troublesome to their fellow-christians; and they require peculiar patience and gentleness from their pastors. But, amidst all their fears, and doubts, and complaints, they are so far from agonizing despondency;' that they possess a hope, which they would not exchange for the whole world: they have also their seasons of consolation; and many of them at last meet death, not only with se renity, but even with exulting joy.-In most congrega. tions, there are also some persons, who have just enough regard to religion, to render a worldly course of life uneasy to them. They live in a state of perpetual warfare with their own consciences, and are truly wretched; and often, when alarmed by the prospects of death, are overwhelmed with terror. Religion may be the occasion of their distresses; for if they were hardened infidels, or totally ignorant of the scriptures, they would be more secure and insensible: but their want of religion, their consciousness, that they are not true christians, is the cause of their distresses. These, associating with more zealous persons, at least frequenting the same places of worship, are frequently confounded with them.

Even true christians, if at any time they grow negligent in duty, or yield to temptation, lose their comfort, and are for a time at least, much disquieted: and so it ought to be. But the peculiar tenets of Calvinism are very seldom much thought of, by the conscientious part at least, of those, who are permanently disquieted in mind about their religious concerns. Not unfrequently, at first, they have many difficulties on these subjects; but, whether they accede to them or not; these tenets form no prominent part of their subsequent conversation, respecting their discouragements. Their doubts are principally about their conversion, not their election: and arise from uncertainty whether their faith be genuine

and saving, or no; and not from questioning whether Christ be able and willing to save all who truly believe in him.

There is another reason, which sometimes makes zealous christians dejected. They firmly believe the word of God in every part; and when they occasionally visit beloved relatives, who do not even appear to be religious; they cannot endure the thought of their being finally miserable; yet comparing their conduct and conversation with the word of God; they are unable to exclude the mournful conviction, that they are in the broad road to destruction. Their endeavours to convince them of this are treated as bigotry, uncharitableness, or spiritual pride. They become heartless in the attempt; and can only weep over them and pray for them. They are out of their element in the company of such persons; and while they try to appear cheerful, their hearts ach and bleed. Thus their dejection is not on their own account; but arises from tender solicitude about those whom they love, but cannot serve. When however they go back to their own company;" and have poured out their sorrows in prayer, they recover their former serenity and cheerfulness. Thus David, Jeremiah, and St. Paul, had sorrow of heart, on account of those whom they loved, but could not induce to seek and serve the Lord. And even our Saviour himself wept over unbelieving and rebelling Jerusalem.†

No doubt cases may arise, in which curious and 'carnal persons lacking the Spirit of Christ, have be'fore their eyes the sentence of God's predestination,→→→ whereby the devil does thrust them into despera'tion; but these are very rare, and it would be diffi

• Ps. cxix. 136. Jer. ix. 1. xiii. 17. Rom. ix. 1-8. † Luke xix. 41-44 # Art. xvii. See on p. 56. Refutation.

cult to meet with one or two well attested instances of this, in the whole history of modern Calvinists.

P. lxxv. 1. 13. Let those, &c.'* "Let those, &c."*"If so be ye "have tasted that the Lord is gracious." The godly ' consideration of our election in Christ, is full of 'sweet, pleasant, and unspeakable comfort to godly persons, and such as feel in themselves the Spirit of Christ, mortifying the works of the flesh, and their 'earthly members, and drawing up their mind to high ' and heavenly things.'-If any man should profess that he can distinguish by his feelings what sentiment, what inclination, or what resolution is from the Spirit of God, in any other way, than that described in the article; the evangelical clergy in general would consider him as an enthusiast, and as dangerously deluded. They believe, however, that all holy inclinations and resolutions, even all good desires, are from the Holy Spirit.

P. lxxv. l. 21. 'I do not mean, &c.' There is no

'Let those who think differently, point out the authority in scripture or in our public formularies, for saying, that a man may feel the influence of the Holy Ghost, so as to distinguish what sentiment, what intention, what 'inclination, or what resolution, is owing to that influence.'

† 1 Pet. ii. 3. + Art. xvii.

+ 'I do not mean to assert, that the comfort and assistance of the Holy 'Spirit are never felt by truly good and pious persons, on extraordinary occa'sions. This would be to contradict both scripture and experience. It 'would be to deprive the Christian of his best support and consolation un. ⚫der the severe trials, temptations, and afflictions, to which it pleases God *to subject his faithful servants in this probationary world; and to check the 'confidence of approaching bliss, which sometimes beams upon his dying 'hours, and gives an animating lesson to the witnesses of his death. I con<ceive, however, that the few persons who may be distinguished by this <mark of special favour, will be found among those whose works correspond 'with their professions of faith, whose affections are really set on things above, while they neglect no duty within their sphere of action, whose hearts are prepared by habitual devotion for the gifts of the Spirit, and "who evince an humble sense of their own unworthiness, and a sincere belief in * the superintending providence and controlling power of God, by a cheerful ⚫ resignation to his will, and a constant trust in his protection.

scriptural proof, that the consolations of the Holy Spirit are communicated only on extraordinary occasions. The apostle indeed says, "As the sufferings of Christ

"abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth in "Christ:"* but he does not intimate that the comforting influence of the Holy Spirit is exclusively restricted to times of peculiar trial. "The fruit of the Spirit is "love, joy, peace:" and "If any man have not the "Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." The apostle prays for the christians at Rome in general, that "the "God of hope would fill them with all peace and joy in

believing, that they might abound in hope by the pow"er of the Holy Ghost." The effect of "grieving the "Holy Spirit," must be the loss, or interruption of his comforting influences. Accordingly, David, after his dreadful fall, when brought to deep repentance, prays, "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free Spirit." Nor is there any scriptural proof that only a few persons are distinguished by this mark of special favour:' on the contrary, it is represented as common to all true christians. "Whom having not seen ye love; in whom though now ye see "him not, yet-believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeaka"ble and full of glory."|| "If ye love me, keep my "commandments, and I will pray the Father, and he "shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide "with you for ever." "If a man love me he will keep "my words, and my Father will love him, and we will "come unto him and make our abode with him."** "The Spirit of adoption," as witnessing with our "spirits, that we are the children of God; and if chil"dren then heirs;" and as being the Earnest of our in

heritance, is spoken of as given to all true believers. "Then had the churches rest-and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied."* "* In other respects the passage does not materially differ from our views of the subject.

P. lxxvi. 1. 19. Without, &c.'t A few quotations from the arrogant enthusiasts of the present day;' concerning these presumptuous excesses,' would have rendered the difference between his Lordship's sentiments, and those which he opposes, more manifest; and and it would also have shown what persons, or class of men, were intended. The readers of The Refutation' will in general suppose the evangelical clergy to be principally meant: but a vast majority of those, who are now living, speak on this subject more according to the statement of the passage above quoted, than in the language of arrogant enthusiasts. And if quotations, in illustration of the subject be wanted, they must be sought, principally at least, in the writings, not of the evangelical clergy now living, but elsewhere; namely, in the earlier writings of some who have been dead many years; in those of some Anti-calvinists: and especially in those of a few individuals, who call themselves Calvinists, and disclaim all but themselves; and are renounced by others in return, as enthusiasts, and Antinomians.

P. lxxvi. last line. It is not, &c.' Then, renova

• Acts ix. 31.

Without falling into the presumptuous excesses to which these doc. 'trines are carried by the arrogant enthusiasts of the present day.'

**It is not true, that it is so corrupt that all endeavour on our part to amend ⚫it must be totally ineffectual. The depravity of human nature is the ground upon which the necessity of redemption rests; but to represent this depravity as utterly incorrigible, is destructive of every human effort, of all 'moral virtue, and of every earthly comfort. If men be persuaded that they