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ESSAY XVII.

On the Privileges enjoyed by the True Believer.

THE sacred Oracles continually teach us, that the upright servant of God, notwithstanding his mourning for sin, and all his conflicts, fears, chastisements, and tribulations, is favoured and happy above all other men, even in this present world. And when the apostle observed, that "if in this life only we have "hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable;" he only meant, that if a christian could be deprived of the hope of heaven, and all those earnests, consolations, and lively affections which result from it, his peculiar trials, his tenderness of conscience, his antipathy to sin, and his thirstings after God and holiness, would be superadded to the ordinary burdens of life, without any proportionable counterpoise to them. But as this is not and cannot be the case; so, the christian with the hope of glory and his other peculiar privi leges, may be and actually is, in proportion to his diligence and fruitfulness, of all men the most happy. In order to evince this truth, it may be useful to appropriate the present Essay to the consideration of the most distinguished privileges of the real christian,

which no other man in the world can partake of: for they constitute "a joy with which a stranger inter"meddleth not;" even "the secret of the Lord, which " is with them that fear him."* And it may be premised, that a disposition supremely to desire and deligently to seek after all these blessings, as the felicity in which our souls delight, and with which they would be satisfied, is one grand evidence that we are actually interested in them.

I. Every real christian is actually pardoned and justified in the sight of God: and "Blessed is he "whose transgression is forgiven; whose sin is cover"ed: blessed is the man unto whom the Lord im"puteth not iniquity." Among a number of condemned criminals, that man would be deemed the happiest who had obtained the king's pardon, though others were more accomplished, or better clothed: for the cheerful hope of his prison-door opening to set him at liberty, and to restore him to the comforts of life, would render the temporary hardships of his situation tolerable; while to the rest the gloom and horrors of the dungeon would be blackened by the dread of the approaching hour, when they must be brought out of their cells to an ignominious and agonizing execution. -We all are criminals: death terminates our confinement in this vile body, and this evil world: at that important moment the pardoned sinner rises to heaven

*Ps. xxv. 14 Prov. xiv. 10. Rev. ii. 17.

Ps. xxxii. 1, 2. Rom. iv. 6-8.

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-the unpardoned sinner sinks into hell: and, except as the former has his views darkened by temptation, or by fatherly rebukes for his misconduct; or, as the latter has his fears repressed by infidelity, or dis. sipated by intoxicating pleasures and pursuits; the very thought of this closing scene and its most interesting consequences, must have a most powerful effect on their respective happiness and misery, even during the uncertain term of their present life. Nothing can be more evident, than that the Scripture declares that all believers are actually pardoned, and completely justified. "There is" says the apostle, "no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus; "who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? "It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? "It is Christ that died; yea, rather is risen again, who "is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh "intercession for us."* And our Lord assures us, not only that" he who believeth is not condemned," but also, that "he hath everlasting life, and shall not "come into condemnation."+

The same privilege was proposed under the old testament:when the prophet, speaking of repentance and conversion, (the concomitants and evidences of true faith,) says, in the name of Jehovah, "If "the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath "committed, and do that which is lawful and right, "he shall surely live, he shall not die; all his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be

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☛ Rom. viii. 1, 33, 34.

† John iii. 14-21. v. 24.

"mentioned unto him."* In other places the Lord speaks of "blotting out the sins" of his people, and "remembering them no more," and of "casting "them into the depths of the sea."+ The apostle assures us, that "all who believe are justified from all "things;" that "the blood of Christ cleanseth from "all sin," and that even little children in Christ, "have their sins forgiven them for his name's sake." So that the forgiveness and justification of believers are stated to be already past; and their deliverance from condemnation is not represented as a future contingency, but as secured to them by an irrevocable grant: "Being justified by faith, they have peace with "God, through our Lord Jesus Christ."

But, though this is the privilege of all true believers without exception; yet the actual assurance that the blessing belongs to them is possessed only by some, and only at times even by many of these; for true faith may be very weak; and it may be connected with a confused judgment, a considerable degree of ignorance, many prejudices or mistakes, and some. times a comparative prevalence of carnal affections. In this case a man may believe with a trembling faith, and cry out with tears, "Lord help my unbelief!" or he may firmly credit the testimony and rely on the promises of God, with a full persuasion of his power and willingness to perform them; and yet doubt

Ezek. xviii. 21, 22, 27, 28.

† Is. xliii. 25, xliv. 22. Jer. xxxi. 34. Mic. vii. 19. Acts iii. 19. Acts xiii. 38, 39. 2 Cor v. 19.1 John i. 7. ii. 12.

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whether he do not presume, and deceive himself, in supposing his faith to be saving: and in various ways he may doubt whether he be a true believer, though he do not doubt that Christ will certainly save all true believers. Nay, the frame even of a real christian's mind and the tenour of his conduct may render such doubts reasonable, and the necessary consequence of faith: for if he yield to those evils which the Scripture enumerates as marks of unconversion, the more entirely he credits the divine testimony, the greater reason will he have to call his own state in question; till such time as his convictions have produced a proper effect upon his conduct. When St. Paul told the Galatians, that "he stood in doubt of them," he meant to induce them to stand in doubt of themselves; and "to ex"amine whether they were in the faith," or whether they had hitherto been deceived. We are, therefore, directed to give diligence both to obtain, and preserve "the full assurance of hope;"* but this would be superfluous if saving faith consisted in being sure of an interest in Christ; a doctrine which (though incautiously maintained by some very respectable persons,) is evidently suited to discourage feeble believers, and to buoy up the false confidence of hypocrites. In proportion as it becomes manifest, that we are regenerate, that our faith is living, that it works by love and is accompanied by repentance, and that we partake of "the sanctification of the Spirit unto obe"dience;" we may be sure that our sins are pardoned, and that all the promises of God shall be accomplished

• Heb. vi. 11. 2 Pet. i. 10.

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