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ESSAY I.

ON THE ASSURANCE OF FAITH.

THERE is a subject, which, for some time past, has, to a very considerable extent, been engaging the attention of Christians;-to which some ministers of the gospel have been giving, so marked a prominence, that it has been associated with their names as if they had been its originators; and about which, as might have been anticipated, a vast deal has been said, in the private circles of the professing world, in which there has too frequently been little discrimination of thought, and sometimes still less of intelligible definiteness of expression. The simple-hearted believer has listened and inquired, with timid solicitude and painful perplexity; the doctrinal speculatist has made it the arena for his pugnacious self-sufficiency; and the shallow talker has found in it free scope for his empty and pointless volubility.-The subject to which I allude has usually been designated by one word :it has been called "the doctrine of ASSURANCE." And in the use of the term, there has been a great

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deal of ill-founded confidence on the one hand, and of as groundless diffidence on the other, and, with occasional exceptions, of desultory vagueness on both. Scriptural conceptions regarding it, however, are not a little important, that the two evils thus alluded to may be shunned,—the opposite evils of presumption and despondency; that neither may the true believer be needlessly disheartened, nor the mere professor be encouraged in delusive self-satisfaction, and vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind. The despondency of the believer and the presumption of the professor are alike pernicious-pernicious, I mean, not merely to the parties themselves, but to the observing world. The former gives an untrue and repulsive view of the gospel,—as if, although nominally good tidings, it did not make the believer of it happy, but left him still to hang down his head like a bulrush, and spread sackcloth and ashes under him:"—while the latter presents a view not less false and calumnious, nor less stumbling and detrimental to the souls of men,-filling the mouths of the ungodly with the sarcastic reflection, that, although professedly coming from the God of love and purity, it does not render those who receive it, and profess to be under its influence, either loving or pure-either humble, or peaceful, or holy. These are both very mischievous and deplorable effects,— against which it becomes our duty to oppose every possible means of prevention.

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It might seem, from the very brevity of the designation, that this "doctrine of assurance" was confined to one simple point. But he who should think so would be widely mistaken. It either directly embraces, or touches collaterally, a number of interesting topics: -and especially, it stands in close connexion with the first principles, the simplest and most essential elements, of the doctrine of Christ, as well as with all that the Bible teaches respecting the influence of these principles upon the heart and character.

I shall take for the basis of the following brief treatise, in which it is my earnest desire that the Spirit of God may enable me to bring forward such views only as are in harmony with the statements of the written word, the only standard on all such subjects of truth and error,-the words of the Apostle John, in his first epistle-chap. v. 13.

"THESE THINGS HAVE I WRITTEN UNTO YOU THAT BELIEVE ON THE NAME OF THE SON OF GOD, THAT YE MAY KNOW THAT YE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE, AND THAT YE MAY BELIEVE ON THE NAME OF THE SON OF GOD."

These words contain all the topics to which it is my object to direct the reader's attention. They suggest the following series of propositions, which, in the discussion of the general subject, we shall, for the sake of clearness, make the heads of our discourse.

I. It is the design of God, by the gospel, that sinners may obtain "eternal life :"

II. This eternal life is, on the part of God, offered and bestowed" in the name of his Son:"

III. On the part of the sinner, it is obtained and enjoyed by "believing" in the name of his Son :

IV. It is in the intention of God that they who believe in the name of his Son should “know” that they have eternal life :

V. There are certain " things written" in his word, by which it is that they are to know this:

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VI. The same things, from which this knowledge is scripturally derived, serve to establish their faith, and to keep them cleaving to Christ.

PROPOSITION I.

IT IS THE DESIGN OF GOD, BY THE GOSPEL, THAT SINNERS MAY OBTAIN ETERNAL LIFE.

In briefly illustrating this proposition, our first inquiry must be what is eternal life?—And the inquiry must first be answered negatively. It is not merely eternal being or existence. To this all mankind, by the sovereign and irreversible will of the Author of their being, are destined; and the destiny is independent of

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character; it comprehends the wicked as well as the righteous. There shall be existence-conscious and sensitive existence, in hell, as well as in heaven; where existence will not be desirable; where the cessation of being would be a boon of inestimable value, even although those on whom it was bestowed would not exist to be sensible of its preciousness.-LIFE is employed in scripture to express happy existence; and DEATH is correspondingly used to denote the opposite,-existence in misery; on which principle it is, that future punishment obtains the designation of the "second death."-" Eternal life," then, is existence in perfect, uninterrupted, and unending happiness.

It ought further, however, to be observed, that this life is not entirely future. When we speak of eternal life, there are very many persons to whose minds the phrase conveys the idea of a state that is still to be entered upon, lying entirely beyond the limits of the present world, and continuing, to the close of the believer's abode here, the object of anticipation rather than of possession;-the hope here, the fruition in reserve. But, although the perfection of this life must be future, it cannot be too strongly urged upon the attention of all, that it is begun here;-that although heaven be the scene of its completion, earth is the place of its commencement ;-that the birth at least must be in this world, though the maturity and permanence of the life be in the world to come ;-and

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