61. But what need have we of distant witnesses? You have a witness in your own breast. For am I not speaking to one that loves God? How came you, then, to love him at first? Was it not because you knew that he loved you? Did you, could you, love God at all till you tasted and saw that he was gracious; that he was merciful to you a sinner? What avails, then, controversy or strife of words? Out of thy own mouth! You own you had no love to God till you were sensible of his love to you. And, whatever expressions any sinner who loves God uses to denote God's love to him, you will always on examination find that they directly or indirectly imply forgiveness. Pardoning love is still at the root of all. He who was offended is now reconciled. The new song which God puts in every mouth is always to that effect: "O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away. Behold, God is my salvation. I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation" (Isa. xii, 1, 2).

62. A confidence, then, in a pardoning God is essential to saving faith. The forgiveness of sins is one of the first of those unseen things whereof faith is the evidence. And if you are sensible of this will you quarrel with us concerning an indifferent circumstance of it? Will you think it an important objection that we assert that this faith is usually given in a moment? First, let me entreat you to read over that authentic account of God's dealings with men, the Acts of the Apostles. In this treatise you will find how he wrought from the beginning on those who received remissions of sins by faith. And can you find one of these (except, perhaps, St. Paul) who did not receive it in a moment? But abundance you find of those who did, besides Cornelius and the three thousand (Acts ii, 41). And to this also agrees the experience of those who now receive the heavenly gift. Three or four exceptions only have I found in the course of several years-perhaps you yourself may be added to that number, and one or two more whom you have known. But all the rest of those who from time to time among us have believed in the Lord Jesus, were in a moment brought from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God.

63. And why should it seem a thing incredible to you, who have known the power of God unto salvation (whether he hath wrought thus in your soul or no; "for there are diversities of operations, but the same Spirit "), that "the dead should hear the

voice of the Son of God," and in that moment live? Thus he useth to act, to show that when he willeth, to do is present with him. "Let there be light," said God, "and there was light. He spoke the word and it was done. Thus the heavens and the earth were created, and all the hosts of them." And this manner of acting in the present case highly suits both his power and love. There is, therefore, no hinderance on God's part, since "as his majesty is, so is his mercy." And whatever hinderance there is on the part of man, when God speaketh, it is not. Only ask then, O sinner, "and it shall be given thee," even the faith that brings salvation; and that without any merit or good work of thine; for "it is not of works, lest any man should boast.” No; it is of grace, of grace alone. For "unto him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is i counted to him for righteousness."

64. "But by talking thus you encourage sinners." I do encourage them—to repent; and do not you? Do you not know how many heap sin upon sin, purely for want of such encouragement, because they think they can never be forgiven, there is no place for repentance left? Does not your heart also bleed for them? What would you think too dear to part with? What would you not do, what would you not suffer, to bring one such sinner to repentance? Could not your love "endure all things for them? Yes; if you believed it would do them good; if you had any hope that they would be better. Why do you not believe it would do them good? Why have you not a hope that they will be better? Plainly, because you do not love them enough; not because you have not that charity which not only endureth, but at the same time believeth and hopeth all things.

65. But that you may see the whole strength of this objection I will show you, without any disguise or reserve, how I encourage the chief of sinners. My usual language to them runs thus:

O ye that deny the Lord that bought you, yet hear the word of the Lord! You seek rest, but find none. Even in laughter your heart is in heaviness. How long spend ye your labor for that which is not bread, and your strength for that which satisfieth not? You know your soul is not satisfied. It is still an aching void. Sometimes you find, in spite of your principles, a sense of guilt, an awakened conscience. That grisly phantom, religion (so you describe her), will now and then haunt you still. Righteousness looking down from heaven is indeed to us no unpleasing sight. But how does it appear to you?

Horribili super aspectu mortalibus instans?

(With a horrible aspect, brooding over mortals ?)

How often are you in fear of the very things you deny? How often racking suspense? What if there be an hereafter, a judgment to come, an unhappy eternity? Do you not start at the thought? Can you be content to be always thus? Shall it be said of you also,

"Here lies a dicer, long in doubt,

If death could kill the soul, or not;
Here ends his doubtfulness; at last
Convinced; but, O, the die is cast!"

Or, are you already convinced there is no hereafter? What a poor state, then, are you in now? taking a few more dull turns upon earth, and then dropping into nothing! What kind of spirit must you be of, if you can sustain yourself under the thought, under the expectation of being in a few moments swept away by the stream of time, and then forever

Swallow'd up, and lost

In the wide womb of uncreated night!

But neither, indeed, are you certain of this, nor of any thing else. It may be so; it may not. A vast scene is behind; but clouds and darkness rest upon it. All is doubt and uncertainty. You are continually tossed to and fro, and have no firm ground for the sole of your foot. O, let not the poor wisdom of man any longer exalt itself against the wisdom of God! You have fled from him long enough; at length suffer your eyes to be opened by him that made them. You want rest to your soul. Ask it of him who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not. You are now a mere riddle to yourself, and your condition full of darkness and perplexity. You are one among many restless inhabitants of a miserable, disordered world, "walking in a vain shadow, and disquieting yourself in vain." But the light o God will speedily disperse the anxiety of your vain conjectures. By adding heaven to earth, and eternity to time, it will open such a glorious view of things as will lead you, even in the present world, to a peace which passeth all understanding.

66. O ye gross, vile, scandalous sinners, hear ye the word of the Lord. "Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. As I live, saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn and live." O, make haste; delay not the time! "Come, and let

us reason together: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red as crimson, they shall be as Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments, red in his apparel? It is he on whom the Lord "hath laid the iniquities of us all!" Behold, behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away thy sins! See the only begotten Son of the Father, "full of grace and truth!" He loveth thee. He gave himself for thee. Now his bowels of compassion yearn over thee. O, believe in the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved! sin no more!"

"Go in peace,

PRIMITIVE CHRISTIANITY.

HAPPY the souls who first believed,
To Jesus and each other cleaved,
Join'd by the unction from above,
In mystic fellowship of love!

Meek, simple followers of the Lamb,
They lived and spake and thought the

same;

Brake the commemorative bread,
And drank the Spirit of their Head.

On God they cast their every care:
Wrestling with God in mighty prayer,
They claim'd the grace, through Jesus
given;

By prayer they shut and open'd heaven.

To Jesus they perform'd their vows:
A little church in every house,
They joyfully conspired to raise
Their ceaseless sacrifice of praise.

Propriety was there unknown,
None call'd what he possess'd his own;
Where all the common blessings share,
No selfish happiness was there.

With grace abundantly endued,
A pure, believing multitude!
They all were of one heart and soul,
And only love inspired the whole.

O, what an age of golden days!
O, what a choice, peculiar race!
Washed in the Lamb's all cleansing
blood,

Anointed kings and priests to God.

Where shall I wander now to find
The successors they left behind?
The faithful, whom I seek in vain,
Are 'minish'd from the sons of men.

Ye different sects, who all declare,
"Lo, here is Christ!" or, "Christ is

there!"

Your stronger proofs divinely give,
And show me where the Christians live.

Your claim, alas! ye cannot prove;
Ye want the genuine mark of love:
Thou only, Lord, thine own canst show;
For sure thou hast a Church below.

The gates of hell cannot prevail,
The Church on earth can never fail:
Ah! join me to thy secret ones!
Ah! gather all thy living stones!

Scatter'd o'er all the earth they lie,
Till thou collect them with thine eye,
Draw by the music of thy name,
And charm into a beauteous frame.

For this the pleading Spirit groans,
And cries in all thy banish'd ones:
Greatest of gifts, thy love impart,
And make us of one mind and heart!

Join every soul that looks to thee,
In bonds of perfect charity:
Now, Lord, the glorious fullness give,
And all in all forever live!

PART II.

CONDITIONS OF JUSTIFICATION.

(Written in 1744.)

1. FIRST. The nature of justification. It sometimes means our acquittal at the last day (Matt. xii, 37). But this is altogether out of the present question; that justification whereof our articles and homilies speak meaning present forgiveness, pardon of sins, and, consequently, acceptance with God; who therein "de