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that my fins are forgiven me; yet furely, fome measure of hope is infeparable from it. Faith and despair are opposite and inconsistent. If you do really believe the fincerity of the offer; if you do really believe the fulness and ability of the Saviour," the God of hope will fill you with "all joy and peace in believing, through the "power of the Holy Ghoft."

To this let me add, that confidering the matter, even with regard to a renewing and fanctifying work of the Spirit upon your hearts, your complaints are often exceffive and unreafonable. You would have evidence, not that the work is begun, but that it is finished. You defire comfort, not such as is fufficient to ftrengthen you against temptation, and bear you up under fuffering; but fuch as would make temptation to be no temptation, and fuffering to be no suffering. But if you are fenfible that you still adhere to God as your portion, that you cannot find peace or reft in any thing else; and that a whole world would not induce you to give up even your doubtful title to his favour and love, furely you ought to endeavour after composure of mind: you may be frequently in the ftate of the apostle Paul, who says of himself, "Our flesh had no reft, but we were troubled "on every fide, without were fightings, within

❝ were

66 were fears*. And yet fay with the fame apostle, "We are troubled on every fide, yet "not diftreffed ; we are perplexed, but not "in despair; perfecuted, but not forfaken; " caft down, but not destroyed +." It is not meant by this to condemn an earnest defire to abound in hope, or a frequent and ftrict examination of our ftate and temper, but to warn Chriftians against impatience, and against an unthankful, fretful difpofition, which indeed disappoints itself, and prevents the attainment of that peace, for the want of which it complains.

This leads naturally to the mention of another fault incident to ferious perfons, which will lay a foundation for a very important leffon upon this fubject. The fault here intended is, falling into a flothful, defpondent neglect of duty. The devices of fatan, our great enemy, are very various, and unfpeakably artful. When he cannot keep men in fecurity, and drive them blindly along the broad path which leadeth to deftruction, he endeavours to make their duty as painful and burdenfome to them as poffible. When some perfons give themselves to ferious felf-examination, he embarraffes them with fcruples, he involves them in doubts, he diftreffes them with fears. This often brings on a re

2 Cor. vii. 5.

† 2 Cor. iv. 8, 9.

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laxation or fufpenfion of their diligence in duty; they give themfelves up to anxious, complaining thoughts; they ftand ftill, and will go no farther in religion, till they are fatisfied whether they have as yet gone any length at all. But whatever good ground any person may have to be diffatisfied with himself, fo foon as he perceives that this is its effect, he ought to refift it as a temptation. I cannot better illuftrate this, than by a fimilitude borrowed from the fcripture language on the fame fubject. Whether do you think that child most dutiful, under a fenfe of his father's difpleasure, who patiently and filently applies himself to his work, or he who faunters about in idleness, and with peevish and fullen complaints, is conftantly calling in question his father's love?

This lays the foundation for a very neceffary and ufeful direction, which indeed flows naturally from all that has been faid on the evidence of regeneration. Endeavour, Chriftians, to preferve and increase your hope in God, by further degrees of fanctification, by zeal and diligence in doing his will. The more the image of God in you is perfected, it will be the more eafily difcerned. If you are at any time ready to doubt whether fuch or fuch corruptions are confiftent with real religion; if you find this a hard question to refolve, go another way to

work,

work, and ftrive by vigilance and prayer to mortify these corruptions, and then the difficulty is removed. If in a time of affliction and distrefs, you find it hard to determine whether it ought to be confidered as the correction of a father, or the severity of a judge, endeavour thro' divine grace to bear it with the patience of a child, and you will foon fee its merciful original by its falutary effect. What fhould be the daily study of a Chriftian, but to mortify fin in heart and converfation? and his comfort fhould arise from his apparent fuccefs in this important ftrife. When grain of different kinds is but fpringing from the ground, it is not eafy to diftinguish between one and another, but their growth afcertains their quality, which is fill more fully difcerned as they approach nearer to maturity. Imitate in this the great apostle of the Gentiles, "Not as though I had already “attained, either were already perfe&t; but I "follow after, if that I may apprehend that "for which alfo I am apprehended of Chrift

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Jefus. Brethren, I count not myself to have "apprehended, but this one thing I do, for"getting thofe things which are behind, and "reaching forth unto thofe things which are "before, I prefs toward the mark for the prize

of the high calling of God in Chrift Jefus *"

* Phil. iii. 12, 13, 14,

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Before

Before clofing this fection, I muft obferve, that though the account I have given of the great mark of real religion, may still leave fome in the dark, yet furely it carries in it the cleareft and plaineft condemnation of many hearers of the gospel. Oh, that it were poffible to faften a conviction of it upon their minds! Are there not many who appear from fabbath to fabbath in the house of God, who dare not affirm feriously to their own hearts, that God and his fervice has more of their habitual fettled affection than the world, or any of its enjoyments? I do not here understand grofs finners, whofe crimes are "open going before unto judgment;' but I mean the more fober and regular profeffors of religion, who may have "a form of god's"nefs, and deny the power thereof." I am perfuaded this is a more proper trial of their state, than any particular rule of duty. Many fuch perfons know fo little of the extent and spirituality of the law of God, that it is not impoffible they may be ready to affirm they do not allow themselves in any known fin, as the young man in the gospel feems to have anfwered fincerely, when he said to our Saviour, "Master, all these "have I observed from my youth." But 'L

Mark x. 20.

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