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his imperfect performances.-He feels his corrupt affections, appetites and paffions too strong for his good purpofes and refolutions.-He is deeply fenfible of fo much defect and impurity in the best of his religious duties, as render them utterly unworthy the acceptance of an infinitely pure and holy God. He feels his heart fo hard, and his affections fo dead and carnal, that nothing but an Almighty Power can quicken them.-He knows by experience, that he lies at mercy; and that all his own refuges, and all the endeavours in his own ftrength, to relieve his diftreffed foul, are fruitless and vain.-He finds it indeed the cafe of fallen man, that nothing but coming to Chrift, with faith in him, and dependence upon him for righteousness and ftrength, can give reft to his labouring and weary foul.-True it is, there are some convinced sinners that wear off their religious impreffions, and stop short of these effects which I have now defcribed: But these confequences are always found in all thofe whofe convictions are abiding and effectual. By thefe they are always neceffitated to fly for refuge to Chrift, and look to him for that life and peace, which they can find no where elfe.-You will readily allow, that my station puts me under the advantage of a particular acquaintance with the circumftances of diftreffed fouls: And having converfed with very nany under convictions, from time to time, I have always found the above obfervations exactly verified.

How furprising is the change made in convinced finners, when a ray of divine light fhines into their fouls, and enables them to act faith in Chrift, and to behold the glory of God in the face of Jefus Chrift! -Now thefe mourners in Zion have appointed unto them beauty for afhes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praife for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees of righteousness. From

this time, they become indeed new creatures, in all fpiritual refpects.-Their difcovery of the excellency and fufficiency of Chrift, whereby they were enabled cheerfully to truft their eternal interefts in his hands, proves a continual fource of love to God and man, and a principle that conftantly inclines them to live foberly, righteously, and godly in this prefent world. We fee this experimentally true, as the Scriptures reprefent it, that their faith works by love, purifies their hearts, and overcomes the world. -There are indeed fome hypocritical pretenders to faith in Chrift, in whom we do not find these fruits and effects of it: But then there are (through the goodness of God) numbers of others, the tenor of whofe future lives does fully evidence, that their faith is fincere; and that it produces all the effects which the Scriptures afcribe to it.

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There is no room to impute this work to the ir regular fallies of an over-heated imagination, when we fee a thorough and lafting change both of heart and life. here is no room to fuppofe, that enthufiafm or fanaticism can have any hand in this change, when we fee the bleffed effects of faith in Christ every way anfwer the defcription given thereof in the gofpel; and when the believer vifibly, and in reality, is become a new man, from the time of his receiving and relying upon the Lord Jefus Chrift for righteoufnefs and ftrength.

And as bad as the times are, as ftupid' and unbelieving as the world in general appears, we have yet repeated examples of the bleffed effects of faith, which I have now described, and of the verification of that precious truth,, that to as many as receive the Lord Jefus Chrift, to them is given power to become the children of God, even to them who believe in his Name.

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And now, Sir, if you will review what has been faid, does it not evidently appear, that he who believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself, when he finds the fame change of heart, the fame fpiritual conflicts, the fame joy, peace, and comfort of foul, and all thefe wrought in the very fame way and method, which the Scriptures fo plainly and particularly defcribe?-Can I doubt of the skill of that physician, or the efficacy of that medicine, whereby I am recovered from a dangerous disease, to health and comfort, exactly in the fame method, and by the fame fenfible and progreffive fteps as was foretold me?

And is not this truth made moft clearly evident, not only to the perfons themselves, but to all diligent obfervers, when they find the fame experiences reported by all true believers in Chrift, and all the fame external and visible effects of their faith confpicuous and open to every one's obfervation, not in one or two inftances only, but in thousands of those who profefs to have had these experiences?

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-As we must neceffarily acknowledge the skill of that physician, who effectually cures all that fubmit to his directions and applications, fo are we conftrained to acknowledge him for our Saviour, who, in the very fame way and manner which he has propofed and promised, does actually and effectually fave all thofe who believe in him, and in the way of his appointment truft to him for falvation.

In my former letters I have laid before you fome of the external evidences of Christianity: In this I have give you a very brief sketch of those internal evidences, which ferve to confirm and illuftrate the fame important caufe. By the former, the truth of the Chriftian religion is laid open to the underftanding: By the latter it is made matter of fenfible experience in the heart.-That the glorious Re

deemer.

deemer may enable you to feel the force of this reafoning, to your unfpeakable comfort here, and hap pinefs hereafter, is the prayer of,

SIR,

Your, &c.

LETTER VI. Wherein fome Objections against the internal Evidences of Chriftianity are confidered and answered.

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SIR,

Do not wonder to find you prejudiced againft. "the extravagant claim to extraordinary experiences in religion, lately made by fome who "are evidently under enthufiaftic heats and delu"fions;" but I cannot fee any force at all in your reasoning, that, "because there are many "eminent profeffors of late, who really have no"thing in them but heat and fhew, and yet make "as high pretenfions to the divine influences, and "to fpecial experience of the operations of the "Spirit of God in their hearts, as any others (6 can do; therefore all pretences of that kind may "juftly be fufpected to flow from the fame caufe, "and to be the offspring of a like irregular fan- "cy, and heated imagination."

Do not you indeed think it just arguing, because fome men make vain and falfe fhews of what they really are not, that therefore all other profeffors of religion are hypocrites as well as they?-Will it follow, because fome men pretend to literature which they have not, that therefore there are no men of learning in the world?-Your difcovery of false pretenders to religious experiences does indeed give you just reason to prefume, that fome

others's

others may, but no reason to conclude, that all others must in the fame manner impofe upon the world by mere delufive appearances. If you

have discovered any to be falfe and deceitful in their profeffions of religious experience, it must be becaufe you fee fomething in their conduct which contradicts their profeffion. But what reafon does this give you, to fufpect thofe in whofe conduct you fee nothing which contradicts their profeffion?

If you have reafon to conclude the hypocrify of the former fort, from the evidences which appear against them, you have alfo reason to conclude the fincerity of the latter fort, from the evidences which appear in their favour, and which testify the reality of the change they profefs.

If you have ground to fufpect the careless, the loofe, the fenfual profeffor, because he is fuch; by the fame way of reafoning, you have ground to conclude in favour of the ferious, the watchful, and mortified profeffor of religion, because he is fuch. If the licentious and profane, the fraudulent and unjuft, the cenforious and uncharitable, the defpifers and calumniators, or their brethren, are therefore to be fufpected of a falfe pretence to the divine influences; by the fame argument, they who are fo changed as to become remarkably holy and righteous, meek and humble, charitable, benevolent and beneficent, have a just claim to be esteemed fincere, and to be credited in their profeffion of religious experiences.There are (through the mercy of God) numbers of fuchyet among us, all of whom have this change in its vifible effects obvious to the world; and though fome of them may be doubtful of their own state, yet all of them declare, that they have received all their attainments from the Lord Jefus Chrift; they have looked to him, and depended upon him for

them

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