of the sweet beauty which is seen in divine things; and from the soul it is diffused through the whole man. When after a great struggle in our breasts, we are at length relieved, it is very important to find out what has relieved us. Have we been relieved by loving God, and the truth of his word? by hating sin and prizing a deliverance from it by the mediation of Christ? Or have we been relieved by believing that we were converted? They, who are quickened by the Spirit, love conversion itself; and they, who are dead in sin, may love to think that they are converted. These merely want the benefit of it; but those love the holiness which pertains to the new birth.

7. There are conversions which are made up of a forced submission to God. The awakened sinner is told that he must submit to God; that there is no other hope in his case. It is suitable that he should be told so: but Satan and his own heart may take occasion from such a direction, to make up a conversion which will in the end prove fallacious. He sets a time perhaps, when he is determined to surrender himself up to his rightful Sovereign. He undertakes and accomplishes the work. It has all been mechanically done; but the heart has not been in it.* He has not been made willing in the day of God's power. He has not grounded the weapons of

*It is one considerable proof that a conversion is not the fruit of the Spirit, if it happened at the time, at the place, and in the way which was previously expected, or contrived. The Lord is wont to appear for the help of those in distress, when he seeth their power is gone; when they, like Israel at the Red Sea, are hemmed in on every side, and know not in what way help can come.

his rebellion, because he has become pleased with his King; or because it is the choice of his heart, that he should live and reign forever. His forced submission is of no worth; but his rebellious heart is pleased with it, and the devil will seek to persuade him, that this is a sound conversion. We have many instances in the scriptures, where the enemies of God feigned a submission to him, through fear of his great power. And it is not at all difficult to suppose, that through the deceit of the human heart, and the influence of evil spirits, we should be led to flatter ourselves, that this feigned submission is real and unreserved.

8. The old serpent may beguile some by confounding the knowledge of the head with that of the heart. It is among the striking proofs of a special work of the Holy Spirit, that the deaf hear the words of the book; that the eyes of the blind see out of obscurity, and out of darkness; that they also that erred in spirit come to understanding, and that they who murmured learn doctrine." Those doctrines, which had appeared difficult, often appear easy to be understood, when grace has effected a change in the heart. Loving and delighting in the doctrines of the bible, is considered as good evidence of a change of nature. But there is a theoretic knowledge, even of divine truth, which is pleasing to some, who give the most decided proof of being in a state of unregeneracy. There is a secondary beauty, as it is termed by some, to the system of truth, which the unconverted are capable of discovering. They may see that it is a system

which has a foundation, and which has a harmo ny and consistency of parts. They do not see its holy beauty, so as to be changed into the same image. It is not written by the Spirit of God in their very hearts. But as mere intellect is concerned, they may be pleased to contemplate the system, and hear it vindicated. We know that voluptuous Herod gladly heard the preaching of John the baptist. It could not be, that his heart relished the divine sweetness there was in the preaching of this holy man. If we can have an idea of a man, who from a lower motive than disinterested love, is, in any sense, pleased with the true system of gospel doctrine; then it is not impossible but that a man should have this discovery of the secondary beauty of truth, all at once. Perhaps he had never before understood the harmony of the system, even in such a manner, as it was capable of being understood by the mere power of intellect. If this should suddenly come to his mind, he might be pleased with the discovery, just as a mathematician would be pleased with discovering a new method of solving some difficult problem in mathematics. This new intellectual discovery of the harmony of the system which had always before appeared contradictory, would have such a resemblance to the new views which a convert has, when his eyes are opened to discover the primary, and holy beauty which there is in truth, that there would be great danger that it would be taken for conversion. Satan is no doubt opposed to the increase of doctrinal light; while the friends of the Redeemer rejoice to see the understandings, even

of the unregenerate, more enlightened on the subject of divinity. This angel of darkness does therefore, in the first place, set himself to oppose all right doctrinal views of Christ and his salvation. But when, in spite of all his opposition, sinners do obtain correct sentiments concerning divine subjects, it is just like such a deceiver, to turn this to his advantage, and their ruin, by sug gesting to them, that this light, which they have gained concerning divine truth, is that spiritual illumination, which makes them "children of the light." And perhaps, it is not impossible, but that the wicked one may, in extraordinary cases, like a physician who sometimes tries hazardous experiments, even help the sinner to some striking, but unsanctified views of divine truth, hoping that by such an effort, he may fix him upon the sand, and prevent his future concern about salvation.

Some make no distinction between a spiritual discovery of a text of scripture, and the getting of a clear, rational idea of its meaning: therefore when they have this rational understanding of a text, which they had not before understood, they suppose a spiritual discovery of that text has been made to them. But in this sense, it is possible, that a natural man may understand every text in the bible; and yet it will be true, that "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him : neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." He has no such knowledge of truth, as that which is derived by having his heart filled with truth; or, in other words, with

"the love of the truth." All knowledge, shortof holy knowledge, affords no evidence of a renewing of the mind. The apostle says, "Though I understand all mysteries, and all knowledge, and have not charity, I am nothing."*

These several particulars, to which your attention has now been called, probably include many of the ways, by which the devil seeks to promote graceless conversions among the children of Adam; who are, through infinite mercy, placed in such a state, that their depraved natures may be renewed, and their souls saved from endless perdition. But let it not be imagined, that all his stratagems have been exposed. They are many, and various. When he finds certain wiles of his discovered and exposed, in any particular part of the world; or among any particular denomina. tion of christians, he may be expected to shift his ground, and take new methods to deceive. Among the Congregationalists and Presbyterians of New-England, and other northern States, the writings of EDWARDS and BELLAMY have been considerably circulated; in which the fallacy and unscripturalness of visionary conversions, have

* I would here observe, that I do not suppose, false conversions are always effected by the influence of evil spirits. We may, without their wiles, deceive our ownselves. And they could not deceive us with a selfish religion, if our hearts did not prefer such religion. Men deceive one another, and are abundantly instrumental of promoting false conversions. But it is also evident, that evil spirits are instrumental of promoting them, by their deceitfully imitating the work of God's Spirit, and painting upon the imagination such images as will be like. ly to make us believe, that God hath done great things for us. As Satan is the prince of all these evil spirits, and head of all the kingdom of darkness, he may be said to be the author of all the mischief which is done. In this sense, it may not be improper to represent every false conversion as his work.