are aware, become like the Chariots of Aminadab. At least they will be able to look unto Jefus, as the Author and Finisher of their Faith, and comfort themselves by committing their Souls to him, and venturing their eternal Interefts in his Hand.

The Scriptures fpeak much of thefe Sealings of the Spirit, the Earnest of our future Inheritance.The Spirit of God helps his Children to fenfible Experience of their undoubted Truth and Reality; whereby they are established in the Faith, ftrengthened for their fpiritual Encounters, and fupported under all the Difficulties and Trials they meet with in their Way to the future Inheritance. How light foever you may make of what has been faid, I hope, Sir, you will live to rejoice in the delightful Experience, as Thousands of others have done; and thereby find Occafion to fay with them, We are Witnesses of thefe Things, and fo is alfo the Holy Ghoft, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

Fourthly, I may yet add another Inftance, wherein the Truth of Christianity is made Matter of Experience, which is the Manner how the great Change is wrought and carried on in the Heart of every fincere Chriftian.-There is, I confess, a vast Difference, with refpect to a variety of incidental Circumftances, in the Methods of the divine Operation, in turning Sinners from the Power of Satan to God; and yet the Scripture Account of this Change, as to the Subftance of it, is always found to be exactly verified in all thofe, who at adult Years are the happy Subjects of God's converting Grace. This has been continually confirmed, by the bleffed Experience of the Children of God, in all the fucceffive Ages of the Church.

How agreeably are we furprised, to fee a carelefs and fecure Sinner, who was going on in the Pursuit of his Lufts, hardened against all the fo

lemn

lemn Warnings which he had continually received. from the Word, and Ordinances, and Providences of God, and deaf to all the pathetic Admonitions of his godly Friends; to fee fuch an one (I say) at once, by fome ordinary Paffage in a Sermon, in a Book, or in Converfation, thoroughly awakened out of his Security, and put upon a serious and last• ing Enquiry, What he should do to be faved?-His Confcience can no more now, as at other Times, wear off the Impreffion; nor dare he return to his Mirth and Jollity, to his fenfual and worldly Purfuits,He can no more speak Peace to his Soul, from his general Hopes, or his good Designs; nor reft in any Thing fhort of an Intereft in Chrift.Thus we fee the Promife verified, that Chrift would Jend the Comforter to convince the World of Sin ; and find it moft evidently true, that the Word of God is quick and powerful, fharper than any twoedged Sword.We fee a Change made, that no Means, no Endeavours could ever effect, till a divine Power was exerted to bring it about.

How conftantly does the thoroughly awakened Sinner find, by Experience, the Deficiency of all his legal Attempts, to quiet his Confcience, and to establish his Hopes of the Favour of God?—He fees his Sins too great and numerous, to be expiated by his imperfect Performances -He feels his corrupt Affections, Appetites and Paffions too strong for his good Purposes and Refolutions.

-He is deeply fenfible of fo much defect and Impurity in the best of his religious Duties, as render them utterly unworthy the Acceptance of an infinitely pure and holy God He feels his Heart fo hard, and his Affections fo dead and carnal, that nothing but an Almighty Power can quicken them.He knows by Experience, that he lies at Mercy; and that all his own Refuges, and all the Endeavours in his

G 3

Own

own Strength, to relieve his diftreffed Soul, are fruitless and vain. He finds it indeed the Cafe of fallen Man, that nothing but coming to Chrift, with Faith in Him, and Dependence upon him for Righteoufnefs and Strength, can give Reft to his labouring and weary Soul. True it is, there are fome convinced Sinners that wear off their religi ous Impreffions, and ftop fhort of these Effects which I have now defcribed: But thefe Confequences are always found in all those whofe Convictions are abiding and effectual. By these they are always neceffitated to fly for Refuge to Christ, and look to Him for that Life and Peace, which they can find no where else.You will readily allow, that my Station puts me under the Advantage of a particular Acquaintance with the Circumftances of diftreffed Souls: And having converfed with very many under Convictions, from Time to Time, I have always found the above Obfervations exactly verified.

How furprizing is the Change, made in convinced Sinners, when a Ray of divine Light fhines into their Souls, and enables them to act Faith in Christ, and to behold the Glory of God in the Face of Fefus Chrift!Now these Mourners in Zion have appointed unto them Beauty for Ashes, the Oyl of Joy for Mourning, and the Garment of Praise for the Spirit of Heaviness, that they may be called Trees of Righteoufnefs. From this Time, they become indeed new Creatures, in all spiritual Refpects.Their Discovery of the Excellency and Sufficiency of Chrift, whereby they were enabled chearfully to trust their eternal Interests in his Hands, proves a continual Source of Love to God and Man, and a Principle that conftantly inclines them to live foberly, righteously, and godly in this prefent World-We see this experimentally true,

as

as the Scriptures reprefent it, that their Faith works by Love, purifies their Hearts, and overcomes the World. There are indeed fome hypocritical Pretenders to Faith in Chrift, in whom we do not find thefe Fruits and Effects of it: But then there are (through the Goodness of God) Numbers of others, the Tenor of whofe future Lives does fully evidence, that their Faith is fincere; and that it produces all the Effects which the Scriptures afcribe to it.

There is no Room to impute this Work to the irregular Sallies of an over-heated Imagination, when we fee a thorough and lafting Change both of Heart and Life.There is no Room to fuppofe, that Enthusiasm or Fanaticifm can have any Hand in this Change, when we fee the bleffed Effects of Faith in Christ every Way anfwer the Defcription given thereof in the Gofpel; and when the Believer visibly and in Reality is become a new Man, from the Time of his receiving and relying upon the Lord Jefus Chrift for Righteoufnefs and Strength.

And as bad as the Times are, as ftupid and unbelieving as the World in general appears, we have yer repeated Examples of the bleffed Effects of Faith, which I have now described, and of the Verification of that precious Truth, that to as many as receive the Lord Jefus Chrift, to them is given Power to become the Children of God, even to them who believe in his Name.

And now, Sir, if you will review what has been faid, does it not evidently appear, that he who believeth on the Son of God hath the Witness in himself, when he finds the fame Change of Heart, the fame fpiritual Conflicts, the fame Joy, Peace, and Comfort of Soul, and all thefe wrought in the very fame Way and Method, which the Scriptures so plainly

and

and particularly defcribe ?--Can I doubt of the Skill of that Phyfician, or the Efficacy of that Medicine, whereby I am recovered from a dangerous Difeafe, to Health and Comfort, exactly in the fame Method, and by the fame fenfible and progreffive Steps as was foretold me ?

And is not this Truth made most clearly evident, not only to the Perfons themfelves, but to all diligent Obfervers, when they find the fame Experiences reported by all true Believers in Chrift, and alf the fame external and vifible Effects of their Faith confpicuous and open to every one's Obfervation, not in one or two Inftances only, but in thousands of thofe who profefs to have had thefe Experiences? As we must neceffarily acknowledge the Skill of that Phyfician, who effectually cures all that fubmit to his Directions and Applications, fo are we constrained to acknowledge him for our Saviour, who, in the very fame Way and Manner which he has propofed and promifed, does actually and effectually fave all thofe who believe in him, and in the Way of his Appointment truft to him for Salvation.

In my former Letters I have laid before you fome of the external Evidences of Chriftianity: In this I have given you a very brief Sketch of thofe internal Evidences, which ferve to confirm and illuftrate the fame important Caufe.By the former, the Truth of the Chriftian Religion is laid open to the Understanding: By the latter it is made Matter of fenfible Experience in the Heart.That the glorious Redeemer may enable you to feel the Force of this Reafoning, to your unfpeakable Comfort here, and Happiness hereafter, is the Prayer of,

SIR,

Your, &c.

LETTER