in my foul in measure; as it is written, Created anew in Chrift Jefus, after the image of him that created him in righteoufnefs and true boliness. 8. He affured me that I fhall be made to perfevere and hold out in a state of grace; and that I fhall be continued in the love and favour of God for ever and ever, in defpite of all that the pow→ ers of darkness can contrive or act against me. The righteous fhall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands fhall be stronger and stronger. 9. He affured me that the eye of Divine Provi dence should be everlastingly fixed on me, and the right hand of God's righteoufness everlastingly kept under me for my fecurity, from being in danger at any time of finally miscarrying or perifhing. 10. He affured me that the very indwelling corruption in my nature, and whatever falls or miscarriage which should at any time be occafioned thereby in my life and converfation, fhould, with all the afflictions attending me for the faid mifcarriages, most certainly and infallibly work for my eternal good and welfare, whatever I myself or others fhould judge to the contrary; for all things do work together for good to them that love God. 11. He affured me that I fhould meet with great oppofition and tribulation in the world; but that all mine enemies fhould find they laboured in yain; for that God was on my fide to take my part against them: and who will most certainly crown crown all my ftraits and troubles with a happy fuccefs. The Lord will defend the just as with a Shield. 12. He affured me that God's fpecial prefence fhould be fo with me in every change of condition in this world, as that nothing fhould harm or spoil me; yea, that death itself, the laft enemy of nature, fhould neither terrify nor hurt me; the mortal fting thereof being by the death of my Redeemer taken away, and death divefted of his power to harm me, or any of Chrift's redeemed ones. Thefe particulars difcovered and fet home by the Holy Ghoft on my trembling panting foul, he working me powerfully to a believing each particular with application to myself, I was immediately furprised with a more aftonishing and overcoming rapture of inexpreffible joy than before: I had clear manifeftations of the love of God to me in particular, and of the great things done and prepared for me, to make me everlaftingly happy in the beholding and enjoying himfelf as my God and my Father, and portion in Chrift for ever; according to the unconditional free covenant of his own grace, made and established in and with Chrift his Son in the behalf of me and the rest of his elect. No fooner did I look up to God and behold his reconciled face fimile on me in the face of Jefus his fon, but I felt fuch inward foul-inebriating joy as I verily thought would caufe my very foul to fly out out of my body, and my body to burst in funder. The hardness of my heart under which I laboured all the time of my bondage ftate, and which I fenfibly felt to grow and increase as I called to remembrance the many follies of youth, and the holy law of God, whereof thofe follies were fo many breaches, each folly deferving, if it were poffible, a thousand damnations, was melted and thawn like a lump of ice before the warm fun, by the fenfe and perception I had of the love of God vouchfafed to fuch a bafe and deformed finner as God knows I was, and fill am. I felt the fervile and mercenary frame and difpofition of my spirit take wing, and that filial child-like frame and difpofition of fpirit, which is fuited to a gospel difpenfation, fucceed in its room; and looking up to heaven with the tears flowing from my eyes fo extremely fast that I heard them drop, drop after drop, on the floor where I stood, continuing fo long that I fenfibly felt my cheeks to burn and fcald me; my foul in a ftrange ecstasy running over thofe particulars which the Holy Ghost had affured me of. Here is the fecond rapture of joy. What joy like to this I now feel? Who can poffibly relate or exprefs it? What! hath God elected me-even me-finful and vile me? And hath he done it before time? and notwithstanding he perfectly knew what I fhould prove in time? Oh, wonderful love! Why'me, Lord? Why me? And And not one of the reprobates in hell who never finned against thee to that degree that I have? The And hath God laid mine iniquities, even all my iniquities, on the back of Chrift, and charged them to his fcore as my furety? Oh amazing mystery of divine love and grace! Who is able to know whether the Father or the Son loves me moft? Father, in laying my fins on his own and only Son, though innocent and harmless; or the Son, in condefcending to bear them as his own fins? And are all thofe fins of mine difcharged and fatisfied for by the active and paffive obedience of Christ my furety who hath kept the law for me? Oh, wonderful condefcenfion both of Father and Son! Is it fo as I feel it is, that God the Father is fully fatisfied with that his Son's obedience, and that I am now juftified in his fight by the virtue thereof? Oh my foul, what cause haft thou to rejoice and adore God for ever? And was the love of God fet on me, even in a ftate of unregeneracy? Who but a mercenary lega lift will not be hence convinced of the orthodoxy and foundness of that diftinction which differenceth between the perfon of an elect finner, and the finful pravity of nature which cleaves to him? Surely my foul, if God had really hated thee, and had he been wrath with thee as he is with all the wicked reprobates who have no fhare in the redemption of his Son, even then, when thou wast uncalled, he might have have fent thee to hell. Who could have hindered him? And were the reafons wherefore he handled thee fo roughly by the fpirit of bondage as have been discovered by the Holy Ghost, and not because he hated thee, or any way defigned to fatisfy his vindicative justice for thy fins. What cause haft thou to reflect on and abhor thyfelf for all thy hard thoughts and unbecoming apprehenfions which were lodged in thee of God and his dealing with thee? And is it certain, as moft certainly it is, feeing God cannot lie, that I, poor finful I, fhall be made to perfevere and hold out in a state of grace, and continue in God's favour for ever? Oh, what unspeakable cause haft thou to adore, love, and praise, Jehovah to all eternity! And what little reafon haft thou to be discouraged to think of what the powers of darkness can do to hinder thy perfeverance. And will the eye of Divine Providence be on me, and the right hand of God's righteousness kept under me, to secure me for ever from finally mifcarrying or perishing? How great encouragement is this to thee, my foul, to have the eye of faith and hope dependingly fixed on the faithfulness and almightiness of God; seeing the end and the means are ever infepa rable. And hath God, that cannot lie, promised and engaged that the being of indwelling corruption, with all the outbreaking thereof in my converfation, as alfo |