ignorance of the quality of that change they have fenfibly experienced, which keeps believers in darknefs and doubts about their state.-The fubjects of this work can therefore have no greater evidence that it is from God, than fenfibly to feel that it every way answers the original defcription.-What greater evidence can they have of the truth of the gofpel, than a fenfible experience of the reality of its doctrines, and the truth of its promifes, by this wonderful work of grace in their own hearts, which fo vifibly carries the divine fignature both in its operation and effects; and is so manifeftly distinguished from all falfe appearances and pretences?-For my own part, I cannot but look upon the irregular heats you speak of, as affording fome convincing evidence in favour of the caufe I am pleading.These things are foretold in the Scriptures.-By these things Satan is endeavouring to fupport his own kingdom, as we may reasonably expect he would do. He knows, that he is moft likely to play the fureft game, when he transforms himself. into an angel of light.-And thefe falfe appearances ferve for a foil to difcover the greater luftre in a true and real work of divine grace.

The only objection against all this, which I can foresee, is that I am philofophifing upon the golden tooth, and that the perfons I am characterizing, exift no where, fave in my defcriptions of them.But I need add no more to what I have faid upon this already, than my atteftation, that I have the comfort of an inward and intimate acquaintance with confiderable numbers of fuch as those whose characters I have defcribed.-And if you, Sir, would feek out fuch for your chofen companions, your objections would die of themselves; and the argument I have infifted upon would appear in its proper light and strength.

I know not what more can be needful to be added upon this fubject, but my hearty prayers, that the Spirit of truth would lead us both into all truth; and that we may know, by fenfible experience, what is the hope of Christ's calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the faints; which has been justly, though but weakly and very imperfectly reprefented, in these letters, from,

SIR,

Yours, &c.

LETTER VII. Wherein the Doctrine of GOD's Sovereign Grace is vindicated; and fome Exceptions against it confidered and

anfwered.

SIR,

Yue annitered to me by your laft. I greatly

OU cannot imagine how much comfort you

rejoice to hear, that "the more ftrictly you exa"mine the cause, the greater evidence you find of "the undoubted truth and certainty of the Chri"stian religion:" But that "you are filled with "confufion, to think how long you have lived at "a diftance from that bleffed Saviour, who has "wrought out fuch a glorious redemption for us." And I am not at all furprised, to hear you com plain, that "you cannot entertain clear apprehenfions of my difcourfe of experimental religion :" That "though your last objections are filenced, "there are others, which fill your mind with greater difficulty, and are of much greater importance, if I have given you a juft view of "the cafe." And that " you cannot tell how you "can ever be brought to a feeling sense of the "doctrines

"

"doctrines of fovereign grace, which I fo much "insist on, while they appear to you so inconfiftent "with truth, and fo unreasonable."-I am not, I fay, furprised at this, for we are naturally prejudiced against thefe doctrines, and are not eafily brought to receive them, by reason of the strong bias there is upon our minds to the contrary principles. I fhall therefore endeavour to confider your feveral objections; and, how ftrong and plausible foever they may appear, I do not defpair of giving you fatisfaction.

You object, that "if we are of ourselves capable "of no qualifying conditions of the divine favour,

or, (to ufe my own words), if we must feel that "we lie at mercy, and that all our own refuges, "and all our endeavours, in our own ftrength, to "relieve our diftreffed fouls are fruitless and vain, 66 you cannot tell to what purpose any of our en "deavours are, or what good it will do us to use "any means at all for our falvation."

In order to a clear folution of this difficulty, it feems needful to convince you, that this loft, impotent, deplorable state, is the cafe in fact of every unrenewed finner, whatever objections we may frame in our minds against it; and therefore it is neceffary, that he should fenfibly perceive the case to be as it truly is.-And then, it will be proper to fhew you, that the confequence you draw from this doctrine is unjust, and even directly contrary to the improvement you ought to make of it.

I begin with the first of these, and-fhall endeavour to convince you, that man is indeed in such a loft and helpless ftate, that he lies at mere mercy, and cannot bring himself into a claim to the divine favour, by any power or ability of his own.-I fhall not run into the fcholaftic controverfies and fubtile diftinctions, with which this doctrine has

been

been clouded by many of our wrangling difputers; but shall endeavour to fet it in the moft plain, easy, and practical light, that I am able.

I think you must readily grant, that you cannot make an atonement for your fins, by any performances within your power.-You are, Sir, to confi. der yourself as a finner, as a criminal and delinquent in the fight of God.-Your nature is corrupt and defiled. Your actual tranfgreffions of the law of God have been very numerous, and perhaps fome of them attended with fpecial aggravations.-All your fins are directly repugnant to the perfections of the divine nature, and confequently offenfive to a pure and holy God.-And what greatly increases the difficulty and danger of your cafe is, that you are ftill continuing to act contrary to God in all you do, while your nature is unrenewed; and while you are without a principle of love to God. (I am fure you will pardon this freedom, for it is neceffary you fhould know the difeafe, in order to the cure).-Judge then yourself, whether it can be fuppofed, that an omniscient, heart-searching God can be pleased with any, even the most devout of your overt actions, when he knows that your heart is eftranged from him, and your nature has no conformity to him, but your affections are glued to your feveral idols.-How then can you be reconciled to God, by virtue of your own performances and attainments? Can you pay ten thousand talents with lefs than nothing?-Can you please God by offending him, as you do by the obliquity of all your duties, the defects of your best devo. tions, and the finful affections from whence they all flow? Or can you have thofe unworthy thoughts of an infinite unchangeable God, as to hope you can make fuch impreffions upon his affections, by acknowledging your offences, and imploring his

-Or

mercy,

mercy, as to excite his compaffion and fympathy; and to make your impure and unholy nature agreeable to his infinite purity and holinefs?-Can your infincere and hypocritical duties (for fuch they are all at beft, while they proceed from an unfanctified heart) bring the glorious God to take complacency in what is directly contrary to his own nature?You cannot but fee, that these proposals are moft unreasonable and abfurd. One of these things must certainly be true; either, firft, that you have naturally, whilft in an unrenewed ftate, a principle of holiness and love to God: Or, fecondly, that works flowing from an impure fountain, and from a principle of oppofition and alienation to God, are yet pleafing to God, will ferve to appease him, and will intitle you to his favour: Or, thirdly, that you cannot, by any thing you do, have a claim to God's favour, until your nature is renewed, and you can act from a principle of holiness and love to God. I think every man's experience will confute the firft of thefe, who gives any attention at all to the natural difpofitions of his own foul: The fecond is altogether inconfiftent both with the nature of things, and with the nature of an infinitely pure and holy God: And therefore the third is neceffarily true.-It will not at all help the cafe to allege, in bar of what is here faid, that Chrift Jefus has made an atonement for us. For what is that to you, while you remain without an intereft in him?--Did Christ purchase for you a capacity to make an atonement for yourfelf? Did he die, that God might be pleafed with what is contrary to his own nature, and pacified with fuch duties as can be no better than impure ftreams from a corrupt fountain?

Let reafon fit judge in the cafe before us, and you must allow your cafe to be as I have described it. And it is equally evident, that you have no

power