something that resembles light, something that is sweet as honey to the taste, something that guides and teaches man and shows him the divine covenant? And are not these things promised to those that fear God, to the meek and lowly; that is, to all the real disciples of the religion? And are not these things promised as a test, which all are invited to make; which the wicked neither understand nor seek after; but which is consigned as a secret to those who fear God?

3. But observe, further, THE APPEALS WHICH

THE APOSTLES CONTINUALLY MAKE TO THEIR

CONVERTS, as to their experience of the effects. which Christianity had produced upon them; notice how they speak, not only of miraculous gifts communicated, but a moral change produced, spiritual blessings and joys perceived, a transition mighty as from death to life, experienced; and these appeals occur with frequency and familiarity, quite as things known and indisputable.

You hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.1 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord. Such were some of you, (adulterers, thieves, covetous, 'Eph. v. 8.

Eph. ii. 1.

2 Col. i. 13.

&c.) but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.' We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works." Mighty changes these; but consisting of a divine and spiritual transformation, supposed to be known and felt by the converts.

4. Further, the NECESSITY OF AN EXPE

RIENCE AND INWARD PERCEPTION OF RELIGION IS EXPRESSLY INSISTED ON. Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may PROVE (experience, practically bring to the test,) what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.'Again, Being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom also we have access by faith into this grace, wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also ; knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience EXPERIENCE, and EXPERIENCE hope.Once more, And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all JUDGMENT, (aio Ono, perception, experience.)— Further, As new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby, if so be ye have TASTED that the Lord is gracious.

5

2

11 Cor. vi. 9-11. Eph. ii. 10.
Rom. v. 1-5.

3 Rom. xii. 2.

Phil. i. 9, 10.

1 Pet. ii. 2, 3.

5. Moreover, THIS TESTIMONY IS BROADLY

ASSERTED TO BELONG TO EVERY ONE THAT

RECEIVES THE GOSPEL. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God.

If any man have not the

3

Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.3

6. In fact, the whole END OF CHRISTIANITY IS TO PRODUCE this divine and moral transformation, this secret and internal obedience to the truth, to be proved by its appropriate fruits in the life and conduct. Other parts of the evidences of Christianity lead to this end, but this part is the end itself. Christianity never was intended for speculation or disputation, but for practical It is for this purpose only that it touches on high and mysterious points. It makes eternity act upon time. It shakes one world by the terrors of another. Where this efficacy is not felt, the Revelation fails of its object; where it is, Christianity has so far achieved its purpose, and goes on to build up the convert in his most holy faith.

use.

7. Accordingly, this PERSONAL RECEPTION

OF THE DIVINE GRACE IS THE PECULIAR

TESTIMONY which goes along with the gospel in the ordinary state of the church. It attended it even when the miraculous powers and the Rom. viii. 16. Rom. viii. 9.

1 1 John v. 10.

2

prophetical inspiration first surrounded the infant cause of truth. But the Holy Ghost producing these transforming effects, is the main and continued witness for Christ from age to age. "Therefore ungodly persons," says a celebrated divine, "have a great disadvantage in handling this subject of the evidences of Christianity; because, holding by the religion only by external proofs, they do not reach the most persuasive evidence of her truth. For the spirit of renovation, sanctification, and illumination, assimilating the soul to Christ and heaven, is the continued witness to Christianity to all true believers, even as the rational soul of a child is the inherent witness or evidence that he is born of rational parents.""

But the case is too plain to every pious mind to warrant so much detail. However, those for whom I am now most concerned, and to whose apprehensions I am anxious to bring down this grand practical argument, the nature and scriptural authority for which I have been establishing, cannot be too strongly pressed on such a point, let us consider, as we proposed

III. THE FACTS BY WHICH THIS ARGUMENT IS SUSTAINED.

How stands the case as a matter of fact?

'Baxter.

What do men most competent to speak declare? Do they testify, or do they not, that they find this inward witness to the truth of Christianity? What are the phenomena in real life?

In appealing to this criterion, we have a great advantage in the present day. It has long been agreed on all hands, that in practical questions matters of fact are to be mainly attended to. The whole philosophy of Bacon, Newton, and their illustrious followers, rests on this one principle, that nature is to be traced out, investigated, cautiously followed; that we know nothing but as fact and observation demonstrate things; that hypothesis and theory and objections are of no force against undoubted experiment, from which alone we are to infer, by cautious induction, the general laws of nature. It is the same, so far as the case will allow, in the philosophy of mind; the phenomena only are attended to. The intellectual and active powers, their relations, their objects, the laws by which they operate, are to be deduced from experiments carefully conducted, reported with fidelity, compared with each other in a sufficient variety of cases, and distinguished from hasty, partial, inconclusive observations, by their proper effects. Hypothesis,