that extraordinary revelations and vifions are no more to be expected, and that ocular demonftrations are not to be trusted, and that instead of imaginary vifions, which commonly are deceptions, the only way for the foul is to give ear to, thus faith the Lord in his word, which is the most fure word of the prophecy, unto which we do well to take heed, &c. And there is hardly a more fubtile temptation ever ufed than to perfuade the foul to expect beyond what is written; the foul finds (under a conviction of fin) its cale extraordinarily bad, and is therefore fubject to think that there must be fomething great indeed, or elie it cannot be faved; but here the Teacher in Ifrael doth let the foul know, that the invariable word is the rule of the eternal Spirit in his operations, whenever the foul expects more than what the LORD hath promifed in his word (if more can be) it is certainly a temptation. The Apostle Paul's converfion, in fome circumftances of it, was a fingular cafe, therefore not to be laid down as a general rule, the effential part abstracted from the circumftantial part of it, is what is experienced by every believer, but the circumstances of it are not experienced by one in ten thousand, if it ever was by any other but Paul himself; for all are not called to the Apoftolic office, and the reft of the Apoftles themselves were not called in the fame manner; therefore it is a temptation to expect converfion to be wrought in like manner, but we ought calmly to wait for the fulfilling of the facred word, by a difcovery of which the LORD, the Spirit, brings comfort and confolation to the foul, as it is faid, the Lord revealeth himself to Samuel by the word of the Lord.

Friendly. But doth not Satan difcourage the coming foul, by making a handle of God's electing grace and love?

Truth. This is one of his ftrongeft fnares, which he generally keeps till laft, for faith Satan, by fuggefting to the mind, alas! poor foul! what availeth all thy forrowing, and hatred of fin! what availeth all the merits of a dying CHRIST! all the truth of the promifes! and all the riches of grace, and fulness of mercy to thee, if thou art not elected? There might be fome hopes of thy falvation, from thy ftriving, mourning, and hatred of fin, but the Scripture faith, It is not of him that willeth,

of him that runneth, but of God that fheweth mercy. Many are called, but few are chofen. This temptation opens a patn of mercy to the foul, however dark it may appear at first, for hereby the HOLY GHOST makes the evidences of election fhine the brighter upon the mind, which is to make manifeft to us our effectual calling, and then we need not doubt our

election, for whom God did foreknow, them he did also predeftinate to be comformed to the image of his Son. Now if we find the image of CHRIST in any measure taking place upon our minds, we may be affured, that the image wrought there, by the HOLY GHOST, flows from electing-love, and what God hath afore appointed us unto: For any to attempt to know their election, before the HOLY GHOST has made their calling clear, is a temptation of Satan to diftrefs them, and is, according to the vulgar proverb, putting the cart before the horíes, for there is no poffibility to enjoy the evidence of election, without the enjoyment of effectual vocation, for whom he hath predeftinated, or elected, them he also calleth; and whom he calleth, them he alfo juftifieth.

Perhaps it may not be an unpardonable digreffion from the fubject, if we ftop and just take notice, that it is but rare, if ever, that an hypocrite queftions his election, for the most part he takes it for granted, because he has a notional knowledge of it with other truths of the gospel. There are two forts of per fons, who are little troubled with doubts and fears, which are the strong in faith, and the hypocrite. The first of these are little troubled with them, because their faith overpowers their fears. The latter, because they are deftitute of the first princi ples of religion, I mean regenerating grace, and are only under the influence of a natural confcience. But the lambs of the flock of CHRIST, who is their chief Shepherd, have little else but doubts and fears, especially at first, though under the leadings of divine grace; but when the foul is taught by the HOLY GHOST to leave the decree of election, and only concern itself with the truth of its vocation, then the mouth of Satan and unbelief is stopped by the power of divine truth upon the mind.

Friendly. Hath Satan any further obftruction to hinder the foul's coming to CHRIST by faith for falvation?

Truth. Yes, there is one objection more, by which Satan not only diftreffeth the foul at first, but harraffeth the Chriftian. frequently with, which is, to perfuade the mourning foul, that if it were an object of divine love, the LORD would not "withhold divine comforts from it fo long, but deliver it from "its diftrefs and captivity; for faith unbelief, if the LORD "delighted in thee, how is it that it is thus, and thus with "thee! if he loved thee, why doth he not fave thee from this "anguish of mind, and not fuffer thee to mourn from day to "day! thou calleft upon him, but he gives no answer! thou

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"dost attend upon the miniftration of the word, but he ad"minifters no comfort to thee! he doth not speak peace to "thy foul, as he doth to others, therefore thou art not a child "of God, or furely he would fhew thee the light of his "countenance!"

This exercife of the foul, under the influence of unbelief, gives an opportunity to the HOLY GHOST to teach the foul patiently to wait upon the LORD, to fay with the Pfalmift, Pfal. xl. 1. I waited (or as it is in the margin, in waiting I waited) patiently for the Lord, and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. And with the church, Lam. iii. 26. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the falvation of the Lord. Thus the LORD, the Spirit, lets the foul know that the vifion is for an appointed time; though it waits, tarry for it, for it will furely come. The foul, under this temptation, is ready to conclude that the LORD is flack concerning his promife, but then we ought to confider, how long the LORD hath waited on us, and how long fome of his faints have waited for the mercy he hath promised them; even Abraham, who is ftiled the friend of God, and the father of the faithful, waited twenty-five years for the fulfilment of the promise, which God had made to him, that in his feed all nations should be bleffed; yet Abraham counted him faithful that had promised.

Second, How long foever falvation may feem to tarry before the comforts arrive in the foul, yet all, who earnestly defire a part therein, according as GOD difpenfes it, may affure themselves, that the bleffings will come at the end. And here I would ask, what great harm can accrue to the foul, on fuppofition that the comforts of falvation fhould be fufpended until the day of his death, providing he enjoy the fubftance of it in a fin-fubduing, foul-governing manner? This may be the cafe with fome, who yet arrive fafe at glory. And many, very many, are there of the children of GOD, who have waited for ⚫weeks, months, and years, for that falvation which they now poffefs thro' divine grace; I would therefore have no one difcouraged, though the LORD, for wife ends, fhould fuffer them to ftay long at the place of the bringing forth of children. Tho' the poor lame man lay at the pool of Siloam the space of thirtyeight years, yet his cure came at laft; one would even wonder that his patience was not quite spent, feeing that when the waters were troubled he had not been able, in all that while, to get first into the pool. Why then should poor feeking fouls grow weary of the ordinances, when they find they attend time after time, and yet find no comfort thereby, especially

when we confider, that there is the most profit under the word, when the leaft prefent comfort is adminiftered by it? The poor man profited by his long waiting; for instead of being cured by the troubled waters, he had the pleasure and honour of being healed by CHRIST himself, and thereby became one of the radiant ftars of Immanuel's enamelled crown. Anna, the Pro phetefs, and good old Simeon, waited long for the confolation of Ifrael, but their waiting was not in vain, for they enjoyed the defirable opportunity of feeing CHRIST the falvation of GOD, and bearing their public teftimony of him. From hence we may obferve, that there is no lofing any thing by waiting upon the LORD, for JEHOVAH hath faid, Ifa. xlix. 23. For they shall not be ashamed that wait for me; and again, They that zvait upon the Lord fhall renew their strength, &c. Though I allow the Chriftian, in the days of his firft love, to judge of his fincerity according to his fenfation and feeling, but it is by long waiting upon the LORD, he is taught that inward fenfations are as fleeting as vapours, and therefore not the touchfone to try fincerity by; but the continuation of the foul's waiting upon GOD for the bleffings which he hath promised in his word is the only way. Now the HOLY GHOST removeth all these obftacles out of the way of the foul, in his working of faith in the mind of that awakened finner, who is coming to CHRIST for pardon, peace, acceptance with God, and eternal falvation.

From the Spirit's work upon the hearts of the elect, we evidently fee,

First, That coming to CHRIST is a work of great difficulty, it is heart work, it is trying work, for the finner must not only be beat out of every fubterfuge, but all his objections and impediments must be removed before he can be brought to lay hold of CHRIST, and falvation by him. And let us here acknowledge with thankfulness the grace and condefcenfion of GOD the Spirit, who humbleth himself (if I may so speak) to suit his operations to our circumftances and neceffities.

Second, From hence we see how rational falvation is in all its parts, as all the objections which the foul (through the fears of guiltinefs before Gon, and the temptations of Satan) makes against its own falvation, the LORD the Spirit, anfwereth them, in a rational way, by divine arguments, taken from the word of GOD. How then do the enemies of our holy religion reproach its grand and tremendous Author, by saying that it is

an irrational system, when it so perfectly correfponds with reafon, for it is granted, that it is above our reason; but contains nothing contrary thereunto!

Third; Hence obferve, how the Omniscient Agent fo overruleth the temptations of Satan, that they prove the way for fresh inftructions to the foul. This privilege the LORD'S people have above all others, viz. that all their temptations work for their good; if we difcern this aright, we fhall fee a great glory refting upon this part of the fpirit's workmanship, for these temptations, obftacles and impediments, are in a fenfe the inftruments whereby the HOLY GHOST Worketh faith in the hearts of the elect.

Thus, my dear Friendly, I have endeavoured to explain, wherein the love of God appears in warning the finner of his fpiritual and eternal danger, viz. in the LORD's convincing him of fin, and bringing him to a deep fense of forrow and humiliation for the fame, the acknowledgment of his heinous gilt, the aggravations of his crimes, the abomination of his heart, the filthiness of his nature, the juftness of his condemnation, and his petitions for mercy; together with the means of removation, by the power of the HOLY GHOST, of all those temptations, which Satan, and unbelief, his firft-born, lays as mountains and obftacles in the foul's way, that would willingly find redemption in the blood of JESUS, even the forgiveness of all its fins, according to the riches of divine grace; and which naturally leads us,

Secondly, To confider Wherein the Love of God appears in changing the foul from darkness into his marvellous light; under which head we fhall confider the nature of faith, the author of faith, the object of faith, the exercise of faith, or the foul's being changed from darkness into God's marvellous light, by the divine encouragement of CHRIST's invitation, word, and promises; for as CHRIST engaged his heart to redeem his people from fin, in its guilt, power, and condemnation, to fave them from all their anguish, diftrefs, and forrow of foul, therefore the LORD JESUS, in the most tender, and gracious manner, invites fin-burthened fouls to come unto him, Matt. xi. 28. Come unto me, all ye who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you reft.

Friendly. As your elucidation of conviction, compunction, and humiliation for fin, together with the embarrassment which Satan fuggeftsto the mind of an awakened finner, in his feeking for mercy, hath been fatisfying and entertaining to me, being agreeable to experience and the word of GOD, I fhould efteem