fort his soul desires, he suspects his state. But could he be indulged with the light of God's countenance, this would be more to him than all the world.

Answ. A desire to enjoy the light of God's countenance, does not make a man to differ from the worst of hypocrites. Every despairing sinner, that lies at the head of every street, like a wild bull in a net, full of the fury and rebuke of the Lord, desires this; Cain himself not excepted: "Behold thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth," &c. Gen. iv. 14. This evidence is a false one, Timothy. Many desire God's countenance, and seek him too, who will never find him: "Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me; and where I am, thither ye cannot come."

Quot. Shall those, then, suspect themselves, who are overwhelmed with the fear of not having true grace, when nothing under heaven could afford them any pleasure, in comparison of that of being assured of their interest in Christ? This frame is a positive proof that Christ is precious to them.

Answ. In this quotation we have glaring selfcontradictions, and palpable falsehoods. The first contradiction is this: that persons are not to suspect themselves, though they be overwhelmed with fear that they have not true grace. The other contradiction is: they have no assurance of

interest, and yet they have a positive proof that Christ is precious. I think the soul that is overwhelmed with the fear of being a graceless professor, instead of such a frame being a positive proof that Christ is precious as a Saviour, he is driven to entertain hard thoughts of him, as an angry judge. Besides, Esau was overwhelmed with fear of not having the blessing of grace; but this was no positive proof of his title to it, much less possession of it, for he was rejected, and found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. Souls that can take no pleasure in the world, nor in the church, are halting sinners: they halt, not only between two opinions, but between two sensations. They can take no pleasure in the world, because of an accusing and condemning conscience; nor in the house of God, because of unbelief. Fear, terror, and torment, attend them in the company of the world; and rebuke, reproof, and trembling, in the congregation of the righteous. And sure I am, that all such poor sinners will agree with me in this, that Timothy tells lies in the name of the Lord; for souls overwhelmed with fear, and destitute of interest, have no positive proof that Christ is precious to them.

Quot. A thorough persuasion that we are in a frame of mind that no unregenerate man in the world ever was in, is a proof of our being born of God.

Answ. This is another false evidence. The

wise man says, that “the fool rages, and is confident;" and yet he is not born of God; if he was, God would not call him a fool. Those who said, "Stand by thyself, come not near to me, for I am holier than thou;” were persuaded that they had got such a frame of holiness as nobody else had, and yet they were nothing but a smoke in God's nose. The Pharisee was persuaded in the temple, that he had got such a frame of mind as other men had not, nor even the Publican; and he thanked God for it: nevertheless, the Publican went down to his house justified; and the other, with his excellent frame, went home debased, like an ignorant, proud, boasting devil, as he was. Job's hypocrite went a great deal further than Timothy's Christian; for he was so fully persuaded that he excelled the world in his frame of mind, that his excellency touched the heavens; but all came to nothing. "The joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment. Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds, yet he shall perish for ever, like his own dung. They that have seen him, shall say, Where is he?" This is the end of his excellent frame; and his persuasion or confidence shares the same fate: "His confidence shall be rooted out of his tabernacle, and it shall bring him to the king of ter

Quot. But though the change be thus evident, how often does that suspicion creep in, and spoil all! Is it a saving one?' It must be a saving

one, when it is attended with such concomitants as are not possible to be found among any of the unregenerate.

Answ. Saul had brighter evidences by far than any that Timothy has set before his timorous soul. He was changed, but his change was not a saving one. His house was emptied, swept, and garnished, in such a manner as Timothy's Christian, here described, never was. He was anointed of the Lord; turned into another man; had another heart given to him; the Spirit of God came upon him; he prophesied among the prophets; the Lord was with him; the Lord touched the hearts of them that favoured his cause, and followed him; and the Lord wrought salvation for Israel by him; which are such concomitants attending the change, as are not to be found in Timothy's timorous soul, according to his description of him. And as to his troubles and complaints, he had as many of these as Timothy can describe. He knew the hiding of God's countenance; God left him, and he knew it. He understood soul distress: he was sorely distressed on the account of it. He was inured to temptation, and the buffetings of Satan; and an evil spirit troubled him, tempted him, and haunted him: he knew what it was to have his prayer shut out; he got no answer from God, neither by dream, by Urim, nor by prophet. All which is going a great deal further than Timothy leads his Christian; and, after all, being given up of God, he fled to

the witch of Endor, and fell by his own sword. O Timothy! "you dig a pit for your friends," Job, vi. 27.

Quot. Those who are savingly taught, see an interest in Christ to be of such infinite importance, that the very suspicion of a mistake is intolerable.

Answ. Balaam saw this, who was never savingly taught, though he saw and knew more than friend Timothy ever did. He saw the need of interest in Christ; Let me die the death of the righteous; and the suspicion of having none was intolerable. "Who shall live when God does this? I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not nigh." Multitudes will see an interest in Christ to be of infinite importance, and their rejection to be intolerable, as well as Timothy's Christian's. "Many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able."

Quot. But when he is in the bottom, he never imagines all the ground he has to travel over will be thus low. Experience teaches the traveller, that though he be now thus low in the valley, he yet shall soon be on the rising ground again.

Answ. Our friend does not seem to understand the mystical hills and dales of the narrow way. The Christian that is in the bottom, or low in the valley, is where he would ever wish to be, while on this side of Paradise; for he knows, that when Christ withdraws from the palm tree, he is