yet it is their common character to bring forth fruit, some a hundred fold, some sixty, some thirty. (Matt. viii. 23.) So that it seems more difficult to reconcile it with Scripture that a true saint (there being no extraordinary bodily disease, as the hypochondria, etc., nor other extraordinary circumstances that may account for it) should live along in the dark, full of doubts and fears about his state, from year to year; I say, more difficult to reconcile this with Scripture, than it is to prove that they may live so as to make their calling and election sure, according to that exhortation in 2 Pet. i. 5, 11.

Ther. But I have known some, esteemed true converts, who, after their conversion, have lain dead, without any sensible divine influence, for months together.

Paul. Why did you not add, and years together? For once I knew of one, counted an eminent Christian, who declared he lay dead twelve years, without one act of grace all that time. But what good do such conversions do? If men are as much under the power of spiritual death after their conversions as before, what benefit is there in being converted? and what becomes of all those Scriptures which declare, "He shall save his people from their sins." "That we might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness, all the days of our lives." "A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh and I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them." "Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." And pray take notice, my dear Theron, that, as God gave the law, written on tables of stone, to Israel, to all "Israel according to the flesh," which covenant they did break, (Heb. viii. 9,) so he has expressly promised to all the spiritual Israel, that is, to all true believers, (Gal. iii. 29,) that he will write his law in their hearts, that is, give them an inward temper of mind answerable to his written law. (Heb. viii. 10.) A hypocrite may go to God, and say, "Pardon is mine, grace is mine," and be ravished with his own delusion; but God doth, in fact, write his law in the heart of every true believer. This is God's mark, put upon all that are of his flock; whereby his sheep are distinguished from the rest of the world.

Ther. But cannot a man, who is very uncertain of his sanctification, be sure of eternal life some other way?

Paul. Our Savior, having described the Christian temper and life in his Sermon on the Mount, concludes with the strong

est assurances that such, and such only, as are truly sanctified, shall be finally saved. If we are such, our house is built upon a rock; if not, our house is built upon the sand. Now, my dear Theron, we hope to go to heaven when we die. So do many, who will be finally disappointed. How shall you and I know that our foundation is good? Who can tell us? Surely, none better than he who is to be our judge. Could we ask our blessed Savior, Lord, how shall we know? what would he say? Thanks be to God, we know what he would say, as surely as though he should answer us with an audible voice from heaven. For he is now of the same mind as when he dwelt on earth. What he then taught is left on record, plain for all to read, that none might mistake in a point of such infinite importance.

Take your Bible, my dear Theron; read our Savior's Sermon on the Mount; and there you will see the character of a true Christian, drawn by an infallible hand, and find a test by which you may safely try your state. The true Christian is humble, penitent, meek, longing after holiness, merciful, pure in heart, a peacemaker, willing to part with all for Christ, and to go through the greatest sufferings in his cause. Like salt, he is full of life and spirit. Like light, by his knowledge and example he enlightens all around him, and is an honor to his Master; lives by a stricter rule than any hypocrite; does not justify nor indulge the least grudge against his neighbor, or the first stirrings of any corruption in his heart; loves not only his friends but his enemies, even his worst enemies; gives alms, and prays, as in the sight of God; is chiefly concerned for the honor of God, and kingdom and interest of Christ in the world; chooses God for his portion, lays up his treasure in heaven, and means, with an honest heart, with a single eye, only to be God's servant; and, trusting his kind providence for temporal supplies, he makes it his chief business to be truly religious: not of a carping, captious, censorious disposition; but chiefly attentive to, and mostly concerned to amend, his own faults. He prays, and his prayers are answered; and, in imitation of the divine goodness, he is kind to all around him, doing as he would be done by. At his conversion, he enters in at this strait gate of strict piety; and through the course of his life he travels in this narrow way of holiness, almost alone, few suited with that road, many walking in broader ways. Nor will he be diverted from these sentiments and ways by any preachers or writers, whatever appearances of holiness and devotion they may put on.

Ther. But do you really and verily believe that none will at last be admitted into heaven but those who are of this character?

Paul. Pray, my dear Theron, read our Savior's answer to your question, and believe it. Believe that he means as he

says.

Ther. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven."

Paul. Observe, "that doth," not that did that doth, through the course of his life. ruption. Pray read on.

some years ago, but Forgive this inter

Ther. "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?"

Paul. You see they are in confident expectation of eternal life. But what is their doom?

Ther. "And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock; and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand; and the rains descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it."

Paul. Observe, my dear Theron, our Savior does not say, every one who firmly believeth that he shall be saved, however unconscious of sanctifying operations in his own breast, shall, as sure as God is true, be forever happy. No: but just the reverse. He says that, however confident men be of salvation, yet if they do not the things contained in his sermon, their hopes shall infallibly be disappointed. Now say, my dear Theron, do you believe this doctrine, taught by our blessed Savior?

Ther. I must own, I have not been wont to view things just in this light. "I used to think, I need not trouble myself to find out a multitude of marks and signs of true grace, if I could find a few good ones. Particularly, I thought I might know I was passed from death to life, if I loved the brethren."

" M.

Paul. Your few good ones are all counterfeits, if alone, separate from other good ones. For the true saint receives every grace from Christ. (John i. 16.) Nor did Christ mean to single out a few in his sermon, but to give a brief summary of the whole Christian life. And he that heareth these sayings of 20

VOL. II.

one and all.

mine, and doth them, not, doth a few of them, but doth them. Read through the first epistle of John, and you sentiment confirmed. Where there is one grace, there is all. If there is not all, there is none.*

will see this

Ther. But, sir, suffer me to tell you, that "this method of seeking peace and assurance, I fear, will perplex the simpleminded; and cherish, rather than suppress, the fluctuations of doubt. For, let the signs be what you please, a love of the brethren or a love of all righteousness, a change of heart or an alteration of life, these good qualifications are sometimes, like the stars at noon-day, not easily, if at all, discernible; or else they are like a glowworm in the night, glimmering rather than shining; consequently, will yield at the best but a feeble, at the worst, a very precarious evidence. If in such a manner we

should acquire some little assurance, how soon may it be unsettled by the incursions of daily temptations, or destroyed by the insurrection of remaining sin! At such a juncture, how will it keep its standing? How retain its being? It will fare like a tottering wall before a tempest; or be as the rush without mire, and the flag without water. (Job viii. 11.)

"Instead therefore of poring on our own hearts, to discover, by inherent qualities, our interest in Christ, I should rather renew my application to the free and faithful promise of the Lord; assert and maintain my title on this unalterable ground: Pardon is mine, I would say, grace is mine, Christ and all his spiritual blessings are mine. Why? Because I am conscious of sanctifying operations in my own breast. Rather, because God hath spoken in his holiness; because all these precious privileges are consigned over to me in the everlasting gospel, with a clearness unquestionable as the truth, with a certainty inviolable as the oath of God." H.

Paul. But did you not use to think, that faith was productive of good works? Yea, did not your Aspasio teach you this doctrine?

Ther. I must confess he did. This was once the language of my Aspasio to me, while I was yet an unbeliever. To give me an exalted idea of faith, thus he taught me: "Faith will make every power of our souls spring forward to glorify our

* However, on the Arminian and Antinomian schemes of religion, in which nothing is truly harmonious and consistent, what they call graces, may, some particulars of them, be found alone; yet on St. Paul's scheme this can never happen; for every grace natively results from those divine views which lay the foundation of any one grace. Beholding, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, as shining forth in the law and in the gospel, we are changed into the same image, that is, into a real conformity to the law, and a genuine compliance with the gospel, comprising all the branches of religion. See Mr. Edwards on Religious Affections, p. 249, 261.

heavenly Father; glorify him by every instance of obedience, fidelity, and zeal. It makes all the powers of our souls like the chariots of Aminadab, ready, expedite, and active in duty. This is the love of God, that we walk after his commandments. This is the natural fruit; this the certain evidence of love to that glorious, transcendent, and adorable Being. It buildeth up the fair fabric of universal godliness." H. It will diffuse itself through every intellectual faculty, and extend to every species of duty, till the whole heart is filled with the image, and the whole behavior regulated by the law of the blessed God." It "will induce us to present all the members of our bodies, and all the faculties of our souls, as a living sacrifice to the honor of God, to be employed in his service and resigned to his will." To be as pilgrims below, and have our conversation above. Such, my dear Theron," said he to me, "will be the effects of faith. Nothing is more certain than that faith is a vital, an operative, a victorious principle. When the first converts believed, the change of their behavior was so remarkable, the holiness of their lives so exemplary, that they won the favor and commanded the respect of all the people. (Acts ii. 47.) In short, it is as impossible for the sun to be in his meridian sphere and not to dissipate darkness, or diffuse light, as for faith to exist in the soul, and not exalt the temper and meliorate the conduct." All which, besides proving it by many texts of Scripture, he illustrated at large, in the example of St. Paul and Abraham, and concluded with assuring me, that faith "will give life to every religious duty;" and make us "abound in the work of the Lord." Yea, at another time he taught me, "that faith, even when weak, is productive of good works." Which are "the proof," and do "undeniably attest its sincerity." They are "the grand characteristic, which distinguishes the sterling from the counterfeit. They will distinguish the true believer from the hypocritical professor, even at the great tribunal." And at another time, I remember my Aspasio said, "Do we love our enemies; bless them that curse us; do good to them that hate us; pray for them which despitefully use us, and persecute us? Without this loving and lovely disposition, we abide, says the apostle, in death; are destitute of spiritual, and have no title to eternal life."

Paul. "No title to eternal life!" How dare you then go to God and say, "pardon is mine, Christ and all his spiritual blessings are mine!"

Ther. This is that very faith which my Aspasio taught me to exercise, and which he assured me, would be "as a torch in a sheaf," in kindling every grace into a sudden flame.