and real friend to his Saviour. He knew, that he loved him, not from mercenary, but from pure, disinterested motives. He knew that he had been selfish and like the other disciples had wished to know who should be greatest in the kingdom of Christ; but he could distinguish such selfish feelings from his pure, supreme love of Christ. His selfish affections were a foil to discover and distinguish the nature of his pure, holy, disinterested affections, and instead of being an evidence against his sincerity, were an evidence in favor of it. Now, if Peter, notwithstanding all his moral imperfections, could have satisfactory evidence of being a real christian, then all other real christians may have satisfactory evidence that they are such. They, like Peter, do in reality love Christ supremely, and may know, as he did, that they do love Christ supremely, and of course, may know that they are his real friends. Peter had moral imperfections and great moral imperfections, but he could and did distinguish his holy, from his unholy affections. And every real christian, as well as Peter, may distinguish his holy, from bis unholy affections, and thereby gain satisfactory evidence, that he is a real friend to Christ and entitled to eternal life, notwithstanding all his moral imperfections. All real christians are imperfect in this life, and if they could not distinguish their holy, from their unholy affections, it would be im

possible for them, to have clear, satisfactory evidence of their gracious state as long as they live in this world. Grace is an infallible evidence of grace, and all real christians have this infallible evidence in their favor, whether they know it or not. There are, undoubtedly, many real christians, who have this evidence in their favor, that are involved in darkness and doubts, whether they have received the grace of God in truth; but they have the infallible evidence of grace in their own hearts, and might discover it, notwithstanding all their moral defects and short comings in duty. Though they may have greater moral imperfections than Peter, or Paul had; yet they have the witness in their hearts that they love Christ supremely, which counterbalances and sets aside all evidence to the contrary. If they would only examine their hearts critically and impartially, they might discover and distinguish their holy affections from all unholy ones, and gain satisfactory evidence that they have been born of God and are the children of grace.

2. If Peter could have clear, satisfactory evidence, that he was a real christian; then sinners must have clear and convincing evidence, that they are not christians. Peter knew that he was a sinner, before he became a christian. He knew, that he loved himself solely and supremely, which was a violation of the first

to themselves; and doubting sinners are in danger of applying the promises of the gospel to themselves. Doubting saints are in danger of delaying to profess Christ before men, and doubting sinners are in greater danger of making a false profession. The remaining depravity of saints, and the total depravity of sinners, lead both to take the same method, to keep themselves in the state of uncertainty. They both run into and lose themselves in the wide field of possibility. The doubting saint says to himself, I think I sometimes love Christ sincerely and supremely; but I may be mistaken. It appears from the bible, that a great many have thought that they loved Christ sincerely and supremely, but they deceived themselves, for they had not the love of Christ in them; and it is possible, that I may deceive myself in the same manner. The doubting sinner says to himself, I think I love Christ sincerely and supremely sometimes, though I have much evidence to the contrary. But many good men have said they had doubts and fears about their gracious state; and therefore, it is possible, that I may be a good man, though have doubts and fears. This mode of reasoning in both saints and sinners, tends to keep them in doubt and uncertainty as long as they live. The saint may always ask himself, Am I not a self-deceived sinner? And the sinner may always ask himself, Am I not a self

deceived or doubting saint? This mode of thinking and reasoning looks plausible; but it is a mere delusion of the great deceiver? No man has a right to ask himself whether it be not possible, that he should be deceived about what he knows. No man has a right to ask himself, when he knows he sees the sun in a clear day, whether he is not deceived. It is impossible, that a man should be deceived about what he knows. When a saint has supreme love to Christ and knows it, he cannot be deceived; and when a sinner has a heart full of evil, and knows it, he cannot be deceived. Saints ought to judge of their own character, by what they know passes in their own hearts; and sinners ought to judge of their own character, by what passes in their own hearts. The scripture takes it for granted, that saints may know their own hearts, and that sinners may know their own hearts, and accordingly requires all men to know whether they are saints, or sinners, and forbids them to remain in uncertainty, as to their spiritual state, Paul says to christians, "Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your ownselves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates." Peter says, "Brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure." Peter knew, that christians could know their own hearts, for he knew his own heart, and he also knew that he loved Christ

ians have no right, nor occasion, to live in uncertainty, as to their spiritual state. It is not a duty, but a sin, for any to doubt, whether they are saints or sinners, for they may come, and ought to come to a certainty upon this most interesting subject. It is to be feared, that there are not a few doubting saints, and doubting sinners in this place, who seriously think, that they are doing their duty, by doubting. But if they would do their duty, what occasion would they have for doubting? Let them love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, and they could have no more occasion for doubting than Peter had, and he had none. This subject calls upon doubting christians, to put away their doubts, and come to the table of Christ, and it as loudly calls upon doubting sinners to put away their doubts, by immediate repentance, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him. If your souls be infinitely precious, secure their salvation. If delays be dangerous, beware of delaying. If some of you delay much longer, your delay must be fatal. But this subject more particularly calls upon the professors of religion, to search and try the state of their minds, previously to their coming to the communion table, where Christ will be invisibly present; and though he may not by an audible voice put the question to

Peter "Lovest thou me ?" yet he will as critically watch the heart of every one, as he watched the heart of Peter. The question now is, are you as willing that Christ should know your hearts, as Peter was that he should know his? If you are, it will be but a small thing to be judged by man's judgment, if you can sincerely appeal to Christ, and say, "Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee." If you know that you love Christ, you may know that Christ loves you. And if you have once loved Christ, you may know that he will always love you, though like Peter's your love and faith may sometimes fail. Be entreated then to keep the feast, not with old leaven of mercenary love, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth,

DIVINE EFFICIENCY.

The doctrine of divine agency as exerted upon the hearts of sinners in regeneration, and upon the hearts of saints in all their holy exercises is so plainly taught, and so fully believed that nothing need be said in support of it. But another view of the doctrine, very nearly connected with this, as it respects the great end of both, which is the glory of God, meets with much opposition. I mean the doctrine of Divine agency exerted upon the hearts of wicked