And

may be conformable to the divine commands. what is found contrary to these in our hearts, of which we fee much, we lament, and, with pain and forrow, condemn. As to all external vicious conduct in words and actions, we hope we are thoroughly reformed, and condemn and abhor ourselves for being guilty of them, and for all our fins; and have an earneft longing to be delivered from all fin, and to become perfectly holy, which we hope is what Chrift means by "hungering and thirsting after righteoufnefs." We think this

change in us could not be wrought by any thing fhort of divine power, accompanying the gofpel, by which it has been made unto us the power of God unto our falvation." And we hope we have received" the fpirit of power, and of love, and of a found mind.”

We hope we have received from God the fpirit of love, fuch love which in the nature and exercises of it differs from all kinds of love natural to man, and is peculiar to Chriftians, and conformable to the moral character of God, which confifts in love. This love confifts moft effentially in difinterefted good will, or goodness of heart. This has fixed our hearts in the first place and chiefly on God, in cordial and strong defires that he may be exalted, infinitely bleffed and glorified forever, and readiness to devote ourselves to anfwer this end: and when we reflect on the subject, and learn that God is glorifying himself by every thing that has, does or will take place to eternity, we are highly pleafed, and rejoice. And when we confider that the work of redemption by Jefus Chrift, the Son of God, is fuited to make the greatest difplay of the divine perfections, both in them who fhall be faved and in them who perish; and that all the fin and mifery that do or ever fhall take place, will ferve to praife and glorify Chrift, and promote the greateft poffible good of the univerfe; and that Chrift will bring the redeemed and all the friends of God to the highest happiness and glory in his eternal kingdom, even to unspeakably greater happiness than could poffibly have taken place if no fin and mifery had

ever exifted, and confequently there could have been no fuch character as that of God manifefted in the flesh, and no fuch works as he has done to glorify God and redeem the elect; when we confider and realize all this, we are filled with comfort, wonder and joy, finding in this divine plan all that benevolence can with, even the highest poffible good of the universe. This is an object fuited in the higheft poffible degree to please the benevolent, and to raife their gratitude to the highest pitch to the God of love, and Redeemer of men.

This fame love, which fixes our hearts on God, and renders us friendly to his being, felicity and glory, and caufes us to rejoice that he will be glorified, and produce the greatest good of which the created univerfe is capable, unites us also to all the friends of God; especially the friends of Chrift among men, whom we confider as our brethren and fifters in Chrift, who bear the image of Chrift in their hearts, and are friends to, and labouring to promote, his intereft among men, in which we also are engaged; who are the special objects of the benevolence, complacency and delight of Chrift. For thefe we have a peculiar friendship, defiring and rejoicing in their wel fare, loving to ferve them, and do them all the good we can; and we have a peculiar complacency and delight in them and their friendship, converfation and company, which we cannot enjoy in others. This, we hope, is that love of our brethren which in the fcripture is connected with love to God, and is peculiar to true Chriftians.

We hope we have that benevolent, univerfal love to all our fellow men which is peculiar to Chriftians, which leads us to wish them the greateft good they are capable of enjoying in this life and in the world to come, and to do good as far as we have an opportunity. And we hope we love even our enemies, fo that whatever evil they do, or attempt or defire to do us, this does not make us to ceafe to wish them well, and to do them all the good we can, and to pray heartily for their welfare; always ftudying and endeavouring, if it be poffible, to live in peace with all men.

We

We have been led by our acquaintance with Chrift and the gofpel, we hope, in fome good measure to keep our bodies under, and crucify the flesh with the affections and lufts; to avoid all intemperance and unlawful fenfual indulgence, and lay afide paffion, anger, envy and malice; and to put on humility, meeknefs, and a calm and quiet fpirit; and to practise that felf-denial, and government of ourselves, our appetites and particular propenfities and inclinations, according to the holy rules of the gofpel, fo as not to injure ourselves or any one elfe by the criminal indulgence of them. We hope our felfishnefs or covetoufnefs, pride and levity of mind have been fo far fubdued as not to reign in us; and that the contrary principles of benevolence, humility and fober-mindedness have dominion in our hearts; that we set our af fection on things above, and not on things on the earth; that we fee the vanity of the world and the things and enjoyments of it; and are impreffed with a fenfe of the reality, importance and excellence of the things and enjoyments of religion, and feel unhappy when thefe things are in any measure out of fight, and our religious exercises refpecting them do fenfibly fubfide.

We love and greatly prize the Bible. It is better to us than all the riches in the world, or than all other books. We alfo prize and read the books which serve to explain the Bible, and vindicate the doctrines and duties contained in it. We have great delight in reading and meditating on the Bible, efpecially at times, when the truths we find there are impreffed on our minds. We make the Bible the rule of our faith and practice.

We spend much time, when we are alone especially, in meditating on the fubjects of religion, and are pleased with religious converfation in the company of Chriftians. We have great pleasure in fecret prayer, efpecially when, as we think, the Holy Spirit enlarges our hearts and helps our infirmities, in a clear and affecting view of divine things. We are pleafed with joining with others in focial worship when we have opportunity, either in the families where we live, in private Chriftian focieties,

or in public affemblies. The Christian fabbath, and the inftitution of baptifm and the Lord's fupper, appear to us to be wife and good, fuited to promote the highest good of men, and the honour of Chrift, and we endeavour confcientiously to attend upon them; and are much inftructed and edified by the preaching of the gofpel, when the great truths of it are explained and vindicated, and the duties therein revealed are properly urged, and the preacher with fuitable engagednefs declares all the counfel of God.

We hope we live in the exercise of an unconditional fubmiffion to God, without making any referve, with respect to all the events which do or fhall take place, whether greater or fmaller, and whether they relate more immediately to ourselves, or to the church, or to the world in general. We firmly believe that God has determined, and does order, every thing, every event, both great and small, that comes to pafs, according to the counsel of his own will, which is perfectly wife and good; and we are disposed and love to fay, Thy will be done, with refpect to all events which do take place now, or fhall come to pafs. Nor do we, and we dare not, afk for any thing in prayer to God which we do not know is agreeable to his will to grant, abfolutely, but conditionally, if it be agreeable to his will to do it; if it be not, we are prepared to say from the heart, Thy will be done. We have fuch a conftant conviction and confidence that the divine will is infinitely wife, right and good, that it is matter of fupport, comfort and joy, that the Lord God Omnipotent reigns, and hath done, and will forever do, whatfoever pleaseth him, being infinitely above all controul; fo that his counsel standeth forever, and the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

We add in the laft place, that we truft that our converfation and conduct before the world is agreeable to our Chriftian profeffion, and the holy rules of the gospel. If this were not true, but the contrary, we acknowledge all our fuppofed inward exercises, which have been mentioned as evidences of our Christianity, are not to be re

lied upon by us, and may be juftly confidered as mere delufion by all others. But if what we fuppofe be true, for which we appeal to all who are acquainted with us, and we have been brought by the influence of the gospel of the grace God to deny all ungodliness, and every worldly luft, and to live foberly, righteoufly and godly in this prefent evil world; we think it to be a ftrengthening evidence, in connection with our inward convictions and exercises which we have experienced, and have now related, that we are the fubjects of the power of Divine Grace; and that, whatever we once were, we are now washed, and fanctified, and juftified, in the name of the Lord Jefus, and by the Spirit of our God; and that all who behold our blameless and good converfation in Chrift, ought to confider it as an evidence in our favour, and of the truth and excellence of Chriftianity; and that they who speak evil of us as of evil doers, and falfely accufe us, ought to be ashamed.

Thus we have endeavoured to give an honest and true account of the reason of the hope we entertain, that by believing the gospel it is become the power of God to us, to our falvation. We have omitted fome things which might have been mentioned, and perhaps have made fome needlefs repetitions. Imperfect as this account is, we wish it may prove fome advantage to Chriftians, and matter of conviction to unbelievers.*

叠

III. The reasonablenefs and importance of the direction and command which has been explained, is to be confidered and proved. This may be done by the following obfervations.

*It is fuppofed that the evidence given above by Christians, of their hope of a faving interest in Christ, is common to every real Chriftian, without which no man has reason to think himself to be one. But in many other particulars, not mentioned here, Chriftians may differ, and one have views and exercifes which another has not expe rienced in the fame manner and degree, which may be a ftrengthening evidence to those who have them, and to thofe to whom they relate them, that they have tafted that the Lord is gracious. If any defire to fee the fubject treated more largely, they are referred to Prefident EDWARDS on Religious Affections.