Countenance, Pfal. Ixxxix. 15.", And, your Path fhall be as the Light, which fhines more and more until the perfect Day," Prov. iv. 18. Oh! my Brethren, if ever you come under the Difpenfation of God's Spirit, and have the Honour to be Prophets, Priests, and Kings unto God, then fhall you also learn to fay with Saint John, We know that we are of God, and the whole World (not thus inlightened) lieth in Wickedness, 1 John v. 19. And unless they repent, and come thus to receive Chrift in all his gracious Offices they muft perifh, for be that bath the Son, bath Life; but be that bath not the Son of God, bath not Life; but the Wrath of God abideth on him, 1 John v. 12: John ii. 36. A difmal State, my fellow Sinners! I hope fome of you by this Time, convinced of your Condition, would gladly be numbered amongst the faved, the called of God and fanctified; unto whom it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God, Luke viii. 10. Though the Devil perfecute you, and his deluded fcoffing Children were to call you in Derifion by the Name of Methodists. For we know all Men have not Faith, but many continue the Devil's poor deluded Slaves, unto whom the Word of God is fpoken in Parables; "that feeing they might fee and not perceive, and hearing they might hear and not understand; because the Enemy, whom they serve, taketh away the Word out of their Hearts, left they fhould believe and be faved," Luke viii. 10, 12. But you, beloved Brethren, who are called by Grace to be Joint-heirs with Christ, remember that Scripture, To you it is given, not only to believe in him, but alfo to fuffer for his Name's fake," Phil. i. 29. and chearfully bear the Frowns of the Devil, in the Hearts of the Unconverted, and marvel not, while you are made Kings and Priests unto God, to offer up fpiritual

Sacrifices, acceptable to God, through the Mediator Jefus Chrift; and are encouraged to "come boldly unto the Throne of Grace, to receive Strength and Help in Time of Need," Heb. iv. 16. You are now the bleffed Men to whom the Lord will not impute Sin, Pfal. xxxii. 2. He imputes not Sin to his People, because it is not their chofen Element, but their Place of Bondage; not their Meat but their Poifon : and therefore if fuch Men fin through Inadvertency, who are thus adopted into God's Family, the Apoftle tells us, We have an Advocate with the Father, Jefus Chrift the Righteous, (who is as an high Prieft entered within the Vail, with his Blood, even into the Prefence of God for us), and be is the Propitiation for our Sins, 1 John ii. 1, 2. Glorious Exchange! once you were Subjects and Bond-flaves to Sin: " for of whomfoever a Perfon is overcome, of the fame is he brought into Bondage," 2 Peter ii. 19. Once the Things you were forbidden to do, thofe Things your corrupt Nature inclined you to do; but now Chrift by his kingly Power has in a Measure fubdued Sin in you: and although through the Remainder of Corruptions, God may fuffer a Believer to cry, O wretched Man that I am, who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death! yet the Holy Ghost shall enable you as he did Saint Paul, to thank God through Jefus Chrift, Rom. vii. 24, 25. who fhall reign and daily fubdue Sin in the Hearts of all thofe who are "tranflated from the Power of the Devil, which is Darkness, into the Kingdom of God's dear Son, which is marvellous Light; and have found Redemption in his Blood, even the Forgivenefs of Sins," Col. i. 13, 14. And fhall be delivered from the Bondage of Corruption, into the glorious Liberty of the Children of God, Rom. viii. 21. Now you are not only mytically, but, in a Measure, experimentally crucified

to

to the World, and the World to you. Your chief Glory now is in the Crofs of our dear Lord Jefus Chrift; which the Sons of Men, not being born of God, hate to bear: thefe are called natural Men, or Men of the World; when others, who are born of the Spirit, are faid to be chofen out of the World, whom the World hateth, John xv. 19.. And why? because they are chofen out of the World, they conform not with the World! but their Fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jefus Chrift, 1 John i. 3. And their Converfation is in Heaven, Phil. iii. 20. And their Work while on Earth is in the Lord's Vineyard, beating up for Volunteers for the King of Glory; endeavouring to become all Things to all Men, that they might gain fome, 1 Cor. ix. 22. For they have followed Chrift fo long, and love his Service fo well, that they are become Fishers of Men, Matt. iv. 19. And endeavour by all Means to win Souls to Chrift. "They are God's Workmanship, created in Christ Jefus unto good Works, which God has before ordained, that they should walk in them," Eph. ii. 12. Therefore you fee my beloved Brethren, that God's People, especially his Ministers, are ordained and commanded to "ftudy to fhew themselves approved of God. Workmen who need not to be afhamed, having learned rightly to divide the Word of Truth," 2 Tim. ii. 15. "What fhall we then say to thefe Things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that fpared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all (all who are born of the Spirit) how fhall he not with Chrift also freely give us all Things?" He is our Advocate on high." Who fhall lay any Thing to the Charge of God's Elect? It is God that juftifieth: (He juftifies freely on the fure Foundation of the Death of his Son) Who is he that condemneth?

It is Chrift that died." He laid down his Life for the Sheep; and gives them the Knowledge of the Remiffion of their Sins, Rom. viii. 31, 32, 33, 34*

Wherefore they receive not the Spirit of Bondage again to fear; but receive the Spirit or Adoption, whereby they cry, Abba, Father. And the Spirit itfelf beareth Witnefs with their Spirits, that they are the Children of God," Ver. 15, 16. And becaufe God's People, through Grace, obey the effectual Call, whereby they are Co-workers together with God; therefore they give all Diligence to make their Calling and Election fure, 2 Peter i. 10. Which is every Chriftian's Priviledge: and they that will not strive to enter in at the strait Gate, may blame themselves for their own Backwardnefs, owing to the Fall of Adam, in which they all died, 1 Cor. xvi. 22. For there is no Unrighteoufnefs with God, therefore let God be true, but every Man a Liar, Rom. iii. 4. For we have all come .fhort of the Glory of God, and it would be no Injustice in him to condemn us all, for the whole World is become guilty before him, Rom. iii. 19. Therefore let us with Joy embrace the free Salvation, which eternal Love prepared for us, and improve the manifold Grace given unto us, whilst it is called To-Day, for Night cometh, when no Man can work, Jobn For the Day is with many of us far spent, and Death, which (I am afraid) will be a forrowful Night (to many a dry Bone Soul) is at Hand: let us therefore caft away the unfruitful Works of Ignorance (which will be found difmal Darkness) and be clothed with Humility, and indued with the Knowledge of the divine Will, in all Wisdom and fpiritual Understanding, which will be unto us the Armour of Light, even now in the Time of our mortal Life. Remembering our Priviledge, mentioned before; and that it is our Duty and In

iv. 4

tereft

tereft to make our Calling and Election fure, i. e. clear to the Satisfaction of our own Confcience, 2 Peter i. 10. For altho' there is a fure Foundation laid, yet there are many Sandy ground Profeffors, who make Shipwreck of Faith, and fall finally into Condemnation, after they have been enlightened like Judas and King Saul, and like them that tafted the good Word of God, and the Powers of the World to come, i. e. the inferior Workings of God's Spirit, which always accompanies the Word more or less; yet ftill it was but a Tafte, and for want of effectual Conviction and found Conversion, their Tafting and Receiving of God's new Wine into their old Bottles (unconverted Hearts), did them no good, but burst their Bottles, and so Wine and Bottles perifhed, Matt. ix 17. (Sin grew impatient, by Reftraint, and broke out with greater Violence). Yet there is an Impoffibility on God's Part to fuffer his Truth to fail Believers, who have been effectually called according to his Purpose, convinced in their Understanding, convicted in Heart by the Word of Truth, and condemned by the Law, and then Ranfomed by Blood, and released by Faith in the Merits of the Son of God; fuch must be fafe, being refcued as a Prey from the Strong, and plucked as a Brand from the Burning by the Hand of Omnipotence; for if the Son makes us free, we are free indeed, John viii. 36. and especially if we have paffed through the fiery Trial, Peter iv. 12. viz. of Perfecution. The Grain that withereth not by fcorching Heat will come to Maturity, having Christ in us the Hope of Glory, Col. i. 27. We go on from one Degree of Grace unto another, until we are arrived to full Affurance of Faith, and fealed with the holy Spirit of Promife, which is an Earneft of our Inheritance in Glory, and it is a fure Evidence that as the Soul

has