of ice, capable of breaking, by concussion, the largest ship. As well might children deny what their fathers have known by experience, as ignorant and ungodly men denounce as visionary what truly converted characters know to be true. To those, then, who with ignorant incredulity ask, Can such things be? I would answer, with Philip to Nathanael, " Come and seem." Come to the Holy Scriptures, and you shall find them there : and come to God himself, in the exercise of faith and love ; and you shall find the experience of them in your own bosoms.]
2. In a way of caution —
[There are two errors, against which I would most affec- tionately guard you all: the one is, against professing this assurance on inadequate grounds ; and the other is, against the maintaining of this assurance in an unhallowed way. There are persons who conceive that God dwelleth in them, because they have had some dreams or visions to that effect. But I apprehend that Satan himself is not capable of suggesting any more fatal delusion than this. And I must declare unto you, that he who builds his hopes on dreams or visions, will find his hope, and his religion too, no better than a dream or vision at last. It is from the spirit that God has given us, and not from a dream or vision, that we are to gather our interest in God: and I entreat you to satisfy yourselves with no evidences, but such as are plain, obvious, incontrovertible.
There are others who, professing to have God abiding in them, manifest a spirit altogether opposite to that which would result from a divine agency — a spirit of pride and self- preference, a spirit of moroseness and bigotry, a spirit of unwatchfulness and security. The presumptuous boldness of these persons is perfectly appalling: one is shocked to hear such unfeeling language as will proceed from their lips, and to behold such unhumbled confidence as they will venture to express. But I entreat you, brethren, never thus to pervert the word of God, and never thus to abuse the sacred truths of his Gospel. Remember, I pray you, that whatever super- sedes a holy fear, is of the devil ; and whatever leads you to neglect a continued watchfulness, is no other than a damning delusion.]
3. In a way of encouragement —
[A person under the influence of temptation will not be able to behold in himself those evidences, which yet, in his life, are visible to all. Such an one may find in this passage nothing but an occasion of self-condemning fear. He may say, ' I do not keep the commandments of God, and therefore I
m John i. 46.