they are such as relate to the prosperity of religion, the salvation of souls, the honor and glory of my Redeemer!

The consciousness which we have here described, may, during most of the time at least, consist with a calm and unexcited state of mind. The feelings may also, occasionally, or frequently, rise into strong and vivid emotion. In some minds there is more of the one, and in other minds more of the other, of these two states, according to constitutional temperament, and to the nature of the external exciting causes, which may be present to the mind. But whatever may be the character of our constitutional susceptibilities, or of the exciting causes which are operating on the mind, the true. doctrine of assurance is this, that we feel and know as our prevailing consciousness, that God, and not this world-religion, and not inferior things, are the grand objects of our preference and pursuit ; and that other things, and all other things, hold only a subordinate place in our affections:-That we feel, calmly perhaps, but still really, such an interest in the Eternal God, in the welfare of his kingdom, in the good of souls, and the prosperity of the Redeemer's cause, that the desire which we feel for any other good, considered as a governing state of mind, is inferior, and yields to the former, whenever the two rival objects come into direct competition and conflict with each other.

From these views of the nature of assurance, we pass to make some remarks on the manner in which it is to be attained,—the essential requisites to the acquisition of this knowledge of our spiritual state.

1. The assured christian must possess a degree of piety above the ordinary standard. The ordinary standard of piety at the present day, is undeniably much too low. It is so low, that many, beyond all doubt, pass for christians, and go down to the grave in the confident expectation of eternal life, who are yet" in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity." In such a state of things, it is perfectly natural that a large proportion of those who have some real piety, should fall far short of what they might be, and are bound to be, as followers of Christ. Most of them feel this, and occasionally at least, mourn over their habitual lukewarmness with sincere grief and repentance. But the greater part, immersed in worldly cares, or slaves to custom, or palsied by inactivity, "lay the flattering unction to their souls," that higher attainments in holiness cannot be expected in the great body of christians at the present day, whatever may have been true of other ages of the church. To hope from such christians any thing like assurance, or a well grounded certainty of their good estate, would be indeed most idle. No: for their sakes, we do most earnestly wish that doubts may thicken upon them, that anxiety and distress

may take hold upon their souls, that conscience may do its office. and compel them to live, and pray, and contribute, as they know they are bound to do at a period of the world like this. Let them do this, let them return to God with genuine repentance, and live near to him in the exercise of a childlike confidence, and an intimate and holy fellowship; let them make the prosperity of Zion the great object and end of life, to which every thing else is subordinated,-living thus for God, walking in this way with him, and holding every thing they possess as means with which they are entrusted for advancing his glory, a confirmed, assured hope would spring up in their minds, unsought, and as a matter almost of course, and would shed its benignant influence on their path to heaven.

2. Some time must have elapsed to give the child of God an opportunity to know his real character. We do not mean to say, that if the gospel were preached in an absolutely perfect manner; if all the truths presented to the soul, while under conviction of sin, and immediately after its renewal in the image of God, were presented and understood exactly right,—a well grounded assurance of the change experienced, might not instantly spring up in the renewed heart. Such, indeed, seems to have been the case with the first converts to christianity, under the preaching of the apostles. But in later times, with the imperfections attendant on the preaching of uninspired men, such an assurance is not to be expected at once. The certainty of our establishment in the christian life, is not to be looked for, in general, except as the result of experience, and as the fruit of prolonged self-acquaintance and self-discipline. The first feelings of a mind which has chosen God for its portion, are indeed often strong and ardent; and while they continue to be of this character, they may seem to the subject of them, almost to preclude doubt. But experience shows, that multitudes have actually been deceived, whose feelings were equally strong and ardent; and that very little reliance can be placed on such emotions, even if genuine, when compared with that strength of principle which marks the established christian, when the first gush of feeling has in a great measure passed away, or has subsided at least into a calm, equable, unexcited, and yet inflexible determination for God. The first feelings of the new convert have commonly less of deep seated principle in them, than he is apt to imagine. They deceive him in this respect, because they carry with them a power of awakening the mind to livelier consciousness of their existence, than the subsequent and calmer exercises of the same mind possess. The reasons are obvious. These feelings are then new in the experience of that mind, and are apt of course to be more vivid then than afterwards. They are more strongly contrasted, too, with what but

recently had been the predominant feelings of the soul. For these and other reasons, it is ordinarily to be expected, that some of the first emotions of the mind which has fixed its supreme choice on God as its everlasting portion, should be peculiarly strong, and for the time being, appear to carry with them, on that account, an evidence of piety, which subsequent, and calmer, and darker days may not seem to furnish. And yet it may be true, and we think it generally is true, that the subsequent, and calmer, and even darker days, of which we here speak, when rightly viewed, exhibit far more evidence of a heart which is fixed, confirmed, and unalterable in the grand purpose of devotedness to the divine will, than were furnished by the brighter and more joyous beams of its "first love."

3. But while we think, for these reasons, that a certain period must be allowed the young christian to gain the full assurance of good estate, we feel decidedly, that the error of the present day lies on the side of making that period much too long. Nay more, the prevailing sentiment, at least the practical one, is, that such assurance is never to be expected or aimed at by the great body of christians. It is considered as the peculiar privilege of a few aged saints scattered here and there, who are regarded as the "highly favored of the Lord." To this subject, we do earnestly hope the attention of the churches may be strongly and generally directed. Has it ceased to be the duty of christians to "know themselves?" Has there ever been a period, since the time of the Reformation, at least, when a higher standard of holy action, or a greater readiness to make sacrifices in the service of Christ was called for, than at present? Would not that standard be greatly raised, would not a new spirit of enterprise and self-denial be breathed into the church, if the united call of the pulpit and of public opinion, demanded such a life in the professed followers of Christ, as would authorize them to feel the full assurance of hope? But what has been the result of the sentiments which now too generally prevail? Is it not notorious, that a vast amount of influence on the part of clergymen, as well as private christians, has been thrown into the scale of doubt, fear, and uncertainty, on this subject? We do not object to the abundant cautions which are given, as well from the pulpit, as in the private intercourse of life, against self-deception. On the contrary, we rejoice in this fidelity, nor would we wish to see it diminished in the least degree. What we lament, is, that the subject, in most cases, is left here; that the other side of the picture, so constantly held forth in the scriptures, is now so generally kept out of view. "We know," says John, "that we have passed from death to life." "Know ye not your own selves," says the apostle Paul, with a kind of holy in

dignation at that state of doubt and uncertainty on this subject which so many at the present day seem to regard as an evidence of christian humility. The true object of the cautions alluded to above, is not to make men doubt, but to lead them to decide. Bu this they will never do, until the practicability and duty of knowing themselves to be christians, are made the prominent objects of preaching and conversation, when these cautions are introduced. Now, exactly the reverse of this, is the order in which they are too generally presented. The cautions take the lead, the danger is placed forward in bold relief, while the practicability, the duty, the exalted privilege of the full assurance of hope, are touched upon lightly, or passed over in neglect.

We cannot but apprehend, indeed, that there is much prevailing doubt on this subject, in the public mind. Many, we fear, have a latent feeling, that what was once the duty and privilege of believers, in this respect, can no longer be expected from the great body of christians, in these latter days. But is it not dishonorable to God, we ask, to suppose that he has made it necessary for any of his children to pass from youth to manhood, and thence to the close of life, and to die at last doubting, halting, hesitating christians? Must all our life be consumed in doing little or nothing more towards 'making our calling and election sure,' than had been done the first hour we believed? Men are never thus doubtful respecting their predominant inclinations on other subjects. The ambitious man soon discovers and knows what is the master passion of his soul. The miser early learns what those objects are, around which the chief affections of his heart habitually cluster. And he who has no governing object but his ease, who floats loose and at large on the tide of events, careless of aught but to remain undisturbed and free from care, soon finds out in what direction his inclinations tend. But if men may soon learn what are their governing inclinations in respect to the objects of this present world, and that too, notwithstanding the inducements which they have to conceal or disguise their real situation, why can they not, in a moderate length of time, know when they have transferred their affections from "creatures, earth, and dust," to the infinitely perfect God; and especially, when they have no temptations on this side of the question, to keep them from knowing where the truth lies? When a man's heart is turned against God, and fixed supremely upon the world, he may very naturally wish to conceal the fact, even from himself. But when he has truly embraced God as his portion, and committed the interests of his immortal spirit to his hands, a man would seem to have no motive whatever to remain ignorant of the fact. We should rather expect him to desire to know it, and to give all dili

gence to make it sure. Now the precise length of time, which may be necessary for this end, we do not pretend to specify; but we are quite certain it cannot be, to the faithful christian, the whole of life.

It should ever be kept in view, that it is the leading purpose, and not the high-wrought feelings of the mind, the governing spirit and temper of the man, which are to decide what his moral state is. If the bent of his mind is towards God and his service; if his treasure (his supreme good) is in heaven, not on earth; if it is his prevailing desire and aim to take up his cross daily and follow Christ, not being ashamed of him or of his words; if in short, there is such a tendency in his inmost spirit towards God and Christ, and duty, and heaven, that whenever he is drawn aside by the inferior and opposing propensities of his nature, he can truly say, "it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me, for I delight in the law of God after the inward man," then he has the evidence, and in kind, all the evidence, upon which the assured believer reposes. Peculiar and often intermitted frames of high wrought feeling, with long seasons, perhaps, of coldness and dulness between, are never the grounds of a true scriptural assurance. These do not indicate what the man really is. They do not determine what, in the time of trial, the man will do. To decide this point, we must look to his settled, prevailing, habitual character. It is this which determines the man, and which is the only warrantable ground of an assured hope towards God. We come now to notice some misapprehensions, which are more or less prevalent, respecting the nature and indications. of true piety.

1. It is supposed by many, that the evidence of piety, at least of eminent attainments in holiness, lies almost wholly in an excited state of the affections, and that where this is wanting, there is but little real piety. Such persons, therefore, labor almost exclusively to produce this excitement, and feel that unless this is done, little or nothing is accomplished. Now this, we conceive, is a great error; and many, we doubt not, under the influence of such views, deny themselves the consolations of an assured hope, which they might enjoy. Religion, it is true, like every other great subject which takes a strong hold upon the mind, will move the affections, and will beget deep and strong feeling. But the mind cannot long sustain a high degree of excitement. It grows exhausted and sinks under it. Nor is there any known cause, no, not religion itself, which has sufficient power to call out a high excitement of feeling, and at the same time permanently to sustain the mind, and keep it from sinking back into a calmer state. Occasionally, and for short periods, the soul may indeed open the VOL. IV.

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