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 Library. 
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 UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 Treasure 'Room 
 
 GIFT OF 
 
 American 
 Antiquarian Society 
 
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The ron, Paulinus, and Aspasio. 
 
 Or, 
 
 Letters and Dialogues, 
 
 Upon the Nature. 
 o F 
 Love to God, 
 Faith in Christ, 
 
 Assurance of a Title to eternal 
 Life, 
 Containing 
 Some Remarks on the Sentiments of the Revd. 
 Meffieurs Hervey and Marshal, on 
 thcfe Subjecls. 
 
 Published at the Requeft of Many- — 
 
 By Jofeph Bellamy -, A. M. 
 
 Miniiler o*"the Gofpe! at BetU.m, in New -Engl and. 
 — ^— ■ ■ — ...I. i . 
 
 ■* Amiciit all theDarknefs and Uncertainty, which 
 44 evidently run through the Writings of the bcit 
 ** ot Men, this is our unfpeakable Happinefs, that 
 u we have a more Jure U ord of Prophecy ; to which 
 * ' we do zvcll to take heed. " — c ' A s for Offence ; that 
 " cannot be given, and ought not to be taken, 
 *' when all we advance is rtriclly conformable to 
 " the unerring Rule of Truth."- --" I have no- 
 M thing to do with the Perfons of Men, but with 
 " the Truths of the Gofpel. Ouranius, though 
 
 44 eminently devout, may be miftaken." 
 
 Rev. Mr. James Hervey. 
 
 B O STO N : Printed and Sold by S. Kneeland, 
 oppoiite to theProbate-Ofiice inQueen-ftreet. 1759. 
 

 -•v* *>jv w xk" 'vxv 'A" *^" "^ 'Vfr'* "^y 'V^' *^~ '^ '^ ^p^ ? 
 
 x>o<>c-;:-;xxxx><>:x>::)<xxxxx>ccoo<x)<xx)< 
 
 ADVERTISEMENT 
 
 @££^F Paulinus's Sentiments, finally em- 
 **^ 1 ;% braced by Theron, and exhibited in 
 iH*££5 the following Letters and Dia- 
 *** logl" ES,are agreable to the holvScrip- 
 tures, there needs no Apology for publifhing 
 them, at a Time when the contrary Errors io 
 much prevail in the Britijb ''Dominions. And 
 'tis hoped, candid Readers will eafiiy excufe the 
 mentioning by Name fbme Authors, in the con- 
 trary Scheme, as they feem to be citcemed the 
 befl on that Side of the Qtrcftion. — If his Sen- 
 timents are wrong, let fbme Man, of a clear Head 
 and friendly Heart, fet him right, from the fa- 
 crcd Oracles of Truth. And it will be accepted, 
 as well by him, as by the Public, with the ut- 
 moft Gratitude. For thefe arc Points, in which 
 our deareft, our fpiritual and eternal Inter eft is 
 greatly concerned : And it is even of infinite Im- 
 portance, that we know the Truth before it is 
 too late. 
 
 " Should any thing be urged," fays %h\ 
 Hervey (in the Preface to his Theron and 
 Aspasio) " forcible enough to overthrow my 
 4t Arguments, or detect a Miftake in my Senti- 
 
 2 7 4 9 9 0* 2 
 
slD VE R TI SE ME NT. 
 
 <c merits, the World may depend upon feeing a 
 " free and undiJjTembled Retractation. I fhall 
 ^ Jook upon it as a Duty, which I owe to my 
 <c Confcience, to my Readers, and to my God, 
 M publickly to acknowledge the Error." — And 
 indeed, we who claim to be the Miniflers of 
 (Thrift, are quite infenfible to the Honour of 
 God, and to our own eternal Intereft, as well as 
 to the eternal Intereft of our Fellow-Creatures ; 
 if we are not confcientioufly concerned to ad- 
 vance and maintain the Truth, and nothing but 
 the Truth. Wherefore, to the above-recited 
 Declaration of Mr. Hervey, the Publifher of 
 thefe Letters and 'Dialogues, fays, AMEN, 
 with all his Heart. 
 
 N. B. As Pa u lin us had fome other Books 
 in View, befldes the two chiefly referred to ; fo 
 The ron has fometimes introduced a Text of 
 Scripture, an Argument, &c. not contained in 
 either of thefe Books, and for which thefe two 
 Authors are not anfwerable. 
 
 ;>c<?c<Xxxx><:<x>< : C<x:<x)<;<xxxx<xxxx>o< 
 
 The 
 
The Contents. 
 
 LETTER, I. 
 
 tffe-MfljHERON relates, to his Friend Aspasio, his 
 <! T !> Soul-diftrefs, his Comfort, the Nature of 
 g& e£& his Faith, and of his living by J'aith, his 
 W^v^i? declining in Religion, his Doubts, his 
 diftrelTing Fears, his Refoiution to vifit Paulinus.-- 
 And in this Letter fends inclofed to Aspasio, the 
 Subftance of his Converfation with Patjlinus, at 
 three feveral Times, in the Form of three Dialogues, 
 
 DIALOGUE, I. 
 
 Theron, willing to conceal the State of his own 
 Soul from Patjlinus, & defirous to hear the Points 
 difputed, on which his own Cafe depends, inquires 
 his Opinion concerning fome Doctrines, inculcated 
 in the Rev. Mr. Hervey's Dialogues, and in Mr. 
 Marshal's Go/pel- Myfiery ; and urges him to fpeak. 
 his Sentiments freely. States his Questions, viz. 
 What is the Nature of Love to God f of juflifying 
 Faith ? and of Jffurance of a Title to eternal Life /*--- 
 Begins with afking, what is the primary and chief 
 Motive of LOVE to God. Grants, that God is to 
 be loved with all the Heart. That alt Mankind, the 
 Heathtn not excepted, are by Law obliged to love 
 
 God 
 
 2 ! M990 
 
il CONTENTS. 
 
 God with all theHeart,on Pain of his eternal Wrath ; 
 and that this Law is holy, jujt, & good.-— Paulinus 
 from thefe ConceiTions thews, tliat there mull be 
 fufficient Reajons and Grounds to love God, />/ 
 to our blowing that he is our reconciled Father m 
 Chrilt ; as all Mankind have not this Knowledge, 
 and as it cannot be had till after we begin to love 
 God ; nor is it imporlible to love God for his own 
 Lovelinefs. Were our Hearts right, it would be na- 
 tural to do it. The Fleathcn, who never heard of the 
 Grace of the Gofpe), are obliged to do it, on Pain of 
 eternal Defrruction. The Law, which enjoins this, 
 is holy, juft and good ; elfe the Death of CHRIST 
 was needUfs. This Law mud appear to us to be gcod y 
 or we cannot fee the Wifdom of God in the Death 
 of his Son, or believe the Go/pel to be true, with all 
 our Hearts.--- Theron promotes a different Scheme ; 
 argues, that zs our Enmity againft God antes merely 
 from viewing God as our Enemy, fo cur Love arifes 
 from a Belief that he is our Friend. Which Pau- 
 linus confutes. The true Senle of r Jcb.'w. 16,19. 
 inquired into. To love God merely becaufe be loves* 
 us, contrary to common Senfe : and eilentialjy differ- 
 ent from true Love. 
 
 DIALOGU E, II. 
 
 Theron defines juftif\ing FAITH to be a Belief 
 44 that Chrift died for tne % my Sins are forgiven, and 
 / fhall certainly be faved. ;> Explains his Definition. 
 Grants, that he works up himfelf to this Belief, 
 cut any Evidence from Scripture, Senfe, or Rea- 
 fon i in a large Quotation from Mr. Marshal. 
 However, affirms, that according 1- bis Fait,'? fo /ball 
 it be to him. Paulinus, in 12 Queries, (hews, this 
 Notion of Faith is contrary to Scripture, and to the 
 
 plain 
 
Contents, i. 
 
 plain Dilates of common Senfe.-- -Theron relates 
 bow this Faith was wrought in his Heart. And en- 
 deavours to juftify his Notion from Scripture : as 
 the Promifes are made to fuch a heavy-laden Sinner 
 as he was. Befides, as an abandoned Sinner, all the 
 BlefTings of the Gofpel were his, by the unconditi- 
 onal Grant of the Gofpel. Which he labours to 
 confirm from God's Manner of fpeaking to Ifrae. 
 of old. And argues, it is the Nature of Faith to 
 appropriate ; from St. Paul's Definition ; from the 
 figurative Defcriptions of Faith ; from the Report o> 
 the Gofpel ; from the Promife of Chrift, that ac 
 cording to our Faith Jo /ball it be to us : from our bein: 
 commanded to ajk in Faith : and our being a(Ture<. 
 that if we believe we receive, we (hall receive : fron 
 God's Promife and Oath (landing engaged : from the 
 Example ot this Faith, in the Apoftle THOMAS.-- 
 All which Paulinus anfwers : And (hews, that 
 the Texts referred to are perverted. No Warrant 
 from Scripture for this Belief. Nor from the IVit- 
 nefs of the Spirit.-— Theron urges, that it is im- 
 poiTible to trufl in Chrift without this ( previous) 
 Belief. Paulinus (hews, that if one is encouraged 
 to truft in Chrift from this Belief, he builds on a 
 falfe foundation. Points out the true Grounds and 
 real Nature of faving Faith: Gives the Character of 
 a true Convert. Shews the Difficulties in the Way of 
 *rue Faith, and how they are removed : and the 
 Differma between a true and * falfe Faith. 
 
 DIALOGUE, III. 
 
 Pauunus averts, that ASSURANCE may be ob- 
 
 ned and maintained ; yet only by Sar deification ; 
 
 liviag in the daily Exercife ot Grace ; which every 
 
 trvz Chriftiart may do.— -Theron urges, that as 
 
 fome 
 
iv Contents. 
 
 fome Chriftians are in dead and flupid Frames a long 
 while, (o AfTurance mud be obtained fome other 
 Way than by Sanctiflcation. Paulinus appeals to 
 our Saviour's Sermon en the Mount : of which he takes 
 a particular View.— Theron thinks, a few Signs 
 of Grace will fuffke ; and fears, that making Sanfti- 
 f cation our only Teft will wound weak Chriftians ; 
 and infifts, that it is better to live by Faith. Pau- 
 linus urges, that as true Faith brings forth Fruit ; 
 fo by its Fruits it may be known. Faith without 
 Works, is dead. ---Theron infifts, that we ought 
 to believe in the Dark ; and that it is a Sin, to douU ; 
 and appeals to Scripture. Paulinus confiders the 
 Texts he refers to. Shews, that we ought not to be- 
 lieve without Evidence. That Scripture-Saints make 
 Sanfiification their only Teft.— Theron infift*, that 
 it is impojftble to maintain AfTurance this JVay ; rather 
 it will perplex weak Chriftians ; and has Recourfe 
 to the Witnefs of the Spirit, Paulinus having an- 
 fvvered his Reafonings, (hews ivhat the Witnefs of 
 the Spirit is ; anlwers Objections ; and then fums 
 up the whole. Shews how infinitely dangerous it is, 
 to venture into Eternity on Theron's Scheme.— - 
 Theron finally gives up his Scheme : freely opens 
 th e State of his Soul : a fks Advke. Paulinus gives 
 him fome Directions. And after friendly Salutations 
 
 they part. Theron retires, fully determined to 
 
 feek after a faving Converft en. ---Sends a Copy of thefe 
 Dialogues to his Friend Aspasio. 
 
 LETTER, II. 
 
 Theron, about three Months after, having in 
 the mean Time experienced a faving Converfun, writes 
 a brief Narrative of what he had paiTed thro', to his 
 Friend Aspasio. 
 
 Letter. 
 
Contents. v 
 
 LETTER, III. 
 
 Theron foon writes again, and delivers his 
 prefent Sentiments on the Grounds and Nature of 
 laving FAITH* and of ASSURANCE s which he 
 labours to illuftrate, 
 
 LETTER, IV. 
 
 Theron leads his Friend Aspasio to take a 
 View of the fupre?ne Glory of the divine NATURE, 
 as the Foundation of all true Religion ; as that with- 
 out ivhicb the great Doctrines of REVELATION 
 muft be given up. And hints how his former Views 
 of Things tended to INFIDELITY, 
 
 LETTER, V. 
 
 Theron-, from a View of the Glory of GOD and 
 the Goodncfs of his LAIV, (hews the Nature of being 
 dead to the Law, and living on Cbri/i. — Gives a fum- 
 mary Reprefentation of the true Chrijlian Temper 
 and Life, from the Experiences andWritings of St. 
 PAUL. — -And concludes with an humble Requeft, 
 that his Friend Aspasio would employ his enter- 
 taining Pen to warn ignorant benighted Sinners of 
 the Danger they are in, ot wandering in that delufive 
 Road, in which his Pupil had like to have been for 
 ever loft. 
 
 >OOC<X^>0<><XX><><^><XX)C<><><><X\XXX><><XX 
 
 xx*>c<xxxxx><x>;x;>o<>c<><>^^ 
 
P. S. by another Hand. 
 
 AS it appears by the Conclufion of The- 
 ron's laft Letter, that he had not then 
 received the melancholy Tidings of his dear 
 Friend A s p a s i o's Death, no candid Reader will 
 objecl: to him the Abfurdity of writing Letters 
 to the Dead. — And it will be an Abufe upon 
 the Publimer of this Piece, to fuppofe it in his 
 Intention, to detract from the Characler of fuch 
 worthy Men as Mr. Herv'ey, and Mr. Mar- 
 shal, or to hinder the Perufal of their Wiru 
 tings. In thefe, no Doubt, he faw many Ex- 
 cellencies ; and was not infenfible, they might 
 give a judicious Reader not a little profitable 
 Entertainment, by the BlefTing of G o d . How- 
 ever, as he apprehended the Truth, in fome im- 
 portant Cafes, clouded by fome unhappy Mif- 
 takes, while he rejoyced in the former, he was 
 willing to bear his Teflimony againft the latter. 
 And whatever Honours are due to the Memory 
 of the Juft, if the <Doclrine of Chrijl, their 
 Lord and ours, has fuffered, or is liable to fuffer, 
 in any Meafure, by Means of their Miflakes, 
 'That has an unqueftionable Claim to fuperiour 
 Honours, and ought in all Things to have the 
 Preeminence. 
 
^ 4* ^-^ ,£--£. .*--*. «*~*i ^r- fc> «*--*► -*-^ 
 
 Letters and Dialogues. 
 
 Letter I. 
 Theron to Aspasio. 
 
 Nezv-E?ig!and,T)ec.i 5.17 58. 
 
 T>ear Aspasio, 
 
 -f* «£—$* «f- EWS from your Theron t , now in 
 *rO&0^ this remote Corner of the Earth, 
 *M5 N££t* you will eagerly expeft, by every 
 ^O0&^ Ship that fails from the fe Parts. — 
 Hfe»* % X +*&~ But what fhall I Write, O my 
 Friend ! — No pleafant Walks, no beautiful Gar- 
 dens, no romantic Mounts, my dear Asp 
 nor any other Theme to entertain and to amuie, 
 mud yon expect from me ! — Alas, I have been 
 deceived ! My Hopes, once high raifed, are, I 
 think, entirely gone. As the Rujb without Mire 9 
 and the Flag without Water ; fo the Hypo- 
 crite' *s Hope Jhall perijh. * 
 
 B As 
 
 * Job viii. ir, 13. See Mr. Her. Dial. Vol. HI. p. 
 313. Edit. I. N. B. ' The firfl Edition of Mr. 
 Her. DiaL'is referred to in thisLetter : asTftBRON 
 is fuppofed, foon after the Convention at Phi- 
 le^or's, to have experienced what follows. 
 
2 Th e ron to Asp a si o. Let. I. 
 
 As I was walking in my Garden, foon after 
 our Vific to Philenor,* (which was, as I re- 
 member, about the Middle of Harvefl A. D. 
 1754.) mu fi"g on ail your agreeable Converfa- 
 lion, your fervent Zeal, and how you urged me 
 tobe/ieve : — To believe what ? faid I, to my 
 felf.— To believe that Chr'ifl died for ME.— 
 How, for ME f thought]. — Aspasio knows, 
 I believe that Chrift died for Sinners. — Yes, but 
 he would have me apply that to my own Soul ; 
 and believeChrifl: died for me.— Aspasio knows, 
 1 believe thatChrift died, that whofoever,accord- 
 jng to the true Senfe of the Gofpel, believes in 
 him, fhould not perim, but have everlatVmgLife. 
 Is this, believing in him ? — is this juftifying, 
 faving Faith ? — to believe 7 am one that he died 
 for, — one, for whom he intended to procurePar- 
 don, Reconciliation with God, &: eternal Life ? — 
 Yes, this, this is Faith. J? A real Perfuafion 
 " that the blefled Jefus has Hied his Blood for 
 " me, & fulfilled all Righteoufnefs in my Stead, 
 " that through this great Atonement and glorious 
 " Obedience, he has purchafed, even for my fin- 
 " ful Soul, fancYifying Grace, and all fpiritual 
 " BlefTmgs."f — To believe it was for me, juft as 
 if I had been mentioned by Name : even, juft 
 as my Tenant believed me, when, in his lad 
 Sicknefs, I fent a Medage, alluring him, I had 
 cancelled the. Bond, & forgiven his Debt. % And 
 
 ; ; v\; juft 
 
 * Mr. Her. Dial. Vol. III. -p. 262, f Ibid P. 
 278. % P. 279. 
 
Let. I. Theron to Aspasio. £ 
 
 juft as 7)avk\ believed the Kingdom of Ifrael 
 fhould be his own, on the cxprefs Promifc of 
 almighty God.* And juft as I believe my Lands 
 to be my own, by theDeeds of Conveyance. f — 
 In a Word, Aspasio would have me go to God, 
 and fay, " Pardon is mine, Grace is mine, Chrift 
 and all his fpiritual Blcffings are mine ;" not be- 
 caufe I am confcious of fancVifying Operations in 
 my own Breaft, but bccaufe I am confcious I am 
 a Sinner. All thefc BlefTings being configned 
 over to me, as fuch, in the everlafling Gofpel ; 
 with a Clearnefs unqueftionablc as the Truth, 
 with a Certainty inviolable as the Oath of God.£ 
 No cloggingQualiflcations infilled on : only be- 
 lieve, and all is mine.§ I longed to know that 
 Chrift was mine. || 
 
 And could I fee my Title clear, 
 
 to Manfions in the Skies, 
 I'd bid farewell to every Tear 
 
 and wipe my weeping Eyes. 
 
 But how can I fee ! how can I believe ! Oh 
 my unbelieving Heart 1 what fhali 1 do ? — " Cry 
 to God for Help," fays my Aspasio* Seek the 
 bleffed Spirit to tetlify, that God has given me 
 eternal Life ; and this Life is in his Son. And 
 to witnefs with my Spirit, that / am a Child of 
 God.# 
 
 B 2 Thus, 
 
 * P- 3C9- t P. 3 12 - % p - 280, 313. § P. 275. 
 H p - 253*254. * P ' 3 l6 - 
 
4 Theron to Aspasio. Lct.l. 
 
 Thus, as I walked, I nuifed — my Heart was 
 full — I ftop'd — with Eyes lift up to Heaven — 
 I fa id — / believe, Lord, help my Unbelief. I 
 thought of Calvary. I heard the Soundings of 
 his Bowels, and of his Mercies towards me. O 
 thou of little Faith! wherefore dofl thou doubt r* 
 Wherefore dofl thou doubt of my Love to thee, 
 for whom I have fhed my Blood ? 
 
 I believed, I was ravifhed ; I was full of Love, 
 Joy and Gratitude : and with Eyes again lift up 
 to Heaven, I faid — " Glory be to the holy 
 " Ghoft for teftifying of Chrift in my Heart, 
 " and appropriating this great Salvation to my 
 il Soul."-!- And thus I continued rcjoycing for 
 .i Days, and thought I jhould never doubt 
 again. 
 
 But, oh, alas, the Scene foon changed. I 
 gradually loft a Senfe of my great Danger, and 
 great Deliverance ; as the Ifraelites, who fang 
 God's Praife, but foon forgat his Works : or 
 like the Stony -ground Hearers, who heard the 
 JVord with Joy, endured for a while, and fell 
 away. — Or rather like tne Thorny-ground j for, 
 as about thisTi mc I removed inioNew-England, 
 the Cares of the World came in- upon me, and 
 choaked thelVord, and I brought forth no Fruit : 
 rather I loft all Difpofition to pray or praife, 
 and my Devotions degenerated into mere For- 
 mality. 
 
 And 
 
 **~i\~2;6 ? ~277.' f Vol. I. P. 156. 
 
Let. I. The ron to Aspasio. 5 
 
 And now Unbelief, as I then called it, began 
 to work. " Surely all is mere Delufion," tho't 
 I. But, again, 1 faid,T^/j' is my Infirmity. And 
 thofe Words of Scripture were fome Comfort to 
 me, O thou of little Faith, wherefore do ft thou 
 doubt t — TVho againflHope believed inHope. — 
 Who walk in c Darknefs & fee no Light, let them 
 truft in the Lord, and flay t he mf elves on their 
 God. — Why art thou cafl down, O my Soul> 
 hope thou in God* And I watched & prayed, 
 and firove againll my unbelieving Thoughts.-)- 
 
 From this Time forward, having no clear 
 Marks or Signs of Grace for my Comfort, nor 
 any new Manifestations of the Love of God to 
 my Soul, I began, as you had directed, in fuch a 
 Cafe, to live by Faith. I ufed every Day to go 
 to God, and fay, " Pardon is mine, Grace is 
 mine, Chrift and all his fpirkual BlefTings are 
 mine." And thus, unconfeious of any fanclifying 
 Operations in my own Bread, I lived wholly by 
 Faith : by Faith, as I thought, on the Promife 
 and Oath of the unchangeable Jehovah. |] And 
 thus I continued many Months, generally pretty 
 eafy ; altho' fometimes troubled with Doubts 
 and Fears. 
 
 But above a Year ago, as I was reading my 
 Bible> in the 13th Chapter of St. Matthew's-. 
 Gofpel, I found the Parable of the Sower ; ; 
 which reached. my Cafe, and greatly gained the. 
 B 3 Attention 
 
 • p. 289. t p. 308, 309> !■£.■-■#"$ $m- 
 
(> Theron to Aspasio. Let. I. 
 
 Attention of my Heart. Here I faw the various 
 Sorts of Hearers, the different Kinds of Chriflians 
 defcribed ; and perceived that none arc cltcemcd 
 good Men by our bleffed Saviour, but thofe 
 who, like the good Ground, bring forth Fruit, 
 This fhrtlcd me I this gave my Faith a Shock, 
 I never could get over 1 
 
 However, not knowing but that I midook 
 theMeaning of lhatP arable, I refolved to fearch 
 the Scriptures, to fee if it were really theCharac- 
 rcr of all true Believers, to bring forth Fruit, i. e. 
 as I underftood it,- to be holy in Heart & Life. 
 1 began with the Gofpel of St. Matthew, and 
 read the New-T eft anient thro', and made a Col- 
 lection of manyTexts of Scripture, which I wrote 
 down, and commented upon. 1 will give you a 
 Specimen from my 'Diary. 
 
 il Nov. 20. 1757, 1 retired as ufual to read 
 " the holyScriptures,by which I am to be judged 
 <c at the laft Day. — I began to read Chrifl's Ser- 
 " mon on the Mount ; Bleffed arc the poor in 
 tc Spirit ; Blefjed are they that mourn ; Bleffed 
 " are theMeek ; — the pure in Heart, &c. Bat 
 €i alas, O my Soul, 1 am not confeious of thefe 
 <l goodQualifications : are there not, neverthe- 
 
 u ]efs,BlefIings laid up for me ? 1 read on to 
 
 <c Chapter vii. 19, — 27. EveryTree that bring- 
 lC eth not forth good Fruit, is hewn down and 
 ** cafl ir.to the Fire : By their Fruits ye Jhall 
 " know them : Not every one that faith unto 
 " me, Lord, Lord, fball enter into the Kingdom 
 
 " of 
 
Let. I. The ron to Aspasio. 7 
 
 lt of Heaven, but he that doeth the Will of my 
 
 " Father which is in Heaven. This, this, 
 
 " O my Soul, reaches my very Cafe ! this is my 
 " Chancier 1 and this my Doom ! — The follow- 
 " ing Verfes condemn me too : I am the Man 
 " that has built his Houfe upon the Sand" 
 Thus for my Diary. 
 
 But how difcouraging foevcr all this appear- 
 ed, yet dill I maintained fome fecrct Thoughts, 
 that I was only a Backflider, and, fliould fee 
 Things clearer after a while. — Befides, to give 
 up my Hopes, and look upon myfelf a poor 
 Chrifllcfs Sinner, after I had ib long fettled down 
 inQuiet, was likeDcath to my Spirits ! — It open- 
 ed a mod frightful Profpecr. before me. — If not 
 converted now, molt probably I never fhall be ! 
 1 had as good live on in pleafing Delufion, as fink 
 down into Defpair ! 
 
 And befides, I remembred you had faid, 
 " This Method of feeking Grace & AiTurance," 
 by Signs of Grace, " I fear, will embarrafs the 
 €h fimpJe-minded, & cherifli rather than fupprefs 
 " the Fluctuations of Doubt ; for let the Marks 
 " be. what you pleafe, they, are all a feeble and 
 tf precarious Evidence." And I wimed I could 
 boldly fay, as once I did, " Pardon is mine, Grace 
 V is mine, Chrift and all his fpiritual BlefTings 
 " are mine; however unconfcious of fanctifying 
 " Operations in my own Bread." * But our 
 
 bleffed 
 
8 The Ron to Aspasio. Let. I. 
 
 blefTed Saviour's Words ftrnck Terror thro* my 
 Soul : He that heareth thefe Words of mine 
 and doth them not, is like a fool'ijh Man, that 
 built his Houfe upon the Sand. 
 
 About this Time I was, by a religious Per- 
 fon well acquainted with my Cafe, directed to 
 Mr. Shepard, on the Parable of the ten Vir- 
 gins, Mr. Edwards, on religious djfedions, 
 Mr. Brainerd's Life, and fome other Books 
 of the fame Stamp ; which, faid he, are efleemcd 
 by pious People in New-England, as the beft of 
 Books on experimentalReligion. — I obtained the 
 Books, Tread them, they condemned not only 
 my prefent State, but ail my Notions of Reli- 
 gion : and reprefented true Religion to confiir. 
 in fomething efTentially different, of which I had 
 never had the leaft Experience : which, in Stead 
 of affording Comfort and Hope to my dejected 
 Mind, did but confirm my former Doubts and 
 Fears. — What now to do,L could not tell — Here 
 three Thoufand Miles from my dear Aspasio, I 
 cannot fee hisFace,nor have hisAid — I muft find 
 out another fpiritual Guide — I heard of one 
 Paulinus, a Clergyman, a noted Friend to vital 
 Piety, a tender, faithful Guide to bewildered 
 Souls ; but not in my Aspasio's Scheme.— My 
 Confcience faid, " Go fee the Man, and act an 
 honed Part ; tell him all your Cafe, be willing 
 to know the Truth." — My Heart replied, " I 
 cannot go ! I cannot go !" — But as a ferious, 
 iblemn Senfe of the eternal World was now daily 
 
 growing. 
 
Let. I. Theron to Aspasio. 9 
 
 growing in my Heart, I was foon brought to a 
 betterMind ; particularly in theEveningof He- 
 cember 8. 1758. as I was alone for fecret Prayer, 
 I had fuch a Senfe of Eternity, — a boundlefs 
 Eternity, — and fuch a View of the Dreadfulnefs 
 of eternalDamnation,— the Amazement & Horror 
 of felf-deceived Hypocrites, opening their Eyes 
 in eternal Woe,---who once refufed to fee, while 
 there wasHope,but now muft fee,whenallHope 
 is for ever gone ; — that I fbuddered, and was 
 ready even to cry out with Anguifli at the ter- 
 rifying Thought, of this being at laft my dread- 
 ful Lot ! — Whereupon, refolvingto be honeft at 
 all Adventures, I determined on a Vifit the next 
 Monday- Evening. — 1 went — I went again and 
 again — and knowing, my dear Aspasio would be 
 glad to hear what pa(Ted, I wrote down the Sub- 
 ftance from Time to Time, which I now fend 
 enclofed, in the Form of three 'Dialogues ; — 
 which, when you have read, I am fure you will 
 pity my Cafe. — And, O my dear Aspasio, ceafe 
 not to pray for , 
 
 Your difconfolate 
 
 Theron. 
 
 P. S. I expect no Opportunity to write you 
 again till early next Spring ; when you may look 
 to hear further from your Theron, if on this 
 Side eternal Burnings. — God only knows how 
 
 that will be. Adieu, my dear Aspasio. 
 
 Dialogue 
 
Z i° ] 
 Dialogue I. 
 
 ©€*$#$N the Monday- Evening ("Dec. 1 1 ; ) 
 Sf^f f I had the Happinefs to find Pauli- 
 &#&#& NUS at nome > alone in his btudy ; ne 
 ®^®^® received me with all thePolitenefs of 
 a Gentleman, & with all the undiffembled Good- 
 nefs of a Chrillian. After inquiring into theState 
 of Religion in Great-Britain, when I came from 
 thence ; perceiving, by what was faid, my Ac- 
 quaintance with Aspasio, he made fome Inquir- 
 ies after him, and his Sentiments of Religion, and 
 about a Book he has lately fo ftrongly recom- 
 mended.* Which gave me an Opportunity, 
 
 without 
 
 * Mr. Marshal's Gofpel-MyJJery cf SanRification \ 
 " which I (hall not," fays Mr. Hervey, " re- 
 <c commend in the Style of a Critic, or like a 
 <c Reader of Tafre, but with all the Simplicity of 
 * c the weakeft Chriftian ; I mean, from my own 
 " Experience. It has been made one of the moft 
 " ufeful Books to my own Soul ; I fcarce ever fail 
 *' to receive fpiittual Confolation and Strength 
 " from the perufal of it. And was 1 to be ba- 
 " nifhed into fome defolate Ifland, porTefTed onJy 
 " of two Books befuies- my- Bible, this fhould be 
 <c cne of the two, and perhaps the firft that I would 
 cc choofe." See Mr. Hervey's Dial. Edit. ?. 
 Vol. HI. P. 336. 
 
 N. B. 
 
Dialogue I. ir 
 
 without letting him into the State of my Soul, 
 a thing I was loth to do, to bring upon the Board 
 the Topics I defigncd. Wherefore, I began — 
 
 Theron. Sir, may I know your Sentiments 
 relative to fomc Points in thefe Books ? 
 
 Pa u lin us. I am willing you mould know 
 my Sentiments on any of the Doctrines of Re- 
 ligion j but fhould chufe to fay nothing of the 
 Sentiments of any particular Author by Name. 
 
 Ther. I am fenfible this is not fodefirable, 
 nor fhould I afk it, but that I am not a little em- 
 barraffed between the Scheme of Religion, ad- 
 vanced in Prefident Edwards's Treatife on re- 
 ligious AjfcElions, and this advanced in thefe 
 Books : And I want to know, what may be faid 
 in Anfwer to the particular Arguments of thefe 
 'Divines. And 1 fhall conflder all you fay, how 
 plain foever : for I defire you to ufe the greatefl: 
 Freedom, not in a perfonal Light, as defigncd to 
 reflect: at all on thefe Authors ; but only as de- 
 flgned to give Inn" ruction to me. And if you 
 could particularly anfwer feveral Things I find 
 
 in 
 
 N. B. This 3d Edition of Mr. Her. D. is referred 
 to in what follows. And the 6th Edition of Mr. 
 
 Marshal. D. fhall (land for Mr. Hervey's 
 
 Dialogues Vol. III. M. fhall ftand for Mr. 
 
 Marshal's Go/pel- Myjlery+hz. As both thefe 
 Books contain one compleat Syftem, fo both fhall 
 be coniidered together. 
 
12 Dialogue I. 
 
 in them, it would give me much more Satisfacti- 
 on, than to hear your Opinion in general. Bc- 
 fides, you know, what Authors publifh to the 
 World, they voluntarily fubmit to the Examina- 
 tion of all. And if theGood of Mankind, which 
 all ^Authors profefs to-ieek, calls for a particular 
 Examination of any of their Writings, they can- 
 not confidently be difpleafcd, if they are ufed 
 with Candor. Thefe ^Authors themfelves have 
 taken the greatefl Freedom to fpeak of the Sen- 
 timents of 'Divines, ancient and modern. And 
 I know, my dear Aspasio would be perfectly 
 pleafed, to hear you, with the utmoft Freedom, 
 make all your Remarks and Obfcrvations on his 
 Piece ; for he is one of the mod candid, gene- 
 rous, good-natur'd Gentlemen I ever faw : Pray, 
 Sir, therefore make no Excufes, nor be at all 
 upon the Referve. 
 
 Paul. What particular Points, Sir, do you 
 refer to ? 
 
 Ther. The Nature of Love to God, o£ 
 juftifying Faith, and of JlJJitrance. — To begin 
 with Love to God. 1 defire to know what is 
 the primary and chief Motive, which ought to 
 induce me to love God. A View of the ineffable 
 Glories of the Deity, as he has manifefted him- 
 felf in his Word and in his Works ? or a Belief 
 of his Love to me in particular ? 
 
 Paul. Before we enquire into the original 
 Grounds of Love to God, pray tell me, What in 
 God are we to love ? and how are we to love 
 him ? Ther. 
 
Dialogue I. i -> 
 
 j 
 
 TiiER. " The Lord is not at all loved with 
 " that Love that is due to him as Lord of all, 
 " if he be not loved with all our Heart and 
 " Spirit, and Might. And we are to love every 
 " thing in him, his Juftice, Holinefs, fovereign 
 " Authority, all-feeing Eye, and all his Decrees, 
 " Commands, Judgments, and all his Doings."* 
 
 Paul. Who are under Obligations thus to 
 love God ? Saints, or Sinners ? Chriflians, or 
 Heathens ? Some, or all of Mankind : 
 
 Ther. All Mankind. Even the Heathen, 
 who are without any written Law or fu'per natu- 
 ral Revelation, are obliged by the Light of Na- 
 ture to love God with all theft" Hearts ; and that 
 under the Penalty of God's everlafling Wrath. | 
 
 Paul. If all Mankind, even the heathen 
 World not excepted, are thus under infinite Ob- 
 ligations to love God with all their Hearts, and 
 xo glorify God as God, (to ufe theApoftle's E?c- 
 preiFion, Rom. i. 2 1 .) it mud needs be that there 
 is a Ground & Reafon of Love to God antece- 
 dent to a Confideration of his being our recon- 
 ciled Father and Friend in Jefus Chrid:. For 
 the Heathen, Millions of them, never heard of 
 Jefus Chrift. And there are great Multitudes 
 in the Chriftian World, who live and die without 
 an Intereft in God's fatherly Love in Chrift. 
 And yet you fay, all thefe are under fuch Ob- 
 ligations to love God with all their Hearts, rhr.r. 
 C thcy 
 
 * M. p. 2. t M. p* 4, 5. 
 
14 Dialogue I. 
 
 they will defcrve bis eternal Wrath for the lead 
 Neglect. And inJeed the holy Scriptures mod 
 exprefly afTert the fame Thing. Rom. i. 1 8 — 21. 
 Gal. iii. 10. 
 
 Ther. But, Sir, is it not impoflible * we 
 Jhould love God before we fee that he is our 
 reconciled Father and Friend in Jcfus Chrift ? 
 We mult know that our Sins are forgiven, and 
 be well perfuaded that God is reconciled to us, 
 before we can love him.-j- 
 
 Paul. God never manifefts himfelf as a re- 
 conciled God and Father, to any of the Children 
 of Men, until tHcy are flrft reconciled to him, 
 and love him. Job. xiv. 21. Aft. iii. 19. Their 
 
 flrft 
 
 * Should a lying Fellow bring Tidings to an im- 
 penitent Prifoner juftly condemned to die tor 
 Murder, afTuring him of a Pardon from his Judge; 
 the deluded Murderer might be full of Love to 
 his Judge, and greatly extol his Juftice, as well 
 as Goodnefs, and pour out Floods of Tears : But 
 on difcerning his Miftake, he would foon return 
 
 to his former Temper. God's Nature and Law 
 
 are juft the fame, before he forgives us, as after ; 
 and as worthy to be loved. But it is eafier for 
 an impenitent Sinner to commend God's Law, in 
 a firm^elief he is delivered from theCurfe, than 
 to love it as being in it's own Nature holy, jufl 
 and good. Satan knows, it is no Evidence of Vp- 
 rightnefs in God's Account, that a Man is very 
 religious ; if all his Religion arifes merely from 
 feiiiih Confiderations. Job i. 8, 9, 10, 11. 
 
 f M. p. 21,-— 25. 
 
Dialogue I. 15 
 
 flrd Love to God, therefore, mud of Nccediry 
 begin on fbmeotherFoundation, from fome other 
 Inducement ; or they never can begin to love 
 him at all. 
 
 Ther. But what is there in God, that can 
 induce us to love him, unlefs we fird know that 
 he loves us ? I appeal to the Experience of all 
 trueSaints, as inconfident withyourSuppofition.* 
 
 Pa u l. This is the Language of God's Law, 
 Thoujbalt love the Lord thy God with all thy 
 Heart. Pray, what Reafons and Grounds arc 
 there for this Law ? Anfwer my Quedion fird, 
 and then I will anfwer your's. Tell me the 
 Grounds and Reafons of this Law, and I will tell 
 you what there is to induce us to love God be- 
 fore we know that he loves us. 
 
 Ther. The Law teaches us, firft to believe 
 that God is our God, our reconciled Father and 
 Friend : Thoujbalt love the Lord TUT GOT>.\ 
 
 Pa ul. God is our God, theGod of the whole 
 human Race, as he is our Creator, our Prefcrvcr, 
 our rightful Lord and Sovereign, who has an en- 
 tire and abfolute Authority over us : But he is 
 not a reconciled Father and Friend to all the hu- 
 man Race. Rather the zuhole World lieth in 
 IVichednefs. 1 J oh. v. 19. And the greated 
 Part of Mankind are under the divine Wrath. 
 Joh. iii. 36. And God is angry with them 
 C 2 every 
 
 />. 25. \ M. p. 28. 
 
I 6 Dialogue I. 
 
 every Day ; his Soul bates them, & he is whet- 
 ting bis Sword for their Definition, if they re- 
 pent not. Pfal. vii. 1 1, 12. and xi. 5. And yet 
 even while in fuch a State, you grant, they are 
 under infinite Obligations to love Cod with all 
 their Hearts ; and that the leaft Defect expofes 
 them to eternal Damnation. Nor have you 
 granted any more than St. Paul exprefly aderts, 
 Gal. iii. 10. — Now, fray, tell me, is this a rea- 
 sonable Law f 
 
 Ther. I grant, this Law is holy, juft and 
 good. * 
 
 i a ul. But then it will follow, that there are 
 Rcafons and Grounds why God fhould be thus 
 loved, antecedent to a Confideration of his being 
 our reconcile^; Father and Friend. Reafons and 
 Grounds which are fufficient ; which really 
 oblige us in Point of Duty : and therefore ought 
 to influence us in Practice. And if we are not 
 lenced by them, we are to blame. Yea, fo 
 much to blame, you fay,. as to deferve God's 
 
 Ther. it is certain, that all the Perfection, 
 Goodnefs and Excellency of the divine Nature, 
 cannot render God an amiable Object: to us, un- 
 lefs we know that he loves us, and is our recon- 
 ciled Father and Friend. \ 
 
 Paul. 
 
 M. p. 4. f M. p. 25. 
 
Dialogue I. 1%. 
 
 Paul. The firft Queftion is not, whether 
 unregenerate Sinners, while dead in Sin, and 
 Enemies to God, do actually love God ; but 
 whether they ought not to love him. Whether 
 the Perfection, Goodnefs and Excellency of the 
 divine Nature is not a proper Inducement, which 
 renders it reafonable and fit : Yea, which obli- 
 ges ; nay, infinitely obliges them to love God. 
 i think you muft grant this ; for how clfe can 
 the Law be holy,jufl and good ? 
 
 Ther. If I fliould grant that the Perfection,. 
 Goodnefs and Excellency of the divine Nature, 
 does render it fit and reafonable that we fliould 
 love God with all our Hearts ; yet it is impoffi- 
 ble we fliould love him, except, firft we know he 
 loves us. * - 
 
 Paul. If God is really a Being infinitely 
 amiable in himfelf, and if it is fit and reafonable 
 we fhould love him for the Perfection, Goodnefs 
 and Excellency of his Nature, then there is, yea 
 there can be, no Difficulty in the Way of the 
 Practice of this Duty, but what lies in the Bad- 
 nefs of our Hearts ; and fo, what we are to blame 
 for. And therefore were our Hearts right, we 
 fliould love him for his own Lovelinefs, \ and 
 C 3 fee' 
 
 * M*/. 4, 25. 
 
 f If our Hearts were right, i. e. wer^os they ought 
 to be, were as the Law requires them to be, 
 we (hould love God for his own Loyeline r : : Bnc 
 
io Dialog u e 1. 
 
 feel difpofed ro glorify God AS GOD ; as the 
 very Heathen ought todo,whomever heard of his 
 Deligns of Mercy byJefusChriir. Nay, all the 
 heathen World are at this Day, and ever have 
 been entirely without Excufe, in not being thus 
 alleged towards the infinitely glorious God that 
 made them : Yea, they are, for this, infinitely 
 to blame ; fo as to deferve eternal Wrath. And 
 this is St. Paul's Doctrine, Rom. \ 18, — 21. 
 Nay, this Doctrine is fundamental to St. Paul's 
 whole Scheme of Religion. Overthrow this, 
 and you will overthrow his whole Scheme. For 
 it is in this View, that he pronounces yew and 
 Gentile, even the whole World, to ft and guilty 
 be] ore God, with their Mouths ft oft, without 
 one Excufe to make for themfelves, tho* doom'd 
 to eternal Deflru&ion for not loving God with 
 all their Hearts. And fo holy juft and good 
 does he efteem this Law to be, as that it was 
 needful the Son of God mould be fet forth to 
 
 be 
 
 in Regeneration our Hearts begin to be right ; 
 therefore, then, even at that Inftant, we begin to 
 love God for his own L&velinefs. For at that 
 very Inftant when the Vail is taken frc?n our 
 Hearts, we all zvith open Face, behold as in a Glafs, 
 the Glory of the Lord, 2 Cor. iii. j8. Even the 
 £dw as a Mimjlraiion of Death and Condemnation, 
 
 appears glorious, ver. 7, 9. But every Man is to 
 
 I ir.me, that his Heart is not right. Theron 
 p'cads Impojfibility. St. Paul however declares this 
 Kind of ImpoffibiUty to be no Excufe, Rom, i, 
 20, 21. 
 
Dialogue I. 19 
 
 be a Prvpitiation, to declare God's Right eouf- 
 nefs, that he MIGHT BE JUST, and not 
 go counter to all good Rules of Government in 
 pardoning and faving true Penitents. Rom. iii. 
 9,-26. 
 
 Ther. TheHeathen were liable toDeflrncli- 
 on for their Idolatries, and grofs Immoralities. 
 
 Paul. Yes, and alfo for their not glorify in* 
 God AS GOT>. T'heJVratb of God, fays the 
 A pottle, is revealed from Heaven again/} [ALL 
 Ungodlinefs : Againd the lead Degree of Dif- 
 refpedt towards the infinitely glorious Majefly of 
 Heaven. The lead Defect of Love towards 
 God, expofes them to erernal Destruction. This 
 was the Apodle's conitant Doctrine, and a chief 
 Foundation of his whole Scheme of Principles. 
 Gal. iii. 10. Rom. i. 18. and iii. 20. 
 
 'Ther. But the Gentiles had not fo much as 
 heard of the Way of Salvation by Chrift ; and 
 mud therefore, if theirConfcienees were awaken- 
 ed, be in fearful Expectation of eternal Wrath. 
 But furely, it mud be abfolutely impofTible we 
 fliould love God, if we view him, as difpofed to 
 punifli us in Hell forever. Yea, " if I look on 
 " God as contrary to me, as one that hates me 
 " and will damn me, my own innate felf-love 
 " will breed Hatred and Heart- rifings againd 
 " him, in Spight of my Heart." * 
 
 Paul. 
 
 * M. p. 140. 
 
2o Dialogue I. 
 
 Paul. That is, the divineLaw is fo intolera- 
 bly cruel, that unle'fs it is entirely fet afide as 
 to us, we can never be pacified towards our Ma- 
 ker. We are in Arms, in open Rebellion, fo 
 virulent that we are full of " Hatred & Heart- 
 rifings," in Spite of all Reflraints. And we pro- 
 claim in the Sight of Heaven, our Caufe is fo 
 juft, that we can never lay down our Arms, fall 
 at the Foot of our Sovereign, & juflify his Law ; 
 nay, we can never have one good Thought of • 
 him, till firfl he fet afide his Law, remove the 
 Curfe, and grant us Heaven upon our Demands. 
 Upon this Condition we will forgive our Law- 
 giver for what is pall, and be at Peace for the 
 future. On this Foot we will lay down our 
 Arms, and be reconciled. Our firftWork there- 
 fore is, to believe that God doth give Chrift and 
 his Salvation to us, and is become our reconciled. 
 Father and Friend. And this Belief is to lay 
 the Foundation of all our Religion. But, O my 
 dear Theron, fuch a Faith, growing up out of 
 fuch an unhumbled, unfubdued Heart as this, 
 and a Religion arifing from fuch a Root, is all 
 Delufion, if there be any fuch thing in Nature, 
 as Delufion. * 
 
 ^ Befides, . 
 
 * How righteous is it, in the holy Sovereign of the 
 World, to fufTer fuch n proud, felf-righteous Sin- 
 ner, fo ready to quarrel tor ? Pardon, to be de- 
 luded with a falfePerfuafion that he is pardoned ! 
 As he takes Satan's Side againil God & his Law ;. 
 fo God may juitly leave him in Satan's Povvefj 
 2 TheJJl ii. IQ> II, 12. 
 
Dialogue L 21 
 
 Befides, tell me, my Theron, do you verily 
 believe, that God's Difpofition to punifli Sin, ac- 
 cording to his holy Law, is a hateful Difpofition ? 
 And do you verily believe, that God is an odious 
 Being on this Account ? Or do you allow your 
 felf to hate God, for that, for which he appears 
 infinitely amiable in the Eyes of all the heaven- 
 ly World ? Rev. xix. 1, — 6. Or is your Heart 
 a carnal, unregenerate Heart, under the full 
 Power of Enmity againft God & his Law ? Rom. 
 viii. 7. It is certain, what you fay can never be 
 juftified. For if we have given God juft. Caufe 
 to hate and puniih us, by our Wickednefs, he is 
 not the lefs lovely for being difpofed to do fo) 
 except he is the lefs lovely for being holy ami 
 juft ; that is, the lefs lovely, for that, in which 
 his Lovelinefs in a great Meafure confifte. 
 
 You acknowledge, the Law is holy, juft and 
 good, even as to the hear hen World, who never 
 heard of a Saviour. Therefore, it is not the 
 Grace of the Gofpel, that makes the Law good. 
 The Law is older than the Gofpel, and was 
 holy, juft and good, before the Gofpel had a 
 Being. Yea, the Law had been for ever good, 
 if Chrifl had never died. We were not the in- 
 jured, abufed Party : Chrift dicPRot die t.o make 
 Satisfaction to us, pacify our angry Minds, and 
 allay our " Hatred and Heart-riflngs." The 
 Grace of the Gofpel is not granted to counter- 
 balance the Rigour of the Law, and to render 
 God's Plan of Government juftifiable j and fo 
 
 to 
 
22 Dialogue I. 
 
 to fweeten the imbittered Minds of God's Ene- 
 mies. God the Father was not a Tyrant, nor 
 did his Son die a Sacrifice to Tyranny, to refcue 
 his injured Subjects from the Severities of a cruel 
 Law. Nay, if the Law in all it's' Rigour had 
 not been holy, juft and good, antecedent to the 
 Gift of Chrifr. ; there had been no Need God 
 fhould ever give his Son to die, to anfwer it's 
 Demands. It ought to have been repealed on 
 •Adanfs Fall, if too fevere for an apoitateRace ; 
 and not honoured by the Obedience and Death 
 of God's own Son. If this Law, as binding on 
 a fallen World, is not, in itfelf, holy, juft and 
 good, glorious and amiable ; the Gofpel of Chrifl: 
 is all Delufion. For it is impoffible the Son 
 of God fhould die to anfwer the Demands of an 
 unrighteous Law. It.was wrong he fhould bear 
 a Curfe in our Stead, which we ourfelves did not 
 deferve. Such an Appointment would have 
 been inconfiftent with all the divine Perfections. 
 If we view the Law as too fevere, we mufl view 
 the Gofpel as not of God j if we will be con- 
 fident with ourfelves.* 
 
 Therefore, 
 
 In Mr. HervEy's ixth Dialogue, Vol. II. P. 16. 
 Edit, i ft.-— Aspasio having cited the Words of 
 tiie Apottie, to prove his Point : As many as are 
 of the J Forks of the Law, are unler the Curfe. Gal. 
 iii. io. Theron objects, and Asp a.sio anfwers, 
 as follows. 
 
 Ther. 
 
Dialogue I. 23 
 
 Therefore, you and I mud approve the Law 
 as holy, juil, and good, glorious and amiable, 
 with Application to ourfelves, before we can 
 with all our Hearts believe the Oofpel to be 
 true. — And therefore, not a Belief of God's 
 Love to us, but a View of the infinite Loveli- 
 nefs of the divine Nature, mud reconcile us to 
 
 the 
 
 H Theron. Under the Curie ! becjui*. our 
 " Attempts to obey, though faithfully exerted, are 
 " attended with Defects ! Is not this unreafona- 
 " ble and (hocking ? Unreafonable, that the God 
 " of Juftice ihould eftablifh a Law of fuch con- 
 " fummate Perfection, as no Child of Adam can, 
 " even with his utmoft Afliduity and Care, ful- 
 " fil ? Shocking^ that the God or" Mercy fhould 
 <; thunder out fo fevere a Denunciation, on the 
 " lead inadvertent Breach, on every unavoidable 
 " Failure ?— -This exceeds the relentlefs Rigour 
 * c of Draco, or the tyrannical Impofitions of the 
 " Egyptian Tafk-Mafters. Draco is laid to have 
 " written his Laws in Blood. Yet he never e- 
 <c nacted fuch Inftiturions, as were abfolutely too 
 " ftricl & difficult to be obferved. And, though 
 <c the Egyptian Tafk-Mafters infifted upon the 
 " full tale of Bricks, without allowing the ne- 
 " cerTary Proportion of Straw^^et ti^e Punifh- 
 " ment they inflicted, was iWomparably lefs 
 " than everlafting Deftruction." 
 
 " Asp. Had God Almighty's Deflgn in delivering 
 
 '" his Law. to fallen Mankind, been, to propound 
 
 " the Means of their "purification ; your Argu- 
 
 *' ment would have been valid, and your Infe- 
 
 " rence undeniable. But the fuprenieLegiflator 
 
 " had 
 
-4 Dialogue I. 
 
 the divine Law. — Nor does this Reafoning at- 
 tempt to prove an ImpoiTibility ; but rather it 
 demonftratcs rhe abfolute Ncceftity of Rege?ie- 
 ration, as antecedent to the nrfl: A& of Faith ; 
 a DocVine your Author does not believe :* And 
 yet a Doctrine plainly taught in Scripture, yob. 
 i. 12, 13. 
 
 Ther. 
 
 " had a very different, a far more myfterious 
 i - End." i. e. he defigned the Law to be cur 
 School- M after, to bring us to Chrijl. As A-spasio 
 goes on to (hew, p. 18, 19, 20. —-without once 
 thinking, that if the Law, antecedent to a Con- 
 fideration of the Interpofition & Death of Chrift, 
 was a cruel Law, like that which the Egyptian 
 Ta/k- Matters urged, it ought to have been re- 
 pealed. It was a Dilhonaur to God to make it, 
 and a greater Difhonour ftill to appoint his Son 
 to anfwer its Demands. Nor is a cruel Laiv fit 
 to be a School- Majier in God's World : or fuited 
 to teach us any thing, but to have hard Thoughts 
 
 of God. And yet Aspasio goes on to fay, (Tag. 
 
 2r.)--- " Rather than the divine Law mould 
 " lofe its Honours, Sodom and Gomorrah were laid 
 " in Ames- ; the ancient WorM was deftroyed 
 *' with a Deluge j the prefent Frame of Nature 
 " are deftir\cd to the Flames, and all its unholy 
 
 * l InhabitanSrnuft be doomed to Hell. Nay, 
 
 st rather than that the leaft Tittle mould pafs un- 
 " accomplifhed, its Curfe has been executed on 
 cc God's own Son, and all its Injunctions have 
 « been fulfilled in thcPerfon of Jefus Chrifl."-— 
 Very true, but does not all this demonftrate, that 
 the Law w r as not too fevere and flrict, but per- 
 * M. p. 135. fe&ly 
 
Dialogue!. 
 
 Ther. Whatever we may do in Speculation, 
 when at Eafe ; it is impoffible, under a lively 
 Senfe of the Dreadfulnefs of eternal Damnation, 
 that we fliould, with Application to our felves, 
 approve in our very Hearts the Law, in all its 
 Rigour, as holy, juft and good, as being really 
 amiable & glorious in itfelf, till we know we are 
 delivered from it's Curfe. 
 
 Paul. If the Law, in all it's Rigour, is not 
 holy, j a (I and good, glorious and amiable, before 
 we arc delivered from it's Curfe, 'tis a pity the 
 beloved Son of God was obliged to die to anfwer 
 its Demands. 'Tis a pity that a bad, a hateful 
 Law fnould be fo infinitely honoured in theSight 
 of the whole intelligentSydem — 'tis a pity God 
 ever made it — a greater pity he fuffered it to 
 Hand unrepealed — but the greater! pity of all 
 that he gave his Son, his only begotten and well 
 beloved Son, worlhiped by all the Holts above, 
 to die upon the iliameful, painful Crofs, to an- 
 fwer its Demands. The Gofpel opens a fad and 
 gloomy Scene to all the Inhabitants of Heaven, 
 D if 
 
 fecftly holy, juft and good '?— A glorious Law. 2 Cor. 
 
 iii. 7. And that previous to the Coniideration 
 
 of the Grace of the Gcfpe!.---V{ad the Law been in 
 itfelf bad, the Death of Chrift could not have 
 
 made it good. Therefore, it was not " God's 
 
 Defign" that the Law mould be our School- Maihr, 
 that made the Law good : But it was in itfelf holy, 
 juft and good ; and therefore, it was// to be our 
 School- Majhr, 
 
-6 Dialogue I. 
 
 if the Law is not a glorious Law. You may|0 
 my Therok, be ravifhcd to think, Cbrijl died 
 for you, let the Law be good or bad ; but you 
 can never acquicfee in the Gofpel-way of Life 
 by the Blood of Chrift, as honourable to Cod, 
 till the Law fir ft appears glorious in your Eyes : 
 but rather, (forgive me, myFricnd !) I fay, you 
 will rather feel the Heart of an Infidel in your 
 Bread:. You may be ravilhcd to think, Chrift 
 died for you ; altho' you conceive of God the 
 Father, as acting the Part (Heaven forbid the 
 BJafphcmy !) 1 fay, as acting the Part of a 'Ty- 
 rant in the whole Affair. But then, who can 
 be fo ft lipid, as to believe, the Son of God died 
 a Sacrifice to 'Tyranny f — " If you are fafe, 
 you care not how." — Is this your Heart ! If fo, 
 you are quite an Infidel. — Indeed, this is the 
 Heart of every natural Man ; and it is equally 
 true, that every natural Man is under Hie, reign? 
 ing Power of Infidelity. iCor. xii. 3. No Man 
 can fay, that Jefus is the Lord, but by theHoly 
 Ghoft. 1 J oh. v. 1. Whofoever believeth that 
 Jefus is the Chrift, is bom of God. See alfo 
 Rdm. x. 9. 1 Job. iv. 15.* 
 
 Wherefore, 
 
 * The external Evidences of Chnftianity may in- 
 duce Men to fuch a Belief of the Gofpel, as that 
 they dare not renounce it, tho' they do not like 
 it ; but will not give a heart-fatifpng Conviction 
 of it's Truth ; fo long as it leems to contain a 
 Syftem of Doctrines inconfiftent with the. moral 
 
 Perfections 
 
D I A L O G U £ I. 27 
 
 Wherefore, the awakened Sin tier, under a 
 lively Senfe of the Dreadfulnefs of eternal Dam- 
 nation, with particular Application to himfclf, 
 mud (thr6 the regencr: tinglnfluenc'es of the holy 
 Spirit) be brought to approve the Law, in all 
 it's Rigour, as holy, juft and good, as being really 
 D 2 amiable 
 
 Perfections ot God. but at firlt Sight, it appears 
 incontinent with the moral Perfections of God, to 
 give his Son to die in our Stead, to anfvver the 
 Demands oi a Law in it's own Nature too fevere. 
 So long therefore, as the Law appears in this 
 Light, no Man can heartily believe the Report 
 of the Gofpel. Gal. iii. 10, 13.-— And this is one 
 Reafon,that all unregcnerateMen, who in Scrip- 
 ture are contidered as Enemies to God's Law 
 {Rom. viii. 7, 9.) are reprefented as not believing 
 
 the Gofpel. (1 Job. v, (, &c. kc.) And this 
 
 (hews, how our Unbelief of the Gofpel arifes from 
 our Enmity againft God 2nd his Law, (Job. vii. 
 17. and viii. 47.) and (o is truly criminal. (Job. 
 iii. 18, 19, 20, 21. ---And this accounts for the 
 fearful Apprehenlions of eternal Dedruction fo 
 common to awakened Sinners, who begin to fee 
 (Keir State by Law ; but as yet do not approve 
 the Law as holy, jift and good. It is not itrange 
 their Fears run fo high, when they do not believe 
 ihe Gofpel to be true. ---And this accounts for 
 the Aptnefs of awakened Sinners to catch hold 
 ot falie Hopes, and build on falfe Foundations : 
 as they are blind to the only true Way of Efcape 
 by Jeius Chrift.— And this (hews how prepoMe- 
 rous it is, to think to perfuade Sinners to come to 
 Chrilf, and truft in him, before fir ft they approve 
 
 the 
 
aS Dialogue I. 
 
 amiable and glorious in itfelf, before he can (b 
 much as believe (in Scripture-Senfe) the Gofpel 
 to be true. Till this, every Man has the Heart 
 of an Infidel. Yea, till this, every Man is as 
 much of an Enemy to the Gofpel (rightly un- 
 derflood) as to the Law. 
 
 Here, 
 
 the Law by which they ftand condemned. They 
 may be deluded by falfe Suggeftions, and falfe 
 Joys ; but they will never bejieve the Gofpel to 
 be true with all their Hearts, till firft they approve 
 the Law. Regeneration muft be before Faith. 
 (Job. i. 12, 13.)— -As to the unthinking Multi- 
 tude, who believe any thing they know not why ; 
 they may believe the Gofpel jutt as the Mahome- 
 tans believe their Alcoran, merely becaufe their 
 Fathers believed it before them. But no think- 
 ing confiderate Man, who has a right doctrinal 
 Underftanding of the Gofpel-Pian, can ever be- 
 lieve it with all his Heart, or cordially acquiefce in 
 this Way of Life ; till by feeing the Glory of the 
 God of Glory, he approves the Law*as holy, juji 
 and good ; and fo is prepared to fee the Wifdom 
 of God in the Death of his Son. ---See Mr. Ed- 
 wards on the affections, P. 182,--- 199. on the Na- 
 ture of Faith.- — See. alfo Mr. Edvjards on the Free- 
 dom of the JVill. In which all the Objection*, of 
 the Arminians againft the divine Law, as requir- 
 ing more ot us than we can do, are fapped at the 
 Foundation. See Pag. 159, ---177. See alfo the 
 Author's True Religion delineated, wherein his Sen- 
 timents relative to the Nature of Law and Gofpel 
 may be fee n more at large, and Objections an- 
 fwered. As alfo in his Sermon on Gal. ill- 24. 
 
Dialogue I. 29 
 
 Here, my dear Theron, here lies the great 
 Difficulty of embracing Chriftianiiy. This fets 
 the World againft it. Their Hearts hate it, and 
 their Wits and Pens are in a Manner conftantly 
 employed to banifh it from theFace of the Earth. 
 All the chief Errors in Chriftendom grow up 
 from a fecret Hatred of God's holy Law. But 
 all their elaborate Volumes are confuted with 
 this (ingle Sentence : ChriJI loved the Law in all 
 its Rigour, and felt it was holy, jufl and good, 
 or he would never have left his Fathers Bifom 
 to die upon the Crofs, to anfwer its 'Demands, 
 *4ntinomians,Neonom : ans, Arm nLws y 8cc. muft 
 all give up their various Schemes, or, if they 
 will be confident with themfelves, go olTinto 
 open Infidelity. For the Law in all its Rigour 
 is right, and glorious too, or the Son of God had 
 never died to anfwer its Demands. ■* 
 
 D 3 T ER. 
 
 * If Infidels triumph, to fee proretlcd Chrmians ad- 
 vance fttch abiurd and inconfiftent Schemes, they 
 may do well to remember, that the very Spirit of 
 Knmity to God and his Law, which produces 
 thefe fed Effects amoni pnbfciTed Christians, hath 
 led them .{till further, even to give up divine Re- 
 velation irilif. 
 
 Perhaps,///. 7 , the Armiman Spirit wrought in their 
 Ifeirts, and they were (Sis their ownFancvj. infal- 
 libly certain, that it is not jufl thaiGod JhouLl require 
 more of his Creatures than they can eh, and then damn 
 them for not doing. -—The. next Step, they denied 
 the Atonement of \CbriJf y and commenced Soiinidhs ; 
 
 / 
 
3o Dialogue I. 
 
 Ther. But, Sir, is not what fome fay, a- 
 greeable to Scripture, Reafon and Experience, 
 viz. that, as our Enmity againfl God arifes from 
 conceiving him to be our Enemy, Co we can 
 never be reconciled to him, till we firft fee and 
 are perfuaded, that he loves us ? * 
 
 Paul. 
 
 for it appeared abfolutely incredible, that iheSon 
 of God Jbould die to anfwer the Demands of an unjufi 
 Law. — Bur, la/fly 9 when, on further Confidera- 
 tion, they find, that the old and new Teftaments 
 both join to teach, that Cur fed is every Man that 
 continueth not in all Things written in the Book of the 
 Law to do them [Deut. xxvii. 26. Gal. iii. 10.) 
 and find, that it is averted, thaiChri/'l was made a 
 Cur fe for us, to redeem us from this very Curfe (Fer. 
 13.) even from the Wrath to ccme (1 Tbef. 1. 10. 
 and perceive, that the Doctrine of Atonement is 
 lb univerfally inwrought into the whole of divine 
 Revelation, that it cannot pofliblybe fevered from 
 it ; and vet confider, that if Chriit died to anfwer 
 the Demands of the Law, the Law mull be fup- 
 pofed to be holy, jufi and good, in all it Rigour ; 
 a Point they never can believe : Therefore y to 
 exrricate themfelves out of ail Difficulties at once, 
 (bold, daring Rebels to God, that they be !) not- 
 withstanding all the infallible Evidences God has 
 given to its^Truth, they run the dreadfulVenture, 
 to give up the Bible itfelf. They had rather turn 
 profeffed hfdeh, than own the divine Law to be 
 holy,. J uft and good. And then, fo inconfiilent 
 are they, they pretend to make the Law of Nature 
 their only Rule. Not conildering that their £»- 
 
 mity 
 
 * M. p. 25, 26, 27, 140. 
 
Dialogue I. 31 
 
 Pa ul. With your Leave, Sir, I will venture 
 to affirm, that this Scheme is contrary to Scrip- 
 ture, Reafon, and the univerfal Experience of 
 all true Saints. — As to the Experience of all true 
 Saints, we have that, in the plained Language, 
 defcribed by an infpired Writer, 2 Cor. iii. 1 8-, 
 We ALL, with open Face, beholding as in a 
 Glafs the Glory of the Lord, are changed into 
 the fame Image. A Sight of the Glory of God 
 is what moves us to love him. L ve to God is 
 that Image of God we are changed into. The 
 Image of God chiefly confifls in Love, as all 
 own. And this is produced by a Senfe of God' s 
 Glory, as the infpired Apollle affirms. — Bei'ides, 
 this Scheme is contrary to the whole Tenor of 
 Scripture, which, every where, teaches, that 
 
 thofe 
 
 mity to the Law of Nature, the true and real Law 
 of Nature, hath driven them to th'rs dreadful 
 Length. 
 7 he Fool faith in his Heart, there is no God Did Man- 
 kind really believe, that there is a God of infinite 
 Glory, they could not but be convinced that they 
 are really under infinite Obligations to love him, 
 as fuch, with all their Hearts ; and that the leaft 
 Defect deferves his everlafting Wrath. But a 
 fallen World are dead toGod,blind to his Beauty, 
 and Enemies to his Law ; as all theirReafonin°;s 
 
 and all their Conduct join to prove. So thai: 
 
 Atheifm is the Root of all Errors ; and Enmity to 
 God and his Law (huts our Eyes againft the 
 Truth, and gives Infidelity a reigning Power. 
 over our Hearts, 
 
32 Dialogue I. 
 
 thofe who are Enemies to God, are actually in 
 a State of Condemnation {jfoh. iii. 18.) and. of 
 JVrathiyer. 36.) and never can, nor will be re- 
 ceived into the divine Favour, till they repent 
 and are converted, {yicl, iii. 19.) till they turn 
 to God, (Prov. i. 23, 24. EzeL xxxiii. 1 1.) and 
 are reconciled to him thro Jefus Chrift. (2 Cor. 
 v. 20. Luk. xiii. 3, 5.) And indeed a truejufti- 
 fying Faith comprifes all this in its very Nature, 
 in its very rirft Acl. — Befides, if one mould be 
 fo deluded, as to believe God was reconciled to 
 him, while impenitent, and out of Chrift, this 
 Belief would not, could not, bring him to love 
 God. 5 Tis true, fuch an one might, like the 
 carnal Ifraelites at the Side of the Red-Sea, be 
 full of Joy and Love, arifing merely from Self- 
 love. A kind of Love, which has in it nothing 
 of the Nature of true Love to God : but is con- 
 fident with a reigning Enmity agcinft him. 
 
 Ther. But if our Enmity againfl God arifes 
 from conceiving him, to be our Enemy, remove 
 the Caufe, and the Effect will ceafe. If we view 
 him as our reconciled Father and Friend, the 
 Occafion of our Enmity being removed, our En- 
 mity will ceafe, and wc fhall naturally love him. 
 
 Paul. Right, Ther on, you fay true. If 
 that be the only Caufe of our Enmity, this will 
 effectually remove it. Nor fhall we need to be 
 horn again, (jfoh. iii. 3.) or to. have any new 
 Principle of divine Life communicated to us, 
 {Jeh< iii, 6, JEfh, ii. 5.) But from the Prin- 
 ciples 
 
Dialogue I; 33 
 
 ciples of Nature we may love God thus {Mat. 
 v. 46.) and the regenerating, fancYifying Influ- 
 ences of the holy Spirit will be wholly needlefs. 
 The Vail need not be taken from our Hearts, 
 that we may behold the Glory of God. (2 Cor. 
 iii. 18) Only let God declare that he loves us, 
 and all is done. — And if he was our Enemy be- 
 fore we turned Enemies to him, it feems proper 
 and meet he fhould declare himfelf to be recon- 
 ciled firft. Be fure, as this will put an End to 
 the whole Controverfy between him and us, and 
 fet all Things right. And one would think, that 
 the God of Peace would not be backward to 
 make fuch a Declaration, in the molt explicit 
 Manner, to all the human Race, and that with- 
 out the Interpofition of a Mediator, if indeed he 
 became an Enemy to the human Kind before we 
 turned Enemies to him. — But if the human Kind 
 without the leaf! Provocation turned Enemies 
 firft, and without anyReafon revolted from their 
 rightful Lord and Sovereign, and when God in- 
 finitely deferved their higheft Love, joined in 
 open Rebellion with Satan, God's avowed Foe ; 
 and if this our infinitely unreafonable Enmity is 
 now the Refiilt of the very Temper of our 
 whole Heart, even of a fixed Contrariety of Na- 
 ture to God, his Law and Government, which 
 yet are Faultlefs, yea, perfectly holy, juft and 
 good (Rom.Vii. 12. and viii. 7.) It is infinitely 
 unreafonable, that God fhould forgive us, till 
 we acknowledge this is the Cafe, and approve 
 
 his. 
 
34 Dialogue I. 
 
 his Law, by which wc (land condemned, in the 
 very Bottom of our Hearts. {Luk. xviii i \ ) 
 Nor, till we do this, can we pbflibly lock to God 
 thro Jefus Chrilt for Pardon, as abfohuely of 
 mere free Grace. Without which, the righte- 
 ous Monarch of the Univerfe bas declined, we 
 never mall be forgiven. [Rom. iii. 24. Mar. 
 xvi. 16.) — But how contrary toReafon is it, to 
 fuppofe, that God became Enemy to the hu- 
 man Kind iirft, and that all our \ nmity arifes 
 from conceiving him to be our Enemy, as tho' 
 fome Fault were originally on God's Side, be- 
 fore we revolted from him ? And fo if he would 
 now but become our Friend and love us, wc 
 ihould love him without any more ado 1 — What 
 need then of the Death of his Son ? Or what 
 need of the fa notifying Influences of his Spirit ? 
 If he was our Enemy hrft, he may well, with- 
 out a Mediator, declare himfelf reconciled. And 
 • this will put an End to the whole Controverfy. 
 A fhocking Scheme of Religion this ! But fhock- 
 ing as it is, and as reluctant as you may be fo 
 own it in this fhocking Drefs ; yet you muff, my 
 The ron, adhere to it, if you would be con- 
 fident with yourfelf, or elfe give upyour darling 
 Point. For if we are Enemies to God, in the 
 Temper of our Minds, previous to one Thought 
 of his being ourEnemy, a Perfuafion of hisLove, 
 'tis felf-evident, will never reconcile us to him. 
 
 Ther. Underftand me right. If we were 
 to love God primarily and chiefly for his own 
 
 Excellencies, 
 
Dialog u e I. 35 
 
 Excd'ericies, a mere Perfuafion cf his Love to 
 us, I own,, would not be fufficiem 10 bring us 
 to this. But you arc fcnfible, Sir, that many 
 look on this Notion of loving God for himfclf, 
 as a mere Chimera. — What makes God appear 
 lovely to lis, is a Belief, an allured Perfuafion, 
 that our Sins are blotted out ; and that God is 
 our reconciled Father and Friend, & aiton;ctrrer 
 Love to us. * 
 
 Paul. But whatWarrant has a chriftlefsSin- 
 ner, while an Enemy to God, to believe that his 
 Sins are blotted out ? Or if he does believe Co, 
 and is ravijhed with his Delufion, how can you 
 prove this RaviJJnnent is of the Nature of true 
 Holinefs ? The Devil can thus delude $c ravijb 
 a poor Sinner : But has Satan Power to beget 
 divine Grace and real Holinefs in the Heart 1 
 
 Ther. But if the Word of God is full on 
 my Side, this mud determine the Point. 
 
 Paul. Amen ! I join KTue here, with all my 
 Heart. Nor fhall any other Writings ever de- 
 termine, for me, any of the Doclrines of Re- 
 ligion. 
 
 •Ther. It is expreily written, as the Experi- 
 ence of all the Saints in the apoilolic Age, in 
 1 Job. iv. 1 6. We have knozvn and believed 
 the Love that God hath to us. And it follows 
 in ver. 19. JVe love him becaufe he fir ft loved 
 us. In thefe two Verfes our whole Scheme is 
 exprefled in the plainest Manner. Paul.. 
 
 * JVJ. />. 266, 140. 
 
2,6 Dialogue I. 
 
 Paul. Yes, and it is as exprefly written ia 
 James ii. 21. TVas not our Father Abraham 
 juflified by Works f And it is added, with Re- 
 fpeft to all good Men, ver. 24. Ye fee then, 
 how that by JVorks a Man is juftifi:d, and not 
 by Faith only. And in thefe two Verfts our 
 whole Scheme, fay the Arminians, is exprefTed 
 in the plained Manner. 
 
 Ther. We are not to be carried away by 
 the mere found of Words, in a (ingle Text of 
 Scripture, or two, to Notions contrary to the 
 whole Tenor of the facrcd Volume. This is 
 the Way of Heretic ks, who ihmwrejl the Scrip- 
 tures to their own 'Deftruclion. (2 Pet. iii. 1 6.) 
 We are rather by viewing the Context, and com- 
 paring Scpripture with Scripture, to fearch for 
 the true Meaning of the infpired Writer. My 
 dear Asp as i o has fet thofe Words of St. James 
 in their proper Light, and proved that they are 
 not at all to the Purpofe of the Arminians, 
 (Vol. I. p. 268.) And indeed, I wonder how 
 Men that ever favv their own Righteoufnefs to 
 be as filthy Rags, fhould ever think of pervert- 
 ing the Apoftle's Words to a Meaning, it is plain, 
 he never intended. 
 
 Paul. You fpeak well, my dear Theron. 
 And I wonder howMen, who are daily with open 
 Face beholding as in a Glafs the Glory of the 
 Lord, and are changed into the fame Image from 
 Glory to Glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord, 
 fhould ever think of putting fuch a Senfe on 
 
 thofe 
 
Dialogue I 
 
 3/ 
 
 thofe Words of St. John. A Senfe, it is plain, he 
 never intended, neither came it into his Heart. 
 Indeed, 1 hope foine Men's Hearts are more 
 orthodox than their Heads. However, let that 
 be as it will ; for it does not belong to you nor 
 me to judge theStatc of Men'sSouls : God only 
 knows their Hearts : With God we leave them : 
 Yet their Notions of Religion we may examine, 
 compare with Scripture, and pafs Judgment up- 
 on. Here we have a good Right to judge. — 
 Wherefore, let us, obferving the Rules of inter- 
 preting Scripture, which you have hinted, Rules 
 which all Parties rauft allow to be good ; /et us, 
 1 fay, impartially examine thofe Words of the 
 Apoitle, in i Job. iv. i 6, 19. which you juft 
 now referred to, as clearly exprefling your whole 
 Scheme. — Here my dear Theron, here is the 
 Bible ; take it ; and read the Epillle through ; 
 and when you have done, tell me — who are 
 they, what is the Character of the Men, who 
 life this confident Language ? JVe have known 
 and believed tht Love that Cod hath to us. — 
 Were they Saints, or Sinners ? Did they know 
 they were the Children of God, or were -they 
 doubtful ? Did they know they were in a good 
 Eftate by being confeious of fanctifying Opera- 
 tions in their own Breads ? 
 
 Ther. — I have read the Epillle — I grant 
 they new they were the Children of &od, ml 
 Heirs cf eternal Glory. They did no: mcrrly 
 hope this was tht Cafe ; but ilicy-wcsc tctt • ■ 
 E 
 
3§ Dialogue I. 
 
 of it : They KNEfPK (Chap. iii. i, 2 )— 
 And they knew it by fuch Evidences as thefe. 
 Becaufe they knezuGoA, loved him, zndkeft his 
 Commands (Chap. ii. 3, 4, 5.) imitated the Ex- 
 ample of Chrift (Ver. 6.) loved the Brethren 
 (Ver. 10.) as bearing the Image of God (Chap. 
 v. 1.) had overcome the Prince of Darknefs 
 (Chap. ii. ver. 13.) were weaned from the World 
 (Ver. 15.) had fiich divine Illuminations, as en- 
 abled them to underfland, and confirmed them 
 in the Belief of the great Doctrines of Religion, 
 fo that it was impofnble they fhould be (educed 
 (Ver. 19, — 27.) purified themfelves after the 
 Pattern of Chriit (Chap. iii. 3.) lived in no Sin 
 (Ver. 6.) yea, could not live in Sin (Ver. 9.) 
 made SancYification their Criterion of a good E- 
 flate (Ver. 10.) looked upon all that were with- 
 out it as Children of the Devil (Ver. 10.) they 
 were governed by divine Grace in their Conduct: 
 towards their Brethren (Ver. 18, 19.) and made 
 it their Bufinefs to do the Things which were 
 pleafin* in the Sight of God (Ver. 22.) in a 
 Word, they were confeious to the fanclifying 
 Operations of God's Spirit, which dwelt in them 
 (Ver. 24.) &c &c. 
 
 Paul. Now tell me, O my Theron, might 
 not thefe Men, on good Grounds, and with a 
 fafe Warrant fay, JVe have known and believed 
 the Love tat God hath to us f They knew 
 they were the Children of God, and entitled to 
 eternal Glory. They knew they were of the 
 
 Number 
 
Dialogue L 39 
 
 Number of the Elect,' the Sheep For whom Chrift 
 died with an abfolute Defign to five. They 
 knew all this, not by believing it without any 
 Evidence from Scripture, Senfe or Reafon ; but 
 they kneiv all this by Evidences which pafs for 
 infallible in the Court of Heaven : Evidences, 
 which they knew, and we know, the Judge will 
 pronounce to be good and valid at the great 
 Day. — Now tell me, O my Theron, if thefe 
 Men knew that God loved them, how can that 
 prove, that chriftlefs, impenitent Sinners, Ener . 
 mies to God, unreconciled, can know it too ? 
 Thefe Men had good 'Evidence for what they 
 believed ; but chriftlefs Sinners hsve no Evi- 
 dence, that God loves them, or deffgns to fave 
 them, " from Scripture, Senfe, or Reafon ;" as 
 the celebrated Mr. MarfJml is obliged to own.* 
 
 T :er. But the Apoflle fiys, JVe love him 
 becaufe he fir ft loved as. Which plainly fup- 
 pofes, they knew God loved them before they 
 loved him. 
 
 Paul. If the Apoflle and all thofe apoflolic 
 Saints fliould join to declare, they never 1111- 
 derflood the Matter fo, this would quite fatisfy 
 you. But which is altogether equivalent, they 
 all agreed to make this their fteady Maxim : He 
 that committeih Sin is cf the T>evil. {Chap. iii. 
 8, 9, 10.) But antecedent to the firft Acl of 
 Grace they had only committed Sin. Every Act 
 E 2 wa 
 
 * m. />. i 73 r 
 
40 Dialogue I. 
 
 was a finful Aft before the flrft gracious and 
 hoJy Aft. And therefore, according to their 
 own Rule, they were not the Children of God, 
 but the Children of the Devil j till they had 
 performed, at leaft, one Aft of Grace. And 
 until they knew they had performed an Aft of 
 Grace, according to their own Rule, they could 
 not know their State was changed for the better. 
 But in the firil Aft of faving Grace, the Sinner's 
 Heart is really -reconciled to God thro' jefus 
 Chrifl. So that we begin to love God before 
 we know that he begins to love us. Repent and 
 be converted, not becaufe your Sins are already, 
 but that they may be blotted out. {Acl. iii. 19.) 
 
 Ther. This is not agreeable to my Experi- 
 ence. (1.) 1 had the Love of God, as a recon- 
 ciled God', manifefied to my Soul. (2.) Here- 
 upon 1 believed that God was my reconciled 
 God and Father. (3.) And fo I loved God be- 
 caufe he firft loved me. And indeed it is plain 
 the Apujhle taught, that God loves us before we 
 love him. 1 Job. iv. 10. Not that we loved 
 God, but that he loved us. He loved us before 
 we Joved him. 
 
 Paul. But think a little, O my Thekon ! 
 You do not maintain that a Sinner is aftually en- 
 titled to the Love of God, as his reconciled G$d' 
 and Father, before he believes rn Chrift. This 
 is beyond all Difputc inconfiftent with the whole 
 Tenour of the Gofpel. For Unbelievers are 
 
 condemned, 
 
D I A L-O G U E I. 41 
 
 condemned, and under the Wrath of God. (Joh. 
 m. 18, 36.) We arejuftified by Faith, and not 
 before Faith, ( Rom. v. 1 .) 
 
 Ther. As to Faith & Judication, I choofe 
 to defer thefe Subje&s to another Time. But 
 pray tell me ; how do you underftand thefe 
 Words ? 
 
 Paul. As to the Love of God towards us. 
 There is (1.) Elecling Love, whereby God 
 chofe us in Chrift to Salvation before the Foun- 
 dation of the World. {Eph. i. 4.) (2.) Re- 
 deeming Love towards the Ele£t, fpoken of in 
 1 Joh. iv. 9, 10. He-loved us, and fent his Son 
 to be the Propitiation for our Sins. (3.) There 
 is the fovereign Grace and Love of God, which 
 is exercifed in awakening, convincing and con- 
 verting ele& Sinners; Eph. ii. 4, 5. God, -who 
 is rich in Mercy, for his great Love wherewith 
 he loved us, even when we were dead in Sins 
 hath quickned us together with Chrift. By 
 Grace are ye faved. (4.) There is the Love 
 of Ged, as a reconciled Father, towards thofe 
 that are converted, and become his Children 
 thro' Jefus Chrift. Joh. xiv. 21. He that hath 
 my Commandments andkeepeih them, he it is 
 thai loveth me : And he thai loveth me, fhall 
 be loved of my Father, and I will love him and 
 0*anifefl myfelf to him. Ver. 23. My Father 
 will love him, and we will come unto him, and 
 make our Abode with him. Rom.viW. 1. T'here 
 is therefore now no Condemnation to them which • 
 £ £, ar$± 
 
4- Dialogue I. 
 
 are in Chrifl J efts, who walk not after the 
 Flefb, but after the Spirit. — Now the Love of 
 God, as a reconciled Father, none enjoy but 
 thofe who are already the Children of God ; 
 and they enjoy ir, as our blefTed Saviour teaches, 
 •in Confequence of their loving him and keeping 
 his Commands. And fuch was the State of the 
 Saints the Apoftle John is fpeaking of. They 
 knew, that they were the Children of God, and 
 that they fhould be faVed. And they lived 
 daily in a Senfe of God's Love, as their recon- 
 ciled Father j for they loved God and kept his 
 Commands. 
 
 " But how came we to be in this blefTed and 
 " happy State ?" Might they fay, — " Once we 
 " were dead in Sin, and Enemies to God : Now 
 <4 withopenFacewebeholdasin aGlafsjtheGlory 
 " of the Lord, and love him, and rejoyce in his 
 " Love. Once we were under Condemnation 
 u and Wrath : Now Children of God, & Heirs 
 • ** of eternal Glory. Behold, what Manner of 
 " Love the Father hath beflowed upon us, that 
 " we fhould be called the Sons of Cod ! And 
 " whence is all this ? Not from any Goodnefs 
 *' in us ; but of God's mere fovereign Grace 1 
 tfc He loved us before we loved him ; yea, before 
 " the Foundation cf the World ! And we now 
 " love him becauit he firfl: loved us. Yea, we 
 " never hVuld have loved him, had not he flrfl 
 *' loved ns, and redeemed us by the Blood of 
 " his Sen, and quickned us when dead in Sin 
 
 V by 
 
Dialogue I. 43 
 
 *« by his holy Spirit, and opened our Eyes to 
 " behold his Glory and Beauty. Wherefore, 
 * 4 feeing God is fo infinite in his Love& Good- 
 t4 nefs towards us, let us imitate him, and love 
 44 one another." 
 
 Pray, my dear Theron, take yourBible once 
 more, and read from the 7th to the z\Werfi, 
 in that ivth Chap, of the 1 ft Epiftle of John. 
 Read the whole Paragraph critically, and yoa 
 may eafily fee, that this is the Sum of the A- 
 poftle's Reafonings. " Beloved let us love one 
 ♦« another. This is the Duty I urge you to : 
 44 and this is the Argument I ufe. God is Love. 
 44 And if we are born of God, if we are made 
 44 Partakers of his Nature, we fliall love our 
 44 Brother. If we do not love our Brother, our 
 44 Pretences to Regeneration are a Lie. If we 
 tl do love our Brother, we are born of God ; 
 44 for God is Love. (See wr, 7,8, 11,12.13, 
 41 16, 20, 2 1 .) That God is Love, is plain from 
 4t theWork of our Redemption byChrilr. That 
 44 the Benevolence, Love and Good nefs of the 
 14 divine Nature is felf- moving, is plain, becaufe 
 44 there was no Goodnefs in us to move him to 
 44 give his Son to die for us. For we did not 
 44 love God. We were Enemies. God firft 
 " loved us. Yea, if God had not pitied us in 
 " our loft State, and redeemed us, and brought 
 <l us to know him, we mould never have loved 
 V him. We love him now, but we never iliould 
 * 4 have done fo, had not he firi't loved, redeemed, 
 
 '♦ and 
 
44 Dialogue I. 
 
 4t and converted us. Wherefore, full of Gra- 
 f* titude, we love him becaufe he firft loved us. 
 • 4 And as the Goodnefs of the divine Nature is 
 ** thus felf- moving, and as God's Heart is fo 
 " full of Benevolence and Love, and as we per- 
 M take of the very fune Nature by our new 
 *• Birth ; fo we fhould exercife it conflantly in 
 " loving our Brechren. The Goodnefs of the 
 ** divine Nature, as manifeft in our Redemption, 
 «« which is continually before ourEyes, and it's 
 <l Beauty which conftantly affects our Hearts, 
 " fhould change us into the fame Image, and 
 * c make us full of Love to our Brethren." — 
 {Fer. 7, — 21.) 
 
 Ther, If, by the Beauty of the divine Na'*- 
 rure, you only mean, that God appears lovely, 
 merely becaufe he loves us, I can underftand 
 you ; and can love God on this Account. But 
 when you fpeak of loving God for himfelf, I 
 know not what you mean, nor how it is pofTible 
 for any to love God on this Foot. 
 
 Paul. There is an efTential Difference be- 
 tween being charmed with the Beauty of the 
 divine Goodnefsy and being ravifht merely to 
 think that God loves me. The one will infal-? 
 libly change us into the divine Image, agreeable 
 to Mat. v. 44, 45, 48; the other will never raife 
 us higher than to the Publican's Standard. 
 Yer. 46, 47. 
 
 Befides, my dear Ther on, tell me ; do you 
 verily believe, that it is more to God's Honour 
 
 to 
 
Dialogue I. 45 
 
 to be your particular Friend, than it is to be by 
 NATURE GOD ? Does his Frlendjbip to 
 you make Yiimjbine brighter, than all the IN- 
 FINITE GLORIES OF HIS ETERNAL 
 GODHEAD ? And is he more worthy to be 
 Joved and worshiped becaufe he loves you, than 
 for his own REAL DIVINITY ? Or, as the 
 Papifls cannonize Saints for their extraordinary 
 Atachment to the Roman Church, and then pay 
 them religious Worfhip; fo, do you deify God, 
 for being your particular Friend, and give him 
 divine Worfliip merely on this Account : But 
 for which you would be full of " Hatred and 
 Heart-riflngs againft him" ? We ufe to think 
 divine Love and Worfhip ought by noMeans to 
 be paid to a mere Creature, how kind foever to 
 us. But if you leave DIVINITY, if you leave 
 theGLORY OF THE DIVINE MAJESTY 
 as he is in himfelf, out of the Account ; and 
 love end worfhip him merely for his Love to you, 
 and make him your GOD, merely for that ; 
 and fo pay him divine Worfhip, not becaufe he 
 is by NATURE GOD, but becaufe he h your 
 particular Friend ; how will you free yourfclf 
 from the Guilt of Idolatry $ — To be fure, you 
 are fo far from paying a proper Regard to real 
 'Divinity, that you fliew yourfelf quite blind to 
 his Beauty and Glory, and flupid to that which 
 charms all the heavenly World. And in their 
 Eyes, you mud appear in a very felfifh, impious, 
 contemptable Light, in your higheft Raptures. 
 
 Had 
 
46 Dialogue I. 
 
 Had Nicaulis, the Queen of Sheba, on her 
 Return from King Solo?nori > s Court, in all her 
 Converfation, dwelt only on the royal Bounty 
 which he gave her (1 Kin. x. 13.) and ex pre (fed 
 her Love to him on this Account alone, wonder- 
 ing how any Man of Senfe could talk of the fine 
 and charming Accomplimments of the King, and 
 what they meant by loving him primarily and 
 chiefly on the Foot of his own perfona! Merit ; 
 would not thofe Gentlemen, who had been her 
 Attendants in her Tour to Jerifalem, have been 
 tempted to look upon her, as a Pcrlbn of no 
 Tafte, that the fine and charming Accompliffi- 
 ments of even Solomon, in all his Glory, could 
 not touch her Heart. And I dare fay, her Name 
 would not have been mentioned in the Jewifh 
 Hiftory, unlefs with Infamy. But what was 
 Solomon's Glory, compared with the Glory of the 
 King of the whole Univerfe ! 
 
 "What would the Queen of Ifrael have tho't, 
 Pi ad the Daughters of Jerufalem laid unto her, 
 JVhat is thy Be loved more than another Beloved, 
 O thou fair eft among Women ? Would fhe not 
 have foon replied, With the Fervour of an ar- 
 dent Lover ? My Beloved is white and ruddy, 
 the chief eft among ten Thoufand ; yea, he is 
 altogether lovely. Cant. v. 9, 10, 16. And 
 have not the Regenerate infinitely more Reafon 
 to adopt this Language ? For as natural Men 
 have by Nature a Tafte to the Beauties of the 
 natural World ; fo fpiritual Men have by Grace 
 
 a 
 
Dialogue I. 47 
 
 a Tafte to the Beauties of the moral World. As 
 King Solomon appeared exceeding glorious to the 
 Queen of Shcba ; fo the Lord Jehovah who 
 fits on a 'Thro e high 6' lifted up, as the thrice 
 holy Monarch of the Univerfe, appears exceed- 
 ing glorious, not only to Angels in Heaven, but 
 to Saints on Earth. (Ifai. vi. 3. 2 Cor. iii. 18.) 
 And they are all ready in the Language of the 
 Queen of Sheba, to fay, Happy are thy Men, 
 happy are thefe thy Servants, which (land con- 
 tinually befre thee. (1 Kin. x. 8.) The infinite 
 Amiablcnefs of God, as he is in himfelf, is the 
 chief Source of the refined Joys of the heavenly 
 World. To behold fuch a God, to love and be 
 beloved by him, is the Heaven of Heaven itfelf. 
 And the more exalted his Glory and Beauty, 
 the fweeter their Love and Joy. His being 
 -what he is in himfelf, fo infinitely defireable, 
 venders it Co infinitely happifying to them, to 
 enjoy him forever, as their own. (Pfal. lxxiii.25.) 
 
 Ther. Perhaps there may be more in what 
 you plead for than I have been wont to think. 
 And as I defrgn fully to conflder thefe Things, 
 that I may be under thebeft Advantages to make 
 up a right Judgment, pray point out fome of the 
 chief Differences between thefe two Kinds of 
 Love to God. 
 
 Paul.— (1.) If I loveGod for himfelf, God., 
 even God himfelf is the Object beloved : And 
 the Aft by me performed is properly an Acl: of 
 
 Love 
 
48 Dialogue I. 
 
 Love to God. If I love God merely becaufe 
 he loves me, I am the Object really beloved : 
 And theA.cl. is properly an Aft of Self-love. (2.) 
 The one fuppofes the Glory and Amiablenefs 
 of the divine Nature is really feen : The other 
 may be where the Heart is wholly blind to this 
 Kind of Beauty, as it does not arife from a Senfe 
 of God's Amiablenefs, but altogether from fel- 
 flfli ConTderations. (3.) ]f God is loved for 
 himfelf, the whole of God's Law and Govern- 
 ment will alfo be loved, as in themfelvcs beau- 
 tiful, holy, juft and good, a Tranfcript & Image 
 of God's Nature. Jf God is loved merely be- 
 caufeifoe loves me, 1 fhall be reconciled to God's 
 Law & Government only as coniidering myfelf 
 fife from the Stroke of divine Juflice. And I 
 fliall be reconciled to God's Decrees only as 
 confidering them in my Favour. Not really 
 caring what becomes of the reft of my Fellow- 
 Men, I fliall pretend to like God's Plan of Go- 
 vernment as being fafe myfelf, but for which, 
 I fhould, as your Author exprefTes it, be full 
 of" Hatred and Heart-rifings in Spite of my 
 Heart."* If God is loved for himfelf, every 
 thing, which bears his Imnge, will, for the fame 
 Reafon, be loved, as being in itfelf lovely, as 
 refembling the Standard of true Beauty : But 
 otherwife, all my Love towards all other things 
 of a religious Nature, will be merely felfifli. — 
 
 • For 
 
 * M. p. 24, 25, 140. 
 
Dialogue I. 49 
 
 For Inftance, I mall love the Children of God 
 merely on felrifli Accounts ; as, bccaufe they 
 love me, belong to my Party, &c. So the hypo- 
 critical Galat'ians once loved St. Paul, as they 
 thought he had been the Means of their Con- 
 verfion ; but when he was afterwards obliged to 
 tell them fome Truths which they dificliflied, 
 their Love grew cold ; yea, they rather inclined 
 to join with the falfe Teachers, his avowed Ene- 
 mies, who were conftantly endeavouring to un- 
 dermine that Scheme of Religion which was 
 Nearer to him than his Life. This proved, they 
 never really loved Paul himfelf ; who (till con- 
 tinued the fame he was before. So thcljraelites 
 feemed to love God, much, at the Side of the 
 Red-Sea, while they thought he loved them ; 
 but the Waters of Alar ah foon brought them 
 to different Feelings. — (4.) If God is loved for 
 himfelf, it will be natural to imitate him, and 
 delight to pleafe him. For we always love to 
 imitate and pleafe thofe who are really dear to 
 us, and thcii Commands are not grievous, (1 Job* 
 v. 3 ) But you know the Character of the Men, 
 who Jang God's Praife, but /oqh for gat his 
 Works. {Pfal.cvu 12, 13.) And forty Tears 
 long was he grieved with this Generation. 
 (Pfal. xcv. 10.) They were much engaged to 
 have themfelves pleafed ; but cared not what 
 became of God's Honour, when they were 
 crofTed. — (5.) If God is loved for himfelf, then 
 the Enjoyment of God will be our higheft Han* 
 r pnes 
 
5o Dialogue I. 
 
 pinefs. Jffhpm have I in Heaven but 'Thee f 
 And there is noY.e upon Earth that I de fire, 
 
 be/ides Thee. (Pfal. lxxiii. 25.) Whereas, if 
 we love Go'd only in a firm Perfnadon of his 
 Love to us, as Himfelf cannot be our Portion, 
 lo we fliall naturally leek Reft elfewhere. For 
 nothing can be a Portion to our Souls, which is 
 not loved for itfelf. The Man that marries 
 merely for Money, cannot expect to to find that 
 Delight and Satisfaction in his Companion, which 
 he might in a Perfon agreeable to his Tafte. And 
 no wonder heabfents himfelf from herCompany, 
 and contrivesExcufes to j u ft ify himfelf. Where- 
 fore (6.) If God is loved for himfelf, -as there 
 is thereby a Foundation laid for a Conformity to 
 him in the Temper of our Minds, and a Life of 
 Communion with him ; fo hereby it may bediiV 
 covered, that we, thus bearing his Image, are 
 really his Children. And fo an AiTurance of 
 our good Eflate may be obtained from ourSancli- 
 iication ; which on the other Scheme never can, 
 if we will be honeft to our own Souls. As well 
 niay the Ru/h grow without Mire, and the Flag 
 without Water ; yea, as well may you build a 
 Cathedral on the Stalk of a Tulip, fays your 
 Aspasio, * as one in your Scheme maintain 
 AiTurance from a Confcioufnefs of his own 
 Sanclification. 
 
 Here, 
 
 
 * D. p. 360, 362. 
 
DlALO G.V £ I. 51 
 
 Here, my dear Asfasio, the Convention 
 flop'd. — I fa* filcnt — all my Thoughts turned 
 inward — " O mySoul," faid I tomyfelf, " this 
 "is my very Cafe. My Sanctiflcation has for 
 44 a long Time been no more to be feen than the 
 44 Stars at Noon. 1 have found by fid Ex-PC- 
 's rience, noAflu ranee could poffibly be obtained 
 " this Way. To feek A (Turn nee by Marks and 
 " Signs of Grace, only cherifhes my Doubts, and 
 44 incrcafes my Perplexity. And what if this 
 41 is indeed the very Reafon, that really I never 
 " had any true Grace !" — I was fhocked — my 
 Heart recoiled — " O dreadful ! an Heir of 
 Hell, after all my high raifed Hopes !" 
 
 Thus I fat filent feveral Minutes— quite loft 
 in Self- reflection — till Paulinus began again 
 to fpeak. u I mud difmifs thefe Subjects at 
 " prefent," faid I, " and retire. Your Tho'ts 
 " on the remaining Points, I hope to hear at a 
 " more convenient Seafon." Paulinus re- 
 plied, 4i When you pleafe, Sir, I am at your 
 V Service." — " To Morrow-Evening I will 
 " wait upon you," laid 1. — After he had ex- 
 preffed many kind Vifhes for my Good, and I 
 had aiked his Prayers, 1 retired to my Clofet. 
 And, O my Aspas'io, you may eafily guefs 
 how I fpent the Night. For the Wicked 
 are like the troubled Sea, when it cannot reft, 
 whofe Waters caft up Mire and 'Dirt. 
 
 t 2 
 xxxxxxxx: ^xxxxxxxxxxxx' -c <xx x x >Cbc*x 
 
 Dialogue 
 
[ 52 ] 
 
 4 
 
 »^\» Jv* JV<- tSQ\> »&* tfiT* fcVw «A)^» fcV\» t/V- «<A. tATv »^. «^!ru 
 
 x«<xxxxxxxxxx;-xy:> s o<xxxxxxx 
 
 Dialogue II. 
 
 Tuefday- Evening, Dec. 12. 1 758. 
 
 ##©## Returne ^ at the appointed Time. 
 ^IP^l^ And, after fbme agreeable Con- 
 *Hl( 1 Jw verfation on general Subjects, I 
 ^S^fcssrf^ introduced xhzfecondQueflion. — 
 #l§^ll# ^ ut Paulinus infilled I ihould 
 tell my Opinion flril — which I did, in the very 
 Words of the beft Writers I had feen. — Thus. 
 we begun — 
 
 o 
 
 Pa u Li:* us. Pray, tell me exactly, what 
 juftifying Faith is, in your Opinion ? 
 
 The ron. "It is a real Perfuafion in my 
 ?* Heart, that Jefus (Thrift, is mine, and that I 
 " fhail have Life and Salvr.tion by him ; that 
 " whatfoever (Thrift did for the Redemption of 
 " Mankind, he did it for me."-" Faith is an 
 " hearty Atfurance/that our Sins are freely for- 
 " given us in Chrift."— " Juftifying Faith hath 
 " for the fpecial Object: of it, Forgivcnefs of 
 " Sins. A Man doth not believe that his Sins 
 " are forgiven him already, before the Act of 
 " believing ; but that he fhall have Forgivenefs 
 
 «' of 
 
Dialogue II. 53 
 
 ct of Sins. In the very Act of Jufti fixation, he 
 K believes his Sins are forgiven him ; and fo 
 " receives Forgivenefs "* — " Faith is a real 
 " Perfuafion that the blefTed Jcfus hath fried his 
 46 Blood for me* fulfilled all Righteoufnefs in 
 " my Stead : that through his great Atonement 
 " and gloriousObedience, he has pnrchafed even 
 Ct for my finful Soul, Reconciliation with God, 
 
 * fandYifying Grace, & all fpiritualBlefTings." — 
 And the Language of Faith is this ; "Pardon is 
 4i mine, Grace is mine, Lhrift and all his fpiri- 
 44 tual BlefTings are mine.' , — " God has freely 
 <; loved me ; Chrift has gracioufly died for me ; 
 44 and the Holy Ghofl will affuredly fancYify me 
 ** in theBelief, the appropriating Belief, of thefe 
 •' precious Truths.' — This appropriating and 
 taking home to myfelf theBlefllngs of the Gofpel 
 is of the EfTence of Faith, j — " It is not aPer- 
 
 " fuafion 
 
 * Marrczu of Mod. Dh. with Notes, p. 158, 273. 
 
 N. B. Wendellnus is the Auihor of the Jaft men- 
 tioned -Definition of Faith ; who is one of the 
 Authorities Mr. Hervey refers to. (D. />. 315.) 
 And as this Definition feems to have been made 
 with Care, and to be very exaft ; fo it is worthy 
 of particular Attention. My Sins are not for- 
 given— -but I believe they are forgiven-— and fo 
 receive Forgivenefs. i e. J knew it was not true- 
 but I believed it to be tine— -and fo it bee- me 
 true. Which exactly anfwers to the Account 
 Mr. Mavjhal gives of Faith. Of which more 
 prefently, 
 
 t D. p. 296, 362, 345, 315. 
 
54 Dialogue II. 
 
 lt fuafion that we have already received Chrifb 
 *' and hisSalvation, or that we have been already 
 11 brought into a State of* Grace : But only that 
 " God is pleafed gracioufly to give Chrift and 
 •J I lis Salvation unto us, to bring us into a State 
 " of Grace."* — To fum up all inaWord : Faith 
 is a Pcrfu'aiion, that I am one for whom, Chrift: 
 died with a Defign to fave ; that God is recon- 
 ciled to me, loves me, and will fave me. And all 
 this is believed by the direft Acl of Faith, an- 
 tecedent to any Kcfiecl'ion.-\ 
 
 Paul. O my The r on, be you not mifta- 
 ken ? Is not Faith ufually called coming to- 
 Chrift, receiving Chrift, trufting in Chrift, be- 
 lieving on Chv'Ai, Joying to Chrilt, &c ? 
 
 Ther. It is. But this is an After- Aft, and is 
 built upon the former. Firft, I believe thatPar- 
 don,Grace,Chrift & all his fpiritual BlefTings are, 
 mine : And then I truft I fhall atfuredly be fa\'d 
 by Chrift. — Firft, 1 believe that Chrift died for 
 me in particular, and that God is my God j and 
 this encourages me to come to Chrift and truft' 
 in him. If 1 did not know that Chrift loves 
 me, 1 fhould not dare to truft in him. j Where- 
 fore, in the firft direel Acl of Faith, I believe 
 that God " is reconciled to me,"* that Chrift 
 has f< relcucd me from Hell," and " eftablilhed 
 my Title to all the Blellings included in the 
 Promifes." § ' Juft as my Tenant believed me, 
 
 when 
 
 
 * M. />. 176. -t D. /. 358, 359. 4- D. />. 312,-13. 
 ^ V, p. 1C9. §" iJ. f- i8u 
 
DIALOGUE IL $^ 
 
 when once T fent him Word; '■ tint I had cancel- 
 led his Bond & forgiven hisDebt.* Juft as my 
 Servant, believed me, when 1 freely gave him a 
 little Farm, f Aod juft as you believed the E- 
 flate your own, which was bequeathed to you 
 in your late Father's lad Will. You ftrft be- 
 lieved your Title good, and then took PofTeiTion 
 of it as your own.} I am fenfible, this is not 
 what is called the orthodox Opinion ; it is more 
 " refined and exalted/' || and more exactly a- 
 greeable to the Tmth.§ 
 
 Paul. But, my dear Theron, how do you . 
 know that Cbriit, Pardon, Grace and Glory 
 are your's ? What Evidence have you for your - 
 'Belief ? A Belief, on which yow venture your 
 precious Soul for a v*hole Eternity 1 
 
 Ther. The holySpirit clears up my Title,"*** 
 and enables me to appropriate to myfelf in par- 
 ticular, what is given, granted and made over in. 
 the written Word to Sinners in general.jf — Tor 
 explain myfelf, it is written rn Ifai. ix. 6. To 
 us a Son is given. %\ Ifai. liii 6. The Lord 
 hath laid on him the Iniquities of ur all. \\\\ 
 I Cor. xv. i . Chrift died for ojur Sins. §§ Joh* 
 vi. 32, My Father giveth you the true Bread 
 from Heaven. ^ l.J?k> v. 9. This is tha< 
 
 Record, 
 
 * D. p. 298. f D. p. 273. J D. p. 255. 
 
 || D p 295. S L>. p. 312, 313, 334, 335. 
 
 ** D. £.295. ++ D. p. 305,314. ttD. />.3o8. 
 
 |[fl D.p, 304, H D. p. 318. * D.p. 307. 
 
$6 Dialogue IL 
 
 Record, thdtGod hath given to us eternal Life.^ 
 *Acl. xiii. 28. Unto you is preached the For- 
 givenefs of Sins, f Ifai. xliii. 25. /, even I, 
 am he, that blotteth out thy Tranfgreffions. X 
 And by Faith 1 appropriate all this to myfelf. 
 I believe that Chrift is mine, given to me in par- 
 ticular : My Sins in particular were laid on him : 
 He died for my Sins in particular : He is my 
 Bread : Eternal Life is mine ': My Sins are for- 
 given : MyTranfgreffions are blotted out. And 
 £0 according to Scripture / believe the Love 
 ihatGod hath to me. 1 Joh. iv. 1 6. I believe I 
 Jball be faved. Acl. xv. 11. / believe Chrift 
 loved me, and gave himfelf for me. Gal. ii. 2o.§ 
 With Thomas I fay, My Lord, MyGod ! Job. 
 xx. 28. " I am perfuaded in 'my Heart, that 
 " Jefus is My Lord, who bought me with his 
 " Blood : That Jefus is my God, who will exert 
 41 all his adorable Perfections for my Good."** 
 This \sFaith, according to the common Accep- 
 tation of the Word belteve.\\ And this Faith 
 our Saviour himfelf allows to be genuine. XX And 
 if I fhould not thusbelieve,I fhould make God 
 a Liar. |]|| 
 
 Paul. How make God a Liar ? my dear 
 Theron ! hath God faid, that Chrift died with 
 ah abfolute Defign to fave all Mankind ? And 
 
 hath 
 
 * D />. 319. t D. p. 303. JD. p. 329, 
 
 $ D. p. 326. ** D p. 330. -ft D.p. 297, 
 XX D. p. 330. ||ff L> p. 354. 
 
Dialogue II. 57 
 
 hath God exprcily declared, that he will favc 
 them all ? That you think yourfelf obliged iri 
 Conference, while out of Chriil, to believe he 
 died with an abfolute Dcfgn to fave you, and 
 that God will certainly fave you 1 And that it 
 would be no better than makingGod a Liar > not 
 to believe fo ! 
 
 Ther. No, no. God hath never faid any 
 fuch thing, exprefly or implicitly. Yea, God 
 has plainly enough declared, thatChrift died with 
 an abfolute Defign to fave only the Eled ; and 
 that in Fact no other ever will be faved. This 
 vvc are all agreed in. * 
 
 Paul. Did you know then that you was one 
 of the Elect, before you believed r That you 
 thought yourfelf bound in Confcience to believe 
 that you fhould be faved ; left otherwife, you 
 Should be guilty of fo horrible a Sin, as \omake 
 Cod a Liar ! 
 
 T.h e r . No, by no Means. For no Man can 
 know his Election till after Faith and Jufli- 
 fication. 
 
 Paul. How then could you make Gad a 
 Liar ? Is it any where declared in his written 
 Word, that your Sins in particular are forgiven, 
 and that you (hall be faved ? 
 
 Ther. 
 
 * Boflon on the two Covenants, p. 27,— -34. N B. 
 He fays, ljai. 53. fo. (a Text f HJUION jUB now 
 applied to himfeH) refpeds only the ElfSL P. 30. 
 
5% Dialogue II. 
 
 Ther. No. So fur from it, that before I 
 believed my Sins were forgjvenj they were in 
 Fact not forgiven : But 1 was under Condem- 
 nation and Wrath. 
 
 Pa ul. But furcly here is fome greatMyftery ! 
 You fay, you believe that Chrifl died with a 
 Defign to fave only the Elect, and that you did 
 not know that you was elected ; and yet you 
 believed that Chriil died with a Defign to fave 
 you. You fay, your Sins were not forgiven be- 
 fore you believed ; and yet you believed they 
 were forgiven. You feem, my Friend, to be 
 fo far from any Danger of making God a Liar 
 by not believing ; that rather you make him a 
 Liar by believing your Sins are forgiven, when 
 God fays they are not. — At lead, to make the 
 beft of it, I do not fee what Evidence you hayc 
 for yonrBelief. Nay, how can fuch a Faith as 
 yo.ur's poffibly be the Refult of Evidence, and 
 of a rational Conviction ? For the Cafe does not 
 feem to admit of any Evidence. For how can 
 there be. any Evidence, to prove the Truth of 
 that which as yet is not true ? Pray, unfold this 
 Riddle, like a right boneftMan, and tell me the 
 Secret of the whole Affair. 
 
 Ther. This Matter is honeftly dated, and 
 that with great Exaclnefs, in Mr. MarJ/jaPs 
 Gofpel-Myftery, a Book my Aspasio values 
 next to the Bible.* Thefe are the very Words 
 
 of 
 
 * D. p. 336. 
 
 I 
 
Dialogue II. 59 
 
 of* that celebrated Author. " Let it be well ob- 
 •p ferved, that the Reafon why we are to afllire 
 " ourfelves in our Faith, that God freely giveth 
 tk Chrifl and his Salvation to ns in particular, is 
 41 not becaufe it is a Truth before we believe it, 
 4C but becaufe it becomcth a certain Truth when 
 44 we believe it ; and becaufe it never will be 
 41 true, except we do in lbine Meafure perfuade 
 44 and afiure ourfeves that it is fo. We have no 
 44 abfolute Promife or Declaration in Scripture, 
 41 that God certainly will or doth give Chrifi 
 44 and his Salvation to any one of us in parti- 
 44 cular ; neither do we know it to be true al- 
 41 ready by Scripture, or Senfe, or Reafon, bc- 
 " fore we afTure ourfelves abfolutely of it : Yea, 
 44 we are without Chrift's Salvation at prefenr, 
 44 in a State of Sin and Mifery, under the Curfe 
 44 and Wrath of God. Only — we are bound 
 4 * by the Command of God, thus to afTlireour- 
 44 felves : And the Scripture doth fufEciently 
 li warrant us, that we fhall not deceive ourfelves 
 tC in believing a Lie : But according to our 
 44 Faith, fo //mil it be to us." Mat. ix. 29. 
 (N. B.) " This is a flrange kind of A iTu ranee, 
 *' far different from other ordinary Kinds ; and 
 44 therefore no wonder if it be found weak and 
 44 imperfect, and difficult to be obtained, and 
 44 aiTaulted with many Doubtings. We are con- 
 44 ftrained to believe other Things on the clear 
 44 Evidence we have that they are true, and 
 " would remain true, whether we believe them 
 
 " or 
 
60 D I A L O G U E II. 
 
 " or no ; fo that we cannot deny our AfTenc, 
 " without rebelling againft: the Light of* our 
 " Senfes,Reafon, or Confcience. But here our 
 *' Ailurance is not imprefled on our Thoughts 
 11 by any Evidence or the Thing ; but we muft 
 M work it out in ourfelves by the Afiiflance of 
 " theSpirit of God."* Labouring for it, as my 
 dear Aspasio explains the Words, " incedantly 
 
 " and affiduouily, till our Lord come."f 
 
 What Things foever ye defer e when ye fray, 
 believe that ye receive them, and ye Jh all have 
 them. Mar. ix. 24. || Paul. 
 
 * M. p. 173, (74. f M. Preface./). 7. 
 
 || Reader, (top and think a Minute.— - What is it, 
 that we are thus to allure our felves of", without 
 any Evidence from Scripture^ or Senfe, or Kcafon ? 
 Tli at Goct fo loved the World, as to give bis only be- 
 gotten Son, that whofoever believetb in him, fiould not 
 perijh, but have everlafting Life ? No : tor this is 
 true before we believe it,and whether we believe 
 it, or not. And it is a Truth plainly taught in 
 Scripture.--- What then ? "That God freely 
 giveth Chrift and his Salvation to me in particu- 
 lar," according to Mr. Marfna /. That " Pardon 
 is mine, Grace is mine, Chrift and all his fpi- 
 ritual Bleflmgs are mine," asMr./^rtvy exprefles 
 it.— -And now, it is true enough, this is " not 
 " declared in Scripture ; is not true before we 
 " believe it ; and we muft believe without any 
 " Evidence from Scripture, Senfe or Reafon." — 
 Thus the Point is ftated. in a Book Mr. Hervey 
 approves of next to the Bible, 
 
 Objeflicn, 
 
Dialogue II. 61 
 
 Paul. I have on the Table a Paper con- 
 taining twelve (honQjieries, relative to the Point 
 in Hand. If it is not difagreeable, I will read 
 it to you. 
 
 g ; Ther. 
 
 Qbjeffion. No, fays Mr. Gellatly, a great Admirer ot 
 Mr. Hervey, no fuch Thing. *' We do not 
 believe we have a Saving Interejl in Chrift. We 
 only believe we have a Common Interejl. Afoving 
 Interejl is not made over to us in the Gofpd- 
 Grant : But a Com?non Interejl is our's by a free 
 Deed of Gift. Wherefore I believe I have a Com* 
 mon Interejl, I claim it, I demand it, I take Pojpjfion 
 ot it as my own. And this is Faith." (See Mr. 
 Gel. Observations, &c. P. 75,-88.) 
 
 Anfw. You claim, you take Pqfftjjion Of what? 
 
 my Friend ! Of a Common Interejl. This is 
 
 your's, you fay. This you claim, this you pofjejs.- — 
 
 And this is All. A Common Ir.terejl, and no 
 
 more.-- -You Mm no mere, and you can have m 
 more on this Foot. For you acknowledge, yew- 
 Deed of Gift conveys no more. But Mcffieurs 
 
 > Hervey and Marshal claim more. They take 
 PoflVflion of a Saving Interejl as their own. And 
 therefore honeftly confefs, they have no Evidence 
 from Scripture, Senfe or Reafon. And if Mr. G. 
 fhould venture to put in as high a Claim, I hope 
 he will make as honeft a Concefiion. 
 
 Objefi. Yes. But " I believe that Chrift is mine,' 
 and that I ihall have Life and Salvation by 
 him." P. 103. 
 
 Jnjw. " Salvation !"— But this is a Saving IrAerc)}, 
 rot made over in your Deed cfGift, as you own. 
 The Bible no where declares, that you in parti - 
 
 c dc.r 
 
02 Dialogue II. 
 
 Titer. If you pleafe, Sir, I ihould be glad 
 to hear it.' 
 
 Paul. It was wrote this very Day, on read- 
 ing that remarkable Paflagc in Mr. Marshal., 
 you have juft recited, and on a general View of 
 the Controverfy, as ftated by him, and by your 
 Friend Aspasio, and as expecting to fee you 
 this Evening. 
 
 Twelve Queries. 
 
 Query, i . Did God ever require any one of 
 the Sons of *Adam to believe any Proposition to 
 be true, unlefs it was in Fact true, before he 
 
 believed 
 
 cular " {hall have Life and Salvation." You be- 
 lieve noiv " without any Evidence from Scripture, 
 Senfe, or Reafon," juft as Mr. Marshal fays. 
 So I fee, your Faith is the fame as his ; but he 
 is frank and open-hearted, and tells the honeft 
 Truth to the World. 
 
 Olyecf. But it a Common Intereft in Chrift, & Sal- 
 vation are mine, by the free and abfolute Grant 
 of the Gofpel ; this gives me a Warrant, by 
 Faith, to claim and take PoflTeflion of Chrift and 
 Salvation as my own for ever : i. e. to believe that 
 Chrift is mine, and that I (hall have Life and 
 Salvation by him. (P. 88 ? — -90.) 
 
 Ar.fw. That is, if a Common Inrereft is mine, this 
 gives me a Warrant to believe a Saving Intereft is 
 mine. And fo according to Mr. Marshal, 
 <w tho' a Saving Intereft is not mine, before I 
 believe ; yet if I believe it is mine, then it will 
 be mine."-— But of this more prefently. 
 
Dialogue IT. 6$ 
 
 believed it ? — We are required to believe, there 
 is a God— that thrift is the Son of God— that 
 he died for Sinners — that hefent his Jlpoflles 
 to preach the G of pel to every Creature — that 
 he that believeth (ball be faved — that he that 
 believeth not [ball be damned— that without 
 Holinefs no Man /ball fee the Lord—'m a Word, 
 we are required to believe all the Truths taught 
 in the Bible. — But then, they are all true, be- 
 fore we believe them, -and whether we believe 
 them, or nor. 
 
 Qjiery, 2. Are not all thofc Truths contain- 
 ed in the Scriptures of the old and new Tefta- 
 ment, which it is necefTary for us to know and 
 believe in order to our Salvation ? Is not this 
 a Point which has ever been flrenuoufly main- 
 tained by all P rote (J ants ? But are they not all 
 true, before we believe them, and whether we 
 believe them, or not ? 
 
 Qjtery, 3. Is it fafe to venture our Souls for 
 Eternity, merely on the Truth of a Proportion 
 no where contained in the Bible ? " Theron, 
 " Chrift died for thee in particular, and thy Sins 
 11 are forgiven." Is this Proportion contained 
 in the Bible ? Is it taught in Scripture ! If it 
 had been, would it not have been true, before 
 it was believed ? and whether it was ever be- 
 lieved, or no? — If Theron ventures his Soul 
 upon the Truth of this Propofition, and finds 
 himfelf at laft deceived, can he bkme the Bible I 
 Was it contained in that Book ? Did he learn it 
 G 2. thence ? — 
 
^4 Dialogue II. 
 
 thence ? — Nay, he owns he did not. Bnt then 
 he thinks God has required him to work up him- 
 felf to fucha Belief, and prcmifed, th^t accord- 
 ing to fits Faith, Jo JJ) 'all it be unto him. And 
 yet owns, he has no Evidence of the Thing from 
 Scripture, Senfe, or Reef on. 
 
 Query, 4. Did God ever require any one of 
 the Sons of .Adam, to believe any thing to be 
 true, without fufficient previous Evidence that 
 it was true ? — Look thro r the Bible. — Where 
 Jliall we find one InfUnce ? — Not in the old 
 - Teflament — not in the new Teflament — no, 
 not even in one of thefe Particulars, thefe Wri- 
 ters ufually refer to, to illuflrace and confiim 
 this " Strange kind of A durance." 
 
 Not . in jibrakam — who againjl Hope. be- 
 lieved in Hope, that lie fliould have a Son ; 
 Sarah being not only barren, but pad the Age 
 of Child-bearing. For he had fufficient Evi- 
 dence for the Thing he believed : Even the 
 known, the plain, the exprefs Promife of the 
 f Jod of Truth.-* 
 
 Not in the IfraJites — Who left Egypt, fet 
 out for Canaan, but could not enter in becaufe 
 of Unbelief. For they had fufficient Evidence . 
 to believe, that God v/as able and willing to do 
 all that he had engaged, \ And that if they 
 
 would 
 
 * I), p. iqi. 355. 
 f God's Promife, Exod. iii. 17. to bring the.Ifrael- , 
 itesto Canaan, did notabfolutely oblige him to 
 
 bring 
 
Dialogue II, 65 
 
 would truft bis Wifdom, Power, Goodnefs and 
 
 Fidelity, be at bis Beck, and marcb under bis 
 
 Banner, and wholly follow him {Num. xxxii. 11.) 
 
 they might fafely enter, and eafily conquer the 
 
 Country, although their trails were built up to 
 
 Heaven, and the Sons of Anak were there. — 
 
 Not \xvDavid — Who believed that be fhould 
 
 be King of Ifrael) for be bad fufficicntEvidence 
 
 G 3 for 
 
 bring every in lividual Man, Woman and Child 
 there. Some might die by the Way ; and yet 
 God not be a Liar. Exid. xx;;ii. 27, 28. Yea, 
 many did die by the Way ; and yet it WimpojffibJe 
 fir God to He. Heb. vi. 18. That Phrafe in AW. 
 xiv. 34. proves, that God did not think himfelf 
 bound by his Promife to bring them every one 
 there, let them be ever fq perverfe. But il God 
 was not abfoluteiy obliged to bring every one 
 there, then no one in particular, when they fet 
 out from Egypt,- had fufficientWarrant to believe, 
 and Jay, «« I lhall get to Canaan : I know I (hall : 
 " God has promiied, and I Ihould make him a 
 " Liar, if I did not believe, that J, in particular, 
 « mould get fate there." After that Declaration. 
 mNum. xiv. 3 r. Caleb and Jojhua had a n-cod 
 Warrant for fuch a Belief. And fo, after we 
 know we are united to Chriit by a true and lively 
 Faith, we may be certain, that we foal] pet fafe 
 to Heaven at laft. Job. iii. 16. and v. 24 But 
 ^ not before : as there is no abfolute Promife of 
 Salvation to all Mankind. Gal. ifi, 2 q Job iii 18 
 Rem. ix. ,5, i, 2 Cor. i. 2o.--.Compare>>. u 
 
 iVw7/ r XXXll, J5, 
 
66 Dialogue IT. 
 
 for his Belief, from the exprefs Promife of AI* 
 mighty Go J. * 
 
 Not in the pious Jews in Babylon. {Ifai. J. 
 i o.) For altho' they could not fee the leaft Pro- 
 bability, from outuard Appearances, of their Re- 
 turn to their beloved Zion ; yet they had a good 
 Warrant to trufl in the Lerd, and flay them- 
 /elves upon their God, who was able, and who. 
 had exprefly & abfolutely promifed, at the End 
 offevetity Tears, to bring them back.-f- 
 
 Nor in Peter, walking on the Water. For 
 rn3 had fufficient Evidence, from Chrift's com- 
 manding him to come to him, to believe that 
 Chrifl would keep him from flnking.§ 
 
 Nor in ihe*D ifciples — fo often upbraided for 
 their Unbelief of thrift's Refurrecfion. For 
 they had fufficientEvidence that he was rifen.j;-— 
 Nor inthofewho had theFaith of Miracles, and 
 could fay to this Mountain, Be thou removed, 
 and cafi into the Sea ; for they had fuffici- 
 cnt Evidence, to believe it would be. done, re- 
 fuhing from Chrift's exprefs Promife in the Cafe. 
 When they were called to work Miracles inCon- 
 firmation of the Chriftian Religion, they had not 
 the leaft Reafon to doubt in their Hearts, but 
 that he, who had authorized them, would, for 
 his Honour's fake, and for his Word's fake, per- 
 form theMiracles, which they were infpired to de- 
 clare mould be done. ;[.-— Nor in thole, who came 
 
 » to 
 
 D. /^. 324, ^57, 362. iD.p. 321- *D./>.33*« 
 II D.p. 355> 356. X W>> i74o 
 
Dialogue II. 67 
 
 to Chrift to be healed. For they had fufficicnt 
 Evidence, to believe that Chrift was able to do 
 it. * — Nor indeed is there one Inttancc in the 
 Bible, of God's requiring a Man to believe any- 
 thing whatfocver, without fufficient previous 
 Evidence of its Truth. 
 
 How incredible, therefore 1 how infinitely 
 incredible is it ! That God fhould firll put the 
 Bible intQ. our Hands, as rational Creatures, and 
 charge us flriclly to adhere to it on Pain of eter- 
 nal Damnation {Rev. xxii. 1 8.) And then 
 fufpend the eternal Salvation of all Mankind on 
 their believing a Thing to be true, no where 
 contained in the Bibb ; yea, of the Truth of 
 which they have no Evidence, from " Scripture, 
 Senfe, or Reafon ;" yea, which, as yet, is not 
 true, but flatly contradictory to divine Revela- 
 tion : And fentence Men to eternal Damnation, 
 for not believing, what they would be glad to 
 believe with all their Hearts, had they fufficient 
 Evidence of its Truth ! For there is no Man 
 but would be glad to know, that in Stead of ths 
 eternal Torments of Hell, he fhould have the 
 eternal Joys of Heaven, f 
 
 Qi" r J* 
 
 * M. p. 173. 
 f Some,who are in this Scheme, pretend to be great 
 Enemies to carnalReafon. But they muft renounce 
 all Reafon, and the Bible too, or, one would think, 
 they never can be full Proof againft Conviction. ~ 
 But they fay, IVe mujl became Fools for Chrift. But 
 
 do 
 
68 Dialogue II. 
 
 Query, 5. Is nor this the Difference between 
 Faith and Prcfumption, as the AVords are com- 
 monly underftood among Mankind, viz. that in 
 the one, we believe becaufe we have fufTicicnt 
 
 Evidence, 
 
 do they really think, thatChriftianity is, in Fact, 
 a fo'Aijb Religion? Chnftianity, which is the 
 fVifdo?n of God : and which exhibits a inoft exact 
 Picture of all the divine Perfections ; a Picture 
 a'molt infinitely brighter than that which was 
 given in the Creation of the World. The Work 
 of our Redemption is the Mafter- Piece of all 
 God's Works, and Christianity thebnghtcft Dif- 
 play of all God's Perfections. Its Wii'dom, Glory 
 and Beauty are fuch, as gain the Attention of all 
 the exalted Genius's of the heavenly World. 
 I Pet. i. 12. --What an infinite Reproach to God> 
 and his Son is it then, for us Mortals, to mifre- 
 prefent this rational, divine & glorious Religion,, 
 fo as to make it, in Fact, one of the molt foolifh, 
 inconfiftent and abfurd Things imaginable ? And 
 then, to hide the Shame of its Nakednefs, raife 
 anOutcry about carnal Rcafon f '--By this Means, 
 many poor Sinners have been early led to look 
 ■upon experimental Religion, as a filly, foolillv 
 Thing ; altho', in Reality, there is nothing in it, 
 but what is as rational as the Mathcmatuks.--- 
 Yea, if true Religion were not perfectly rational, 
 how could it pleafc the infinitely wife God, who 
 is the Fountain and Source of all Reafon ? How 
 could it be fuited to raife, exalt, and ennoble ra- 
 tional Creatures ? Or how could it deferve to be 
 called by the Name of WISDOM, by Solemn 
 the wifeft of Men ! 
 
 Objefi, 
 
Dialogue II. 69 
 
 Evidence, in the other, without any Evidence 
 
 at 
 
 Objett. " But if the Religion of the Bible is fo ra- 
 M tional a Thing, why are notSocinians, Pelagians, 
 " &c. pleafed with it, who fo greatly cry up 
 « Reafon ?" 
 
 Anfw. Merely becaufe it is fo contrary to the darling 
 Corruptions of theirHearts. Our biefTed Saviour, 
 who well underftood human Nature, and the Na- 
 ture of his own Religion, affirms that this is the 
 true Caufe. Job. iii. 19, 20, 2f. Had they "but 
 good Hearts, they would be charmed with the 
 Wifdom and Glory of the Chriltian Religion, 
 (Job. viii. 47.) even as the Inhabitants of Heaven 
 be. Epb. iii. 10. ---For after all their g!orying,their 
 ownSchemes, altho' a little better glolTed over, yet 
 in Reality are as inconfiitent & abfurd, as this that 
 Theron pleads for.— In the apoftolic Age, di r 
 vine Truths were fet in fo clear a Light, that the 
 worit of Heretids were obliged, were neceflitatexi 
 to fee, that they were incontinent with themfelves; 
 and fo were forced to be Self- condemned ; as is 
 plainly implied in Tit. iii. 10, 11. An Heretick y 
 after the firjl and jecond Admonition, rejeel : knoiving 
 that he that is fuch^ is .fubverted, and fmneth, being 
 CONDEMNED 09 HIMSELF.-— And, no 
 doubt, there is Light enough, in the holy Scrip- 
 tures, to produce the fame' ft ill,- were it brought 
 out, and held before the Eyes of Hereticks in tins 
 Age. 2 Tim. iii. 16, 17. For the Truth, and 
 only the Truth, is, or can be, univerfally con- 
 fident : But all fajfe Schemes, follow them up, 
 will appear to be inconfiftent. Reafon is wholly 
 on the Side of Truth. And true Religion is the 
 only Religion, that is perfectly rational and con- 
 fident throughout. 
 
Jo Dialogue II. 
 
 at all ? And is not this the conflant Character 
 of all felf deceived Hypocrites, that they have 
 " a real Perfnafion in their Hearts" of the Love 
 of God to their Souls, and a confident Expecta- 
 tion of eternal Life, without any real Evidence ? 
 Mat. vii, 21, — 27. Luk. xiii. 25, 26, 27. and 
 xviii. 9, 1 1. 
 
 Query, 6. Is not thisFaith analogous to that 
 which theDevil tempted ourSaviour to cxercife ? 
 when {Lu . iv. &.) He brought him toJerufalem r 
 and Jet him on a Pinacle of the "Temple, and 
 /aid unto him, If thou be the Son of God, caft 
 thy ft If dozun from hence : For it is written, 
 {Pfal. xci. 1 1.) Hejhallghe his Angels Charge 
 over thee, to keep thee-, and in then Hands they 
 Jhall hold thee up, left at any Time thou dafh 
 thy Foot againft a Stone. — Here was a Pro- 
 mife, a precious Promife, out of God's own 
 Word. And he that believeth not God, hath 
 made him a Liar. The Devil urged our Sa- 
 viour to appropriate, and take it home to bim- 
 felf in particular : And be verily *'f perfuaded 
 in his Heart'' he fhould be fafe, altho' he caft 
 himfelf down. — However, on a critical Exami- 
 nation of the Text the Devil recited, there could 
 be no Evidence from that, of Safety to Chrift, 
 if he had caft himfelf down. — So therefore he 
 mud believe really without any Evidence from 
 " Scripture, Senfe, or Reafon ;" and theDevil 
 would have had him think, that according to his 
 Faith, fo fhould it be to him, 
 
 Query, 
 
Dialogue II. yt 
 
 Ouery, 7. If the Devil attempted thus to 
 delude our bleffed Saviour himfelf, by mifappjy- 
 ing a precious Pfomife, has he not Courage I — 
 Has lie notPower ? — Has he not Will ?— to at- 
 tempt to delude poor Sinners in a like Manner; 
 That thereby, Devil as he is, he may accomplifli 
 their eternal Ruin 1 And are wc not forewarned 
 from Heaven, of zfalfe Spirit, and charged not 
 to believe every Spirit ? (1 Job. iv. 1.) For 
 that Satan hitnfelf is transformed into an An- 
 gel oj Light. (2 Cor. xi. 14.) 
 
 Qjiery, 8. Did ever Chrift or his Apoflles de- 
 fine Faith to be " a real Perfuafion that Chrift 
 died for me in particular, and than Pardon, Grace 
 and Glory are mine ?" They call it coming ts 
 Chrift, receiving Chrift, trufting in Chrift, be- 
 lieving in Chrift, believing on Chrift, 8zc. But 
 never call it, believing Chrift is mine, and that 
 my Sins are forgiven. It is true, the Saints in 
 the 01d-Te(lamcm, and in the New, ufually 
 fpeak the Language of AfTurance. And it is 
 as true, they had fumrientEvidence of their good 
 Eftate from their SancYification. This was their 
 Evidence. They knew* no other. All who pre- 
 tended to belong toChrift without this, were brand- 
 ed iovLiars.^i. Job.u. 4.) But where do we ever 
 read of their endeavouring to work up themfelves 
 to anAiTurance,profeiTedly without any Evidence? 
 
 (fuery, 9. Is there one in all St. Paul's Ca- 
 talogue of Believers in Heb. xi. whofe Faith 
 
 confifted 
 
72 Dialogue II, 
 
 -confided in believing without nny Evidence ? * 
 Qjiery, "10. Were ever any awakned Sinners 
 invited and urged to believe, by Chrift, or his 
 Apoftle , and told at the fame Time, thai the 
 Thing they were to believe, was not true as ycc, 
 nor had they anyEvidence f romScripture, Senfe, 
 or Reafon, it ever would be true ; but however 
 mod folemnly a flu red by the Promife and Oath 
 of God, if they would venture to believe with- 
 out any Evidence at all in the Cafe, it fhould be 
 according to their Faith f Was this the Thing 
 the A pottles dwelt upon in all their Preaching ? 
 Was this the Thing they urged awakned Sinners 
 to, with all their Might P No. They never 
 heard of it — neither came it into their Hearts to 
 think, that this was juilifying Faith. 
 
 Qjtery, n. Is not the Thing believed a 
 Lie? It was not true, before it was believed, as 
 is granted. But believing an Untruth, to be 
 true, cannot make it true. It cannot, according 
 to Reafon. It cannot, according to Scripture 
 It cannot, according to Experience. It was ne- 
 ver known, fince the World began, to produce 
 this ErTecl:, in any one Inftance ; unlefs in this 
 Cafe. And we have no Evidence from Scrip- 
 ture, Senfe, or Reafon, that it ever did in this. 
 
 Qjiery, 12. Is it not aflonifhing, and one of 
 the mofl unaccountableThings in theWorld, that 
 a rational Creature, with the Bible in his Hands, 
 
 fliould 
 
 * D. -p. 326. 
 
D^I A L O G U E II. 
 
 / * 
 
 fhould ever be able to work op himfelf to be- 
 lieve, what he knows is not yet true ; and what 
 he knows, he has no Evidence, that it ever will 
 be true ? No wonder, thefe Men are fo much 
 troubled wich Doubts. No wonder, they are a- 
 fraid,thcy believe aLie. No wonder,they are ob- 
 liged fo much to drive and druggie againft this 
 U nbelief. A kind of Unbelief, we no where read 
 of in the Bible. A kind of Conflict, no Saint 
 ever had, that {lands on Scripture- Record ; as 
 themfelvcs are obliged to own.* To druggie 
 daily to believe, without any Evidence from 
 Scripture, Senfe, or Rcafon 1 to have this, for 
 their Chridian Conflict ! an unheard of Conflict 
 in the apoltolic Age 1 In Stead of druggiing a- 
 gainlt this Kind of Unbelief, Scripture, Senfe 
 and Reafon, all join to jullify it. As nothing 
 can be plainer than that we ought never to believe 
 any thing, with more Confidence, than in exacl 
 Proportion to our Evidence. To doothcrwifc, 
 and that profeifedly, is the molt prefumptuous 
 thing in the World. And to think, by" being 
 thus flrong in the Faith, we Ilia 11 give Glory 
 to God, is the very firft-born of Deluficn, that 
 even Satan himfelf ever begot in the Heart of 
 a fallen Creature, f 
 
 H Paul. 
 
 * M. p. 1 86. ~~ ~ 
 
 t D. />•. 355. 342, 343, 369. 
 WendeHnui and other ancient and modern Writers, 
 
 without the leatt Scruple, fay, that, in the direcSt 
 
 Act 
 
74 Dialogue II. 
 
 Paul. Thus, my dear Titer on, you may 
 fee a little by thefe Queries, what 1 think of 
 this kind of Faith. — But there is one mod: myfle- 
 rious Thing, 1 defire you to explain. — Not why 
 you doubt — I do not wonder, you are often af- 
 fauked with Doubts. Nor do 1 wonder, -your 
 Friend Aspasio meets with the fame Conflic"t * 
 
 X° u 
 
 Act of juitityiny; Jbaith, I believe " my Sins are 
 
 •forgiven"-- " God is reconciled to me," &c. eVc. 
 Others who feem to be in the lame Scheme, are 
 more cautious in their Expreffions ; and, to avoid 
 
 "the Charge of " believing a Lie," they word 
 tBemfelves fo arri.bjguoufly, that it is very difficult 
 to know what they mean. For it has often been 
 urged againft -this Scheme, " It faith con.iils in 
 believing my Sins are forgiven, then they are 
 forgiven before 1 believe, or elie J believe a Lie."-- 
 And ,t is wonderful, to fee what Methods have 
 been taken by Writers to avoid this Difficulty.--- 
 Howeve , wheti all is laid and done, there are in 
 Na r .;re but thefe three Ways to folve the Diffi- 
 cultv ; either (i.) To fay, that our Sins are really 
 forgiven before we do believe. Or, (2.) That 
 altho' they are not, yet according to the Tenor 
 of th.: Covenant of Grace, they fhall be, if we 
 do but believe that they are. Or, (3.) A Belief 
 that " my Sins are forgiven," mult be left cut of 
 the Definition of juftiiy iiig Faith.— The/r// was 
 the Solution of A 'din 07m am in former Ages. ..But 
 it is fo contrary to the exprefsDeclaration of Scrip- 
 ture [Job iii. 18.) that it will not do. ---The third 
 gives up the whole Scheme they contend for. 
 
 And 
 
 * D. p. 353- 
 
Dialogue II. 75 
 
 Yon arc, both, Men of too much Senfe & Rea- 
 fon, not to feci yourfelves a little fhock'd fome- 
 times, in Spite of all your Principles. — But this 
 I wonder at — I am furprifed, how you ever came 
 to believe. Pray, be fo kind, as to give me- a 
 particular Narrative, how Faith was wrought 
 in your Heart. 
 _ _H 2 Th e r . 
 
 And lb that will not do. ---The fecond, which Mr. 
 Marshal has taken, bad as it is, is the only one 
 that is left. ---Now if they ail mean as he docs, 
 it is to be wilhed, they would all fpeak as plain, 
 that we may precifely know what ihey intend. 
 This would icon bring the Controversy to an 
 hlue. But when 1 rtad their Bocks, they fecm 
 to me fometimes to folve the D.rBcuity me lVay y 
 and fometimes another. Sometimes thty repre- 
 fent as tho' " Pardon was mine absolutely before 
 Faith :" and fomctimes _/'**// the Contrary. Some- 
 times they fay, " We have the cleared Evidence 
 from Scripture for this Belief :" and fometimes 
 they fay, " We have no Evidence from Scripture, 
 Senfe, or Reaibn." Sometimes Faith is-raifed up 
 to * c a Perfuafion that I in particular am pardoned, 
 and (hall certainly have eternal Life :" And then 
 again it finks down into a mere " Belie; that I 
 have a Common Intereft in Golpel- Offers, fuch 
 as even Reprobates have." And this is all I am 
 to believe. But in a tew Pages, Faith is raifed 
 up again as high as ever.--So, that one knows net 
 where to find them- -they feem to be pinched ; and 
 not to know how to get out. Therefore, they 
 now run here, 2nd then run there ; bur know not 
 whnt to do, to avoid the glaring Inconfillence of 
 their Scheme : and ] et dread to gi\ e it up. At 
 
yd Dialogue 'II. 
 
 Ther. I had lately made a Yifir at Phi le 
 nor's, with my dear Aspasio ; where, in th< 
 kindeft oc molt afTeclionate Manner, 1 was urged 
 to believe ; afiurcd, it was my Duty & Intercft, 
 and that God's Promife and Oath were engaged, 
 that 1 fhould never be made afhamed ; but ic 
 fhould be according to my Faith. And all the 
 precious Promifes, and gracious Invitations in 
 God's holy Word, were fet in Order before me, 
 m the molt moving Language, and I was argued 
 out of all my Objections.— Whereupon, 'after 
 myReturn home, as I was walking in myGarden, 
 longing to have an Intereft in Chrift, meditating 
 on the Promifes, ft riving to take them home to 
 nryfelf, praying for the Spirit to v irncA with my 
 Spirt, that I was a Child of God, thus ean-elily 
 endeavouring, to work up myfclf to tliis Aflu- 
 wncf, and ihus waiting for the holy Spirit ; — as 
 1 was thinking on the dying Love of Ch rift, thofe 
 Words feemed to be fpoken to me, O thou of 
 ljtt/e 
 
 At prefent, tor ought that appears, Mr. 1v/1arshal's 
 Solution is thebeft that the Cafe can admit of.--- 
 To be fure Mr. Hervey thinks it the beft ; as 
 he efteems Mr. Marshal's Myftcry next to the 
 Bible. And in h.s Preface to Mr. Marshal's 
 Book, he fays, " I mall rcjoyce in the Profpecl 
 M oi having the Gypel-Atyfory of Sa-dlificatioU) 
 ** ftand as a fourth Volume to Ther.on and 
 •* Aspasio. ''---And therefore 1 have a juit War- 
 rant in the prefent Controveriy, to confitler it as 
 fuch. And to view all four Volumes as contain- 
 ing one compleat Scheme. 
 
1) i a l o g u e " II. yy 
 
 littleFahb, wherefore dofl thou doubt ? Where* 
 fore doft tho.u doubt of my Love to thee, for 
 whom 1 have fhed my Blood ? — 1 believed — I 
 was full of Love Sc Joy— and for feveral Days, 
 all my Thoughts were taken up about heavenly 
 Things. 1 was weaned from the World. All 
 old Things fecmed to be palled away, and all 
 Things to become new. 
 
 Paul. Let any chriftlefs, gracelefs Sinner, 
 in your Circumftances, believe, as you believed ; 
 and from Principles which are natural to Man- 
 kind, he would feel as you felt. And, as all 
 your Affections might flow from natural Princi- 
 ples, they were no Evidence of a fupernatural 
 Change ; as you may fee proved at large, in a 
 Book I have as good an Opinion of, as your 
 Astasio has of Mr. Marshal's Myftery 
 &c. *■ Therefore, from thefe EfTecls-'of your 
 Faith, you cannot argue, it was no Dekifion, 
 Bedaufe, if it had been aPelufion, it might have 
 produced juft the fame. — You wHf fuffer me 
 therefore to enquire, What JVarrant had you 
 for this Belief f — For, ' ahho' all the Promifes 
 of God are IN CHRIST, Tea and Amen, 
 (2 Cor. i. 20.), yet, to him that is out of Chrifl, 
 God is a confuming Fire, He is condemned, 
 and the I 1 / rath of God abideth on him. iff oh, 
 iii. 18, 36.) — Pray tell me, muft not a Sinner 
 be in ChnjJ, before he is entitled to rhe Pro- 
 mi fes ? 
 
 J ■ .. ?I 3 T B F R , 
 
 ? Mr, Edwards on Religious JJftjtiw, 
 
78 Dialogue II. 
 
 Ther. Yes. For it is his Union with, and 
 Relation to (Thrift, which lays the Foundation 
 for hisT^ntercft in all theBleflings purchafed by 
 him. Firft, we are Children, and then Heirs, 
 (Ro?n.x\u. 1 7.) Firft, we are ingrafted into Chriff, 
 the true Vine, and then partake of the Sap. 
 {Job, xv. 1,- — 7.) Firft, we are married to 
 Chrift, and then we are interefted in all his 
 Riches and Glory. * 
 
 Paul. A charming Truth this, my The- 
 r on 1 And if you will attend to it, and be con- 
 fident with yourfelf, it muft lead you back from 
 the Paths of Error, tothe high Road which goes 
 direclly to the heavenly Zion. — For, if we muft 
 be in Chrift, before we are interefted in his 
 Benefits ; we muft knozu that we arc in Chrift, 
 before we can know our Intereft in his Benefits. 
 And, therefore, the firft direfl Ad of Faith 
 eannot confilt in believing that his Benefits arc 
 mine, — Arietta was firft married to Philenor, 
 before herDebts devolved on him, & all his Dig- 
 nity was derived to her. Hud fhe been carried 
 away 'with a fond Dream, with a full Perfuafinr, 
 that Philenor, and all his Riches and Flonour 
 were her'ss, before Marriage, and to the Neglect 
 of matrimonial Rites, the might have enjoyed the 
 
 Comfort 
 
 * See ali this finely reprefentcd, as well as rightly 
 fraud, D. p. 213,-— 2 1 8. Wlrether in- a Con- 
 fidence with the red of his Scheme, we (hail fee 
 hereaitcr. 
 
Dialogue II. 79 
 
 Comfort of her Dream ; but mud have really 
 Jived in Widowhood, and died in Debt, never 
 the better for the " wealthy and illuftriousP/?-/- 
 lenor." As this is your A spasio's own Simile, 
 I hope you will the more diligently attend to it.* 
 Juflifying Faith is that Act, whereby we, being 
 dead to the Lav), are married to Carift. {Rim. 
 ■ vii. 4. 2 Cor, xi. 2) And after Marriage we 
 • may juftly fay, My Beloved is ?nine, and I am 
 bis (Cant ii. 16.) but not before, (Ej>b. ii. 12. 
 Job. iii. 1 8,) 
 
 Ther. Yes. Let me tell you, that any 
 chriftlefs, gracelefs Sinner in the World, has 
 equal Right, with the bed Saint, to adopt this 
 Language, and fay, My Beloved is mine, and I 
 am bis. For this ties the very Knot, this con- 
 ftitutes the Union, f 
 
 Paul. I think, for once, myTnER on, your 
 dear Aspa sio himfclf feems to contradict you. 
 You clou briefs remember his Words. " My 
 *' Beloved is mine, and I am his — I dare not 
 " fay, is the Pofey of the myflic Ring — But 
 " it is the undoubted EffeR of this divine 
 " Union, "j 
 
 Tmer. Sure I am, my dear Aspasio taught 
 me, by the fird direct Act of Faith, to go toGod, 
 and fay, " Pardonis nvne, Grace is mine, Ch.rift 
 *' and all his fpiritual Bleffings are mine :" Not 
 becaufe I am confeious of fancTifyingOperations 
 
 in 
 
 • D. p. 2 15. t D. />. ?43> 344- t D. ft- ai8. 
 
3o Dialogue II. 
 
 in my own BreafUbut previous to any Reflection 
 onjnherent Graces. 1 am net therefore, flrft, 
 by Reflexion, to know, that I am married to 
 Chrift, before I call him my awn. Yea, rather, 
 I mud firfl know, that he is /nine, before 1 can, 
 before,! dare, come to him. This, I am fure, 
 is my Aspasi o's Doctrine. * 
 
 Paul. But then Chrift and all his fpiritual 
 BlefTings are your's, before you arc in Chrift. 
 Which is contrary to what Aspasio affirms, j 
 And contrary to the plain Senfe of the New- 
 Teftament, as you but juft nowflatcd the Mat- 
 ter yourfelf. — But to dwell upon this lnconfiit- 
 ence no longer — Pray, tell mc what Warrant 
 you had from Scripture, to believe, that Chrift 
 and all his fpiritual BlefTings were your's. 
 
 T h E r . I. was awakened to fome Senfe of my 
 Danger of eternal Ruin, I longed to believe that 
 my Sins were pardoned, &.tbatChrifl was mine ; 
 but I could not fee my Title clear. As? so 
 told mc. ii was " perfectly cLear. 7 ' That I had 
 as good a Warrant for this Belief, as a neighbour- 
 ing Clergy- man had to take .any Book in my 
 Library, whom I had lately a flu red, " that he 
 was as welcome to any Book as tho' they were 
 all his own." Yea, as good a Warrant fur this 
 Belief, as one of my Servants had to believe me, 
 when I gave him a Farm for his own, t 
 
 Paul, 
 
 * D. p. 312, 313, 358, 362. f D. />. 213.— 
 2*3. t D. p. 269, -273. 
 
Dialogue II. 8r 
 
 Paul. Shocking ! — I would not treat an a- 
 wakned Sinner fo, for all the World. — But how- 
 did Aspasio make it out, that your Title to 
 Pardon was thus clear ? When Mr. Marshal, 
 his favourite Author, owns, there is no Evidence 
 of the thing from Scripture, Scnfe, or Reafon. 
 
 Ther. He referred me loJob.Vu.^ 7. If any 
 Man tbir/I, let him come unto me, and drink. 
 But you ihirft, faid he ; therefore to you, this 
 Promife is made. * And he was always en- 
 couraging me to this Belief, by taking a kind 
 Notice of my earnejl Prayers, Sorrozvs, Tears, 
 gooiT)ejires, and Senfe ofUnworthinefs. f And 
 from this Quarter my firll: Encouragement arofe 
 to hope and believe, that Chrift, Pardon, Grace 
 and Glory were mine. 
 
 Paul. But according to this, O myTf-ERONJ, 
 your own .Awakenings, earnejl Prayers, Sor- 
 rows, Tears, good T)efires, and Senfe of Un- 
 zuortbinefs, laid the firit Foundation of your 
 Faith. This was the fecret Language of your 
 Heart, " To fuch a one as I am, the Promifes 
 belong : and fo 1 may fafely believe, they are 
 all my own." — As much your own as your Ser- 
 vant's little Farm was his. And if your En- 
 couragement to believe, took its Rife from your 
 own inherent Qualifications ; if your own Good- 
 ncfs, in whatever humble Form, emboldened 
 
 you 
 
 * D. p. 270. f D. />. 157, 158, 207, 208, 22Cy 
 
 565, 266, 289, 290, 293, 294.. 
 
82 Dialogue II. 
 
 
 you to come to Chrift ; your Hope of Accep- 
 tance was really bottomed on your own Righ- 
 teoufnefs : and To your's is a Self- righteous 
 Faith. And if this be the Cafe, a clear Sight 
 of the Badnefs of your Heart, and of the Stricl- 
 nefs of the Law, would entirely kill your Faith. 
 (Rom vii. 9) If "your good 'Deft res, like fo much 
 J\loney in Hand, encouraged you to come to 
 Chrift ; your Courage would fail you, did you 
 know,thatthe befl'DeJires you ever had,according 
 to Law and ilricl JuiVice, merit eternal Damna- 
 tion. Did you thus feel yourfelf without 
 Money, you would not dare to come. 
 
 Ther. But is it not true ? Are not the Pro- 
 mifes made to thofe that thirft ? Job. vii. 37. 
 That labour and are heavy laden ? Mat. xi. 
 28,— &c. 
 
 Paul. Thefeare not Pro??iifes, my, T^eron, 
 which convey a Title to Pardon and Salvation, 
 to Sinners out of Chrift, on Condition of their 
 good Defircs. They are rather Invitations to 
 a Union with Chrift, by a true and living Faith. 
 They give a Sinner a good Warrant to come to 
 Chrift : to come without Money and without 
 Price (Jjhi.lv. 1 .) and thofe who thus come /hall 
 find Reft to their Souls. But they give no 
 Grounds to one out of Chrift, encouraged by his 
 own Righteoufnefs, to believe, that Pardon, 
 Grace and Glory are his. 
 
 Ther. I did not mean, that my own good 
 *DeJires, Prayers, &c. gave mc a Right to- be- 
 lieve. 
 
Dialogue II. 83 
 
 lievc. I bad a good Right before. As an '* a- 
 bandoned Sinner," * I had an actual Right to 
 Chrift and all his Benefits, by an " actual Gift 
 from the almighty Majefty," juft as my Servant 
 had to his little Farm by my Donation, f 
 
 Paul. After you had given the little Farm 
 to your Servant, it was his. It was his, before 
 he believed it his. Your Donation made it his, 
 and not his Belief. It was his, before he believed 
 it, and whether he believed it, or not. He had 
 fufficientEvidence, to believe it his, previous to 
 his Belief. Now If Chrift and all his Benefits 
 are your's in this Scnfe, then you was juilified, 
 adopted, fa notified and entitled to eternal Glory, 
 while fecure in Sin ; Months, nay, Years, before 
 any of your Converfation with Asp sio. Yea, 
 your Title is as old as the Gofpel. Which you 
 confider as your "Deed of Gift, or as Chriii's 
 la ft IVill and left anient, in which all thefe 
 Legacies were bequeathed to you. Your Title, 
 your abfolute Title commenced at the Death of 
 the Teftator. — " When your old Acquaintance 
 " Charicles left you a handfome Legacy ; what 
 " did you do, to eftablifh your Title, and make 
 " it your own ?" 
 
 Ther. " My Title was pre-eftablifned, by 
 <; my Friends Donation. I had nothing to do, 
 <fc but to claim, to accept, and to poflefs." — And 
 I did the very fame in the prefent Cafe. J And 
 
 ever 
 
 I D. p. 307,308. t D./>, 272,273. +D.^. 255. 
 
84 Dialogue II. 
 
 ever fince this firft Act of Faith, " on this un- 
 "■ alterable Ground, I alTcrt and maintain my 
 "Title. Pardon is mine, Grace is mine, Chrift 
 14 and all his fpiritual BleJJlngs are mine ; be- 
 " caufe all thefe precious Privileges are con- 
 Ki figned over to me in the ever lofting Go/pel"* 
 This is the proper Notion of believing. " When 
 * fc I fent a Mcflage to my Tenant — alluring him, 
 44 I had cancel'd the Bond, and forgiven his 
 c: Debt ; he believed the Meffige to be true. — 
 " So I give Credit to the gracious Declarations 
 " of my God. So 1 believe." f 
 
 Paul. 
 • u. p. 3O2. : 
 
 f D. p. 297, 298. ---And with Theron agrees Mr. 
 Boston, who in his Book on the two Covenants, 
 maintains, that Chrift in his /aft Will h Teftament 
 did actually bequeath regenerating Grace, Jujlifica- 
 tion, Adoption, Sanclifuation, h eternal Life, freely, 
 abfolu'tely and unconditionally, to every Sinner 
 of Adam's Race. And adds, that Chrift himfelf 
 is alfo Executor of this Will, and by his Office as 
 fuch obliged to make out all thefe Legacies to all 
 the Legatees, that are pleafed to put in their Claim, 
 and make their Demands. And Faith, according 
 to hirn,confift's in believing all is mine, and in claim- 
 ing and taking PoJfeJJion of all as my oivn. (See pag. 
 r 114, 199,-— 214.) And arifes from no higher 
 Principle than Self Pre fervation* ' (P. 262, 263.) 
 St. PWufedto fay, If 'Children, then Heirs. (Rom. 
 viii. 17. Gal. iii. 29.) But according to this new 
 Gofpel, it is, If Sinners, then' Heirs. And this will 
 be reckoned good News for unregenerate Sinners. 
 They are no longer at God's fovereign Mercy, ac- 
 cording 
 
Dialogue II. 85 
 
 Paul. To whom are Chrift, Pardon, Grace 
 and Glory configned over and conveyed in the 
 Gofpel-Grant ? What are their Names ? Or 
 what are their Characters ? Who are the Men 
 fo highly favoured ? — In Wills, and in T>eeds 
 of Gift, you know, the Parties, to whom any 
 thing is bequeathed, or given, are mentioned by 
 Name. Is it fo in the Gofpel-Grant ? Are all 
 thefe Bleffings entailed on Believers, or on Sin- 
 ners, as fuch I 
 
 I Ther. 
 
 cording to Rem. ix. 15. Nor need they come 
 as poor Beggars, according to Luk. xviii. 13. 
 Their Title to all Things " is perfectly clear." 
 even while unregenerate and out of Chrilt. And 
 they may come as Heirs, who have a legal Right 
 to make Detnands j and put in their Claim, and 
 fay, " Pardon is mine, I claim it, I demand it as 
 " my own" And the Executor is obliged to anfwer 
 their Demands, and give out their Legacies. This 
 Scheme, were it true, would fuit corrupt Nature, 
 even better than the Arminian. As we all had 
 rather have Eftates left to us by Wills, than be at 
 Pains to work for them : So it is eaiier to claim 
 and demand Heaven, than to do as "the Pharifet 
 did in Luk. xviii. 12. ---Thole Texts in Heb. viii. 
 10, 11, 12. and ix. 15, 16, 17. on which they 
 pretend to found theirScheme, are plainly nothing 
 4.0 the Purpofe. For God does not fay, " This 
 " is the Covenant 1 will, make with all ihc 
 " finfid Race of Adam, I will write my Law in 
 " their Hearts, &c."-~ But God fays, " ThU 
 f* is the Covenant I will make with the Houfe of 
 co Jfrael" But he is not a Jew, who -is one cut- 
 
 ■wnrd/v. 
 
85 Dialogue 11/ 
 
 Ther. On Sinners, on allSinners of Adairts 
 Race ; and that confidered merely as Sinners : 
 as my dear Aspasio proved at large. *" And 
 that which is thus freely given to every Sinner, 
 any Sinner in particular has a good Warrant to 
 look upon as his own. Thus, then, (lands my 
 Warrant to believe. — All thefe BleJJings are 
 given to Sinners, as fuch : But I am a Sinner : 
 ^Therefore, all thefe BleJJings are given to me. f 
 
 Paul. That is, " All Sinners are juftified, 
 
 * adopted, fancYified & entitled to eternal Life : 
 
 * But I am a Sinner : Therefore I am juftified, 
 
 * adopted, fanctified and entitled to eternal 
 
 ' Life.— 
 
 ivardly. Rom.W.zK, 29. The Children cj the Pro- 
 mije are counted Jor the Seed. Rom. ix. 8. If ye he 
 ChriJYs, then are ye Abrahams Seed, and Heirs ac- 
 cording to the Promije. Gal. iii. 29. But if out of 
 Chrift, we are condemned^ and the Wrath oj God a- 
 bideth on us. Job. iii. 18, 36. And we can claim 
 nothing. No, not another Moment of Time, 
 nor Liberty to breathe another Breath in God's 
 World. We have a Title to not one Minute's 
 Forbearance ; but God may fend us to Hell this 
 •Inftant.— Rom iii. 19. Gal. ?iii. io.--Objecl. But 
 it is faid to the elder Brother, All that 1 have is 
 thine, Luk. xv. ^i.—AnJw. Yes. And with De- 
 iian to defcribe the Temper of a Pharifees Heart. 
 The younger Son repreftnted Publicans and Sinners, 
 and the Elder the Pharijees. (See ver. 1, 2.) The 
 poor Publican thought he had no Claim to make, 
 but lay at Mercy. Lui. xyiii. 13. The Pharifces 
 'faid in their Hearts, All is our own. 
 
 "* D. />. 298,-309. t D. fr 3°5- 
 

 Dialogue II. 87 
 
 c Life." — Butmydear Ther on, ifyou know 
 what you fay, if you really mean as yon fay, 
 and ifyou affirm thefe Sentiments arc " ftri&ly 
 conformable to the unerring Oracles" of God, 
 then, all Adam's Race are, according to you, 
 actually julYjfied, adopted, fanc"tificd & entitled to 
 eternalGlory. And thus your devout Asapsto 
 carries Matters farther than even the famous Dr. 
 JohnTaylor p y vho£eK ey to the a po ft oik Wri- 
 tings is not half fo heterodox as this ; how much 
 foevcr condemned by all the Friends of vital 
 Piety. For he only fuppofes, that all ivithin 
 the vifible Church are jullified, adopted, &c. and 
 not all ^Idains Race. 
 
 Befides, how is all. this confident with the 
 Words you juft now cited out of Mr,M a rshal's 
 Myftery, a Book your Aspasjo values next to 
 the Bible ? " We have no abfolute Promifeor 
 " Declaration in Scripture, that God certainly 
 *' will or doth give Chrift and his Salvation to 
 " any one of us in particular ; neither do we 
 tl know it to be true already, by Scripture,Senfe, 
 " or Reafon, before we allure* ourfelves abfo- 
 " lutely of it : Yea, we are without Chris's 
 41 Salvation at prefent, in a State of Sin and 
 44 Mifery, under the Curfe & Wrath of God. — 
 41 This is a ftrangekind of AfTurance. — There- 
 41 fore no wonder if it be found weak and im- 
 M perfect, & difficult to be obtained, & afTaulted 
 41 with many Doubtings. We are conflrained 
 41 to believe other Things on the clear Evidence 
 I 2 " we. 
 
$8 Dialogue II. 
 
 " wc have, that they are true, whether we believe 
 li them or no ; Co that we cannot deny our 
 41 Affent, without rebelling againft the Light of 
 " our Senfes, Reafon, or Confcience. But here 
 lc our A durance is not imprefTed on our Tho'ts 
 <l by any Evidence of the Thing ; but we muffc 
 lt work it out in ourfelves, by the Aflillance of 
 " the Spirit of God." 
 
 Yea, how is all this confiftent with your own 
 Experience, and with the Experience of your 
 Aspasio ? For if all fpiritual BlelTings are by a 
 Deed of Gift abfolutely made over, to all Sin- 
 ners of Adam's Race, and that confidered mere- 
 ly as fuchy plainly in the Gofpel, fo that their 
 s< Title is perfectly clear ;" then as true as the 
 Gofpel [is true, all are abfolutely entitled to 
 Pardon, Grace and Glory, before they believe, 
 and whether they believe, or not. And T never 
 hear of you, or your Friend doubting the Truth 
 of the Gofpel itfelf. How then can you have 
 any Doubts about your Title to Heaven ? Why 
 was you fo backward to believe your Title ? Or 
 why was your Friend fo ready to " feel for you, 
 and fympathize with you" ? How could it be 
 ib difficult to believe, while at the fameTime he 
 " beheld his Title perfectly clear" ?* Did ever 
 any Mortal act thus as to temporalThings? Was 
 ever a Son of Adam put to great Difficulty, to 
 believe an Inheritance to be bis own, when he 
 
 faw 
 
 D. p. 269, 353. 
 
Dialogue II. 89 
 
 fawwith his own Eyes, " his Title was perfectly 
 clear," and bad the Deed of Gift, well executed, 
 in his own Hands ? — My dear Theron, I am 
 even tempted to doubt, whether you yourfelves 
 believe your own Scheme. Yea, it fcems plain; 
 you are all the while afraid you are deluded. 
 And no wonder, fays Mr. Marshal, for you 
 have no Evidence, from Scripture, Senfe, or • 
 Reafon. — Pray, did your A^pasio ever attempt 
 to prove his Scheme out of the Bible f 
 
 Th er. Yes. And once fpeaking of his differ- 
 ing from the Orthodox, I remember, he faid, 
 •• I dare not purchafe their Approbation, I dare 
 " not attempt a Coalition of Sentiments." — 
 " Pray my dear Friend," faid he to me, " What 
 M is the Standard of Orthodoxy ? — Is it the 
 44 Word of Revelation ? This fpeaks once, yea 
 44 twice, nay, fome Hundreds of Times, in our 
 44 Favour."* — And firft and lad, I am apt to 
 think, he mentioned above an Hundred Texts 
 of Scripture, to prove his Point. 
 
 P/.ul. Out of this greatN umber, pray, fele& 
 fome of the moil plain and full to the Pnrpofe ; 
 and on which he Teemed to lay thegreateftStrefs 1 
 and let us carefully examine them. 
 
 Ther. There are many Texts, which teach 
 
 us, that God has given his Son to a loft World. 
 
 Ifai* ix. 6. To us a Son is given, f Joh. iii. 
 
 x 6. God jo loved the World, that he gave his 
 
 I 3 only 
 
 * D. p. 335. t d. p, 308. 
 
<?o Dialogue II. 
 
 only begotten Son. * Other Texts declare as 
 follows. Ifai. liii. 6. God laid on him the Ini- 
 quity of us all. f I Tim. i. 15. He came into 
 the World to fave Sinners. 1 Pet. iii. 1 8. "Died 
 fir the Unjujl. % 1 Cor. xv. 1 . Chrift died for 
 cur Sins. |J 1 Job. v. 9. This is tbe Record, 
 that God hath given to us eternal Life. § AEl. 
 xih. 38. To you is preached the Remijfion of 
 Sins. *Act ii. 39. The Promife is to you — and 
 to all that are afar off, even as many as the 
 .Lord our God jhall call. ^ — In which Scrip- 
 tures, you fee, Chrift 8c all his fpiritualBIefTings 
 are given and made over to Sinners, as fuch, 
 freely and abfolutely : So as that every one has. 
 a good Warrant to believe they are his own. 
 And if we would give the fame Credit to God, 
 as my Tenant did to me, we need not, we could 
 not doubt, but that they are all our own. _j- 
 
 " When Jonah, in Purfuancc of the divine 
 " Conrmand, cried and faid, Tei forty T>ays 
 " and jNineveb Jhall be overthrown" without 
 mentioning any byName, " d It, from the leafl 
 si even unto the great eft, believed ;" applied the 
 Threatning to themfelves. When Mofes fpeak- 
 ing of the Manna, faid, " This is the Bread, 
 which the Lord hath given you to eat-" with- 
 out mentioning any by Name ; the whole Con- 
 gregation 
 
 * D. p, 305. f D. p. 30+. % D. p. 299. 
 j| !>./>. 319. § D.p. 319. * I), p. 303. 
 
 4. D. />. 298. 
 
Dialogue II. 91 
 
 gregation fuppofed, they had all and every one a 
 good Right to take and eat. So when our Sa- 
 viour fays, " My Father grceth you the true 
 Bread from Heaven' 9 (Joh. vi. 32.) alluding 
 to the Manna, we may all and every one be- 
 lieve it is our own. * 
 
 Paul. Your Aspasio always fuppofes, that 
 all the BlefTings of the Gofpel are granted ab- 
 folutely and without any Condition ; Co that we 
 have nothing to do, but to believe they are all 
 our own. Whereas, there is always a Condition 
 exprcffed, or implied. For according to the con- 
 flant Tenor of the Gofpel, we muil fr/I be hi 
 Chrift, by a true and living Faith, before the 
 BlefTings of the Gofpel are our's. f — To defcend 
 to Particulars It 
 
 * D. p. 305,-307. 
 
 f All Writers on this Scheme maintain, that Par- 
 don, Grace and Glory are unconditionally and 
 abfolutely given, granted and made over to all 
 Sinners of dda?ns Race. And this abfolute Grant 
 gives each of us a good Warrant to believe 4t Par- 
 don, Grace and Glory are mine. "---Reader Mop, 
 and think one Minute -—If the Grant is not ab- 
 folute, it does not make Pardon mine, nor give 
 me a Right tobelieve it mine.-- If it is abfolute, 
 it makes Pardon mine before I believe it j and 
 fo I am jufti&ed before Faith. ---<• No," fay they, 
 
 . " it is not mine, before I believe it mine. But if 
 •■ / bditve it mine, it is mine."— -But one wouid 
 think, if it is not mine before I believe, 1 believe 
 a Lie. My Sins are pardoned before I believe, 
 
 CT 
 
?2 D I A L O G U E IT. 
 
 It is true, Godfo loved the JVorld as to ght 
 his only begotten Son. — For what ? To die for 
 us. — To what End ? That whofoever believeth 
 in him, Jhould not perifh y but have everlafting 
 Life. He that is united to Chrift by Faith, 
 therefore, fhall be faved. But thofe who are 
 out of Chrift, have no Intereft in his Salvation ; 
 but arc under a prefent Condemnation. Con* 
 demned already. And the Wrath of God a- 
 bideth on them. — " Pardon is mine." — No — 
 Condemned already. " God is reconciled to 
 me." — No — TheWrath of G*d abideth on me. 
 Job. iii. 1 6, 18, 36. Ic 
 
 or they are not. If they are pardoned before 
 Faith, then I am not juftified by Faith, but before 
 Faith. If they are not, then I believe a Lie.— - 
 u No," fays Mr. Marshal, according to thy 
 u Fcitk'it fhall be unto thee."--i. e. If ' w without 
 any Evidence from Scripture, Senfe, or Reafon," 
 I believe that to be true r which is not true, it 
 fhall become true. This is the Heart and Soul 
 of their Scheme. ---Keep this in conftant View, 
 fuffer no ambiguous Words to drown your Mind ; 
 and it is eafy to fee, that there is not one Text 
 in the Bible to their Purpofe.— Yea, they give 
 us an exact Definition of Ddufton, which properly 
 confifts in this, viz. " I believe fomething to be 
 true, which is not true, till in my Imagination- it 
 feems true ; and fo I take the Comfort of it, as tho' 
 it were true." Whereas, in faving Faith there 
 is no Truth believed, but what is plainly revealed 
 in- the Gofpel 5 as will appear prefentiy. 
 
 
Dialogue II. 93 
 
 It is true, This is the Record, that God hath 
 given to us eternal Life. — But — this Life is 
 in his Son. Therefore, he that is by Faith 
 united to Chrift, hath eternal Life. For — * 
 he that hath the Son, hath Life. — But thofe 
 who are out of Chrift, have no Intereft in this 
 eternal Life. For — he that hath not the Son, 
 hath not Life. 1 Joh. v. 11, 12. 
 
 It is true, That thro' 1 this Man is preached 
 unto you the Forgivenefs of Sins. — But — Who 
 hath an Intereft in this Forgivenefs ? Who is 
 that bleiTed Man, that is juflified ? — Thofe who 
 are out of Chrift? — No. — But — by him all that 
 believe, are juflified. Acl. xiii. 38, 39. 
 
 Again, it is true, ThePromife is to you. — And 
 what then ? — Repent and be baptized every 
 one of you in the Name ofjefus Chrift, for the 
 Remiffion of Sins. — Were their Sins already 
 foi given ? No. Repent and be converted, that 
 your Sins MAT — not becaufe they are, but that 
 they MAT— be blotted out. Ad. ii. 38, 39. 
 and i'li. 19. — But what was theirState, while im- 
 penitent ? Except ye repent, ye Jh all all like- 
 zvife periflj. Luk. xiii. 3, 5. 
 
 Laftly, it is true, The whole Congregation 
 of Ifrael were welcome to take the Manila and 
 eat. And 'tis true, that all Mankind are wel- 
 come to receive Chrift, the true Bread, and eat, 
 and live forever. For this Eating is the fame 
 as uniting to Chrift, by a truexnd living Faith. 
 He that eateth my Flefb & drinketh my Blood, 
 
 dwelleth 
 
94 Dialogue II. 
 
 dwellelh in me, and I in him. — Therefore, 
 He that eateth me, even he fJmll live by me. — - 
 But what is the State of Sinners out of Chrift ? 
 Have they eternal Life ? — No.—Exceptyeeat 
 theFleJh of theSon of Man & drink his Blood, 
 ye have no Life in you. — Joh. vi. 32, — 57. 
 
 Thus the veryTexts, you build your Scheme 
 upon, are all againft you. What Warrant, there- 
 fore, has a Sinner out of Chrift to fay, " Par- 
 don is mine, Grace is mine, Chrift and all his 
 fpiritual Bleflings are mine" ? For thefe pre- 
 cious Privileges are not configned over to him in 
 the everlafting Gofpel, while in fuch a State. 
 Nor fhall he ever have an Interefl in them, un- 
 lefs he is firft united to Chrift, by a true and 
 living Faith. 
 
 Ther. If the Cnrfe of the Law, which is 
 delivered in general Terms, not mentioning 
 Ther on by Name, belongs to Ther on ; 
 why do not the Promifes of the Gofpel, deliver- 
 ed alfo in general Terms, not mentioning Th e- 
 xon by Name, belong to Ther on too ? * 
 The ISinevites, from the leafi to the greatejl f 
 made particular Application to themfelves. 
 
 Paul. The Law curfes none but thofe who 
 have already broken it ; and the Gofpel pardons 
 none but thofe who have already complied with "" 
 it. Th e r on has already broken the Law, and 
 fallen under the Cur fe : let Ther on comply 
 
 with 
 
 * D. />. 306. 
 
Dialogue II. 95 
 
 with the Gofpel, and he fhall be entitled to the 
 BlefTing. The Curfe of theLaw was not your s, 
 till you broke it : Nor are the Blefllngs of the 
 Gofpel your's, till you comply with it. Fork 
 is written, He that Mieveth not, if condni J 
 already. A Truth, which all Unbelievers, from 
 the leafl even unto the greatefl, fhould, after the 
 Example of the Ninevites, make particular Ap- 
 plication of to thcmfelves. — 1 muft, therefore, 
 itill repeat it, What Warrant from the Word of 
 God have you for your Fakh ? 
 
 Ther. Mofes led the whole Congregation of 
 
 Ifrael, at the Side of the Red-Sea, though the 
 
 greatefl: Part of them were in a gracelefs State, 
 
 to call God THEIR God. (Exod. xv. 2.)— 
 
 i And to confirm them in this Belief, God himfelf, 
 
 I from Mount Sinai, and generally thro' all the 
 
 ! Law of Mofes, fays, fpeaking to the whole Con* 
 
 ; grcgation, lam the Lord THY GOT). (Exod. 
 
 1 xx.2.) And in theDays of Jeremiah,when there 
 
 I was fcarce a good Man to be found among them 
 
 '('Jer.v. 1.) and the Generality were devoted 
 
 to Idolatry, and obftinately impenitent ; yet, to 
 
 the whole Nation God fays, Turn, O back- 
 
 ftiding Children ; for I am married unto you. 
 
 (Jer. iii. 14.) And he teaches them to fay,. Jffe 
 
 coim unto thee ; for tbeu art the Lord OUR 
 
 God. (ver 22) And invites. them to look upon 
 
 him as their Father, (ver. 4.) And as the jfezvs 
 
 were all circumcifed at eight Days old, and fo 
 
 brwghc into Covenant with God, they had all 
 
 thereby 
 
9 6 
 
 Dialogue II. 
 
 thereby a good Warrant to look upon God as 
 their God, and to believe that he was their Fa- 
 ther, and would fave them. The fame may 
 be laid of all baptized Perfbns in the Chriftian 
 World. * 
 
 Pa u l. If this proves any thing to your Pur- 
 pofe, it proves that all the chriftlefs Sinners in 
 Christendom, how wicked foever, altho even 
 buried up in popijb Idolatry, arc, if they are 
 baptized, all of them married to Cbrift, Chil- 
 dren of God, and Heirs of Heaven. Into what 
 flrangeAbfurdities & Inconfiftencies do you run, 
 my dear Thee. on ! 
 
 As to Circumcifion, \\\tjews in our Saviour's 
 Day feemed to think, that it entitled them to 
 Salvation. But our Saviour taught them, that 
 notwithstanding their Circumcifion, they were, 
 while unregenerate, (Job. iii. 3.) and antecedent 
 to Faith and Union with Chriir, under Condemn 
 nation^ and Wrath, (per. 18, 36.) And St. 
 Paul affirms, that the Jew, as well as Gentile, 
 notwithstanding their Circumcifion, flood guilty 
 before God, without any Title to Life, antece- 
 dent to their Regeneration, & Union with Chriffc 
 by a true and living Faith. (Rom. ii. 28, 29. and 
 iii. 1, 2, 9, 19, — 28. Gal. iii. 10, — 29.) And 
 the fame may be faid of thofe who are baptized. 
 As to the Texts of Scripture you refer to, 
 their trueSenfe may be eafily feen, if we confider 
 God's Covenant with Abraham ; m which, he 
 
 prom i feci 
 ! M. p. 2.X> i'62 3 ib'5, U, f, 312, 343. 
 
Dialogue II. o7 
 
 promifed to be a God to him and to his Seed. 
 {Gen. xvii.) And God's Covenant at Mount 
 Sinai, in which he took the whole Nation to be 
 his peculiar People. (Exod. xix.) From which, 
 he calls himfelf the Lord their God : And on 
 Account of which, he is called their Hujband, 
 and they are faid to be married to him, and are 
 charged with Whoredom and Adultery for going 
 after other Gods ; And are invited to return to 
 him, as a JVife to her Hufband, and to call him 
 their God and Father.* Not that they had any 
 Title to Pardon, Grace and Glory, while un~ 
 circumcifed in Heart, {jfer. xxxi. 31, 32. Rom. 
 ii. 28, 29.) With thefe Obfervations in Mind, 
 it will be eafy to underftand the Language ufed 
 commonly in thePr^fot^particularly mHof. ii. 
 throughout. 
 
 Ther. But it is the proper Bufinefs of Faith, 
 " to appropriate and take home to ourfelves the 
 " Grace of Gtad, which lies in the common jri- 
 " definite Grant of the Gofpel." Therefore, 
 as Pardon, Grace and Glory are, all of them, 
 given and granted to Sinners, asfuch ; by Faith, 
 I, a Sinner, take home thefe Bleflings to myfelf, 
 i. e. I believe they are mine. * 
 
 Paul. Yes. But, my Theron, there k no 
 fuch abfolute, unconditional Grant contained in 
 the Bible. — Nor do the Scriptures teach, that 
 Faith is of fuch a Nature. 
 
 K Ther. 
 
 — 
 
 * D. />. 305, 314,-31 
 
$8 Dialogue II. 
 
 Ther. Yes. But St. Paul declares, that 
 Faith is the Evidence of Things not feen (Hcb. 
 xi. i.) and exhibits a clear Demonflration of 
 our Right to enjoy them. * 
 
 Paul. Faith cometh by hearing, and hear- 
 ing by the Word of God. {Rom. x. 17.) If 
 therefore the Word of God gives a Sinner, while 
 out of Chrifl, no abfolute unconditional Right 
 to the Bleflings of the Gofpel, Faith can tee 
 none. Faith cannot fee what is not, — neither 
 can it believe without ffvidence. All the Be- 
 lievers, in St. Paul's Catalogue, had good Evi- 
 dence for what they believed. But you have 
 no Evidence from " Scripture, Senfe, or Rea* 
 fon," for what you believe \ as you yourfelf are 
 obliged to own. 
 
 Ther. But all thofe figurative Defcriptions 
 of Faith, which occur in holy Writ, imply this 
 appropriating Belief. \ 
 
 Paul. No, my dear Theront, not one of 
 them. — Is Chrift viewed, in the beginning of St. 
 yohrfs Gofpel, as the Creator of all Things, 
 who, under the mofaic Difpenfation, fuflained 
 the glorious Character of God and King of If 
 raelj now come to tabernacle among Men, come 
 to his own People, as the promifed Mejfiah ? 
 He is to be acknowleged, received & honoured 
 according to his Character. — But — he ca?ne to 
 his own, and his own received him not — did 
 
 net 
 
 * D. p. 318. \ D. p. 320. 
 
Dialogue II. 99 
 
 not own him for the MeJJtah, nor believe in, 
 nor honour him, as fuch. Altho' he was indeed 
 the very God and King of Ifrael, who of old 
 dwelt in their Tabernacle and Temple in the 
 Form of God, now come to tabernacle in Flefn 
 in the Form of a Servant : Yet they rejected 
 him, called him a 'Deceiver, and crucified 
 him for claiming to be the Son of God and King 
 of the j^ews. — But to as many as received him, 
 as the promifed Median, with all their Hearts, 
 gave he Pozver to become the Sons of God, even 
 to as many as believed in his Name — Not, than 
 believed their Sins were pardoned without any 
 Evidence from Scripture, Senfe, or Reafon, — 
 but — that believed in his Name — Trufted in 
 his Mediation, Merits and Atonement, that thro' 
 his Name they might obtain Forgivenefs of Sins 
 and eternal Life. J oh. i. 1, — 12. — Is Chrifl: 
 compared to the brazen Serpent f "We are not 
 to believe that we are healed ; but to look to him 
 for Healing. — Is he compared to a Bridegroom ? 
 We are not to believe he is our Hufband ; but 
 as chafte Virgins to be efpoufed to him, that by 
 this fpiritual Marriage he may become our Huf- 
 band. — Is he compared to the City of Refuge ? 
 We are not to believe ourfelvesy^ ; but to 
 fly to him for Safety. — Is he compared to Bread 
 and to JVater \ We are not to believe ouvHim^ 
 ger and Thirfl are afpivaged ; but to eat the 
 living Bread and drink the Jiving Water, that 
 they may be fo. — In a Word, Is he the great 
 K 2 Higfj- 
 
loo Dialogue II. 
 
 Wgh-PrieJ}, who has entrcd into Heaven with 
 the Blood of Atonement in his Hand, by and 
 through whom we may come to God for all 
 Things, in full Aflurance of Acceptance in his 
 Name ? We are not to believe thatPardon,Grace 
 and Glory are cur's ; but to draiu nigh to God 
 through him, that of God's infinite Grace thro' 
 him, we may fo pardoned, fanclified andfaved. 
 
 Ther. But 'David, Job, Habakkuk, Paul, 
 the Counql at Jerufalem, yea, all the Saints 
 inScripture, nfe this appropriating Language. — 
 They all fpeak the Language of AfTurance. * 
 
 Paul. And good Reafbn why — For they 
 all knew, they were flncere godly Men, from a 
 Confcioufnefs to their own inherent Graces. — 
 But there is not a Saint to be found in theBible, 
 that believes Pardon, Grace and Glory to be his 
 own, without any Evidence from " Scripture, 
 Senfe, or Reafon." Forgive me, Sir, if I fhould 
 fay, this kind of Faith the Bible is as great a 
 Stranger to, as to the Doctrine of Purgatory. 
 
 Ther. " I know no other juflifying Faith, 
 <c but that which relates to the Gofpel, and be- 
 <; licves its Report. But here, I find, lies the 
 %t Core and Root of our Controverfy. This is 
 " the precife Point to be fettled j what it is to 
 " believe." f 
 
 Paul. No, ho, my dear Ther on, " the 
 
 Gore & Root of the Conn-overly" lies not here. 
 
 You ought to believe the " Report of the Gof- 
 
 . pel," 
 
 * D. p. 325,-327. " f D. p. 528. 
 
Dialogue II. 101 
 
 pel," and all the Truths of the Gofpel, with a 
 full Affurdnce ; yea, with all the full Ajju- 
 rance of Faith. But P rot eft ant Writers, for 
 above thefe hundred Years, have been teftifying 
 againfl your kind of Faith, becaufe the Thing 
 believed is not contained in the Gofpel. The 
 Gofpel makes no fuch Report. But the Thing 
 believed is a Lie. Here, my Friend, here lie? 
 " the Core and Root of the Controvcrfy," asMr. 
 Ma rshal well knew ;*and it is a little fl range,, 
 that your Aspasio fhould not know it too. — 
 However, pray tell me what you mean, by be- 
 lieving the Report of the Gofpel. 
 
 Ther. " The Lord declares by his Prophet, 
 " I, even I am be, that blottetb out thy Tranf- 
 " g r eJJions. To believe, is to fubferibe this 
 " Declaration ; to fubferibe it with our Hand, 
 44 and profefs with our Heart, Lord, it 'is done, 
 " as thou hajl /aid/ 9 My TranfgrefTions are 
 blotted out. f 
 
 Paul. But my dear Theroic, this Decla- 
 ration was made above two Thoufand Years ago, 
 Do you date your Juftiflcation fo far back ? Or 
 do you think, the Words have had any new 
 Meaning put to them by God, of late ; which, 
 two Thoufand Y r ears ago they did not mean ? 
 
 Ther. No. I appropriate and take home 
 the BlefTing to my/elf : And fo believe the Re- 
 port of the Gofpel. 
 
 K 3 Paul*.. 
 
 * M. p. 1 66. f D. p. 329, 
 
J 02 D*I A L G V E II. 
 
 Pa ul. This is not to believe what theGofpel 
 reports ; but rather to make a new Gofpel. Thi-s 
 is not to believe the Truths already revealed ; 
 but to make a newRevelation. That theTranf- 
 greflions of T heron, a chrifllefs Sinner- are 
 blotted out, is not taught in this Text, nor in any 
 Text in all the facred Volume, as you yourfelf 
 very well know. And if this be what you menu 
 by an appropriatingFaitb, then M r.M a r shai/s 
 Account of it is very jufi : it is a believing with* 
 out any Evidence, from u Scripture, Senfe, or 
 Reafon."* Ther. 
 
 * The whole Party maintain, with IVendclinm, that 
 in the firft direct Acl of Faith, I believe " my Sins 
 are forgiven." And the whole Party afTert, that 
 before T believed it, " my Sins were not forgiven." 
 Therefore the whole Party muft concede, with 
 Mr. Marshal, that the Thing I believe, " was 
 not true before I believed it-" And confequently, 
 that 1 do believe it " without any Evidence from 
 Scripture, Senfe, or Reafon." For if it was not 
 true, there could be no Evidence of its Truth. 
 And yet the whole Parry pretend to ground their 
 Belief upon Scripture. So that this is the ftrangeft 
 Scheme of Religion in this Refpedt, that ever was 
 advanced in the Chrillian World. ---The thing I 
 believe as true, is not true before I believe it ; 
 and yet I believe it becaufe it is true ! It is not 
 contained in Scripture ; yet I b Tieve it, becaufe 
 it is contained in Scripture ! I know, it is no Part 
 of the Gofpel-Revelation ; yet 1 venture my Soul 
 
 . upon it for Eternity, as the very Gofpel of Chriit ! 
 Now, how do thefe Men feel fatisned in them- 
 
 h\\cs t 
 
 ■■ 
 
Dialogue II. 103 
 
 Ther. But Chrift has exprcfly promifed, 
 that according to my Faith, fojball it be to me. 
 Matth. ix. 29. * 
 
 Paul. Believe ye, that 1 am able to do this f 
 kid Chrift to the two blindMen,who cried, Thou 
 Son of Dzx\d,have Mercy on us. — They /aid un- 
 to him,Yea,Lord. To be fure,they had fuflieient 
 Evidence, to believe it,from theMiracles he had 
 already wrought. On which our Saviour touch- 
 ed their Eyes : hy\v\g,Ac cor ding to your Faith, 
 be 
 
 * M. />. 247. 
 
 fdves, in believing fuch Inconfiftences ? Why 
 thus- — " The Gofpel makes an abfolute uncon- 
 " ditional Grant or* Pardon and Salvation to all 
 <c the finful Race of Adam : But I am a Sinner 
 cs of Adam's Race : Therefore Pardon and Sal- 
 " vation are mine."— But then, one would thisk, 
 they were mine, be r ore I believed it, and whether 
 1 believed it, or no. If theGrant doth not make 
 them mine, why do 1 believe they are mine ? If 
 the Grant does make them mine, then they are 
 mine before I believe : And fo we are not juftified 
 byFaitb, butBEFORE Faith, contrary to the whole 
 Tenor of Scripture. No, fay fome, u I have by 
 Grant a Common, but not a Saving Intereft." But 
 the thing granted is " Salvation :" and the Grant 
 is abfolute: Therefore " I fhall be faved." I, 
 ~ought to believe, that " I (hall be faved :" Yea, 
 they fay, ImakeGoda Liar, if I do not ; but furely, 
 if I believe 1 jhall be Javed, I believe I have a Saving 
 Inter ejl. And fo, 1 believe I have by the Grant, 
 what I know is not contained in the Grant : and 
 fo believe K without any Evidence, from- Scrip- 
 ture^ 
 
104 Dialogue II. 
 
 be it unto you. — And what, my Theron, is 
 this to your Pnrpofe I who have no Evidence, 
 from Scripture, Scnfe, orReafon, for what you 
 believe. Our Saviour never told Sinners, that 
 if they would believe Pardon, Gr.^c and Glory 
 were theirs, it fhould be unto them according to 
 their Faith : but frequently taught, that many 
 who believed Co, would finally bedifappointed. 
 Mattb. vii. 21, — 27. Luk. xiii. 24, — 30. 
 
 Ther. 
 
 ture, Senfe, or Reafon." And yet I ground my 
 Belief wholly upon Scripture.— -They fay, " The 
 M Grant makes it mine, fo as to give me a Right 
 " to believe it mine, and claim it, and porTefs it 
 " as mine." But then, I ouglu to believe it mine 
 precijely in the fame SENSE, in which the Grant 
 makes it mine. Thus, if the Grant makes it 
 mine as being a Child of Adam ; then I ought to 
 believe it mine, as knowing 1 am a Child of 
 Adam.— -If the Grant makes it mine, only as be- 
 ing in Chrifi ; then I ought to believe it mine, 
 only as knowing that I am in Cbrtft^~\i the 
 Grant only makes a Common Intereft mine ; then 
 I ought to believe a Common Interert only to be 
 mine.-— If the Grant makes a Saving Jntereft 
 mine ; then I ought to believe a Saving Intereft 
 mine. And what is mine by Grant, if the Grant 
 is abfolute, is mine before I believe it, and whether 
 I believe it, or not. ---No, lay they, " It is not 
 " mine before I believe •, and yet I muft believe 
 u it mine. I have no Evidence from Scripture ; 
 " and yet my Faith is wholly founded on Scrip- 
 " ture. The Scripture fays no fuch thing any 
 
 " where. $ 
 
Dialogue II. 105 
 
 Ther. Yes, ourSaviour exprefly faidjf^hat 
 things foever ye defire zvhenye pray ,beli eve that 
 ye receive them, and ye Jh all have them. Mar. 
 xi. 24. * 
 
 Paul. Our Saviour had curfcd the barren 
 Fig-tree, and it was dried up from the Roots. 
 Ac which his Difciples wondering, our Saviour 
 
 told 
 
 ■ ■ ■ ■ I.* -■ n 1 . ... 1 . . .. - 
 
 44 where; andyet the Scripture plainly fays this 
 44 thing in hundreds of Places. MySins are not 
 44 forgiven ; and yet I makcGod a Liar, if I do not 
 44 believe they are forgiven. It is not true, as 
 44 yet, nor do I know it ever will be true ; but I 
 "muft believe it, without anyEvidence fromScrip-» 
 44 ture, Senfe, or Reafon : And in fo doing I bei- 
 44 lieve the Report of the Gofpel ; altho' the 
 44 Gofpel never made fuch a Report." If I can 
 believe ail thefe Contradictions with all my Hearty 
 - I am a true Believer, and fhall be faved. If not, 
 1 am blind* carnal, legal ; and finally mud fufifer 
 the Pains of eternal Damnation for my Unbelief--- 
 The Infidels of the Age ( and no wonder Infidelity 
 prevails) itand by ; hear the Difpute ; fhake their 
 Sides :— The Devil fays, 44 So I would have 
 it. "---The Daughter of Zioa puts on Sackcloth, 
 looks up to Heaven, and cries, ' 4 Haft thou for- 
 44 faken the Earth, O Lord ! When wilt thou 
 44 return and fcatter thefe Clouds ; and caufe 
 M Light to break out, fpread and prevail ; and 
 44 Darknefs and Error to flee away ! Oh when 
 44 (kail that blefled Day come, that the Knowledge 
 44 of the Lord /hall fill .the Earth, as the Waters cover 
 44 the Sea ! When (hall Satan bt bound, that he may 
 44 deceive the Nations no more /"~ 
 * M. p. 174. 
 
io6 Dialogue II. 
 
 told them, that whenever they were, called to 
 perform any miraculous Works, and were look- 
 ing up to God to do them, they mud firmly be- 
 lieve he would do the' thing, how great foever 
 it was, even altho' as difficult as to remove a 
 Mountain and caft it into the Sea. And it is 
 plain, they had Sufficient Evidence, for fuch a 
 Belief : as they knew that God almighty flood 
 engaged to effect the miracu } 'Ais Works, which 
 he had commiflioned them to declare, fhould be 
 done. Mar. xi. 20, — 24. 
 
 Ther. But the v Apoftle James directs all 
 Chriftians, even when praying for divine Wifdom 
 and Grace, to ajk in Faith, nothing wavering. 
 Jam. i. 6. f 
 
 Paul. To ajk in Faith— An the Faith of 
 what ? Of Truths revealed in the Gofpel, con- 
 cerning the Way of our Accefs to God in the 
 Name of Chrift, our great High-Prieft, & God's 
 Readinefs to hear and anfwer all Requefts, a- 
 greeable to his Will, put up unto him in his 
 Name. ThefeTruths ought to be, thefe Truths 
 muft be, firmly believed. But in order to our 
 going to God in full AfTurance of Faith, there 
 is no Need, I hope, that we believe as true, 
 Things, the Truth of which we have no Evi - 
 dence of, " from Scripture, Senfe, or Reafon.'' 
 Read the fecond Chapter of this Epiftle, and 
 you may fee, theApoflle James was no Friend 
 
 to 
 
 + D. />. 342. 
 
 
Dialogue H. 107 
 
 tozprefumptuous Faith, a Faith built on no Evi- 
 dence. *•- 
 
 Ther. Butlaminvit .'. in the moft arTe&io- 
 nateManner, to believe that Chi id loves me and 
 will fave me, in 2 Cor. v. 20. «« As tho* God 
 44 did befcech you by us, we pray you in Chrijl's 
 44 Stead, be ye reconciled to God. " Hark ! 
 " 'Tis the Voice of infinitely rondefcending 
 " Love, fpeaking by his Ambaflador — Sinners, 
 44 accept my great Salvation. Enjoy what I 
 41 have purchafed for you, by my dying Agonies. 
 44 Do not fufpecl myKindnefs, or refufe myGifts. 
 €i This will wound me deeper, than the Spear 
 14 which pierced my Side." — O the Grace of 
 44 our exalted King ! — After all this, can I en- 
 44 tertain the \ea{\'7)oubt, whether I have a Per- 
 44 miflion to believe firmly ?" * — " Did the 
 " Judge ever befeech a condemned Criminal, to 
 44 accept of Pardon ? Does thcCreditor befeech a 
 " ruinedDebtor,to receive anAcquittance in full? 
 " Yet our ahnigbtyhord, and our eternal Judge, 
 ct not only vouchfafes to offer thefe Blelfings, 
 * 4 but invites us — intreats us — with the mod: 
 " tender and repeated Importunity folicits us — 
 " not to reject them." f 
 
 Paul. In thefe Words you are invited to be 
 reconciled to God ; and not, to believe that God 
 •is reconciled to you. You may be e'en ravifhed, 
 to think of the one, but ftill be fo inattentive to 
 
 the 
 
 * D -/>- 35°' t D. Edit. ift. Vol. I ^.132. 
 
io8 Dialogue II. 
 
 the other, as not to take any Notice of it, altho 
 before yon, in one of the mod remarkable Texts 
 in the Bible, 
 
 Ther. But we are ftric*tly commanded by 
 God himielf, to believe on the Name of his Son 
 ye/us Chrift (t Joh. iii. 23.) and have God's 
 Promife and Oath to allure us, we fliall certainly 
 be faved, if we do. "* 
 
 Paul. True. Yet Chrift has never taught 
 us, that Faith confifts in believing, that " Par- 
 don is mine, Grace is mine, Chrift and all his 
 fpiritual Bleflingsare mine." But has given ns 
 the ilrongeft AiTurance, that many who are very 
 confident of their Titleto Heaven, fliall finally 
 go to Hell. Math.vn. 22. 
 . Ther. Yes, Sir, fufTer me in my Turn to put 
 on the Airs of AiTurance, and to affirm, that this 
 is that very Notion of Faith, which was taught, 
 and which was approved as genuine, by our 
 blefTed. Saviour. — For — " our Lord bears this 
 " Teflimony concerning Thomas ; Thomas, 
 "thou haft believed. Now then, I think, we 
 *' have got an infallible Touchftone. Let us 
 u examine what that is, which Jefus Chrift calls 
 " believing. Whatever it be, it is die Determi- 
 " nation of Truth itfelf ; and fhould pafs for 
 " a Verdict, from which there lies no Appeal. 
 4 * And this, this is the ConfefTion of Thomas, 
 **MyLORT>, and My GQT> ! This, this 
 
 u expreiTes, 
 
 * D. />. 350,-353' 
 
.Dialogue II. 109 
 
 " expredbs, what our divine Matter calls Be* 
 " lieving. When, therefore, we con^cfs with 
 " our Lips, and are perfuaded in our Hearts, 
 •* that Jefus is our Lord, who bought us with 
 " his Blood ; that Jefus is our God, who will 
 " exert all his adorablePerfecYions for ourGood ; 
 " then we truly believe. We believe, in our 
 44 Saviour's Scnfe of the World ; we have that 
 u "Faith, which He allows to be genuine." * 
 
 pAUL.-s-Pray, my dear The r on, as your 
 All lies at Stake, your All for Eternity, do take 
 the Bible, and read the whole Paragraph, with 
 the Heart of an boneft Man. 
 
 Ther. I will. — Heaven forbid, I mould act. 
 a difnonelt Part, in an Affair of fuch infinite Im- 
 portance ! — Job. xx. 24. But Thomas, one of 
 tbe twelve, — was not with them when Jefus 
 came. Ver. 25. Tbe other 'Difci pies therefore 
 /aid unto hi in, We have fe en the Lord. But 
 he J aid unto them, Except I fhall fee in his 
 Hands the Print of theNails, and put my Fin- 
 ger into the Print of theNails, and thru]} my 
 ' Hand into Iris Side, I will not believe. Ver. 2 6. 
 And after eight 'Days, again bis Difciples~ 
 were within, and Thomas with them. Then 
 came Jefus , the Doors being fiut, and flood in 
 the Midfl, and fat d t Peace be unto you. Ver. 
 
 27. Then faid be to Thomas, Reach -hither 
 
 thy Finger., and behold my Hands ; and reach 
 
 hither thy Hand, & thrufl it into my Side : And 
 
 L Jje 
 
 "7* D. p. 229, 230".*"" 
 
*I0 DIALOGUE II. 
 
 be notfalthkfs, but belitvtrig. ,Ver. 28. And 
 
 Thomas anfivcred, & /aid unto him, My Lord, 
 <ind my Cod. Yer. 29. J ejus /aid unto htin, 
 Thomas, becaufe thou haft fieri me, thou haft 
 believed : Bleffed are they that have not fee n, 
 and yet have believed. 
 
 Paul. No Comment /is needed. It is im- 
 poilible, the Senfe of the Words can be made 
 plainer. The thing that 'Thomas was fo faith- 
 Jcfs about, was not his particular Inter eft in 
 Chrift ; nor was this the thing lie believed, that 
 Ghrift died for him in particular. — But trie 
 Refurreclion of Chrift was the thing, the only 
 thing, inQueftion with him. — Over-joy'd to fee 
 him, feel him, hear him, know him, — in the 
 Language of fervent Love, ready to clafp him 
 in his Arms, he cries out, My Lord, and my 
 God t — Thus then ftands the Argument. Be-* 
 caufe Thomas believed, that Chrift was r'tfen 
 from the 'Dead, on the cleared Evidence; there- 
 fore juftifying Faith confifls in believing, that 
 "' Pardon is mine, Grace is mine, C^hrift and all 
 his fpiritual Bleftings are mine," without any 
 Evidence at all, from " Scripture,Senfe, orRca- 
 fon." — MydearTHERON,was cverBook abu fed 
 and perverted, in this apoflate World, one half 
 fo much, as is the holy Bible ! 
 
 The ,1. But is it not true, with Relation to 
 every Sinner, and fo with Relation to me, that 
 '.* Chrift has bought me with his Blood, and will 
 exert all his adorable Perfections for my Good \ % \ 
 
 Paul. 
 
Dialogue II. in 
 
 Paul. Mud I again put you in Mind of 
 what your favourite Author fo plainly affirms ? 
 M We have no abfolute Promife or Declaration 
 " in Scripture, that God certainly will or doth 
 V give Chriil and his Salvation to suy one of us 
 14 in particular ; neither do we know it to bo 
 " true already, by Scripture, Senfe, or Ren fori, 
 " before we allure ourfelves or it. — Our Aflii- 
 li ranee is not impreffed by any Evidence of the 
 u thing ; but we mud work it out in ourfelves 
 i; by the Ailiftance of the Spirit of God." — And 
 that your Aspasio not only likes the Book in 
 general, but heartily approves of this Paflagc in 
 particular, you may be affurcd, from the Notice 
 he has taken of it, in his Preface to Mr. Ma;<- 
 sh.\l's My ft cry. 
 
 Titer. Yes. And I approve -it too. For I 
 never fuppofed, it was any where taught in 
 Scripture, that " (Thrift has bought me with his 
 Blood, and' will exert all his adorable Perfections 
 for my Good," and fo certainly lave me in par- 
 ticular. I know, there is no fuch thing affirmed 
 in Scripture. I never pretended there was. And 
 you have mifreprefented our Scheme, in fup- 
 pofing it follows from what we aflirm-of the free 
 Grant of the Gofpel, that we are juftified, a- 
 dopted and entitled to eternal Glory, before wo 
 believe. We hold no fuch thing. There is no 
 fuch thing revealed in the Oracles of Truth. 
 And indeed if there was, 1 Zhou Id not need any 
 fpecial AlTiflance of the Spirit in the Work of 
 I- 2 Ifclic'cinz. 
 
 a 
 
112 DlALOGUfc'II. 
 
 believing. That I mould be faved, would be 
 as plain a Truth as any other in the Bible. And 
 did I believe the Scriptures to be true, I could 
 not doubt of this, any more than of any other 
 plain Truth therein contained. Whereas, you 
 know, it is impoflible for a Man, altho he is 
 fatisfied the Bible is the Word of God, merely 
 by his own Strength and Reafon to bring himfelf 
 to believe, unlefs the Spirit, flrft, -witnejfes 
 -with his Spirit that he is a Child of God. — 
 Becaufe, before this, we have no Evidence of 
 the thing from Scripture, Senfe, or Reafon. But 
 when " the divine Spirit brings Chrift and his 
 ** Righteoufnefs nigh unto us, in thePromifeof 
 " the Gofpel ; clearing at the fame Time our 
 " Right and Warrant to intermeddle with- 
 " all, without fear of viciousIntromifTion ;" then 
 wc can appropriate, what lies in the general 
 Promife, to ourfelves in particular : And then 
 we can fay, ** Pardon is mine, Grace is mine, 
 Chrift and all his fpintual Bleflings are mine." 
 And then we can fee " our Title perfectly 
 clear." * 
 
 Paul. O my dear Theron ! and thus, at 
 laft, you give up your Warrant from the written 
 Word ; f as in Fact there is no fuch thing con- 
 tained 
 
 * D. p. 295, 362. 
 •f You give up your Warrant from the written IVord--- 
 By the firft direct Act of Faith, antecedent to any 
 Reflection, I believe that " God is reconciled to 
 
 me," 
 
 
Dialogue II. 113 
 
 tained in the Bible ; and now your Recourfe is 
 to the Spirit. — But, if in Fact the written Word 
 gives you no Warrant for this Belief, — if in Fact 
 you have no Right by iheBible to lay rhisClaini, 
 the Spirit of God has nothing to do in theCafe. 
 He cannot clear up a Right, where there is no 
 Right to be cleared up. He cannot clear up a 
 Warrant, where there is no Warrant to be cleared 
 up. — I grant, it is the Office of the holy Spirit, 
 to open our Under/landings to under ft and the 
 Scriptures, and to open our Eyes to behold the 
 -wonderful Things in God } t Law. But it is not 
 the Office of the holy Spirit, to open our Eyes 
 to fee Truths in the Bible, which, in Fact, are 
 L 3 not 
 
 me." (D. p. 169. 362 ) ---If this fuppofed Truth 
 was contained in & taught by the written Word, 
 it was true before I believed it — as all grant.--- 
 And (o God was " reconciled to me" before\\\Q 
 firft Act of Faith. ---But they fay, it was not con- 
 tained there, it was not true, God was not " re- 
 conciled to me" before I believed. ---But God's 
 Word does not warrant me to believe, as Truth, 
 any Proportion, theTruth of which is not taught 
 in his Word.-— All the Truths contained in his 
 Word, I ought to believe. But I have no Right 
 to add or iimintjk. Deut. xii, 32. 7bou Jhalt °not 
 add thereto, nor dimimjh from it. Rev. xxii. 18. If 
 any Man Jhall add unto" thefe Things, God Jhall add 
 unto him the Plagues that are written in this Bock. IF 
 we add^ to God's Word, we have no Warrant 
 from God's Word to believe our Additions to be 
 
 **£*£ . If an y doubt of flfo ^t them teajd 
 iTheJf. i!, it, , 
 
1 14 Dialogue II. 
 
 not there. It is not the Office of the holy Spi- 
 rit, to make us believe a Lie ; that is, believe 
 that the Bible teaches what in Fact it does not 
 teach ; or to make us new Revelations, no where 
 contained in Scripture, on which to venture our 
 Souls for Eternity. Nor is it the Bufinefs of 
 Faith, to believe thefc new unfcriptural Reve- 
 lations, but only to believe with all our Hearts 
 the Truths already revealed. — Or, to ufeyour 
 own Words, " 1 know no other juftifying Faith, 
 but that which relates to the Gofpel, & believes 
 its Report" — But here, Sir, lies the Wound of 
 your Faith, and this is " the Core and Root of 
 the Controversy," that the Thing which you be- 
 lieve, is not revealed in the Bible, nor is there 
 any Evidence from Scripture, of the Truth of 
 it, — And this you know — this you own — and 
 yet ftill will perfift in believing it, " without any 
 Evidence from Scripture, Senfe, or Reafon." 
 And to help yourfelf out, you call in the Aid of 
 the Holy Spirit, to teflify to a Thmgunrevealed, 
 to a Lie, a known Lie ; to teftify that fomething 
 is contained in Scripture, which you know is net 
 contained there — That with full Aflurancc, you 
 may fay, " Pardon is mine, Grace is mine, Chrift 
 " and all his fpiritual Bleflings- are mine — con- 
 " flgned over to me in the evcrlafting Gofpel" — 
 " a Title perfectly clear," — " without any Evi- 
 " dence from Scripture, Senfe, or Reafon."* 
 
 Oh 
 
 i - — -■* — 
 
 • D. p. 269. 362. M. p. 173. 
 
Dialogue II. uy 
 
 Oh my dear Theron ! — In Matters of this 
 Importance, it does not become us to iooth and 
 flatter ; but to fpeak the Truth in Upright- 
 nefs. — Did you profefs to be an Antinomian, 
 and openly declare, ** that the Elect were judi- 
 " fled from Eternity, or at lead from the Death 
 w of (Thrift ; that the holy Spirit reveals to the 
 " Elect their Judification in God's own Time ; 
 " and that juftifying Faith confifts in believing 
 " this new Revelation ;" then your Scheme, 
 however inconfiftent withScripture, would feem, 
 at lead, to be confident with it f elf. But now, as 
 you ftateThings,you are(forgive memyTHERON) 
 you are, I fay, neither confident with Scripture, 
 nor with yourfelf. — And your drefTing up ex- 
 perimental Religion in this Light (while Armi- 
 nians, Pelagians, Socinians, and Infidels laugh 
 at the Delufion) tends only to embolden fclf- 
 confident Hypocrites ; and to leave the poor 
 awakned Sinner, that has any common Henedy 
 in his Heart, in a more bewildered Cale than 
 ever. Or if, by your charming and affectionate 
 Manner of Addrefs, the poor blind Sinner is in- 
 duced to believe you, he is in infinite Danger of 
 being led to fettle on a falfe Foundation, to his 
 eternal Rttin. For, having once believed, — 
 oh dreadful Thought ! — having once believed, 
 he muft never doubt again. He mud watch 
 and pray, fight and drive againd T>oubts, with 
 all his Might, as the dreadful *dgag, that muft 
 
 be 
 
1 1 6 Dialogue II. 
 
 be purfued with Fire &r Sword. * Thar being 
 once deluded, it is a thoufand to one, but he 
 lives and dies in his Delufion ! 
 
 Ther. But does not the holy Scripture 
 exprefly fpeak of the JVitnefs and Seal of the 
 Spirit ? Rom. viii. 16. Eph. i. 13. 
 
 Paul. Yes, it does. — But never — never — 
 as what any had before Faith and Juftification : 
 as is the Cafe with you. Ye zuerefealed, fays 
 the Apoflle to the Ephefian Saints. But when T 
 Before they believed ? No. AFTER that ye 
 believed, ye zvere fealed. Eph. i. 13. And had 
 they this Spirit of Adoption, before they were 
 already Children ? No. But, becaufe ye are 
 Sons — becaufe ye are alreadyMembers of God's 
 Family, therefore, God hath fent forth the Spi- 
 rit of his Son into your Hearts, crying, Abba, 
 Father. Gal. iv. 6. 
 
 ' So that I mull: needs tell you, my dear The- 
 R on, there is not oneTittle in theBible to coun- 
 tenance your Scheme : But it is all-over Incon- 
 sistence, Falfehood and Delufion. And if your 
 Heart is no better than your Head, you are in 
 an infinitely dreadful State. — What your Heart 
 is, I do not pretend to fay. This does not be- 
 long to my -Province. — But x\\f Scheme of Re- 
 ligion you plead for, leads directly toDeft ruction. 
 And would thatPilot be efteemed an honeflMan, 
 who, for fear of giving Offence, fhould fit filenr, 
 
 and- 
 . — .I. 
 
 * £>. P- 342, 343* 
 
Dialogue II. 117 
 
 and fuller the Ship to run upon the Rocks, — . 
 Rocks underWater, which, he knew, would dafh 
 the Ship to Pieces in a Moment, if not avoided ? 
 
 Ther. But — is it not impojjlble, to truft in 
 Chrift, uniefs firjl we believe, that Chrift and 
 all his fpiritual BlefTings are ours *' * 
 
 Paul. What would you think, my dear 
 Ther on, of a Neonomian,. or A r mini an, to 
 whom you were opening the Way of Salvation 
 by free Grace through Jefus Chrift, if he fhould 
 thus reply ? " It is impojjlble to trujl in Chrift 
 " and free Grace, unlefs yfr/?, for our Encou- 
 " ragement, we are confeious our Lives are re- 
 *' formed, our Sins repented of, and that we are 
 " difpofed fincerely to endeavour to do ourDuty. 
 " Were I thus prepared, I fhould dare to truft 
 ig in Chrift, and could hope that God would ac- 
 " cept me through him. But without thefe 
 " good Qualifications, it is impoflible, 1 fliould 
 " dare to truft in Chrift." 
 
 Ther. I fhould fuppofe, that his own Righ- 
 teoufnefs was really at the Bottom of his Faith, 
 and the very Thing that encouraged him to be- 
 lieve. And fuch a Man does not fo properly 
 truft in Chrift, as in his ownRighteoufnefs. And 
 a Faith built on a falfe Foundation, is certainly 
 a falfe Faith. 
 
 Paul. And pray, my T heron, what is it, 
 that encourages you to truft in Chrift ? Not any 
 
 Truths 
 
 mi, 11 — ■ ■" - 
 
 * D. p. 312, 
 
I 2 8 D I A L O G U E II. 
 
 Truths revealed in the Gofpel ; but fomething 
 of which you have no Evidence, from Scripture, 
 Senfe, or Reafon, A firm Perfuafion of this 
 emboldens you to trull in Chrifl : yea, is fo en- 
 tirely the Foundation of your Truil, that it ap- 
 pears to you impolTible, without this previous 
 Perfuafion, ever to truft in him. Whu'eforc, 
 tins Perfuafion is at the Bottom of ysur Truih 
 And, flriclly fpcaking, you do not fo properly 
 truil in Chrift, as in that Perfuafion. Should 
 yoivnow be convinced, that this Perfuafion was 
 a mere Delufion, your truft ing in Chrifl would 
 ccjfc in a Moment. Juft as it is with a felf- 
 rightecrus Perfon, when his fLycs arc opened to 
 ice him/elf. Rom. vii. 9. The Commandment 
 came, Sin revived, and I died. 
 
 Thkr. But, " would any Perfon, of thelcaii 
 flf Prudence, erect his Houfe upon a Piece of 
 * l Ground, without a previous Convi&ion, that 
 " the Spot was his ozvn" * 
 
 Paul. Wherefore then, we mud: thus con- 
 eludc,that alltheTruths,already plainly revealed 
 in the Go/pel, which are true before we believe 
 them, and whether we believe them or not ; — 
 rhat all thefe Truths laid together, altho clearly 
 underftood, feen in their f pi ritual Glory, firmly 
 believed, approved of and liked, would mt be 
 fufficient to encourage a Sinner to tmft in Chrifl:. 
 /. e. There is nothing in the written JVord, 
 
 which, 
 
 * D. Edit. 1 ft Vol. III. p. 285. 
 
Dialogue II. up 
 
 which, let it be ever Co well underftood, and 
 ever fo firmly believed, \sfujficient to encourage 
 even a regenerate Sinner (for ic is plain, Regene- 
 ration is before the firft Acl: of Faith, Job. i. 
 12, 13.) to truft in Chrift. To fupply this 
 Defect, we nruft fir ft believe, as Truth, what 
 as yet is not true, and that without any Evidence, 
 fvom Scripture, Senfe, or Rcafon. And this 
 Belief, this Pcrfuafion, is to be the Foundation 
 of our trufting in Chrift ; fo entirely the Foun- 
 dation, that without it, we cannot " with the 
 leaft Prudtnce" truft in him. And the Weight, 
 the whole Weight of our eternal Salvation is a* 
 Bottom laid, not on the Gofpel, the ivritien 
 Gofpel ; but on a fuppofed Truth, we have no 
 Evidence of, from Scripture, Senfe, or Rcafon. 
 
 Oh, my dear Theron ! This is a precarious 
 Foundation, to venture your precious, your im- 
 mortal Soul upon. And fliould it give Way and 
 break under you, it might let you fall down into 
 eternal Ruin. This, this is indeed, to ufe your 
 Aspasio's beautiful Similitude, " like placing 
 theDome of a Cathedral on theStalk of aTulip." 
 
 Mean while let me tell yon, the infpircd 
 Apoftles verily believed, that in the written 
 IVord we have, not only full Evidence of the 
 Truth of the Gofpel \tfe\i (Job. xx. 31.) but 
 alfo, the Truth of the Gofpel being feen, fuf- 
 ficicnt Encouragement ; to come to Gcd through 
 Chrift, in full ArTurance of being accepted thro 
 
 him. 
 
120 Dialogue II. 
 
 him. {Heb. x. 19, — 22.) And on this Ground 
 they preached the Gofpel to the World, inviting 
 all to return to God through JefusChrift ; with- 
 out ever giving the leaf! Intimation of any Need 
 of their being previously perfuaded of fome 
 Things, as Truths, which were no where plain- 
 ly contained in the Gofpel. 
 
 Ther. Pray, what is there contained in the 
 Gofpel, which may be fuffkient to encourage a 
 Sinner, to return to God thro (Thrift, with full 
 AfTurance of Acceptance thro him ? 
 
 Paul. Thefe three Truths are fet in the 
 cleared and ft rongeft Light, in the glorious Gof- 
 pel of Jefus Chrift. 
 
 (1.) That the Goodnefs of God, the fupreme 
 Governour of the World, is felf -moving, and 
 Infinite. It needs no external Motive, noGood- 
 nefs in us, to draw it forth into Exercife. Yea, 
 * it can furmount infinite ill Defett,—felf-?noved. 
 This is demonftrated . in God's givirig his Son, 
 of his own mere Motion, to die for a World, fo 
 ill defcrving, — infinitely ill deferving,— that no 
 Atonement appeared to him fuffkient to fecure 
 the Honour of his Law and Government, but 
 the Blood of his own Son. Let me believe 
 tuith all my Heart, that God has done this 
 1)eed, a Deed infinitely fuperior to the Creation 
 of Millions of fuch Worlds as this, all which, 
 with one Word's fpeaking, Mejfiah could have 
 created in a Moment—- 1 fay> let me believe 
 
 with 
 
 
Dialogue II. 121 
 
 zvtlh all my Heart, that God, of his own mere 
 Motion, has given his Son, one equal to himfelf, 
 to die for fuch a World as this ; and at once I 
 have the fullelt Conviction of his felf- moving 
 Goodnefs, and infinite Grace. It Hands in a 
 Light brighter than the Sun at Noon-Day. 
 
 (2.) God can, confijlently with the Honour 
 of himfelf, of his Law and Government and 
 facred Authority, pardon and fave thofe, who, 
 flricUy fpeaking, are infinitely ill-dcferving, 
 through Jefus Chri/?., his Son. His Honour 
 is, in every Point of Light, effectually fecured 
 by the Mediation and Death of his Son. The 
 Dignity, the infinite Dignity of the Son of God 
 proves this to the enlightened Soul. The Re- 
 iiiiTe<5tion of Chrifl: from the Dead is a vifible 
 Dcmonflration of it. And God himfelf, in plain 
 "Words, declares it to be true : — That he can now 
 bejuft, and yet j uft if y him that believeth in 
 Jefus* (Rom. iii. 24, 25, 26.) — Now, if the 
 Goodnefs of the divine Nature is infinite & fclf- 
 moving ; and if he can, confidently with his own 
 Honour, pardon Sc five the infinitely ill-deferr- 
 ing through Jefus Chrifl his Son ; the only 
 Queftion that remains, is, Who may, among all 
 die Sons of .Adam, trufl: in this glorious Medi- 
 ator, return home to God through him, and 
 through his Merits and Atonement look to the 
 free Grace of God for Pardon and eternal 
 
 Life ? But, 
 
 M (3.) It 
 
ill Dialogue II. 
 
 (3.) It is mod cxprefly declared, that ivho- 
 foever will, may come (Rev.xxii. 1 7.) and he that 
 cometh /hall in no wife be caft out. (Joh.vi. 37) 
 Yea, Orders are given, that thefe glad Tidings 
 fliould be carried all round the World, the Gof- 
 pel preachea] to every Creature — (Mar. xvi. 15.) 
 And all, even the vileft and the word:, are to be, 
 as it were, compelled to come in (Luk. xiv. 23.) 
 prayed and befeeched to be reconciled to God 
 (2 Cor.v.20.) to repent and be converted (Aft. 
 jii. 19.) to return home to God through Jefus 
 Chriit, — to God, who is as ready to be recon- 
 ciled to the returning Sinner, as the Father of 
 the Prodigal is reprefented to be, to his return- 
 ing Son. (Luk. xv. 20.) 
 
 Now, when the Sinners Eyes, in Regenera- 
 tion, are opened, to behold as in a Glafs the 
 Glory of the Lord, it will immediately appear 
 to him the fittefl and happiefl Thing in the 
 World, to return home to God, and be forever 
 devoted to him, if he may. — And a clear Sight 
 and firm Belief of thefe plain Gofpcl-Truths 
 gives him the fulleft AiTurance, that he may ; 
 that it is God's Will he fliould ; and that God 
 ftands ready to accept him through Jefus Chjift, 
 if he does. * Indeed, 
 
 * Except my Eyes are firft opened to behold the 
 Glory ofGod y 1 cannot fee the Ground and Rea- 
 fon of the Law, nor heartily approve it as holy, 
 juft, & good. Unlefs the Law appears good and 
 glorious, 1 cannot fee the Wifdo?n of God in the 
 
 Death 
 
 
Dialogue II. 123 
 
 Indeed, I readily grant, that unregencrate 
 Sinners do neither fee the infinite Amiablenefs 
 of God, nor really believe the Gofpel to be true. 
 The Vail is on their Hearts, (2 Cor. iii. 16.) 
 The Gofpel is hid from them. (Matth. xi. 25.) 
 They arc blind. (Rom. xi.2<r.) And their Blind- 
 nefs is a vicious, wicked Blindnefs, arifing from 
 a Heart void of Love to God, and full of En- 
 M 2 mity 
 
 Death or his Son, nor cordially believe the Gcfpcl 
 to be true. Till 1 fee the Gofpel to be true, I 
 am blind to the only Door of Hope. Seeing that 
 the Glory of God, and the Glory of his Law, can 
 give no Hope, the Truth of the Gofpel is the only 
 Foundation of Hope. When the Truth of the 
 Gofpel is feen, I then behold (i.) The Love, the 
 felf- moving Goodnefs of God, in the Gift of his 
 Son : But not, that he loves me in particular, and 
 is reconciled to me. (2.) 1 then fee, that Chrift 
 has fecured the Honour of the di\ ine Government; 
 and that now God can bejuj?, and y^tjuflify the 
 Sinner that belicvelh in Jefus : But not, that I am 
 one for whom he died, with an ahfolute Dcjign to 
 fave. (3.) I then fee, that any Sinner way return 
 to God thro' Chrift ; and fee that thofe who de y 
 will be accepted and faved : But not, that " Pardon 
 is mine, Grace is mine, Chrift and all his fpi ri- 
 tual Bleffings are mine. "---In a Word, 1 fee the 
 Truth of what is already revealed in the Gofpel : 
 But i don't fee Truths not revealed there. The 
 holy Spirit helps me to fee the Truths already re- 
 vealed ; but reveals no new Truths. The things 
 •which I believe, were true before I believed them. 
 
 It 
 
124 Dialogue II. 
 
 mity agalnft his Law, and againfl the glorious 
 Gofpcl of his Son ; as was proved in our former 
 Ccnverfation. — A \nd in this benighted State, be- 
 ing followed with the Fears of eternal Mifery, 
 they mnft take fomc Way for Hope and Com- 
 fort. — Some go about to eftabiijb their own 
 Right eoufnefs ; and on that build their Hopes 
 for Heaven. — Others finding no Comfort in the 
 "Way ofDuties, try to work up themfelves to a 
 Belief, that Chrift died for them in particular, 
 that God loves them, and will fave them. And 
 if by any Means, they come to feel a flrong Per- 
 ftiafion of this, it fo delivers them from their 
 Fears, and fo fills them with Comfo t and Joy, 
 that they do all they can to Jlrengt ben this Per- 
 fuafibn : And to this End, apply an hundred 
 Texts of Scripture, perverting them from their 
 
 plain 
 
 [*", alter aii, any pretend, There is no Difference be- 
 tween thefe tvso'Kuuh of Faith ; 1 only lay, if thefe 
 two Kinds of Faith, like two Roads which fee.m, 
 and but feem, to lend the fame Way, ihou'd, in 
 Fact, lead to two different Worlds, as far afnnder 
 as Heaven and Hell ; it is proper to fet up thefe 
 Jvloiu:?iirals, to warn Travellers : and the nearer 
 they zrtaiike, the more Need poorTravtUers have 
 to take heed they do not mi/lake. 13ut if they do, 
 if they will miltake arter Warning, their iilcod 
 will be upon their own Heads : and they will 
 eternally remember, that. they knew, what they 
 believed, was not revealed in Scripture. ---They 
 believed without any Evidence from Scripture, 
 Senfe, or Reafon. 
 
Dialogue II. 125 
 
 plain and natural Meaning. And are yet obliged 
 at lad to own, that they have no Evidence, on 
 which to ground.their Belief, from Scripture, 
 Senfe, or Reafon : Yea, that the thing they be- 
 lieve, is not true, till it becomes true by their 
 believing ic to be true. — However, their Con- 
 fciences being quieted by this Belief, they can 
 now go on,eflrangcd fromaGod of inhnkeGJory, 
 blind to his infinite Beauties : Nor do they be- 
 lieve, that ever any did love God for his own 
 infinite Lovelinefs ; afrho this is the very Spirit 
 of all the Angels and Saints in Heaven, and of 
 all good Men upon Earth. I fat, vi. 3. 2 Cor. 
 hi. 18. * M 3 Ther, 
 
 * To make the Matter, if pofiible, ftill plainer, it 
 may be thus ftated. (i.) Ke that is encouraged 
 to come to Chritt from a Confcioufnefs of ibme 
 good Qualification in himfelf, fecretly builds his 
 Hopes of Acceptance with God on his own Righ- 
 teoujhefs. (2.) He that is encouraged to come to 
 Chrirt from a Belief that Chriit died for hhn in 
 particular, 8c that God is reconciled to him, builds 
 his Hopes of Acceptance with God on a Deluftan. 
 (3.; He that comes toChrift without a Difpofuion. 
 to be reconciled to God, is only feeking after Salva- 
 tion from Hell, and does not defire the Salvation 
 which the Gofytl offers. (4..) He that thinks he 
 has a Difpofuion to be reconciled to God, but 
 never fa iw the Glory of God, of his Law and Go- 
 vernment, he but deceives himfelf. (5.) He that is 
 encouraged to come, only by the free Grace of God 
 thro' Jems Chritt, as revealed in the written 
 
 Word, 
 
i26 Dialogue II. 
 
 Th er . "I fee, you are returned again to your 
 darling Topic, the Doctrine of loving God for 
 own Loveiineft. 
 
 •Paul. Yes. — And this is the very Vitals of 
 tal Picry. A Senfe of the Beauty of the 
 tfiviife Nature, and a firm Belief of the Truth 
 of the Gofpel, lay the Foundation for all the reft: 
 {Job. xvii. 3.) Repentance towardsGod, Faith 
 towards our Lord J ejus Chrift, a Life of Com- 
 munion with God and Devotednefs to him, Joy 
 in God, and rejoycing in Jefus Chrift. And 
 while the Love of God, — not a Belief that God 
 :oves me in particular, without any Evidence from 
 Scripture, Senfe, or Reafon, but a clear and 
 lively Senfe of the feJf-moving Goodnefs and in- 
 finite Grace of God, as manifefted in the Gift 
 of his Son, & mining forth in the whole Gofpel- 
 Way of Life, as exhibited in the writtenWord, — 
 is jhed abroad in our Hearts by the holy Ghofl ; 
 attended v/ith a full AiTlirance that we are the 
 Children of God, refulting from a Confcioufnefs 
 of a filial Spirit towards God ; now we knozu and 
 believe the Love that God hath to us. And 
 
 infpired 
 
 TVordy builds his Hopes of Acceptance on the 
 Truth. Me that comes on this Encouragement, 
 with a hearty Difpofition to be forever reconci'ed 
 to God, and devoted to him, and thirfting for 
 Grace iorever to live to him, is a true Convert.-- - 
 He that, after this, lives to God thro' all Trials, 
 gravis his Faith by his Works, as Abraham did* 
 Gen. xxii, 12. 
 
Dialogue II. 127 
 
 infpired with a St::fe of the divine Glory, the 
 Beauty of God's Law and Government, the 
 Glory of the Way of Salvation by free Grace 
 thro Jefus Chrift, the free and fovereign Grace 
 of God in calling us into the Kingdom of his Son, 
 we rejoyce with Joy unfpeakable and full of 
 Glory : And habitually & actually, through the 
 Courfe of our Lives, pre fen t our fives a living 
 Sacrifice to God thro Jefus Chrift ; to he for 
 him, intirely for him, and that for ever. Not' 
 do we feel any Need to bx'mgyour Kind of Faith 
 into the Account. 
 
 You remember, my dearTnERONT, that pa- 
 rabolical Picture of a true Saint, of a real Christi- 
 an, given by ourblefled Saviour, in Matth. xiiL 
 23. whofe Keprefentations, if we 60 not believe, 
 we do indeed make God a Liar. He that re- 
 ceived Seed into the good Ground \ is he — not, 
 that hath a new Revelation, of a new Truth not 
 contained in the Gofpel I — But is he that hear- 
 eth the IVORT), and — what next ? Not, is 
 really pcrfuaded in his- Heart, that " Pardon \s 
 mine, Grace is mine, Chrift and all his fpiritual 
 Bleflings are mine," without anyEvidence "from 
 Scripture, Senfe, or Reafon" 1 — But — hear eth 
 the Word, and understandeth it — 
 So as, in it, to behold as in a Glafs the Gloiy cf 
 thjeLord. — Which alfs — what ? complains that 
 his Graces are no more to be feen " than the 
 Stars at Noon" 1 No — what then ? — Which 
 
 alfo 
 
128 Dialogue II. 
 
 alfo beareth FRUIT. — How much ? — So lit- 
 tle that no Eye can fee it ? Or at mcft, but juft 
 difcern it, " as a Glow- Worm in the Night" ? 
 And that in Co unfleady uncertain a Manner, 
 that for his Life he cannot tell whether there be 
 any Fruit, or no ; but rather the more he looks, 
 the more " his Doubts are increafed ? * — No, 
 no — far from this — and bringeth forth, fome a 
 HUNDRED FOLD, fome SIXTY, feme. 
 THIRTY.— Yes, my Theron, that is good 
 Ground indeed, which yields. an//i^r^Bufnels 
 of Grain, for one that was (own ; or Sixty, or 
 evenThirty. — And thus, theGrain of Muflard- 
 Seed — becometh a great Tree. {Ver. 31, 32.) 
 And thus, the Leaven fpreads till the whole is 
 leavened. (Ver. 33.) — And this is the Idea, the 
 grand and noble Idea, our blefled Saviour had 
 of a true Chriftian ! — It is granted, there is great 
 Difference in the Degrees of Fruitful nefs in true 
 Converts, fome an Hundred Fold, fome Sixty, 
 fome Thirty.— But thofe who bring forth nc 
 good Fruit, whatever ravifbing Joys they may 
 fometimes have had (Ver. 20.) are by our blefled 
 Saviour pictured by the Similitude of — Stony- 
 Ground, — Thorny- Ground. 
 
 Ther. But 1 have an unanfwerableO£/V<f?/<?ft 
 againft this Account of the Nature of juftifying 
 Faith. For, whereas in the holy Scriptures it 
 is reprefented to \>t an exceeding difficult thing 
 to believe ; according to you, there is 'no Diffi- 
 cul ty 
 
 • D. p. 361^362. 
 
Dialogue II. 129 
 
 culty at all in it, when once the Sinner, in your 
 Senie of Things, is regenerate, and believes the 
 G of pel to be true, with all his Heart. 
 
 Paul. Right, my dear Theron. The 
 Difficulty is now over. For he is not obliged to 
 believe u without any Evidence, from Scripture, 
 Senfe, or Reafon." The IV ay in which he is 
 to return to God, all lies open, plain before him. 
 And it appears to him the fit t eft and happieft 
 thing in the World, to return home to God thro 
 Jefus Chrift. And he does it with all his 
 Heart. * Ther. 
 
 * Return home to God ---By this Phrafe Paulinus 
 means exactly the lame with thofe Words in Jer. 
 iv. I. If thou wilt return, O Ifrael, faith the Lord, 
 return unto Me. And in Ezek. xxxiii. 11. Turn 
 ■ ye, turn ye from your evil fVays ; for why will ye die f 
 And in Acl. iii. [9. Repent and be converted, that 
 your Sins may be blotted out.- --From being Enemies, 
 repent and turn, and be reconciled to God. 2 Cor. 
 v. 20. ---It is woithy to be obferved, that accord- 
 ing to St. Peter, Repentance is before Forgi^ enzfe. 
 Repent and be converted, that your Sins MAY be blot- 
 ted out. And this is the Doctrine God has taught 
 in all Ages of the World. By Mb fa, Lev. xxvi. 
 4c.-— By David, Pfal. xxxii. 5. ---By Jfaiah, llai. 
 ]v. j. --By John Baptift, IVhr. i. 4.-— By Qhrijh, 
 Matth. v. 4. Luk. xiii. 3. .---By all the Apo files on 
 the Day of Penieco/l, Ad. ii. 37, 38, 39. and in- 
 deed all over the Scripture. But there is nothing 
 of the Nature of Repentance before Forgiveneis 
 in Theron's Scheme. Yea, his Repentance, 
 profefiediy, arifes wholly from 4 Belief that his 
 Sins are forgiven. So that he is forgiven before 
 he begins to repent. 
 
J3o Dialogue II. 
 
 Ther. Wherein then confilts the Difficulty 
 of believing ? 
 
 Paul. The Difficulty in the Way of em- 
 bracing the Gofpel in a faving Manner, ac- 
 cording to the New-Teftament, arifes from — a 
 worldly Spirit, a f elf -right ecus Spirit, and be- 
 ing dead in Sin, 
 
 (i.) From a worldly Spirit. Men are gene- 
 rally fo attached to worldly Things, Riches, 
 Honour and Pleafure, that, although they might 
 be glad to know they f/jould go to Heaven when 
 they die, yet they have no Heart to become the 
 Difciples of Chrift ; to deny themfelves, take 
 up their Crofs, and follow him ; and take God 
 for the alone Portion of their Souls. There- 
 fore when they are invited to come to this Feafl, 
 (and a Feafl indeed it is, to a regenerate Sinner, 
 whofe Eyes are opened to fee Things as they 
 are) they defire to be excufed. (Luk. xiv. 1 8.) 
 And they make light of it, and go their JVays, 
 one to his Farm, another to his Merchan- 
 dize, Mat. xxii. 5. , 
 
 (2.) From zfelf righteous Spirit. Rom. ix. 
 31, 32, 33. — For if a Sinner is fo terrified with 
 the Fears of eternal Damnation, that he can take 
 no Comfort in worldly Enjoyments j and fo, is 
 quite prepared to hear Aspasio urge him to 
 believe, thatGod loves him, and Chrift died for 
 him ; yet there now remains the chief Difficulty 
 in the Way of true Faith, unremoved, viz. to 
 
 yield 
 
 
Dialogue II. 131 
 
 yield the Point, that the Law not only does in 
 Facl require finlefs Perfection on Pain of eternal 
 Damnation, and that he is under the Cnrfe of 
 this Law, but that this Law is holy, juft and 
 good : And fo he juflly condemned, and in Fact 
 in the Hands, and at the Difpofal of a fovereign 
 God. This, this, a proud felf- righteous Spirit 
 is diametrically oppofite unto. And to be bro't 
 to this, is killing Work. Rom. vii. 9. The Com- 
 mandment came, Sin revived, and I died. 
 
 (3.) From being J t pi ritually dead. — For when 
 the Law has thoroughly done its Work, and the 
 Sinner fees and feels the Truth, that he is dead 
 in Sin, juflly condemned, abfolutely helplefs and 
 undone in himfelf, in the Hands of a fovereign 
 God, who hath Mercy on -whom he will have 
 Mercy, — there now needs the fame mighty 
 Power wherebyChrift was raifed from the Dead, 
 to quicken this deadSinner. And it mud wholly* 
 proceed from the mere free fovereign Grace of 
 God. (Epb. i. 19, 20. compared with Eph. ii. 
 1, — 8.) That Regeneration does thus preceed 
 the firit Acl: of Faith, is plain from J oh. i. 12, 
 13. where concerning all true Believers it is 
 fajd, Which WERE born — that is, antecedent 
 to the firft Acl: of Faith — which WERE born, 
 7Wt of Blood, nor of the Will of the Fie ft, nor 
 of the Will of Man, but ofGcd. See al'fo Job. 
 iii. 3, 5. 
 
 But thefe three 'Difficulties being removed, 
 and Sinners made willing in the Day of his 
 
 Power 
 
132 Dialogue II. 
 
 Pozver (PfaL ex. 3.) all is cafy. Sinners now 
 come flying to Chriir, as naturally, as 'Doves to 
 their Windows. {Ifat. Ix. 8.) For God appears 
 to be infinitely glorious, and the Gofpel to be 
 divinely true. 
 
 And here, by the Way, my dear T heron, 
 it is worthy of your diligent Attention, that it is a 
 common Thing in theNew-Teflament, to pro- 
 mi fe Salvation to thofe, who believe the Truth 
 of the Gofpel with all their Hearts, & to fpeak 
 of fuch, as true Saints : Becaufe where this is, 
 every thing elfe will follow cf Courfe. In this 
 View, you may at your Leifure read the follow- 
 ing Scriptures. Matth. xvi.16, 17. Mar. xvi. 
 15, 16. Joh.\\. 68, 69. and xvii. 3, 8. andxx. 
 30, 31. Acl. viii. 37. Rom. x. 9. .1 Cor. xii. 3. 
 1 Job. iv. 15. and v. 1,5. Some of which are 
 fadly perverted by fome Writers j particularly, 
 Rom, x. 9. * 
 
 Ther. The Clock Jlrikes JNine—Itk Time 
 for me to retire — However, before I go, pray, 
 point out, in brief, the chief Differences between 
 what you call true Faith, and the Fait.l I have 
 been pleading for, that I may have them to con- 
 fider, at my Leifure. For I defign more 
 thoroughly to look into this Matter, than ever 
 yet I have done. 
 
 Pa u l. Among the many Differences, which 
 might be mentioned, 1 will only point out thefe 
 twelve. (1.) Re- 
 
 * D; p.2^1. Marrow c/Mcd.Div.Notes.p, ISS^ 6 * 
 
Dialogue II. 133 
 
 (■1.) Regeneration is necefTarily previous to 
 the firlt Aft of true Faith. — But your Faith 
 may exifl in an unre generate Heart. 
 
 (2.) True Faith fuppofes, thzha-v & G of pel 
 are rightly underflood, Sz beheld in their Glory ; 
 the Law approved with all the Heart, as holy, 
 juft and good ; the Gofpel believed, and com- 
 plied with, with all the Heart. — -But your Faith 
 is confident with a reigning Enmity againft both 
 Law and Gofpel. 
 
 (3.) True Faith is an holy A£t. — Butyour's 
 has nothing of the Nature of Holinefs in it ; 
 arifes from no higher Principle than Self-love. 
 
 (4.) In true Faith, nothing is believed, but 
 what is plainly revealed in ththcAy Scriptures. — 
 B-ut in your Faith, the main Things believed are 
 no where contained in the Bible — " Pardon is 
 mine, Grace is mine, Chrift and all his fpiritual 
 Bleffifigs are mine." 
 
 (5.) In true Faith, the Things believed were 
 as true, before they were believed, as after ; 
 being ail contained in the Scriptures of Truth. — 
 But in your Faith, the Things believed were not 
 true, before they were believed ; not being con- 
 tained in the Bible. 
 
 (6.) True Faith is funded wholly on that 
 Revelation,which is ivade'm the turrit en fp'ord. — 
 But your Faith, having no Support from Scrip- 
 ture, Senfe, or Reafon, is founded wholly in a 
 heated Imagination ; or, which is no better, on 
 a. new Revelation; not contained in the written 
 N Word : 
 
i34 Dialogue II. 
 
 Word : i. e. one is founded on good Evidence ; 
 the other, nor. 
 
 (7.) The great 'Difficulty in the Way of true 
 Faith,arifes from theTVickednefs ofthcHeart — 
 But the great Difficulty in theWay of yourFaitb, 
 is, that there is no Evidence of the Truth of the 
 thing believed, fromScripture, Senfe, orReafon : 
 But rather, a Man is obliged to go contrary to 
 them all. 
 
 (8.) True Faith is -wrought in the Heart by 
 the holy Spirit, in Regeneration, imparting di- 
 vine Life to the dead Soul, opening the Eyes to 
 behold divine Truths in their Glory & Reality : 
 In Ccnfequence of which, the Go/pel is under- 
 ftood, believed & embraced with all the Heart. — 
 But your Faith is wrought by your being made, 
 by fome Means or other, to believe fome Things 
 as true, that are not revealed in Scripture. 
 
 (9.) In true Faith, the TVay of Salvation by 
 free Grace thro Jefus Chrift, being underftood 
 and believed, is heartily approved of, and acqui- 
 efced in, as being glorious for God, and fafe for 
 the Sinner : And our entire 'Dependence for 
 Acceptance with God, is on the free Grace of 
 God thro Jefus Chrift, as exhibited in the writ- 
 ten Word. — Whereas, your Faith does not pro- 
 perly confift in 'Dependence, but \n-Confidence — 
 Not in looking to the free Grace of God thro' 
 Jefus Chrift:, that you may be pardoned, fan&i- 
 fied and faved ; not in flying for Refuge, and 
 laying hold on this Hope fet before you j but 
 
 in 
 
Dialogue II. 135 
 
 in being confident, that " Pardon is mine, Grace 
 is mine, Chrift and all his fpiritual Bladings are 
 mine" — In being " really perfuaded in my 
 Heart, that Chrift is mine, and that I fliall have 
 Life and Salvation by him" ; without any Evi- 
 dence " from Scripture, Senfe, or Reafon." * 
 
 (10.) True Fa/ith is always attended with 
 Love to God, arifing from a Senfe of his own in- 
 finite dmiablenefs , as its infeparable Concomi- 
 tant. — Your Faith is fometimes followed with a 
 fecming Love to God, arifing merely from be- 
 lieving that be loves you. 
 
 (n.) But the mofl remarkable Difference of 
 
 all, is, that true Faith aclually unites the Man 
 
 to yefus Ghrift, as the Branch is united to the 
 
 Vine, {Job. xv. 5.) In Confequence of which 
 
 N 2 every 
 
 * I grant, that Writers on that Side of the Quefiion, 
 fpeak much of trufting in Cbriji, and rcjTing upon 
 bim, &c. Yet according to them, previous to this 
 Y ruft, and that which encourages to it, is a Belief 
 that " Pardon is mine, Grace is mine, Chrift ami 
 all his fpiritual Bleffings are mine." And fo I 
 believe that my Sins are pardoned, before I begin 
 to truft in Chrift. I do not come to Chrift, but 
 rather ftand off and keep at a Diftance, till I fee 
 he is mine, and can call God, My God. So that, 
 ftricriy fpeaking, I am jujlified^ and know ihat I am 
 jit/iified, before 1 dare come to Chrijl, and truji in 
 bin., --Thus the Matter is flated, in— -D.p. 312. 
 
1 3 ^ Dialogue II. 
 
 every true Believer aclually receives the Spirit 
 of Chrifl: to dwell in him. * {Rom. viii. 9. Eph. 
 i. 13. Gal. iii. 2, 14. 1 Jch.'w. 13. and ii. 27. 
 ifow. Viii. 14. Gal. v. 18.) In Confequence of 
 this, a certain Foundation is laid, to bring forth 
 Fruit unto God (Rom. vii. 4.) in every Inflance 
 (Matth. xiii. 23.) And the Path of the Jitjl 
 is as the Jbining Light y which jhi net h more and 
 more unto the perfcel ^Day. (Prov. iv. 1 8.) If 
 he falleth, he rifeth up again. (Prov. xxiv. r 6.) 
 Every Branch that beareth Fruit, Gcd purgeth 
 ■t, and fo it bringeth forth more Fruit. (Job. 
 :;v. 2.) Whence, near or quite all the Saints we 
 
 read 
 
 Although it is plain from Scripture, that Regene- 
 ration is before the firft Acl or faving Faith (Job. 
 i. 12, 13.) And that Faith is wrought by the In- 
 fluences of the holy Spirit— {Eph. i. rg.) Yet it 
 is equally plain, that the Gift of the holy Spirit, 
 to dwells us, as an abiding Prindple of divine Life, 
 is after we are united to Chrift by Faith. {Eph. i. 13. 
 GV.iii. '4.) rffter Union to Chrifl we have a Cove- 
 ?2ar.t-PJgbt to the holySpirit (GW.iii.29.)may have 
 divine Grace, at any Time, for afking. (Luk. xi. 
 13.) But before Union with Chrifr, we have no 
 7<iol;t---God is at abiblute Liberty-— We lie at 
 his fovereign Mercy. (Rom. ix. 15, 18.) And 
 accordingly, regenerating Grace is the FfTecl of 
 his fovereign good Pleafure. (Matth. xi. 25, 26. J 
 NoPromifes of favingGruce are made to thePrayers 
 or Doings of Sinners out of Chrift. Gal. iii. 10. 
 2 Cor. 1. 20. Job. iii. 18, 36. 
 
Dialogue II. 137 
 
 read of in Scripture, ufually fpeak the Language 
 of Ajfurance, as being confcious to this divine, 
 habitual Change wrought in them by God's holy 
 Spirit. — But thus it is not with your Kind of 
 Faith. — Nor is AflTu ranee, this TV ay, to be ob- 
 tained on your Scheme. 
 
 (12.) As a natural Confequence of the whole, 
 the feveral Sy/lems of experimental Religion, 
 relulting from thefetwoKinds of Faith, however 
 in Appearance they may be alike, yet in Reality 
 are ejfentially different, throughout. While the 
 true Believer is 'driving to grow in Grace, the 
 falfe Pretender is driving to maintain his T>e- 
 lufion. 
 
 Ther. 1 thank you, Sir, for pre fentlnft ructi- 
 ons. And with your Leave, 1 will return to 
 Morrow Evening ; as 1 want to hear your 
 Thoughts on one Sub/eft more. 
 
 Paul. The Evening fhall be at your Ser- 
 vice, God willing. 
 
 So ended the fecond Converfation, and I re> 
 tired again to my Clofet, — with what Views of 
 my fpiritual Stafe, you may eafily guefs — Oh, 
 my dear x spasio ! — What ! Are we all wrong 1 
 Or havel mifunderflood yourScheme! — I hope, 
 I wifh, no poor Sinner on Earth was ever fo 
 deluded 11 ; as J have been — The Lord have 
 Mercy on we! — O, my dear Aspasjo, thai 
 N 3 youk 
 
138 Dialogue II. 
 
 you had been prefent, and heard nil that 
 paded ! — But alas, the wide Ocean keeps ns 
 three Thoufand Miles apart ! However, with 
 you, even now with you, is the diilrefTed Heart 
 of 
 
 Your difconfolate. 
 
 Theron. 
 
 xxxxxxvs< -ooxx <xxxxx»oc>oxxxxx^<x 
 
 Dialogue 
 
 ><x>c^<><>c<>c<>c^>o<>o^^ 
 
E U9 I 
 
 * 
 XXXX^yXXXXXXXXXXXXX;^XXXXXXK>sXX 
 
 Dialogue III. 
 
 JFednefday-Everiing&cc. r 3.1 758, 
 
 $?®®§H&Ccording to Appointment, T made my 
 £>«-&$- third Vint. TheSubjecl propofed was 
 fi-^S **T>oeirine of .ASSURANCE. 
 QHft.^^M W^ f°°n entered upon it : And this 
 is the Sum of what pafTed. 
 
 ^her. May the People of God, in thisLife r 
 attain to a certain .Affurance, that they are in~a 
 State of Favour with God, and intitled to eter- 
 nal Glory ? 
 
 Paul. As there is a fpecific Difference be- 
 tween true Grace and all Counterfeits ; as true 
 Grace in the Heart is naturally difcerniblc, like 
 all our other inward BiafTcs; as the Saints in Scrip- 
 ture ufually fpeak theLanguageof AfTurance ; as 
 Saints in all Ages are exhorted to feek AfTurance 
 (2 Pet. i. 10.) and as there are many Rules 
 laid down in Scripture to determine in this Cafe, 
 and many Promifes made for the Encouragement 
 of Saints, the defigned Advantage of which can- 
 not be enjoyed. without AfTurance j lb, for theft 
 
 and 
 
140 Dialogue III. 
 
 and other" Reafons, I believe, that Affurance is 
 attainable, in this Life, in all ordinary Cafes 
 at lead. 
 
 Ther. How and by what Means may the 
 Children of God attain AfTurance ? 
 
 Paul. Sanclification, taking the Word in a 
 large and comprehenfive Senfe, is the Evidence, 
 the only Scripture-Evidence, of a good Efiate. 
 
 Ther. What do you mean by Sanclification, 
 in this large and coniprehenfive Senfe ? 
 
 Paul. It is ufual for Divines to diftinguifh 
 between Regeneration and Converfion, between 
 firft Converfion and progrefTive SancYinxation, 
 between divine Views and holy Affections, be- 
 tween Grace in the Heart and an holy Life and 
 Converfation ; but I mean to comprehend all 
 under one general Name. Yon may call it the 
 Image of God, or Holinefs of Heart and Life, 
 or a real Conformity to the divine Law, and a 
 genuine Compliance with the Gofpel of Chrift. 
 I have already let you fee, what 1 apprehend to 
 be the Nature of Law and Gofpel, of Love to 
 God, and Faith in Chrift. — When I fay, this is 
 the only Evidence, 1 mean, that this is the only 
 Thing, wherein Saints and Sinners, in every 
 Inftance, differ. One has the Image of God, 
 the other .has not. — Or to exprefs myfelf in the 
 Language of Infpiration {Job. xvii. 3;) This if 
 Life eternal, to know thee the only true God, 
 cmd Jefus Chrift whom thou haft fent. And 
 (1 Job, ii. 5, 4, 5.) Hereby zve do bn&w thai 
 
 %ve 
 
Dialogue III. 141 
 
 we know him, if we keep his Commandments. 
 He that faith, I know him, and keepeth not his 
 Commandments, is a Liar, and the Truth is 
 not in him. But zuhofo keepeth his Word, in 
 him verily is the Love of God perfected : Here- 
 by know we that we are in him. 
 
 Ther. What is the bejl Method, a true Saint 
 can take, to maintain a conitant Afllirance of his 
 good E(l ate ? 
 
 Pa u l. To live in theExercife of all chrifiian 
 Graces in his own Heart every Day, and to be 
 conHantly influenced and governed by them in 
 all his external Conduct in theWorld : Growing 
 in Grace, and prejjlng forward to Perfection* 
 2 Per. i. 5, — 11. 
 
 Ther. But is it pojjible, that all true Saints 
 fliould live fo ? 
 
 Pa u l. Why not? — For,they are all deliver'd 
 from the Power of Sin {Rom. vi. 2, — 14.) are 
 married to (Thrift, in whom all Fulnefs dwells 
 (Rom. vii. 4.) have already every Principle of 
 Grace in their Hearts (Job. i. 15.) and the Spirit 
 of God actually dwelling in them {Rom. viii. 9.) 
 and conftantly influencing them, to fuch a De- 
 gree, that they do not, they even cannot, feel 
 and live as others do (1 J oh. iii. 9.) * yea, 
 
 actually 
 
 * 1 Job. iii. 9. +W bo fa ever is born of God> doth not 
 cc?nmit Sin : For his Seed remaineth in him : And he 
 cannot fifty becaufe he is bom of God.— -He doth not , 
 
 and 
 
142 Dialogue III. 
 
 actually carrying on the Work of San&ifkaiion. 
 (J eh. xv. 2.) — The God of all Grace ready, 
 mean while, to grant all further needful Help, 
 as ready as ever a kind Parent was to give Bread 
 to a hungry Child. (Maith. vii. 7, — 11.) So 
 that they are compleatly furnimed to live daily 
 in the Exercife of every Grace. (Eph.u. 10.) 
 Yea, this is expected of them, as they would act 
 up to their proper Character. (Eph. iv. 1 .) Yea, 
 1 will venture to add, having (b good an Autho- 
 rity as the Son of God, that, though there are 
 different Degrees of Grace and Fruitfulnefs a- 
 mong true Saints, yet . it is their common Cha- 
 racter, to bring forth Fruit, feme an Hundred 
 Fold, feme Sixty , feome Thirty. (A/b/^.xiii.23.) 
 
 So 
 
 and he cannot, at any Time : For his Seed always 
 remaineth in him : So that thefe Words teach us, 
 that there is at all Times a real Difference be- 
 tween a Saint and Sinner. 
 
 It is true, there is no particular Biafs, or Inclination, 
 whether natural or gracious, in the Heart of Man, 
 but may be counteracted. But to counteract the 
 habitual Biafs of theHeart, is quite different from 
 acting agreeably to the habitualBiafs of theHeart. 
 The Saint counteracts the habitual Biafs of Ins 
 Heart 9 when he fins. The Sinner zfts agreeable to 
 the habitual Biafs of his whole Heart, when he fins. 
 So a Saint never fins with all his Hearths the Wick- 
 ed Man does. He cannot, beczute h\sSeed remains in 
 him ; becau fe he is hern of God. The Spirit -lufl-eth a- 
 £<iin/l the Flefh ; fo that he cannot. Gal. v. 17. 
 * J Therefore 
 
Dialogue III. 143 
 
 So that it feems more difficult to reconcile it 
 with Scripture, that^ true Saint (there being no 
 extraordinary bodilyDifeafe,as ihcHypochondria, 
 &c. nor other extraordinary Circumftances, that 
 may account for \t) fhould live along in the 
 Dark, full of Doubts and Fears about his State, 
 from Year to Year ; I fay, more difficult to re- 
 concile this with Scripture, than it is to prove 
 that they may live fo, as to make their Calling 
 and Election fure, according to that Exhorta- 
 tion in 2 Pet. i. 5, — 1 1. 
 
 Ther. But I have known fome, efteemed 
 true Converts, who after their Converfion, have 
 lain dead, without any fenfible divine Influence* 
 for Months together. 
 
 Paul 
 
 Therefore good iMen, when they fall, are rejllefs, 
 till they come to Repentance ; as was the Cafe 
 with David. Pfal. xxxii. 3, 4, 5. For they are 
 out of their Element ; all is Vanity and Vexation of 
 Spirit ; as wa*s the Cafe with Solomon. Eccl. i, 2. 
 As when Haman led Mordecai thro' the Street of 
 Sbujhan, on the King's Horfe, drefled in the Royal 
 Jpparel, and proclaimed his Honours in the Ears 
 of the People, he acted exceeding contrary to the 
 habitual Biafs of his Heart (Ejlh. vij So did 
 Peter, when he denied his Matter ; and there- 
 fore at one Look of Chrift, he went out and zvept 
 bitterly. -— So that thefe Inftances, tho* often 
 alledged, are not to the Purpofe of Stony* Ground' 
 Hearers. For they have no Root in thcmfelves. 
 / They receive the JVord with Joy, endure for a while y 
 
 and fall away. Matth. xiii. 20, 21. See Mr. 
 
 Edwards on Riligious Jjfeftions,\>. 2^^- — 2"jj. 
 
144 Dialogue III. 
 
 Paul. Why did not you add, — and Years 
 together f — For once I knew of one, counted an 
 eminent Chrillian, who declared he lay dead 
 twelve Tears, without one A£t of Grace all that 
 Time. — But what Good do fuch Converfions 
 do ? If Men are as much under the Power of 
 ihmtvulDeath after their Converfions,as before, 
 what Benefit is there in being converted ? And 
 what becomes of all thofe Scriptures, which de- 
 clare, He Jball fave his People from their Sins. 
 (Matth. i.2 i .) That we might ferve him, with- 
 out fear, in Holinefs and Right eon fnefs all the 
 'Days of our Lives. (Luk.i. 43.) A new Heart 
 will I give you, and a new Spirit will I put 
 within you,and I will take away the flony Heart 
 out of your Flefh, and I zuill give you an Heart 
 of Flefo : and I will put my Spirit within you, 
 and caufe you to walk in my Statutes, and ye 
 fljall keep my Judgments, and do them. (Ezek. 
 xxxvi. 26,27.) IP ho gave hi mf elf for us, that 
 he might redeem us from all Iniquity ,and purify 
 unto himf elf a peculiar People, zealous of good 
 Works. (Tit. ii.14.) — And pray takcNotice,my 
 dear Theron t , that, asGod gave the Law, writ- 
 ten on Tables of Stone, to Jfrael, to all Ifrael 
 according to the FlefJi, which Covenant (T)eut. 
 ix. 9 — 15) they did break (Heb. viii. 9.) fo he 
 has exprefly promifed to all the fpiritual Ifrael, 
 i.e. to all true Believers (Gal.'m. 2 9. ) that he will 
 write his Law in their Hearts, i. e. give them 
 an inward Temper of Mind anfwerable to his 
 
 written 
 
Dialogue III. 145 
 
 written Law. (Heb.vm.io. ) — A Hypocrite may 
 go to God, and fay, "Pardon is mine, Grace is 
 mine," and be raviflied with his own DeJufion : 
 but God doth, in fact, write his Law in ths 
 Heart of every true Believer. — This is God's 
 Mark, put upon all that are of his Flock ; 
 whereby his Sheep are dijlinguijbed from the 
 reft of the World. 
 
 Ther. But cannot a Man, who is very un- 
 certain of his Sanclification, befure of eternal 
 Life fome other way ? 
 
 Paul. Our Saviour having defcribed the 
 Chriftian Temper and Life in his Sermon on the 
 Mount, concludes with the flrongeit A durances, 
 that fuch,and fuch only, as are truly fanclify'd, 
 fhall be finally faved. If we are fuch, our Houfe 
 is built upon a Rock -; if not, our Houfe is built 
 upon the Sand. — Now, my dear Ther on, we 
 hope to go to Heaven when we die. So do many, 
 who will be finally difappointed. How fhall 
 you and I know, that our Foundation is good ? 
 who can tell us ? Surely none better than he 
 who is to be our Judge. Could we afk our 
 bleded Saviour, Lord, how fball we know f 
 What would he fay ? — Thanks be to God, we 
 know what he would fay, as furely as though he 
 fhould anfwer us with an audible Voice from 
 Heaven. For he is now of the fame Mind, as 
 when he dwelt onEarth. What he then taught, is 
 left onRecord, plain for all to read, that none might 
 miftake in a Point of fuch infinite Importance. 
 
 O Take 
 
1^.6 -Dialogue III. 
 
 Take your Bible, \\\y Ther on, read our Sa- 
 viour's Sermon on the Mount ; and there you 
 will fee iheCbarafler of a true ChrifHan, drawn 
 by an infallible Hand ; and find a TV/?, by 
 which you may fafely try yourStatc. — The true 
 Chriftian is humble, peni ten', meek, longing after 
 Holinefs, merciful, pure in Heart, a Peace- 
 maker, v/illing to fart with (ill for Chrift, and 
 to go thro' the great eft Sufferings in his Caufe. 
 (Matth. v. i,— 12.)— Like Salt, he is full of 
 Life and Spirit : like Light, by his Knowledge 
 and Example he enlightens all around him, and 
 is an Honour to his Mafler (Ver. 13, — 16.)--- 
 lives by zftricler Rule than any Hypocrite {f\-r. 
 20.) — does not juftify nor indulge the lea ft 
 Grudge againft his Neighbour, or thefrft Stir- 
 rings of any Corruption in his Heart (Fer. 2 1 , — 
 42.) — loves, not only his Friends, but his Ene- 
 mies, even his tvorft Enemies (Fer. 43, — 48.) — 
 gives .Alms, and prays, as in the Sight cf God 
 (Chap. vi. 1, — 5.) — is chiefly concerned for the 
 Honour of God, and Kingdom and Inter eft of 
 Chrifl: in the World {f T er. 9, 10.) — chufes God 
 for his Portion, lays up his 'Treafure in Heaven, 
 and means with an honeft Heart*, with a JinaU 
 Eye, only to be Gva^s Servant ; and trufting 
 his kind Providence for temporal Supplies, he 
 makes it his chief Buftnefs to be truly religious 
 (Fer. 19, — 34.) — Not of a carping, captious, 
 cenforious Difpofition ; but chiefly attentive to, 
 and moftly concerned to amend, his own Faults 
 
 {Chap. 
 
Dialogue III. 147 
 
 {Chap. vii. f, — 5.) — he prays, and his Prayers 
 are anfwered (Ver. 7, — 11.) — and in Imitation 
 of the divine Goodnefs, he is kind to all around 
 him, doing as he would be done by (Ver. 12.), — 
 at hisConverfion, he enters in at ihisftraitGate 
 of drift Piety, and through the Courfe of his 
 Life he travels in this narrow JVay of Holinefs, 
 almoft alone, few fuited with that Road, many 
 walking in broader TV ays (Ver. 13, 14.) — nor 
 will he be diverrcd from thefc Sentiments and 
 Ways, by any Preachers or Writers, whatever 
 Appearances of Holinefs and Devotion they 
 may put on. ( ver. 15.) — 
 
 Ther. But do you really and verily believe, 
 that none will at lad be admitted into Heaven, 
 but thofe who are of this Char after f 
 
 Paul. Pray, my dear Theron, read our 
 Saviour's Anfwer to your Queflion, and believe 
 it. — Believe that he means as he fays. 
 
 . Tier. Not every one that faith unto me, 
 Lord, Lord, ft all enter into the Kingdom of 
 ■Heaven : but he that doth the Will of my Fa- 
 ther -which is in Heaven, (ver. 21.) 
 
 P ul. Obferve — that DOTH— not that 
 did fomeYearsago — But that DOTH, through 
 the Courfe of his Life. — Forgive this Interrupti- 
 on. — Pray, read on 
 
 Ther. Many will fay to me in that 'Day, 
 Lord, Lord, have we not prophefted in thy 
 Name ? and in thy Name c aft put Devils ? 
 and in thy Name done many wonderful Works ? 
 {Ver. 22.) O 2 Paul. 
 
148 Dialogue III. 
 
 Paul. You fee, they arc in confident Ex- 
 pectation of eternal Life. But what is their 
 Doom ? 
 
 Ther. And then will I prof ef unto them, 
 I never knew you : depart from me, ye that 
 work Iniquity. Therefore, zuhofoever heareth 
 thefe Sayings of mine, and doth them, I will 
 liken him unto a wife Man, which built his 
 Houfe upon a Rock ; and the Rain defended, 
 and the Floods came, and the Winds blew, and 
 beat upon that Houfe : and it fell not, for it 
 was founded upon a Rock. And every one that 
 heareth thefe Sayings of mine, and doth them 
 not, /Jiall be likened unto a foolifli Man, which 
 built his Houfe upon the Sand : and the Rains 
 defended, and the Floods came, and the Winds 
 blew, and beat upon that Houfe : and it fell, 
 and great was the jail of it. [Ver. 23, — 27.) 
 
 Paul. Obferve, my dear Ther on, our Sa- 
 viour does not fay, Every one who firmly be- 
 lieveth that he fbaJl be faved, however uncon- 
 fcious of fanclifyingOperations in his ownBreafl, 
 froall,as fure as God is true, be for ever happy. — 
 No — but juft: the Reverfe. He fays, that how- 
 ever confident Men be of Salvation, yet if they 
 do not the Things contained in his Sermon, their 
 Hopes fhall infallibly be difappointed. — Now 
 fay, my dear Ther on, do you believe this 
 Do&rine, taught by our blefled Saviour ? 
 
 Ther. I muft own, I have not been wont 
 to view Things juft in this Light. " I ufed to 
 
 " think 
 
Dialogue III. 149 
 
 t{ think, I need not trouble myfelf, to find out a 
 4 Multitude of Marks and Signs of true Grace, 
 *' if I could find a few good Ones. Particularly, 
 " I thought, 1 might kmw I -was faffed from 
 41 "Death to Life, if I loved the Brethren."* 
 
 Paul. Your Few good Ones are all Coun- 
 terfeit, if alone, feparate from other good ones. 
 For the true Saint receives every Grace from 
 Chrift. {jfoh. i. 1 6.) Nor did Chrift mean to 
 (ingle out a few in his Sermon, but to give a 
 brief Summary of the wholeChriftian Life. And 
 he that heareth thefe Sayings of mine, & doth 
 them, — not, doth a few of them — but doth them t 
 one and all. Read thro' the ift Epiftle of John, 
 and you will fee this Sentiment confirmed — 
 Where there is one Grace, there is all. If there 
 is not all, there is none, j 
 
 O 3 Ther, 
 
 * M. p. 291, 292. 
 
 X However on the Arminian and Jntinomian Schemes 
 of Religion, in which nothing is truely harmoni- 
 ous and confident, what they call Graces^ may, 
 fome Particulars of them be found alone ; yet on 
 St. Paul's Scheme this can never happen, p'or 
 every Grace natively refults from thofe divine 
 Views, which lay the Foundation of any one 
 Grace. Beholding as in a Glafs the Glory of the 
 Lord, as mining forth in theLaw & in theGofpel, 
 we art changed into the fame Image,— '), e. into a real 
 Conformity to the Law, and a genuine Compli- 
 ance with the Gofpel, comprising all the Branches 
 of Religion. See Mr., Edwards on Religious 
 Affections. P. 249,-261. 
 
150 Dialogue ITI. 
 
 Tier. Bin, Sir, fufFer mc to rcll you, that 
 M this Method of fecking Peace and AfTurance, 
 " 1 fear, will perplex the fimplc- minded ; and 
 44 cherifk, rather than fnpprefs, the Fluctuations 
 " of Doubt. For, let the Signs be what you 
 " pleafe, a Love of the Brethren, or a Love of 
 M all Kightcoufnefs, a Change of Heart, or an 
 <4 Alteration of Life j thefe good Qualifications 
 *'• are fomctimes like the Stars at Noon-Day, 
 <■ 'not eafily, if at all, difcernible ; orelfe they 
 4t are like a Glow- Worm in the Night, ghm- 
 44 mering, rather than fhining : Confequently 
 " will yield, at the belt, but a feeble, — at the 
 ** word, a very precarious Evidence. — If, in 
 44 fuch a Manner, we fhould acquire fome little 
 44 AfTurance, how foon may it be unfettled by 
 44 the Incurfions of daily Temptations, or de- 
 44 nroyed by the InfurrecYion of remaining Sin ! 
 44 At inch a Juncture, how will it keep its Stand- 
 4t ing ! How retain its Being 1 It will fare like 
 44 a tottering Wall, before a Tempeft ; or be as 
 41 the Rujh without Mirt, and the Flag i&ith- 
 44 out Water. Job viii. 1 1. 
 
 KInftead therefore of poring en our own 
 44 Hearts, to difcover, by inherent Qualities, 
 "-our Interen. in Chrift, 1 fhould rather renew 
 44 my Application to the free and faithful Pro- 
 41 m'je of the Lord : aflcrt and maintain my 
 44 Title on this unalterable Ground. — Pardon 
 * c is mine, 1 would fay, Grace is mine, Chrifi 
 ** and alibis f^i ritual B I ejp jjj are mine. Why I 
 
 « 4 Becaufj 
 
Dialogue III. 151 
 
 M Becaufc I am confcious 0/TancYifyingO/urra* 
 " tions in my ozvnBreafl ? Rut her, becaufeG od 
 " hath fpoken in his Holinefs ; becaufe all theft 
 " precious Privileges are configned over to me 
 41 in the ever la/ling Gofpel, with a CI came fs 
 c< unqucflionable as thefruth, with a Certainty 
 %i inviolable as the Oath of G d? y * 
 
 Paul. But did you not ufe to think, that 
 Faith was productive of goodJVorks ? Yea, did 
 not your As pa si o teach you this Doctrine ? 
 
 Th.ir. I muft confefs, he did. This was 
 once the Language.of my A s p a s t o to me, while 
 I was yet an Unbeliever. To give me an ex- 
 a/ted Idea of Faith, thus he taught me. " Faith 
 will make every Power of our Souls fpring for- 
 ward, to glorify our heavenly Father, — glorify 
 him by every Inllance of Obedience, Fidelity 
 and Zeal." f " It makes all the Powers of our 
 Souls like the Chariots of Jlmminadib, ready, 
 expedite, and active in Duty." j " 'This is the 
 Love of God, that tve walk after his Command- 
 ments. This is the natural Fruit, this the cer- 
 tain Evidence, of Love to that glorious, tran- 
 fcendent, and adorable Being." — " It buildeth 
 up the fair Fabric of Univerfal Godlinefs." || It 
 " will diffufe itfelf thro every intellectual Fa- 
 culty, and extend to every Species of Duty, till 
 the whole Heart is filled with the Image, and- 
 the whole Behaviour regulated by the Law of 
 
 the 
 
 • D. p. 36 r, 362, f D.p. 169. t D.p. 176. 
 
 Il d:>. 177? 
 
152 Dialogue III. 
 
 the bleffed God." * — It " will induce us to 
 prefent all the Members of our Bodies, and all 
 theFaculties of ourSouls, as a living Sacrifice to 
 the Honour of God, to be employed in his Ser- 
 vice and refigncd to his Will" — to " be as Pil- 
 grims below, and have our Converfation above." 
 " Such, my dear Theron," faid he to me, 
 " will be the Effe&s of Faith." f — " Nothing 
 is more certain, than that Faith is a vital, an 
 operative,, a victorious Principle.";, — u When 
 theyfr/? Converts believed, the Change of their 
 Behaviour was fo remarkabje, the Holinefs of 
 their Lives fo exemplary, that they won the 
 Favour, and commanded the Refpecl of all the 
 People. {y4cl. ii. 47.) In fhort, it is as impoflible 
 for the Sun to be in his meridian Sphere, and 
 not todiflipate Darknefs, or diffufe Light, as for 
 Faith to exift. in the Soul and not exalt the 
 Temper and meliorate the Conduct. t" — All 
 which, befides proving it by many Texts of 
 Scripture, he illuflrated at large, in the Example 
 of St. Paul & Abraham, § and concluded with 
 alluring me, that Faith lt will give Life to 
 every religious Duty" ** And make us " a* 
 bound in the Work of fbe Lord." ft — -Yea, at 
 another Time he taught' me, u that Faith, even 
 when weak, is productive of good Works." |}|| 
 
 Which 
 
 * D. p. t 79 . t D. /. 181. || D. p. 182. 
 % D. p. 182, 183. § D. p. 187,-203. 
 
 »• D. p. 206. -ft D. p. 207. (Hi Vol. If 
 Edit, I. p. 251, 
 
Dialogue III. 153 
 
 Which arc " the Proof/' and do " undeniably 
 attelt its Sincerity."* They are " the grand 
 Chara&eriftic, which diflinguifhes the Sterling 
 from the Counterfeit." \ " They will djftin- 
 guifh the true Believer from the hypocritical 
 ProfefTor, even at the great Tribunal. % — And 
 at another Time, I remember, my Aspasio 
 laid, " Do we love our Enemies ; blefs them 
 that curfe us ; do Good to them that hate us ; 
 pray for them which defpite fully ufe us, & per- 
 secute us ? Without this loving and lovely Dif- 
 pofition, we abide, fays the Apoftle, tn T>eath ; 
 are deflitute of fpiritual, and have no Title to 
 eternal Life." ]| 
 
 Paul. " NoTitle to eternal Life !" — How 
 dare you then go to God, and fay, " Pardon is 
 mine, Grace is mine, Chrift and all his fpiritual 
 Bleflings are mine" ! 
 
 Thek. This is that very Faith, which my 
 Aspasio taught me to exercife. And which 
 he afTured me, would be " as a Torch in a 
 Sheaf," § inkindling every Grace into a fudden 
 Flame. 
 
 Paul. But why then does not every Grace 
 
 flame out ? Why is not your Heart like the 
 
 Chariots of Amminadtb ? And your Title to 
 
 Heaven clear u from aConfcioufnefs of fanclify- 
 
 ing Operations in your own Breaft. ?" If your 
 
 Faith 
 
 * 
 
 Vol. I. Edii. 1. p. 252. f Vol. I. Edit. I. p. 
 259. % Vol. I. Edit. 1. p. 278. U Vol. II. 
 Edit. 2. p. 303. § D. p. 336. 
 
154 Dialogue HI. 
 
 Faith is " a vital, an operative, a victorious Prin- 
 ciple," why cannot you obtain a full Alliirance 
 from that " grand Characleriftic, which diftin- 
 guiflies the Sterling from the Counterfeit" in 
 this World ; and which " will diilinguifh the 
 true Believer from the hypocritical Profeflbr, 
 even at the great Tribunal ; " And without 
 which, you are in Fact " deftitutc of fpiritual* 
 and have no Title to eternal Life I 
 
 Ther. Once I had this Evidence, as I tho't. 
 clear in myFavour. — But by Experience I found 
 at length, that no fteady laiting Alliirance could 
 be had this Way. — For my Graces were moftly 
 " as the Stars at Noon," quite invifible : Or at 
 beft " as a Glow- Worm in the Night," but juft 
 to be fecn. So that the " little A flu ranee" I 
 had,was very unfteady. Yea, looking for Marks 
 of Grace,! found, "rather increafed myDoubts j" 
 as I could not but diicern more Evidences againfl 
 me, than for me. Therefore I gave up this 
 'Way, as tending to perpetual Uncertainty. And 
 as a more direct Way to Aflurance and Peace, 
 1 learnt to live by Faith ; to go to God, and 
 fay, " Pardon is mine, &c. 
 
 Paul. And all, my dear Ther on — " with- 
 out any Evidence from Scripture, Senfe, or 
 Reafon."-— -Yea, in direclOppofition to your own 
 Asp as 10, who affirms, that Faith is " a vital, 
 operative, victorious Principle." — Pray, how do 
 you know, that your Faith is Sterling, and not 
 Counterfeit !. — -Be quite impartial, and fay, is it 
 
 not 
 
Dialogue III. 155 
 
 not to be feared, that your Faith is what St. 
 James calls a dead Faith ? 
 
 Tiier. But the Time once was,.whcn I was 
 full of Light, Love and Joy. 
 
 Paul. Yes — Like a " Torch in a Sheaf" 
 all in a Flame of Love, to think your Sins were 
 pardoned. But you fee, that this Sort of Love, 
 like the Ifraelites Joy at the Side of the Red- 
 Sea, does not lad long. But like the Stony- 
 Ground, it endures for a while, and then comes 
 to nothing. And your Graces are now no more 
 to be feen than " the Stars at Noon" And 
 you rau ft give np your AiTurance, or take ano- 
 ther Courfe to fupport it. — And another Courfe 
 indeed you take, — to live by Faith ! — " With- 
 out any Evidence/' as Mr. Marshal owns, 
 whofe Book your Aspasio values next to the 
 Bible, — Without any Evidence "fromScripture, 
 Scnfe, or Reafon." And is. this that glorious 
 Faith, your Aspasio once fo highly extolled ! 
 Is all come to this at laft ! 
 
 Ther. Yes. — And did not Abraham thus 
 live by Faith ? who again/1 Hope believed in 
 Hope. (Rom. iv. 1 8.) And was not this the Way 
 of Saints in general under the old Teftament ? 
 When they ivalked in 'Darknef? and faw no 
 Light, they trufled in the. Lord, and fayed 
 the mf elves on their God. (Ifai. 1. 1 o.) And was 
 not this the Way of Saints in the apoftolicAge I 
 They walked by Faith, & not by Sight. (2 Cor. 
 v. 7.) "David checked himfelf for doubting. 
 
 Why 
 
156 Dialogue IIL 
 
 Why art thou cafl down, O my Soul ? (Pfal. 
 xlii.) And j4[aph looked upon it as his Sin. 
 Pfal.lxxvii. 10. 1 faid, This is my Infirmity. — 
 And Chrift often upbraided his Difciples for 
 their Unbelief. And St. Paul charges the He- 
 brewQo\vizx\% not to cafl away their Confidence. 
 Heb. x. 25. 
 
 Paul. Pray, my dear The r on, take your 
 Bible, and read the feveral Texts you refer to ; 
 read what goes before, and what follows after j 
 and you may cafily fee,not one of them is to your 
 Purpofe. — God had promifed to give Abraham 
 a Son,altho hisWife was not only barren, but alfo 
 by Reafon of Age pad Child- bearing : And noi- 
 withftanding the Difficulties in the Way of its 
 Accomplifhment, Abraham believed the divine 
 Promife. — God had by the Mouth of Samuel 
 promifed to give T>avid the Kingdom of Jfrael. 
 But he was banifned from his Country, & from 
 God's Sanctuary : his Enemies taunted ; yea, 
 and his Life was in continual Danger. So that 
 he was ready fometimes to fay, IfJiall perifb 
 one T)ay by the Hand <?/*Saul. But then again 
 he checked himfelf for giving way to fuch un- 
 reafonable Difcouragement ; after the expi efs 
 Promife of God to him. TVhy art thcu cafl 
 down, O my Soul ! However, thro all thePfalm 
 he appears confeious to the Exercife of Grace 
 in his Heart, and difcovers not the lead: Doubt 
 of the Goodnefs of his State. (See Pfal. xlii.) — 
 So the Captives in Babylon had an exprefs 
 
 Promife, 
 
Dialogue III. 157 
 
 Promife, that after feventy Years they fhould 
 return to Zion, But fuch an Event, fituate as 
 they were, Teemed incredible. Every thing 
 looked dark. They had no Light. They faw 
 no Way for their Return. But God had pro- 
 mi fed it ; and therefore, they (who feared the 
 Lord, and obeyed h'nVo'ice. i. e. who were " con- 
 fcious of falsifying Operations in their own 
 Breads) for their Encouragement, are exhorted 
 to caft: their Burden upon their God, and put 
 an implicit Faith in his Wifdom, Power and Ve- 
 racity ; and truft in him to accomplifli his Word. 
 (Read from If at, xlix. 13. to Ifau 1. 10.) — So 
 Afafh knew he was a fincere godlyMan ; as is e- 
 vident from thefeventy-t hi rdPfalm, throughout. 
 But he was fo overwhelmed with a View of the 
 calamitous State of God's Church and People 
 (See Pfal. lxxii. 20. and read the eleven Pfalms 
 following, intitled Pfalms of AfapJS) that fome- 
 times (like thofe in Ifai. xlix. 14.) he was ready 
 to fink under Difcouragement, as though God 
 had quite caft off his Church and People for 
 ever. For which he checketh himfelf, and en- 
 deavours to raife his Hopes, from a Remem- 
 brance of God's wonderful Works to Ifrael of 
 old, in bringing them out of 'Egypt. (Pfa/.\xx\\L) 
 So the Chriflian Hebrezus knew the Sincerity of 
 their Hearts, and the Goodnefs of their State, 
 by the Fruits of Holinefs. (Heb. vi. 9, 10. n.) 
 And the Confidence, that St. Paul exhorts them 
 to hold f aft, was their Confidence 'oi 'the Tir.th 
 P of 
 
158 Dialogue III. 
 
 of Chrijlianity ; for the ProfdTion of which, 
 they had already fuffered much, and were likely 
 to fufTer more : And yet if ihey drew back, and 
 renounced Chriflianity, it would coft them their 
 Souls. (Heb. x. 23, — 39.) — And though it is 
 true, our Saviour upbraided his Difciples for not 
 believing he was nfen from the Dead, of which 
 they had fufficient Evidence, &c. yet neither 
 they, nor any other Perfon, from the Beginning 
 of Genefis, to the End of the Revelation, were 
 ever blamed for doubting their Title to eternal 
 Life, while their Evidences were not clear. 
 
 Yea, our Saviour was fo far from encouraging 
 his Followers to this blind Faith, this bold Pre- 
 fumption, that his whole Sermon on the Mount 
 is directly levelled againft it. None are pro- 
 nounced Bleffed, but thofe who are endowed 
 with holy and divine Qualifications of Heart, 
 and lead anfwerable Lives. And though Men 
 were endowed with the miraculous Gifts of the 
 holy Spirit, and prophefied in ChrifP s Name, 
 and in his Name caft out T> evils, and did many 
 wonderful Tf^orks, and made a great Profellion, 
 and had high Confidence, crying. Lord, Lord ; 
 as our Saviour forefaw many would : Yet if they 
 were not under the real Government of that 
 divine'Temper, defcribed in that Sermon through- 
 out, our Saviour affirms, that at the Day of 
 Judgment he would bid them depart. (Matth. 
 vii. 21, — 2j.y — To go on, therefore, after all 
 this — confident we fliall have eternal Life, tho 
 
 unconfeious 
 
Dialogue III. 159 
 
 unconfcious offanclifying Operations in our own 
 Breads, — is, — forgive me, Theron, — is, I fay, 
 little better than downright Infidelity. Yea, 
 ditl we believe our Saviour to be an Impoftor, 
 we might with lefs Difficulty ex peel to get to 
 Heaven in iu ch a Way. For as lure as he was 
 a MeiTenger fent from God, Co fure fhall we find 
 the Doctrine contained in his Sermon on the 
 Mount verified at that great Day, when he fhall 
 come to judge the World. — Wherefore, be not 
 deceived, O my Theron ! God will not be 
 mocked. For whatfoever a Man foweth, that 
 alfo Jball he reap. (Gal. vi. 7.) 
 
 To refer to thofe Words of St. Paul (2 Cor. 
 v. 7.) We walk by Faith, and not by Sight, as 
 you do, and to imagine, that St. Paul and the 
 primitive Chriftians lived at fuch a low, blind, 
 prefumptuoiis Rate, calls infinite Reproach upon 
 Cbriftianity, For they all, with unvaried Faces, 
 ■beheld as in a Glcfs the Glory of the Lord, and 
 were changed into the fame Image from Glory 
 to Glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 
 2 Cor. iii. 1 8. — And divine and eternal Things 
 all lay open, as it were, to the Apoflle's View. 
 He looked at them ; he'faw them ; he believed 
 them : A Senfeof their infinitelmportance pene- 
 trated his Heart. He was clean carried above 
 all the Goods and Ills of this prefent World — 
 and like the Sun in the Firmament, he kept on 
 a fleady Courfe, till he had finifhed his Race, 
 and obtained a Crown cf Righteoufnefs. — And 
 P 2 thus 
 
1 60 Dialogue III. 
 
 thus HE lived by Faith. (2 C0r.1v.16, 17, 1 8v 
 and 2 7?J3f. iv. 6, 7, 8.) — Yea, it was an avowed 
 Principle, in the apoitolic Age, to judge of the 
 Goodnefs of their State, by the Holinefs of their 
 Hearts and Lives. 1 Joh. in. 6 Whofoever a- 
 bideth in him, finnetb not : Whofoever finneth> 
 hath not feen him, neither known him. Ver. 7. 
 Let no Man deceive you. Ver. 8. He that com- 
 ?nitteth Sin, is of the Devil. Ver. 0. Whofo- 
 ever is born of God, doth not commit Sin. Ver. 
 io. In this the Children of -God are manifefl t 
 and the Children of the Devil. — This was the 
 appflolic Criterion : — and therefore, if any pre- 
 tended to Converfion, if any pretended to be ac- 
 quainted with Chrift, who live*! not according to 
 our Saviour's InftrucYions, particularly in his 
 Sermon on the Mount, this was his Doom ; he 
 was branded for a Liar. 1 Joh. ii. 4. He that 
 faith, I know him, and keepeth not his Com- 
 mandmentSj is a Liar, and the "Truth is not 
 in him. 
 
 The?.. I grant, the Saints in Scripture ufual- 
 ly ipeak the Language of Aflurance ; but I al- 
 ways thought, " we hail no Caufe to judge, that 
 " this Aflurance was grounded on the Certainty 
 " of their own good Q\ialifications." * 
 
 Pa u L. Was not Abraham certain of his Sin- 
 cerity, when out of Love & Obedience to God 
 he left his Father's Iioufe and native Country ; 
 
 and' 
 
 M. />. 184. 
 
Dialogue III. 16.1 
 
 and at one Word fpeaking, felt a Heart prepared 
 to offer np his beloved IJaac f — Was not Mofes 
 certain of his Sincerity, when out of Love to the 
 Caufe of, God he defpifed all the Treafures of 
 Egypt j and afterwards felt he had rather die, 
 had rather have his Name blotted out of theBook 
 of theLiving,than thatGod fhould not effectually 
 take Care of theHonour of his own great Name? 
 Was not Job certain of his Sincerity, when with 
 fuch Calmncfs he faid, The Lord gave, and the 
 Lord hath taken away ; and blejjed be the 
 Name of the Lord ? Yea, did not he confiantly 
 aiTert his Sincerity, through all his Trials ? {Job 
 xxxi. 1, — 40.) — O hozu love I thy Law ! It 
 is my Meditation all the 'Drty,— -fays "David. 
 (Pfal. cxix. 97.) — Whom have Tin Heaven but 
 thee ? sAnd there is none upon Earth I defire 
 befides thee, — fay-' Jlfaph. (Pfal. Ixxiii. 25.) — • 
 / have zualked before thee in "Truth, and "with 
 aperfeclHeart, — feysHezekiah, looking Death 
 in the Face. (Ifai. xxxviii. 3.) — Thou know eft 
 that I love thee, — fays Peter. (Joh. xxi. 1 7.) — 
 Our rejoycing is this, thtTeftimony of our Con- 
 fcience, that in Simplicity & godly Sincerity, — 
 zee have had our Converfation in the World, — 
 fays Paul. (2 Cor. i. i 2. — But why do I men- 
 tion Particulars ? For this, even this, is the way 
 in which all fcriptural Saints attained Affurance. 
 I Joh. ii. 3. Hereby zue know that we knozu 
 him, if zue keep his Commandments. — And had 
 you lived in the apoftolic Age, O my Theron, 
 P 3 I 
 
j 62 Dialogue III. 
 
 I doubt not, all good People would have been 
 ready, on bearing fuch Talk as you have been 
 too much carry'd away with, to cry out, — But 
 know, thou vain Man, that Faith without 
 [Forks, is dead. (Jam. ii. 20. 
 
 Tjier. " If, in fuch a Manner, we fliould 
 " acquire fome little Afpurance, how foon may 
 44 it be unfett led- by the Incurfions of Tempta- 
 4t tion, or dellroyed by the lnfurreclion of re- 
 ** maining Sin ! At fuch a Juncture, how will 
 t; it keep its Standing 1 how retain its Being ! 
 44 It will fare like a tottering Wall before the 
 •' Tern pell: ; or be as the Rufb without Mire, 
 (i and the Flag withoutWater. Job. viii. 1 1."* 
 
 Paul. 'Tis true, when the Storm arifes, the 
 Houfe that is built upon the Sand, will be " like 
 a tottering Wall before the Tempeft." And 
 " as the Rufb without Mire, and the Flag 
 without Water" ', Jo the Hypocrite's Hope Jh all 
 per if b. (jfob viii. 11, 13.) — But in true Saints, 
 their Faith is " a victorious Principle." For 
 whatsoever is bom of God, overcometh the 
 World : And this is the Ficlory, that over- 
 cometh the World, even our Faith. (1 Joh.v.3.) 
 Nor fhall any ever be admitted to eat of the 
 Tree of Life, which is in the Mid/I of the Para- 
 dife ' of God, but he that overcometh. This is 
 the MefTage, which Chrift, fince his Exaltation 
 in Heaven, has fent to his Church on Earth. 
 
 Rev. 
 
 * D. p. 562. 
 
Dialogue III. 163 
 
 Rev. ii. 7, 11, 17, 26. and, iii. 5, 12, 21. and, 
 xxi. 7. And therefore, Bleffed are they that 
 do his Commandments, that theymay have Right 
 to thcTree of Life, and may enter in through ths 
 Gates' into the City. Rev. xxii. 14. 
 
 Ther. But are there not lbme, who are but 
 Babes in Chrift t 
 
 Paul. Yes. — And as new-bornBabes they 
 defire the fine ere Milk of the TVord, that they 
 may GKO IV thereby (1 Pet. ii. 2.) and as they 
 grow up unto a perfed Man (Eph. iv. 13.) 
 their AiTurance increafes in exaft Proportion. 
 (2 Pet. i. 5, — 10.) 
 
 Ther. This Doctrine of your's, " I fear," 
 will wound weak Chriitians, and " perplex the 
 fimple- minded." * ' 
 
 Paul. This Doctrine, fo plainly taught by 
 JESUS CHRIST and by ALL HIS APOS- 
 TLES, were it once thoroughly understood and 
 firmly believed, would not only l ' wound" and 
 u perplex" prefumptuous Hypocrites ; but 
 even/lay its Thoufands, yea, its tenThoufands : 
 while the Righteous would flourifh like the green 
 Bay-Tree, nouriflied up by Rich found and good 
 ^Doftrine. For never did *A [fur tine e, true and 
 genuine AiTurance, fo abound among ProfeiTbrs, 
 as in the apoftolic Age, when this was the 
 Doctrine univerfally in Vogue. — And then the 
 holy Lives of their Converts were fo " exem- 
 
 " plary ; 
 ■ » — — ■ »■ ■ 11. . 
 
 * D. p, 3^i % 
 
i6d. Dialogue III. 
 
 '* plary ; that ihey won the Favour and com- 
 u manded the Rcfpecl of ajl the People." And 
 Chriftianity, thus adorned by the conftantBeha- 
 viour of its ProfefTbrs, gained Ground every 
 where, in Spite of all the Efforts of Earth and 
 Hell. — Whereas, in the Days of Luther, in the 
 Days of Cromwell, and in our 'Day, when your 
 kind of AfTu ranee has been fo much in Vogue, 
 the Lives of many ProfeiTors have been fuch 
 as to bring Reproach upon Chriftianity, in the 
 Sight of the World. It was this, that prejudiced 
 the Papifts againft. the Reformation in Luther 's 
 Time. It was this, that prejudiced England a- 
 gainft experimental Religion in Cromwell s Time. 
 And it is this, it is this, O my Therov, that has 
 brought vital Piety into fiich general Contempt 
 in JS/ew- England, in thefe late Years. — Our 
 Oppofers cried, " Let us wait, and fee how thefe 
 Converts will turn out a few Years hence." 
 They waited — and are confirmed in their Infide- 
 lity : And Thoufands -feem to be gone offto the 
 •Arminian Scheme, or worfe. — Could I fpeak, 
 O my The ron, with a Voice like that of the 
 Arch-Angel, when he fhall wake up all the 
 Seeping Dead, I would found. an Alarm to all 
 God'sPeople thro the chriftian World, warn them 
 againft this Delufion, and invite them to return 
 back to the old apoftolic Doctrine. 
 
 Ther. But, dear Sir, it is not poflible for 
 •me to maintain Aflurance in this Way. To fup- 
 pofe that- my inherent Graces, which ate fo 
 
 difficult 
 
Dialogue III. 165 
 
 difficult to be difcerned, at bed:, and Co unfleady 
 and precarious, are a properFoundation on which 
 to build a fixed ^Ajjurance, is a Doctrine quite 
 romantic. — Yea, you may as well " place the 
 Dome of a Cathedral on theStalk of a Tulip."* 
 But on the other Hand, by the JVitnefs of the 
 Spirit, inContradiftincYion from inherent Graces> 
 a firm and unfhaken AfTu ranee of our eternal 
 Salvation may be obtained. \ 
 
 Pa u l. A firm and (olid ROCK is this Foun- 
 dation ; as he declares, who is the Son of God, 
 and our final Judge. — No, fay you, it is rather 
 like " the Stalk of a Tulip /"—On what Evi- 
 dence then will you venture your immortal Soul, 
 for a whole Eternity ? — On the JVitnefs of the 
 Spirit? — But, O my dear The ron, what good 
 will this Witnefs of the Spirit do you, when you 
 come to die ? When the Storm, rifes, when the 
 Rain defcends, the Flood comes, and the Wind 
 beats upon your Houfe, k will fall ; " like a 
 tottering Wall before the Temped," if not 
 founded on that very Rock, pointed out by our 
 blefled Saviour* Ten ThoufandWitnefTes, from 
 ten Thoufand Spirits, will (land you in no Stead. 
 For as true as that Jefus was the Mejfiahy the 
 Man that heareth his Sayings & doth them not, 
 fhall at laft hear that dreadful Word, /Depart — 
 'Depart, I knozv you not —I know you not, ye 
 Workers of Iniquity. — Then you will find, that 
 
 without 
 
 D. p. 36r. f M. p. 184.,— 188-. 
 
1 66 Dialogue III. 
 
 •without Holinefs no Man JJ.mll fee the Lord. 
 (Heb. xii. 14.) And then you will fee that 
 Saying, now to you fo incredible, made the Teft 
 of Admiflion into Heaven — No Alan can be 
 (Thrift's T>ifciple, unlefs he love him more than 
 Father and Mother ', Wife & Children, Hotifes 
 and Lands, yea, more than his own Life, (Mat. 
 x. 37, 38. Luk.xiv. 25, — 33.) — You may come 
 to the Door, and knock, and cry, Lord, Lord, 
 open to me ; and tell him, you firmly believed 
 in your Heart you fhould have eternal Life : 
 But if you are found a Worker of Iniquity, he 
 will bid you depart. — You may cry for Mercy ; 
 but your Cries will be for ever i>n vain. — That 
 Spirit, O my Ther on, which would make 
 you believe yourState to be good, when accord- 
 ing to Scripture it is bad, is not the holy Spirit, 
 by which the Scriptures were infpired j nor is 
 its Teftimony to be credited. 
 
 Ther. " But if I muft try the Witnefs of 
 <c the Spirit by the Sincerity of my Graces, the 
 11 Teftimony of the Spirit will ftand me in no 
 * Stead." * 
 
 Paul. If you truft to the Teftimony of the 
 Spirit, zvithout any Regard to the Sincerity of 
 your Graces, you have nothing but a Spirit, a 
 naked Spirit, to depend upon. And if your Spi- 
 rit fhould prove to be Satan, transformed into 
 an Angel of Light, you are deluded — your Soul 
 is loft — for ever loft. Ther. 
 
 * M. f 188. 
 
Dialogue III. \6y 
 
 Ther. But if we muft fir (I knozv by our in- 
 herent Graces, that we are the Children of God, 
 this would render the Witnefs of the Spirit 
 needlefs. 
 
 Paul. Unlefs we fir/} knoiv that we have 
 thefe inherent Graces, we can never be allured 
 of our good Eftate, according to our Saviour's 
 Sermon on the Mount. — Pray, mind this, my 
 dear Ther on. 
 
 Ther. Then you deny the immediate Wit- 
 nefs of the Spirit, I fuppofe. 
 
 Paul. This immediate Witnefs of the Spi- 
 rit, which you plead for, is certainly contrary to 
 Scripture. — For, it will tell a Man, his State is 
 good, when according to God's Word it is bad. — 
 And, which is directly to the Cafe in Hand, it 
 leads Men to build their Affurance, not on that 
 Rock our Saviour points out as the only fafe 
 Foundation, but on fomething entirely different ; 
 And, I'm forry to fay it, tempts Men to compare 
 what our Saviour calls a Rock, to the Stalk of 
 a Tulip. — This Spirit, therefore, being contrary 
 to Scripture, is not the Spirit of God, but the 
 Spirit of Delufion. 
 
 Ther. What, then, can the Witnefs of the 
 Spirit be ? 
 
 Pa ul. The Dcfign of a Witnefs is, to prove 
 a Point, to make it evident and certain ; that we 
 may believe it without the lead Doubt. — And 
 the Proof muft be legal Proof, or it will not pafs 
 inLaw. — Now, thePoint to be proved, is, — that 
 
1 68 Dialogue III. 
 
 I am a Child of God, a true 'Difciple ofChriJf ; 
 and fo intitlcd to eternal Life. For, none but 
 the Children of God, & true Difciples of Chrift, 
 are intitled to Heaven, according to the Word 
 of God : Which is the only Rule, whereby all 
 are finally to be judged. — But Chrift affirms, 
 that Tio Man can be his 'Difciple, unlefs he love 
 him more than Father or Mother, Wife or 
 Children, Houfes or Lands^ yea, more than his 
 own Life : And allures us in the moft plain and 
 exprefs Manner, that all who expect to go to 
 Heaven, not having fuch Hearts and Lives as 
 he defcribes in his Sermon, fhall certainly be 
 difappointed. — If, therefore, the Spirit of God 
 means to make it evident to me, that I am a 
 Child of God, a Difciple of Chrift, and fo an 
 Heir of Heaven, it tvill be, it mufl be, by a 
 Proof that will ftand in Law, a Proof the Bible 
 allows to be good. Otherwife, no Credit is to 
 be given to it : — unlefs we will fet afide this /w- 
 fallible Lazv-Book, by which all the chriftian 
 World is to be judged. — If the Proof will not 
 pafs with our final Judge, it ought not to pafs 
 with us now. But no Proof will pafs with our 
 final Judge, but what quadrates with the fore- 
 mentioned Declarations of our Saviour. For 
 he will not recede from his ownWords. — There- 
 fore, there is but this one Way to prove to my 
 Confcience, that I am a Child of God, a Difc 
 ciple of Chrift, and fo an Heir of Glory ; there 
 is but oneThing, that can poflibly convince me j 
 
 namely, 
 
Dialogue HI. iu<; 
 
 namely, for the Spirit of God to give mefucb 
 an Heart as the Children of God and true Di(- 
 ciples of Chrift have, according to the plain De- 
 clarations of theGofpel. — By this, I may know ; 
 and by nothing fhort of this. — If this Evidence 
 is doubtful, no other can, no other (hould, fat isfy 
 me. — If this is plain, no other is neceffary in 
 order to a full A flu ranee. — Therefore, then the 
 Spirit of God witneffes with my Spirit that 1 
 am a Child of God, when by a large Communi- 
 cation of divine Grace, this is made plain beyond 
 -all Doubt. — 1 feci the Heart of a Child towards 
 God ; a Heart full of Love, Reverence, Trufr, 
 Obedience ; a Heart to go to him as a Child to 
 a Father ; or in other Words, the Spirit of A- 
 doption, whereby I cry , Abba, Father. — And by 
 this I know I am a Child of God — and if a 
 Child, then an Heir, an Heir of God, and a 
 joint-Heir with Jefus Chrift. (Rom. viii. 16,17. 
 compared with ver. i, 5, 6, 9, 12, 13, 14.) — 
 Ail true Believers had this Seal of the Spirit 
 in the apoflolic Age. (Eph. i. 13.) And for 
 ought that you or I know, alltrueBelievers halve 
 had it in all fucceeding Ages ever fince. — 'Tis 
 certain, they have, in fome Degree. And it is 
 certain, no full AfTurance can be had, that is 
 genuine and good, unlefs they have it in fuch 
 a Degree, as to be plajn beyond all Difpute. 
 
 Ther. I ufed to think, the Spirit helped us 
 
 immediately, not by the Evidence of internal 
 
 •Graces, but inwiediately, without any ]\$ediw;\ 
 
 Q^ without. 
 
170 Dialogue III. 
 
 without any Evidence, to fee ourlntercft in the 
 Love of God, as held forth in the abfolute un- 
 conditional Grant of the Gofpel. So that one 
 might fay, " Pardon is mine, Grace is mine, 
 Chrift and all his fpiritual Bleffings are mine ; 
 not becaufe I am confeious of fanclifying Ope- 
 rations in my own Bread, but becaufe ail thefe 
 Bleffings are abfolutely made over to me in the 
 cverlafling Gofpel." This Deed of Convey- 
 ance, thus feen by the Help of the Spirit, was 
 the grand Demonftration of my Right to Pardon 
 andSaivarion. — And now believing the Love that 
 God hath unto uf, zee love him, becaufe he frji 
 loved us : And fo our Love to God, and other 
 Graces, are a kind of fecondary Evidence ; with- 
 out anyRegard to which, we may, yea, previous 
 to which, we mufl, have Affurance by the direel 
 *Acl of Faith. For it is this Affu ranee, this 
 Affurance alone, which inklndles our Love and 
 all our Graces; * 
 
 Paul. But it has been already proved, that 
 thefe Bleffings are not made over to us, as Sm- 
 ners, abfolutely and unconditionally ; but only 
 to thofe who are in Chrifl' by a true and living 
 Faith. — Your's, my dearTHERON, forgive me 
 thisFreedom, — your's is a falfe Gofpel — a falfe 
 Spirit — a falfe Faith — a falfeLove. All is falfe* 
 Built, at Bottom, on no Evidence ',' from Scrip- 
 ture, Senfe, or Reafon." 
 
 Ther. 
 
 * D. p. 358, 359, 360. 361, 362. 
 -' M. p. 184.,— -188. 
 
Dialogue III. 171 
 
 Ther. But amidft all this Error & Delufion, 
 how /ball we know the Truth ! 
 
 Paul. By making the zuritten Word our 
 Rule, our only Rule. — Once the Queftion was, 
 concerning Jefus of 'Nazareth, Art thou he that 
 Jbould come ? Or, look we /or another f Go and 
 /hew John, laid our blefled Saviour, tho/e things 
 which ye do hear and fee. The Blind receive 
 their Sight, the Lame walk, and the Lepers 
 are cleanfed, and the T>ea/ hear, the 'Dead are 
 raifed, and the Poor have the Gofpel preached 
 unto them. Matth. xi. 3, 4, 5. Theft were the 
 Characters of the Mefjiah, according to the fa- 
 cred Writings of the old Teftament ; and to 
 thefe he appeals. — Now the Quel! ion is con- 
 cerning Theron, Is he a true Believer, a real 
 Convert, a Chriftian, that our Lord will own at 
 the Day of Judgment ? Well, Go read, fay I, 
 our Saviour's Sermon on the Mount. Bleffed 
 are the Poor in Spirit — Ble/fed are they that 
 mourn, — the Meek, — &c. &c. to the -End. And 
 fee ; Is my Theron a Man of this Character ? 
 If fo, his Houfe is built upon a Rock, If nor, k 
 is built upon the Sand. If the holy Spirit has 
 wrought fo great a Miracle as to make you fuch 
 a Man, this is what the Devil cannot do. This 
 is fuch a JVitnefs of the Spirit as will pafs at 
 the great Tribuual : and you will need no other. 
 But without this, tenThoufand Revelations will 
 avail you nothing. Nay, but that will be your 
 certain Doom, 1 know you mt, depart /rom me, 
 ye Workers 0/ Iniquity. . Q_ 2. Had 
 
hfl Dialogue Iff. 
 
 Had one appeared, and claimed to be the 
 A4eJfiah,mthom performing thofe mighty Works 
 our Saviour did ; would any have been obliged 
 to give- Credit to his Teftimony r No furely. 
 And does a Spirit come, and teflify that my 
 Theron is a Child of God, without performing 
 the mighty Work of Sanclifaation ? Is The- 
 ron obliged to give Credit to its Witnefs ? By 
 no Means, — If the holy Spirit takes away the 
 Heart of Stone, & gives you an Heart of Flefi ; 
 writesGod's Lazv in yourHeart, & puts 7 ruth 
 in your inward Part ; fo that you zvalk in his 
 Statutes and: kesp his Commandments, — the 
 k is done. You are el true Convert. You 
 a-ved. — -Bin without this, all is nothing. 
 
 T l have not many good Men had 
 
 '..';-, ., uuedlate Witnefs and Teitimony of the 
 fcpJrit, I am pleading for ? 
 
 Paul. How can you know, my dear The- 
 ron, that ever there was xi good Man, fince the 
 Foundation of theWorld, who had this Witnefs P 
 We have no Inflance in Scripture, nc*r does the 
 V\ r ord of God lead us ever to look for fuch a 
 thing. 
 
 ThcR. How can I know ?— Strange Qnefli- 
 on \ W r hen fome of the beft Men in the World 
 have held to the immediate Witnefs. 
 
 Paul. If we do certainly know our good 
 Eftate by our Sanclification ; is not the imme- 
 diate Witnefs needlefs ? — If Men do not cer- 
 tainly know they arc good Men, by their Sancli- 
 fication j 
 
Dialogue III. 173 
 
 f cation ; who on Earth can tell, but that they 
 are Hypocrites ? And Co, but that their imme- 
 diate Witnefs comes from the 'Devil ? — If they 
 cannot tell, — to be furc, you and I can't. Nor 
 will their immediate Witnefs prove the con- 
 trary ; unlefs you can demonftrate, that Sata?i 
 never transforms himfelf into an Angel of 
 Light. — Befides, Men may '* hold to the im- 
 mediate Witnefs," that never had it, — through 
 fome Mittake. And if Men have A flu ranee by 
 their Sandification, it is not very likely that 
 God fhould make them an immediate Revelati- 
 on, merely to clear up a Point already clear : 
 i. e. work a kind of Miracle, when there is no 
 Need of it. — Befides, my dear Theron, how 
 will you know, whether your immediate Reve- 
 lation comes from God, or from the 'Devil ? 
 Will you know by the Fruits ? No. Fer this 
 is to " try the Witnefs of the Spirit by the Sin- 
 cerity of your Graces." ' And then, as you fay, 
 " the Teflimony of the Spirit willfland you in 
 no Stead," will be of no Service. — Will you 
 know zuithout any Refpeft to the Fruits' ? But 
 how ? Leave Holi nefs*out of the Account, and 
 what is there of this kind, but what the Devil 
 can do? If he can, how do you know but 
 he will ? How do you know but he does ? 
 Go to i\\z*Anabaptjfts in Germany, in Luther's 
 Time — Go to the Enthufiafts in England, in 
 Cromwell's Time, — and fee what the Devil has 
 done in former Ages. Yea, I could nameTowns 
 CL 3 and 
 
J74 Dialogue III. 
 
 and Pcrfons in New-England, where and in 
 whom Satan's mighty Works have been to be 
 feen, within lefs than twenty Years ago. — All 
 the Country knows, that fome who appeared to 
 have thehigheft Confidence of a Title to Hea- 
 ven, have fufficiently proved to the World, that 
 they were deluded, by their immoral Lives 
 (ince. — Will you after all fay, that it is a Sin, to 
 doubt f and that you ought to beftrong in Faith, 
 and give Glory to God ? Yet you muft remem- 
 ber, that it is all, "without any Evidence from 
 Scripture, Scnfe, or Reafon." And this you 
 know ! and this you own ! 
 
 Who,my dearTHERON,who that hatha Soul 
 to fave, would, with hisEyes open,dare to venture 
 his ALL for ETERNITY on fuch a Founda- 
 tion as this ! — But,which is Hill more furprifing, 
 who, among all rational Creatures, can look up- 
 on that Foundation, which Chrift himfelf calls a 
 ROCK, but as the Stalk of a Tulip, compared 
 with this ! * 
 
 Oh, my dear Theron, you will excufe me 
 thisFreedom, this kind and well-meant Freedom. 
 A Minifler of Chrift ought not to flatter. Nor is 
 it your Imereft, to be foothed. The plain naked 
 honeft Truth is what we all need \o know. See 
 with your own Eyes. Judge for your own felf. 
 For your own precious immortal Soul lies at 
 Stake. As 
 
 1 he Reader may fee this Subject, viz. the IVitnefs 
 
 oftheSpirit, thoroughly difcufied inMr.ED wards 
 on Religious Jjfeflions* 
 
Dialogue III. 175 
 
 As to the Three Que/} ions you propo fed, you 
 have now my Opinion, & the Sum is this — The 
 true Convert having, in Regeneration, had his 
 Eyes opened to behold the Glory of God and 
 Jefus Chrilt, ihe Glory of the Law and of the 
 Gofpel, he approves of the Law as holy, juft and 
 good ; he believes the Gofpel to be from God, 
 acquiefces in that way of Life,trufts inChrift the 
 great Mediator, returns home to God through 
 him, to be for ever ihe Lord's : and being united 
 to Chrift by Faith, he receives the holy Spirit to 
 dwell in him forever. InConfequence of which 
 he brings forth Fruit ; growing in Grace, and 
 pet fevering therein, thro all Changes 8c Trials, 
 to theEnd of his Life. And Co } an AfTurance of 
 a Title to eternal Life is in fuch Sort attainable 
 by Believers, in all ordinary Cafes, that it mull 
 be owing to their Fault, if they do not enjoy it. 
 However, no honed Man ought to believe his 
 State to be good, with more Confidence, than 
 in exact Proportion to his Evidence. Nor is 
 there anyEvidence, that will pafs with our final 
 Judge,or that ought to be of any Weight with us, 
 but real Holinefs. A Communication of divine 
 Grace, in a large and very fsnfible Degree, is 
 that whereby the Spirit of God makes it evident 
 to onr Confciences beyond all Doubt, that we 
 are the Children of God ; and not by .an imme- 
 diate Revelation. 
 
 The:-. But what do you think of the- Cafe 
 of Backjllders I May not they be in the dark 
 
 about 
 
ij6 Dialogue III. 
 
 about their State ? And what ought they to do ? 
 Paul. They may be in the dark, and full of 
 Doubts and Fears \ nor can they ever find Reft 
 to their Souls, until they remember from whence 
 they have fallen, repent, and return home to 
 God thro Jefus Cbrilt. As their departing from 
 God is the Source of all their Woe ; fo their 
 Cafe admits of no Remedy, but to repent and 
 return to God thro Jefus Chriil again. — It would 
 do a Backflider no Good, to go to God, and 
 lay, " Pardon is mine, Grace is mine, Chrifl and 
 all his fpiritual BlefTings are mine." For his 
 Religion does not grow up from, this Belief; 
 but from beholdi)ig as in a Glafs the Glory of 
 the Lord. — But I have not Time to enter upon 
 this Subject. I recommend to youMr. Shepard 
 on the Parable of the ten Virgins ; in which if 
 fome ExprefTions are not fo accurate, yet on 
 the whole it is one of the beft Books 1 know of, 
 for Saints under Backflidings. It is fo ufeful 
 a Book, that I wifh there was one of them in 
 every chriftian Family. 
 
 Here, my dear Aspasio, the Converfation 
 flopt. — I fat (llent — 1 was felf-condemned — 
 Eternity all opened to my View — " I am a loft 
 Creature — Heaven pity my Cafe" ! — the Tears 
 rolled from my Eyes — I could conceal my. Cafe 
 no longer — I was perfuaded, Paulinus had a 
 tender companionate Heart — therefore I ad- 
 dreiTedhira in the following Manner. 
 
 Thek, 
 
Dialogue III. 177 
 
 Th er. Indeed, Sir, I need not hear you up- 
 on the Cafe of a backfllding Saint. — I have 
 heard enough already — I am convinced, I was 
 never right.— I thought fo, before I came to fee 
 you ; and all you have faid has confirmed me in 
 this Opinion. — I have adled the Part of a Dif- 
 putant ; but I have done it only for Light, — 
 to fee what Anfwers you would make to what 
 might be faid. — Alas, I have all to begin anew— 
 jult every Step I have taken, is wrong— my firft 
 Manifeftation of the Love of Chrift and Pardcn 
 of my Sins, was wrong : the Thing revealed for 
 
 «'nuh, was a Lie. — My firft Act of Faith was 
 rong : the Thing believed for Truth, was a 
 ie. — My^ove and Joy, and all my Religion 
 waswroivT? only the Refult of Self-love and 
 
 only ti 
 My livi 
 
 Delufion. — My living by Faith was wrong : It 
 was only quieting my Copfcience, by holding 
 fad my Delufion. — My Averfion to Sanguifica- 
 tion's being the only Evidence of a good Eftate, 
 was wrong : I could not {land Trial by that 
 Ted ; and yet nothing elfe will pafs at the great 
 Tribunal, with my final Judge. But I could 
 have no Comfort this Way. It tended only to 
 Doubts 8c Fears. And Doubts & Fears tended 
 to deftroy all my Religion. — All my Religion 
 was founded in Delufion ; nor was there any 
 Way for it to fubfift, but to hold fafl Delufion, 
 and refufe to let it go. I have been doing fo 
 now for a long Time — and had continued to do 
 fo to my dying Day, had not fome of thofe Texts 
 
 of 
 
178 Dialogue III. 
 
 of Scripture'you have fo often referred to, given 
 me-a Shock.— And lad Week 1 had fuch awful 
 Apprchenfions of the Dreadfulnefs of eternal 
 Damnation, the amazing Dreadfalnefs of going 
 into Eternity felf-deceived, as penetrated my 
 very Heart. — This induced me to make you 
 theie "Vifits. — And now you fee my Cafe — my 
 dreadful Cafe ! O dear Paulinus, be you my 
 Friend, my fpiritualGuide ! — JVhatflmll I do i 
 Paul How much are poor loft Sinners, in 
 this benighted World, to be pitied ! Generally 
 their Days, their precious Days, are fpent away 
 fecure in Sin ! If at any Time they are a Mtdm 
 awakned to fee their Danger, how apt are thfl 
 to take any Way for Comfort, b^L the righ^r v 
 (Matth. vii. 13, 14.) We ^tf Bally in fo 
 ruined a State, that unlefs Go5B^p°f es > of his 
 mere fove reign Gra pe, and by the Influences of 
 his blefled Spirit guides us right, we fhall wander 
 from the narrozu Road, get loft and peri/fi 1 
 (Matth.x'1.25.) We are Enemies to God, blind 
 to his Beauty, difinclined to a Reconciliation, 
 averfe to real Hojinefs : and any kind offalfe 
 Religion fuits fuch depraved Hearts, better than 
 the true. Really to love God for. his own in- 
 finite Amiablenefs, to choofe him for our Por- 
 tion, to look upon Sin as an infinite Evil, to 
 efieem the Law as holy, juft and good, which 
 requires finlefs Perfection on Pain of eternal 
 Damnation, and to place all our Dependence on 
 free Grace through Jefus Chrift, are, of all 
 
 Things, 
 
Dialogue III. 179 
 
 Things, rnoft contrary to our corrupt BiaiTes. 
 Our native Difinclination to the right Way, ren- 
 ders us apt to take the wrong : And having once 
 took it, obftinately to perfifl in it. * Happy for 
 you, my dear The r on, that you are brought 
 io far to fee your Error ! 
 
 And for your future Conduct, take thefe 
 Hints 
 
 (r.) Beware you return not to that flejh- 
 pleafng, prefumptuous Way of living, which had 
 well nigh proved yourRuin. — Your Friends may 
 invite you back ; your love of Eafe and prefent 
 Comfort will fecond all their Arguments, and 
 give them ten -fold more Weight than they really 
 have. — Know it, O my Theron, there is a 
 long Eternit^jFore you. It is worth your 
 while to flrive to enter in+at the fir ait Gate : 
 Yea, to take the Kingdon of Heaven by Vio- 
 lence. 
 
 * Jonah ii. 8. They that obfer-ve lying Vanities, for fake 
 their GwnMercy. i. e. go contrary to their own In- 
 tereft.- -How often have thefe Words been ap- 
 ply'd, by fomeWriters, to perfuade Chriftlefs Sin- 
 ners to believe, that all the Bleflings of the Gofpel 
 are their own ! When rather they Hand as a 
 Warning to all, not to obferve lying Vanities , left 
 they forfake their own Mercy, and go contrary to 
 their own eternal Intereft. Nothing being more 
 contrary to the Intereft of a poor Sinner, than to 
 believe Delufion, and fettle down on a falfe Four- 
 dation, 
 
, tSo Dialogue TIT. 
 
 lence. * Therefore, count no Self-denial, no 
 Pains, no Endeavours too great ; but do with 
 thy Might what thy Hand findetb to do. 
 
 (2.) It is abfolutely necefTary, that you fee 
 your Need of Christ, in order to come to 
 him. — Coming to Chrift, in its own Nature, fup-' 
 pofes, that we fee our Need of him. — You can- 
 not fee what you need Chrifl for, unlefs you fee 
 your true Character & State according to Law. 
 The Law is the appointed' School-Mafter, to 
 lead Sinners to Chrift. The Law requires per- 
 fect Obedience, on Pain of eternal Damnation. 
 It requires us to love God with all our Heart, 
 as being infinitely lovely. The leaft Defect: 
 merits eternal Woe. If you ^^£ Meafure by 
 this Law, as your Rule, your true Character 
 will appear, — dead in Sin ; z^mimity againft 
 God,notfubjecl to his luizv, neither indeed can be. 
 And if you judge of your State according tothis 
 Law, you are condemned already, & the TVrath 
 of God abideth on you — you are loft — you /land 
 guilty before God. And if the Law is holy, juft, 
 and good, your Mouth is ft opt. The Lord is 
 righteous when he fpeaketh, and clear when he 
 judgetb, alt ho you fhould perifh forever. — All 
 this you muR fee. Yea,you muft feel it,thro and. 
 thro your Heart, as did theApoftle Paul. The 
 Commandment came, Sin revived, and I died. 
 
 It 
 
 * Mr. Edwards's Sermons onPreJJing into theKing- 
 dom, and on the Juftice of God in the Damnation of 
 Sinner s y are proper for men as Theron. 
 
Dialogue III. i8f 
 
 It is for Want of thorough Conviction, that fe> 
 many awakncd Sinners take np with falfc Coin- 
 forts. Their Wound was never fcarched to the 
 Bottom — It was fkinned over too foon. And 
 fuch flighty Cures, though more eafily perform- 
 ed, may prove fatal in the End. — But Jet your 
 legal Con virions be ever (o deep, you will pcrifh, 
 unlefs, of his mere fovereum Grace — 
 
 (.3.) He who commanded the Light to Jhine 
 out of T)arknefs , flrines in your Heart, to give 
 you the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of 
 God, in the Face of J ejus Chrift. — You arc 
 blind, quite blind, to the divine Beauty. And 
 confequently, blind to the Beauty of the divine 
 Law. And fa. confequently, blind too to the 
 Beauty of Chfrift,as dying to anfvver theDemands 
 of the Law.-^Mcl confequently uncler the Power 
 of Unbelief Every unregenerate Man has the 
 Spirit oilnfidellty in hisHearr. (ijoh.v.i. Rom, 
 x. 9. Pfal. xiv. 1.) You can never cordially be- 
 lieve, that theSon of God became incarnate, and 
 *died to anfwer the Demands of a Law t 'm its own 
 'Nature too fever e. Such a Subftitntion cannot 
 appear to be of God, glorious and divine ; but ra- 
 ther mocking ! — You can never heartily approve 
 of the Law (which requires us to love God for 
 his own divineExcellencies, with all our Hearts, 
 onPain of eternal Damnation for the leaflDefecl) 
 as holy, jufl & good, unlefs God appears in your 
 Eyes as ONE INFINITELY LOVELY.— 
 So depraved are you, fo entirely devoid of a 
 R Rciifli 
 
1 82 Dialogue III. 
 
 Relifh for divine Beauty, that God never will 
 appear thus amiable in your Eyes, unlefs you 
 are born of the Spirit, have divine Life imme- 
 diately communicated to you from God, have 
 a fupernatural and divine Senfc, Tafle, Relifh 
 imparted to you from on High. Your Heart is 
 like the Chaos ; the Earth was without Form 
 and void, and Darknefs zvas upon the Face of 
 the 'Deep. And dark, eternally dark, it would 
 have been, had not God faid, Let there be 
 Light. So, unlefs he who commanded the Light 
 to Jbine out of Darknefs , fhines in your Heart, 
 you will abide in eternal Darknefs, blind to di- 
 vine Beauty ; to the Glories of God and Chrift, 
 of Law and Gofpel. And if the Gofpel con- 
 tinues thus hid from you, you ar^fctf, for ever 
 loft. 2 Cor. iv. 3, 6. 
 
 If the divine Law, in itfelf, is not holy,juft 
 and good, Chrift's dying to anfwer its Demands 
 cannot make it fo. Jf the Law was too fevere, 
 Chrift's Death was a moft fhocking Affair ! A 
 Diflike of the divineLaw, as too rigorous, is the 
 Root of all the chief Errors in the chriftian 
 World ; yea, it is the Root of the prevailing 
 Infidelity of the prefent Age. — And it now lies 
 at the Bottom of all your hard Thoughts of 
 God, O my The r on ; which the Devil is not 
 the Author of, as fome imagine, in fuch Cafes. 
 And is a mighty Bar to your believing in Chrift. 
 
 And 
 
Dialogue III. 183 
 
 And nothing-can effectually remove it, but di- 
 vine Livht, imparted 'in Regeneration. * 
 
 R 2 M Bid 
 
 * No Man can underliandingiy and heartily look 
 to, truft in, or depend upon the Mediation of 
 Chnli, unlefs he fees his Need of him as a Medi- 
 ator. No Man can fee his Need o? the Media- 
 tion of Chrift, unlefs he fees that which renders 
 his Mediation needful. Now the Goodncfs and 
 Excellency of the divine Law, which we have 
 broke, is the only Thing which originally ren- 
 dered the Mediation of Chrift needful. But for 
 this, the Sinner might have been faved without a 
 Mediator, without an Atonement, as well as 
 with. Nay, better. For it the Law were too 
 fevere, it had evidently been more honourable. for 
 God to l^Kp repealed, or abated it, than to have 
 appointc<JP$ Son to anfwer its Demands in our 
 Stead. 
 
 Some feem to think, that the Law, altho' raited to 
 the Strength of Man before the Fall, and fo a 
 good Law for an innocent, holy Creature, yet 
 is too rigorous for a fallen World. And therefore 
 imagine, that Chri(i died to purchafe an Jbate- 
 mentfo to bi ing it down to aLevel with our prefent 
 Weaknefs. But if the Law was too fevere, the 
 Jujlice of the divine Nature would have moved 
 the Go. ernour of. the World to have made all 
 proper Abatements ; nor was the Death of Chrifl* 
 needful-in the Cafe. Surely Chrilt need not die, 
 merely to get Juftice done us. 
 
 Some feem to look upon God the Father, as all made 
 up of Wrath, the Sinner's Enemy : And on God 
 the Son, as all made up of Love, the Sinner's 
 Friend. And imagine, he died- to afiwage his 
 
 Father's 
 
i8 4 
 
 Dialogue III. 
 
 (4.) Bid a final Adieu to vain & carnal Com- 
 panions-, to all finful and carnal Pleafures and 
 Pa/limes, and to every known Sin ; all which 
 tend to flupify the Heart. And by Reading, 
 Meditation and Prayer, endeavour with all your 
 Might to obtain a realizing Senfe of your true 
 Characler and State. Caft yourfelf at theFoot 
 of fovereign Grace, and cry, with the blind 
 Man, Lord, that T might receive my- Sight ! 
 
 " That 
 
 Father's Anger, & move his Companions towards 
 poor Sinners. And fo they love Chrift, while they 
 hate God and his Law. ---But this is all a mere 
 Chimera. The P'ather is as full of Love & Good- 
 nefs, as the Son. The Son is as holy and jufr, 
 as great a Friend to the Law, an^as great an 
 Enemy to Sin, as the Father. itBy are both of 
 oneHeart. Yea, they are both oneGod. Job.x.30. 
 Some reem to refolve the Whole of God's Law and 
 Government, and the Death of Chrift, into the 
 mere arbitrary fVill of God : As tho* the Whole 
 were not the Refult of Wifdom, of infinite Wif- 
 dom, but rather of mere arbitrary Will. But it 
 does not appear, by Scripture or otherwife, that 
 the infinitely wife God ever determines any 
 tiling without Reafon, or does any thing but what 
 is wife for him to do. But rather the Whole of 
 di/ine Revelation joins to confirm the Truth of 
 
 •. Paul's Obfervarion, that God wafketh all Things- 
 
 the COUNSEL of his own Will. (Eph. i. 1 1 ".) 
 
 .Ail hisPcrfecYions,if I may fo fpeak,fit inCouncil : 
 
 ■\-a\ all his Decrees snd Works are the Refult 
 . •;■ infinite Holinefs, Juftice & Goodnefs^ directed 
 
 .. nfinite Wifdom, 
 
 There 
 
Dialogue III. 185 
 
 " That I may fee and know what I am, what 
 n 1 defcrve, what I need ; and the only Way to 
 " obtainRelief, by freeGrace thro Jefus Chrift." 
 However, that you may not trull in your own 
 Doings to recommend you to the divine Favour, 
 nor be encouraged from your own Goodnefs to 
 hope for Mercy, conflantly remember 
 
 (5.) That the divine Law, which you are 
 
 under, requires, that you lovcGO^D for Himfelf; 
 
 whereas, all you do is merely from Self-love. 
 
 Yea, it requires you to love God with all your 
 
 R 3 Heart 
 
 There is but one IVay to'folve the Difficulty. There 
 is but one Thing can ever fatisfy our Hearts. A 
 Sight of the Glory of the God of Glory, will open 
 to View tte Grounds and F.eafons of the Law, 
 and convince us that it is holy, jufl and good, glo- 
 rious and amiable, and worthy to be kept in Cre- 
 dit, to be magnified and made honourable, by the 
 Obedience and Death of the Son of God.-— But 
 then if the Law is good, we who have broke it, 
 are not fit to live. Death is our Due. The Judge 
 of all the Earth cannot but do right. His Nature, 
 Law and Honour, call aloud for our Deftruclion, 
 He cannot be juft, if he don't deftroy us. It will 
 bring everlafl ing Reproach upon hisGovernment, 
 to fpare us, confidered merely as, in ourfelves. 
 When this is felt in our Hearts, then, and not 
 till then, Ihall we feel our Need of Chrift, andbe 
 prepa/ed to look to the free Grace' of God thro 1 the 
 Redemption that is in Chrift \ and to exercife Faith 
 in his Blood, who was fet forth to be a Propitiation^ 
 to declare God's Righteonfnefs, that he might be juj} > 
 6?id yet the Juflifer of him that hlicvetb in Jffm. 
 
106 Dialogue III. 
 
 Heart ; whereas, there is no Love to God in 
 your Heart. And it requires this finlcfs Per- 
 fection on Pain of eternal 'Damnation, for the 
 leaf! Defect j fo that by Law you are already 
 condemned. By mere Law you are therefore 
 abfolutely & forever undone. You /land guilty 
 beforeGod. — But mereLaw '13 theRule of Right, 
 and Standard of JuJIice. If Juflice fhould take 
 Place, you then fee your Doom. There is no 
 Hope from thfe Quarter. Wherefore you lie at 
 the Mercy of God, his mere Mercy, who is ab- 
 folutely unobliged to grant you any Relief, for 
 any thing you can do. He might juflly have left 
 all Mankind in this State, without a Saviour. 
 And he may, on the fame Grounds, as juflly 
 leave you in this State, without a Sanclifier. He 
 did not give his Son to fave this loll World, for 
 cur Righteoufnefs fake : Yea, had we been 
 Righteous, we fhould not have needed his Son 
 to die in our Stead. Nor does God give his holy 
 Spirit, to convert any poor perifhingSinner, for 
 bis Righteoufnefs fake : Yea, it is his being en- 
 tirely deilitute of all that is fpiritually good, and 
 dead in Sin, that occafions his (landing in perifh- 
 ing Need of converting Grace. And although 
 all the Promifes of God are in Chrifl Jefus 
 Tea, and in him jimen ; yet, as to thofe who. 
 are out of Chrift, they are fo far from being in- 
 titled to the Promifes, that the Wrath of God 
 
 abideth on them. — Therefore 
 
 (6.) If 
 
Dialogue III. 187- 
 
 (6.) If ever you are renewed by the holy 
 Ghofl, it will be, not for any Goodnefs in you, 
 but merely from God's f elf-moling Mercy, 
 and fovereign Grace, thro' Jefus Chrid. Tit. 
 iii. 5, 6. , 
 
 (7.) How dreadful foever this Reprefentation 
 makes your Cafe appear ; yet, if this is your 
 true State, you \ww'\\ fee it, that you may know 
 your Need of Chrid and free Grace, and be in 
 a Capacity, undcrdandingly, to give a proper 
 Reception to the glad Tidings of the Gofpel ; 
 viz. That thro' Chrid God is ready to be re- 
 conciled to the returning Penitent, whojudifies 
 God, approves his Law, quits all Claims, and 
 looks only to free Grace, thro' Jefus Chrid, for 
 Salvation. Luk. xviii. 1 3. Rom. ii'^24, 25,26. - 
 
 (8.) Saving Faith confids in looking to free 
 Grace, thro' Jefus Chrid, for Salvation ; thus 
 viewing God's Law, and your own Cafe, as they 
 really be. And he that thus believeth,fball be 
 faved. Therefore, Repent and be converted, 
 aiyd your Sins flmll be blotted out. Behold, 
 now is the accepted Time, and now is the T>ay 
 of Salvation ! And by me, one of Chrid's Mi- 
 niders,GW does befeech you to be reconciled, and 
 I pray you in Chrifl's Stead, be you reconciled 
 to God. For God hath made his only begotten 
 Son to be a Sacrifice for Sin, that all who are 
 united to him by a true and living Faith, might 
 return to God with Acceptance, and be juflified, 
 and have eternal Life thro' him, 
 
 Ther, 
 
i8S Dialogue III. 
 
 Ther. Every Word yon have fpoken, finks 
 down into my Ears. The Lord grant, the 
 Truth may pierce my Heart thro' and thro'. — 
 The reft of my Days 1 will devote to theBufi- 
 nefs of my Soul. — I thank you for your kind 
 InftrucYions — I beg your Prayers — The An- 
 guifli of my Heart calls me to retire — Adieu, 
 dear Sir, Adieu ! 
 
 Paul. May the only wife God be your 
 cffectaul Inflruclor, my Ther on ! — Adieu I 
 
 To my dear Asfasio,. thefe Dialogues are 
 prefented by 
 
 Your af?ec c #onate. . 
 
 Theron. 
 
 L E T T E X 
 
[ 'i8p ] 
 
 Letter II. 
 
 Theron to Asp a si o. 
 
 New- England, Mar. 1 2 . j 759 , 
 
 !Z)^ar Aspasio, 
 
 pP^iY melancholy Letter of 'December laft, 
 I M I with a Copy of the Subftance of the 
 p^ cssSi s|£ Convcrfation I had with Pa ulin us 
 at three feveral Times, yon have doubt lefs re- 
 ceived long ago, as it is now three Months fince 
 I wrote. — If you have been impatient at hearing 
 nothing from your Friend for fo long a Time, / 
 ?nore : — toffed to and fro, for Months toge- 
 ther, like a feeble Ship at Sea in a.tempeftuous 
 Night, ready every Moment to fink. 
 
 At firfl ([ mean, after I had left Paulinas, 
 and retired, as 1 had determined to fpend much 
 Time in Meditation and Prayer) 1 call'd in 
 Queftion a Maxim, he feeraed to take for grant- 
 ed ; That " we are all, byNature, under a Lazv, 
 requiring ferfeel Obedience, on Pain of eternal 
 'Damnation" : Which he fo infilled was a glo- 
 rious 
 
i()Q Theron to Aspasio. Lei. II. 
 
 rions Law, holy, juft & good. — Thus I thought 
 with my felf — " Perfect Obedience ! That is 
 w //zs>r? than we <ra;z yield. And am I for ever 
 V loft for the firft Offence ? How can that be 
 " juft ! — Can the kind Father of the Univerfe 
 " require more of his Creature, Man, than he 
 " can do ? and then punilli him with eternal 
 u Darnnation ; fcr not doing ! Can this be right /" 
 Indeed I now felt I had an- Armhiian Heart. 
 
 But on a certain Evening, as I was reading 
 St. Paul's Eplftles to theRdmdns & Galatians, 
 hi which he affirms, that thi Wrath of God is 
 revealed from Heaven again/I all Ungodlinefs 
 and Unrighteoufnefs of Men ; that the very 
 Heathen themielves are without Excufe ; that 
 the whole World ft and guilty before God, and 
 every Mouth ft opt ; that the Law curfes every 
 Man who ccntinueth not in all Tubings written 
 in the Book of the Law, to do them ; and that 
 Chrift was made a Curfe for us, to redeem us 
 from the Curfe of that very Law ; I was great- 
 ly fhock'd and confounded. — One while, 1 fa id, 
 " This Law cannot be right" But again, I 
 faid, " Why then was it novrepealedf Why did 
 the Son of God bear its Curfe, and die to anfwer 
 itsDemands? — I looked thro' the <?/<iTeitamenr, 
 I looked thro' the new ; and this Notion of the 
 Lazv , 1 faw, was fo inwrought into both, that it 
 mud be granted ; or, the Whole of divine Re- 
 velation given up. — I felt the Heart of an In- 
 fideU. I was full of Doubts and Scruples as to 
 
 the 
 
Let. II. Theron to Aspasio. 191 
 
 the Truth of the Bible. And when I reflected 
 on the external Evidences of divine Revelation, 
 as reprefented by our late Writers, particularly 
 byDr. Leland, whofe View ofdei/lical IVriters 
 I had lately read, I was drove even to Atheifm, 
 For if there is a GOD, the Bible mud be true. 
 But if the Bible is true, the Laiv in all its Ri- 
 gour is holy, ju ft and good. 
 
 Thus L was un fettled in all my Principles, 
 and fet afloat as on aboifterousOce;in, like a Ship 
 without a Compafs or an Helm ; in great Anxiety 
 and deep Perplexity, ready many times to con- 
 clude to go back, at all Adventures, to my old 
 Hope, as the onlyWay for Reft : thinking, I had 
 as good live and die on zfalfe Hope, as live and 
 die in T>e/pair. 
 
 Till on a certain Time, I began thus to rea- 
 fan in my Heart — " Whence all thefe'Doubts, 
 ft O my Soul! Whence all thefe Arminian, 
 lt Socinian, T>eiftical, Atheijlical Thoughts 1 
 " Whence have they all arifen ? From viewing 
 " thcLaw ofGod,as requiring perfeclObedience, 
 " on Pain of eternal "Damnation. — But why ? 
 •' Had 1 rather turn an Infidel, than approve the 
 " Law as holy, juft and good ? — Is this my 
 " Heart ! — Once, I thought, I loved God, and 
 " loved his Law, & loved the Gofpel. Where 
 " am I now T' — Thofe Words of the Apoftle 
 feerned to picture my very Cafe, The carnal 
 Mind is Enmity again/} God, and is not fub- 
 jeft to his Law, neither indeed can be. (Rom. 
 
 viii. 
 
192 Theron to Aspasio. Let.U. 
 
 viii. 7.) This Text engaged my Attention, and 
 fixed my Thoughts. And looking into my 
 Heart, more & more, I found the Spirit of an 
 Enemy toGod and to his Law, in full PofTefTion 
 of my Soul. 
 
 Till now, I had entertained, a: lead fome- 
 times, afecret Hope, that my State was aood ; 
 altho' it feemed as if 1 had quite given it up. 
 But now I began in a new Manner to fee, or 
 rather to feel, I was dead in Sin. 
 
 A realizing Senfe of GOD, as the infinitely 
 great Being, the almighty Governour of the 
 World, holy and juft, a (in-revenging God, a 
 con fuming Fire againft the Workers cf Iniquity, 
 daily grew upon myHeart, &: fet hometheXaw, 
 in all its Rigour. A frefli View of allmy evil 
 Ways fronvrny Youth up, continually prey'd up- 
 on my Spirits. ETERNITY! ETERNITY ! 
 Oh how dreadful it feemed !— I watched, I pray- 
 ed, I faded, I fpared no Pains to obtain a hum- 
 ble, broken, contrite Heart. — But notwithftand- 
 ing my greated Efforts, my Heart grew worfe, 
 my Cafe more defperate : till, in the IfTue, I 
 found myfelf abfoliuely without Strength, — 
 dead in Sin, — loft, — condemned'hy Law, — f elf- 
 condemned, — my Mouth ft opt, — guilty before 
 God.~~\ was forced to be filent ; as it was but 
 fair and right, that God fhonld be an Enemy 
 to me, who was an Enemy to him ; and but juft, 
 if he fhould for ever cad me off. And in this 
 Cafe I had perifhed, had not mere fovereign 
 
 Grace 
 
Let. II. Theron to Aspasio. if$ 
 
 Grace interpofed. — But in the midft of this 
 Midnight-Darknefs,when all Hope fcemed to be 
 gone, at a Moment when I lead expected Relief, 
 (for, The Commandment came, Sin revived, and 
 I died) even now, God, who commanded the 
 Light to pine out ofDarknefs, pined in my 
 
 Heart. — Thus was the Cafe \ 
 
 -It was in theEvening (after the Day had been 
 fpent in Fading and Prayer) as I was walking 
 in a neighbouring Grove, my Thoughts fixed, 
 with the utmoil Attention, — on God, as a con- 
 fuming Fire againft his obftinate Enemies, — on 
 the Law, as curling the Man that continueth not 
 in all Things written therein to do them, — on 
 my whole Life, as one continued Series of Re- 
 bellion, — on my Heart, as not only dead to God 
 and to ail Good, but full of Enmity againft the 
 divine Law and Government, and ((hocking to 
 remember!) full of Enmity againft God him- 
 felf. — Feeling, that my whole Heart was- thus 
 dead in Sin, and contrary toGod, I felt it was a 
 gone Cafe with me : There was no Hope, — no, 
 not the lead, — from anyGood in me, or ever to 
 be expected from me. 1 lay atGod'sMercy, for- 
 feited, — juit ly condemned, loft, helplefs, un- 
 done ! — x^nd, I will have Mercy, on whom I 
 will have Mercy, I clearly faw, was the fixed 
 Rcfolution of the Almighty. — Thus flood my 
 Cafe — A poor, wretched, (inful, guilty Crea- 
 ture, complcatly ruined in my felf ! — I retired to 
 the jrnoft^remote Part of the .Grove. AVhere, hkl 
 , S under 
 
194 Theron to Astasio. Let. If. 
 
 der the Darknefs of the Evening, and the Shade 
 of fpreading Tree?, no Eye ecu Id fee me. — ■ 
 Fn-il, I fmote on my Brcaft ; but conld net lock 
 up to Heaven, nor (peak one Word. — I fell on 
 my Knees : But 1 could not fpeal:.— I fell 
 proftrate on the Ground : And felt as one rendy 
 to fink into eternal Ruin. Having no Hope, 
 nnlcfs from the fovereign good Pleafurc of my 
 angry Judge.— As I lay proilrate.on the Ground, 
 a new Scene gradually opened to View. Tc was 
 7iew,znd it was exceeding glorious ! — GOD ap- 
 peared not only infinitely great and infinitely 
 holy, as the SOVEREIGN of the whole Uni- 
 verfe ; but alio infinitely gloricus : even fo 
 glorious, as to be worthy of all the Love and 
 Honour, which his Law requires. The Law 
 appeared holy,jujl and good \ I could not but 
 approve it, from my very Heart : and fai'd with- 
 in myfelf, ere I was aware, " Let all Heaven 
 4 * for ever love and adore the infinitely glc- 
 " rious MAJESTY, ajtrio' I receive my jufl: 
 " Defert, and perifh for ever i' 9 - — Next came 
 intoVicwthe'wholeG^^/-/^^ of Life, by free 
 Grace, thro' Jefns Chrifl. ; the Wifdom, Glory 
 and Beauty of which cannot be exprctlcd. The 
 Law did bear the divine Image, and was glori- 
 ous ; but the Go/pel exhibited all the divine 
 Perfections in a llill brighter Manner, and far 
 exceeded in Glory. I faw, God might, con- 
 iiftently with his Honour, in this Way receive 
 the returning Sinner, however ill-deferving. — 
 
Let. II. Theron to Aspasio. 195 
 
 1 (aw, be was ready to do it, — that. all might 
 come, — even the vilcft ana the word, — encou- 
 raged by the /elf- moving Goo^\iq{\ & boundlefs 
 Grace of God, and the Mediation, Merits and 
 Atonement of Chrift ; 1 looked up to God thro 9 
 Jefus Chrift, for Mercy ; and thro' J ejus Chrift 
 gave up rny'felf to the Lord, to be for ever his, 
 to love him and live to him for ever. — Here, 
 proftratc on the Ground, 1 thus lay above an 
 Hour, contemplating the ineffable Glories of 
 God, the Beauty of his Law, and the fuper- 
 abundant Excellency of the Gofpel-Way of 
 Life, by free Grace, thio Jefus Chrift : I be- 
 lieved the Gofpel, 1 truftcd in Chrill, and gave 
 up myfelf to God thro him, to be for ever his, 
 with a Plcafure divinely fwcet, infinitely prefer- 
 able to the 1110 ft agreable Senfations I ever had 
 before experienced. — What 1 enjoy'd th'\s Hour, 
 did more, unfpeakably more, than over-balance 
 all the Diftrciles of Months paft. # — To relate 
 S 2 how 
 
 * Theron's Narrative of his former fuppofed Con- 
 version [Let. J.) and of his Experiences (here) 
 is not dtfigned to fugged, that either/^ or true 
 Converts'zW experience Things, in everyCircum- 
 tfance, jul! alike ; but only to point out the gene- 
 ral Nature of thefe two Kinds of Conveifjon, in 
 3 Manner !o familiar, that- the wcakeft Chriltian 
 may ke t!ie Difference. And if any Chriftian 
 cannot reeoliecl fo exaclly the Particulars of his 
 firft Converiion, yet as all afier-acls of Grace are 
 ol • b e lame Nature- with the iirit 3 a clear under- 
 Handing 
 
*()6 The Ron to Aspasio. Let. II: 
 
 how I fpenc the Night, and how I have fpent 
 my Days and Nights ever fince, I lhall omit. — 
 But you fhall foon hear again, my dear Aspa- 
 slo, from 
 
 Your affectionate 
 
 Theron. 
 
 Handing of the true Nature of jfaving Grace, may, 
 help him to clifcerfi his true State. N. B. What 
 is the true Nature of faving Grace, is not to be 
 decided by the Experiences of this or that Man, 
 or Party of Men : but only by the Word of God. 
 
 t^v» *jy» *\a/* *w *yy »uv* 'W» *-jy "tSV* "iA* *^V* *YV* *W* ^V* 
 
 Utte r 
 
[ *97 J 
 
 Letter III. 
 
 Th eron to A S P A S I o. 
 
 NeW'E?igfand,A[ml 2.1759. 
 
 Dear Aspasio, 
 jp^^lTH Pleafure I now -again fit down to 
 I \V )) write to my diflant Friend, and fend my 
 g^-^jgfj Heart beyond the Atlantic to my As- 
 pasio. — For neither Time, nor Place, nor any 
 Change can wipe your Memory from my Mind. 
 
 Methinks, were I now with yon, as once an 
 theHoufe, the hofpitableHoufe, of the wealthy 
 and illuftrious Phil en or, I would tell you all 
 my Heart. I remember how you urged me to- 
 believe ; and how I longed to find lome fafe 
 Foundation, fome fare Evidence, on which to 
 build my Faith ; and with Thomas, to cry, My 
 Lord, My God I — Now I have found it ! I 
 have found it ! — I believe, that J ejus is the 
 Chrifl. (1 Joh v. 1.) I believe, that God hath 
 Jet him forth to be a Propitiation, — to declare 
 his Right eoufnefs, — that he might be juft, and 
 the Juftijier of him which belie vet h in J ejus. 
 (Rom. iii. 25, 26.) 1 believe, that God raifed 
 h'tmfrcm the Dead. (Rom. x. 9.) I believe, 
 S-3 that 
 
198 Theron to AsPASiOi Let. III. 
 
 that Chrifl is entered into Heaven, now to ap- 
 pear in the Prefence of God, as the jewifh High- 
 Prieft of old entered into the holy of Holies on 
 the Day of Atonement (i^Zux.24.) and that he 
 is the lFay to the Father (Joh.'xiv. 6.) The 
 \Door t by whom Men enter in. (Joh. x. 9.) And 
 that whofoever zvill, may come to God thro him. 
 (Rev. xxii. 17.): — Wherefore I am emboldened 
 to enter into the Holieft by the Blood of Jefus, 
 even into the very Prefence of the thrice holy 
 ONE of Ifrael, in whofe Sight the Heavens 
 are not clean ; and to come to God mfull Ajfu- 
 ranee of Faith, nothing doubting but that God 
 is as willing to be reconciled thro' Chrift, as the 
 Father was to receive the returning Prodigal ; 
 and as ready to give his holy Spirit to them that 
 afk him, as eve; Parent was to give Bread to an 
 hungry Child. (Heb.x.19, — 22. Mat.vW.i i.)~^- 
 For he that f pared not his own Son, but de- 
 livered him up for us all, how fh all he not with 
 him al/o freely give us all Things ; if we accept 
 his Son as he is offered, and come to God thro' 
 him, for all Things, as we are invited ? {Rom. 
 viii. 32. Joh. i. 12. and xvi. 23.) — For, God's 
 Honour is fafe, God's Law is anfwered, God's 
 Juflice is fatisfied ; and all my Guilt, infinite 
 as it is, is no Bar in the Way of' my Reception 
 into the divine Favour ; free as his infmiteGrace, 
 felf- moving as his boundlefs Goodnefs is, and 
 appears to be, by the Gift of his Son. 
 
 This way of Salvation, my dear As pas 10, 
 
 is 
 
Let, III. Theron to AsPASio. 199 
 
 is glorious for Go<\,fafe for #ie Sinner, effectual 
 to promote Holinefs, even £/.?? Pozver of God to 
 Salvation, to every one that believetb ; And if 
 the Gofpel is true, there is no Room to doubt. 
 " For we are conft rained to believe on the clearefb 
 Evidence." Yea, " our Afiuranee is imprefTed'* 
 by compleat Demonflration. 
 
 'Tis glorious for God. — For God's Law and; 
 Authority are as much honoured, as if the whole 
 World had been damned : And his Grace more 
 glorified, than if Man had never fell. — An in- 
 carnate God upon the Crofs, in the Room of a 
 rebellious World, fets God's infinite Hatred of 
 Sin, his inflexibleRefolution to punifh it, Sc the 
 infinite Goodnefs of his Nature, in- a Light, in- 
 finitely clear, infinitely bright. And contains a 
 Fund of InftrucYion, which never can be ex- 
 haufted, by-Angels and Saints, throughout tho 
 endlefs Ages of Eternity. — The more I think, 
 the more I am fwallowed up I confounded ! 
 overwhelmed 1 Othe Height, the Depth, the 
 Length, the Breadth of the Love of God, 
 which paffeth allUnder [landing ! O the Depth 
 of the Riches of the JVifdom and Knozvledge of 
 God ! — The Creation of the Univerfe was a 
 great Work : It caufed the eternal Power and 
 Godhead of the Creator clearly to be fee n : But 
 compared to the Incarnation and Death of the 
 Son of God, the Creator, it is not to be men- 
 tioned, nor is it worthy to come into Mind. Even 
 the Application of Chrifl's Redemption, in tha 
 
 latter 
 
zoo The ron to Asp a si o. Let. III. 
 
 latter 'Day, is a 'npre glorious Work than the 
 firft Creation of the World. If at. Ixv. i 7. Be- 
 hold, I create new Heavens, and a new Earth : 
 and the former fhall not be remembered, nor 
 come into- Mind. — Indeed, it had been but a 
 irnall thing, for the Creator, by his almighty 
 Word, to have called Millions of fuch Syftems 
 as ours into Being, — a Thing not worthy to be 
 noticed, — nay, fcarce worth one (Ingle Tho't — 
 compared with — With what ? — Let all Nature 
 tremble at the News, — the Incarnation, and the 
 Death of the ALMIGHTY CREATOR, in 
 the Room of his Rebel-Creatures, that the Ho- 
 nour of his Father's Law & Government might 
 be effectually fecured, while fovereign infinite 
 Grace interpofes to fave the felf-ruined, hell- 
 deferving Rebels, to the eternal Difappointment 
 of Satan, God's Enemy, and our mortal Foe 1 
 And can it now, after all this, be a Qiieftion, 
 whether God is ready to be reconciled to thole, 
 who, on his own Invitation, return to him thro 
 Jefas Chrifl ? Or can it be ^Queftion, whether 
 Chrifl: is willing to be their Mediator and High- 
 Prieft, in the Court of Heaven, in the holy of 
 Holies above ? — What ! after God has given 
 his Son to die, that confidently with his Honour 
 he might- receive fuch to Favour, — he not 
 willing ! Infinitely incredible 4 — What ! aftc 
 the Son of God has left his Father's Bofom, 1 
 lie in a Manger ! to groan in the Garden ! An< 
 he ajloni/hed, O ye Heavens, and be ye horrib 
 
 afraid / 
 
Let. III. The ron to Asp a si o. 20 r 
 
 afraid ! — to hang and die upon the Crofs, in 
 the Room of a God-hating, Chrift- murdering 
 World ; that he might honour his Father's Law, 
 break up Satan's Plot, and open a Way for the 
 Sinner's Return 1 Yet He not willing ! — What ! 
 willing to die on the Crofs ! and not willing to 
 mediate rn Heaven 1 Infinitely incredible ! Yea, 
 if poftible, more than infinitely incredible ! — So 
 certain, my dear As pas 10, as the Gofpel is 
 true, juft fo certain may your The ron be, 
 that God is ready to be reconciled to the Sinner, 
 who returns to him thro Jcfus Chrifi. Nor does 
 he need a new Revelation in the Cafe : nor does 
 he need to be a (lured of any Propofition not 
 plainly revealed in the Gofpel. — Enough has 
 been already DONE 1 enough has been already 
 SAID ! — But never did yourTHERON believe 
 thefe Things with all his Heart, till by feeing 
 the XJ-lory of the God of Glory, he faw the 
 Grounds and Reafons of the Lazv, pronounced 
 it holy, jufl and good, & worthy to be magnified 
 and made honourable, even by the Death of 
 GOD's OWN SON. (1 Job. v. 1.) 
 
 And this kind- of Faith, in the Nature of 
 Things, cannot be without Works. For, while 
 your The ron, thio the Influences of the holy 
 Spirit, doth with open Face, behold as in a 
 Glafs the Glory ofjLord ; what can he do, but 
 love, admire, adore the God of Glory ; and 
 give* up himfelf for ever to him thro' Jefus 
 Chrifi? — And now>—bozi/ can we that are dead 
 
 to 
 
202- Theron to Asp.asio. Let. III. 
 
 to Sin, Jive any longer therein f We are cruci- 
 fied with Chrijt— Juried 'with him — rifen with 
 him — and can Sin, after all, have ^Dominion 
 over us / Impofliblc. (Rom.xi. 2, — 14.) — The 
 Gratitude, the Ingenuity o\ % unrenewed Nature, 
 I grant, is noc to be depended upon. Ifrael 
 fang God's Praife, but fo on for gat his Works. — 
 Bur, beholding as in a Glafs the Glory of the 
 Lord, from Day to Day thro' the Courfe of 
 our Lives, zve are, we cannot but be, changed 
 ' into the fame Image, from Glory to Glory, even 
 as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Cor. iii. 1 8. 
 
 And, believing theGofpel to be true, noDoubt 
 remains, of. the Safety of our returning to God 
 thro' Jefus Chrift. His Glory and Beauty in- 
 clines me to return. His Grace thro' Chrift puts 
 Courage m my Heart. I return. 1 find Reft to 
 my wearySoul. And by this 1 know,my "Faith is 
 real,& noDelufion," even becaufe he hath given 
 me of his Spirit (1 Joh.iv.13.) fet hisSeal upon 
 my Heart (Eph.\.i%.) made me his Child, Sn the 
 very Temper of my Soul (Rom, viii. 1 6.) and in 
 my Heart his Lazv is written, and in his Ways 
 I love to walk. (Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27.) — But, as 
 to this, Heaven forbid ! that yourTnER on's 
 Confidence fhonld ever be greater than his Evi- 
 dence ; his Evidence, not. only now, but in all 
 
 future Times, r 1 am, for ever. 
 
 Your aflkclionate 
 
 Theron. 
 
 Letter 
 
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 Letter IV, 
 
 Theron to A S P A S I o. 
 
 New-England, April 3 . 1 759. 
 
 "Dear As pa si o, 
 
 fJ^^jpANY an agreable Hour, have we wan- 
 (f M )j dered over all the Works of Nature ; 
 fj ^^ fj viewed the Heavens above, the Earth 
 beneath, and furveyed the mighty Ocean \ nor 
 did you ever fail to intermingle devout Reflecti- 
 ons. If. now in Stead of painting the Beauties 
 of the Creation, we rife. at once to contemplate 
 theGlories of theCREATOR, Glories infinitely 
 fuperior to thofe of Fields and Forefis, Gardens 
 andPaJaces ; yea, infinitely fuperior ro the bright 
 Expanfe of Heaven, adorned with all its fhining 
 Orbs, — no Theme can my Asiwsio better 
 pleafe. 
 
 . GOD ! how awful is the Name ! how great 
 is the Being ! Behold, the Nations are as a 
 "Drop of the Bucket, and are counted as the 
 fmali *Duft of the Balance : Tea, all Nations 
 
 before 
 
204 Theron to Aspasio. Let. IV. 
 
 before him are as Nothing, and they are counted 
 to him lefs than Nothing, and Vanity. And fo 
 great is [he Excellency of the DIVINE MA- 
 JESTY, fo exceeding great is his Beauty ; that 
 to behold his Glory, and love and honour and 
 enjoy him, is Heaven itfelf : It is the chief Hap- 
 pinefs of all that World. The Seraphim, while 
 he fitteth on his Throne, high and lifted up, as 
 the great MONARCH of the Univerfe, thro' 
 the Brightnefs of his Glory, cover their Faces, 
 unable to behold ; and, as in a perfect Extafy, 
 cry, Holy, Holy, Holy ! — This is his Chancier, 
 the Character he exemplifies in all his Conduct, 
 as Lord of Hoi? s, as Governour of the World ; 
 in a View of which, they add, 1 be "whole Earth 
 is full of his GLORY. (Ifai. vi. 3.) 
 
 The two grandeft Affairs, which, according 
 to Scripture, ever have been, or ever will be, 
 tranfa£ted in the Government of this glorious 
 Monarch, are the Work of our REDEMP- 
 TION by the T>eath of his Son, and the final 
 JUDGMENT of the World. Thefe, 
 therefore, let us contemplate, that in them we 
 may behold, as in a Glafs, the Glory of the 
 LORD. 
 
 Who was his SON ?—Tbe Brightnefs of his 
 Glory, and the exprefs Image of his P erf on : 
 By whom, and For whom, all Things zuere cre- 
 ated. Loved equally to himfelf, and honoured 
 with equal Honours in all the World above. — 
 Let us view him on the Crofs, incarnate 1 view 
 
 him 
 
LefAV. Tkeron to Aspasio. 203 
 
 him there, as an incarnate GOT>, dying for Sin- 
 ners ! and fix. our Attention, whole Hours toge- 
 ther, on this greateft and mod wonderful 'or all' 
 Cod's Works ! — The Plan was laid in Heaven. 
 This great Event was determined in the Courfel 
 there. (Acl. iv. 28.) All the Perfections of the 
 Godhead fat in Council, when it was decreed, 
 the Son of God jbould die. — Strange Decree 1 
 Why was it made ? — Aftonifhing ! Why did it 
 ever come to pafs ? — Did he die, to move the 
 Compaifions of his almightyFather towards a re- 
 bellious Race ? No. For, to give his S:n thus' 
 to die, was greater Grace, than at one fovereigrt 
 Stroke to have cancelled all our Debt, and par- 
 doned all the World. — Did he die, to take away 
 or lefTen the evil Nature and Ill-defert of Sin ? 
 No. For infinite Purity and impartial Juflice 
 mult look upon the Rebellions of a revoked 
 World, as odious and ill-deferving, as if he had 
 not died.— He died, to bear the Punidiment due 
 to us. We were under the Curfe ; he was made 
 a Curfe in our Room j fet forth to be a Pro- 
 pitiation, by his holy Father, to declare his 
 Right eoufnefs , and mew the Rectitude of his 
 Government in the Eyes of all created Intelli- 
 gences ; that he might be jujl, do as his Lav/ 
 threatens, and yet hot damn, but juftify the 
 Sinner that believeih in Jefus. 
 
 Eternal Damnation was our 'Due, according 
 to the divine Law : a Law not founded in ar- 
 bitrary Will. A Law, arbitrarily made, may be' 
 T arbitrarily 
 
206 The ron to Aspasio. Let. VI. 
 
 arbitrarily repealed ; but a Law only declaring 
 -what is fit, mud for ever (land in Force. To 
 rife in Rebellion againd the infinitely glorious 
 Majefty of Heaven, defcrved eternal Damnation ; 
 as he is infinitely worthy of the highed Love 
 and Honour from all his intelligent Creatures. 
 His infinite Amiablenefs and Honorablenefs in- 
 finitely oblige us to love and honour him. All 
 our Heart and Mind and Strength are his Due. 
 The lead Defect deferves eternal Woe. Thus 
 the Omnifcient viewed the Cafe.— His Son, m 
 the fame View, approved the Law as dri&ly juft. 
 Both looked on the Sacrifice and Death of an 
 incarnate God, in the Room of Sinners, to open 
 a Way for their Salvation, as a Plan infinitely 
 preferable to the Law's Repeal by a fovereign 
 Ad"h The Son had rather endure the mod pain- 
 ful fliameful Death, than that one Tittle of the 
 Law fhou'd fail \ It was fo driclly juft.- — God 
 ought to have his Due — The Law barely afTerts 
 theRights of theGodhead. — So much, however, 
 was his Due, as to be loved with all the Heart, 
 and obeyed in every thing. And fo worthy was 
 the Deity of this Love and Obedience, that the 
 lead Defect deferved etcrnalDeath. " 'Tis righr, 
 'tis right," faid the eternal SON, " that the 
 " fird Inftance or the lead Degree of Difrefpeft 
 " to my eternal Father, fliould incur eternal 
 " Ruin to the finning Creature. And I had 
 U rather become incarnate and die my felf, than 
 ■* yield this Point."— That GOD is infinitely 
 
 amiable — 
 
Let. IV.. The ron to Asp a si o. ioj 
 
 amiable — that he ought to be loved with all our 
 Heart — that the infinite Excellency of his Na- 
 ture infinitely obliges us, — can never be fct 
 in a ftronger Light, than it is by the Crofs of 
 CHRIST. 
 
 The infinite Dignity of the Mediator, & the 
 extreme Sufferings he underwent, as an Equiva- 
 lent to our eternal AVoe, in the loud eft Manner 
 proclaim, that the Law was ju/l-~Ju(\. in the 
 Eyes of God — and juft in the Eyes of his Son. 
 A Law, threatning eternal Damnation, infinite 
 Goodnefs would never have enacted, had not im- 
 partial Jujlice called for it. Much lefs would 
 infinite Goodnefs have appointed God's own Son 
 to anfwer its Demands, if in its own Nature too 
 feverc. To fuppofe, the Sen of God died to 
 anfwer the Demands of a Lazu, in its own Na- 
 ture, cruel, is to make God a Tyrant, and the 
 Death of his Son the mod fhocking Affair that 
 ever happened ! 
 
 But what did this Lazv, of which we fo often 
 fpeak, require ? Say, my dear Astasio, what 
 was the fir ft and chief Command ? Your Mailer's 
 Anfwer you approve, — ThouJba.lt love the Lord 
 thy God with all thy Heart. — But why was 
 Love required ? Becaufe God was lovely. — And 
 why the Penalty fo great ? Becaufe his Love- 
 linefs was infinite. If the infinite Amiablenefs 
 cf the divine Being does not lay an infinite Obli- 
 gation on his Creatures, to love him for being 
 what he is, how can we jnftify the Law's De- 
 T. 2., mauds ? 
 
2o8 The ron to Aspa-sio. Let. IV. 
 
 mands ? or, vindicate the Wifdom of God in the 
 Death of his Son ? 
 
 • From the Crofs, where an incarnate God 
 afTerted the Rights of the Godhead by his dying 
 Pains, let us pafs to the awfulTribunal ; where 
 the fame incarnate God, arrayed in all his Fa- 
 ther's Glory, with all the Hofts of Heaven in 
 his Train, by the la ft Sentence, which he will 
 pronounce upon his Father's Enemies, dooming 
 them to the burning Lake, to welter for eternal 
 Ages in Woe, will ft ill proclaim the Juftice of 
 the Law.—- Would infinite Goodnefs, would our 
 compalfionate Saviour, would he who wept over 
 Vferufalem, the kind and tender-hearted Jefus, 
 love to pronounce a Sentence fo infinitely dread- 
 ful, if it were not ftricUy juft ! — Yet he will do 
 k, without the lead Reluctance ; yea, with the 
 foigheft Pleafure : while Angels and Saints fhout 
 forth. their Hallelujah's, all around him. 
 
 But can this ever be accounted for, on any 
 ether Hypothecs, than that the infinitely glorious 
 MONARCH of the Uni^erfe appears, clearly 
 appears, in that fblemn Hour, to be infinitely 
 worthy of all that Love and Honour his 
 Law required, in being what he is ; and fo Sin 
 an infinite Evil f 
 
 If Sin is really an infinite Evil, then it is meet 
 that it fhould be difcountenanced and punilhed 
 as fuch, i. e. with an infinite Pumfljment, i. e. 
 with the eternal Pains of Hell. And it was/f, 
 thai the Governour of the World fhould make 
 
 a 
 
Let. IV. The ron to Aspasio. 209 
 
 a Law, thus to punifh it. And fit, that this Law 
 ihould be magnified and made honourable. And 
 even wife, in the Eyes of infinite Wifdom, that 
 One byJVatureGO'T), fhould become incarnate, 
 and die in the Sinner's Stead, rather than fet the 
 Law afide. And on this Hypothecs, the final 
 Doom of the Wicked may well appear perfectly 
 beautiful 'in the Eyes of all holy Intelligences.— 
 But Sin cannot be an infinite Evil, unlefs we 
 are under infinite Obligations to do otherwife. 
 
 LOVE is the Thing required. Not merely 
 a Love of Gratitude to God, as an almighty 
 Benefactor : but a Love of Ejleem, Compla- 
 cence and "Delight. — We may feel grateful to a 
 Benefaclor, merely as finch, without even a 
 Knowledge of his general Character ; yea, when 
 his general Character would not fuit us, did we 
 know it. The Ifraelites, notwithftanding their 
 Joy and Gratitude at the Side of the Red-Sea, 
 were far from a Difpofition to be fuited, to be 
 pleafed, to be enamoured, with fuch a Being as 
 GOD was. Yea, the more they. knew of him, 
 the lefs they feemed to like him ; fo that in iefs 
 than two Years they were for going back to 
 Egypt again. — But if we may feel grateful to* 
 wards God, merely as- our almighty Benefactor-, '. 
 without the Knowledge of his true Character ; 
 yet Ejleem, Complacence and ^Delight, fuppoib 
 his true Character known ; as that is the Object' 
 of this kind of Love. And what can lay us 
 Wilder inrfnite Obligations to love God, in thk 
 T 3 Se»&* 
 
2io The ron to Asp a si o. Let. IV. 
 
 Senfe, but his ozun infinite AMIABLE- 
 JNIlSS f Yet the divine Law requires its 
 to love God with this kind of Love, — and that 
 with all our Hearts, — on Pain of eternal Dam- 
 nation for the lead: Defect.— -And this iaw was 
 binding on all Mankind, previoufly toaConfidc- 
 ration of the Gift of Chrift to be a Saviour. 
 
 While, therefore, the Law fuppofes our Ob- 
 ligations to be infinite ; and the Death of the 
 Son of God, and the final judgment, give the 
 higheft pofliblcProof, that the OMNISCIENT 
 efteems the Law exactly right ; the infinite 
 Dignity, Excellency and Glory of the MOST 
 HIGH GOD, is hereby fet in the ftrongeft 
 Point of Light. 
 
 Take away the infinite Amiablenefs of the 
 Deity, and we, in Effect, ungod him — He ceafes 
 to be the GOD OF GLORY— He ceafes to 
 be a proper Objeft of this fupreme Regard, in 
 the Eyes of finite Intelligences — It is no longer 
 an infinite Evil, not to love him — The Law is 
 no longer juft — The Death of Chrift is need- 
 Jefs — And the whole Syflem of Doctrines re- 
 -vealed in the Bible, is fapped at the Foundati- 
 on — Nothing remains, to a thinking Man, but 
 Infidelity. 
 
 And yet, dear Aspasio, this was my very 
 Cafe. The infinite Ami 'able i nefs of the Deity, 
 which is the real Foundation of all true Reli- 
 .gion, was wholly left out of -the Account, in my 
 Love and Joy, and. in all my religious A fTedti- 
 
 .ons. — 
 
Let. IV. ThEron to Aspasio. 2i| 
 
 ons. — All my Love and Joy and Zeal arofe from 
 my Faith. And my Faith confided but in be- 
 lieving that Cbrifr, Pardon and Heaven were 
 mine. — I rejoyced juit like the gracelefs Ifrael- 
 ites, in a SenJe of their great Deliverance, and 
 in Expectation of foon arriving to the prom i fed 
 Land, a "Land f owing witbMtlk and Honey, the 
 Glory of aU Lands. — Their's was a gracelefs, 
 felfijb Joy ; and fo was mine. Their's wa$jpim 
 over ; and fo was mine. Their Carcafes finally 
 fell in theWildernefs ; and, but for the fovcrcign 
 Grace of God, this alfo had been my very Cafe. 
 Oh, my dear Aspasio, whofe entertaining 
 Pen gains the Attention of Thouftnds on b'eth 
 Sides the Atlantic, pity the Ignorance of be- 
 nighted Souls, and guard them again(t the Dan- 
 gers, which had well nigh proved the Ruin of 
 your own Pupil, 
 
 Your affectionate 
 
 Theron. 
 
 !#fi'^###^ 
 
 Lettek 
 
[ 212 ] 
 
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 Letter V. 
 
 Theron to Asp a si o. 
 
 New--Eng!and,Kyx\\ 4. 1759. 
 
 My dear Aspasio, 
 
 IP^IIHILE I view GOD the Creator, whole 
 (( W )) almighty Word gave Exigence to the 
 1^^^ whole Syflem, — while I view Him as 
 the original Author and fole Proprietor of the 
 whole Univerfe ; whofe are all Things in Hea- 
 ven and Earth ; I fee, the Right of Government 
 naturally belongs to him. It is meet, that he 
 fhould be KING in his own World : And he 
 cannot but have a rightful Authority over the 
 Works of his own Hands. — While I view him 
 as moral Governour of the World, feated at the 
 Head of the intelligent Creation, on a Throne 
 high and lifted up, Heaven 8c Earth filed with 
 bis Glory, as the THRICE HOLY ONE ; 
 and hear 'him utter his Voice, faying, I AM 
 THE LORD, and, BESIDES ME THERE 
 IS NO OTHER GOD; and hear him com- 
 mand- 
 
Let. V. Theron to Aspasio. 213 
 
 mand all the World to Love and adore and obey 
 him, on Pain of eternal 'Damnation ; a Spirit 
 of Love to his glorious Majeity infpires me with 
 Joy, and makes me exult, to fee him thus ex- 
 alted, and thus honoured. I love to hear him 
 proclaim his Law, a Law holy, jujl and good, 
 glorious and amiable. I am glad with all my 
 Heart, the almighty Monarch of the Univerfe 
 is fo engaged, that all his Subjects give unto God 
 the Glory due unto his Name. (Pfal. xcvi. 8.) 
 
 His Law, his gloriousLaw, which once, Ene- 
 my to God that 1 was, appeared like " the Laws 
 o£*Draco," now fliines with a Beauty all divine. 
 1 had almoft faid, It is the Brightnefs of his 
 Glory, & the exprefs Image of his P erf on. For 
 indeed it is an exact Tranfcript of his glorious 
 Perfections, the very Picture of his Heart, 
 HOLT, JUST, and GOOT). (Rom.vii.12.) \ 
 
 When the God of Glory dwelt in the Jewifh 
 Temple, in thePilhr of Cloud, over the Mercy- 
 Seat, his Lavj was by his fpecial Command de-t 
 pofited in the Ark, the very ho>!ie(t. Place in thq 
 Holy of Holies, as the dcareft, choiceilTreafurc. 
 Thus was it done to the Law, which God de- 
 lighted to honour. — But this Honour, great as 
 it was, is not to be mentioned, nor is it worthy 
 to come into Mind, fi nee that infinitely greater 
 Regard to the divine Law, which God has fhewn 
 in the Gift of his SON. An incarnate God on 
 ibc Crofs, has magnified the Law, and made it 
 honourable, beyond, infinitely beyond, what was 
 
 eyer 
 
214 Theron to Aspasio. Let.V. 
 
 ever done before.- — Bin all thisHononr, infinite- 
 ly great as it was, was but jult equal to what the 
 Law deferred. ■ 
 
 While I view God, my Creator, my rightful 
 Lord and Owner, my fovereign King, the GOD 
 OF GLORY ; and fee his 'infinite Worthinefs 
 of fnpreme Love- and Honour ; I feci, that the 
 leaf} DifrefpeEl to his glorious Majefty. is an 
 infinite Evil. I pronounce the Law, in all its 
 Rigour, holy, jufl and good. Even as a Mi- 
 niftration of Death and Condemnation, it ap- 
 fears glorious (2 Cor. iii. 7, 8.) and I heartily 
 acquiefce in the Equity of the Sentence, with 
 Application to my felf. This makes me feel my 
 jNeed of CHRIST', and prepares my Heart to 
 return home ro God, for ever to live to him. 
 For I thro"* the Law am dead to the Law, 
 that I might live unto God. (Gal. ii. 19.) 
 
 The Law, my dear As pas 10, threatens eter- 
 nal 'Damnation for the very firft Tranfgrefllon, 
 for even the lead Defecl. (Gal iii. 10.) — I 
 l>reak the Law every Moment ; and therefore 
 every Moment I merit eternal Woe : Such an 
 infinite Evil is Sin. — It appeared glorious in 
 the Eyes of GOD, thus to punifif S'm, when he 
 made his Law — It appeared vlorious in the Eyes 
 of CHRIST, that Sin mould be ihws punijbed, 
 when he went as a Lamb to the Altar, and vo- 
 luntarily ftretched himfelf upon the Crofs 
 to die in the Sinner's Room. And in a clear 
 View of the Glory of the GOD OF GLORY, 
 
Let.V. Theron to Aspasio. 215 
 
 I fee the Grounds and Reafons of the Law j it 
 
 is Zw/y, ;«y? and good. — I fee why Chrifl was fo 
 willing to be nailed to the Crofs in the Sinner's 
 Stead ; to magnify theLaw and make it honour- 
 able. — And I have Felloivfbip, a fellow-feeling, 
 with Chrifl in his Sufferings \ and in the Tem- 
 per of my Heart, am made conformable to his 
 'Death. (Phil.ui. 10.) I feel towards God, and 
 Law, and Sin, in a Meafure, as he did. Or, to 
 exprefs all my Heart in one emphatical Phrafe, 
 / AM CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST. 
 (Gal. ii. 20.) u The Law is good. I defire to 
 c ; die. I lay my Neck upon the Block, or rather 
 " ft retch my Hands upon the Crofs : and fay, 
 " The Law is holy, juft and good. And cry, 
 " AMEN, AMEN, AMEN, twelve Times 
 <4 S om S : " — as God, of old, taught his Church 
 do. Deut. xxvi. ia, 20, * 
 
 Oh, 
 
 ■ % 
 
 * 
 
 I mult conrels, my dear Aspasio, I am (hock'd, 
 to hear fome Divines reprefent the Law as a, 
 Tyrant^ as tyrannizing over Chrift upon the Crofs, 
 as tyrannizing over Sinners, as being /lain for its 
 Tyranny ', &c.-- -For thefe hard Speeches are not fo 
 much againft the Law, as againft the God that 
 made it. Juft as if God Sc his Law were Tyrants, 
 whileChrift & hisGofpel are all made up of LOVE ! 
 But fhockingas this is, yet I mud own, this was 
 once the very Temper of my Heart. (See the 
 Marrow of Mod. Div. with Notes, p. 146.)— I 
 loved the Go/pel : I did not iove the Law. The 
 (ifing Love of Chrift, O how fweet a Theme ! 
 
 Law* 
 
216 Theron to Aspasio. Let.V. 
 
 Oh, my dear Aspasio, — in the Time of the 
 
 late 
 
 Law, Obligation, Duty, were difagreable, dead, 
 and legal Things. Faith, Pardon, Joy, Heaven, 
 Grace, free Grace, thefe Topics only ravifhed my 
 Heart.— Chrift loved the Law, or he had never 
 died : I only loved my felf. The Honour of his 
 Father's Law was dear to him. (Heb. i. 9. Pfal. 
 xl. 8. Matib. v. 17, 18.) My felf alone was dear 
 to me. I viewed his Death, his dying Love, as 
 all for me. Mis Agony in the Garden, his bloody 
 Sweat, his dying Groans, all out of Love to me! 
 This pleafed my Heart.--- His Father $ Glory I had 
 never feen : the Law's Beantyl had never beheld : 
 the IVifdom or God, in the Death of his Son, I 
 had never brought into the Account.-— Love, 
 Love* ! Love to me, to Me ! was all in all : This 
 only ravifhed my Heart. I loved myfelf, I only loved 
 my felf.---Strange, that I fhould think my Love 
 to Chrifl fo great ! The very Joy I had, to think 
 he died for me, was a full Proof that I loved him 
 not at all ; fince I did not delight in theLaw, nor 
 love the Law, in Honour to which lie died. — 
 Had my Wife, or Child, or Friend, or any whom 
 I loved, been punifhed by that Law', I had been 
 full of Grief, and thought it very bard : For in- 
 deed that Law appeared to me like the Laws of 
 Draco. But when CHRIST was the Victim, I 
 was pleafed : For I loved my felf ; but CHRIST 
 I did not love. I cared not what he fullered, nor 
 why ; if I my felf was fafe.—ln Truth, if the 
 Law is not holy,jufl and good, glorious & amiable, 
 the Death of CHRIST, to anfwer its Demands, 
 is the moft /hocking Affair that ever happened. 
 But I was wholly fwallowed up in 'Self : And M if 
 I was buty^, I cared hot hoiv" 
 
Let.V. Theron to Aspasio. 217 
 
 hte Rebellion, when I lived in England, had T, 
 thro a hearty Attachment to the Pretender's In- 
 tereft, fecretly poifoned ten of the Houfe of 
 Lords, and twenty of the Houfe of Commons, 
 from mere Spite, only becaufe of their Loyalty 
 to our rightful Sovereign ; and had I laid a Plot 
 to blow up King and Parliament, burn the City 
 of London, & deliver the Nation into the Hands 
 of a Popifb Pretender, — all thro' pure Malig- 
 nity, — what would it have availed before zCourt 
 of Juftice, after I was arraigned, convicted and 
 condemned, to have pleaded, — " Oh, fpare my 
 " Life — I am forry for what I have done — I 
 " will never do fo any more — I will be a good 
 " and loyal Subject for the Time to come" ! 
 Efpecially, if all the Court knew I was a 
 Jacobite by Blood, and had fhewn my fe\f a 
 Jacobite, in tenThoufandlnftances, all my Life 
 long, and had dill very much of the Heart of 
 a Jacobite; and had lived and died a perfect Ja- 
 cobite in Heart & Practice, were it not for fome 
 irreTITtible Arguments, or rather fomething more 
 powerful than Arguments, that had begun to 
 give me a new Turn of Mind ? Would my 
 Penitence be efteemed any Atonement for my 
 horridCrimes ? Nay, rather,would not the whole 
 Nation cry, " Away with fuch a vile Wretch 
 " from the Earth ! for he is not fit to live /" 
 And were I brought to view the whole Affair in 
 a right Light, and to feel right ; what would be 
 the Language of my Heart f Would it not Echo 
 V back 
 
2i8 The ron to Aspasio. Let. V. 
 
 back the general Cry ? " Right ! Right ! away 
 " with fuch a vile Wretch from the Earth ! for, 
 Cl indeed, 1 am not fit to live J" — And on the 
 Gallows, even in my dying Agonies, I fhould 
 not have the lead Reafon to dirfike (hzLaw, by 
 which I was condemned ; or to love my Judges 
 e'er the lefs, for pronouncing the Sentence of 
 Condemnation upon me. But, rather, with .all 
 my Heart, I ought to approve the Law, as good ; 
 and efteem their Conduct to be truly praife- 
 ivorthy. 
 
 But to murder thirty of my 'Fellow- Worms , 
 blow up King and Parliament, burn a City, 
 ruin a Nation, viewed only as Injuries to a civil 
 Community, and Breaches of a civil Law, are 
 no Crimes, in Comparifon with rifing in Rebel- 
 lion againft the INFINITELY GLORIOUS 
 MONARCH OF THE UNIVERSE ; com- 
 pared with whom, the whole created Syftem is 
 lefs than Nothing and Vanity ! f 
 
 Wherefore, 
 
 * Is it a Sinner' s Duty to be willing to ^damned ?— - 
 NO, by no Means. ---The Damned will for ever 
 hate God : The Sinner ought for ever to love 
 him.— The Damned will be for ever miferable : 
 The Sinner is invited to be for ever happy, thro* 
 Chrift.— His Duty is, to be reconciled to God, and 
 return to him thro* Jefus Chrift.-— Indeed, were 
 there no other Way to fupport the Honour of the 
 divine Government, but by the eternal Mifery of 
 the Sinner, the Sinner ought to be willing, that 
 the Honour of the divine Government mould be 
 
 fupported, 
 
Let. V. Therok to Aspasio. 219 
 
 "Wherefore, in my beftFrames,in my devouteffc 
 Hoars, when I feel the greateft Veneration for 
 the Deity, and the greateft Regard to his Law, 
 and am moft forry that I ever have been, and 
 am ftill, fuch a vile Rebel againft my rightful 
 Sovereign, the GOD of GLORY ; I am fo 
 far from thinking, that I am fit to live, that my 
 whole Heart is ready to fay, " No, — but infi- 
 " nitely unfit to live ! Eternal 'Death is my 
 44 'Due ! And Hell, my proper Home /" — Yea, 
 it appears to me, altho I had attained to love 
 God and Chrift in the fameDcgree as St.PA UL 
 did, and were as willing to die in the Caufe of 
 Religion as be was, that yet I fhould merit 
 HELL, every Moment, for not loving God and 
 Chrift more. And therefore, with him, I would 
 have no Confidence in the Flejb ; and would 
 feek to be found, not in my felf, In.t in Chrijl ; 
 not having my ozun Rig'hteoufnefis, but his. (Phil. 
 iii. 3, 9.) And would fay, In the Lord alone 
 have I Righteoufinefs, and in him alone will I 
 llory. (Ifai. xlv. 24, 25.) 
 
 V 2 Yea, 
 
 fupported, altho' at the Exper.ce of his eternal 
 Sufferings. ---God and ChriiV, Angels and Saints, 
 will ail be of this Mind, at the Day of Judgment, 
 with Refpecl to the Wicked. And they will all 
 judge rightly. {Rom ii. 2.) Nor will the Wicked 
 have any Reafon to dijlike them for it ; but, rather, 
 to eiieem their Conduct herein truly praifie- worthy-. 
 Rev. xix, 1,-— 6. 
 
220 Theron to Aspasio. Let.V. 
 
 Yea, fufFer me to fay, I apprehend & veriJy 
 believe, that even St. PAUL himfclf deferved 
 eternal Damnation, for that Wickednefs which 
 God faw in his Heart, then, at thatlnftant, when, 
 a little before he died a Martyr, he faid, / am 
 now ready to be offered. For altho he was wil- 
 ling, quite willing to die for his Mailer ; yet-he 
 did not love him perfectly, as he ought. He 
 himfelf owns, he had not already attained, nor 
 was already perfeff. — But the lead Defect: de- 
 fer? es Punilhment, yea, eternal Damnation.— 
 Therefore, St. PAUL always felt in hisHearf, 
 that Hell was his proper Due ; and always Iook'd 
 
 rhe Law, even as a Minijl ration of Death 
 ■"■:d Condemnation, to be glorious (2 Cor.iii.7,9.) 
 niid always placed all his Dependence, for Ac- 
 ceptance in the Sight of God, on Jefus Chrift.— 
 He did fo, prt only when firft converted, but 
 habitually, all the Days of his Life, to his very 
 laft Breath. 
 
 O, in. how lively, how ftriking "a Manner, are 
 all thefe Sentiments exprefTed, in thofe Words 
 of the blefTed Apoftle, in Gal. ii. 19, 20. which 
 were the genuine Language of his Heart, and 
 give a Picture of the inwardTemper of his Soul ? 
 I thro'' the Lazy am dead to the Lazu, that I 
 might live to God. I am crucified with Chrifl : 
 neverthelefs I live ; yet not I ; but Chrifl liveth 
 in me : And the Life I live in the Flefb, even 
 to my la red Breath, / live by the Faith of the 
 
 Son 
 
Let. V. Theron /s Astpasio. 222 
 
 Son of God, -who loved me, and gave himfelf 
 for me. — JVho loved me, as his own before the 
 Foundation of the World ; and in the Fulnefs 
 of Time, gave himfelf for me, as one whom the 
 Father had given to him. For, in the mid ft of 
 thefe holy Views & gracious Exercifes of Heart, 
 St. PAU1J% Calling and Election were always 
 fure ; and he ftcadily knew, that he was of that 
 blelTed Number for whom Chrift died, with an 
 abfolute Defign to fave. Yet this Knowledge 
 was not the Foundation, but rather, the Confe- 
 que nee of his Faith and Holinefs. 
 
 Your Theron does no more doubt of God's 
 Readinefs to be reconciled to the Sinner, that 
 returns to him thro* Jefus Chrift, than he doubts 
 of the Truth of the Go/pel.- He believes the 
 one juft as firmly as he believes the other. If 
 the chief Facls related in the Gofpel are true, 
 he knows, this Confe quence is equally true. If 
 God has fo pitied this apoftate World, as to give 
 his own Son to die a Sacrifice for Sin, to anfwet 
 the Demands of his Law, and fecure the Honour 
 of his Government, for this very End, that he 
 might be juft, and yet the Juflifer of him thai 
 believeth in Jefus, — and if he has t eft \E ed his 
 Acceptance of the Atonement, by raifin* him 
 from the Dead, and fetting him at his own right 
 Hand in Heaven, — I fay, if thefe FACTS are 
 true, your Theron knows, the Confequence 
 3-annot but be true, viz, that any Sinner, how 
 V 3 Ui, 
 
222 Til EROS' to Aspasio. Let. V. 
 
 ill-deferving foever, who, upon the Invitation 
 of the GpfpeT, flial I repent and be converted, 
 ill all return to God thro' 7<?/i/J Chrifl, he will 
 be accepted, pardoned, and faved, for Chrid's 
 fake". — And, beholding as in a Glofs the Glory 
 of the Lord, I cannot but return, and give up 
 my felf to God, thro' Jefus Chrift, with all my 
 Heart. (Pfal.cx.%. Joh.w\\. 3,8. PfaL ix.io.) 
 
 Such were the Views, fuch were the Tempers 
 of the Apodle PAUL, who wrote, and of the 
 Chrijlians to whom he directed his Epidles ; 
 as hehimfelf affirms, 2 Cor. iii. 1 8. — And k was 
 under fuch Views, and in Confequence or' fuch 
 Tempers, that they were affured, the fpiritual 
 and everlafling Bleffings of the Gofpel were 
 theirs • as another Apodle aflcrts, 1 job. ii. 3, 
 4, 5.— And in fnch Views, and with fuch Tem- 
 pers, St. PAUL might well expect, that the 
 Con (i deration of the infinite Gcodnefs of God 
 towards them, — in their Election, Redemption, 
 effectual Calling, Judication, Adoption, Sanclifi- 
 cation, and in the eternal Joys of Heaven, to.be 
 certainly beflowed upon them, — would power- 
 fully animate them to prefent themfelves a living 
 Sacrifice to God, to be for ever entirely his. 
 {Rom. 12. 1.) 
 
 The Saints at ROME— viewed the Wrath 
 of God as revealed from Heaven again/2 ALL 
 Ungodlincfs, agalnft the lead Sin, — felt them- 
 felves without Excufe, their Mouths ft opt, gutU 
 
Let. V. The Ron- to Aspasio. 223 
 
 ty before God, according to Law ; a Law holy r 
 jufl and good — were therefore dead to the Law, 
 and married to Cbr'tft — exercifed Faith in the 
 Btodd ofChnjl, depending entirely on frceGrace 
 t bro* theKcdemption zvhicb h in Cbrift Jefus. — 
 And as by Virtue of their Union with Adam, 
 they became Sinners ; Co by Virtue of their 
 Union with Cbr:/l, by a true and living Faith, 
 Mry became righteous*— And were dead to Sin, 
 Co thr.t they could not any longer the tbcrei?). 
 For they not only approved the Law as holy, 
 it/fl and good, but even delighted in the Law of 
 God after ihv tnzvard Alan, and maintained a 
 conftant Conflict ngainfl every contrary Bias. — 
 For they were made Partakers of the divine 
 Nature, had every one of them the Spirit of 
 Chrift duelling in them ; and walked not after 
 the Flefb, but after the Spirit, — were daily led 
 by the Spirit, and lived under rhe Government 
 of divine Grace ; feeling the Temper o£ Chil- 
 dren towards God ; crying, .Abba, Father. — 
 And if Children, they knew, they were Heir: 
 cf God, and. Joint -Heirs with Jefus Chrifl. — 
 And as they were willing to fuffer with Cbrift, 
 they expected to reign with him. And they 
 e deemed the Sufferings of this frefent Life not 
 -worthy to be compared with the Glory they had 
 in View, in a future State. — Befides, they found 
 by Experience, that all their Sufferings worked 
 together for their Good, brought them nearer to 
 God , and made them more like him. — And they 
 
 were 
 
224 The Ron to Aspasio. Let. V. 
 
 were perfuaded, that nothing in Life or Death 
 fhould ever feparate them from the Love of 
 God : who, of his mere fovereign Grace, had 
 predeflinated, called, and done all Things for 
 them ; not becaufe they had any Claim ro make, 
 but becaufe he -would have Mercy, on -whom he 
 would have Mercy ; of the fame Lump making 
 one a Vcffel to Honour, and another a Veffel to 
 *Di '/honour. Which fovereign Right to difpofe. 
 of his own Grace, they faw, belonged to God ; 
 of whom, and by whom, and to whom are all 
 "Things ; to whom be Glory for ever ! — Where- 
 fore, as the fitted, and happieft thing in the 
 World, they brought themfelves, Soul & Body, 
 as the Jew ufed to bring his Bullock to the 
 A.ltar, and prefented themfelves a living Sacri- 
 fice to God — feeking daily to be more and more 
 trans formed into thedivinelmage — and devoting 
 themfelves, in all Humility and Love, to the 
 Duties of their feveral Places — not flothful in 
 Bufinefs, but fervent in Spirit, ferving the 
 Lord. — (Pleafe to read the 1 2 flrft Chapters of 
 the Epiftle to the Romans.) 
 
 The Saints at EPHESUS alfo, who for- 
 merly had their Under (landings darkened, their 
 Hearts blind, and alienated from God ; yea, 
 who were quite dead in Sin ; and fo far from 
 any Right to claim Mercy, that they were with- 
 out Chrifl, having no Hope, and without God 
 in the World \ yea, even by JSaure Children 
 
 of 
 
Let. V. Theron to Aspasio. 225 
 
 ^opWratb : yet thefe, of God's mere fovereign 
 Grace, according to his Purpofe before the 
 Foundation of the World, were quickened, had 
 divine Life communicated to them, were raifed 
 from the Dead, were brought to know Jefus 
 Chrift, and truft in him ; in Confluence of 
 which they were fealed, had the Holy Spirit 
 given to dwell in them, whereby they were fur- 
 nifhed to zWgood Works, And confeions to this 
 divine Change, and to the glorious BlefTings 
 they were now made Partakers of, they were 
 fervently engaged to zvalk zuorthy of thcVoca- 
 cation, wherewith they were called, — to live 
 up to their holy Religion, — to forgive othen as 
 God had forgiven them, — and in all Things to 
 imitate their heavenly Father, being Followers 
 of God as dear Children — Faithful in relative 
 Duties, — doing all with Singlenefs of Heart, 
 as unto the Lord, &zc. — (Pleafe to read over 
 the whole Epiftle.) 
 
 But Time once was, O my dear Aspasio, 
 when your Theron, not confei-ous of any 
 fanclifying Operations in his own Bread, be- 
 lieved all the Blejjings of the Gofpel to be 
 his, — without any " Evidence from Scripture, 
 Senfe, or Rcafoiv' : Which Belief ferved to 
 ftill his Confcience, and keep him at Eafe, while 
 blind to the Beauty of the divine Nature, and 
 a Stranger to the divine Life. — And in this 
 Cafe, having no fufficient Evidence from inhe- 
 rent 
 
226 The ron to Aspasio. Let. V. 
 
 rent Graces, to fupport h\$' Confidence, he 1 was 
 obliged, without any Evidence at all from any 
 Quarter, refolutely to maintain his Belief, by 
 believing. — Oh, what awful T>elufion / How 
 was I like one blindfold ; one deftitute of any 
 Senfe, or Reafon, or Knowledge of the Scrip- 
 tures, led Captive by Satan at his Will /—by 
 Satan transformed into an Angel of Light, 
 
 Oh, my dear Aspasio, pity an ignorant be- 
 nighted World, who love to flatter themfelves>, 
 and to hear no Gry from their Teachers, but 
 PEACE, PEACE :— And guard them againfl 
 the fad Delufion, which had well-nigh proved 
 the Ruin of your own Theron ! 
 
 If all your Sentiments, as they exift in your 
 -own Mind, are exactly right ; if you had not 
 the lead Defign to convey one of thofe miftaken 
 Notions, which your Therok imbibed from 
 your perfuafive Lips ; if he mifunderftood jufl 
 every Word, and framed a mere Chimera in 
 his own Head, a Chimera you abhor with all 
 your Heart : Yet, O my kind, my tender- 
 hearted, my dear Aspasio, pity an ignorant 
 World, who are like generally to underfland you 
 as I have done ; and in Compaffion to immortal 
 Souls, be intreated, once more to take your fine, 
 your entertaining, charming Pen, which com- 
 mands tne Attention of Thoufands & ten Thou- 
 fan^fir thro all the Britifh Dominions, in Europe 
 
 and. 
 
Let.V. Theron to Aspasio. 2^7 
 
 and .America, and warn poor Sinners of their 
 dreadful Danger ; left Multitudes perifh in the 
 Road, — the bewitching, the enchanting Road, — 
 once trodden by your own Pupil ; and in which, 
 but for the fovereign Grace of God, he had been 
 
 for ever loft ! 'Tis the humble and earned 
 
 Requeft of 
 
 Your -ever affe&ionate 
 
 Theron. 
 


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