"we may be occupied in this Kind of Reafon❝ing, it is evident we are employed in nothing "elfe but folemn Trick and Diffimulation; un❝lefs it may be pled in our Behalf, that we are "imposing on ourselves, by the fame Means by "which we impofe upon others.

"Men are juftified by the Knowledge of a "Righteousness finished in the Days of Tiberius; "and this Knowledge operates upon them, and "leads them to work Righteousness. If ye know, "fays the Apoftle John, that He is righteous, ye "know that every one that doth Righteoufness is born "of Him. Faith is not acquired but is obtained,

as Peter fays, (Tois xax851) To them who have "OBTAINED BY LOT like precious Faith with us. "Of two Criminals juftly condemned to die, if .66 one escapes by a favourable Throw of the "Dice, and the other dies for his Crime, we see "Mercy in the Deliverance of the former, and "no Injustice in the Death of the latter. Two "Men may be employed with equal Diligence "in studying the Scripture, and with equal Se"riousness in praying for divine Affistance; the ་་ one may come to know the Truth, and the "other may grope in the Dark all his Life-time. "He who comes to know it, plainly perceives that he has found what he was not feeking af "ter: He plainly fees, that his moft ferious De❝ votion

❝votion was pointed in direct Opposition to what now comforts him." p. 406, 407.

Nevertheless the Truth being declared, they may, like the noble Bereans, search the Scriptures, whether thefe Things are (s?

"Thus the Word of Life is held forth in the "World-serving as a Mean of divine Appoint"ment, to lead fome to the Faith, and render "others inexcufable." p. 408.

This is a proper Reply to Palamon's own Objection, p. 350. " that the grant of the Gospel is 66 a Gift of Benefits to Multitudes who are never "benefited thereby." It ferves as a Means of divine Appointment to lead fome to Faith, and leave others inexcufable.

"The Change made upon a Man by the Be"lief of the Gospel, may be thus illuftrated: "When Lazarus was revived to the Enjoyment

of this mortal Life, neither his Will, nor his "Power were concerned in the obtaining of Life. "Yet his Life could no otherwise be continued

and enjoyed, but in his voluntary Exercise of it. As foon as he revived, the Principle of Self-preservation, with all its Hopes and Fears, ❝ behoved immediately to be fet in Motion. No "fooner was he poffeffed of Life, than the active

Love of it behoved to take Place. Accordingly 66 no fooner does a Man begin to know the Grace "of God in Truth, than Love to it takes Place

❝in his Heart. Love is the Activity of that "Life which a Man obtains by Faith, for Faith "worketh by Love." Ibid.

But what is all this to the Doctrine of working in painful Defire and Fear, till we come to the Enjoyment of Life, or the Knowledge that we have Life? Lazarus had no Principle of Self-prefervation before he was confcious he had a Self to preferve, nor had he any Love of Life before he enjoyed it. In like manner we can have no Love to that Grace of God we know not, nor defire to preferve that Life we never enjoyed.

"If a Man of low Condition, is by a royal "Patent enobled, and entitled to a Place in the "politest Affemblies, he cannot enjoy the Plea"fures of his Promotion, but in as far as he "loves and ftudies to learn the Manners fuitable "to his Rank and Company." p. 409.

And his Motive to this Improvement of these Manners is, that he is promoted to a Station he defires to enjoy more perfectly. So we being called to the Adoption of Children by Jefus Christ, toil no more in the Way of painful Defire and Fear, to attain to a Consciousness of the Priviledge, but as Partakers of it, are influenced thereby

"The Apoftle John, speaking of Obedience to "the New Commandment of Love, fays, Be"loved, if our Hearts condemn us not, then have

"we Confidence towards God; that is, if, not"withstanding our natural Biass against the Gof

pel, with its remaining Effects giving us daily "Difquiet, our Heart condemn us not as desti"tute of Love to that Truth which the World "hates, then we have Confidence towards God; ❝even as much Confidence as the Teftimony of ❝ our own Conscience can give us." P. 414.

This is plainly not the Confidence which the Truth itself affords a guilty Sinner, but Confidence" that we are not deftitute of Love to that "Truth the World hates." The former is our Life, the latter is only an additional corroborating Comfort.

"Yet this is but one Witnefs, and needs to "be fupported. For in this Cafe one may be ❝liable to Doubts, left even his own Conscience "should be partial in his Favour."

If we have Confidence in Chrift by the Truth. itself as we are guilty Sinners, if I am conscious that the Truth, or, which is the fame Thing, my Faith, and Confidence in it, works by Love ; if our Hearts condemn us not in this Matter, then have we Confidence towards God. First, because we are conscious we proceed on Divine Authority: Secondly, we prove the bleffed Effect of the Truth. Thefe then are two Witneffes infeperably united. The firft a Divine Truth, the Teftimony of the Divine Spirit, than which there can

not

not be a greater Ground of Certainty; the latter is the Consciousness of the Effect of that Truth.

"Here then the Spirit of Truth, who never "fails to bear Witnefs to the genuine Effects "thereof, gives his Teftimony as a fecond Wit"nefs fupporting the former. Thus Paul, after "he had faid, As many as are

led by the Spirit of

"God, they are the Sons of God; adds, The Spirit itself beareth Witness with our Spirit, that we are the Children of God." p. 415.

The Apostle Paul, after he had said, As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the Sans of God; adds, For ye have not received the Spirit of Bonaage again to Fear; but ye have received (i.e. by the Gospel Truth) the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father; and then follows the Words, The Spirit itself (which ye received in the hearing of the Gofpel, emboldning us guilty Sinners to cry, Abba, Father, thro' the Divine Righteoufnels freely given to us; this Spirit received in the Gospel) beareth Witness with our Spirit, that we are the Children of God, and not of them who deceive themselves with vain Thoughts.

It is already granted, p. 397, that "the Spirit "of Truth never fpeaks one Word or Sentence "to any perfon beyond what is written in the "Scripture:" And what is written in the Scripture is either the Declarations of free Salvation to Sinners in Jefus Chrift, or divine Affurances of no