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S O ME 
 
 REFLECTIONS, 
 
 By way of DIALOGUE, 
 
 On the Nature cf 
 
 Origi?2al Sin^ Baptifmal 'Rege7ieration^ 
 Repejitance^ the New Birth, Faith, 
 yuJliJicatioTi, Chrijiia?i PeffeBion, or 
 Univerfal Holi7iefs, and the Infpiration 
 of the Spirit of God. 
 
 0-x.av^a.Xov, "EXT^vKTh ^l (/.u^iav, I Cor. i. 23. 
 
 — avri X£y^K» w EXArjv ; <TC^\a.v ^»3T£K » E%£t? rov K^iroit 
 (ro(pia* ovla. rS Haclqoq. Ol (jlIv yx^ piXoa-o^oi Tre^t 
 ■^vx,^cc )^ dvovrfia, rji^oXr^Bria-ccv' cs rotv^oq to'v «ocrjx<M> 
 taua-e. Theophyl. in 1 Lor. i. 24, 25. 
 
 "HiX-OUaOV Toivyy TO (TbJflX, tvOi olKfl TO 7iVtV(Ji0t, BV (TOiy XCtl 
 
 ^l a,vTo oj^ o-ot ■/) ^a;>5 idem, in Rom. viii. 1 1 . 
 
 Humbly Infcribed to the Moft Reverend and Right Reverend the 
 Lords the Archbirtiop', and Bifnops of £ jj G l a n d. 
 
 The FIFTH EDITION, with an APPENDIX. 
 By VIN.^ERRONET, AM, 
 
 Vicar of Shoreham in Kent^ and 
 Chaplain to the Right Honourable Earl Stanhope. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed and Sold by J, and W. Oliver, in 
 Bartholomew -Clofe near Weft Smithfield. 1767, 
 
i^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ "^^ 
 
 
 ." ' ^^. to 
 T O THE <- ^ 
 
 Moft Reverend and Right Reverend 
 
 The LORDS the 
 
 ARCHBISHOPS and BISHOPS 
 o F 
 
 ENGLAND. 
 
 My Lords, 
 
 'T^Hough the Obfcurity of the Au- 
 thor cannot challenge the Honour 
 he thus ventures to aflame to himfelf; 
 yet the great and important Doclrines 
 liere treated of, both o( xht /acred IFrit- 
 A 2 i?2gs^ 
 
DEDICATION. 
 
 ings, and of our own Church, will fufR- 
 ciently plead his Excufe. And indeed, 
 as your Lordfhips ought to be efteemed 
 principal Guardians of fuch Doftrines ; 
 therefore the Patronage of them, To far 
 as they appear to h^ fuchy muft, in part 
 at leaft, belong to your Lordlhips. 
 
 That yuJliJkatiGn by Faith^ which is 
 one of the Do(£lrines here explained, 
 has been varioufly underftood, cannot, 
 my Lords, be a Secret to you : But this 
 can neither leflen the Truth, nor the 
 Importance of it. 
 
 That it is a Do6lrine of our own 
 Church, none will venture to deny; 
 though by the cold manner in which it 
 is fometimes treated, one would go near 
 to fufpeft, that fome Gentlemen were 
 quite tired of it. 
 
 It may certainly, my Lords, be afked> 
 whether Men are always to hold Opini- 
 ons, 
 
DEDICATION. 
 
 ons, which cannot be defended by the 
 Gofpel', becaufe they were once efpoufed 
 by the Church ^^ 
 
 My Lords, They who have a due Re- 
 gard for the divine Authority of the Gof- 
 pel, or for iht Principles of \ht Reforma- 
 tion, cannot long be in Sufpenfe about 
 anfwering fuch a Queftion. 
 
 However, my Lords, till this really 
 appears to be the Cafe of any of our 
 Doclrines, it is in Charity to be hoped, 
 that no Member of our excellent Church 
 will either be artiamed of her Doftrines, 
 or afraid to efpoufe them 3 left be only 
 prove afbamedofthe Gofpel of C\\n&.» 
 
 How far, my Lords, the Agreement 
 is here (hewn between an antiquated 
 Do6lrine or two of our own Church, 
 and that divine Gofpel : And how far 
 fome dangerous and fatal Errors are 
 
 laid open, which ftrike at the very Foun- 
 A 3 dations 
 
DEDICATION. 
 
 dations oi ChriJliamfy',"ThQk are Points, 
 which are humbly fubmitted to the un- 
 prejudiced Judgments of your Lordfliips, 
 as well as to that of every other ferious 
 and wife Chriftian. — I am, with the 
 greateft Deference and Refpefi:, 
 
 My Lords ^ 
 
 Tour Lordjhips 
 
 moji dutiful Son^ 
 and Servant^ 
 
 ViN. Perronet. 
 
THE 
 
 PRE F A CTE^ 
 
 WHAT awful Words are thefe ! 
 " If our GOSPEL be hid, it 
 ^' is hid to them that are loji-^ in whom 
 " theGo^ of this World hath blinded the 
 " Minds of them which ^^//Vi;^ «^/ ; left 
 '' \\\tLight of the gloriousGO^PEL of 
 ** CHRIST, who is the Image of God, 
 '* fhould Jhine unto them [a)^ 
 
 Mijerable, undone Souls ! The Li^ht, 
 the Truth, the ^m«^ Excellency of the 
 GOSPEL hid from them ! 
 
 Thus the Almighty makes good his 
 righteous Threatning ; ** becaufe they 
 " received not the Love of the Truth, 
 " that they might be faved; for this 
 *' Caufe God ihall lend them ftrong 
 ** Delufion, that they (hould believe a 
 *' Xy5'(Z»)."— How melancholy, hov^ de- 
 plorable a State, to be thus deferted of 
 God, and his divine Grace ! 
 
 May the Lord fet thefe Refleftions 
 fo home upon the Heart of every proud 
 and obftinate Infidel, that he may find 
 no Reft, till he is pluckt as a Br and out of 
 the Fire I — But novi^, what fhall we fay of 
 
 thofe 
 
 {a) 2 Cor. iv. 3,4, 
 (If) zThefs. ii, 10— 12, 
 
THE PREFACE. 
 
 thofe miferahle Profeffcrs of Chrijlianiiy\ 
 who may have largely contributed to 
 the»S/;2 and Ruin of thofe immortal Souls, 
 by being a Scandal and Reproach to the 
 ProfeffioR of xhtGofpel?--'' It muft needs 
 " be, fays the bleiTed y^^^j, that Offences 
 *' come; huiWo to that Man by whom 
 ** the Offence cometh (a) !" 
 
 Various Ways have thofe, who are 
 called Chrijliansy diftionoured the Ckrif- 
 tian Name. 
 
 Some, by Vices, which would even 
 {hock a foberi?<f^/fo?.— Some, by an un- 
 
 charitable^ furious^ and intolerant^^\nX 
 
 Some, by an eager Purfuit aiter the 
 
 Pleajures^ or Richesy or Honours of Life. 
 
 Surely, neither the /t'??///^/, the Z^uv/, the 
 
 proud, the vain, the covetous, nor the 
 
 ambitious Chnftian, can ever bring ?nuch 
 
 Honour to the Religion of a crucified Je- 
 
 fus I A Religion, which in joins us Mor- 
 
 tificatio7ty?iX\d Self' denial ', Purity of Hearty 
 
 and Holinefs oiConverfation ; a lowly, hum- 
 
 ble, heavenly^vci^ ', not to love the World, 
 
 nor to be conformed to it -, but to Jet our 
 
 Ajfe8ions on Things above ^ not on Things 
 
 on the Earth! 
 
 Therefore, when the Enemies oiChrif- 
 tianity (who zxt Jharpfigbted enough in 
 
 every 
 
 (a) St Matth. xviii, 7, 
 
THE PREFACE. 
 
 every Thing, but what concerns their 
 eternal Salvation-, when thefe) obferve 
 too many Profejfors of the Golpel thus 
 trifling with it, can it be any Wonder 
 that//7/fe/f//VvgainsGround in the World? 
 I prefume it cannot. — ¥ov Infidelity^ I 
 am perfuaded, will alwavs gain Strength 
 in Proportion as theGofpel lofes its divine 
 Efficacy on the Hearts and Minds of its 
 ProfeJJors. 
 
 Let this divine Efficacy but (hine forth 
 in iXs full Luflre^— and Infidelity will lofe 
 its ftrongeft Hold. For though the God 
 of this World found Means to blijid Man- 
 kind, even in the pureft Times of the 
 Gofpel\ yet it may be fubmitted, whether 
 the Lives of Chrifiiam have not too long 
 furnifhed him with his moft dangerous 
 and {oxm\d?^\tWeapom'?^^Qo\AdReafon 
 and Argument havedifarmed him, he had 
 been long fince dijarmed\ — hut /omething 
 elfe is wanting. 
 
 However, it muft be the Duty of 
 every one, according to his Station^ 
 Circumflances, and Abilities^ to endeavour 
 to enforce the Gojpel upon the Hearts of 
 Men. — But which is the moft promifing 
 Method to fucceed? Is it not to propofe 
 it in its native Simplicity f This furely 
 muft be the moft likely Way to bring 
 
 down 
 
THE PREFACE. 
 
 down a Blejfing upon our Endeavours. 
 For though to accommodate its Doc- 
 trines either to the Prejudices of Philofo- 
 phers ; or to tlie l^alle of a giddy ^ thought- 
 ii'fs 2inA Jcepiical AgQ^ might pleafe fome 
 refined Reajoners '^ as well 2,% 2i Multitude 
 of others, who cannot relifli a Religion 
 which propofes a Crofs and a narrow 
 Way \ yet this would be only betraying 
 their Souls, and murdering of our cwn'y 
 though we might thus effedually efcape 
 the ufual Charge oi Enthufiafm. 
 
 I have therefore endeavoured, in the 
 following Dialogue, to give a J)lain Ac- 
 count of fome fundamental Doftrines 
 Qi Xh^Gofpel o{Cf?rifii without knowing* 
 ly departing from it, either on the Right 
 Hand, or on the Left. 
 
 Indeed it will appear, that I differ in 
 fome Meafure from the late learned and 
 vjorihy BiJJ:op of London {a), in relation to 
 the *' Spirit beari?2g ivitjiefs with our Spi- 
 *^ rit that we are the Children of God C' Yet 
 I hope it is done in fuch a Manner, as 
 could not give the leaft Offence, either 
 to hisLordlhip, or any other truly wife 
 and ferious Chrijlian, 
 
 His 
 
 [a) See his Lordfliip's Di/cotirfes preached at the7>w- 
 
 /»/f-, Di/cout/e the Eighth, 
 
THE PREFACE. 
 
 HisLordfhip has certainly proved, 
 with great Strength ofReafon,that there 
 muft be Two who bear witnefs -, " and 
 **. that thofe Two are the Holy Spirit of 
 " God, and our owji Spirit :'' Yet I muft 
 beg leave to enter myDiflent, where his 
 Lordfhip denies *' the Evidence of the 
 '' Spirit to be a?2y fecret Infpiration, or 
 " any Affurance conveyed to the iVlind 
 *' of the Faithful;" but intirely con- 
 fines it to '' the Evidence oi juch Works 
 ** as we perform by the Spidj:," P. 247, 
 
 However, as at the Entrance of that 
 Difcourfe^ the Sentimef2ts of that learned 
 Prelate are fo very juft, and withal fo 
 very differeiit from thofe of m^ccvj Moderns y 
 I can't avoid tranfcribing a Part of what 
 is there mentioned. 
 
 His Lordfliip obferves, that '^ to be 
 " xh^Children of God is the greateftPrivi^ 
 " lege under thQ Go/pel: — And as this is 
 " a New State y which belongs not to us 
 ** by Nature \ fo our Entrance into it is 
 *' ftiled a New Birth -, and we are faid 
 " to be born again ^ and to be begotten again^ 
 " to the Hopes [of the Gofpel] — And 
 " therefore as we receive our Spiritual 
 " Life from the Gift and Mercy of God, 
 *• he is our Father, and we are his 
 
 Children. 
 
<c 
 
 THE PREFACE. 
 
 Children. Thus St PeUr tells us, that 
 we are born again ^ not of corruptible Seedy 
 but of incorruptible, by the Word oj God , 
 lihch liveth and abideth for ever.'* 
 Epiftle i. 23.V 
 
 " This new Life we receive by the 
 MIniftration of the Spirit: The Few- 
 ers which belong to this Life, and in 
 which it confifts, depend upon the 
 Influences of the Spirit \ and therefore 
 we are faid to be born oj the Spirit. He 
 is the Earncft of our Inheritance ; the 
 Fledge and Security which we receive 
 from God of our future Immortality." 
 Page 227, 228. 
 
 1 (hall here only juft enquire — Whe- 
 ther from this beautiful Account of our 
 Spiritual Life, of the new Birthy and 
 the Fowers belonging to it ; of the Af/- 
 nif ration. Influences, and divine Offices of 
 the Holy Spirit, a Perfon would not na- 
 turally conclude, that the Fower ofknow^ 
 ing we are the Children of God, muft alfo 
 proceed from fome divine Influence or Ope- 
 ration upon the Soul {a) ? 
 
 {a) Seepage 88. of the following Dialogue, Note {h). 
 
 SOME 
 
po sr S C R I PT. 
 
 fi/4>, 
 
 -'^:^^ 
 
 SOME 
 
 REFLECMOaMS 
 
 Future State of Things; 
 
 Humbly offered to the ferious Confide- 
 ration of fuch Moderns as difbelieve 
 the Immortality of the Soul. 
 
 I 
 
 'I 
 
 S not the mod confummate Happinefs 
 worth feekin2 after ? 
 
 tD 
 
 II. Is not the mod confummate Mifery 
 worth avoiding ? 
 
 III. Muft not the one or the other be our 
 Portion hereafter, if the Gofpel be true ? 
 
 IV. But what if the Gofpel htfalfe ? 
 
 V. Why then, it muft be allowed, that a 
 true Chriftian is fadly difappointed ! — How- 
 ever, let us examine, what Hurt the Belief oi 
 a glorious Immortality has done him ? 
 
 B VI. We 
 
POSTSCRIPT. 
 
 VI. We will admit, that this Belief has 
 robbed him of many irregular Gratifications ; 
 deprived him of many fa/hionahle Vices ; re- 
 ftrained vn2iny craving Appetites \ curbed many 
 violent Pcijfions •, fubdued many darling De- 
 /ires ; nay hindered him of all thofe worldly 
 PojfieJJionst which he could not enjoy with a 
 good Confidence ; and perhaps expofed him to 
 the Laughter and Ridicide of a gay World \ of 
 jnany Free-thinkers 3.nd Free- livers.,^ AW this 
 we will fuppofe he has fufFered for his Hopes 
 of Immortality, 
 
 VII. But are thefe Hopes really worth all 
 thefe Sufferings ? 
 
 Tin. Let us fairly examine. — In general 
 then, thefe Hopes have been a continual Feaft 
 to his Mind •, and have conftantly furnifhed 
 out fuch inconceivable Joy and Happinefis^ as 
 he would not have exchanged for the PofTef- 
 fion of the whole World ! Were they there- 
 fore not worth the whole Vvorld to Him •, 
 and even this upon the Suppofition that his 
 Hopes were ill-founded ? 
 
 IX. But let us proceed next to enquire, 
 how Matters (land with thofe Gentlemen who 
 fcorn to indulge any Hopes oi l\iis kind ? 
 
 X. Firft, It mufl: be granted, that as they 
 have fhook off all the Shackles of Religion^ 
 they certainly enjoy a Freedom^ which the poor 
 Believer does not. Therefore, as they are 
 
 under 
 
POSrsCRTPT. 
 
 under none of ihok JIaviJh Reftraints, they 
 are at full Liberty to give a complete Swing to 
 t\\€\v Pajfwns and Pieafures-, to their Pr/^^> 
 Ambition^ and Revenge, 
 
 XI. However, hy ^2iy oi Counter-halancey 
 may not x.\\\s free Indulgence fometimes cod 
 them pretty dear ? May it not prove to the 
 Lois of their Reputations^ their Peace^ their 
 Healthy iht'ir Efiales, and perhaps their Lfwj .? 
 
 XII. But let us view thefe Gentlemen in 
 the mod advaniageous U\ght — Let us fuppofe 
 they have fo much Philofophy and Prudeneey 
 and Command of their P anions ^ that they are 
 T\oi Slaves to i\i€\v Appetites \ but that they 
 avoid every outward Vice of the Age ; and 
 thus maintain z fair Reputation^ and 2l found 
 Body : — Yet it is moil evident, that notwith- 
 ftanding they do not live the Life of a Beafi^ 
 yet their highefl Expectations are only to die 
 the Death of a Beafi I 
 
 XIII. Therefore, fuppofing there was no- 
 thing beyopd the Grave i yet as fuch Perfons 
 deprive themfelves of a prefent unfpeakable 
 Happinefs arifing from the Flopes of a glorious 
 Iimmrtality \ — it cannot be, but they mud 
 certainly have the Difadvantage. Sojuftand 
 beautiful are the Sentiments of that ancient 
 Philofopber^ who declared, — " That if the 
 " Belief of the Soul'^s hnmortality was a Mif- 
 *• take\ it was however fo delightful a Miilake, 
 
 B 2 " thac 
 
POSTSCRIPT, 
 
 " that he would not fufFer himfelf to be rob- 
 «' bed of it, as long as he lived ! * " 
 
 XIV. But can the gloomy Profpe5f of fink- 
 ing into Noihing afford this Pleafure ? — What 
 a dreadful Glooin muft polTcfs that Mind which 
 can believe it ?— And what malicious Daemon 
 muft poflefs that Mari^ who would deprive 
 others of their Hopes of Immortality ? 
 
 XV. And now, to finifh this Addrefs^ let 
 us do common Juftice to the Gofpel. — We 
 have hitherto reafoned upon a Suppofition, 
 that the Gofpel gave us 2l falfe Account of //«- 
 mortality. Let us now for Argument's Sake, 
 fuppofe the Gofpel is true : — Who then is the 
 "K;^y^ Man? — Is it he that has enjoyed during 
 his whole Life, the reviving^ lovely Profpedt 
 oi endlefs Happinefs \ and which he will one 
 Day enter upon ? Or is it he that has deprived 
 himfelf of that divine Pleafure in this World, 
 and whofe Portion is a dreadful Scene of Mi- 
 fery in the other ? 
 
 * Quod fi in hoc erro, quod Animos hominum im- 
 mortales effe credam, lubenter erro : nee niihi hunc 
 errorem, quo deledor, dum vivo, extorqueri volo. 
 
 M, T. GiCERO, de Senea. 
 
 SOM E 
 

 SOME 
 
 REFLECTIONS, 
 
 By way of DIALOGUE, &"€. 
 
 BETWEEN 
 
 Philalethes and Eugenius. 
 
 Eugenlus, 
 
 I Have often thought, my dear Friend, that 
 eternal Salvation is a very weighty Affair; 
 and therefore have been very defirous to 
 know, What I muft do to hefaved P 
 
 Phil. It is a little unufual, my vrorthy 
 Friend Eugenius^ to fee a Perfon of Birth and 
 Fortune, efpecially of your Years, making fo 
 vnfajhmiahle an Enquiry. But when once 
 the Spirit of God has effeftually touched the 
 Heart, neither Youth, nor Riches, nor Ho- 
 nours, can withftand the powerful Influence. 
 
 E, I have various Queftions to trouble you 
 
 with ; but defire to be Rrft informed. What 
 
 is to be underftood by Original Sin ? For I 
 
 B 3 think 
 
[ 2 ] 
 
 think a learned Lutheran talks of no Jefs than 
 fixteen Opinions about ic (<«). 
 
 P, You certainly begin with a very proper 
 Qiieliion : For till we know the true Foun- 
 dation of our fpiritual Diforders, we fhall 
 hardly be able to get rid of them. The Va- 
 riety of Opinions concerning Original Sin^ or 
 any other Dodrine whatev.er, will have no 
 ether EfFed on a wife and good Mind, than 
 to make it the more carefal in diftinguifhing 
 Truth from Falfhood. It is commonly faid 
 of our l.earned and excellent Cudwortb^ that, 
 in his Intdle^fual Syftem^ he had raifed more 
 Spirits than he fould lay : And fuppofing this 
 to be fo ; yet his Subjedl is not the lefs True^ 
 the lefs Weighty^ or the lefs Important^ 6p 
 that, admitting there were many more Opi- 
 nions about Original Sin^ we have no further 
 Concern with them, than only to endeavour 
 to fix upon the right: And fince I capnoj: 
 help you to a better, than that of our own 
 Church, be pleafed to hear what that is.— 
 Original 5/;^, according to her, " is the Cor- 
 " ruption of every Man's Nature ; whereby 
 *' he is very far gone from original Righte- 
 <' oufnefs ; and is of his own Nature inclined 
 '* to Evil : And which Corruption deferves 
 " God's Wrath, ^c" 
 
 This is, in brief, what our Church fays (h) : 
 And I think, as the Scripture fpeaks much 
 
 to 
 
 {a) O/^W^r in Bifhop Taylors Polemical Difcourfes, 
 P^ 45?- 
 ib] Article IX. 
 
[ 3 3 
 to the fame Pnrpofe (a) ; fo the unhappy 
 Experience of Mankind will vouch for no 
 fmall Part of it — There is. not, perhaps, any 
 thing in divine Revelation, to which proud 
 Reaibn (loops more unvvilHngly : And there- 
 fore it has found out nunfiberlefs Glofles and 
 Comments, rather than fubmit to a mortify- 
 ing Dodrine, which reprefents all Mankind as 
 a Race of degenerate^ fallen Spirits. 
 
 E, Some, I know, have thought, that 
 the Dodrine of Original Sin bea;s hard upon 
 Divine Goodnefs. 
 
 P. Undoubtedly it does, as it has fometimes 
 been explained. But if God has abundantly 
 made up our original Lofs ; if, where Sin 
 ahoundedi there Grace did much more abound 
 {b)^ then every Divine Attribute remains fafe 
 and untouched. Perhaps indeed Mankind 
 may not be able to comj>rehend tlie Reafm^ 
 why infinite Wifdom Ihould choofe rather am- 
 ply to repair that Lofs, than to prevent it at 
 firft : —And if this be theCaufe of our Unbe- 
 lief, let us modeftly remember, that we art 
 hut ofTefterday^ and know nothing {c). That 
 illuftrious//^^//^^«, Socrates^^dAn^d the Name 
 of the wifeft Man, by forming very humble 
 Conceptions of human Wifdom^ in general ; 
 B 4 and 
 
 {a\ Gen.i 26, 27. Ch. ii. 17. Ch. iii. Pfalm li. 5. 
 Eccles. vii. 29. Rom. iii. 9, 19, 23. Ch. v. 6 — 21. 
 Ch.vi. 23. Ch. vii. 14 — 25. Ch. viii. 6— -8. 2 Cor. 
 V. (4, Gal iii. 22. Ephes. ii. 3. Ch. iv. 22 — 24. See 
 alfo St John iii. 3—8. ti St Pet. i, 3, 4, 23. i St John 
 iii. 9. Ch. V. 4, 18. 
 
 [b] Rom. V. 15 — 21. (f) Job viii. 9. 
 
C 4 ] 
 
 and of his own in particular {a). But he that 
 w/7/know theReafons of God's Difpenfations, 
 before he beHeves them, has neither the Wif- 
 dom of that Philofopher, nor the Modejly of a 
 Chrijlian, 
 
 1 am not contending, my good Friend, for 
 a hlind^ popijh' Fmih, which i?nplicitly fubmits 
 itielf to Many or the Church : But when we 
 have fufficient Reafon to beheve the Voice to 
 be the Voice of God, there theUnderftanding 
 ought topay an entire and abfoluteSubmiifion: 
 And when once the Meaning of that Voice is 
 clear to us, there is then left no room for dif- 
 puting -, but we ought rather to bide our/elves 
 in the Dujl {h)^ and to receive it with the deep- 
 eft Humility. 
 
 Let us now hear the Sentiments of a great 
 Mafter of Reafoning, who was never charged 
 
 Vi\i\i Bigotry ox Enibuftafm " There is 
 
 ** one fort of Propofitions, that challenge the 
 " Jbigbefi Degree of our Aflent upon hareTef- 
 *' tunony ; whether the Thing propofed agree 
 *' or difagree with common Experience, and 
 *' the ordinary Courfe of Things, or no. The 
 *' Reafon whereof is, becaufe the Teftimony 
 " is of fuch a One as cannot deceive, nor be 
 *' deceived, and that is, of God himfelf. This 
 *' carries with \tCertainty beyond Doubt y Evi- 
 *' dence beyond Exception. This is called 
 *' by a peculiar Name, Revelation •, and our 
 
 *' AfTent 
 
 ihiya titU cl^lx In xj ovhvoi- Flat, Apol. Soaat, 
 (^) Ifai. ii, 10, II. 
 
[ 5 ] 
 
 *' Aflent to it, Faith-, which as abfolutely 
 *' determines our Minds, as our Knowledge 
 *' itfelf ; and we may as well doubt of our 
 *' own Being, as we can, whether any Re^ 
 " veJation from God be true. So that Faith is 
 ** a fettled and fure Principle of Aflent and Af- 
 " furance, and leaves no manner of room for 
 " Doubt or Hefitation '^^Faith is nothing elfe 
 " but an Aflent founded on the hi^ieji Reafon. 
 '• — Reafon is not injured or difturbed, but 
 '* afllfted and improved, by new Difcoveries 
 ** of Truth, coming from the eternal Foun- 
 " tain of all Knowledge. — — Whatfoever is 
 " divine Revelation, ought to over-rule all 
 '• our Opinions^ Prejudices^ ?ind Interefts, and 
 *'• hath a Right to be received with 2i full Af" 
 *' fent" Locke'' s Human Underjianding, B. 
 iv. C. 16. §. 14. C. i3. §. 10. 
 
 E. 1 fo far entirely agree with that great 
 Man. But is not Baptifm^ in the Opinion of 
 our Church, a fpiritual Regeneration \ by 
 which, though we are horn in Sin^ and the 
 Children of Wrath^ we are made Members of 
 Chrijl^ Childten of God^ and Inheritors of the 
 Kingdom of Heaven {a) ? 
 
 P. It is as you fay. And our Church 
 means by all this, that we have hereby a Title 
 and Claim, through the Blood of C/^ri/?, toeter- 
 nal Happinefs: And which we fhaij certainly 
 enjoy, if we continue faithful to QUYBaptJfndl 
 Covenant, — But then, as we expetfl this, we 
 B 5 are 
 
 {a) OiEcc for Baptifm, and-the Church Caicchlfin ; and 
 Artf 27. 
 
C 6 ] 
 
 are obliged, when grown up, " to crucify the 
 " old Man, and utterly to abolifh the whole 
 •* Body of Sin ; to follow the Exavipie of our 
 *^ Saviour C^r//?,and to be m^de like unto him i 
 *' that as he died and rofe again for us, fo 
 ^' fhould we who are baptized, die from Sin^ 
 *< and rife again unto Right eoufnefsy continuaUy 
 •' morufy'ing all our evil a^d corrupt Aff'e^ions ; 
 *^ and daily proceeding in ^// Virtue andGod- 
 ** linefs of living (a)/' 
 
 You fee then, my dt&vEugenius^ what is the 
 conjiant Ta(k of SiCbrifii an ^ if he defigns to be 
 the better for his Baptifm, 
 
 E. I fee it very plainly. And withal, that, 
 according to our Church, there is 2iBody of Sin 
 remaining af/er Baptifm ; and confequently, 
 that the Corruption of our Nature is not taken 
 away by it. 
 
 P. That it is not, our Church exprefsly af- 
 firms (^): And our own Experience may 
 abundandy convince us.— But it isagainft this 
 Corruption, and all the Sins which flow from 
 it, that we are daily to llrive and petition. 
 And God's holy Spirit, if it be not our own 
 Fault, will give us the Vidory {c). But we 
 
 muft, 
 
 {a) See the laft Prayer in the Office ofBapii/m; and 
 the Exhortation that follows it. 
 
 {h) Article IX. Whoever compares the Englijh with 
 the Latin Article, will eaiily perceive, that by regene- 
 rated is there meant baptized. However we Ihall plainly 
 fee, that our Church means alfo fomething elfe by Re- 
 generation^ than merely Baptifm. 
 
 \c) Rom.vi. 6, II — 15, 22. I Cor. xv. 56, 57. I 
 irmft here obferve, that with regard to thefe Words, — 
 
 M God's 
 
[ 7 1 
 muft, my Friend, ufe great Diligence and 
 Watchfulnefs ; be often in Prayer, and never 
 wilfully negled any Means of Grace what- 
 ever («). And then we need not doubt, but 
 the Blood of Jefus Cbrifi will cleanfe us from 
 all Sin {b). 
 
 E. I fhould be glad to be informed, whe- 
 ther St Paid fpeaks of himfelf, or of fome 
 other Perfon, in thofe remarkable Words, in 
 the feventh of the Romans^ — / am carnal^ fold 
 
 under Sin I fee another Law in my Members.^ 
 
 bringing me into Captivity to the haw of Sin, 
 — Q wretched Man t''at I am^ who fhall de- 
 liver me from the Body of this Death ? — With 
 the Mind^ I myfelf ferve the Lazv of God 5 hut 
 with the Flffh^ the Law of Sin (r). 
 
 I mud own, it was not difagreeable tome, 
 to fuppofe that the Apoftle fpake of himfi^lf j 
 becaufel thought, that, if fo extraordinary a 
 
 Perfon 
 
 •* God's Holy Spirit, if it be not our own Fault, will 
 •* give us the ViLlory ; a certain learned Gentle- 
 man thus objedled :— ** Here, fays he, the Point turns 
 '* on the ^/7// of Man ; which in P. 1 . is wholly afcribed 
 
 «* to the Ponver o/GoJ's Work on the Soul." If other 
 
 Readers Ihould make the fame Objeftion, I defire they 
 would refleft, that what is mentioned, P. i. relates to 
 t\io{tJir/i Jh-o7igCon'vi^ions, which often, in a powerful 
 manner, carry all before them : Whereas the other Paf- 
 fage relates to iho^a gentle Workings of tliQ Spirit ^ which 
 are too often hindered by our own wilful Follies — 
 SeeEphes iv. 30. Phil ii. 12, m. 1 Thefs. v 19, 
 
 2 St Pet. i, 5 — 1 1 . This alfo will folve the very fame 
 
 Objedion which was likewife maue to Part of P. 21. 
 
 [a) St Matth. xxvi. 41, St Luke xi. 13. Ephes. vi, 
 II — 18. 2 St Pet. i. 5— II. 
 
 \lf) I St John i. 7. (f) Ch,vii. 14,23— 25. 
 
t 8 ] 
 
 Perfon found himfelf thusintangled and over- 
 come by Sin, I need not be much alarmed, if 
 I often found myfelf in the fame State. 
 
 P, It is greatly to be feared, Eugenius^ that 
 many others have made the fame fatal Ufe of 
 thofe ExprefTions ; but I hope it will appear, 
 that St Paul is not there fpeaking of himfelf ; 
 but of a very different Perfon. 
 
 And therefore let us hear him thus expof- 
 tulating in the preceding Chapter. Shall we 
 continue 171 Sin^ that Grace may abound? God 
 forbid! How fhall we that are dead to Sin ^ live 
 any longer therein ? — Knowing this^ that our 
 eld Man is crucified with Chrift, that the Body 
 vf Sin might be deftroyed^ that henceforth we 
 jhould notferveSin, For he that is dead, is freed 
 from Sin, Now, if we be dead with Chrift, we 
 believe that we fhallalfo live with him, Ch. vi. 
 1, 2, 6, J, ^. 
 
 Now, is it pofTible to conceive, that he who 
 was thus dead with Chrifi, and dead to Sin *, 
 and therefore, according to his own Declara- 
 tion, freed from it \ is it poflible to conceive, 
 that this very Perfon was, at this very time, 
 fold under Sin, that is, was neither dead to it, 
 tiov freed frofu it? 
 
 Again, let us obferve how he addrefTes him- 
 felf to the Romans, in this very Chapter. — 
 Likewife reckon ye alfo your/elves to be dead in- 
 , deed unto Sin ; but alive untoGod, through JtCus 
 Chrift cur Lord, Let not Sin therefore reign 
 in your mortal Body, that you fhould obey it in 
 the Lufts thereof. Neither yeildye your Mem- 
 bers^ 
 
[ 9 ] 
 
 hrs^ as Inftruments of Unrighteoufnefs unto 
 Sin : But yield your/elves unto God, as thofe 
 
 that are alive from the Dead But now, he- 
 
 ing made free ff-om Sin, and become Servants 
 to God, ye have your Fruit unto Holinefs, and 
 the End everlafling Life. Ver. 1 1, 12, i 3, 22. 
 
 is it pofTible now for any unprejudiced Per- 
 fon to believe, that the infpired Apoftle could 
 thus talk to others ; vvhiift he him f elf was 
 brought into Captivity to the Law of Sin P 
 
 Again, he exprefsly aflures thofe Converts, 
 in thefe remarkable Words, — " The Law of 
 *' the Spirit of Life in Chrijl Jefus, hath made 
 " mtfree from the Law of Sin and Death,''* 
 Ch. viii. 2. 
 
 But how was the Apoftle made free from 
 the Law of Sin and Death -, vvhiift he was a 
 Slave to the Law oi both ? Whilft he was car- 
 nol, fold under Sin ; and under zhtTerrors of 
 that Death, which is theJVages of it Z' Ch. vi. 
 23. — I know you have met with Writers, who 
 have attempted to folve thefeDifficulties: But 
 why will Men attempt to reconcile {uch^bfur- 
 dities d^udContradiSions? Give me leave only 
 to mention a Verfe or two more out of this 
 very Epiftie. With how much Earneftnefs 
 does this pious Man exhort thofe People to 
 ^refent their Bodies a living Sacrifice, holy, ac^ 
 ceptable unto God, which is, fays \\q, your rea- 
 fonable Service, This, he befeeches them to 
 do, by the Mercies of God. And moreover, 
 that they would not be conformed to this World \ 
 
 but 
 
r 10 ] 
 
 but that they would be transformed by the re- 
 newing of their Mind'^ Ch. xii. 1,2. 
 
 Is not i\\\s furprizing Advice from a Per- 
 fon who hadjuit been telling of them, that he 
 himfelf vi2is the veryrevaf: of thisCharader ? 
 He conjures them by the very Mercies of God^ 
 to prefent their Bodies a living and holy Sacri^ 
 fice \ whilft he himfelf, with his own Fkfhy 
 was adually fe>"jing the Law of Sin I Surely, 
 if it was but a reafonahle Service for them^ to 
 prefent their Bodies an hdy Sacrifice to God -^ it 
 was full as reafonahle for their Teacher to do 
 the fame. But could he prefent his Body a living 
 Sacrifice^ ho'y^ and acceptable to God \ whilft 
 he was the Servant 2indSlave of Sin ? Or could 
 he follow the other Part of his Advice, to be 
 transformed by the renewing of the Mind \ and 
 not to be conformed to this IVorld ? — For what 
 is it to be conformed to this^^orld-, if the liv- 
 ing in Sin be not ? Or what is it to be trans- 
 formed by the renewing of the Mind \ but an en- 
 lireChange of the Heart and Afiedions ? And 
 when they are thus changed, our outward 
 Adions mud certainly be changed too. We 
 fhall ihitnferve the Law of God, both inwardly 
 and outwardly. I'here will be no room to 
 fay, — fFith the Mind 1 ferve the Law of God •, 
 but with the Flefh the Law of Sin, Such a 
 Servant of God^ and Servant cf Sin, is, in 
 Truth and Reality, no Servant of God at all. 
 For he that is Truth itfelf has afTured us, — 
 that we cannot ferve two [fuch] M^7?fn— -Si. 
 Matt, vi. 24. 
 
 But 
 
C " ] 
 
 But laftly, the fame Apoftle dlredls thefe 
 Converts, — to put on the Lord Jefus Chrift ; 
 and not to make Provifton for the Flefh^ to fuU 
 fit the Lufts thereof y chap. xiii. 14. From 
 whence it feems evident, that he, who with 
 the Flefh ferves the Law of Sin, has not yet 
 put on the Lord yefus, — But (hall we fay, that 
 this was the Cafe of the Apoftle ? That he 
 had not put on Cbriji ; though he admoniflied 
 and exhorted thofe Chrijlians to do it ? Is not 
 this to bring down an infpired Apoftle to the 
 level of thofe, who profefs to know God •, but 
 in Works deny him ? In fhort, this is fo (hock- 
 ing an Opinion, that I could wi(h all that 
 hold it would calmly and impartially refied:, 
 whether, Firft, ic does not make the holy 
 Apoftle flatly contradid himfelf in the fame 
 Breath? Secondly, whether thofe Convert.^, 
 being made free from Sin, were not much bet- 
 ter ChrifiianSy than he was himfelf ? And, 
 Thirdly, whether St Paul did not give much 
 better Advice, than he had yet taken ? 
 
 I do not by any means charge thofe with 
 holding thefe Confequences, who maintain 
 that Opinion : I only intreat fuch to diveft 
 themfelves of all Prejudice, as far as polTible, 
 and attentively confider, whether that Opi- 
 nion, and thefe Confequences, are not infC' 
 par ably connedied ? 
 
 E, Indeed I think the State there defcribed 
 IS much more fuitable to fuch a carnal Wretch 
 as I am, than to fo holy and mortified a Per- 
 fon as St P^///.— But I now beg to know, 
 
 what 
 
[ 12 ] 
 
 what miift be done, when we have forfeited 
 the Benefit of our Baptifmal Regeneration ? 
 
 P. We mud be recovered again, by the 
 holy Spirit working in us true Repentance^ 
 and a living Faiib in the Blocd cf Chrifl {a) ; 
 and this Recovery of us by Repentance and 
 Faith (which our Church in her Catechifm en- 
 joins to all who are co7ne to Age^ without Ex- 
 ception, may be well called 2i Regeneration^ or 
 New Birth. 
 
 E. I (hould be glad to be informed, whe- 
 ther our Church calls any thing by the Name 
 of Regeneration., ov i\\^New Birth., excepting 
 Baptifm ; becaufe this is a Point which is 
 fometimes difputed. 
 
 P, You will foon be able to judge of fuch 
 Difputations : And therefore be pleafed to 
 obferve, in the firfl: Place, that in (h^t Homily 
 for IVhitfunday^ after mention is made of the 
 Power of the Holy Ghcft^ in altering and 
 changing of Mankind, and making us New 
 
 Men in Chrift J ejus., it thus follows, 
 
 ** Such is the Power of the Holy Gbcft to re- 
 •* generate Men, and, as it were, to i^ring 
 ** them forth a-new, fo that they fhall be no- 
 ** thing like the Men that they were before. 
 '*' Neither doth [the Holy Spirit] think it 
 *' fufficient inwardly to work the fpiritual and 
 '* New-Birth of Man, unlefs he do alfo ^zev// 
 *' and abide in him.'* 
 
 And 
 
 {a) St Luke xxlv. 47. 
 
 Adls viii. 22, 23. Cbap. 
 
 XX. 21. Rom. iii. 25, 
 
 Chap. V. I. Ephes. ii. 8. 
 
 aTim.ii. 25, 26. 
 
 
[ 13 ] 
 
 And at the Conclufion, we have the fol- 
 lowing Words, *' Humbly befeeching 
 
 " [God] fo to work in our Hearts, by the 
 *• Power of his holy Spirit, that we being 
 '* regenerate^ and newly born again in all 
 ** Goodnefs, Righteoufnefs, Sobriety, and 
 '* Truth, may, in the end, be made Par- 
 " takers of everlafting Life in his heavenly 
 " Kingdom («)."— Moreover, what is it to 
 be raifed from the Death of Sin unto the Life 
 of Righteoufnefs \b) ? — What is it to be new^ 
 created from a wicked Perfon to a righteous 
 Man ; which our Church mentions from St 
 ^uftin {c)? What is it fo truly to repent, as 
 to be clean altered and changed ; and to be- 
 come New Creatures ; and to walk in a New 
 Life as New-horn-Bahes {d) ? 
 
 What is it to be daily renewed by the Holy 
 Spirit (^)? What is it to hsLVQ New Hearts 
 created in us (/) ? What do all thefe various 
 Expreffions mean, but the very (ame Thing 
 with being regenerate and newly born again ? 
 
 Moreover, what elfe does the Holy Ghofl 
 defign by that New Heart and New Spirit^ 
 which are promifed to true Penitents (g) ? 
 
 What 
 
 (a) Horn. {QTM^hit/unday, Part i. p. 276, 278. Edit. 
 London y 1726. 
 
 {b) Laft Collea in the Funeral Office. 
 
 [c) Horn, for Rogation. ^eeky Parti, p. 286. 
 
 {d) Horn, of Repentance, Part ii. p. 327, 328. 
 
 (e) Collea for Chrijimas-day. 
 
 {/) Collea for ^Jh-ivednefday. 
 
 (^) Ezek. ?(i. 19. Ch. xviii.31. Ch. xxKvi. 26, 
 
[ 14 ] 
 
 What elfe does our Holy Lord mean by 
 this Saying, — '* Except ye be converted^ and 
 *' become as little Children^ ye fhall not enter 
 *' into the Kingdom of I-Ieaven(^) ?" What 
 elfe does St Paul mean by the being trans- 
 formed by the renewing of the Mind (b) ^^ What 
 elfe is to be underftood by mortifing ibe Deeds 
 of the Body through the Spirit : And by cru- 
 dfying the Flefh^ with the Affe^ions and 
 Lufts (c) ? What is it to fet the Affe^ions on 
 Things above ; to put off the old Man \ to be 
 renewed in the Spirit of the Mind ; and to put 
 m the new Man, which, after God, is created 
 in Right eoufnefs and true Holinefs {d) ? What 
 does the fame Apoftle mean in two Places, by 
 d New Creature (e) ; but only fuch a Perfon 
 as St Chryfojlom defcribes in the following 
 Manner ? He is turned into a New Creature : 
 For he is born again [ox from above] through 
 the Spirit (/). But ftill further ; What can 
 St Peter defign by thefe following Words, — 
 *' being horn again — of incorruptible Seed, by 
 *' the Word of God, which liveih and abideth 
 '' for ever (g) ? Or what does St John mean, 
 when he declares, that " Whofoever is hern of 
 *' God, doth not commit Sin ; — that Whatfoever 
 ** is hornofGcd, overcometh theWorld\ — And 
 
 that 
 
 {a) StMatth. xviil. 3. [h) Rom. xli, 2. 
 
 (f ) Rom. viii. 13. Gal. v. 24- 
 {d) Ephes. iv. 22 — 24. Coles, iii. i, 2, 9, 10. 
 (f) 2 Cor V. 11. Gal.vi. 15. 
 
 hd 'TTvivi^cc']©-. in 2 Cor. v. 11. Kdit. Commel, 1603* 
 p. 819. M. {g) lEpift. 2.23 = 
 
[ ^5 ] 
 
 that " Whofoever is born of God, finnelh not ; 
 *' hut be that is begotten of God, keepeth him* 
 " f^V '^ f^^^ ^^^^ ''kicked One toucheih him 
 
 " not (a)f So that not only our own 
 
 Church, but what is of infinitely greater Au- 
 thority, the Divine Oracles, feem plainly to 
 call this entire Change of the whole Man, by 
 the Name oi Regeneration (b), or New-Birth. 
 I omit thofe other Paflages in the fac red Writ- 
 ings, where our Blefled Lord fpeaks of the 
 being horn again ; born of Water ^ and of the 
 Spirit {c) : and where St Paul mentions our 
 Wing faved by the wafhing of Regeneration^ and 
 renewing of the Holy Ghoft {d) \ becagfe they 
 immediately relate to the miraculous EiFed* 
 pf the Holy Spirit in Baptifm, However, 
 with regard to the new creating a Sinner from 
 (L wicked Perfon to a righteous Mm^ which 
 St Auflin affirms to be a greater Mirack than 
 to 7nake a new Heaven and Earth {e)\ I fay, 
 with regard to this, whoever is thus altered 
 ^nd changed^ and, as it were, new created by 
 the Spirit of God, though many Years after 
 his Baptifniy is furely as much born of the 
 Spirit, as the Perfon who is regenerated at 
 the time he is baptized. It is evidently one 
 and the fame Spirit, that works; and indeed 
 the fame IVork oi that Spirit *, only manifeft- 
 
 {a) lEpift. iii.9. Ch.v. 4, 18. 
 
 {b) *Avec.yima-a^ vi[x.ag Having begotten us agaln^ 
 
 I St Pet. i. 3. ■ civ»yB'i^)i]/^iAivoif being born agaitiy 
 
 Chap. i. 23. 
 
 (f) Stjohniii. 3, 5. (//) Titus iii. 5. 
 
 [e] Horn, for Ko^ation-'week, Part i. P. 28$, 
 
[ i6 ] 
 
 ing his divine Power at different Seafons. For 
 inftead of being a Child of PFratb^ the Sinner 
 is become a Child cf Grace ; a Member of 
 Chrift ; a Child of God •, and an Inheritor of 
 the Kingdom of Heaven. He is to be hence- 
 forth dead unlo Sin, and alive unto God ; and 
 to put on the new Man, which, after God, 
 is created in Righteoufnefs and true Holinefs, 
 And therefore, both from the Nature of the 
 Thing, as well as from the Nature of the 
 Expreffions ufed in iht facred IVritings, fuch 
 a thorough and entire Change of the Heart and 
 AffiBiom^ wrought by the Holy Spirit of 
 God, may, with the greateft Propriety, be 
 called a Regeneration or New Birth. The 
 two famous Fathers, juft mentioned, do, in 
 cHe<5l, give it this Name {a). Our Church, 
 you fee, exprefsly calls it fo ; and Ihe has 
 manifeftly abundant Reafon for fa doing 5 
 fince fuch a Renewal of the whole Man, is the 
 being lorn again, ^-^zt what Time or Seafon, 
 or under what Cireumftances foever, this^i- 
 ritual Birth may happen. 
 
 E, As I find they are evidently miftakcn, 
 who fuppofe our Church calls nothing by the 
 Name of a Regeneration or N'ew Birth, but 
 only Baptifm: So, what is of the highefl: 
 Concern to me^ I find very plainly the Need 
 I have of being thus regenerated or born again 
 by the Holy Spirit. ^^ ^^ 
 
 {a) See 2\^oStChryfo/tom onGal. iv. 19. Page 10 lo, 
 where we meet with this in exprefs Words, »va,yiv)>Y,(Ttuq_ 
 tTB^ocq vfA^v ^tTt fiot.] aiaTTAaa-tw? — Tou want another Re* 
 ggneration, and to be formed ane'u:. 
 
[ 17 ] 
 
 P, Be thankful, my dear Friend, that the 
 Holy Spirit has begun this great Work in 
 you : For the firll Step in order to ^fpiritual 
 New Birlhy is to be thoroughly convinced of 
 the Danger we are in from Sin. The Holy 
 Spirit muft work this Convi^Iion {a) in us ; 
 and excite fome Defires in our Hearts of be- 
 ing delivered from the Wrath to come {b). So 
 that this is a very happy Beginning; but the 
 Misfortune of too many is, they either fee 
 not their Danger, or, when they do, yet 
 they like not this uneafy State \ and therefore 
 are apt to fly from it, and confequently, from 
 their own Salvation. However, I am per- 
 fuaded, that this will never be your Cafe. 
 
 E, I hope in God, it never will : And 
 therefore defire to know, what is to be done 
 upon fuch Conviction ? 
 
 P, Fly immediately to Chrijl -, who has 
 invited all heavy-laden Sinners to come to him ; 
 and has promifed to give them reft {c), 
 
 E. But does not our holy Lord fay, — No 
 man can come to me<, except the Father ^ which 
 hath fent me,, draw him {d) ? How then can 
 I go to Chrifi ? 
 
 P, Remember, my dear Eugenius^ that 
 when the Holy Spirit has any way opened 
 your Mind, by any Means or Method what- 
 ever, and thus convinced you of your State^ 
 and has touched your Heart to fly to a Sa* 
 
 viour, 
 
 [a) St John XVI. 8. Aas xxvi. 1 8. 
 {6) Ch ii. 37. Ch.ix. 6. Ch. xvi. 29, 30. i Thefs. 
 1. 10. St Matth. iii. 7. 
 
 (f) St Matth. xi. z8. (</) St John vi. 44, 
 
[ 18 ] 
 
 viour^ God then draws you to Chrift ; and you 
 mud immediately run to him. 
 
 And further, it is our Duty often to im- 
 plore, that God would lighten our Darknefs ; 
 and to pray with pious Elihu^ — That which 
 I fee not teach thou me (a). 
 
 Our blefTed Saviour afTures us, that he 
 Jlands at the Door and knocks {b) : But th^ 
 great Misfortune of Mankind is, that they 
 turn a deaf Ear to him ; though he thus gra- 
 cioufly and frequently admonilhes every one, 
 _/??i? that hath Ears to hear^ let him hear (r). 
 As if our holy Lord had faid, — Let each care- 
 fully attend to my Voice •, that I may no longer- 
 call in vain. 
 
 And moreover, all fhould remember, that 
 God is perpetually calling every Sinner to 
 Repentance by his divine Gofpel {d) ; and 
 therefore every Sinner has a conftant Call to 
 fly to Chrift, And indeed to whom t\{tjhall 
 we go P For he only has the PVords of eternal 
 Life {e) : he is the tVay^ and the Truths and 
 the Life : and no Man cometh unto the Father, 
 but by him (f). — Let therefore every Sinner 
 fly to him, without delay ; for he, and he 
 only, is their City of Refuge, 
 
 E, You give me great Encouragement to 
 go to Chrift ; but my manifold Sins and 
 "Corruptions are enough to deter me. 
 
 P. Know 
 
 (a) Job xxxir. 32. (6) Rev. iii. 20. 
 
 {c) StMatth. xi. 15. 
 
 (</) St Mark i. 15. St Luke xxiv. 47. A£ls ii. 38. 
 Ch. xvii. 30. Rom. ii. 4. Ephes. v. 14. 
 [e) St John vi. 68. (/) Ch. xiv. 6, 
 
[ 19 ] 
 
 P, Know you net, that the Lord jefui 
 came not to call the Righteous^ but Sinners to 
 Repentance: and that the Whole need not a 
 Phyfictan^ hut they that are Sick {a) ? The 
 f elf -righteous^ and fuch as are whol^e in their 
 own Eyes, fee but little Want of the great 
 Phyfidan of Souls ; very little Want of a 
 Saviour, They may often hear his gracious 
 Voice ; but not perceiving the miferable 
 State they are in ; (their own S elf -right eouf- 
 nefs having blinded their Eyes) they can only 
 approach Chrifl in a mere formal manner ; 
 but feel not that they are loft and undone 
 without him. • 
 
 Thefe are the very Perfons whom our holy. 
 
 Lord thus defcribes, ^hou fayefi I am 
 
 rich^ and increafed with Goods, and have need 
 of nothing ; and knoweft not that thou art 
 wretched^ and miferahle^ and poor^ and blind y 
 and naked (b). 
 
 Let not then the Sight of your Corruptions 
 keep you from Chrift, but rather perfuade 
 you immediately to fly to him. However, 
 be careful to approach him, like a true re- 
 turnings contrite Sinner ; like one, who itts 
 his Danger, and' is defirous to avoid ic— 
 Therefore thus confefs every Sin of your 
 Soul. Humbly befeech the Lord Jefus that 
 you may be wafhed from your Sins in his 
 Blood (c) ; and that you may have the full 
 Benefit of that Fountain which is opened for 
 Sin and for Uncieannefs {d). That you may 
 
 be 
 
 {a) St Lukev. 31, 3?. {b) Rev. iii, 17. 
 
 [c] Rev. i. 5. {4) ZechaF. xiU. i. 
 
• t 20 ] 
 
 be cleanfed from that Corruption of your Na- 
 ture^ that polluted Heart ; from whence have 
 proceeded every evil Thought^ and every evil 
 Work{a^, That you may be dehvered from 
 that Law which wars againjt the Law of your 
 Mind^ and brings you into Captivity to the 
 Law ef Sin, That you may be dehvered 
 from that carnal Mindy which is Enmity 
 againft God : For it is not fiihje£i to the Law 
 of God^ neither indeed can be {b). Pray that 
 the Law of the Spirit of Life in Chrift Jefus^ 
 may make you free from the Law of Sin and 
 Death {c). 
 
 Sincerely labour to bring forth Fruits meet 
 for Repentance {d) ; to avoid all Sin, and 
 every Occafion of it ; and, to the bed of 
 your Abilities, to obey every Precept of the 
 Gofpel. I Strive to undo every thing you 
 
 have done amifs : And, to the utmofl of 
 your Power, make Refiituiion {e). Petition 
 for that true godly Sorrow^ which worketh 
 Repentance to Salvation \ pray earneftly and 
 conftantly that the Holy Spirit may always 
 afTift you ; may open your Mind and influ- 
 ence your Heart ; and carry you through the 
 whole Work: And that he may compleat in 
 you Repentance towards God ; and Faith to- 
 wards our Lord Jefus Chrifl (/). 
 
 Them, who thus come unto Chrift ; or, 
 which is the fame thing, them, who thus 
 
 come 
 
 [a) Pfalm li. 5. StMatth. xv. 18, 19. 
 
 {b) Rom. vii. 23, 24. Ch. viii. 7. 
 
 (f) Rom. viii. 2. {d) St Matth. iii. 8. 
 
 (^j Job XX. 18. Ezek.xxxiii. 15. St Luke xix. 8,9. 
 
 (/) Aasxx. 21. Philip, i. 6. 
 
[ 2« 3 
 
 come unto God by bim, be is able [and ready] 
 to fave to the uttermofi : Seeing he ever liveth 
 to make inter ceffi on for them (a). 
 
 E. I pray God grant I may be of that 
 Number: But I beg to know, in how many 
 Refpeds Chri/I; is a Saviour to us ? 
 
 P, Cbrift faves us from the Power of Sa- 
 tanib). He faves us from the Guilt of Sin, 
 and the Pumjhment (c) due to it. He likewife 
 faves us from the Dominion of it ; from its 
 reigning and condemning Power {d)—" Pie is a 
 Saviour^ and mighiy to fave (^), in all thefe 
 refpeds : But if we refufe him in one, we re- 
 fufe him in alL He will fave none f;^ their 
 Sins: For he came on purpofe to fave us 
 from them ( f ). God fent him to hlefs us, 
 in turning avcay every one of us from his Ini- 
 quities (g). 
 
 The great Defign of Cbrifi was to make an 
 end of Sin •, and to bring in everlafting Righte- 
 oufnefs {h). Therefore whoever will not be 
 turned from his Iniq^uilies, he oppofes the great 
 Dcfigns o^Chriji, He is for keeping out ever- 
 lafting Righteoufnefs ; by not buffering Sin to 
 be made an end of. For how is Sin to be made 
 an end of^ whilft he continues it both in his 
 Heart and Pradlice ? Or how is everlafiing 
 C Righte- 
 
 {a) Heb. vii. 25. 
 
 {b) Adls xxvi. 18. Colos. i, 13. Heb. ii. 14, 15. 
 {c) Ephes. i. 7. Rev. i. 5. Rom. v. 9. i Tliefs, i. 10, 
 {d) Rom. vi. 6, 7, 11 — 15, 18, 22. ch. viii. 2 — 4. 
 
 I Cor. XV. 56, 57. 
 {e) Ifaiahlxiii. I. (/) StMatth. i. 21. 
 
 {g) Afts iii. 26. (h) Daniel ix. 24. 
 
[ r, J 
 
 Righleoufnefs to he brought in^ whilft he keeps 
 it out of his Heart and A(5lions(5) ? 
 
 If a Man fliould fancy he might (fill be bleji 
 with this everlafting Rfghteoufnefi^ though he 
 perfifted in his Sins and Wickednefs, let him 
 hearken to the Words of the holy Spirit jult 
 mentioned,— God fent [Chrift] to hlefs us^ in 
 turning a-ivay every one of us from his Iniqui- 
 ties. Confequently that Man cannot be blejl 
 by Cbri^ j he cannot have a fhare in ihtBlefs- 
 ing 01 Cbrifth everlajling Rightecufnefs^ who 
 will t20t be turned from his Sins. Nothing is 
 more evident to a Man, who can but open his 
 Eyes. 
 
 E. To me, I mufl: own, the Matter ap- 
 pears perfedly plain : And therefore may I be 
 truly and effedually turned from all mine. 
 But now, fince there mufl: be Faith as well as 
 Repentance^ I defire to know, whether they 
 mult be united ; or whether one is to come 
 before the other ? 
 
 P. You are to obferve, ihdX zs Repentance 
 and RemiJJion of Sins are to he preached in the 
 Name of Chrift ; and it being through him only 
 that we are reconciled to God {^h, -, it is impof- 
 fible either to go loChrifl^ or to God thro' hiin^ 
 or in \{\sName^ without at leafl: {omt general 
 Belief that Chrift is the Propitiation for the 
 Sins of the World, 
 
 E. But 
 
 (a) Thii was the Paragraph referred to, P. 7, Note c. 
 {h) St Luke xxiv. 47, A6ls xiii. 32. 2 Cor. v. 18, 
 19. Ephes. ii. 13 — 18^. 
 
[ 23 3 
 
 E. But is ibis the Fciiib, by which v/e are 
 raid to htjuftified? 
 
 P. It is not : You will ^ndjujlifywg Faith 
 to be a different thing. 
 
 E, Pray, what is meant hyjuftijicatwn? 
 
 P . The Remijp.on or Forgivenefs of Sins f/?). 
 
 j^. But how am I to underfland the-e Say- 
 ings of Si Paul, \\\2xaMan is juftifiedhy Faith ^ 
 without the Deeds of the Law (J?): And that 
 by the Works of the Law^ Jhall no Flefo bejuf^ 
 tified{c)? 
 
 P, Saint Paid evidently defigns to affirm, 
 
 that neither the Law of Nature^ nor the Law 
 
 of Mofes could J uJiifySimi^rs, For as all Man- 
 
 c 2 kind 
 
 {a) It is certain tliat Juflifiiatlon is properly a forenfic 
 Term ; and taken in its full Extent, is of a very com- 
 prehenfive Meaning. Jt implies ayW/V/W Sentence, by 
 which the Sinner is alfohediiom Guilty and confequently 
 dijcharged from Punifcmsnt. 
 
 And moreover, through the fame Faith^ by which we 
 are iYiU^juJilfied, we becom.e the Sovs of God, and re- 
 ceive a 'Title to the Heauenly Inheritance *. St yohn i. 
 12,13. G<2/. iii. 24, 26. Ch. iv. 6, 7. F.om. y'\i\. i-j. 
 Ephes, ii. 4. 
 
 However, as the RefraJJlon or ForgiveKefs of Sins ne- 
 cefTarily implies ?.Difcharge both from Guilt and Punijk- 
 me7?t, and can only be embraced by that Divire Faiths 
 which gives a Title to our being Sons of Gody and Heirs 
 of his Kingdom ; therefore Jujiificaiicn may be very well 
 explained, in general, by the Forgivenefs or Renii//:on of 
 S'ns. — And indeed the A^ofle himfelf feems plainly to 
 
 defcribe it under this general Notion. See Rorn. iii. 
 
 24 — z6 Ch. iv. 5 — 8. Homily of Salvation y Part I. 
 Page I r . 
 
 [b) Rom. iii. 2?. (r) Gal. ii. 16. 
 
 * See thtf learned Gataker on If a iab v. 23^ Ch. liii. ii. And 
 the late Reverend and Pious Dr DoJdridge on .-.im, iii, 20, Note a j 
 v.;*ere hs alio cuotcs the learned Vitritiga, 
 
[ H J 
 
 kind u-ere become guilty hejore God{n.)^ and 
 flood condemned by the one Law, or by 
 the other; it was impoirible for them to be 
 acquitted by either. But God of h\s free Grace 
 engaged lo juJUfy or pardon a finful World, 
 upon a Hvihg Faith in the Blood of his Son {b). 
 However, this Faith was to be preceded by 
 unfeigned Repentance {c) : And to dilcover its 
 Truth and Reality, as Opportunity offered, 
 by fincere and univcrfal Obtdience {d). 
 
 But flill, we are not to imagine that our 
 Faith has any more Me) it than our f Forks, 
 Our Juftificaiion or Pardon proceeds entirely 
 from x.\\t free Grace of God in ChriJI : And it 
 is embraced, or applied to the Soul by j^<:^ 
 a Faith, as the Holy Spirit mufi work in us(^). 
 
 Hence 
 
 {a) Rom. lii. g, 19, 20, 23. 
 
 {S) Ch. iii. 21, 22,24, zq. Gal.ii. 16. Ch. iii. 26. 
 Ch. V. 6 Ephes. i. 7. Ch. ii. 5, 8. 
 
 (t) Ads ii. 38. Ch. XX. 21. Ch xxvi 18, 20. ^ 
 
 f^) St Match, vil 21. St John xiv. f ^, 21, 23, 24. 
 Ch. XV. 14,16. Col i. 10. Heb xiii 21. iStPet i. 2. 
 2Epiil.i5. — 8. iStJohnii, 3 — 5. Ch.iii.3 — 10. 
 
 {e) St Mark ix. 24. StLukexvii 5. St John i 12, 
 13. 2 Cor. iv. 13. Gal. V. 22. Ephes ii 8. Philip, 
 i 29. Ch.ii.13. 2Thers.i 11. 2Peteri. i. '* F^it/j, 
 iays a very Jearned and worthy Prelate, *• nxhich is the 
 •' Prirciple of the Gofpef, refpecf$ the Prcmijes ar,^, Decla- 
 ** rations of God, and includes a fure Tmjf and Reliance on 
 •* him for the Performance: " Bp Sherlock" % Difcourjes^ 
 the hflDifc. and Part 1. But I muft beg leave here to 
 add, that this Faith is not the Prcdudl o{ Readings Study, 
 ©r Refection ; but the pure genuine Work of the Spirit of 
 Chriji. This appears from mofl of the Texts above re- 
 ferred to : And indeed thus much may fufficiently be 
 concluded, from ihe very Nature of it. For fince it is a 
 
 Principle 
 
[ ^5 1 
 Hence it is, that we are fometimes faid to be 
 jujlified by God^ or by his Grace \ Ibmetimes 
 by the Blood of Chrijl^ or the Redemption 
 which is in him \ and fometimes by Faith (a). 
 The free Grace, or Gocdnefs of God, may 
 be called the Firfl, or Principal or Efficient 
 Caufe of our fiift:ficaiion ; the Blood ofChnfl^ 
 or in other Words, what Cbrifi has done and 
 fuffiered^ is the Tnerito^'ious Caufe of it ; and 
 tbiU Faith, by which we embrace our Pardon 
 or J unification, may be eileemed, as it were, 
 t\\tlnftrument {b) ot it. And when the Holy 
 Spirit has wrought this Faith in a mourmng 
 Sinner, how welcome to the Soul muft be that 
 joyful-Voice!— «S^«, be of good cheer, thy Sins 
 be forgiven thee (c). For being j unified by 
 c 3 Faitb^ 
 
 Principle by which the Heart is purified, and which dlf- 
 covers itfelf by [a divine] Z<?«v^ to God and Man [A£is 
 XV. g. Ch. xxvi. i8. Gal. v. 6.] it muft demonllrate 
 it<; Origin to be from Heaven. As it is evidently a Part 
 of our new Creation^ it muft be like every other Part, the 
 Work of God \ and thus it is called in exprefs Terms,— 
 
 Faith of the Operation of God ^ Colos. ii. 12. Faith ^ 
 
 T>5? lvBfy$icc<; T» 0£a, — Faith, wrought hy t\iQ Energy, or 
 efficacious Power of God: And therefore it is no wonder it 
 ihould make fo confiderable a Part of the Armour of God^ 
 Ephes. vi. 13, 14, 16, compared with 1 Thefs. v. 8. — 
 However, though it be not a Faith cf our oixn working \ 
 it iz a Faith that may be procured by our own honefl and 
 earnefi Diligence. Seek it by humble and confiant Prayer^ 
 and thou (halt find it. — Therefore, if thou haft it not, 
 lay the Fault on thyfelf only. 
 
 [a) Rom. iii. 24,25. Ch. v. 1,9. Ch. viii. 33; 
 
 Tit. iii. 7. 
 
 {b) Horn, of the PaiTion, Part II. p. 258, 259. 
 (f) St Matth. ix. 2. 
 
I 26 ] 
 
 Fatib, we have PEACE 'wiih God^ through 
 our Lord JcfusChnii (a). ^ He is our Peace {b)\ 
 having made Peace ^ through the Blood of his 
 Crofs (c). He is our Propitiation, or Mercy- 
 jeat{d\ through Faith in his Blood, To fuch 
 as approach this Mercy feat by a living Faith ^ 
 God difcovers himfelf a reconciled Father(^^). 
 At that inftant, his divineKingdom begins to 
 be fet up in the Soul : And where this King- 
 dom is, Peace will difcover itfelf. For the 
 Kingdom of God is Right eoufnefs^ and Peace^ 
 and Joy in the Holy Ghofi (/).— Confequently, 
 Peace ^joith God appears to be the certain Re- 
 fult q{ juflifying Faith: And our Church's 
 Notion of fuch a Faith feems perfectly right. 
 — *' This, fhe fays, is given us of God \ and 
 ** is zfure Trufi and Confidence in God, that 
 " by the Merits of Chrifl [a Man's] Sins be 
 *' f^^pvcn and he reconciled to the F^vxinjr of 
 -« ' Q od, azjd to he Partaker of the Ki ngdom of 
 *' Heaven by Chrilf (g)." Again, ** Faith \% 
 -*•' faid to be zfure Truft and Confidence in the 
 '^ Mercies of God : whereby \^tperfu/ide our-* 
 *' fe)vts, that God both ha'h, and will for- 
 ♦♦ give our Sins •, that he hath accepted us 
 ♦< again into his Favour ; that he hath releaf- 
 «* ed us from the Bonds of Damnation," ^c, 
 *♦ W« mx:^^ apprehend the Merits of Chrifi'^ 
 
 " Death 
 
 A 
 
 ia) Rom. V. i. (i) Fphes. ii. 14. 
 
 (f) Colos. 1.20. {(/) 'l\urfificy. Rom. iii. 25. 
 ?)Ch.v.8 — 1|. 2Cor. V. 18,19. Ephes.ii.i6 — 18. 
 im. ii. 5, 6. Heb. vii. 25. Ch. x. 19 — 22. 
 
 ^/) Rom. xiv. 17. 
 
 (g) Hoin. of Salvation, Pan III. p. l6* 17. 
 
[ 27 ] 
 
 Death andPalTion — with ajirong and/led^ 
 
 faft Faith, nothing doubting but that Chriji 
 
 — hath taken away Our Sins, and hath 
 
 reftorcd us again into God's Favour (^)." 
 
 Ifewhere we meet with what follows, — 
 
 T"/2z3«/?^?7? received [our Saviour JefusChrift] 
 
 if in true Faith and Repentance of Heart 
 
 thou hafl received K\m."Thou haft received 
 
 his Body, to endow thee with everlafting 
 
 Righteoufnefs, to ajfure thee o^ih^ everlafl- 
 
 ing Bhfs and Life of thy Soul. For with 
 
 Chrifi, by true Faith, art thou quickened 
 
 again, — from Death of Sin, to Life of 
 
 Grace (^)." And only to mention one 
 
 Place more, — *' A fure and conftant Faith, 
 
 not only that the Death of Chrift is available 
 
 for the Redemption of all the World, for 
 
 the RemifHon of Sins, and Reconciliation 
 
 with God the Father; but alfo that he hath 
 
 made, upon his Crofs, a full and fufficient 
 
 Sacrifice for thee, a perfe6l clean fing of thy 
 
 Sins ;— and that thou mayeft fay with the 
 
 Apoftle, that he loved /to, and gave him- 
 
 felf for thee (c)." 
 
 So that juftifyifjg Faith, according to our 
 
 Church, and, I prefume, according to the 
 
 Apoftle, is- fuch aFaith wrought by the Holy 
 
 Spirit, as caufes a ^^n firmly to believe that 
 
 his Sins are a6lually forgiven -, that God in 
 
 Chrift is reconciled to him, and that Chrift is 
 
 c 4 become 
 
 [a) Horn, of the Paflion, Part II. p. 258. 
 
 {b) Horn, of the Refarreftion, p. 262. 
 
 [c) Horn, of the Sacrament, Part I. p. 269. 
 
[ 28 ] 
 become a Propitiation for his Sins in particu- 
 lar. 1 hele are the Sentiments of our ChuTch *, 
 and they appear to be excellently founded. 
 And where is tlie Wonder, if from hence 
 fhould arife great Comfort and Satisfaction 
 to the Mind : Since ^^7?/^ thus juftifed by Fail b, 
 a Man mud have Peace with God, through our 
 Lord Jefus Chrift ? But now this Faith is the 
 Operatic?! of God (a), or of his Holy Spirit, as 
 has been already obferved ', and it will be 
 wrought in every fincere Penitent, when in- 
 finite VVifdom fhall judge it proper. And as 
 fuch a F'^aith is the Subjlance or Foundation of 
 'Jhings hoped for \ and the Evidence^ or Con- 
 Viclion, of Things notfeen {h) : As fuch a Faith 
 will, in time, purify the Heart (c) entirely *, 
 will quench all the fiery Darts of the IVicked (d)^ 
 and give us the Vihory over this World {e) \ 
 is it at all to be wondered at, that fo divine 
 a Principle fhould enable us to embrace the 
 Fromifes of God in Cbrifi ; and that our Jtif- 
 iifi cation fhould be afcribed to it, in the 
 manner we have explained ? 
 
 Our Church may certainly, with the hightft 
 Reafon, declare, that the being juflified by 
 Faiih only, is a moft ivholefome Doclrine^ and 
 very full of Comfort (/). 
 
 For 
 
 ^a) Cok)s. ii. 12. Horn, of Salvation, Parti, p. 15. 
 Part III. p. 16. 
 
 {b) Heb. xi. I. (f) Aasxv. 9. 
 
 {d) Ephes. vi. 16. (^) 1 St John v. 4. 
 
 if) Article XI. 
 
[ 29 J 
 
 For if ic be the Do^rine odht holy Spirit^ 
 as is manifeflly evident, it muft furely be a 
 moft wholefome DoSfrine : And if ^be Peace of 
 God httht certain Confequence of beingyw/?/- 
 fied by Faith, as the Spirit of Truth affirms, 
 it is manifeftly a Bo5irine full of Comfort, 
 And withal, fince the Spirit of God has fo 
 often mentioned {a) it, 1 mud take leave to 
 think, that it is a DoBrine o^no fmallln^oV" 
 tance. 
 
 E. Is it then pofTible for a Perfon ever to 
 know when his Sins are pardoned ? For this 
 I have obferved to be often queflioned. 
 
 P, There is nothing, Eugenius^ which 
 Men may not quellion, when they are fo dif- 
 pofed. But I believe you will think there is 
 little Reafon to make any Doubt of this, when 
 you have confidered it a little further — ^Pray 
 attend to the Words of our hcly Lord, — Come 
 unto me, all ye that labour^ and are heavy la- 
 den, and I will give you Refl (b). 
 
 But now, is it polTible for the labouring, and 
 heavy laden Slnncv io have Reft \ and yet not 
 to know it p Can a wounded Confcience be 
 heaUd', and the Man ml ht fenfihle of it? 
 Can God fpeak Joy 2i\'\diPeace to the SouI(<;); 
 and yet that Soul be a Stranger to Joy and 
 Peace f Is not a guilty awakened Confcience 
 c 5 like 
 
 [d] A(fts xlii. 38, 39. Rom, iii. 22, 25, 26, 28, 30. 
 Ch iv. 5. Ch. V. 1. Ch.ix. 30— 32. Gal. ii. 16. 
 Ch.iii. 1 1, 14, 22i 24, 26. Cli.v. 5,6 Ephes. ii. 8. 
 Philip, iii. 9. (^) St Matth. xi. 28^"^ 
 
 [c] Rom XV, 15. 
 
t 30 ] 
 
 like the troubled Sea^ when it cannot refl ? Inhere 
 is no Peace^ faith my God^ to the fVicked {a). 
 Such a State is a Hell upon Earth -, there is 
 nothing but 7«;/7«//, Sind Horror^ &nd Defpair. 
 But when once fuch a Confcience is wajhed by 
 the Blood of Chrifi (^), there is a Calm^ and 
 Peace^ and Comfort. 
 
 And cannot the Man, do you think, eafily 
 find a Difference between the two States ? It 
 may as v/ell be queflioned, whether a Man 
 knows the Difference between being upon a 
 Rack^ and lying at Eafe in his Bed : This fpi- 
 ritual Difcernment our Church fpeaks of in 
 more Places than one. 
 
 " If after Contrition, fays our Church, we 
 *' feel our Confciences at Peace with Gody 
 *' through Remiffion of our Sin, and to be 
 *' reconciled again to his Favour j — Who 
 ** worketh thefe great Miracles in us ? — God 
 *=' give us Grace to know thefe Things, and 
 *' to feel them in our Hearts (r)." Again, 
 fpeaking of the bleifed Sacrament ^ fhe ufes 
 
 this Expreffion, *' Here [the Faithful] 
 
 ** rx\2iy feel wrought the Tranquillity of Con- 
 " fcience, {d) ^c. " And in another Ho- 
 mily, fpeaking of a true lively Faith, we 
 have thefe Words, — ^' If you feel and per- 
 *' ceive fuch 2l Faith in you, rejoice in it (e)." 
 And in the Vifitation Office^ this is one of the 
 
 Petitions, 
 
 {a) Ifaiah v. 7, 20, 21. 
 
 [b) Heb. ix. 14. Colos.i. 20. 1 St John i. 7. Rev.i 5. 
 
 [c) Horn, for Rogation-week, Part. III. p. 292^ 293. 
 {d) Horn, of the Sacrament, Parti, p. 269, 
 
 {e) Horn, on Faith,, Part III. p. 26. 
 
[ 3' ] 
 
 Petitions, — " Make thee know and feel that 
 ** there is none other Name — in whom, and 
 '* thro' whom, thou mayeft receive Health 
 ** and Salvation." And in the fame Office, 
 in the Prayer for Perfons troubled in Mind 
 or in Confcience^ thefe are part of the Petitions, 
 — *' Make him to ^^^r of Joy and Gladners,> 
 ** that the Bones which thou haft broken may 
 " rejoice. Deliver him from fear of the » 
 ** Enemy, and lift up the Light of thy Coun- 
 " tena^ice upon him, and give himPeace^^c.** 
 What is ih\s hearing of Joy andGladnefs, and 
 this rejoicing of broken Bones ^ but a fpi ritual 
 Difcernment of Comfort in that Confcience, 
 which was before broken and wounded by a 
 Senfe of Guilt ? Or what is th\s Deliverance 
 from fear of the Enemy ; and the lifting up the 
 Light of God'sCountenance^ and giving Peace ^ 
 but freeing a troubled Soul from theDarknefs 
 and Horrors of Defpair ; and from \}i\t fiery 
 Darts of the Devil, which a Chrijlian is to 
 quench by the Shield of Faith [a) : And to 
 caufe that dark and troubled Soul toy^^ that 
 Light of Life^ and to feel that Peace of God^ 
 which paffsih all Underjlanding {b) f And 
 moreover, what does our Church mean by 
 this Petition at the Conclufion of the L/V^;{>', 
 — O Lamb of God, that takejl away the Sins of 
 the Worlds grant us thy Peace? What can 
 ihe mean by the Calm of Confcience y which 
 Miuft always arife from a Senfe of the pardon- 
 ing 
 
 {a) Ephes. vi. i6.. 
 
 (h) St John viii, vi^ Phil'P- iv» 7^'- 
 
[ 32 ] 
 
 ing Love of God ? Pray, obferve how fhs 
 reprefents the Agonies of a real Penitent ; . — . 
 Pilifully behold the Sorrows of our Hearts, The 
 Remembrance of [our Sins] \s grievous unto 
 us : 'T^he Burden of them is intolerable. Receive 
 and comfort wj, who are grieved and wearied 
 with the Burden of our Sins (a). 
 
 Undoubtedly fuch as fpeak thefe Things 
 from the Hearty mud always be thoroughly 
 fenftble when thefe piercing Sorrows'^ when 
 thefe grievous and intolerable Burdens are re- 
 moved. Though, indeed, as for thofe who 
 repeat thefe Sentences only by rote-^ who feel 
 710 Burden, who experience no Sorrows of 
 Heart; how is itpofTible they fliould perceive 
 the Removal of that, which they never once 
 felt ? But then as this Load is not like to be 
 removed, till Men do really /^f/ it ; may the 
 Holy Spirit effectually work in them 2i fpiri- 
 tual Difcernment^ that they may no longer 
 trifle with God and their own Salvation. 
 
 E. I am fully fatisfiied, both from the Na- 
 ture of the Thing, and from the Sentiments 
 of our own Church, that Men may very fen- 
 fihly perceive when God has abfolved theni 
 
 from their Guilt God grant I may one Day> 
 
 through the Merits of Chrifl^ have the fame 
 bleffed Experience ! 
 
 P, I doubt not, my dear Friend, but you 
 will. However, this ought carefully to be 
 
 remembered, 
 
 {a) See the latter End of the Litany ; the general 
 Confeflion in the Cgmmwnion- Officii 4^d the Ccmmir 
 nation- Service, 
 
[ 33 I 
 remembered, that every y^^y^/^d'^Perfon nluft 
 not immediately look for ^ perpetual Calm i or 
 to be always free from many^ and perhaps/^- 
 vere Temptations : But ftill ht vi\\\ find Grace 
 to help in time of Need {a). He is no longer 
 the Servant of Sin {b). Nor will God fuffer 
 him to he tempted above that he is able •, but 
 will with the Temptation alfo make a Way to 
 efcape^ that he may be able to bear it (c). How- 
 ever, if there fhoul-d be, for fome time, a 
 Succeflion of Light and Glcominefs, of Hope 
 and Doubting ; thefe fl;iou]d not difquiet a 
 Chriflian \ or caufe him to miftrull the Safety 
 of his Condition. But he ought conftantly 
 to perfevere in humble Prayer, with Patience 
 and Submillion : And God's Holy Spirit 
 will carry him on from Strength to Strength ; 
 and from one Degree oi Faith znd Holinefs to 
 another (^). 
 
 E. But how may this true juflifying Faith 
 be diftinguifhed from that which \% falfe and 
 counterfeit ; \^\v\q\\ Si James fays is dead, and 
 which cannot y^i;^ ^^'j^fify (^) ^ 
 
 P. They may very eafily be diflinguiflied, 
 with a little Care and Attention. True jufli- 
 fying Faith not only brings Peace to the Mind, 
 but is a \\v\ng¥nnQ\^\QoW?iiverfalObedience'y 
 difcovering itfelf by an unfeigned Love to God 
 
 and 
 
 [a] Heb. iv. i6. [b) Rom. vi. 6. 
 
 {c) I Cor. X. 13. 
 
 [d] Pfalm Ixxxiv. 7. St John i. 16. Rom. i. !/♦ 
 Ephes. iv. 13. Philip, i. 6. 
 {e) St James ii. 14, 17, 20, 22, 24, 26. 
 
[ 34 ] 
 
 arid Man, Inclining us to walk in everyQom- 
 mand of Chr'ift \ and to endeavour to brings 
 forth much Fruit \ and even to be filled with 
 the Fruits of RighteGufnefi{a), This is that 
 Br enfi 'plate cf Right eoufricfs^ or oi Faith and 
 Love^ which Chrifiians are direded to ar7n 
 themrelveswith(^).— Whereas the fi2///6 which 
 is condemned by Si J antes ^ is z, Faith deftitute 
 of the Love of God and Man : A Faith which 
 brings not forth the Fruits of iheGofpd : But 
 is barren and dead\ and therefore vain^ and 
 void of all Efficacy. — Such a Faith as this is 
 confident with cherifhing Anger^ Malice^ 
 Pride^ Covetoufnefs^ or any other corrupt Dif- 
 pofition whatever. Nay it is confiftent with 
 every evil Word^ and every vicious A^ion. 
 But where true Faith n, it bo\\\ ju fii fie s and 
 w\\\fa:,5lify{c) ; nor does it give any Indul- 
 gence to ibch fVorks of the Dcvil, The Holy 
 Spirit declares, that he that cof?'imitieib Sin, is 
 of the Devil {d). V/hofoever ahideth in [Chrift] 
 Jinneth not, IVhofcever is horn of God^ doth 
 not commit Sin : And moreover, that in this the 
 Children of God are marifefl, and the Children 
 of the Devil : Whofoever doth not Right eoufnefs^ 
 is not of God {e), Confequently, that Faith ^ 
 which does not begin to purify the Heart, 
 
 fpeaks 
 
 {a) St Matth. 22. 37 — 40. St John xiii. 34, 35. 
 Ch. XV 2, 4, 5, 8, 10. Gal. V. 6. Philip, i. 11. iSt 
 John iii. 15—19, 22 — 24. Ch. iv. iC.— 21, 
 
 [h) Ephes. vi »4. i Thefsc v. 8. 
 
 (f) Ads xxvi 18. iCor, vi. II. 
 
 [d) I St John iii. 8. (^) Ver. 6, 9, iq> 
 
[ i5 ] 
 
 fpeaks only a deceitful Peace to us {a), Th© 
 Blood ofChriJly when rightly applied, always 
 brings Peace (b)'y but then it will always 
 'purge the Conjcience from dead Works to ferve 
 the living God(c). 
 
 His precious Blood is a fan5lifying Prin- 
 ciple (i)i it redeems from a vain^ and wicked 
 Converfation {e) ; it turns them, who ^vtfanc- 
 tified by Faith in Chrifiy from the Power of 
 Satan(^f)\ and confequently, fromtheWorks 
 of Satan : For Chrift was manifefied to deflroy 
 the Works of the Devil (g). They that are 
 Elecfy are Ele^ — through Sanoiification of the- 
 Spirit unto Obedience, and fpr inkling of the 
 Blood of J c(us Chrift (^) .Seeing, fays the 
 fame Apoftle, ye have purified your Souls in 
 obeying the Truth through tbeSpirit (i). 
 
 You fee, my deap Eugenius, how true 
 Faith in the Blood of Cbrifl -, San^iificalion oi 
 Heart 2.xi^ Life \ and unfeignedObedience, muft 
 and ever will, have a mutual Connexion 
 with one another. But let us ftill attend to- 
 the Dodrine of the Holy Spirit a little further. 
 — " The Grace of God that bringeth Sal- 
 '' vation, hath appeared to all Men -, teach- 
 " ing us, that, denying Ungodlinefs and 
 " worldly Lufts, we ilbould Wvefoberly, rigb- 
 " teoujly^ and godly in this prefent World j 
 
 " looking 
 
 (tf) Ads XV. 9. 
 
 {b) Rom.xiv, 17. Ephes. ii. 13, 14. Col. i. 20. 
 
 (r) Heb. ix. 14. {d) Heb. xiii. 12. 
 
 \e) I St Peter i. 8, 19. {/) Ads xxvi. 18. 
 
 {g) iStJohniii. 8. [h) iStPeteri. 2. 
 
 (/) Ch, i. 22. 
 
[ 36 ] 
 
 ** looking for that blefTed Hope, and the 
 '' glorious appearing of the great God, and 
 *' our Saviour Jefui Chriji : Who gave him- 
 *' felf for us, that he might redeem us from 
 " all Iniquity^ 2ind purify unto himfelfa pe- 
 *' culmr^QopW zealous cf gocd Works (/?)/*— 
 I defire you would confider, whether thofe 
 who ere not zealous of good fVorks^ can be of 
 the Number of this feculiar People ? 
 
 Again, the fame Holy Spirit, v/ho has 
 told us, that '' By Grace we are y^i;^^ through 
 " Faith', and that Tiot o\ cur [elves -, iris the 
 *' Gz//ofGod: Not of ^F<?r,h, left any Man 
 *' (hould bcaft ♦,'' I fay, the fame Holy Spirit 
 im mediately afilires us, that *'■ We are his 
 " Workmanfhip, created \n Chriji J eftts un- 
 *' to good F/orks, which God hath before 
 ** ordained^ that we {houldwalk in them (l/).^' 
 'Therefore, if vjt walk not \n good fVorks, do 
 we not contradid the very Reafon for which 
 we were created anevv' in Chrift Jefus? Such 
 a Behaviour is fo exprefsly contrary to our 
 Ntw Creation in Chrift, that nothing can be 
 more manifeft or evident. But now, only 
 
 to mention one Paflage more We are not 
 
 only diredled to add to our Faith — Virtue — 
 Knowledge — T'emperance — .Patience — Gcdlinefs 
 ^^Brotherly-Kindnefs and Charily \ but more- 
 over, thefe Things are to be in us and abound: 
 And it is declared, that He that lacketh thefe 
 
 '- Things 
 
 [a] Tit. ii. 11 — 14. Ch. iii. Z, 
 {b) Ephes. ii. 8—10. 
 
[ 37 ] 
 
 nings is blind ; and hath forgotten that he mas 
 purged from his old Sins {a). 
 
 Would to God, that fuch asexpedttobe 
 finally faved by z.v\ empty Faith, would lay 
 thefe Things' ferioufly to Heart ! 
 
 E. 1 take it, that our Church does not 
 give the lead Encouragment to fuch a dead 
 Faith. 
 
 P. You judge perfedly right : let us only 
 hear in what Manner fhe defcribes true Faith, 
 — " This is the true,, lively, and unfeigned 
 *' Chrijiian Faith, and is not in the Mouth 
 " and outward Profeflion only, hut \iliveth 
 *' andjlirretb inwardly in the Heart. And 
 " this Faith is not without Hope 2LndTruft m 
 *' God, nor without the Love of God and of 
 *' our Neighbours, nor without the Fear of 
 " God, nor without the De/tre to hear God's 
 " Word, and to follow the fame, in efchew-^ 
 " ingEvil, siud doing ghdly all good fVorks. 
 — " [ It ] is alfo moved through continual Af- 
 *' ftftance of the Spirit of God to ferve and 
 *' and pleafe him, to keep his Favour, to 
 '' fear his Difpleafure, to continue his obedi- 
 " ent Children, (hewing Thankfulnefs again 
 " by obferving or keeping his Command- 
 " ments, and that freely, for true Love 
 **■ chiefly, and not for dread of Punifhment, 
 *' or love of temporal Reward ; confidering 
 ** how clearly, without Defervings, v/thave 
 *' received his Mercy and Pardon freely (^)." 
 
 ^Thus 
 
 (a) 2 St Peter i. 5, 9. 
 
 {i>) Horn, of Faith, Part I. p. 15, 20. 
 
[ 38 ] 
 
 — Thus does our Church exprefs herfelf. 
 And thus eafily may you know the Difference 
 betwixt a living and a icWFaith. None can be 
 deceived, hut Hypocrites^ or Men notorioufly 
 carelefs and negligent. And it is no wonder, 
 if either they, who value not their Salvation, 
 fhouJd mifs of it : Or if fuch as love to dc'- 
 ceive^ fhould themfelves be fatally ^^m'-W. 
 
 E. I fee nothing is wanting to difcern the 
 Difference, but an honefl and attentive Mind. 
 
 — But now, fince a thorough Converfion 
 feems, at leafl in habituaj Sinners, to be 
 generally a long and laborious Work ; what 
 can we think of thole numbers of remarkable 
 Convi^ions^ and thofe many fudden Coitver- 
 Jions^ which of late Years we have heard of, 
 not only in England and Scotland^ but in the 
 pemoteft Parts of his Majefly's Dominions in 
 America (a) F They feem to me too ftrange 
 and furprizing to be true. 
 
 P, Though, my dear Friend, it would 
 be the very Height of Madnefs and Prefump- 
 tion for Sinners to continue in Sin, in Ex« 
 pe<5taeion of fo miraculous a Change ; yet as 
 we fhould be exceedingly cautious how we 
 prefume to limit the Almighty, fince l^is 
 Judgments are unjearchahle^ and bis JVayspafl 
 finding out (b) ; fo when we have fuch abun- 
 dant Evidence of the Fads themfelves, ir 
 
 would 
 
 (rt) See the Reverend Mr Wepy\ and Mr Whiiefield\ 
 Accounts ; and thofe from Scotland ziid Ammca, in the 
 l^eiv England Chriftian Hijiory, 
 
 [b] Rom- xi. 33, 
 
t 39 - ] 
 
 would argu^ a furprizing Difpofition towards 
 doublings to refufe giving credit to fuch a 
 number of concurrentTeftimonies. But then, 
 befides, when we meet with feveral Inftances 
 of a like Nature in iht Holy Scripture (^;, this 
 demonftrates that the Thing is not entirely 
 new •, but only a Revival of what was at the 
 Beginning. And indeed, it is not unreafonable 
 to fuppofe that God would before the End of 
 Time, revive his firft Work, and give new 
 Life to expiring Chriftianity^ in a way uncom- 
 mon^ iniraculous^ and aftoni/hing, Ifitfhould 
 be objedled, that thofe ancient Inltances were 
 only of Jews and Gentiles converted to the 
 Faith of Chrift ; whereas thefe modern ones 
 are of Chriftians fuppofed to be converted from 
 a dead Faith, and dead Works •, — I fay, if 
 any fhould objedl this Difference ; I would 
 defire them to confider, whether all fuch 
 Chrijiians do not equally want to have their 
 Eyes opened \ to be turned from Darknefs io 
 Light '^ sind fro?n the Power of Satan unto God P 
 Whether they do not equally (land in need of 
 Jiepentance \ and a living Faith in the Blood 
 of Jefus ? and whether, without thefe, ei- 
 ther of them can receive Forgivenefs of Sins i 
 or Inheritance amongfi them which are fan^i* 
 fied by Faith which is in him {b) P 
 
 And 
 
 {a) Ads ii. 37 — 41,47. Ch. iv, 4. Ch. v. 14. Ch, 
 ix. I — 20. Ch. xi. 20, 21. Ch.xiii. 12, 48. Ch.xiv. i, 
 Ch.xvi. 5, 14, 15, 29 — 34. Ch.xvii. 34. Ch. xviii. 8. 
 Ch. xix. 17 — 20. 
 
 {i) Adlsxxvi. 18 — 20. Ch. XX. 21, Ch. viii. 22, 23^ 
 Roni. iii. 24, 25. Ch. v. i . licb. ix. 14. 
 
[ 40 ] 
 
 And when we further rcfiefl, that God has 
 given our holy Lord tie Heathen for his Inbc' 
 ritance^ and ths uttennofl Part cf the Earth 
 for his Poffeffiun{a) \ that the ^\\o\tJewifh 
 Nation fhail be converted [b), and the whole 
 World bow down before theScepterpf Cirz/^i 
 and when we confider the prefent melancholy 
 degenerate State of C/^r/y?/^«//)' ; — I fay, when 
 we lay thefe Things together, can it feem 
 ftrange, if, whilftGod reftores his divine Gof- 
 pel where it \?>]u?i deprirting^ and prepares to 
 bring about thofe other amazing Events, he 
 fiiould clothe himfclf with a more vifible Ma- 
 jefly than ordinary, and once movQ/hezv PFon- 
 ders in the Heavens^ and in the Earth [c) ? 
 
 To thefe glorious Times the Evangelical 
 Prophet moft evidendy alludes, where he 
 foretels, that the Earth fhall he full of the 
 Knowledge of the Lord-, as the Waters cover 
 the Sea{d), That famous Prophecy, in all 
 its Parts and wholeExtent, hm been hitherto 
 but very imperfedlly fulfilfed (e) •, and there- 
 fore ftill remains to be entirely accomplifhed. 
 But before this Kingdom of Right eoufnefs can 
 be fet up, how many ftubborn Enemies of 
 Chrifl muft be broken to Pieces {f)? To fo 
 very awful a Seafon, we may well apply 
 the Words of the fame Prophet, — Enter 
 
 into 
 
 . (<7) Pfalm.ii. 8. Rom. xi. 1 1, i 2, i 5, 23 — 32. 
 
 [b] Rev. ii. 55. (f ) Joel ii. 30. 
 
 {d) Ifaiahxi.g. [e] Ver. 6— 9. 
 
 (/) Pfa!iii ii. 9—12. Pfalm ex. i Cor. xv. 24, 2 5. 
 Ephes. i. 22. Rev. ii. 26, 27. Ch.vi. 2, Ch.xi.\. 15, 
 
[ 41 ] 
 
 into the Rock^ and iicie thee in the Dufl, for 
 fear gf the Lord^ andfo' the Glory of his Ma- 
 jejly. ^be lofiy looks of Man floall be humbled^ 
 and the Uaughiinefs of Men fhall he bowed 
 d-jwn^ and the D.rd alone fhall be exalted in 
 that Day {a). 
 
 So that whether we confider Chri^ as con- 
 quering {b) his Friends, or his Enemies -, whe- 
 ther as fubduing the Hearts of the former by 
 his divine Grace, and plucki^ig them as a 
 Brand out of the Fire (c) ; or whether as tramp- 
 ling under Foot thofe who zvill not have him to 
 reign over them (d) •, in either of thefe Views, 
 whenever that folemn time is come for the full 
 Accompliihrnent of thcfe Things, we may 
 reafonably fuppofe, that fuch a Difplay of the 
 Sovereign Power of Chrifl will be quite out 
 of the ordinary Courfe of Things. Nor will 
 I take upon me to fay, that our holy Lord 
 had noViev/ to this State of the World, when 
 he thus add reffrs himfelf to Nathanael ,— Here- 
 after you /hall fee Heaven open^ and the Angels 
 of God a fc ending and defc ending upon the Son 
 of Man {e). 
 
 So that you find, my dear EugeniuSy I 
 fhould not be furprized, if we fhould live to 
 fee much flranger Things than we have 
 hitherto feen. 
 
 However, as to the amazing manner of 
 Conviclion^ and the Suddennefs orSlownefs of 
 
 Converjion ; 
 
 {a) Ifaiahii. lo, ii. [h] Rev. vi. 2. 
 
 (^r) Zechar. iii, 2. [d) St Lukexix. 27. 
 
 y St John i. 51. 
 
[ 42 ] 
 
 Converfton^ this fpiritualWorkof God, upon 
 
 the Soul, muft be left to God only I will 
 
 work^ fays the A mighty, and who Jhall let 
 it {a)? 
 
 And again, by the fame Prophet, — // 
 fhall ccme to pafs^ that before they call^ ' / will 
 avfwer ^ and wbiljl they are yet fpeaking^ I will 
 hearih). 
 
 However, let none harden themfelves in 
 Sin : For though the Spirit of God will re- 
 prove^ or convince the World of Sin (c), whe- 
 ther they will or not ; yet a thorough and lad- 
 ing Converfion requires their own Concur- 
 rence (i). The Holy Spirit exprefsly com- 
 mands Men to give Diligence to make their 
 Calling and EUHion jure: And to work out 
 their o-wn Salvation with Fear andTretnbling[e)» 
 
 E. But may not an Objedlion lie againft 
 the Nature of the Work itlelf ? May it not 
 be faid, that fuch Perfons are deluded^ if not 
 popjfed? 
 
 P, It may undoubtedly be fo faid : For 
 what is it, my good Friend, that fome Men 
 cannot (2iy ^ But then, if any one fhould vifi- 
 bly fee their z^// J of the Spirit cf God^ where 
 before he faw little except the Works of the 
 
 Devil } 
 
 [a) Ifalah xliii. 13. {h) Ifaiah Ixv. :',4, 
 
 (c) Stjohnxvi. 8. 
 
 (^) StMatth. xxvi. 41. StMark xiii, 37. StLuke 
 xxi. 34, 36. Ch. xxii. 46. St/ohnxv. i — 10. i Cor. 
 ix. 27. Ch. X. 12. 2Cor. xi. 3 Ephes. vi. 1 1— 18. 
 I Thefs. iii. 5. Heb xii. 15. i St Per. v. 8, 9. z St 
 Pet. i. 4 — 9. Rev. iii. 1 1, 12. Ch; x5fii. 1 1— i^, 
 
 (^) 2St Pet. i. ic, II. Philip. ii< i3i 13* 
 
[ 43 ] 
 
 Devils would you not think thatPerfon un- 
 der a ftrange Delnfion^ who could not plainly 
 difcern the Finger of God ? 
 
 E. 1 really think, I fhould. 
 
 P. Or if a Perfon of unqucftionable Repu- 
 tation fhould declare this, upon his own cer- 
 tain Knowledge, might not fuch an Account, 
 at lead, feem to merit a \^'cy favourable At- 
 tention ? 
 
 E. I mud GVs'n, it would. But now, leav- 
 ing this DigrefTion, which was owing to my 
 Curiofity, I beg to know what a Penitent Sin- 
 ner mufb do, who cannot yet find that Faith 
 wroughtinhim, which fpeaks Peace andCom- 
 fort to the Soul ? 
 
 P. He muft pray for it, with great Con- 
 ftancy, Humility, and Patience ; and per- 
 levere in bringing forth Fruits meet for Repent-' 
 ance, to the bell of his Abilities (^). And 
 it may be great Encouragement for fuch to 
 confider, that when the Prodigal was yet a 
 great way off^ his Father faw him^ and had 
 Co?npajfion^ and ran, and fell on his Neck and 
 kijfed him [b). 
 
 But then, let it be well attended to, that 
 the Son was returning and going on, till his 
 Father met him {c). For had he, after his Re- 
 folution 10 arife and go to his Father^ either 
 changed his Mind, ox flopped Jhort in his Jour- 
 ney 
 
 {a) St Matth. ii. 8. St Luke viik 15. Ch. xviii. i. 
 Ch.xxi. 19. zThefs.iii. 5. Heb. x. 36, 37. St James 
 i. 3,4. Ch.iv.6 — 10. St Mark xiii. 1 3, 
 
 (^) St J-ukexv. 20. .tO' Vw. 18— 20* 
 
[ 44 ] 
 ney home, or returned to his Swine again, he 
 and his Father had not then met. And there- 
 fore let the Penitent go on forwards, till he 
 meets with his Heavenly Father \ who, at the 
 propereft Time and Seafon, will certainly/*^// 
 CH his Neck and kifs him. But, in the mean 
 while, he may be fatisfied, he is in the fure 
 Way to obtain Salvation by our Lord Jefus 
 Chrifl(^). He may be aflured, that God 
 -wWMook to him^ who is poor and of a contrite 
 Heart ; and who trembles at his Word ' b). God 
 will not defpife the Day of fmall T.hings.^ nor 
 the IVorks cf his own Hands [c). But He^ 
 which hath begun a good PFork in us^ will per- 
 form it unto the Day of Jefus Chrifl: {d). 
 
 Him that cometh to me^ fays the holy Jefus^ 
 I will in no wife cafi out (<?). 
 
 He w&sfent to bind up the broken-hearted^ 
 "and to comfort all that mourn (f). That God, 
 whofe Name is holy^ — dwells with him that is 
 of a contrite and humble Spirit^ to revive the 
 Spirit of the Hwmble^ and to revive the Heart 
 of the contrite ones — / create the Fruit of the 
 Lips •, Peace, Peace, to him that is far off^ and 
 to him that is near, faith the Lord, and I will 
 heal him (g). 
 
 Thus will the God of Hope, at the bed and 
 wiieft Seafon, Jill every true Penitent, with 
 all Joy and Peace in believing, that they may 
 
 abound 
 
 (^) iThefs.v.^. (^) Ifaiah Ixvi. 2. 
 
 (f) Zechariah iv. lo. Pfalm cxxxviii, 8. 
 
 {d) Philip, i. 6. {e) St John vi. 3.7. 
 
 (/) Ifaiah Ixi. i, 2. {g) Ch, Ivii. 15—19. 
 
t 45 3 
 
 abound in Hopc^ through the Power of the Hcly 
 Gboft {a). 
 
 He will, when his own adorable Wifdonr 
 judges it beft, thus difcover himfelf to the 
 Soul of every fincerely returning Sinner : For 
 he is the fame Gjd of Hope and Peace through 
 Chrift^ that he ever was {b). And therefore 
 as he has already done to others ; fo will he 
 vouchfafe to every proper Objed the Spirit of 
 /klopiion^ whereby they cry^ Ahba^ Father i 
 And, at the propereft time, his Spirit wilt 
 hear witnefs with their Spirit^ that they are 
 the Children of Gcd U). 
 
 But let them continue infant in Prayer : 
 Praying always with all Prayer and Supplica' 
 tion [d). Let them not be zvearied or faint in 
 their Minds : For yet a little while, ^nd he that 
 floall come^ will come, and will not tarry {e), 
 
 Thefe ought furely to be powerful Motives, 
 to encourage us to perfevcre in the patient 
 wa iting for Chrift{f), 
 
 However, it is evident, that the Bufinefs 
 q{ Salvation is no fight Affaix'-. And the Rea- 
 fon may be plainly perceived, why the Holy 
 Spirit commands MSiowork out our Salvation 
 with Fear and Trembling (g)^ and to give 
 Diligence to make our Calling and EleEiion 
 fure\h). You find it is 2i great fVork, and 
 D that 
 
 {ay Rom. XV. 13. {&) Heb. xiii. 20, zi. 
 
 {c) Rom. viii. 15, 16. * 
 
 (J) Ram.xli. C2» Ephes. vu 18. 
 (e) Heb.xii. 3. Ch.x. 37. (/) sThefs. iii. j, 
 
 ig) Phil. ii. I a, (i) isStPet.i.io, 
 
[ 46 j 
 
 thdtt great Diligence is therel'ore indiipenfably 
 necellary : And that a holy Fear and Concern^ 
 left we offend God, or grieve his holy Spi- 
 rit (^), will be pxefcnt to die Mind of every 
 true Chrifiian, 
 
 But from hence we may ftand amazed at 
 thofe unhappy Perfons, who Item to imagine, 
 i\\2iijittmgjtilly znd .doi}7g oi mthi^ng^ is the 
 beft way to work out their Salvation I the 
 beft way to give Diligence tomakflheir CalLng 
 and Ele£lion fure I 
 
 They, who can reconcile the/e Things, — 
 Idlenefs with Diligence ; and/Ioijig nothing with 
 working, need not defpair of reconciling any 
 Contradidion whatever. 
 
 E. Salvation, I am fenfible, is a great 
 JVork: And as we m.uft work it out \ fo is it 
 well worth the while, lo give all Dtlgence to 
 make it fure to us. I beg now to bz inilrii6t- 
 ed how 1 am to underftand that ExpreHlon of 
 the Apoftle, that Cbrift is tf God made unto 
 us San^ijjcatii?2{b). For I think feme have 
 iinderilood it, as if the Holinefs of Cbrijl was 
 fo imputed to us, that we needed none in our 
 cvsn Hearts : But that we were to look only 
 to the HoUncfs which is in Chrijt \ widiout 
 labouring for any in ourjelvcs, 
 
 P, If you meet, Eugenius, with any who 
 talk in this manner, ycu have great Reafon 
 to pity, and to pray for them : And withal, 
 
 endeavour, 
 
 («J Eplies. iv. 30. {h) I Cor. i. 30. 
 
[ 47 3 
 endeavour, in the Spirit of Meeknefsy to re- 
 claim them from their Error {a), 
 
 Chrift is made SanEi'tjication to us^ as he is 
 made to us Wifdom and Redemption. Not by 
 imputing his tVifdom and Redemption to us ; 
 but by making us wife unto Salvation {b) y 
 and redeeming us from the Dominion., the 
 Guilt., and Puni/Jjmmt of Sin (c) -, and from 
 i\\Q Power of thit Grave (d), and of ^'/x/i?;;, 
 as we have before obfcrved. 
 
 And thus is he nude San^ification unto us y 
 by procuring for us that Holy Spirit^ Vvho is 
 to work that San^iificaiicn in the Heart, with- 
 out which we are not qualified for Heaven, 
 For without Holinefs, [inward real Holinefs] 
 no Man Jh all fee the Lord (e). Having there- 
 D 2 fore^ 
 
 [a) It may not be amifs, for the fake of fome Readers, 
 juft to obferve, that this does not feem to be theDo6lrine 
 of Calvin: For he fays, that God fanSIiJies us, by r^- 
 forming our 'vicious Nature^ by his Spirit — Jujiijicat nas 
 Deus a Reatu liberando ; Sanftijicat 'vitio/am Naluram 
 Spiritufuo refor/nando. In I Cor. vi. 1 i. — Beza, in his 
 Explanation of Titus iii. 7. mentions the Efficacy of the 
 Spirit in fanclifying of us. — Ccmpleciitur hie locus ^ fcut ^ 
 Rom. vlil 30. quicquid a Chrijlo confequimu^y turn per 
 imputationewy turn per Spirit us in nobis fanSiiJicandis efi'» 
 caciam. And the learned Antagonill of Arminius fpeaks 
 to the fame Purpofe. — Chtijim^ qui nos ungit l^ merito 
 Obedientiee fu^^ ^ Efficacid Spiritus fui nofmet Jan^if" 
 cantis. — Gomarus m i St John ii. 20. 
 
 {b) Ephes. iii. 17— 19. Colos. i. 9. Chap. ii. 2, 3. 
 2 Tim. iii. 1 5. 
 
 (f) Rom. vi. 6, 14, 22. Ch. viii. 2. 2 Cor. v. 1 8, 19' 
 Ephes. i. 7. 
 
 {d) Rom viii. r I, 2^. i Cor. xv. 54-57. Philip. 
 iii. 21. iThef*. iv. 13 — 16. 
 
 \e) StMattk. V. 8. Heb. xii. 14. 
 
[ 48 ] 
 
 fort^ fays the fame Apoftle, thefe Prcmtfes^ 
 let us cleanfe our f elves from all Fihhinefs cf ihe 
 Flejh and Spirit^ per feeing Holin-efs in ibe Fear 
 of God {a). Nothing, can be more manifeft 
 ■than that St Faul fpeaks here to iiis Converts 
 of an univerfal SatMification of Heart and 
 Anions, He fpeaks of it, indeed, as of what 
 might be effeded by themfelves. The Rea- 
 fon is, becaufe they were to labour and pray 
 earneftly for it ; and flrive to put all Impe- 
 <liments out of the way. But no Words can 
 n:ore fully demonftrate, that this Holinejs wa^ 
 to be />/ themfelve-s; in their very Souls^ as 
 ivvell as their cutward Prague, 
 
 As he^ who hath called you^ is Hcly^^^^^^ys 
 the fame divine Spirit; fo be ye holy in all 
 fnanner of Converfation. B^caujeil is written^ 
 Be ye hcly \. for I am holy {b). 
 
 Could now the Spirit of God more ex- 
 prefsly enjoin real HoIinefs<, than when he 
 direds it to be in all manner of Cor.verfaiion \ 
 and enforces it from henc€; — becaufe Gcd 
 himfelf is holy ? 
 
 Again, when the fame Perfons are told,. 
 that they had purifed their Sails in obeying 
 the Truths through the Spirit (c) : and St 
 jPeler declares that God had purified the Hearts 
 of the Gentiles by Faith (d) ; what can be 
 meant, but an a^ual Purification of the Heart 
 and Affedlions ? 
 
 Moreover, 
 
 {a) 2 Cor. vii. u {h) \ St Pet. i. 15, 16. 
 
 V) Ver. 22. {d) Ad$ XV. 5. 
 
C 49 ] 
 Moreover, when St Paul tells the Tfjejfa^ 
 hniam^ that God had from the beginning chofen 
 them to Salvation^ through San5iification of the 
 Spirit, and Belief of the Truth (a) ; — Pf^bat 
 San5iificaiion can the Apoftie mean, but a 
 real inward Holinefs wrought in their Souls' 
 by the Holy Spirit ? 
 
 And further, when he defires, that the 
 
 Lord would ft abltfh their Hearts unblameable 
 
 in Holme fs before God: And that the very 
 
 God of Peace would fanSlfy them wholly : And 
 
 that their whole Spirit^ and Soul and Body^ 
 
 might be preferved blamelefs unto the coming 
 
 of our Lord Jefus Chrift {b)\ \ fay, wheiT 
 
 '^the Apoftle thus expreffes himfelf, is it pof- 
 
 fible to underftand him, as if he really did 
 
 not defire, that they fliould have any inward 
 
 'Holinefs of Soul or Spirit ; but only that they 
 
 •ftiould lay Claim to tht Holinefs of Chrift ; 
 
 ^whilfl they themlelves were deftitute of ^// 
 
 ^real Hdlinefs wiihinihtxt own Hearts ? 
 
 If this'be to ftabiijh the Heart f« Holinefs ; 
 Khould be glad to know, what it is to have 
 tthe Heart without Holinefs ? 
 
 •I pray -God open the Eyes of fuch Trtter- 
 
 'preeers of the facrcd Writings ! Be allured, 
 
 -my good 'Friend, that the great Work df 
 
 -^Sanlfiftcatiemis of a different Nature. It fs 
 
 an ailual purifying of the -whole 'Heart antt 
 
 D 3 /Iffe^ionSy 
 
 *{d) 2T%efs ii. 13. 
 {b) iThefs.iiivi3. ^Ch. v. 23. 
 
f 50 -] 
 
 'Jffe5fwn5^ by the Spirit of Chrift \ it is the 
 reftoring of the loft Image of God in our 
 Souls i and thus qualifying of us for that 
 State of BlefTednefs, which none but holy 
 Souls are capable of enjoying : And without 
 which, Cbriji is neither our IVifdom^ nor 
 Righteoufnefs ^ nor San^ification^ nor /^(?- 
 demption.^'^xdy hear once more the Words 
 
 of the Spirit of Truth, Every Man that 
 
 hath this Hope in him [the Hope of feeing 
 God] -purifielh him [elf even as he is pure, 
 They that are Chrift'i have crucified the Flejhy 
 with the Jffe^ions and Lufts (a), 
 
 E. It feems then, as if a State of thorough 
 San^ification was attainable in this Life. I 
 Hiould be glad to know the Opinion of our 
 Church, with refpedt to fuch a State. 
 
 P. It is evident, from what has juft been 
 mentioned, not only that fuch a State is at' 
 tamable \ but that wretched muft be the Fate 
 of that Perfon who attains it not. For fince 
 he muft arrive at it before he c^x\ fee God % 
 where is it, that he muft arrive at it, if not 
 in this World ? The Ronnfh Church indeed, 
 as you well know, have found out another 
 Place to attain it in ; as the ancient Heathens 
 4iad done long before : — But I would advife 
 all, who value their Souls, not to truft to 
 Xht Purification of that Place. And there- 
 fore 
 
 {a) I St John iii. 2, 3. Gal. v. 24. See aHb i St 
 John ii. 6. a St Peter iii. 11, 14. 
 
C 5t ] 
 
 fore fince it m^ft be nttained in this Life ; and 
 and the Holy Spirit is as powerful at one 
 Seafon as at another ; furely the fooner vvc 
 labour after it, by all the Means of Grace, 
 the fooner we ^re like to attain it. 
 
 It is true, he will not fanBtfy any unqua"' 
 lified or unfuftable Objed •, but then if our 
 Want of due Qualifications be owing to our- 
 felves *, to our wilful Negligence or Carelefs- 
 nefs ; we have none to blame but ourfejvcs 
 only Perhaps we are loo fond of this World v 
 and if not of its gr offer Vices, yet of its Fol- 
 lies and Vanities \ its Riches^ Honours^ or Flea- 
 fur es : Or polTibly we have fome oih^vRigbt" 
 bafid, or Right' eye \ fome darling favourite 
 Sin of the Soul, which we have not the Cou- 
 rage to part with ; fuch as Pride, Wratb^ 
 Luxury^ Covetoufnefsy or the Praife of Men, 
 Therefore we do not defire, at this Time, 
 to have fo holy and heavenly z Frame of 
 Mind ; fo meek and lowly a Heart; {b pious 
 and patient a Soul ; fo mortified and felf- 
 denying B, Spirit (a). And confequently we 
 neither labour nor pray for thefe Things. 
 We may pofTibly, for Form's fake, put up 
 a Petition, now and then, for all thefe di- 
 vine Graces ; but as fuch Prayers proceed 
 not from the Heart (where we have fet up 
 fome Idol or other) is it to be wondered at, 
 D 4 that 
 
 {a] StMatth. xi. 29. St Luke ix. 23. 1 Cor. ix. 
 24 — 27. Gal. V. 22 — 26. 
 
[ 5^ 3 
 
 •that we are ^nfwered only according to our 
 Fally? We are not fit for fuch divine Fa- 
 vours ; and therefore they are kept from us. 
 Thus verifying the Words of the Holy Spi- 
 rit, — Te have not^ hecauje ye aJJi not* Te ajk^i 
 and receive not ; hecaufe ye ajk mnifs {a). 
 
 And now, if this thorough San5iification is 
 -whiit we are to under (land by finkjs or Chrif- 
 iian PerfecJiony it may juftly feem furprizing, 
 that it Ihould have been treated as downright 
 Enthufiajm or Madnefs, The Dodrine itfelf, 
 we have feen, is the Dodrine of the Spirit of 
 God : And it will be eafy to find, that our 
 own Church teaches the fame. For what 
 eife does fne mean by the following Petitions? 
 . — That *' God would fah5iify both our Hearts 
 *' and Bcdies.{b) \ That we may he cleanfed 
 *' from all mr Sins (<:) -, That this Day we 
 *' fall into no Sin {d) \ That God would ke^p 
 *' us this Day without Sin {e)\ Th^i we may 
 *' be delivered from all the Deceits of the 
 *' IVorld, the.Flefh, €ind the Devil i^f)'. That 
 *' we rci2iy for fake all worldly and cat^naLAf- 
 ^^ fc^ions{g)\ That we may always ferve 
 ** [GodJ mPurenefs of Livwg and Truth (Jh) ; 
 
 ** That 
 
 [a) St Tames iV. 2, 3. 1 St John v. 21. 
 
 [b] Coilea 2d following the Blefling after theCom- 
 jnunion. [c) Colleft 2 tft after Trinity. 
 
 .(</) Third Collea for Grace. {() Te Deum. 
 
 (/) Litany. (g) Colleft for St James. 
 
 {b) Colleft firft Sunday after Eafter. See.alfo the 
 'CoHe£l for Innocents 'Day. Exhortation before the 
 Communion, with the Confelfion -and Abfolution : And 
 the firft proper Preface. 
 
ft ^3 J 
 
 « That we may m Heart and MM dfcend 
 « [into the Heavens] andwiih\Qhv\^']coN'' 
 " timally dwell (a)-. That God \90Vi\d graft t 
 *' us the Spirit to think and do always juth 
 « I'hings as he rightful {b) \ And that we 
 " may prfe^ly love [God] (f); And walk 
 '' before htm in Holinefs and Right eoufnefs all 
 «' our Days (d):' 
 
 Surely this perfeEl Love of God\ this con- 
 tinual w^/Hw^ in Holinefs and Right e oufnefs \ 
 this Heavenly Frame of Hc2iYt and Mind; this 
 continual thinking and doing what is right ; 
 this conjlant ferving of God in Purenefs of 
 living ; this forfaking all worldly and carnal 
 /IffeSiions ; the being Day by Day preferved 
 from Sin -, the being cleanfed from all of them ; • 
 and the being fan5l'ified both in Heart znd 
 Body ', I fay, furely thefe Things are attain- 
 able, in the Opinion of our Church, or fhe 
 would never have thus petitioned for them. 
 But what do all thefe Things amount to, if 
 not to a State of thorough San5fification-oi the 
 Flefh and Spirit ? 
 
 If all would heartily fet themfelves to ar- 
 
 'five at this bkfTed State, as it is the plain 
 
 Duty -and Intereft of all to do ; it is of little 
 
 importance, whether they call it Holinefs^ or 
 
 Perfe^ion^ or by any other Name. 
 
 D -5 E.A 
 
 {a) Colleft for Afcenfion Day. 
 \h) CoUedl for the Ninth Sunday after Trinity, 
 (f) Colkdl following the Lord*s Prayer in the Com- 
 xnunion-Service. . {4) General Thanksgiving. 
 
t 54 ] 
 
 E, \ fee plainly the indifpenfable Necefllty 
 of unherfal Holinefs in this Life ; which 
 makes me even tremble to think, how far 
 removed I am from it. — But fince it has been 
 objefbed, that the Do^rine of PerfetUon is 
 attended with fome dangerous ConfequenceSy I 
 Ihould be glad to be fatisfied with refped: to 
 thefe Objedlions. 
 
 The firfl: is, that // encourages Pride, 
 
 Secondly, that // cuts off all De/endence on 
 Chrift, the Fcuntain of all Grace. 
 
 Thirdly, that // totally fets afide the Way of 
 Accefs to God\ which is by Jefus Chrift. 
 
 And, fourthly, that // jets afide Prayer^ 
 efpe daily ihofe two great Parts of it^ Confeffcn 
 and Petit wn (a). 
 
 P» Thefe are great Objections indeed f 
 But if it (hould appear, U.at they are very 
 ill-founded, they mud of courfe come to 
 nothing. But, fiift, fince the holy Angels 
 themfelves appear to have fallen by Pride (b)'^ 
 it can be no V/onder, if a very holy Man 
 fhould, for want of due Care and Watchful- 
 nefs, fall into the hm^ fpiriiual Snare : But 
 then it Hiould be remembered, that this Pride 
 is no Part of his Holinefs ; nor any Reafon, 
 why he fhould not labour for a State of uni- 
 verfal Hclinefs. For fince without Holinefs no 
 Man fhall fee the Lord {c)\ — Hcl.nefs we mull 
 
 have, 
 
 ia) The PerfeSiioni/ls Examined^ p. 7, 8, &c. by 
 William Fleetixoody Gent. 
 
 (^) 2 St Pet. ii. 4. St J»de 6. i Tim, iii. 6. 
 {i) Heb. xii, 14, 
 
[ 55 ] 
 ibave, let Men raife never fuch powerful Obi 
 jedlions againft it. 
 
 Can any Chriftian in his Senfes think it a 
 fufficient Realbn, why he fhould wallow in 
 Sin, becaufe then he cannot pride himfelf in 
 his Holine/s or Perfe5fion ? Surely to be pure 
 in Heart and poor in Spirit^ are very confiftent 
 Stares. 
 
 But, fecondly, as to its cutting off all De- 
 pendence on Chrifl, the Fountain of all Grace \ 
 I affirm, on the contrary, that a truly fanofi- 
 fied Soul will fee its Want oiChriJl every Day 
 more evidently.— The more holy are our 
 Hearts, the more humble are they like to be, 
 and the more earnefl our Defires after greater 
 Supplies of Grace. And fuch Defires will of 
 courfe fend us to him, through whom alone 
 they can be fupplied. 
 
 As to the third Objeclion, that // totally 
 feti afide the IVay of Accefs to God^ which is 
 through Chrift. — Surely, if this was a necef- 
 fary Confequence of a thorough Sandification^ 
 St Paul had never directed the Corinthians to 
 perfect HoUnefs in the Fear of God (a-). Nor 
 prayed, that God would fan^fify i\\^.'TheJfalo- 
 ninns wholly : Nor that their zvhole Spirit^ and 
 Soul^ and Body might he prefervfd blainelefs {b^. 
 Nor had St Peter exhorted thofe Chrifians to 
 be holy in all manner of Converfation ; nor to 
 be diligent^ that they might h^ found of God 
 
 withvut 
 
 {a) zCor. vii. I. {h) iThefs.v. 23. 
 
t 56 ] 
 
 Without Spot and blamekfs (/x,). — .i iay, if a 
 thorough San5fification totally Jet ^ifide the going 
 to God through Chnik J thefeinrpired Apoftles 
 had never thus laboured to bring Chrifiians to 
 luch a State. Becaufe the thus approaching 
 God is as much the indifpenfable Duty of the 
 greateft Saint upon Earth, as of the greateft 
 Sinner. This is what I ihall endeavour to 
 eftabhfh very evidently (b) ; but firft proceed 
 to confider the remaining Objedion ; viz. 
 That this State fets aftde Prayer \ efpecially 
 thefe two great Parts of it^ Confejfwn and Pe- 
 tition, ^^An Oppofition to which, I mud beg 
 leave to afTert, that there is none fo holy •, none 
 fo ferfe^ ; but he muft both be eftablijhed in 
 the Faith -, and abound therein with Thanks- 
 giving {c). He muft ftill grow in Grace ; 
 and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour 
 Jefus Chrift(^). He muft be ftill adding to 
 bis Faith^ Virtue -, to Virtue^ Knowledge ; to 
 Knowledge i Temperance ^ to Temperance^ Pa- 
 tience ; to Patience^ Godlinefs ; to Godlinefsy 
 Brotherly Kwdnefs •, and to Brotherly Ktndnefs^ 
 ^Charity: And thefe Things muft be in him, and 
 iibound[e). He muft fincerely ftrive to love 
 the Lord his God^ with all his Fleart^ and 
 with all his Soul, and with all his Mind, and 
 with all his Strength \ and even his worft 
 Enemies, as Chrifi loved him (/). 
 
 Here 
 
 .frti) I St Peter i. 1 5. 2 Epiftle iii. 14. 
 \b) See Page 70. (f) Colos.U. 7, Rom. i. 17, 
 
 \d) 2 St Pet. iii. 18. (0 2 St Peter i. 5—8. 
 (/) StMarkxii. 30, 31. StMatth. v.44. St John 
 xiii. 34, Rom, V. 6, 8, 1 o. iSt John iv. iii 12. 
 
• [-67 ] 
 
 rHer€ .« then abundant Matter 'for tverf^ 
 XXay's Canfeffion and Petition \ and for every 
 
 •Hour's too Where is that 6^^///^ upon Earth, 
 
 who can fay, he has fpent the preceding 
 Day, or even Hour, with all tliat Crtr<?, and 
 Watchfulnefs^ and Diligence \ and with all that 
 Patience^ 2ind Self denial, and Chrijlian Lovei^ 
 and 44?nv8rfrJ C^^irity i and that he has im^ 
 proved himfelf as much \n FaUb^ and Grac^. 
 -and the Knowledge ofChrifi -^ and in the Fear^^^ 
 and Knowledge, and Love of God,, as it was 
 pjjible for him to do ? So that here is fuffi- 
 .cient Matter to xonfefs ; and fu/Seient to ajk 
 ^Pardon for. Here is fufiicient Caufe to pe- 
 //V/W for further Supplies of divine Aid ; i"n^ 
 order to make further Advances in the divine 
 Life : And here is abundant Reafon for per- 
 .petual Humiliation, Or fhali we fay, Euge^- 
 nius, it is better for Men to continue in SiUy. 
 that Grace may aiound (a) *, that fo they may 
 have more to confefs-.-y and more to petition 
 for? 
 
 E. If we are only unprofitable Servants^ 
 even after we ha^e done all -, furely here alone 
 is enough to humble us. And therefore I 
 pray God make me aiwaysi?<9/y and humble^ 
 ■watchful and diligent. 
 
 P. Goon, my Friend, as I truft you have 
 begun ; and the Holy Spirit will not be 
 wanting to affift you. It is worthy of Ob- 
 iervation, that holy 5^c?^ was X)&>ftx fo humble y 
 
 as 
 (^} Rom. vi. !• 
 
• [ 58 1 
 
 as when he had the cleareft Difcoveries of a 
 Holy God, — He then abhorred himfelf^ and re- 
 pented in DuJI and Afhes (a). But I (hall now 
 further add a Caution or two, whkh may 
 ftill excite even the moft ferfe^ Cbriftian to 
 perpetual Care, and Vigilance, and Humi- 
 lity. 
 
 And, firft, it mufl always be remember- 
 ed, that notwithftanding Holinefs be indif- 
 penfatly neceflary to the Enjoyment of Hea- 
 ven •, yet we are not to look upon the mofl 
 holy or heavenly Fr ante of Spirit ; or, in fhort, 
 upon the moft righteous^ pious, or charitable 
 Adlions of our whole Lives, as the Caufe or 
 Foundation of our Acceptance with God {h). 
 We muft altogether renounce the Merit of 
 tbefe, and only take Shelter in x\\t Merits of 
 Chifi. For though we muft diligently ftrive 
 after fuch a Frame of Spirit-, and, to our 
 Power, live in the Exercile of fuch Adtions : 
 And though they are entitled to a great and 
 bountiful Reward (f), through the FreeGrace 
 of God in Chr'iji ; yet 'when we have done ally 
 ( as you have juft obferved ) we are hut un- 
 frtf.ta'le Servants (d) -^ we \\2ivt nothings but 
 what we havt received ', i Cor. iv. 7. there- 
 fore neither we nor oux Service can ?nerit any 
 thing. All our fpiritual Sacrifices are only 
 
 acceptable 
 
 (<j) Job xlii. 5, 6» (^)2Tim.i. Q. Tit. iii..?. 
 
 (f) St Mitth. V. 8. 2 St Peter i. 4. Si Matth. xxv. 
 34 — 46. Phil, iv, 18. Heb vi. 10. Chap, xiii, 16. 
 Rev. xiv. 13, [d) St Luke xvii. 10. 
 
r .59 3 
 
 acceptable to God^ by Jefus Chrift {a). If the 
 Prayers of the greateft Saint be not offered 
 with Incenfe by Chrift hwifclf^ they will rio 
 more afcendup before God (h\ thin the Prayers 
 of the greateft Sinner. Aaron was, in this 
 Particular, a remarkable Type of our great 
 High Priejl ; in that he was to bear [or take 
 away] the Iniquity cf tJoe holy Things {c). And 
 if the Iniquity of our holy Things be not cleanfed 
 by the Blood of fpr inkling {d)^ [let the moft 
 fandlified Perfon think on this] they wilLnoc 
 prove an Odour of a fweet Sme'ly a Sacrifiee 
 acceptable^ well- p leafing to God{e), So that 
 it will always become us, when we look upon 
 our own righteous Adions, as confidered in 
 themfelves, to fay in the Language of the 
 Prcphet^ — All cur Righteoufneffes are as filthy 
 Rags if}. 
 
 Let us remember, that Chrifiy and he 
 alone, is the Author^ 7neritorl;us Caufe^ and 
 Foundation of our Acceptance and Reconcilia'^ 
 tion with God. And conftquently on him^ 
 and his Merits^ and the Free Grace of God in 
 hinty we muft altogether rely and depend {g^}, 
 Otherwife we ad direflly contrary to the 
 
 great 
 
 {a) I Peter ii. 5. {I) Rev. viii. 3, 4. 
 
 (f) Exod. xxviii, 38. 
 
 [J) Heb. xii. 24. 1 Peter ii. 5. Rev. vii. 1^, 14, 
 {e) Phil. iv. 18. Rom. XV. 16. (/) irai,]xiv.6. 
 
 (g) 2 Cor. v. 18, 19. Ephes. ii. 13 — 18. Col. iii. 
 II. Heb. v. 9. Ch, xii, 2, Rom, iii. 2^, Ch.v.8. 
 I St John iv. 9i 10. 
 
E 60 1 
 
 ^^ inTpired Apoftle, who de fired only to 
 
 Me found m Chnjt\ not havings fays he, mine 
 own Right eoufncfs^ which is of the Law ; but 
 ■ that which is through the Faith <?/JerusChri[l-, 
 the Righteoufnefs which is of God by Faith i^d). 
 He diiclaimed all Merit in his own Per- 
 formances, and refted folely in the Merits of 
 Chriji^ He defired altogether to rely on the 
 Righteoufnefs ^/Ghrift, juftified through Faith 
 in him-r and poflefTed of all the other blefled 
 Fruits and Confequences of what Chrifl had 
 done and fuffered ; that (bCtriJi niight be to 
 himWtfdomy emd Righteoufnefs^ and San^h^- 
 cation^ and Rede7Mptim {b). This was the 
 Foundation he built upon ; and if we build 
 upon any other, it will certainly fail us. For 
 sOther Foundation can no Man lay ^ than that is 
 laid; which is Jefus Ghrift [c). 
 
 However, Secondly,. Men are not to 
 imagine, that they are hereby excufed from 
 'the Performance of any good Work in their 
 iPower. In particular, they are not excufed 
 tfrom that Part of pure and undefled Religion y. 
 which confifts in vj/iting the Fatherlefs and 
 Widows in their /^ffii^ ion ^ and keeping them* 
 felves unfpotled from the World {d). 
 
 Let the i<^/Vi6 ever bear in Mind the charge 
 given by the Spirit of God, not only— ^ 
 *' That they do Goody but that they be rich 
 *• in gccd Works, r^^^ to diftribute, willing 
 
 "to 
 
 ^a) Philip, iij. 9. ii) iCorA.^^o. 
 
 {c) Ch.iii. II. {^} Stjamcs^i. 27. 
 
[ 6i -] 
 
 " to communicate (^}." So that it is not 
 complying with this divine Command, un- 
 lefs fuch Perfons willingly^ and readily^ and 
 abundantly communicate out of- their large 
 Pofieflions. How eife can they be rich lit 
 thefe good PForks ? How t\{^ can they fom 
 bountifully ? or pay a juli Regard to that di- 
 vinePromife, \\\Mhe which fo wet hboii vAifully^ 
 /hall reap alfo bountifully {b) ? But after what 
 manner is it, that thefe divine Precepts are 
 now generally complied with ? or how many 
 does this Promife feem now to influence? 
 Are /lately Buildings, or co/lly Furniture, or 
 rich Attire, or luxurious Tables, or a fplendi^ 
 Equipage, or the boarding up of Treafure .^.^ 
 Are thefe any Proof, that Men are gov^rae<^- 
 by the Gofpel oiChri/i ; or that they are led 
 by his Spirit (c) ? Is it thus, they lay.up Trea^ 
 ifures in Heaven ^ /et their Affe^ions m -Things 
 .above*, or d&mon/irate, that xki&j are rich io^ 
 wards G&df l-hat they neither lave^ thePForld^ 
 nor the Things 0/ the World \ norare conform^ 
 \ed to it? However, though the one may h^ 
 no dire^ Proof or Demonftration of the 
 other ; yet Men feem to have found out fp 
 i,many ingenious Solutions of difficult Texts of 
 -Scriptupe, and to have fuch a_peculiar.Hap- 
 
 pinefe 
 
 J^a) I Tim. vi. 17, 18. .\b) 2Cor. ix.6. 
 
 {c) I will not venture to fay, they arc a Mre^ Proof 6f 
 the contrary ; but, confidering the real State of theWorW^ 
 •they furnifti out but too ftrong a Prefumptiorty that Mens 
 Hearts are UQtinuch' influenced by the spirit QiCkrifi, 
 
[ 62 ] 
 
 pinefs in foftenir.g all its hard Sayings^ thiit 
 the narrow lVa)\ 'which leadeth unto Life^ rs 
 become fufficiently 'u:\de for a covetous Hearty 
 a camal Mind, or a worldly vSprrit. 
 
 I do not pretend to refer you to any par- 
 ticular Commentary^ where fuch Expofirjons 
 are exprefsly taught or maintained ; but I re- 
 fer you to the Pradlice and Behaviour of too 
 many ProfeiTors of Chriftianity ; who could 
 never be fo thoroughly fatisfied with them- 
 felves, unlefs thty explained away the many 
 fevere Paflages or the Gofpel of Chrift, 
 
 But how different, my good Friend, is the 
 Defcription, which the great Apollle gives of 
 the Cbriftlans of Macedonia f That the Abun* 
 dance of their Joy^ and their deep Poverty^ 
 abounded unto the Rubes of their Liberality ! 
 And this even in a great Trial of J£lt^ion{a) ! 
 
 Let this, my dear Eugenius^ be a> LefloQ 
 for you : And though your ^^<?p Poverty cari- 
 not, yet kt your affluent Fortune zb\jvidd,ni\y 
 difcover a true Chrijlian Spirit, by a chearful 
 and rich Liberality^ to fupply the fpiritual and 
 temporal Wants of Mankind. Be affured, 
 my good Friend, that when the gaudy Scenes 
 of Life are over, as they are certainly every 
 Day vanishing, you will then find, by a joy- 
 ful Experience, what the Lord Jefus long 
 fmce declared, — that // ii more blcjjed to^ive 
 than to receive {b). And you will then plafnly 
 difcera the Folly of thofe, who, to excaie 
 
 their 
 {;»y 2 Cor. viii . 1 , 2. {b) A^s xx. 35. 
 
[ 63 ] 
 
 their Ncglcfb of being rich towards God {a)^ 
 have, under the Notion of providin;^ for their 
 ^X7/, heaped much Treafure together for ag- 
 grandizing their FamiHes. Thus is the Gof- 
 pel of Chrift obeyed ! 
 
 E. But has not the great Apoftle declared, 
 that if any provide not for his own^ and efpeci- 
 ally for thofe of his own Houfe^ he hath dented 
 the Faithy and is worfe than an Infidel {h^ ? 
 
 P, He has fb. And though nothing feems 
 plainer, than that the Apoftle is there fpeak- 
 ing of Childrens requiting their Parents {c)^ 
 and not fufFering of them, or any other poor 
 Relations, to be a Burden to others ; yet I 
 know learned Men, according to Cuftom, 
 are divided in their Sentiments about this 
 very plain Part of Scripture. However, let 
 the Precept immediately relate either to Pa- 
 rents or Children (as mod certainly it may 
 be extended to both) yet furely there can be 
 no Difpute, what fort of Provifion is there 
 commanded : Not certainly a Provifion of 
 Grandeur and Luxury \ but oi Things needful 
 for their Support {d). However, though no- 
 thing can be more plain than this-, yet, I 
 
 doubt 
 
 (a) StLukcofii. 21. (^) I Tim. V, 8, 
 
 (0 Verfe 4. 
 
 («^) Ut babe ant unde vi'vant. Grot, in Ioc,-^ParenfeSt 
 ^ui jure fuo pojfunt aliment a a liber is repetefe, center aqfii 
 ad *vitam necejfaria Hammond apud Le Clerc.^^^w his 
 Commentary he has this Note : npoyotTy hie non eft fub- 
 tevare faliicitd quddam pro'videntidr priu/quam necejfitas 
 ulla fit ; fedprejenti egefiati opetn ftrre^ ....',>, ,.; 
 
[ ^4 1 
 
 doubt not, this very PafTage of Scripture is 
 often brought to vindicate a Pradice, which 
 it was never defigned to give the lead Coun- 
 tenance to. 
 
 E, But then, does not the fame Apoflfe 
 affirm, that ibe Parents are to lay up jor the 
 Children (a) .? And I think the original Word 
 is to lay up Treafure {b). 
 
 P. It is, my dear Friend, the fame Word 
 which our blefled Lord ufes, where he com- 
 mands us not to lay up for curfehes T^reafures 
 upon Earthy but to lay up Treafures in Hea- 
 ven ic). However, if we allow there is a 
 iperfed Confiftency in the Precepts of the 
 Holy Spirit, we muft grant, that we are y2? to 
 lay upTreafures far aur Children^- xhzx. we may 
 iat the fame iimtliay upT^eafurtsfor ourfelvn 
 ^mlieaven. Now, which feems the likdiefl 
 Way to do this ? —Is it by being rieh towards 
 ^Cod\ by being rixh in good H'orks yhy mi* 
 iniftring hounttfuHy. to the fpiritual and tern- 
 j^ral Neceflities of Mankind; though by* this 
 Jfneans we leave our 'Families G^L^^the 
 divine Bleffing^ and a »^(7j^r^/^ Competency ? 
 4or is it %y reHeving the'Miferies ^i others, 
 wdi a fcanty Hand ; and laying up fuch 
 Tfeafura^ for our Children, as ^may prove fo 
 many Snares to their Souls ? Such sfs may 
 iprove the Oecafion of Pride ^nd Vanity, of 
 'jLuxury and Extr-avq^anc^l 'Such as may 
 
 teH)pt 
 
 {c) StMa«h. ¥1,^19, to. 
 
tempt a weak Mind, or a corrupt Heart, to 
 fquander away in Riot or Gaming y what 
 n;iight have faved many a ?Qdon from the 
 deepejl Diftrefs f 
 
 Look round the World, my dear Eugenius^ 
 and oblerve to what Ufes large Fortunes are 
 frequently applied. And then refled, whe- 
 ther fuch Parents, 2iStreafttre up fo much for 
 their Families, znd fo little for the Suffering 
 Part of Mankind, — whether they are laying 
 up for tbemf elves Treafures in Heaven ? And 
 whether they do not fometimes lay up for 
 their Children a Curfe rather than a BUffing ? 
 —However, the mod bountiful and mod: 
 charitable Perfons mud not value themfelves 
 for their charitable Adtions, nor truft to them \ 
 but to Chriji only. But now, fince he has 
 aflured us, that be is the Way ^ and the Truths 
 and the Life \ and that no Man comet h unto 
 the Father but by him: And alTured his Dif- 
 ciples, that whatfoever they fhould ajk in his 
 Name^ he zvould do it (a) : — Since we are- 
 commanded by the Holy Spirit, that wbat*- 
 foever me do in Word or Deed, to do all in th^i 
 Name of the Lord Jefus, giving Thanks to God^ 
 and the Father by him (b) : And according ta 
 this Command, the Apoille thus expreflesj 
 himfelf,— Unto him be Glory in the Church b^ 
 (Jhrift JcfuSy throughout all Ages ^ World with- 
 out end (c): — Again, fince the fame Holy 
 
 Spirit 
 
 (a). St John xly. 6, 13, 14. Ch. xvi. 23^24. 
 
 {^J Colos, iii. y. {c) Epkesriii. 2K 
 
[ 66 ] 
 
 Spirit has aflured us, that we are accepted in 
 the Beloved (^/) •, and that Chrift is able to fave 
 tfjem to the utter mofi that come unto God by 
 him \ feeing he ever liveth to make Inter ccffion 
 for them (b). And moreover, that through 
 him we have an Accefs by one Spirit un'o the ' 
 Father (c) : — I fay, for all thefe Reafons, it 
 appears to me moft abundantly evident, that 
 no Perfon, none excepted, can have /^ccefe to 
 the Father but only by Chrifl, I know the 
 Holy Spirit mentions a Time, when Chrift 
 fhall have delivered up the Kingdom to Gody 
 even the Father \ and when God fhall he all 
 in all (d). 
 
 However, that Time is not yet come. It 
 is not here •, but hereafter. The utmoft we 
 can underftand by thofe Words, is. That 
 when Chrifl has fubdued all his Enemies ; 
 then his mediatory Kingdom will be furren- 
 dered into the Hands of God. — Chrift indeed 
 fhall reign as King for ever and ever ; and all 
 his Saints with him : But he feems not then 
 to reign as Mediator^ or Inter cejfor ; becaufe 
 that great Work will then be fully ended and 
 completed {e). 
 
 But ftill, in the prefent State of Things, 
 Chrift is pur Priefly and Prophet^ and Medi-' 
 ator ; as well as King : Chrifl ij alt, and in ali\ 
 
 and 
 
 (a) Ephes. i. 6. (I) Heb. vii. 25, 
 
 (f) Ephes ii. 18. [d) i Cor. xv. 24, 2-8. 
 
 {e) See the learned Pifhop Pear/on on the Creed, 
 p. loi, 104, 152, 153, 285, Sixth Edition* 
 
[ 67 ] 
 
 Sinafillelb. all in all {a): And therefore we 
 muft not prefume to approach the Father, 
 but through the Son : Our Prayers and Praifts 
 cannot be acceptable to Gad^ but by Jefus 
 Chrift {b). By him therefore, fays the great 
 Apodle, let us offer the Sacrifice of Prat fe to 
 God continually [c). And now, as this is the 
 indifpenfable Duty of every Cbrijlian, fo the 
 Dodlrine oi univerfal Holtnefs \^ far enough 
 from being an Enemy to it. 
 
 Thirdly, fince a Chriftian wrejlles not [only] 
 aga'infi Fle/h and Blood -y but againft Frincifa- 
 lities^ againft Power Sy againft the Rulers of 
 the Darknefs of this World, agairft fpiritual 
 JVickednefs in high Places-, therefore they have 
 need enough to put on the whole Armour of 
 God, that I hey may be able to ft and againft the 
 IViles of the Devil {d). He is a very fubtle 
 Adverfary, and knows our weak Side : And, 
 unlefs we follow our holy Lord's Diredions, 
 he will both affault us, where we lie moft 
 expofed ; and will certainly defeat i^s [e). And 
 therefore let us be ever upon our Guard; and 
 watch and pray left we enter into Temptation{f), 
 Whoever imagines he has made fuch Ad- 
 vances 
 
 {a) Colos. iii. 1 1. Ephes. i. 23. 
 {b) I St Peter ii. 5. (c) Heb. xiii. 15. 
 
 {d) Ephes. vi. II, 12. 
 
 (^) 2 Cor.ii. M. Ch.xi.3, 14. I Thefs. iii. 5. 
 1 St Peter v. 8. Rer. ii. 24. 
 
 {/) StMatth. xxvi.41. St Mark xiii. 37. St Luke 
 xxi. 36, 
 
[ 68 ] 
 
 varices in Religion, that fuch Cautions are 
 wnnecefiary, is in the utmofl: Danger of feel- 
 ing the Ex^eds of his own Rafhnefs, Pre- 
 fumption, and Self-fufficiency. 
 
 The greateft Proficient in the School of 
 Cbrift ought frequently to refled: on that fo- 
 lemn Caution, Thou ftandeft by Fmih. Be 
 rot kigh-minded^ but fear (a). Nor are thofc 
 other Diredions of the fame Apofiie lefs 
 needful for him. Let him that thlnketh he 
 ftandeth^ take heed left he fall (b). He is but 
 yet in a Probation-State ; and therefore muft 
 conftantly look to himfelf. The whole Life 
 of a Chnjlian upon Earth, is but one conti- 
 nued Journey towards Heaven\ and therefore 
 he muft daily forget thofe Things which are be- 
 hind^ and reach forth unto thofe Things which 
 are before ; and ;prefs toward the Mark for the 
 
 Prize 
 
 [a) Rom. xi. 20, 
 
 {b) I Cor. X. 1 2. If any one fliould imagine that 
 thefe Diredions cannot belong to him ; becaufe he does 
 not only think that \i^Jic>n(ii \ but knows for a Certainty, 
 that he does fo; — furh a Perion may be pleafed to ob- 
 ferve, that there is nor the leaft Neceffity to fuppofe the 
 Apoftle here applies Ininfelf to vatn, conceited Perfons, 
 who only fancied thc) Jluod faji, whiiic they were jiift 
 falling: For£t\'e;ic ; i;. he i'^y$, hji fj^ks as to nvi/e 
 Men. So that he appears plainly tan-innate, thatoc/M- 
 cut due Care and IVaKhingy th^ hep ? ight falL And 
 moreover, it is to be oUcrved, that he Veib Itt^ii^ is 
 often an Expletive See Mark \ 4:', StLuke viii. 18. 
 1 Cor. vii. 40. Ch. xi, 16. Htb. iv. i. See alfo our 
 learned Gatahr\n hU CinDus^ Ch. x. p. 37—40. And 
 Hammond on St Idatlii. iii, 9. 
 
[ 69 ] 
 
 Prize of the High Calling of God in Chrift 
 Jefus(^). The a^o{k advanced ^ and moft im- 
 proved Chriflian^ has ftili greater Advances 
 and higher hnprovements to make ; and thefe 
 require conftant Care, and Prayer, and Watch- 
 ful nefs. 
 
 For though every Day his Salvation is 
 nearer y than when he firft believed {h) •, yet he 
 mufl remember, that he that Jlo all endure unto 
 the End, the fame Jhall he faved (c), — So 
 that if he would receive the Prize, he mufty^ 
 run that he may obtain {d). But if he ftops 
 (hort in this C/^n7?/\/;/ Race-, or fancies it is 
 over, before he has finiJJjed his Courfe ((?).; 
 that is, before he has fipifi:ied his Days in his 
 Lord's Service-, and his Lord calls upon him 
 to give an Account of his 1'alents and Ste- 
 wardjhip {f)\ — I fay, if he does this, I fear 
 
 he does not fo run as to obtain the Prize . 
 
 The holy Apoftle, after twenty Years painful 
 Running, Hunger, Thirjl, and Nakednefs, and 
 Sufferings of every kind, yet left not off to 
 .run, and fight, and mortify. Let all Chriftians 
 hear his own Words, and learn to imitate. 
 
 I'therefore fo run, fays this holy Man, not as 
 
 uncertainly : So fight 7, not as one that heateth 
 
 the Air : But I keep under my Body, and bring 
 
 it into Subjeiiion \ kft, that by any Means ^ 
 
 E when 
 
 {a) Philip, iii. 13, 14. {h) Rom. xii). ri. 
 
 \c) StMatth.xxiv. 13. (<?') i Cor. ix. 24. 
 {e) A£ts XX. 24. 
 
 (/) St Maith. XXV. 13^19. St Luke xii,^5 — ^44. 
 
t 70 ] 
 
 when I have preached to others y 'T myfelf JhoiiU% 
 
 he a Cafi'away{a) Surely, if this was ;he 
 
 Behaviour of one, who had been a faithful, 
 laborious, and perfecuted Soldier of Jej'us 
 Chnjl for fo many Years; and who had the 
 Power of Chrift rejling upon him (b) \ what 
 Chriftian can think, that the fame Care^ and 
 Vigilance^ and Self-denial^ are unneceflary for 
 himfelf ? — But further, his Directions to the 
 Hebrews are highly deferving of notice. — 
 Looking diligently left any Man fall from the 
 Grace of God. For fo the Words are ren- 
 dered in the Margin ; and fo they ought to 
 :be rendered {c), — Again, after he had told 
 tlie Colffians^ that Chrift had reconciled them^ 
 in the Body of his Flefh through Death^ toprefent 
 them ho-y^ and unhlameahle^ and unreproveabk 
 in the Sight [of God !, he then adds thefe re- 
 markable Words, — If ye continue in the Faith^ 
 grounded and fettled^ and he not moved away 
 from the Flope cf the Gofpel (d). 
 
 By the former is evidently imply'd, that 
 without great Care and Circumfpedion, Ctrif- 
 tians are \n certain Danger of falling from di- 
 vine Grace. And by the latter is plainly de- 
 clared, that the Benefits of Chrift's Death 
 would be lofl: to us, unlefs we continued fied- 
 faft in the Faith. 
 
 To the fime Effed: is that folemn Caution 
 cf the Son of God to the Church oiPhiladel" 
 
 phia^ 
 
 {n)' 1 Cor. Ix. 26, 27. [h) 2 Cor. xii. 9. 
 
 (/) Heb. xii. 15. ^:5 Ti?ir«g«va'7ro'n3?%a^»']<^ Ta Si«. 
 
[ 7' ] 
 
 fhia^-'Hold that faft which thou haft, that m 
 Man take thy Crown {a). If that Crown 
 could not be taken, then our Lord ufes an 
 Argument lo ftrike Fear^ where no Fear was. 
 But further, he had long before told his Dif- 
 ciples, that he was the Vme^ and they the 
 Branches : But that every Branch in him, 
 which did not bear Fruit, his Father would 
 take away {b). Can any thing now be more 
 manifeft, than that a Perfon, who had been 
 fpiritually ingrafted into Chrift^ if he did not 
 bring forth the Fruits of the Gofpel, would be 
 cut off as an ufelefs and withered Branch {c)? 
 I pray God thefe Refledtions may fink deep 
 into the Mind of every ProfefTor of Chriftia^ 
 nity •, and caufe him to watch diligently his 
 •Heart and Adions. 
 
 E. May they ever fink deep into mine, in 
 particular. 
 
 P. But ll:ill I have one Caution more to 
 add •, though I truft it will never be necefTary 
 as to yourfelf : And it is, that Men would 
 never fancy themfeives Children of God, whilfl 
 they are plainly indulging themfelves in the 
 Works of the Devil. The Holy Spirit has 
 abundantly provided againft this horrible De- 
 lufion •, if fuch unhappy Creatures would not 
 clofe their Eyes, left they fhould fee ( J\ 
 
 Let us attend a Moment to his divine In- 
 E 2 flrudlions 
 
 (a) Rev, iii. n. See alfo Ch. xxii. 19. 
 
 {b) St John XV. I, 2. [c) Verfe 4-8. See the 
 
 Homily of falling from God, Part I. p, 7. 
 
 {<i] St Matth. xiii. 14, 15. 
 
t 72 1 , 
 
 'l^riKftions — " Hereby we do know that w« 
 *' know bi?n, if we keep Us Commandments. 
 -*' He that faith, I know him^ and keepeth not 
 *' his Commandments^ is a Liur^ and the 
 *' T>tt/^ /J «^/ /« him. But whofo keepeth 
 " ^/j Word^ in him verily is //^^ Low 0/ Gr^ 
 " perfected ; /^^r^f^y know we that we are /// 
 *' him. He that faith, he abidetb in him-^ 
 ♦' ought himfelf al^fo fo to walk^ even as be 
 *' walked (a),'' 
 
 " Wholbever abideth in him, Jinneth net: 
 *' Whoiotvcr fmnetb^ haih not Jeen bim, nei- 
 ** ther known bim. Little Children, let no ^ 
 *' Man deceive you •, -he that doth Right eon /• 
 *' nefs, is righteous^ even as He is righteous. 
 ^^ He ihit co7?i mil tr€th Sin^ is of the Devil.-^ 
 '« For this Purpofe the Son of God was ma- 
 •*' nifefted, that he might d-Jlroy the Works 
 *« of the Devil. 
 
 *' Whofoever is born of God, doth not 
 ** commit Sin ; for his Seed remaineth hn 
 *' him : And he cannot fin, becaufe he is 
 " born of God. In this the Children of God 
 *' are manifeft, and the Children of the De- 
 *« vil : WhoCoevcr doih not Rightecufnefs., is 
 «* not of God [b)'' 
 
 How plain and exprefs are the Marks here 
 Jaid down by the Holy Spirit ; by which 
 Men may judge, whether they belong to God 
 or not ? — He that belongs to God, mull walk^ 
 eve->7 as Chrift hiwfelf walked. U we would 
 know that we are./« bim^ we mufb keep his 
 
 Com- 
 
 (») I St John ii. 6-1-0. [b^ St Johniii. 6—10. 
 
r 1% T 
 
 Commandments, He that keeps not the divine 
 Commands^ knows not God^ as he ought to- 
 know. He hath not feen him, mither knowrp 
 him. 
 
 Secondly, he that imagines himfelf to be 
 righteous, without leading a righteous Life, is 
 entirely deceived. 
 
 Thirdly, he that indulges himfelf in any 
 Sin, is doing the IVork of (he Devil, and fo far 
 runs counter to the very Reafon, why Chrijl: 
 was manifcfled in the Flefh, 
 
 And fourthly, as he that doth not Righ- 
 teoufnefs, is not of God\ and as he that com^ 
 mittelh Sin, is of the Devil : Therefore fucli 
 Men cannot be the Children of God, They 
 are not thofe living Branches, which are in* 
 grafted into Chrijr ; for thefc' bring forth' 
 much Fruit with Patience and Perfeverance ; 
 and labour even to ht filled with the Fruits of 
 Right eoufnefs (a). Thus they give Proof, 
 that Chrifi is formed in them -, that he dwells^ 
 in their Hearts by Faith v and that they are 
 led by his Spirit (b). 
 
 Whereas the others are thofe fruitlefs and 
 withered Branches, which, our blefTed Lord 
 affures us, are gathered, and cafl into the Fire, 
 and burned. Every Tree, fays the Son of God, 
 that bringeth not forth good Fruit, is hewn 
 down and caft into the Fire {c). Even thofe 
 E 3 that 
 
 {a) St John XV. 4, r. St Luke viii. ic. Rom. ii; 
 6, J. Phil. i. I,, 
 
 {h) Gal.ii. 2o. Ch. iv.io. Ephes. iii. 17. Rom. 
 viii. 9, 14. 
 
 {c) St John XV. 2, 6. St Match, vii. 19— 2-1. 
 
[ 74 1 
 that have prcphejied in the Name cf Chrifl:^ 
 worked Miraclei^ and caft cut Devils, will be 
 commanded to depart from Chrijl^ if they 
 have been Workers of In- qui iy {a). 
 
 How fatally then mult thofe be deluded, 
 who fancy they may fafely indulge in the 
 Works of the Devil \ becaufe, as they imagine. 
 Sins are not imputed to the Children of God (^). 
 I pray God preferve every one from fuch 
 dreadful Deluftons! For if a vicious Perfon 
 or Hypocrite fliould perfuade himfelf that he 
 was a Child of God^ and that therefore his Sins 
 would not be imputed to him \ fo unhappy ^ 
 Creature is in a fair Way to fin on, till his 
 Eyes open in the Place of Torments,'-^ If the 
 Light that is in thee he Darknefsy how great is 
 that Darknefs {c)! 
 
 E. I know there is a famous Text, which 
 is often appealed to upon fuch Occafions.— 
 He hath not beheld Iniquity in Jacob •, neither 
 hath he feen Perverfenefs in Ifrael {d), 
 
 P. You obferve right ; this Text has been 
 fadly abufed in fupport of that wretched Opi- 
 nion •, though it can have no manner of Re- 
 lation to it. 
 
 It 
 
 [a) Ch. vii. 2 2, 23, 
 
 {b) ^ia etiamji peccent, feccata illis neutiquam impu- 
 ientur. — St Bernard in Septuag. Serm. i. 
 
 {c) StMatth. vi. 23. 
 
 {d) Numb, xxiii. 21. It is worth any Scholar's while 
 to fee an excellent DifTertation on that Text by our 
 learned Gataker\ or an Extraj^ of it in Pool's Syvop/is, 
 The Meaning appears plainly to be, — God will not fuf- 
 fer his People to be injurioujiy treated, without taking 
 proper Notice of it. 
 
[ 75 J 
 
 It appears mod evidently plain, from the 
 whole Dealings of God with that People, 
 that he was fo far from not beholding^ or not 
 feeing their Sins, that he made them frequents 
 ly, for their Sins, a public Example of his 
 righteous Difpleafure. Let any one compare 
 the divine Threatenings, in Df/^/^r/jwc/wjxxvlii. 
 with what has befallen that unhappy Narion, 
 and then confider, whether God did not be* 
 hold Sin in his- own People ? That Reluicii 
 they ftood in to God, was fo far from bing 
 a Licence to fin, or a Screen to proic6l them 
 from Punifhment, that, according to God's 
 own Declaration, it expofed them the more 
 certainly to it. Let us hear the Words of 
 the Almighty himfelf, — 26« only have I 
 known of all the Families of the Enth ; There' 
 fore I will punifh you for all your Iniqutiies (^), 
 One would hope, that no ferious Chtifiian^ 
 who duly laid thefe Things together, could 
 ever imagine, that the Sms of God's People or 
 Children were r.ot entitled to Puniihment, fince 
 it is for this very Reafon that he threatens to 
 punifh them •, becaufe Sin in them was more 
 exceedingly finful \ as being highly aggravated 
 in every refped. 
 
 And her^ I mud juft take notice of another 
 Text of Scripture, which has too often been 
 miftaken and perverted. God Almighty, by 
 his Prophet, tells the Wife o'i Jeroboam, thac 
 their Son only fh all come to the Grave ^ becaufe 
 D 4 in 
 
 (c) Amos iii. 2. 
 
t 76 ] 
 
 in him there is fciind [fome] good thing ttward 
 the Lord God of ]frael{a). 
 
 From hence very wicked Men may have 
 fometimes received very great Encourage- 
 ment \ that is, in cafe aJiy thing good was to 
 be found in them. If here v/as any folid 
 Foundation for Comfort, there are furely few 
 fo entirely abandoned, but might receive great 
 Confolation from hence. 
 
 But then the Text really defigns to give no 
 fuch Comfort or Encouragement. It does 
 not mean, that though thai Child ivas exceed- 
 ingly wicked •, yet ay there "J^as fome good Dif- 
 fcfition in hlm^ therefore he was in the Favour 
 cf God, It does not miCan, that the fmall good 
 in him made Amends for all the reft that 
 was bad. And yet if this be not the Mean- 
 ing, the weak Inference, drawn from this 
 PafTage, muft fall to the Ground. Nay, it 
 does not fo much as intimate that there was 
 t^ny fFickednefs in him at all. Our Tranfla- 
 tors having render'd the F&(Tsige.^^ fome good 
 Things may have naturally led a mere En- 
 glifh Reader into the Miflake ; but it is amaz- 
 ing how Men of Learning could fall into it. 
 The Word \ fo7ne'] is not in the Original j 
 which, if literally tranflated, would run thus, 
 ^-^ there was found in him a good Word [b) to- 
 wards the Lo^d^ &c. which, according to 
 the Hebrew Idiom, might be rendered — there 
 
 was 
 
 [a) 1 Kings xlv. 13. 
 
 (^) UltD m The Septuagint render it ^JJ/xa KothUt 
 r.j d the Vulgate Sermo honus. 
 
[ 77 ] 
 
 was Goodnefs or a good Intention {a) in hitn 
 towards God. The Father was a grofs Ido- 
 later, whilfl: the Son feems to have been an 
 Enemy to Idolatry, and a Worfhipper of the 
 true God. And therefore might defign, 
 when it was in his Power, to reftore that true 
 Worjhip^ which his Father had corrupted, or 
 rather had entirely overturned. 
 
 So that the Text only mentions the Virtue 
 or Piety of the Youth •, without the leaft Hint 
 or Intimation that he lived in any wilful Sin 
 or Offence againfl: God. And therefore what 
 Encouragement or Comfort can wicked Men 
 receive from this PafTage, though they may 
 have fome good Quality or other in them ? 
 It is melancholy and aftonidiing, that the 
 facred Oracles of God fhould be thus pervert- 
 ed, to the Ruin of Mankind! But it is an 
 old Device of the great Enemy of Souls, to 
 caufe Men to wreft the Words of Life ta 
 their own Deftru^ion {b), 
 
 E. I hope I fhall always endeavour to re- 
 member thofe awful Words of the Holy Spi- 
 rit, — Whofoever (hall keep the whole Law^ and 
 yet offend in one Point, he is guilty of all (c). 
 If thcfe Words do not difcover, that noChnf^ 
 ttan can fafely indulge himfelf in any one Sin^ 
 I know not what can difcover it. 
 
 P, You obferve very right, my dear 
 
 Friend. That fingle Sentence abundantly 
 
 E 5 demon- 
 
 {a) The learned Grotiui renders it, Ccgitatio bona, nam 
 loqui Hebrais fafe fignifiiat Cogitare, in loc. 
 (^) 2 St Peter iii. i6. (0 St James ii. lo 
 
[ 78 ] 
 
 demonftrates that the whole divine Law muft 
 be kept. And that every wilful Violation 
 of any Part of it, is an Affront offered to the 
 Authority of God, whofe Law it is ; and 
 that fuch Violation renders us liable to the 
 Difpleafure of that God, who is of purer Eyes 
 than to behold Evil; and who cannot look on 
 Iniquity [a) with Approbation. 
 
 E. I have ftill one Favour more to afk, 
 and that is, to be informed, whether accord- 
 ing to the Opinion of our Church, Chrijiians^ 
 in thefe Days, may expe6i: the Infpiration and 
 In- dwelling of the Holy Spirit ? Whether his 
 Influences may be diftinguifhed from the na- 
 tural Operations of our own Minds ? What 
 his Illuminations m.ay be ? and whether he 
 now ever bears witnefs with our Spirit^ that 
 we are the Children of God ? 
 
 P. Let us in the firfl: Place obferve in ge- 
 neral, what a thorough Senfe our Church has 
 of the Neceffity of God's Holy Spirit. 
 
 And firft, fhe declares in one of her Arti- 
 cles, that Works done before the Grace of Chrift, 
 and the Infpiration of his Spirit^ are not plea- 
 fant to God (b). And therefore that all Orders 
 and Degrees of Men may have this Grace^ 
 and this Infpiration^ we pray, that the King 
 may be replenifhed with the Grace of [God's] 
 Holy Spirit \ that the Royal Family may be 
 endued with the Holy Spirit ; and that the 
 healthful Spirit of [Divine] Grace may be fent 
 
 down 
 f«) Habak. i, I3>, {b) Article xiii» 
 
[ 79 ]. ■ 
 
 down upon our Bijhops^ and Curates^ and all 
 Congregations comnv.iled to their Charge {a). 
 That God would cleanfe the thoughts of our 
 Hearts by the Infpiration of his Holy Spirit (b). 
 And infpire continually the univerfal Church 
 with the Spirit of Truth {c), 
 
 And though our Church be too wife to 
 confound the extraordinary Gifts of the Spi- 
 rit, ilich as the Gift of Tongues^ the Interpre- 
 tation of Tongues^ the Raifing the Dead, and 
 fuch* like miraculous Powers, with thofe 
 which belong to Chrtftians in all Ages {d); 
 yet we (hall find that fhe fuppofes, and that 
 with great Truth and Reafon, that Cfjrifiians 
 receive much more from the Holy Spirit, than 
 fome Perfons feem inclined to think or be* 
 iievc. 
 
 But in order to make this appear, v^^e fliall 
 next take notice of what we meet with in. 
 the Colle6i: for the Feftlval of St Barnabas. 
 — .*' O Lord God Almighty, who diJil: en- 
 ** dow thy holy Apoftfe Barnabas v/ith fin- 
 '' gular Gifts of the Ploly Ghofi, leave us 
 '* not, we befeech thee, dejliiute'of thy ma?ii- 
 " fold Gifts, nor yet of Grace to ufe them al- 
 ** way to thy Honour and Glory, &c. 
 
 We fee here plainly, that in the Opinion 
 of our Chtlrch, there are manifold Gifts 
 
 which 
 
 {a) See thofe Prayers, 
 
 {b) ill Colleft in the Communion Service. - 
 
 [c) Prayer for the Church-Militant. 
 
 {d) I Cor xii. 9, 10, 29, 30. ot Matth. xxviii. 20, 
 St John xiv. 16, 17. Horn, for Whitiunday i art ii. p. 
 278, 279. 
 
[ 8o ] 
 
 which belong to Chrijlians of the prefent 
 Times •, fince fhe prays, that they may not 
 be left deftitute of ibem. And in the Order 
 of Confirmation, the Bifliop prays, that God 
 would ftrengthen the Perlbns to be confirm- 
 ed, with the " Holy Ghoft; and daily in- 
 *' creafe in them his manifold Gifts of Grace; 
 " the Spirit of Wifdom and Underftanding, 
 '* the Spirit of Counfel and ghoftly Strength •, 
 " the Spirit of Knowledge and true Godli- 
 *' nefs •, and that he would fill them with the 
 " Spirit of his holy Fear.*' 
 
 Farther he prays, " That they may daily 
 *' increafe in God's Holy Spirit more and 
 '* more j and be led in the Knowledge and 
 *' Obedience of his Word." 
 
 But flill to fee more clearly into our 
 Church's Sentiments, with refp.-<5t to the O- 
 perations of the Holy Spirit, whether relat- 
 ing to the Heart and Affcdions, or to the 
 Mind and Underftanding, let us rake a View 
 of the following Petitions, ^Grant irs hh Holy 
 Spirit^ that thofe Things may pleafe bun which 
 we do at this prefent •, and that the reft of our 
 
 Lfe hereafter may be pure and holy [a] Take 
 
 not thy holy Spirit from us {b), — The Fdlowfh'p 
 of the Holy Ghoft be with us all evermore (c). 
 — Send to us thine Holy Ghoft to comfort us {d ). 
 Grant that thy Holy Spirit may in all Things 
 
 dire^ 
 
 {a) Abfolution. 
 
 {h) Refponfes afcer the Lord's Prayer. 
 
 {c) Conchifion of Morning and Evening Service. 
 
 (<// Sunday after Afcenfion. 
 
[ 8i ] 
 
 dire5f and rule our Hearts (a) Grant that 
 
 by thy holy In/pirrttion, we may think thofe 
 Things thai he good {b). Come^ Holy Ghoft^ 
 our Souls infpire ; and lighten with celefiial 
 Fire (c). 
 
 We may obferve here, that in the Opinion 
 of our Church, the Spirit of God is necefTary 
 to the direding our Hearts ; to the comforting 
 of our Minds ; to the thinking what is good; 
 to the doing what is holy \ to the enlightening 
 and infpiring our Souls ; and to the pleaftng of 
 God. And this will yet ftill further appear. 
 For, fpeaking of the [antlifyhg and regenerate 
 ing Power of the Holy Ghoft, fhe obferves, 
 that " The more it is hid from our Under- 
 " (landing, the more it ought to move alt 
 *' Men to wonder at the fccret and maighty 
 " working of God's Holy Spirit, which is 
 " within us. For it is the Holy Ghoil, and 
 " no other Thing, that doth quicken the 
 " Minds of Men, iiirring up good and godly 
 " Motions in their Hearts, which are agree- 
 " able to the Will and Commandment of 
 " God, fuch as otherwife of their own 
 ** crooked and perverfe Nature they fhould 
 " never have, ihat which is born of the Spi- 
 *' m, is Spirit^ St John iii. 6. As who 
 ** fhould fay, Man of his own Nature is 
 " flefhly and carnal, corrupt and naught, 
 *' fmful and difobedient to God, without any 
 *' Spark of Goodnefs in him, without any 
 
 virtuous 
 
 {a) I gth after Trinity. 
 
 {if) 5th after Eafter, (f) Feni Creator, 
 
[ 82 ] 
 
 " virtuous or godly Motion, only given to 
 " evil Thoughis and wicked Deeds. As for 
 *' the Works of the Spirit, the Fruits of 
 •' Faith, charitable and godly Motions, if he 
 *'■ bave any at all in hijii^ they proceed only of 
 *-^ the Holy Ghoft, who is the only Worker 
 *'' of our San^iification^ and maketh us new 
 '' Men in Chrift Jefus. — Such is the Power 
 *' of the Holy Ghoft, to regenerate Men^ and 
 " as it were to bring them forth anew^ fo 
 *^ that they fliall be nothing like the Men 
 *^' they were before. Neither doth he think 
 *' it fufficient inwardly to work the fpiritual 
 *' »nd new Birth of Man, unlefs he do alfo 
 " dwell and abide in him — O what Comfort 
 •' is this to the Heart of a true Cbrijfian^ to- 
 *^' think that the Holy Ghofl d-iveUeih mthin 
 » him [a)V' 
 
 Again, " Thou haft received [the Bt)dy of 
 " Chrift] to h2i\t within thee, the Father, the 
 *^ Son, and tlie Holy Ghoft, for to dwell 
 ** with thee^ to endow thee with Grace, tO: 
 " flrengthen thee againft thine Enemies, and 
 *' to comfort thee with their Prefence (^).— 
 '* A true Chrijlian is the Temple of the Ho- 
 ** ly Ghoft (/)." 
 
 As thefe Palfages fufficiently difcover what 
 our Church thinks of the In- dwelling of the 
 Spirit -, fo they abundantly fhew, that fliefup- 
 pofes the Operations of that Holy Spirit are 
 
 very 
 
 (a) Homily for Whitfunday, Part I. p. 276, 277. 
 
 {b) Horn, of the Refurredlion, p. 262. 
 
 {c) Horn, againft the Fear of Death, Part i. p 52, 
 
[ 83 ] 
 very eafy to be diftinguiflied from the natural 
 JVorkings of our own Minds. For if it be 
 really true, that tv try good Thought and Dif- 
 pofuion proceed from the Spirit of God {a) ^ 
 and every thing bad from a corrupt Heart, 
 and a wicked Tempter {b) \ it can be no dif- 
 ficult matter to afcribe Good and Evil to their 
 proper Authors. If our Hearts are renewed 
 and fandified, and produce the Fruits of the 
 Gofpel •, yet all this is the Work of the Ho- 
 ly Spirit, and to him let the Honour be given. 
 — And as to his dwellmg in us; miferable is 
 the Cafe of that Perfon, where he dwells not.. 
 
 For if any Man have not the Spirit o/Chrift,. 
 
 be is none of his, Bui if the Spirit of him that 
 raifed up Jefus from the Dead, dwell in you ; 
 he that raifed tip Chrift from the Dead, fhail 
 alfo quicken your mortal Bodies^ by bis Spirit 
 that dwelletb in you U) — Know ye not that ye 
 are the '■Temple of God ; and that the Spirit of 
 God dwelleth in you id) .^— And the fame A- 
 poftle tells the Ephefians, that they were built 
 together for an Habitation of God through the 
 Spirit, And gives them this ftrid: Caution— 
 710 1 to grieve the Holy Spirit of God, whereby 
 they were fealed unto the Day of Redemption (e)» 
 So that, I prefume, our Church's Opinion, 
 both as to the Difference between the natural 
 
 "Workings 
 
 («) Gal. V. 2 2, 23. 
 
 {^) St Matth. XV. 19. Gal. V. ig— 21. Ephes. vi. 
 11,12. 1 Thefs. iii. 5. 2 Cor xi. 3. 
 (f) Rom. viii. 9— 11, 
 {d) 1 Cor. iii, 16. . {() Ephes. xi. j,z, Ch. iv. 30. 
 
[84 3 
 
 Workings of corrupt Nature^ and the Opera- 
 tions of the Holy Gboft *, as well as to the 
 Dwelling of that divine Spirit within us, is 
 well founded ; as having the facred Oracles 
 entirely on her Side. 
 
 But let us (till further hear her Opinion,— 
 In the 17th Article fhe mentions " fuch Per- 
 " fons as feel in themfelves the Working of 
 '' the Spirit of Chrift^ drawing up their Mind 
 " to high and heavenly Things." 
 
 Again, every Deacon^ at his Ordination, 
 is thus examined — " Do you trufl: that you 
 " are inwardly moved by the Holy Ghofi:, 
 ** to take upon you this Office and Mini- 
 '* ftration (^)?" And when they come to 
 be ordained Priefts^ the Bi/hop acquaints 
 I hem that they ovght^ and have need to pray 
 earrieftly for God's Holy Spirit. And after- 
 wards, they are admonifhed, continually 
 
 to pray for the heavenly /Ijfiftance of the Ho- 
 ly Ghcft {b). Towards the Conclufion of the 
 Service, the Bifhop lays his Hands on the 
 Head of every one ♦, pronouncing thefe fo- 
 lemn Words, — Receive the Holy Ghojt fcr the 
 Office arid IFork of a Priefi in the Church of 
 Godi &c. 
 
 Again, in one of the Homilies, after it has 
 been obferved, that all Spiritual Gifts come 
 from God by Jefus Chrift, we read as follows, 
 
 . " God give us Grace to know thefe 
 
 " Things, and to feel them in our Hearts. 
 
 '' This 
 
 {a) See the Office for ordaining Deac&ns. 
 
 \b) Exhortation in the Office for ordaining Priejii, 
 
[ 85 ] 
 
 " This Knowldge and Feeling are not in 
 " ourfelves i — Let us therefore meekly call 
 *' upon — the Holy Ghoft, — that he would 
 " afljft us, and infpire us with his Prc- 
 " fence, ^6'." 
 
 And nfiorcover in the fame Homily it is 
 declared, that " It is by this Holy Spirit, 
 " which maketh Interceffion for us, with 
 *' continual Sighs, that we may boldly come 
 " in Prayer, and call upon Almighty God, 
 " as c>«r Father (t?)-'* Rom, v\\u \ ^^ 2&\ Gat. 
 iv. 6. 
 
 But now furely, if, through the Holy Spi- 
 rit, we are enabled to approach God as our 
 Father, it muft appear a fufficient Evidence 
 that we are His Children. The one very 
 plainly follows from the other. 
 
 If we are afTifted by the Spirit to call 
 God our Father ; it is fo far bearing Wit* 
 nefs^ that we are the Children of God, This 
 the great Apoftle affirms to be the State of 
 the Chriftians in thofe Days {b) \ and what, 
 but our own Corruptions, can be the Rea- 
 fon, why that Holy Spirit will no longer 
 bear [the fame] Witnefs with our Spirit ? He 
 that believeth on the Son of God, fays the 
 beloved Difciple, has the JVitnefs in himfelf{c). 
 But what Witnefs is this, which the Believer 
 has in him f elf ? No other furely, but the Wit^ 
 nefs of the Holy Ghoft. 
 
 The late learned Dr Whitby, who was far 
 
 from 
 
 {a) Homily for Rogation Week, Partiii. p. 293, 294. 
 (^) Rom. viii. 16, [c) i St John v. 10. 
 
I .86 ] 
 
 from being an Enthufiaftic Commentator^, 
 thus interprets thofe Words, — As having in 
 himfelf that Spirit of God which gives \hts^ 
 Teftimony to Chrifl {a). *Tis true the Tefti- 
 mony here given relates to Chrift v but flill 
 it is given by the Holy Spirit ; And this 
 Holy Spirit is in the Believer. Undoubtedly 
 the Witnefs of the Spirit that Men are the 
 Children of God^ can belong only to thofe ^ 
 who are his real Children \ as the learned 
 Grotius obferves {h) : But why it fhould not 
 be the Privilege of all fuch^ in all Ages 
 of Chriflianity^ remains to be proved. If 
 that Holy Spirit will make his Abode in the 
 Minds of true Chriftians, even to the Time 
 «?/ their Refurre^ion^ as the fame great Mzn 
 affirms (c) ; or, as is fufficiently intimated by 
 a much greater, even the infpired Apoftle 
 St Paul (d ) ; can we fuppofe he will there- 
 abide, without ever giving the fame Tefti- 
 mony to the Children of God, which he for- 
 merly did ? — I know it may be faid, that the 
 Church then enjoyed many great Privileges^ 
 and Powers which we enjoy not. How- 
 ever, as the Power ^ or Rtght, or Privilege 
 of becoming the Sons of Gody belongs row ta 
 as many as truly receive Chrift by haith^ and 
 
 are 
 
 [a) In Loc. 
 
 (i) Deus tak donum non dat niji its quos pro Ft His haber^ 
 'vult. — in Rom. viji. r6. 
 
 (f) Spiriius- Hie Savifus in Ant mis Chrijiianorum halt' 
 tans, b', ft fo/icite Jer-retur, ad Mortem, im bf poji Mar- 
 tern adReJurre£iionem ujque^ Animis adba:reni.^\ii i Thefa* 
 Y. iXf {d) Eora. viii*. ll. 
 
[ 8? J 
 
 ere horn of God {a)\ as all are now the ChiU 
 dren of God by Faith in Chrift Jefus {b) -, fa 
 is it furely of Confequence now to know, whe- 
 ther Cbriftians are, in Truth and Reality, 
 Children of God •, Heirs of God j and Joint- 
 heirs with Chrifl (<r). 
 
 This appears to be of the fame Importance^ 
 in every Age and State of the Church. 
 
 E. But may it not be faid, that there cari 
 be no Occafion for the Holy Spirit thus to 
 hear Witnefs \ fmce the Apoftle has laid down 
 other Marks, by which to judge, whether 
 we are the Children of God^ or not : Such as 
 mortifying the Deeds of the Body through the 
 Spirit : And afTuring us, that as many as are 
 led by the Spirit of God, they are the Sons of 
 God{d). 
 
 P. It is undoubtedly a moft infallible 
 Proof, we are not the Sons of God, if we are 
 not led hy his Spirit 5 and do not, through; 
 hifUy mortify the Deeds of the Body, 
 
 But will it follow from hence, that God 
 has never given any other way of difcover- 
 ing that Mankind are his Chtdren P For if 
 there be any Force in this Argument, it will 
 conclude as well againft the firft Times, 
 as the prefent. Or Ihall Men pretend to 
 limit thofe Ways i or fettle the Number 
 of them ? Let us only obferve what imme- 
 diately follows the two Verfes you juft men- 
 tioned For ye have not received the Spirit 
 
 of 
 {a) St John 1. 12, 13^ {b) Gal. iii. 26, 
 
 {c) Rom viii. ij. (<«') Rom. viii. 13, 14^ 
 
[ 88 ] 
 
 cf Bondage again to fear ; hut ye have rc-^ 
 ceived the Spirit of adoption, whereby we 
 crvy Abba, Father, The Spirit itfelj beareth 
 Witnefs with our Spirit^ that we are the Chil- 
 dren of God (a). 
 
 As if the Apoftle had faid, *' That 
 
 •* Spirit of God, through whom ye mufll 
 *' mortify the Deeds of the Body ; and hf 
 *' whom you mufl be ledy if you defire 
 " to be the Sens of God \ that Spirit of God* 
 *• is he, whom you have already received,. 
 ** to convince you of your Sin and Dan- 
 *' ger, and to deliver you from the Bondage 
 " of Corruption^ the Dominion of Sin and 
 " Satan, and the Fear of Death, into the 
 " glorious Liberty of the Children of God: 
 *' And he is therefore now to us, the Spi- 
 " rit of Adoption ; by whom we are en- 
 «< abltd to caH God our Father. He it is 
 " that now bears Wilnefs within us, or joint- 
 " ly with our Spirit^ that wc are the Children 
 « of God {by* 
 
 This 
 
 \a) Verfe 15, 16. 
 
 (^) I ..umbly apprehend, that by this the Apoftle 
 means, feme di'virje Operation of the Ho/y Spirit upon the. 
 Soul ; by which we receive a c/ear znd J oy/u/ Aii'urance, 
 that we are the Children of God. For the innv&rd King* 
 dofn of God is not only Right eouftie/s, but Peace and Joy 
 in the HolyGhoft, Rom. xiv. 17. Ch. v. i. Ch. xv. 15, 
 —Therefore it is humbly fubmitted, — Whether *• the 
 •* Spirit itfelf bearing Witnefs ivith our Spirit, that «t:* 
 ** are the Children 0/ God,''' ~ does not fecm plainly to 
 include fomething more than merely Indinaticn and 
 Po-wer to obey the divine Commands r Undoubtedly, if 
 
 either 
 
[ 89 ] 
 
 This feems in general to be the plain 
 Meaning and Defign of the Apollle ; though 
 foine have endeavoured, with great Induftry, 
 to explain this obvious Meaning away, by 
 fuppofing it referred only to the working of 
 Miracles. 
 
 I will here jufl: further obferve, that our 
 Church, fpeaking of the ancient Patriarchs 
 mentioned by Sc Paul^ [Heb. xi.] thus re- 
 marks — " by the coming of our Saviour 
 " Cbrift, we have received more abundant- 
 *' ly the Spirit of God in our Hearts, 
 " whereby we may receive a greater Faith., 
 " and a furer Trufl than many of them 
 " had(^)." 
 
 But let us next proceed to confider, how 
 far our Church fuppofes the Holy Spirit may 
 enlighten our Minds or Underftandings, 
 
 And 
 
 either Inclmntion, or Willy or Popery be wanting, I 
 ihould not fcruple to tell the uxo^ fanguine Belie-ver^ that 
 all his Joy, and Peace, and AJjurauce, were only fo many 
 Delufions. — But yet, when w^- read of a full AJJurance 
 of Faith and Hope\ of receiving the Spirit of Ado^lwn\ 
 of his njoiinefjtng imth ow Spirit, that zve are the Children 
 of God i and of being filled ^vcith all foy andPex^e in be' 
 lieving ; — I can make no doubt, but that inward Witnefs 
 of the Spirit is fometimes attended with a Strength and 
 'Cl''iirnefs of Evidence, that cannot be refided ; and with 
 a Jov and Peace, that cannot be defcribed. But tho' 
 the Spirit works differently ir. different Perfons, jaft as 
 infinite Wifdom fees proper: yet, I prefume, that '* his 
 «* bearing Witnefs with our Spirit, that zve are the Children 
 ** ofGod,^'' — always implies a fufficient Degree oi E'vu- 
 dence, immediately communicated to the Soul, and at- 
 tended with much Joy and Peace in belie'vi7ig^ 
 
 («) Horn, of Faith, Part ii. p. 22. 
 
[ 90 ] 
 
 And firfl:, fne approves of thefe Sayings of 
 St Chryfofiom^ where he thus exprefTes him- 
 felf, with regard to the finding out the Senfe 
 of the Holy Scripture — " God himfelf from 
 *' above, will give Light unto our Minds ^ and 
 *' teach us thofe Things which are necefTary 
 <* for us, and wherein we be ignorant."— 
 
 " Man's human or worldly Wifdom, or 
 
 *• Science, is not needful to the underfland- 
 
 *' ing of Scripture, but the Revelation of 
 
 ** the Holy Ghoft, who infpireth the true 
 
 *' Meaning unto them, that with Humili* 
 
 ,«' ty and Diligence do fearch therefore (a),'* 
 
 '*— At the Ordination of a Prieft, the Bifhop, 
 
 thus praySs — " Thdt we may daily increafe 
 
 *' and go forwards in the Knowledge and 
 
 " Faith of thee and thy Son, by the Holy 
 
 *' Spirit:' 
 
 Again, our Church, fpeaking of divine 
 Wifdom, obferves that ^bis Wijdom cannot 
 he attained^ hut by the Dire^ion cf the Sfirit 
 
 of God [b) This Hcly Spirit will fuggeft unto 
 
 i4s that [which] /hall be wholejome^ and con- 
 firm us in all Things {cj. 
 
 And therefore it is no Wonder, that our 
 Church thus addrejTes herfelf to God — G^an! 
 usy by the fame Spirit^ to have a right Judg- 
 ment in all Things {d). 
 
 Moreover, 
 
 {a) Horn, of the Holy Scripture, Part. ii. p j. 
 {b) Horn, for Rogation-Week, Part iii. p. 294. 
 \c) P. 2^7. {d) Colled for Wiutfunda)'. 
 
[ 9' ] 
 
 Moreover, at the Confecration of every 
 Bifhop, and at the Ordination of a Prieit, 
 thefe Words are repeated, — 
 
 Enable with perpetual Light 
 The Dulnefs of our blinded Sight, 
 
 Or elfe the following, 
 
 •O Hely Ghofty into our Minds 
 Send down thy heavenly Light {a). 
 
 And further, at the Confecration of a Bi- 
 Ihop, the Archbifhop enquires of the Bifhop 
 eled:, — Whether he will faithfully exercife 
 himfelf in the Holy Scriptures^ and call upon • 
 ■God by Prayer for the true underftanding of 
 the fame (b) ? 
 
 But muft not this true iinderfianding arife 
 from the Holy Spirit? And whether we call 
 fuch Affiftance of the Spirit, by the Name 
 of Influence^ DircLJion, IlluminaiiGn^ Sug" 
 geflion^ or Infpiration ; where is the Diffe- 
 rence ? Some Operation of the Holy Spirit, 
 it certainly mull be : Though how^ or in 
 what Way^ or Manner^ that divine Spirit fhall 
 fee proper to operate, cannot render it lefs a 
 divine Operation^ 
 
 But laftly, the Archbifhop prays, that God 
 would fo endue [the Bifhop] with his Holy 
 Spirit, that he preaching the Word [of God] 
 may be earnefl to reprove^ befeech^ and rt- 
 
 buke^ 
 
 {a) Vent Creator, See the Confecration and Ordina- 
 tion Service. 
 
 (^} Confecration of Bifhops. 
 
[ 9^ J 
 
 luke^'^and alfo may be a whole feme Example 
 to Believers {a). 
 
 So that the Holy Spirit is here evidentjy 
 prayed for, not only rhat the Bifnop may be 
 a Pattern to others ; but alfo that he may be 
 enabled to irijiru^ both by earnefi Reproof 2iV\d 
 Exhortation, 
 
 All which plainly imply not only the 
 faritlifyihg Influences of the Holy Ghofl: ; 
 but alfo fpritual Sirerigtb^ Courage^ and Re^ 
 foliition^ — corfianily to fpeak the Truth •, bold- 
 ly to rebuke Vice •, and patiently to fuffer for 
 the Truth^s fake, as our Church ellewhere 
 exprefles herfelf (i*). For though thefe three 
 laft Petitions are not there particularly ap- 
 plied to one Order of Paftois more than ano- 
 ther ; yet they mud in a very eminent De- 
 gree belong to thofe of the higher Order; 
 as being, by their great Superiority of Station, 
 moft capable of doing an Honour to Reli- 
 gion. They are, in a very peculiar Manner, 
 what our blefTed Lord calls— r/i?*? Light cf the 
 World \ and a City that is fet on an Hill {c). 
 Confequently a diligent preaching the Holy 
 Word of God (^) ; a refolute and hold rebuk- 
 ing of Vue, in all Orders and Degrees of Men 
 whatever ; an earneil reproving of Sinners, 
 without Favour, Fear, or Affetlion ; a pain- 
 ful, and ccnfant enforcing the Truths of the 
 Gofpel't and the patiently bearing any Re- 
 proach, 
 
 [a) Second Prayer before the Eenedidlion. 
 
 {h) Collea for St John Eaptift's Day. 
 
 (<) StMatth.v. 14. {d) Colkd for St Peter's. 
 
[ 9i ] 
 
 proach, Contempt, or Perfecution for the 
 Sake of tbofe divine Truths \ all thefe muft 
 prove of greater Weight and Influence from 
 fuch, than the fame Behaviour in obfcurer 
 Perfons. And therefore it is highly neceffa- 
 ry, in order to anfwer thefe great Purpofes, 
 that they fhould be endued, in a very lingu- 
 lar manner, ^jjiih God^s Holy Spirit, That fo 
 by the Exemplarinefs of their Lives and Be- 
 haviour, and the Soundnefs of their Inftruc- 
 tions, tbcir Light may fo fbine before Men^ 
 that they may fee their good IVorks^ and glorify 
 their Father^ which is in Heaven (a). And 
 thus our Church exprefsly prays in the fol- 
 lowing Words,—" Give Grace, O heavenly 
 *' Father, to all BilLops and Curate?, that 
 " they may both by their Life and Dotlrine 
 " fet forth thy true and lively Word, and 
 " rightly and duly adminifler thy Holy Sa- 
 " craments (i')." 
 
 F^ere the Grace or Affifiance of the Holy 
 Spirit is requefted, that both the fuperior and 
 inferior Paftors may fo live^ and fo infiru£f^ 
 as may bell: promote the Truths of God's di- 
 vine Word •, and that they might likewife ad- 
 mi nifter his Holy Sacraments in a fuitable 
 and becoming manner. And this again, with 
 fome further Addition, is petitioned for in 
 
 that excellent Prayer, called the Litany 
 
 " That it may pleafe thee to illuminate all 
 
 " Biihops, Priefts, and Deacons, with true 
 
 F '' Kno'Li'. 
 
 {a) St Matth. V. 1 6. 
 
 {b) Prayer for the Church Militant, 
 
[ 94 ] 
 
 *' Knowledge and Underjlanding of thy Word» 
 " and that both by their Preaching and Liv- 
 *' ing they may fet it forth, and fliew it ac- 
 *' cordingly.'* 
 
 Here we befeech the Father of Lights to 
 illuminate or enlighten all the three Orders of 
 our Church with divine Knowledge and Un- 
 derjtanding ; and that, according to the Mea- 
 fure bellowed on them, they may, both by 
 their Freacijing and Livings fet forth and 
 declare the facredWord of God. All which 
 very manifeftly proves, that, in the Opinion 
 of our Church, the Illumination of the Spirit 
 of God is necelfary 'to their true Knowledge 
 and Underjlanding of his divine Word -, and 
 for the enforcing of it, both by their Lives 
 and Do^rines. 
 
 And thus have I endeavoured to fatisfy your 
 Enquiries, concerning our Church's Opinion, 
 with regard to the prefent Operations or Influ- 
 ences of the Holy Spirit*. 
 
 E, It appears indeed pretty plain, what 
 our Church thinks of thefe Things, But 
 I have often heard a great Difference made 
 between i^nmediale Infpi ration, and an In- 
 fpiration or Influence which is not imme- 
 diate. 
 
 P. What- 
 
 * l^ fiich Operations of the Holy Spirit have a plain 
 Foundation in the Go/pel, how mehncholy is the Re- 
 £e6lion, that the kokingfor them fhould be called by the 
 learned Biftiop oiGlouceJur, *' fuperjiiticus ^iVid fanatical!'' 
 'EJfay on Grace. ^May that illuminating Spirit inftruft 
 him better! 
 
[ 95 ] 
 
 P, Whatever Difference there may be in 
 the Manner of the Holy Spirit's difplaying 
 his Power ; yet furely, if a Perfon's Mind be 
 enlightened^ or his Heart ckanfed by this di- 
 vine Spirit ; — whether thefe Effeds are pro- 
 duced by an immediate Influence, or by the 
 Inrerpofition of fome Means or Inftrument; 
 yet the Effeds are ftill equally owing to the 
 Spirit of God. 
 
 When our blefled Lord applied Clay to the 
 Eyes of the BHnd, before he reftored his 
 Sight-, was that Miracle the lefs owing to his 
 divine Power ? Or was not here altogether 
 the fame divine Power that cured the Le^ 
 
 pery only with faying, / wil!^ be thou 
 
 clean ? 
 
 If it rtiould be objedled, that there is a 
 wide Difference between making ufe of Means 
 that can have no Tendency to cure, or which 
 are rather oppofite to it j and making ufe of 
 Means that feem to co-operate ; and which 
 only want a Bleffing to attend them : if 
 this fhould be objected, it muft be owned, 
 ,that there is undoubtedly a great deal of 
 Difference in the Nature of Means. But 
 then, where the mod promifing Means will 
 not do., without the Jjfijiance of the Holy 
 Spirit : nay, where the felf-fame Means will 
 always fucceed with him^ but never with- 
 out him, there furely the whole is to be afcrib- 
 ed to him. 
 
 The fame divine Word, for Inftance, prov- 
 ^ 2 ed 
 
r 96 ] 
 
 ed a Savour of Life unto Life to fome ; but a 
 Savour of Death unto Death to others [a). 
 
 The Preaching of Chrift aucifed was to 
 the Jei^s a StiimUing- block \ and to the 
 Greeks^ hoohfhnefs : But to many, it proved 
 the Power of Gcd^ and the IVifdom of God (b). 
 Here was the fame divine Word of the fame 
 divine Spirit \ and yet it proved, for Want 
 of his divine Power upon the Sou], of no 
 Force or Efficacy with regard to Num- 
 bers. His efficacious Influence was wanting, 
 which thofe Perfons were not fit to receive. 
 And indeed without fuch Influence, the di- 
 vine Word will prove but a dead Letter to 
 us, and leave us in the Gall of Bitternefsy 
 and Bond cf Iniquity, lliis is the true Rea- 
 fon, why fome may often bear and read the 
 Gofpel, withoiit biluvu:g one Word of it. 
 And this is the Reafun, why fo many others, 
 who call tliemielvcs Believers^ are not one 
 whit the better for all their Belief, This dif- 
 covers the aMolute Neceffity of the Holy Spi- 
 rit's conftanr A ffiilance —Though whether 
 wedwte or unnicdiate^ fhould be left to him, 
 who knows bfrfl: in what Manner and Mea- 
 fure to work in us 
 
 The great Apoflle, who had undoubtedly 
 infiru6ltd the Epheftans^ what was the Hope 
 of G'd's Callings and what the Riches of the 
 Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints ; and 
 what the exceeding Gre n^ef of his Power \ 
 yet prays that the Eyes of their Underfianding 
 
 may 
 
 (/i) 2 Cor. ii. 15, 16. [h) I Cor. 1 23, 24. 
 
C 91 ] 
 
 may he enlightened in order to know thefe 
 Things (tf): And exhorts them to bt filled 
 vjuh the Spirit {b). And furely, \i divine Il- 
 lumination v/as wanted after /^^^ an Inftru5tor\ 
 can any wife and ferious Chriftian think the 
 lame Illufnination to be now needkfs ? But 
 whatever may be fuppofed by fome, it is evi- 
 dent our Church thinks more wifely. 
 
 However, if Men will but allow, that the 
 Affiftance of the Holy Spirit is altogether ne- 
 ceffary to the opening and inftru5fing of the 
 Mind -, to the foftening and purifying the 
 Heart; and to the carrying us through the 
 great Work of Salvation, never difpute with 
 them about the Form of their ExpreiTions. 
 
 E, As I am fenfibie of my Obligations 
 for this Trouble ; fo am I fenfibie that my 
 great Bufinefs is, to obtain this divine hi- 
 fiftance for conduding me fafe through this 
 Worlds io the Regions of everlajiing Hap pi- 
 nefs. 
 
 P, I'hat, my dear Friend, is undoubtedly 
 the main and principal Bufinefs of every 
 one. And therefore I fhall juft add a few 
 (hort Cautions and Diredions, which may 
 prove of fome further Service to you. And 
 now, if you do but thoroughly confider the 
 true Nature of the Gofpel of CJjriJl^ you 
 will certainly conclude, that all thofe va- 
 rious Ways, which Men have taken to break 
 the Force of iis divine Precepts and Doc- 
 F 3 trines, 
 
 {a) Ephes. i. 17 — 19. See Atls XX. 17—21. 
 ijj) Ephes. V. 18. 
 
[ 98 ] 
 
 tnnes, are only fo many various Delufions 
 of the Devil — Some, for Inftance, have ima- 
 gined, that certain of its Precepts are not 
 binding in themfelves ♦, but are only what 
 may\ or may not be complied with, juft ac- 
 cording to our own Choice and Liking. 
 Theie, by the Church of Rome^ are called 
 
 Counfeh o^ Perfe^^wn .See Bifhop Burnet on 
 
 ylriule -XAv. 
 
 Others have talked o{ ^ifecret Will in God, 
 which differs from that which is revealed. 
 And which Opinion diredly fets afide the 
 whole Authority of divine Revelation. For 
 it is only fuppofing that what I do not ap- 
 prove of in Revelation, is contrary to the 
 fecret Will of God ; and then the whole Force 
 of his revealed Will is loft upon me. It is 
 much the fame thing, and muft have juft the 
 fame Effedls, with fuppofing fome Dodlrincs 
 in the f acred IVritirgs are of divine Autho* 
 rity •, whilft others have only been foifled in 
 by ignorant and defigning Men. For what 
 Weight can the Holy Scriptures have with 
 us, whilft we are under the Influence of fuch 
 a Delufion ? We fhall infallibly afcribe every 
 thing, which Vv-e do not like, to the Mif- 
 takes of fome, or the Craft of others : And 
 confequently the whole Force of fuch Doc- 
 trines, or Precepts, will vanifh into Air.— 
 Be aflured, God has taken more Care of 
 his divine Word, than fome Men appre- 
 hend. However, I would not be milunder- 
 flood •, I do n©t mean to fay, that there are 
 
 no 
 
i 99 '\ 
 
 no various Readings in the facred Oracles; 
 for there are many thoufands in the New 
 Tefiafnent. But then, when it is confidered, 
 that none of thefe Variaiions make the lead 
 material Difference either as to the Faith or 
 Pratlice of a Chriftian^ the Greatnefs of the 
 Number is only a ftronger Confirmation, 
 God has taken even a miraculous Care of his 
 own facred Truths. 
 
 A late learned Writer, fpeaking of thefe 
 various Le5fions^ thus exprefTes himfelf, — 
 " Nor is one Article of Faith or moral Pre- 
 *' cept either perverted or loft in them ; choofe 
 ** as aukwardly as you can^ choofe the worft 
 *' by Dtfign^ out of the whole Lump of Read- 
 
 But again, fome have thought that the 
 ftrider Precepts of the Gofpel (thafe particu- 
 larly contained in our Lord*s divine Sermon 
 on the Mount) related oKly to the Apcftles j 
 though nothing is more evident, than that 
 our blefTcd Lord delivered thefe divine Doc- 
 trines to the People^ as well as to them : For 
 we read, that the People ivere aftonifhed at his 
 Do^rine {b). 
 
 Others have gone a Step farther, and fup- 
 
 pofed that the whole Gofpel mufl: abate of 
 
 its original Stridlnefs ; as being far too high 
 
 for the Attainment of Mankind. So that 
 
 F 4 fmce 
 
 [n) Remarks upon Freethinking, by Phileiutherus Lip- 
 fwifis. Part 1. Scd. 32. 
 
 [b) St Match, vii. 2S. See the learned Grotius and 
 Urxm^nrnJ Qx\ Sc March v. i. 
 
[ lOO ] 
 
 fince we are not able to reach up to that-, 
 it mud therefore itfclf come down to us. 
 — As thefe Perfons feem only to have an 
 Eye at their own Strength and Abilities^ it is 
 no wonder they defpair of Succefs. But let 
 fuch remember, that a Power fuperior to 
 their own, is ready to make them more 
 than Conquerors : And that it is their own 
 Fault, if they cannot ao all Things through 
 Chrift that ftrengtbens them {a). The Ho- 
 ly Spirit never amufes Men with vain Sha- 
 dows ; nor propofes Jiri^fer Duties, than 
 he is both able.d^ud willing to afiift us in per- 
 forming. 
 
 If any Man will come after me^ fays the 
 Son of God, let him deny himfelf^ and take up 
 his Crofs daily ^ and follow me (b). To the 
 fame Purpofe fpake our blefled Lord to the 
 Multitude^ as well as to his own Difciples (f ). 
 
 No doubt, this appeared a very hard Say- 
 ing to many ; but it was not the lefs true, 
 even in the ft ricJeJl Senfe of the Words. 
 But if we fhould fancy ourfelves not much 
 concerned in this barjh Sentence, in thefe 
 Days of Plenty^ and Eafe, and Profpefity, 
 we fhall find that we are unhappily mifta- 
 ken. For though we fhould not Juf^er Per- 
 fecutinn for refolving to live grdly in Chri^ 
 Jefus (d) : for not being ccnj armed to ths 
 
 fVorld i 
 
 {a) Rom. viit. 35 — 39. Philip, iv. 13. 
 
 {l^) St Luke ix. 23. 
 
 (r) StMarkviii. 34. St Luke xiv. 25— 27, 33. 
 
 (^} 2 Tim. iii. 12. 
 
[ loi 1 
 
 IVorld ; to the Vices, Follies, and Vanities ot 
 a wretched, thoughtlefs Age : — Though we 
 fhould not be expofed to any kind of ill 
 Treatment, for labouring to be transformed 
 by the renewing of our Mind (a^\ for fettirg 
 our /Iffe^ions on Tubings above {h) % and hav- 
 ing our Converfation in Heaven {c) \ yet every 
 wife Cbrijiian muft know, that there is a- 
 bundant room for daily obeying this Com- 
 mand of Cbrifty even in the midft of the 
 greateft Plenty^ Eafe^ and Profperity. 
 
 It is indeed greatly to be feared, that all 
 do not think of daily denying themfelves in 
 fuch C i re um (lances, and of taking up their 
 Crcfs^ and following Cbrtft ; but ftill his di- 
 vine Command is in full Force: And they 
 who rejed it, are neither his Difciples, nor 
 
 worthy of him (d) In lliort, if Mankind 
 
 would but part with their Pride, their Lux- 
 ury, their Wrath, their Coveioufnefs, their 
 vicious Hearts, and worldly Minds, they 
 would never imagine that the Gofpel ot Cbrijl 
 was too flri^^ or zoo fever e. 
 
 But again, fome ochers have gone fo fur- 
 prifing a length, as not only to affirm, but 
 even to attempt to prove it, from the Gofpel 
 itfelf, — that ail fhall he faved^ let them live 
 as they will! — if fuch Writers are ferious, as 
 may be much queftioned, their Minds mult 
 be too much diftempered to be capable 
 F 3 of 
 
 {a) Rom. xii. 2. [h] CoJ. iii. i, 2. 
 
 [c) Phil. iii. 20. 
 
 (</) St Luke xiv. 27. StMath. x. 38. 
 
[ 102 ] 
 
 of being reafoned with. But if they are 
 ading only the Part of Buffoons^ I pray God 
 they may fee their Wickednefs, before it be 
 too late. 
 
 All thefe Notions, and others of a like 
 nature, may be efteemed more or lefs as the 
 Depths of Kiatan^ to beguile unwary Souls ; 
 to tempt them from the Simplicity of the 
 Gofpel ; and to carry them from one degree 
 of Folly and Infatuation to another, Thefe 
 Notions, my dear Friend, are not the Truth 
 as it is in Jefus. 
 
 You, and I, and every Chriftian^ are call- 
 ed to high and glorious Privileges. 
 
 Even to abide in Chrift ; and Chrift in 
 us {a). To put on the Lord Jefus Chrift {b). 
 To glory in the Crofs of our Lord Jefus Chrift ; 
 to be crucified unto the World ; and to have 
 the World crucified unto us. To have Chrtfi 
 formed in us \ and dwelling in our Hearts by 
 Faith, And the Life which we live in 
 the Flefh^ to live by the Faith of the Son of 
 God (c). 
 
 In a word, To have our Converfation in 
 Heaven 5 to be an Habitation of God through 
 
 the 
 
 (a) St Jdin XV. 4, 5. 
 
 {b) Rom. iii. 14. Gal, iii. 27. i\ ydf Xpiror rip 
 vlo9 re ©£» Iv^s^vfAt^ott y.ai 'srpo? avrov l^w/xotwSjj/AEv. 
 tlq yiAccv (Tvlyivsiuv *^ {/.iuv l^!<x,v ^%9>j/x£v, %ap»Tt yefovo- 
 T£s oVap ixsTtoq Ir* (pva-n Theoph. in Gal. iii. 27. 
 
 Chrift um induunt <vere Chrijiiani quique a Deo Jihiy turn 
 I, irnputantumy ad jujlificationem % turn 2, impertitum, ad 
 fan£iiJicationem,^~G2X2k. Cinni. cap. ix. p. lOi, 102. 
 
 (0 Gal. vi. 14. Ch, iv. 19, Ephes. iii. 17. Gal. 
 
 11. 20. 
 
[ 103 ] 
 
 the Spirit -, to be filled with all the Fulnefs of 
 God : And to be made Partakers of the di' 
 vine Nature {a); 
 
 Thus, in theLanguageof our own Church, 
 are we to dwell in Chrift, and Chrift in 
 lis ; IVe are to be One with Chrift, and 
 Chrift with us {b). And moreover we pray, 
 that we may evermore dwell in him, and he 
 in us (r). 
 
 And furely fufficient Reafon is there thus 
 perpetually to pray •, fi nee our blefted Lord 
 has himfelf aflured us, that without him [if 
 feparated from him] we can do nothing (d). 
 As our holy Lord had been juft comparing 
 the Union betwixt himfelf and his Difci- 
 pies, to the Filal Union betwixt a Fine -and 
 its Branches ; it is evident he here fpeaks 
 of fuch a Separation from himfelf (^), as cuts 
 off all fpiritual Communications to the Soul, 
 and leaves us deftitute of all divine Life. 
 So deplorable is the State of being without 
 Chrift /—Undoubtedly, my dear Friend, the 
 Religion of the Gofpel is a very great Work ; 
 and there are many Adverfaries. But \ti 
 €very true Chriftian take Courage *, ^or great- 
 er is he that is in thetn, than he 4hat is in 
 
 the 
 
 [a] Philip, iii. 20. Ephe?. ii. 22. Ch. iii. 19. 2 St 
 iPeter i. 4. See alfo i St John ii. 20, 24. Ch. iii. 24. 
 Ch. iv. 13, 15. Ch. V. 20. 
 
 {b) Exhortation in the Communion-Service. 
 
 {c) Prayer before the Prayer of Confecration. 
 
 [d) St John XV. 5. 
 
 {e) x^fU 'haS, i. e. x^pKrOivli? dv '^a^^ f^arati a 
 me, Pifcacor in Loc, 
 
[ IC4 ] 
 
 the World (a). And happy is ir, that he k 
 fo •, fince Chriftians are lb thickly befft with 
 Enemies. They mud not only look for In- 
 fults, Reproach, and Contempt, from a vain 
 bad World ; but may expedl that even their 
 own irregular Appetites and Pajfiom will en- 
 ter into a formal Controverfy, and go near 
 to demand, — What they were given for ? — 
 To which, I think, .you may well reply, 
 that with regard to the State they are in, 
 '^they were not given by God at all, 
 
 God created nothing irregular. All that 
 he made, was gocd, God created Man in 
 his own Image^ and after his own Likenefs. 
 He made Man upright •, but they have fought 
 out many Inventions [b). All their IrreguLin- 
 ties are therefore owing to a fubtil Tempt- 
 er ; to corrupt Nature, and to Mens in- 
 dulging of it. But as it was the great De- 
 fign of Chrifl^s coming into the World to 
 reft ore that divine Life which we had lofl: ; 
 to renew us in the Sprit of our Mind \ to 
 beflow on us that new Man^ which after 
 God is created in Righteoufnefs and true Holi- 
 nefs \"^ which is renewed in Knowledge^ af- 
 ter tb^ Image of him that created him {c) ; 
 Therefore all irregular DeJireSy all inordi- 
 nate Affe^ions fas being oppofite to thefe. 
 great Ends) muft not only be reftrained and 
 
 bridled, 
 
 («} I St John iv. 4. 
 
 {h) Gen. i. 26, 27, 31. Eccles. vii. 29. 
 {c) Rom. vi. 23, ? Cor. xv. 22. 2 Cor, v. 18, 19. 
 Ephes. iv. 22— 2>f. Col, iii. 10. 
 
[ 105 ] 
 
 bridled, but alfo entirely fubdued and mor^ 
 tified {a). 
 
 And now, as the f acred Oracles Gontain 
 the My fiery of God and of Chrift -, in whom 
 are hid all the I'reajures of IVifdom and 
 Knowledge (b)\ let me advife you frequenr- 
 ly to meditate on the divine Truths which 
 are therein contained. Be afTured, you will 
 never repent of the Time thus laid our. 
 Do not be afraid of being over-lavifli of 
 your Pains and Labour in fuch a Study, 
 fince it will bring its own Re^'ard along 
 with it. 
 
 And here I muft mention a few Lines 
 from that very learned Prelate, the late e>c- 
 cellent Bifhop Stillingfleet^ where he treats 
 
 of the divine Authority of the Scriptures 
 
 *' How dry and faplefs are all the volumi- 
 " nous Difcourfes of Philofophers^ compared 
 *' with this 5^;?/^;;^^,— Jefus Chrift came in- 
 *' to the IVorld to fave Sinners I i Tim. i. 15, 
 " How jejune and unfatisfa5fory are all the 
 " Difcoveries they had of God and his 
 *' Goodnefs^ in Comparilbn of what we 
 " have by the Gofpel o^ Chrift ! Well might 
 *' Paul then fay, — That he determined tv 
 *' know nothing but Chrift, and him crucifi- 
 *' ed^ I Cor. ii. 2. Chrift crucified h thQ Li- 
 ** brary which 'Triumphant Souls will be ftu- 
 *' dying in to all Eternity, This is the on- 
 " ly Library^ which is the true iojp^oi' 4^X'^<9 
 *' that which cures the Soul of ail its Ma- 
 
 « I^idies 
 
 («) Verfe 5. {h) Ch. ii. 2, 3. 
 
[ 106 ] 
 
 *' ladies and Diftempers. Other Knowledge 
 " makes Mens Minds giddy and flatulent ; 
 *' this fellies and compofes them. Other 
 *' Knowledge is apt to /well Men into high 
 ** Conceits and Opinions of themfelves •, this 
 " brings them to the truefl View of them- 
 <' felves ', and thereby to Humility and .^^- 
 " hrieiy. Other Knowledge /^<7i;<fi Mens 
 *' Hearts as it found them ; this alters them, 
 «' and makes them better. So tranfcendent 
 " an Excellency is there in the Knowledge 
 *' of Chrift crucified^ above the fublin:^fl: Spe- 
 *' culations in the World f^)." 
 
 All thefe beautiful Obfervations, I am cer- 
 tain, you will find true, by your own hap- 
 py' Experience. But then, as Humility of 
 Mind^ and Holinefs of Heart, are the beft 
 Key to the Gofpel of Chr'tfi (Z>), next to divine 
 Illumination •, therefore I befeech you to pe- 
 tition conftanrly for an humble and fanftijied 
 Spirit : Since thefe wiii go a great way to- 
 wards clearing up of many Difficulties. Our 
 Church fays, that " he profits moft in read- 
 *' ing the Word of God, that is moft turn- 
 " ed into it •, that is moft infpired with the 
 " Holy Ghoft j [who is] moft in his Heart 
 " and Life altered and changed into that 
 " Thing which he readeth : He that is dai- 
 " ly lefs and lefs proud^ lefs wrathful^ lefs 
 *' covetous, and lefs defirous of worldly and 
 
 *' vain 
 
 {a) Origines Sacrce, 1. iii. c. vi. p. 256. Edit. 5. 
 [b) St Match. V. 8. St John v. 44. Ch. vU. 17. St 
 James 1.5. Ch, iv. 6. i St Pet. v. 5. 
 
[ 107 ] 
 " vain Pleafures : He that daily (forfaking 
 *' his old vicious Life) increafeth in Virtue 
 ** more and more (^)." 
 
 And now, may every ProfefTor of Chrijli- 
 anity lincerely pray to be thus quaHfied, for 
 the Sake of the Great Author and Finijher 
 of our Faith. 
 
 E, And may I, in particular, my dear 
 Friend, reap the Benefit of your kind Advice 
 and Inftrudions. 
 
 P. 1 pray God fucceed them, my good 
 Friend, Eugenius, 
 
 {a) Horn, of the Reading and Knowledge of the Ho- 
 ly Scripture, Part 1. p. 3. 
 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
[ '08 ] 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 HAVING very lately met with a Book^ 
 v;rote by a learned Gentleman, in 
 which are Ibme few things very different, 
 in my bumble Opinion, from the Dvchhte of 
 the Go/pel ; L chofe, by way of /Ippendix^ to 
 take feme Notice of them in this feparate 
 Manner, rather than to difperfe the Remarks 
 ihrough various Parts of the Diahgues, 
 
 It was not judged material to mention the 
 y^uihor's Name, as the Reader is only defired 
 to confider the Arguments^ which are here 
 offered. 
 
 But firft, let us attend to that glorious 
 Defcription of Divine Fatth^ which the Sa- 
 cred Oracles have given us. 
 
 '* Faith is the Subftance of Things hoped 
 *' for ; the Evidence of 1 hings not leen. 
 *' It is a Principle of the Operation of God ; 
 " which purifies the Heart i, and gains the 
 " Victory over the World ; [its 1 errors, Al- 
 lurements and Temptations] *' It works by 
 " Love •, is the Breaft-plate of Right eoufnefy ; 
 *' and a Shield^ which can quench all the fiery 
 " Darts of the Devil {a)'* 
 
 Here 
 
 {a) Heb. xi. i. Col. ii. 12. Afts xv. 9. Ch. xxvi. 
 
 18. I St John V. 4. Gal.v. 6. 1 Thefs. v. 8. Ephes. 
 
 Vi. 14, 16, Ttt TTOHJfa. 
 
[ 109 ] 
 
 Here then is a divine living Principle^ {m^^ 
 ficient to fti.r up every Faculty o\' the Soul\ 
 and to infpire us with Courage and Kefolu* 
 Hon to trample the IVor'd, and the God of it^ 
 under our Feet. 
 
 Let this be now compared with the De- 
 irripcion given of Faith by the ingenious 
 V/nier juft mentioned. 
 
 " Faitb ftgnifie^ the believing the Word of 
 ** God^ affeniing to it y relying, or refiing 
 '' upon it \ and a^ing accordingly,*^ 
 
 Can it be any wonder, that fuch a Faith 
 fhould leave Men in Sin ; and that " Death 
 *' mufi be fenl at lafi to kill it *," and thus 
 give the Believer a final Deliverance ? For 
 lurely the Faith here defcribed can never 
 make Felix, nor the Jailor, tremble, k caa 
 never, by any Virtue of its own, caufe one 
 
 Soul to cry out, JVhat mufl I do to be 
 
 faved? Nor can it, by any intrinfic Power ia 
 itfelf, gain the Victory over the Worlds the 
 Fie lid, or the Devil, For do not we fee Mul* 
 titudes of zvarm Profejfors, who believe, affent, 
 rely, and reff, upon ibe Word of God •, — and 
 yet continue all their Lives in the Gall of 
 Biilernefs, and Bond of Iniquity ? — Slaves to 
 all the Follies, the Vanities, the Pleafures, and 
 Pride of Life? — And what fhould reftrain 
 them ? Not this Faith moft certainly ! For 
 this, not being a Faith of the Operation of 
 God, can have no fupernatural or divine In- 
 fluence over them It not being a divine 
 
 living Principle infpired by the Spirit of God^ 
 
 caa 
 
t "o ] 
 
 can never give any fpiritual Life to a Sou^ 
 dead in Sin ; nor enable it to ^^ according to 
 the divine fpiritual Gofpel of the Lord Jefus ! 
 
 So wide is the Difference between a Fai(h^ 
 which none but God can infpire ; and a 
 Faiths which every /)rc//^ Fharifee may lay 
 claim to ! 
 
 And therefore, is it furprlzing, that fuch 
 a Believer fhould be for ever complaining of 
 falling fhort in Duty ? This, he certainly will 
 and mufi do, whilft Confcience retains any 
 Power of reproving. 
 
 However, his Comfort is, (provided he can 
 take Comfort m it) that Chriji is his Law» 
 fuJfiller ; — that Chrifl has kept the Law for 
 Rim ! — Confequentiy, it may well be afked, 
 —What would this weak Believer have ? 
 Would he keep^ for inftance, the Ten Com* 
 piandments? For what Reajfon P^^H^iS not 
 Chrifl kept xhcm for Him ? Or does he think 
 he can keep them better Himfelf ? — Why 
 then fhould he indulge this legal Spirit /'— . 
 However, fo it is ; that every time, fuch 
 weak Believers break one of the divine Com- 
 mandsy their Confcience is apt to fly in their 
 Face, and make them quite miferable! 
 
 One would think, that fome of the follow- 
 ing Scriptures had fattened upon their Minds! 
 •'— " If ye love me, fays the blefled Jefus, 
 " keep my Cojnmandments, He that hath my 
 *' Commandments, and keepeth them, he it is 
 
 *' that loveth me If a Man love n\Q, he will 
 
 ^' keep my Words. — He that loveth me not^ 
 
 *' keepeth 
 
[ III ] 
 
 *' keepelh not my Sayings. — Herein is my Fa- 
 " ther glorified, that ye bear much Fruu — 
 " If ye keep my Commandments^ ye fhall abide 
 '* in my Love \ evej), as I have kept my Fa^ 
 " therms Commandments^ and abide in his Love, 
 *' — Ye are my Friends, if ye do whatfoever 
 *'^. I command you, ^ — St John xiv. 15, 2i> 
 23, 24. Ch. XV. 8, 10, 14. 
 
 " By this," fays the beloved Difciple of 
 Chrift^ " we know that we love the Children 
 *' of God, when we love God and keep bis 
 " Commandments, For this is the Love of 
 " God, that we keep his Commandtnents \ 
 " and his Commandments are not grievousJ!^ 
 — ift Epift. V. 2, 3. 
 
 St Paul declares, that " we are the work- 
 " man/hip of God, created in Cbrift J^fus 
 «' unto good tVorks ; which God hath before 
 " ordained, that we ihould walk in themJ^- 
 He prays that the Colojfians, " might be ena- 
 *' bled to w-alk worthy of the Lord unto all 
 " pleafing ; being fruitful in every good IVork.''^ 
 And he direds Titus ^ " conftantly to ajffirm^ 
 " that they which have believed in God^ 
 *' might be careful to maintaingcodJ^Forks (^).'* 
 And only to mention one or two PafTages 
 more, " The Dead were judged every Man 
 " according to their Works. Blefled are they," 
 fays the Alpha and Omega, " That do his 
 " Commandments, that they may have right to 
 " the Tree of Life, I will give unto every 
 '* one of you, according to your Works, ~^ 
 
 " Hold 
 
 \a) Ephe§. 2. 10. Colos. \, 10. Titus iii. 8. 
 
[ 11^ } 
 
 " Hold that faf(-, which thou haft, that no 
 ^* Man take thy Crown,^^ Revel, xx. 13. 
 Ch. xxii. 14. Ch. ii. 23. Ch. iii. 11. 
 
 But now, is it pofiiblc for a ferious Chrif- 
 iian^ to attend to thefe awful Declarations \ 
 (even though he knows he muft be Javed of 
 mere Grace cnly)^ and not feel a deep Ccucern 
 for fo frcqutmly fallhjg Jborl in the difchargc 
 of his Duty ? — And yet a very ferious Cbrtf- 
 tian declares •,— " that Believers will never 
 " Jive comfortably^ till they fee the Law dead 
 " and buried]'' 
 
 1 had much rather they could fee *' the 
 *' old Man dead and buried f The whole cor- 
 *' rupt Nature crucified \ and the Body of Sin 
 ** dtfiroyed \ that fo^ they might not bcnce- 
 •» forth ferve Sin /" But on the contrary, 
 be " dead indeed unto Sin •, but alive unto 
 *' God^ through J efus Chrifl our Lord!'* Rom. 
 vi, 6, 1 1, For I fear there are but too great 
 a Number already of thefe comfortable Be- 
 lievers in the World ! Such foul -hearted ones, 
 as feldom betray a leg<:I Spirit ^ when they 
 have violated any Branch of the divine Law. 
 But who bang hardened ihrcugh the Deceit- 
 fulnefs of Sin, are able to fin on, with much 
 Peace and Ttanquillity of Mind ! 
 
 Belitver, whoever thou art, let me intreat 
 thee, not to be afraid of humbling thyfdf be- 
 fore God, under every Dcviaiicn from the di- 
 vine Commands. Otherwife, thy spirit will 
 grew more Jlack and remijs j and ihy fleejy 
 JSi^iigince Will make I bee pay dear ^ for having 
 
 been 
 
[ 1^3 J 
 
 been more afraid of a legal Spiril^ thau of viQ^ 
 latin'{ .the Law of God ! 
 
 Indeed, wben Men are taughr, that 
 " though God is able to fave them .from the 
 *' very being of Corruption, ^ow as well as 
 *' in Heaven; but that it is not his Mind 
 '' and P^ili: And that he will fend Death to' 
 «' kill Sin ;*' — I fay, when they are thus 
 taught, can fuch Doofnnes tend to ftir them 
 up—." lo cleanfe them [elves from all Filthinefs 
 " of the Flefh and Spirit ; and to perfe5i Ho- 
 " linefs in the Fear of God {a) ? Or to ufe all 
 *' Diligence to add one Grace to another ; and 
 " even to abound in them •, that fo they may 
 " be neither Jlothful (i?), nor unfruitful in 
 " the Knowledge o^our Lordjefus Chrifl (<:)." 
 So far from it; that without more Light d^nd 
 Power ^ xh?infitch Do£irines have any tendency 
 to infpire, — the Believer will only fink deeper 
 into the fleep of Sin and eternal Death : And 
 may contentedly wait for Holinefsy till both 
 Holinefs and Heaven are fliut up from him ! 
 
 But furely, whatever tends to flacken our 
 Zeal and Diligence in feeking after univerfal 
 Holinefs (which implies univerfal Obedience) 
 can never proceed from xh^ G of pel of Chrifl I 
 And further, when God promiles his People, 
 to ' • cleanfe them from all their Filthinefs and 
 '^ all their Idols : — To give them a new Heart 
 ** and a new Spirit : — To put his [holy] Spi- 
 «* rit within them *, and to caufe them to walk 
 
 " in 
 
 (a) 2 Cor. vii. I. (4) a'r'V^^^ 
 
 (r) 2 Si Pet. i. 5, 8. 
 
[ 'H ] 
 
 « in his Statutes^ and to keep his Judgments^ 
 *' and do them (a) •,'* Can'ft thou, Believer^ 
 imagine, it is tii/ie enough^ to part with all 
 thy Fihhi7tefsy and all thy Idols ^ when thou 
 corned into the Regmts of Holinefs ? Or that 
 it will be foon emiigh to receive the holy Spi- 
 rit to caufe thee to vjalk in the divine Sta» 
 tutes, and to keep and do the divine Judgments^ 
 — *' when Death is fe?it to kill Sin T*^^ Be- 
 liever^ reflect attentively on thy high Privi- 
 lege 
 
 Thou art called to be " an Habitation of 
 *' God^ through the Spirit *,— to ht fpiritually 
 *' united to Chrift % and to have Cbrift dwells 
 " ing in thy Heart by Faith \ and out of his 
 *' Fulnefs to receive^ and Grace for Grace " 
 Thou art alfo called to '* ^ Fe-llozvjhip 
 " with the Holy Ghofl \ to have the King- 
 " dom of God fet up wiihin thee^ — even Righ- 
 " teoufnefs, and Peace^ and Joy in the Holy 
 " Gboft : And even to he filled with all the 
 /' Fulnefs of God {b)V'^\\o^ can'ft thou 
 therefore imagine, —that it is agreeable to the 
 Mind and Will of God^ that the Kingdom of 
 the Devil fhould aifo continue within thee, 
 till Death comes to deflroy it ? 
 ' Art thou not called to " put off the old 
 " Man and his Deeds ; and to put on the new 
 " Man^ which after God is created in Righ- 
 
 *' teoufnefs 
 
 {a) Ezek. xxxvi 25 — 27. 
 
 \b) Ephes. ii. 22. St John xv. 4—7. 1 St John 
 i, 3. Ephes. iii. 17. St John i. 16. 2 Cor. xiii. 14. 
 St Luke xvii. 21. Rom. xiv, 17. Ephes. iii. 19. 
 
f 1-5 1 
 
 '' teoufnefs and true Holinefs f" Ephes. iv. 22 
 
 24. But can the old Man be thus put off\ 
 
 and yet /w and rule in thy Soul ? Or doft 
 thou think it needful he fhould live there, as 
 long as thou liveji upon Earth, in order to 
 7nake and keep thee humble? Be afTured, that 
 one powerful Ray of (^m>^ Gr^r<? will make 
 thee more bumble and boly^ than poring upon 
 thy Corruptions^ for twenty Years together! 
 God gives us a Sight of them to humble us ; 
 but this will not cleanfe us. Dream not 
 therefore of any Necejfuy for thy continuing 
 
 a Leper Chrifl came on purpofe to " make 
 
 '' an End of Sin^ and to bring in everlajting 
 " Righteoufnefs,''^ He is now willing and 
 able to cleanfe thee of thy Leprcfy I — There- 
 fore oppofe not thy Unbelief to his Will or 
 Power ! Be not faithiefs, but believing : — Jll 
 Things are pffible to him that believeth. Be- 
 lieve therefore; and the Victory is thine! Take 
 heed, Believer^ left thy Unbelief prevent many 
 mighty Works from being wrought in thy 
 Soul ! However, be ft.idi/ careful, that thy 
 Faith be of the right Kind \^^Faith of the Or 
 peration of God ; working by Love^ and bring- 
 ing forth all the Fruits of Righ teoufnefs ; for 
 thou art called to be filled with them. More- 
 over, pray earneftly, that the Love of God may 
 be fJoed abroad in thy Heart by the Holy Ghofl ; 
 and that thou mayeft love Htm^ with thy whole 
 Hearty and Soul^ and Mind^ and Strength {^a)\ and 
 
 that 
 
 {a) Daru ix. 24. St Matth. viii. 2, 3. St John xx, 
 
 27. St Mark ix. 23. i St John v. 4. St Matth. xiii. 
 
 53. Col. ii. 12. Gal. V. 6. Phil. i. 11. Rom. v, 
 
 5. StMarkxii. 30. 
 
t "6 ] 
 
 that thou mayell be armed with the whole Ar- 
 mour of God ; and then fear not but Satan 
 and all his Heft will fly be-fore thee! '' Be 
 tbou only thus jirong m the Lord^ and in the 
 Power of his Might (a).*' But let not the 
 great Apoft/e of the Gentiles prove a ftumbling- 
 block to thee ! He was no more fet for thy 
 Fall^ than his great Majier, Both indeed 
 have unhappily proved fo to many! But it 
 was entirely their oivn Fault : And therefore, 
 1 intreat, that thou wouldft not increafe the 
 Number ! 
 
 Do not fay, that " the /^foftle Paul, even 
 " after he had gloriouOy preached Chnft for 
 *' above twenty I^ears^ was, by his own Con- 
 ** fefiion, — Wretched, and Carnal, and fcld 
 ••* under Sin [b) ;" And then conclude, that 
 '* it would be Fo//>''and Prefumption in thee, 
 " to expedl to be lefs wretched^ lefs carnal, 
 " or Ms fold under Sin. ^* 
 
 This wretched Logic, which it is to be fear- 
 ed has ruined Thoufands of Souls, will but 
 hold thee fafter in the Chain of thy Sins ; and 
 confequently keep thee much longer out of 
 the glorious Liberty of the Children cf God ! 
 It has indeed the Authority of the great St 
 Auftin ; but what Pity is it, that he ever al- 
 tered his firft thoughts ! For after his Mind 
 was heated (or as the learned Dr fVhitby ex- 
 prefles it, after it was foured) by the Pelagian 
 Controverfie^ his Sentiments were all changed 
 
 for 
 
 (a) Ephes. vi. lo— l8. [b) Rom. vii. 14,24. 
 
[ "7 3 
 
 for the worfe (^). Before this fatal Period^ 
 he exprefsly and frequently fays, that the A- 
 foftle was only defcribitig '* a Man under the 
 *' the Law^' before Graced And elfewhere 
 he thus mentions his Opinion, — •' The Apoftle 
 *' feems to me in that Place to have taken 
 *' upon hinifelf^ the F erf on of one^ who was 
 " under the Law {h). — Of the fame Senti- 
 «' ments appear all the Fathers before St Au- 
 «« flin ; and all the Greek Cornmentators (f)." 
 And happy had it been for the World, had 
 St Auftin never been provoked to change his 
 Opinion I Since, as the fame learned Dr 
 IVhltby obferves, " it gave Occafion to the 
 *' per verting \.\\t plain Senfe of the Apoftle (^j.'* 
 
 However, our ingenious Author " cfteems 
 «« it as a Proof that the Apoftle was there 
 *' rpeaking of hmfelf \ becauie he mentions 
 «' himfelf -rhirty- eight Titnes.^' Let us there- 
 fore examine, whether x.\\t Number of Times 
 can prove this favourite Point. 
 
 For fuppofing Si Paul had repeated thefc 
 G Words 
 
 (a) Poft autem Animum erga Pelagianos acerbatum, 
 omnia in peja?, pro more mutavit. 
 
 (A) Defcribitur Homo fub Lege pofitus ante Gratiarn. 
 .^Libe.r expos, quat, propos. ex Epiji. ad Rom.^Qao 
 loco videtur mihi Jpojlo/i/s transfigurafTe in fe Hominem 
 fub Lege pofitum — Ad Sh72pHc. Medwl. Lib. I. 
 
 \c) Eft porro infuper notanium Patres omnes ante 
 Jugufiinum exiftimafle Ap'^Jlolum Pauhwi a commatte 
 faltem decimo quarto haec fcripfifle, non de feipio jam 
 renato fit Commentatores Gr^ti omnes. 
 
 {d) See the learned Dr's Striclurce Patrum, and iiis 
 Ccmmeniary in loc. 
 
[ "8 ] 
 Words,—" through my Lye (.z)"— even forty 
 Tmes^ inftead of Tbtrly eight ; — would our 
 ingenious Author have concludfd, that the 
 Apoftle really meant a Lye of his own f Ox 
 fuppofe, that Sc James had, as often faid — 
 therewith (that is, with the Tongue) '* curfe 
 *' we Men (i')," would this be any Proofs 
 that he defigned to include hiinfelf ? Or if 
 St Peter had laid///)' Trmes [c]^ — ;' when we 
 " walked in abominable IdJatries" — yet, w ho 
 would have concluded from thence, that he 
 
 had bimfef been an abominable Idolater ? 
 
 And laftly, fuppole that our holy Lord had, 
 even five hundred Ttme^, called the Bread, his 
 Body^ and the JVine his Blood; v/ould this in 
 the Opinion of cur Author, have been any Proof 
 O^TranfubJiantiation? I durfl: fay it would not. 
 Therefore the mere Repetition of a Word 
 or Sentence can neither help us to the true 
 Meanings nor make the leaft Alteration in it. 
 However, this learned Writer thinks he 
 has found a Dem-nflration, from the viiith of 
 the Romans, Verfe 2, that Sc Paul did certain- 
 ]y fpeak ot himfelf'm thofe Parts of thefeventh 
 Chapter — Let us view it. " '7 be Lazv of the 
 ** Spirit of Life in Cbrift Jefus,'' fays the A- 
 poftle, " hath made me free from the Law of 
 *' Sin and Death" Rom. viii. 2. This, it 
 feems, is a Demonflration^ that this very A- 
 poftle was then carnal and fold under Sin ! 
 
 How 
 
 («) Rom. iii. 7. (^) St James iii. 9. 
 
 (f) I StPet. iv. 3. 
 
C 119 ] 
 
 How differently does the fame Bemovftra- 
 tion z^ftdi different Perfons ! 1 have always 
 taken this Verfe as a plain Demonftration of 
 juft the Contrary I And that I may not be 
 thought fingular in it ; I fhall mention the 
 Sentiments of a truly learned and pious Di- 
 vine^ who muft be efteemed (at leaft in the 
 prefent Cafe) to be a very unprejudiced 
 Judge 
 
 *' To fuppofe," fays the late Reverend 
 Dr Doddridge^ *« the Apojtle fpeaks all thefe 
 •' Hiings of himjelj\ as tlie confirmed Cbrif^ 
 '* tian^ that he really was when he wrote this 
 •' Epinie^ is not only foreign^ but contrary to 
 " the whole Scope of his Difcourfe, as well as 
 " to what is exprefdy afferted, Ch. viii. 2. (^)." 
 
 Ltt us next proceed to what our learned 
 Author tells us, concerning imputed Righ- 
 leoufnefit 
 
 " Thts^ he afl:rms, tlie Apr^file has not 
 ** fcrupljd to mention eleven Times in one 
 " Chapter, Rom iv.'* They, who can dif- 
 cover impuied Righteoufnefs mentioned eleven 
 Tifnes in that Chapter, have, I muft confefs, 
 a. fuperior Eye-ftght to mine — I can only 
 find in that Chapter^ the Apoftle fpcaking, 
 fia or Jeven Times, of Faith imputed for 
 Righteoufnefs ; — that is. Faith imputed or 
 reckoned as the Mean or Inflrument of Jufiifi- 
 cation^ as our own Church exprefTes it in her 
 Homilies (b) •, becaufe by, or through Faitb^ 
 G 2 we 
 
 (a) Family-Expojttor* on Rom. vii. 7. Noti a* 
 {b) Part II. p. 258, 259. 
 
[ 120 ] 
 
 we are juftijicd {a) ; that is, hy^ or through 
 Faith^ we embrace the pardonwg Love of God. 
 And therefore, when St /^^^/ varies his Phrafey 
 ^ in this Chapter ; and mentions—" God im» 
 *« piiting RighteoK.fnefs \' Verfe 6. and " that 
 " Righteoufnefs might be imputed unto them 
 ** [the Gentiles'] alfo -," Verfe ii — what 
 can the Apoftle mean, (if we fiippofe he talks 
 conjyienily) but that " Godjuftifes or pai dons 
 *' a Sinner through Faith /"' There being no 
 other Way of Jujlijication for Jew or Gentile. 
 Thus is the Apoftle quite confiftent and alto«- 
 gether of ^ P/>r^ ; Nor is imputed Righteouf- 
 T.efs (in our learned Author's Senfe) fo much 
 as once mentioned in the whole Chapter I 
 
 But let us, in the laft Place, take Notice of 
 this Gentleman's Critic'ifm on the Particle 
 \v {b), in St Peter's fecond Epijlky Chap. i. 
 Verfe i. and which he infifts (hould have 
 been tranflated — in. 
 
 In the firft Place, he is too good a Scholar 
 not to know, that the Greek Particle \v (like 
 the Hebrew Beth^ to which it anfv;ers) has 
 various Acceptations \ and therefore it does 
 not necejfarily fignify — in. — However, let it 
 be tranflated — in : and let the Sentence be thus 
 rendered, — '* Faith in the Righteoufnefs ot 
 " our God and Saviour •," — yet it will not 
 afford the lead Encouragement to the Un^ 
 righteous^ (whilft they live unrighteoufty) to 
 
 rely 
 
 (a) Rom. V. r» 
 
 (^) It is indeed in the Piece U;: But this is a Miflake 
 of the Printer. 
 
[ 121 ] 
 
 rely upon imputed Righteoufnefs ! For what is 
 Faiib in that Righteoufnefs of cur God and Sa- 
 viour ;— but Fattb in that Juflification^ which 
 Lbrifi, by his Blood has purchafed for us ; 
 and which, hy Faith^ we receive from God ? 
 And what is this, but St Paul's Jupfication 
 by Faith? — And is it any wonder, that SC 
 Peter fhould agree with him ? 
 
 Believer, if thou haft any true Value for 
 thy Soul, take heed of what is commonly 
 called, imputed Righteoufnefs I — Be afTured 
 that neither St Peter, nor St Paul, ever 
 preached it. ' For can'ft thou imagine, whilft 
 St Paul bids thee,—'- to work out thine own 
 *' Salvation with Fear and Trembling j to 
 " deny ungodlinefs and worldly Lufts \ and to 
 " live fiber ly, and right eoufly, and godly in this 
 " prefent World {a)." Can'ft thou imagine 
 he fhould tell thee, — '' thou nerd not do ei- 
 ther : Fof Chrift has done ^///"— Or when 
 St Peter commands thee, — * to give Dtli- 
 *' genee to make thy^ Calling and Election fur e : 
 " Nay, to give all Dilgence^ to add one 
 ** Grace to another •, and even to abound in 
 *' them [b) ;"— can'ft thciu get leave of thy- 
 felf to fuppofe, — that he would teach thee, — 
 '' that nothing was necejfary for tbee to do \ 
 *' but only to plead the Obedience of Chrifl, 
 *' who had already performed the whole for 
 *' thee ?" Therefore let me advife thee if thou 
 art a Stranger to the convincing Power of the 
 G 3 Spirit, 
 
 {a) Philip, ii. 12. Titus ii. 12. 
 '^) 2 St Pet. i. 5, 10. 
 
[ 1" 3 
 
 Spirit,— feek for that Holy Spirit, through 
 Cbrifl^ to work powerful Convi(5lions in 
 thy Heart •,— to apply the atoning Blood to 
 thy guilty Confcience -, — to feal up xht pardon- 
 ing Love of God to thy Soul, by a divine 
 Faith ;— to make thee a nevj Creature in 
 Chrift Jefus ; and to enable thee to " he fiiU 
 *' ed with all the Fruits of Right eoujnefs^ 
 * ' which are by Jefus Chrift unto the Glory and 
 *« Praife of God {ay 
 
 Thus, Believer^ may Thou and I ^^ grow 
 *' in Grace^ and in the Knowledge of our Lord 
 ** and Saviour Jefus Chrift {b) /" May we 
 * ' take up our Crofs daily, and follow Chrift (c)]" 
 May we forget^ with the great Apoftle St 
 Paul^ " thofe Things, which are behind, and 
 *' reach forth unto thofe Thi}7gs, which are be- 
 *' fore ; and prefs toward the Mark, for the 
 *' Prize of the high Calling of God in Chrift 
 *'^ Jefus {d)l'' May we thus, through the 
 all-powerful Afli (lance of the Holy Spirit^ 
 be enabled to " fight the good Fight of Faith ;'* 
 ,— and then, through the alone Merits and 
 Mediation of the Lord Jefus, may we " lay 
 •" hold on eternal Life {e)?' And may the 
 fame divine Blejfings be the Portion of every 
 ferious Reader^ for the Sake of Him, who 
 *' tafted Death for every One (/) :" And 
 
 therefore 
 
 {a) Phil i. II. {b) 2 StPet. iii. i8. 
 
 {c) St Luke ix. 23. {d) Phil. iii. 13, 14. 
 
 {e) I Tim. vi. 12. (/) Heb. ii. 9, 
 
[ ^23 J 
 
 therefore to Him^ with the Father and Hofy 
 Spirit^ be afcribed all Honour^ Praife^ Power, 
 Might, Majejiy and Dominion, both now and 
 forever. Amen {a) /" 
 
 [a) Rev. i. 5, 6. Ch.v, 12, 13. Ch. vii. lo; 
 
 FINIS. 
 
 
 ERRATA. 
 
 Page Q. Line 19. for carnol xqi^ carnaL 
 
 —40. in the Note, line 6 {oxRevSu 1 5. read 7?ow. xi.26, 
 
 •—103. in Note {b) for avlyivnecv read a-vfyjvuuy. 
 
A 
 
 Fublifhed by the fame Author, 
 
 I. 
 VINDICATION of Mr LOCKEy 
 
 FROM THE 
 
 Charge of giving Encouragement to 
 SCEPTICISM and INFIDELITT, 
 
 And from feveral other Miftakes aiid Objeftions of the 
 learned Author of the Proceduu, Extent ^ and Liinitj 
 of Human Vnderjlanding, 
 
 In Six Dialogues. 
 
 Wherein is likewife enquired whether Mr Locke's true 
 Opinion of the Soul's imrnateriality was not miilaken 
 by the late learned iMonfieur Leibnitz.. 
 
 Humani nihil a me alienum putQ» Ter. 
 II. 
 
 A SECOND VINDICATION 
 OF Mr LOCKE. 
 
 Wherein his Sentiments, relating to Perfonal Identity^ 
 are cleared up from fome Miftakes of the Right Re- 
 verend Dr Butler^ late Lord Bifhop of Durham, in his 
 DiiTertation on that Subje<^ ; and the various Objec- 
 tions raifed againft Mr Locke., by the learned Author 
 o{ An Enquiry into the Natuie of the Human Soul, are 
 confidered ; 
 
 To which are added, 
 
 REFLECTIONS on fome Passages 
 of Dr fVaits's Philofophical ElTays. 
 
 Cenfure is the T^aX a Man pays to the Publick for being 
 eminent. Lord Bacon, 
 
''^^^i^\ 
 
 ^y 
 
 
 .1?w-> 
 
 ^^*^|i^^lMfti!^ 
 
 M} 
 
 &. 
 
 -T^