where his haunt is. I know his ways are moveable, and his paths crooked. And that we may see them, and shun them, is the desire and prayer of,

Reader,

Thine in the everlasting gospel,

W. H. S. S.

THE

BARBER;

OR,

TIMOTHY SHAVED THE SECOND TIME.

Quot. THOUGH the salvation of a soul does not depend on a persuasion of being interested in Christ, yet the importance of assurance is such, that it is impossible to enjoy much comfort without being possessed of it in some degree.

Answ. I think that, in an experimental sense, the salvation of a sinner does depend on God's giving him faith; for he that believes shall be saved, and he that believes not shall be damned. Faith and salvation, unbelief and damnation, always go together. And he that has no persuasion, has no faith, consequently, no salvation is applied to him; for faith is persuasion. "Abraham was persuaded, that what God had promised, he was also able to perform." And Paul says, "Let every one be persuaded in his own mind." And every gracious soul must be persuaded, that he that hath begun the good work in him, will carry it on; otherwise he can have no rest in his soul. And it is clear

And

that all the apostle's comfort arose from his persuasion of interest in Christ, which is the real joy of faith: "I am persuaded, that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." But the distressed soul that has no persuasion of interest in Christ, and who without assurance, Timothy says, it is impossible should enjoy much comfort; is described by God himself, as the furthest of all men in this world from any comfort at all: "Thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have no assurance of thy life. In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! And at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see." If this evidence, reader, has any meaning at all, it amounts to this, that there is a possibility of being saved without faith, because salvation does not depend on a persuasion of interest in Christ. But then, it is impossible that much comfort should be enjoyed without the assurance of faith. The greatest matter of all may be had without even a persuasion, but the lesser matter requires assurance. You see, reader, that Timothy and I begin to let our light shine before men: and if the reader has strength of eyesight to pursue such burning and

shining lights as we are, let him follow us, and he shall see such mysteries as never have appeared in this world till the birth of Timothy; no, not since Jupiter fell from the moon.

Quot. An experimental Christian can no more depend on grace received, than he can expect his body to be nourished this year, by that which supported him the last.

Answ. The plain English of this assertion is, that the everlasting love of God shed abroad in the heart, accompanied with believing, pardoning, justifying, repenting, regenerating, sanctifying, and adopting grace, for this is grace, can no more be depended upon by an experimental Christian, than the body can depend this year on the food which nourished it the last; which can be nothing but its excrements or dung! What can be the wicked design of this author, by such an assertion, but to stagger the believer at the grace of God! Where God gives grace, he will give glory. He that obtains the one shall have the other. "We receive grace for grace;" sanctifying grace, for glorifying grace; grace in a militant state, to fit us for grace in a triumphant one: the one is the earnest of the other. God manifests his grace in our salvation here, that he may display the riches of his grace in glory hereafter. Grace received shall reign, through the obedience of Christ, to eternal life, as sure as sin reigned unto death, by the transgression of Adam.

Quot. It is my particular design, in this pub