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The fame defects are likewife found in the unfound believer with refpect to his love to his neighbour. If he be not (as its too commonly found) unjust and deceitful, wrathful, and contentious, hard-hearted and unkind, bitter and cenforious, revengeful and implacable, yet he never loves the children of God as fuch. Whatever love he may have to any fuch from special intimate acquaintance, or from their being in the fame caufe, party, or perfuafion with himfelf (which is indeed no more than the exercise of self-love or felf esteem) he never loves the image of Christ in every fect or party, in whom he finds it, nor can he love a conformity to the children of God in the holiness of their hearts and lives.

Here then you fee an apparent difference in these twó forts of believers. The one loves God above all things: and indeed he that does not love him with a fupreme love, does not love him as God; and confequently does not love him at all. But the other feeks the favour of God, from no other motive but fear of his difpleasure, or fome defire of happiness; and not from fenfe of the excellency of his glorious perfections, and the blessednefs of an intereft in his favour. The one loves what God loves; hates what he hates; and loves and esteems himself but in proportion to his conformity unto God. The other retains his delight in his lufts and idols; and repairs to God because he durft not do otherwise. The one, like God himself, takes pleasure in doing good to all men; and takes fpecial delight in all without diftinction, who are partakers of the divine nature. The other at the best has his love to man influenced by felfisl principles: and therefore takes most delight in those, who are most conformable to his own fentiments or difpolitions.

Left I fhould weary out your patience, I fhall just mention but this one particular more.

6. A faving faith humbles the foul, and makes it low and vile in its own eyes: whereas a dead faith tends to exalt the mind with vain apprehenfions of, or endeavours after, fome fufficiency or excellency of its own. The true believer has a deep fenfe of the greatnefs and aggravations of his fins, loathes himself on account of them and adores the patience and long-fuffering of

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God towards him, that has kept him out of hell. He is fo fenfible of the great defects of his duties, of the finfulness of his heart, the imperfections of his life, and his utter unworthiness of any favour from God, that he can not but entertain a moft deep and fenfible impreffion, that it must be a wonderful difplay of mere fovereign grace, if ever he obtains falvation. It is always true, that the greater manifeftation of God's love is made to his foul, the greater fense he hath of his own nothingnefs and unworthiness, and the more he admires and adores the astonishing riches of free diftinguishing grace to fuch a guilty polluted creature as he is. Though the true believer lives in the exercife of that charity towards others, which thinketh no evil, but believeth all things, and hopeth all things: yet he always finds occafion to condemn himself, and to cenfure his own inward affections, and outward performances, religious duties, and moral conduct; and therefore cannot but efteem others better than himfelf. In fhort, the true believer always, while in this tabernacle, groans being burdened. He finds occafions of a renewed repentance every day: he every day finds new caufe to complain of himfelf; and new caufe to commit a finful and unworthy foul to the mere mercy of God in Chrift.

On the contrary, a dead faith always either puffs up the vain mind with a haughty pleafing apprehenfion of its own attainments, makes it cenforious and uncharitable, and infpires it with that proud Pharifaical language, I thank God, I am not as other men: or elfe from the fame haughty principle, either leaves the foul fecure and ealy, in its good defigns and purposes of future repentance; or impatient and defponding, through want of thofe good qualifications which it fuppofes neceffary.

I think I need not enlarge upon this distinction; it is fo apparent and manifeft, and the characters fo easy to be known.

And now, Sir, to fum up the whole in a fhort and eafy view. If you have good evidence of a faving faith in Chrift, you must have such a sensible impression of the truth of the gospel, as makes you feel the importance your eternal concerns, and your neceffity of an inte reft in Chrift; and puts your foul upon earnest and active

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defires after him, as your only hope and-fafety. You muft heartily approve the way of falvation which the gofpel reveals; and heartily confent to the terms on which it is offered. You must accept of Christ as a free gift; bringing nothing with you of your own, to recommend you to his acceptance. You must accept of him as your only righteoufnefs to juftify you before God; and as your prince, as well as Saviour; confenting as well to be governed as to be saved, to be sanctified as to be juftified by him. And as you must receive him, so you muft confidently truft in him alone, as a fure foun dation of fafety and hope; and as a continuing, fountain of all fupplies of grace to your foul, whatever difficulties and difcouragements you may meet with. And you must have this ftanding evidence of the fincerity of your faith, that it purifies your heart; and brings you to an earnest defire of, and endeavour after, habitual holiness of heart and life: that it works by love to God and man; and keeps up in your foul an abafing fenfe of your own vileness and utter unworthinefs, after all. This is that precious faith, to which the promises of the gofpel are made, and to which no falfe profeffor can make any juft pretence..

To conclude with a ftill fhorter view of this cafe, when a realizing belief of the gospel, and a despair of alk help in yourself brings you to repair to Chrift as your only safety; and to venture your foul, guilty as it is, upon the merit of his obedience, the fufficiency of his grace and strength, and the faithfulness of his promife: and heartily to fubmit to his rule and government, now you cannot fail of the fanctifying influences of his Spirit, to qualify you for the eternal inheritance: For the Amen, the true and faithful witness, has given you his word for it, that if you thus come to him, he will in no wife caft you cut.

I might fum up this important point in a yet shorter view. If you fo heartily approve of, and delight in the gofpel-way of falvation by Christ alone, that you can chearfully venture your foul and your eternal interests upon it, as the fure and only foundation of hope and fafety, you have then the faith of God's elect. And in this cafe he that has bestowed fuch grace upon you,

will carry on his own work in your foul, will give you thofe feveral qualifications and evidences of a gracious ftate, which I have before described; and will at last present you faultless before his throne, with exceeding joy. That you may have the delightful experience of fuch a progrefs of grace in your foul, is the prayer of,

Sir,

Yours, &c.

LETTER IX. Wherein the DIFFERENCE between a LEGAL and an EVANGELICAL REPENTANCE is diftinctly confidered.

SIR,

You

YOU juftly obferve, It is of infinite concern, that your repentance towards God (as well as your faith towards the Lord Jefus Chrift) be fincere; and that you have therefore cause to be folicitous, not to be deceived with a repentance which must be repented óf. And you have therefore just reason to defire a clear apprehenfion of the difference between a legal and an evangelical repentance.' I fhall therefore endeavour according to your defire, to fhew you the dif ference, in as easy and familiar a light as I can." And perhaps it may give you a clearer view of the cafe, if I fhould fhew you firft negatively, wherein the diftinction does not confift, under a few particulars, before I proceed to a direct illuftration of it.

It may then be observed, that a deep diftrefs of mind on account of finning against God, is common both to a legal and evangelical repentance. Even Judas could cry out with agony of foul, I have finned in betraying innocent blood; as well as the Pfalmift groans out his complaint, that there was no rest in his bones because of his fins. A diftreffing fenfe of fin, in itfelf confidered, is therefore no evidence for nor against the truth and fincerity of repentance.

Moreover a fearful apprehenfion of the divine difpleafure, may be common to both forts of penitents. Mere legal convictions may make finners in Zion afraid, and fearfulness furprize the hypocrite; And deftruction from

God may be a terror to a holy Job, in as great reality, though not with such despairing infidelity, as to a Cain or Judas; but this can be no diftinguishing mark of a true or falfe repentance.

I may add, dread of, and a temporary reformation from outward and known courses of finning, may likewife be the confequence of both a legal and evangelical repentance. Ahab humbled himself, lay in fackloth, and went foftly; and Herod reformed many things, as well as David refrain'd his feet from every evil way. It's impoffible for a finner to give the reins to his lufts, while under the fevere lashes of an awaken'd conscience: that a mere legal conviction muft, while it laftes, procure an external reformation. Such a reformation, of itself, can therefore be no evidence of a fincere repentance, how great foever it may appear, and be sure it can be no evidence against it.

Befides, men may be put upon diligence and activity in duty, by both a legal and evangelical repentance. An unfincere repentance may bring men with the hypocritical Jews, to seek the Lord daily; and delight to know his ways, as a nation that did righteoufnefs. In their afflictions they may feek him early. They may feek him and return; and enquire early after God. This may be the fruit of a legal repentance: as well as that a true repentance may and always does bring men to lift up their hearts and their hands to God in the heavens. This therefore can be no distinguishing criterion, in the case before us.

Once more, a comforting perfuafion of having obtained pardoning mercy, is common to both kinds of penitents. God's ancient people, when most incorrigible in their impiety, would trust in lying words, come and fland before him in the houfe that was called by his name, and fay, we are delivered to do all thefe abominations. The Ifraelites in the wildernefs concluded, that God was their Rock, and the most high God their Redeemer, when they flattered him with their lips, and lyed to him with their tongues; and their hearts were not right with him. And on the other hand, the true penitent may fay with David, I faid I will confefs my tranfgreffions unto the Lord; and thou forgave me the iniquity of my fin. A mere

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