magnify God, to have their mouths full of his praises, and affectionally to be calling on others to praise and extol him, I thought it deserved a more particular. consideration.

No Christian will make it an argument against a person, that he seems to have such a disposition; nor can it reasonably be looked upon as an evidence for a person, if those things that have been already observed and proved, be duly considered, namely, that persons, without grace, may have high affections towards God and Christ, and that their affections being strong, may fill their mouths, and incline them to speak much, and very earnestly, about the things with which they are affected, and that there may be counterfeits of all kinds of gracious affection. But it will appear more evidently, that this is no certain sign of grace, if we consider what instances the Scripture gives us of it in those that were graceless. We often have an account of this, in the multitude that were present when Christ preached and wrought miracles: "And immediately he arose, took up his bed, and went forth before them all, insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it in this fashion." So Matth. ix. 8. and Luke v. 26. Also Matth. xv. 31. “ Insomuch that the multitude wondered when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and thus glorified the God of Israel." So we are told, that on occasion of Christ's raising the son of the widow of Nain, "There came a fear on all and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people." So we read of their glorifying

Christ, or speaking exceeding highly of him: “ And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all." And how did they praise him with loud voices, crying, "Hosanna to the son of David; Hosanna in the highest: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord," a little before he was crucified! And after Christ's ascension, when the apostles had healed the impotent man, we are told, that "all men glorified God for that which was done." When the Gentiles in Antioch of Pisidia, heard from Paul and Barnabas, that God would reject the Jews, and take the Gentiles to be his people in their room, they were affected with this goodness of God to the Gentiles," and glorified the word of the Lord:" but all that did so were not true believers; but only a certain elect number of them; as is intimated in the account we have of it: "And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life, believed." So of old, the children of Israel at the Red Sea, "sang God's praise; but soon forgat his works." And the Jews in Ezekiel's time, "with their mouth showed much love, while their heart went after their covetousness.' And it is foretold of false professors, and real enemies of religion, that they should show a forwardness to glorify God: "Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified."

It is no certain sign that a person is graciously affected, if, in the midst of his hopes and comforts, he is greatly affected with God's unmerited mercy to him that is so unworthy, and seems greatly to extol

and magnify free grace. Those that yet remain with unmortified pride and enmity against God, may, when they imagine they have received extraordinary kindness from God, cry out of their unworthiness and magnify God's undeserved goodness to them, from no other conviction of their ill-deservings, and from no higher principle than Saul had, who, while he yet remained with unsubdued pride and enmity against David, was brought, though a king, to acknowledge his unworthiness, and cry out, "I have played the fool, I have erred exceedingly," and with great affection and admiration, to magnify and extol David's unmerited and unexampled kindness to him: and from no higher principle than that from whence Nebuchadnezzar was affected with God's dispensations, that he saw and was the subject of, and praises, extols, and honours the King of heaven. And both he and Darius, in their high affections, call upon all nations to praise God. Dan. iii. 28, 29, 30. and iv. 1, 2, 3, 34, 35, 37. and vi. 25, 26, 27.

CHAPTER XI.

It is no sign that Affections are right, or that they are wrong, that they make persons exceedingly confident that what they expérience is divine, and that they are in a good estate.

It is an argument with some against persons, that they are deluded if they pretend to be assured of their good estate, and to be carried beyond all doubt

ing of the favour of God; supposing that there is no such thing to be expected in the church of God, as a full and absolute assurance of hope; unless in some very extraordinary circumstances; as in the case of martyrdom: contrary to the doctrine of Protestants, which has been maintained by their most celebrated writers against the Papists; and contrary to the plainest Scripture evidence. It is manifest, that it was a common thing for the saints, of whom we have a history or particular account in Scripture, to be assured. God, in the plainest and most positive manner, revealed and testified his special favour to Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Daniel, and others. Job often speaks of his sincerity and uprightness with the greatest imaginable confidence and assurance, often calling God to witness to it; and says plainly, "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that I shall see him for myself, and not another." David, throughout the book of Psalms, almost every where speaks without any hesitancy, and in the most positive manner, of God as his God: glorying in him as his portion and heritage, his rock and confidence, his shield, salvation, and high tower, and the like. Hezekiah appeals to God, as one that knew that he had walked before him in truth, and with a perfect heart. Jesus Christ, in his dying discourse with his eleven disciples, in the 14th, 15th, and 16th chapters of John, (which was as it were Christ's last will and testament to his disciples, and to his whole church,) often declares his special and everlasting love to them, in the plainest and most positive terms; and promises them, in the most absolute manner, a future participation with him in his glory; and tells them, at the same

time, that he does so, to the end that their joy might be full: "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." Also, at the conclusion of his whole discourse: "These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Christ was not afraid of speaking too plainly and positively to them; he did not. desire to hold them in the least suspense. And he concluded that last discourse of his with a prayer in their presence, wherein he speaks positively to his Father of those eleven disciples, as having all of them savingly known him, and believed in him, and received and kept his word; that they were not of the world; that for their sakes he sanctified himself; that his will was, that they should be with him in his glory; and tells his Father, that he spake these things in his prayer, to the end that his joy might be fulfilled in them. By these things it is evident, that it is agree-. able to Christ's designs, and the ordering and disposition Christ makes of things in his church, that there should be sufficient and abundant provision made, that his saints might have full assurance of their future glory.

The apostle Paul, through all his epistles, speaks in an assured strain; ever speaking positively of his special relation to Christ, his Lord, and Master, and Redeemer, and his interest in, and expectation of, the future reward. It would be endless to take notice of all places that might be enumerated: I shall mention but three or four: "Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the