vious evidence of their juftified ftate? How can they rejoice in the favour of God, before they have good evidence of their intereft in it? Without this, their joy is groundless, and is an evidence of nothing in the prefent cafe, but their willingness to deceive themselves. With this, there is no need of joy for an evidence, of what is already confirmed by a much better witnefs. I therefore conclude, that as the fcripture no where makes, and as the reason and order of things no way allows joy and comfort to be evidences of our juftified state, we fhould fee to it, that we clear up our title to the divine favour by better evidence. And what other can we poffibly find, but what I am now pleading for? This, the apoftle affures us, is the proper evidence, by which the children of God are manifeft, and the children of the devil. Whofoever is born of God, doth not commit fin; and whosoever doth not righteousness, is not of God, John iii. 9, 10. They therefore, who reject this evidence, would do well to confider, whofe children they be, according to this determination of the apostle.

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Upon the whole then, our union to Chrift is fo far from affording the leaft plea for licentioufnefs, that it fhould be confidered as the ftrongeft argument, and the moft powerful incentive to an humble, penitent, watchful, holy, and heavenly life. Are we united to Christ? Are we members of his body, of his flefb and of his bones? Surely then we must derive vital influences from fuch fountain of spiritual life; and be partakers of his holiness. If we find not this bleffed effect in fome degree, in vain are our pretences to an interest in Christ, or union to him. Are we united to Chrift, and thereby made partakers of his ineftimable benefits? Surely then it concerns us to endeavour to live anfwerable to fo high a dignity, and fuch an honourable relation. Surely it concerns us to testify our gratitude to fuch an infinite benefactor, by living to the praise of the glory of his grace and love. With what abhorrence therefore fhould fuch licentious thoughts, as you have fuggefted, be entertained by all the true difciples of the holy Jefus, as not fit to be fo much as once named among faints!

If you can have patience with me, I would briefly offer one argument more in favour of the doctrine I have infifted upon; which muft recommend it as infinit preferable in point of safety, to either of the contrary

tremes. By acting up to these principles of mine, you can be in no danger, as to the future and final event, fince you will be built upon Chrift Jefus the fure foundation of hope, and by grace derived from him, bring forth those fruits of holinefs and righteousness, which muft end in eternal life. If the Arminians are right, you also are right. For you have the fame fincerity, the fame good works, which any of them may have to depend upon for juftification and falvation. And it can be no prejudice to your falvation, that you obtained these in a way of dependence upon Chrift only, as well as in a way of diligent activity. If the Antinomians are right you also are right. For you depend only upon Chrift for righteousness and ftrength, as well as they; and it can no ways be injurious to you, that you have infisted upon the neceffity of holiness, as the way leading to eternal life. But now to turn the tables, if they who plead for juftification by works, are at laft found in a mistake and instead of building upon Chrift Jefus and the fovereign grace of God in him, are built upon the fand or if they who difclaim the neceffity of holiness are too late found in a mistake, and forted among the workers of iniquity, what will become of their hopes! How dreadful will their difappointments be!

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That you may be found united to Chrift, and may be built up in faith and holiness, with peace and comfort, unto God's heavenly kingdom, is the earnest defire and prayer of,

Sir,

Yours, &c.

LETTER XIX. Containing particular ADVICES and DIRECTIONS, for a clofe and comfortable WALK with GOD.

SIR.

YOU &

OU juftly obferve, that, according to my former letters, a religious life must be a course of se-rious, earnest, and affiduous application.' And you have therefore good reafon to be folicitous in your inquiry, How you must give diligence to make your < calling and election fure; and how you fhall find that peace and pleasure I speak of, in your walk with God?' But there is no caufe at all of any apprehension, that you

fhall weary me out, with the continual burthenfome tasks you are impofing upon me.' Indeed, Sir, you can no way gratify me more, than by putting it in my power to be any way serviceable to your beft interefts. I fincerely thank you, that you are now giving me the fatisfaction of propofing fome directions for a close walk with God. It is an affair of the utmost confequence to myself, as well as to you; an affair too little confidered, even by thofe of whom we must hope the better things that accompany falvation; and an affair, in which I have cause with fhame to confefs, that my remisness has turned to my unfpeakable difadvantage. Let us then as in the prefence of God, refolve, by the affiftance. of his Spirit and grace, not only to confult, but to practife fuch methods of piety, as may be likely means to fweeten the fatigues of life, prepare us to encounter the laft enemy, and give us a refreshing profpect of our future inheritance.

I fhall endeavour (according to your defire) to be plain, familiar and practical, in the directions and counfels which I am now to lay before you.

And here my advice to you is,

1. That you endeavour to obtain and maintain a deep impreffion of this important truth, that you have but one business to do; and that every affair and conduct of human life must be calculated for, and fubfervient to, that one great end of your being. God has made us for himself, to glorify and enjoy him. We are but pil grims and ftrangers upon earth; and have no continuing city There is another ftate before us, a state of our everlafting refidence, a ftate where we must be unfpeakably and inconceivably happy or miferable, to all eternity. Our whole work therefore is, to be preffing towards the mark for the prize of our high calling; to be looking to, and preparing for, another and better country, even an heavenly. This, I fay, is our whole bufinefs; and therefore not to be enterprized as a fecondary concern; not to be crowded into a corner, to make room for more agreeable entertainments; nor to be attended only at our vacant hours, when difencumbered from our worldly business and senfual gratifications. To fear God and keep his commandments, is the whole of man. You will not fo far misunderfland me, as to fuppofe, that I am inculcating the neceffity of a re

clufe life, wholly taken up in devotion, wholly feparated from the common business and fociety of the world, No! I am only recommending to you and to myself, a due fenfe, that we are under obligations, in point of duty and intereft, to ferve God, and thereby to promote our eternal welfare, as well at one time, as another; and as much in one butinefs of life, as another; as much in our fecular affairs, domeftick concerns, company, and diversions, as in the special duties of religion and devotion. Though these call for the more folemn engagement of the whole foul in their performance, being immediately directed to God himself; yet the other also are to be done in obedience to God, and with an eye to his glory. So that we have but one bufinefs; though we have a great many duties of various kinds belonging to it.

Refolve then, to engage in, and to endeavour to manage every affair of common life, out of duty to God, with a fpiritual frame of foul, and with a hearty defire therein to fhew yourself approved unto God. Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Confider therefore, that you have the fame God to deal with, the fame omniscient eye to observe and remember your thoughts, views, affections, frames, language and behaviour, while converfant in the common affairs of life, as when upon your knees in your closet or family, or in the publick worship of God's houfe; and that the fame upright views, the fame holy defires, the fame faith in Chrift, are neceffary in the one, as in the other, if you would have them acceptable to God. This confideration duly impreffed, is the true philofopher's ftone, that turns all to gold. This will make every thing ferve as a fresh gale, to waft us forward to our defired harbour.

2. Be folemnly careful to attend upon all the ordinances of God, without any referve. The duties and ordinances of religion belong to the way, which God has appointed us to walk in, in order to our falvation; and we must be found in his way, as we would expect his prefence and bleffing. Herein be therefore careful to have no referve. Let every duty, whether of the closet, the family, or public worship, be diligently and conftantly maintained, each in its proper feason. Live in the

omiffion of none of them; nor let any ordinary occurrence or excufe divert and put you by, when the proper feafon and opportunity calls for your attendance on them. You are under the fame obligations at all times, as at any time, to perform duty; and to obferve all duties, as to obferve any. For they are all required by the fame authority; and to be performed to the fame object, and for the fame end. He therefore who lives in the wilful neglect of any known duty, does thereby turn his back upon God and his falvation. Herein then, the greatest care should be exercifed, that we may prove (or know and do) what is the good and perfect, and acceptable will of God concerning us.

You should also remember, that the duties of religious worship are to be performed to an omnifcient and heartfearching God; a God who cannot be deceived, and will not be mocked; a God, who will be fanctified in all them that come nigh him, and who will highly resent our flattering him with our lips, and lying to him with our tongues, when our hearts are far from him. You fhould therefore be careful, by previous meditation, to obtain a lively fenfe of the infinite perfections of the glorious God to be worfhipped, of the nature and importance of the duty to be attended; and to have your affections inflamed and much engaged when you come into God's immediate presence, in any ordinance of religious worship. You should keep your heart with all diligence; watch against, and carefully fupprefs every roving and wandering thought, endeavour to retain a lively impreffion of the divine presence; and to keep up a devout fpiritual frame of foul, while in the performance of the worthip of God. Our tranfactions with God, in the duties of religious worship, above all things call for the greatest seriousnefs, watchfulness, and care. And all the pains we can take in this matter, will prove too little; we shall still have caufe to lament our great defects; and to mourn after the pardon of the iniquity of our holy things, through the blood of Christ.

3. Remember, that as you lie at mercy, fo you have a mercy-feat to repair to; and that you may fow in hope. It is very true, that we neither have nor can have any claim to the mercy of God, on account of any thing that we do or are able to do in religion. Not for your fakes do I this, faith the Lord God, be it known unto you.

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