no such thing. I doubts whether they are; it fears, they are not its own. Observe, he says, "it," that is assurance, "struggles, with its CONTRARY principle." What does Mr. Hervey mean, by contrary principle? Can any soul have assurance, and not have it, at the same time? Mr. Hervey supposes it can. Does he mean unbelief, by the contrary principle? But unbelief does not directly stand opposed to assurance, that Christ is mine; but to faith in what God says.But when the soul finds faith and unbelief, hope and fear conflicting within, it certainly proves the want of assurance, for which such a soul is praying, waiting, and struggling. In short, I may believe Christ is able;-and hope he is willing to save me; and yet, not be SURE, that he has done it. I may believe there is pardon in Christ; I may depend on, and pray to him for it; and yet not be sure that pardon is mine;—or that I am pardoned. I may believe, that he has all spiritual blessings to communicate, to every believer; I may long

wait and pray for them, and yet not be sure that I am a believer, and that they are all mine ;-I may believe there is a heaven-freely given-through Christ; earnestly desire it; long to be prepared for it; hope to obtain it; and yet not be sure, that heaven is mine. I must conclude this letter, by wishing, not only that Christ, pardon, and heaven may be yours; but that you may have an assurance that they are, and that my dear Mary may enjoy the same with

PERMIT me to transmit a letter to you on the subject of baptism; of which, in the sermon you sent me for my instruction, you thus write: "all who embrace the faith of the Redeemer of the world, are required to be baptized, under the pain of forfeiting the benefit of redemption." That is, in other words, he that believeth and is not baptized, shall be damned. Surely, Sir, you are under a mistake here, of considerable magnitude. "He that believeth shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." The Scriptures do not assert, that all who embrace the faith, and die unbaptized, shall be damned, or excluded from the enjoyment of the benefits of redemption. Your quotation of Mark xvi. 16, proves no such thing, as you have written. As to the other text, John iii. 5, it does not even mention baptism, much less prove it essential to the salvation of every believer. You further write, "all its efficacy, which in Scripture is said to be nothing less than the remission of sins, &c." No, Sir, do not mistake, 'tis not so written in the Scriptures of Truth, but in Dr. B.'s Sermon, and sermons of the same features. Was not Simon Magus baptized?-Was the efficacy of baptism nothing less than the remission of sins to him? Was he not in the gall of bitterness, and the bond of iniquity, even after his baptism? And does not this prove baptism to have no such efficacy? Ah! how many