These doubts are very distressing, and do not qualify the person to exhibit the bright side of religion to those around him. No person should be contented to remain under this dark cloud which so obscures his future prospects. Assurance of salvation is attainable by all true believers who assiduously seek it. Let all then strive to obtain this inestimable blessing.

The true doctrine of assurance is taught in the Westminster Larger Catechism, and is clearly expressed in the following words, "Such as truly believe in Christ, and endeavour to walk in all good conscience before Him, may, without extraordinary revelation, by faith grounded on the truth of God's promises, and by the Spirit enabling them to discern in themselves those graces to which the promises of life are made, and bearing witness with their spirits that they are the children of God, be infallibly assured that they are in a state of grace, and shall persevere therein unto salvation."

Again, "Assurance of grace and salvation, not being of the essence of faith, true believers may wait long before they obtain it; and after the enjoyment thereof, may have it weakened and intermitted through manifold distempers, sins, temptations and desertions; yet are they never left without such a presence and support of the Spirit of God, as keeps them from sinking into utter despair."

That assurance of salvation is attainable in this life, is very evident from the Scriptures, both of the Old and New Testaments. Indeed, all the saints, of whom any expression of their spiritual state is recorded, appear to have possessed a full sense of their reconciliation and acceptance with God. The only doubt is, whether they owed their assurance to that supernatural inspiration which they possessed, or to

clear revelations to them personally, that they were the adopted and beloved children of God. We know, that in some cases such communications were made to individual saints, as to Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaiah, and Daniel: but the mere possession of miraculous gifts furnished no decisive evidence of the spiritual state of the persons who had received. these gifts. We know that Balaam, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, prophesied by the inspiration of God; and Judas, the traitor, received the same commission, to heal the sick, to cast out devils, and to raise the dead, as the other disciples. Moreover, our Lord assures us, that at the last day, some will make this a plea for admittance into his heavenly kingdom, that, in his name, they had cast out devils, and done many wonderful works; but He will say unto them, "Depart from me, ye workers of iniquity, I never knew you."

Paul's strong assurance seems to have been the effect of that faith which he possessed in common with other Christians. And he felt it to be necessary to work out his salvation with fear and trembling, and to keep his body under, lest after preaching to others, he himself should become a castaway. His assurance of a crown of life at the appearing of Christ, was founded on the consciousness of having fought a good fight and kept the faith. The faith of the apostles was of the same kind with that of Christians at the present time: the only difference was in its strength. And as the apostles had nothing but what they had gratuitously received, there is no reason known to us, why God may not grant as great grace to some persons, in modern times, as was bestowed on the primitive Christians, or even on the apostles.

From the view of assurance which has been given

above, it may be inferred, that the true reason why so many sincere Christians, in our day, live without assurance, is the feebleness of their faith. They need, therefore, to be exhorted, in the language of the apostle Peter, "Wherefore, the rather, brethren, give all diligence to make your calling and election sure." The apostle John teaches us how we may obtain this precious grace of assurance. "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren." "If our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God." "My little children let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts "before Him."

Some exercised Christians fail to obtain assurance by mistaking the evidences of true piety; or rather by supposing that the working of inward corruption, of which they are conscious, is inconsistent with a state of grace. A correct knowledge of the marks and evidences of true religion, is of great importance, in order to our obtaining a settled assurance. And some humble Christians possess the blessing without giving it its proper name. The writer recollects a conversation which passed in his presence, between an eminent minister of the gospel, and an old lady who had been converted under the ministry of the Rev. Samuel Davies. This old lady had given indubitable evidence of eminent piety for more than half a century; but she said to the clergyman who was conversing with her, "I have never attained to the faith of assurancemine is only the faith of reliance." To which the clergyman answered, "if you know you have the faith of reliance, you have the faith of assurance."

Some persons seem to expect assurance in some

extraordinary way, by an immediate divine revelation, or by a voice from heaven. But this is enthusiasm.

Mr. Flavel makes mention of a young man who most earnestly sought for some extraordinary evidence of his acceptance with God; and as he walked in the fields vainly hoped, that the very stones would speak, that he might know whether he was a child of God. But afterwards, convinced of his error, he sought this blessing in the way of self-examination, reading the Scriptures, and other appointed means, and was not disappointed; for, in the use of instituted means, he attained to a settled and comfortable assurance of his interest in Christ. It may be remarked here, that assurance is not always accompanied with joy. There may be a scriptural conviction, that a work of divine grace has been experienced; and at the same time there may be no high raised affections; nor any very vigorous actings of faith, at the moment. This may be called habitual assurance. But there is in the experience of many, at times, a joyful persuasion of the mercy and favour of God. This is probably what is meant by having "the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven." Such seasons are very precious, but never last long.

It is a sad case, when assurance for a while enjoyed, is through sin or carelessness lost. This is often experienced by backsliders. Assurance can never be enjoyed by those who depart from God, even although the root of the matter be in them. And when a comfortable sense of the divine favour is lost, it is hard to be recovered. Such Christians often walk mournfully, with their heads bowed down as a bulrush, to the close of life. David after his woful lapse, cries, "Cast me not away from thy presence, nor take thy

Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joys of thy salvation, and uphold me by thy free Spirit."-" Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice."

Many pious souls, there is reason to believe, are depressed, and their evidences beclouded, by a melancholy temperament. Physical causes necessarily have a powerful effect on the exercises of the mind; and this is felt in religion, as well as in other things

CHAPTER XXIX.

PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS.

THIS subject is intimately connected with the assurance of salvation. For if true believers may lose their faith, and totally and finally fall away, then, manifestly, there can be no such thing as assurance of salvation. A person may know assuredly that he is a child of God, and at present free from all condemnation; but upon this hypothesis, he cannot possibly be assured that he will continue in this happy state. In the exercise of his own free will, he may depart from God, renounce Christ and become a reprobate. If this doctrine be admitted, that all saints are liable to apostatize, and that there is no such thing promised as the grace of perseverance, then Paul's declarations, in which he expresses the fullest confidence that he should possess a crown of life, must be understood conditionally; provided he should persevere to the end. And in the same manner we must construe