1. It is MOST NECESSARY, for

A. It is a point on which greatly depends both life and death, falvation and damnation, everlasting happinefs and eternal mifery; for a temporary faith, how far foever it may go, can go no farther than to make a perfon AN ALMOST Chriftian, and confequently not a Chriftian INDEED; for faith which is temporary does not bring the foul to enjoy fellowship with Chrift, but genuine faith, how weak foever it may be, unites the foul with the Lord Jefus, and thus conftitutes one really a Christian, and makes him as an heir, to expect on the best foundation, to be put in poffeffion of the INHERITANCE which is held in reverfion; ETERNAL LIFE and SALVATION.

B. Temporary Faith in many points greatly refembles that faith which is true and faving; wherefore, the person who has only a faith which is tempo rary, is with extreme difficulty convinced that he wants that genuine kind which purifies the heart, works by love, overcomes the world, and is the gift of God. The finner who is openly profane, whofe life and converfation is diametrically oppofed to the law of God, may be convinced with much lefs difficulty that he needs converfion than the almoft Chriftian; for the man bold in fin, cannot refort for fhelter to this fource: "That he is externally holy, and that in his "whole deportment the ftri&teft attention has been

paid to moral duties." This, however, is the covert beneath which the almoft Chriflian would fcreen himself; and fuch is his prefumption, that if divested of one FIG LEAF he will have recourse to another to hide him not only from his God, but from himfelf. If, with precision and accuracy we would afcertain the true ftate and condition in which we are, a very nice and particular ASSAY must be made. The

G

refiner of GOLD finds it not neceffary to bring LEAD, TIN and IRON to the touchftone, for these metals difcover at first fight what their properties are; but when SILVER and other METALS are melted into a mass, which makes the compofition nearly resemble the pure gold, it is then proper to apply it to the STONE, that the quality of the compound may be difcovered, and deception be prevented. In the very fame manner we must act with respect to temporary faith, that it be diftinguished from true and faving faith, to which it bears the moft ftriking likeness; it must be brought to the true touchftone, the WORD OF GOD, which can never deceive; it must be examined with the moft fcrupulous exactnefs to the end, that the refult of our labour may be, to diftinguish that faith which is true from that which is falfe and delufory.

C. An investigation of this kind is not only attend

ed with an advantage to the temporary believer, but also to him who poffelles true faith; for the former, as long as he enters not on the serious work of examination, goes on quietly and without concern, in the road which leads to everlasting misery; he becomes more AT EASE in fin, and his danger of being RUINED FOR EVER is daily increased; and in like manner, if the true believer be not frequent in converfing with his foul and in ascertaining its true state, he is in danger of continuing long oppreffed by fear that at best his faith may be but of the temporary kind, and is thus deprived of the comfort and fatisfaction which otherwise he would enjoy.

2. But is this investigation so necessary? It is not lefs DIFFICULT, if we be faithful in the work; for

A. In order to an accurate examination of ourfelves, fo as to be able to separate the GOOD in us from that which is EVIL, it is neceffary that we calm

ly and deliberately enter within, look at the heart, and fee how things are there fituated; for the heart is the fountain from whence all our actions proceed; hence it is denominated felf-examination and the confideration of ONE'S WAY; Hagg. i. 5. confider your ways; and because this clofe examination of the heart is fo. abfolutely neceffary, the work is rendered fo difficult; for on the one hand the temporary believer does not readily enter upon it, and in cafe he does, he runs through it with all poffible speed; he does not pry into the fecret receffes of his heart; his external actions only pals in review before him; and on the other hand, though the true believer engages much in felf-examination in fecret before his God, and delights to converfe with his foul, yet he frequently meets with so much oppofition that he makes but little progrefs.

B. The work of felf-examination is difficult; for the temporary believer only furveying the furface, comes to a good conclufion with refpect to his state, whilft the real Chriftian, experiencing fo much of the PLAGUES of his heart, or in-dwelling fin, forms an opinion of his condition which is most unfavourable. The one, deluded by felf-love, forces himself to believe that he is truly good, to prevent his foul from being overwhelmed and difquieted within him; the other, afraid left he should deceive himself, deals with too much severity in judging of his case.

C. There is required in felf-examination, in order that we may form a judgment which fhall be according to truth; that we be aided by THE ILLUMINATING INFLUENCES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. The temporary believer, deftitute of this faithful guide, will be led too eafily to conclude, that he is a poffeffer of that faith, the end of which is the falvation

of the foul; whilft the real Chriftian, who has indeed experienced his enlightening grace, and thereby attained to a knowledge of himself, having by fin grieved the Spirit, and thus caufed him to withhold for a season that light which is fo REFRESHING to the foul, is tempted to form an UNFAVOURABLE determination as to his STATE and CONDITION, if when unaffifted by that celeftial guide who fearches the deep things of God, and whofe immediate prerogative it is, to convince of fin, of righteoufnefs, and judgment. He commences, and proceeds in the work of examining whether his heart be right with God, and whether of a truth he be in the faith.

D. SATAN, who is loth to lofe ONE over whom he hath exercised any fway, and who is well aware that felf-examination is the most certain way of difcovering the awful precipice on which the finner and the hypocrite are standing, and of exhibiting the DANGER both are in, of being led captives at his will, until eternal ruin be brought upon them, EXERTS all his ftrength, and employs every artifice to make them at eafe in their fins, and confequently he is vigilant to keep them from engaging in the great work of fearching their hearts. He excites them to attend with so much ardor to worldly pursuits, that all enquiry and concern refpecting their fouls are neglected. If at any time they retire for a season from the busy scenes with which they are conversant, he injects a thousand thoughts, which have an immediate tendenсу both to draw their hearts from God, to keep them from trying what fpirits they are of, than which no one thing is more needful or beneficial. Do they experience compunction, or are they difquieted by an accufing confcience? he well knows what erroneous principles to inftil, with a view of keeping them from

building on Chrift, the only fure foundation. And on the contrary, although the adversary be aware, that he cannot keep out of heaven one foul that has true faith; yet being the fworn enemy of the people of God, he endeavours to make the road leading thither both thorny and difficult, and efpecially because much of their comfort depends on frequent and faithful examinations of their hearts. He exerts himself to the utmost, to prevent those in distress from entering upon it at all: and if they commence it, he excites fuch a degree of fear, that frequently they progrefs not, and are impeded in the important work.

E. It is a thing than which nothing is more arduous, to discover a temporary believer to himself: for he is inceffantly reflecting on his external actions, as being pre-eminent, and fets the highest value upon them, because he is little concerned as to the manner of their being performed, to render them acceptable unto that God, who feeth not as man feeth, and who is a fearcher of the heart, and a trier of the reins of the children of men. It is no uncommon thing for a perfon of this description thus to reason with himself: "I do all those things which are performed by thofe "of whom the leaft doubt cannot be entertained but "that they are God's children. With earnestness "and zeal I engage in the fervice of God. I af"fociate with the pious; and when in their company "make it a point to converfe on the great doctrines "of Christianity, and that too with such fervor and "engagedness, that they clafs me among those who "have felt the power of them on their hearts. I ne

ver indulge myself in the commiffion of outward "acts of fin. What lack I yet?" Matt. xix. 20. Now fince he builds his hopes of falvation on fuch foundations, and never looks into his heart at all, either