lication, to prevent the Christian from building his comforts on uncertain frames and feelings.

Answ. All real divine comfort must spring from frames and feelings, for the soul that has no feeling is dead. What comfort can a soul get but from the quickening, pardoning, renewing, comforting, and sin-subduing operations of the Holy Ghost, who is the saints comforter; and who sheds abroad the love of God in the heart, which is the blessed effect of pardon, and the eternal bond of eternal union? Real feelings, or what John calls handling the word of life, is the quickening, or life-giving influences of the Spirit, under a believing view of Christ, which always attend justification unto life. He that hath none of these frames and feelings, the kingdom, with him, stands in word, not in power; or his faith stands in the wisdom of men, not in the power of God. But we know that the elect sinner is internally changed, and externally kept by a divine power; the dominion of grace stands in power, and by the power of God is the saint kept through faith to salvation. The professor who hath no feeling sense of this power, may have a name to live, and that is all; for Christ declares he is dead. The awakened soul in his miserable moments can get no comfort, if he never had any divine quickenings. David in his lowest frames fetched his comfort from former feelings: "This is my comfort in my affliction, thy word hath quickened me." This quotation, reader, is intended to remove the faith of God's people from

its proper base, which is the power of God; and to set the seeking soul down in carnal security, without the experience or enjoyment of either life or love. Wo be to them that are at ease in Zion. Timothy errs for the want of understanding, and for the want of frames and feelings; or, as the Saviour says, he errs, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. The hypocrisy or deception of this quotation lies in the word, uncertain. He calls them uncertain frames and feelings; but everlasting life, and the everlasting love of God, when revealed in the soul of a sinner, are the most certain things that ever were known, experienced, enjoyed, or felt, under the sun.

Quot. The most eminent Christians, who have been indulged with the greatest manifestations of divine love, cannot be satisfied with these.

Answ, I think it is the manifestation of divine love, and nothing else, that can satisfy a sensible sinner; for the love of God is the first fruit of the Spirit: it casts out all fear, and all torment, and is the effect of pardon and reconciliation; and our love to God is always reflected from it. "Where much is forgiven, the same loveth much;" "and where little is forgiven, the same loveth little." Those who have their hearts circumcised to love God shall most surely live; for they that love God are born of God, and know God: yea, he that loveth, dwelleth in God, and God dwelleth in him, and charity never faileth. Even when prophesy

shall cease, when tongues shall fail, when faith shall be turned into sight, and hope into full fruition; charity, or the love of God, shall always be the same; for God is love: and if this will not satisfy Timothy's eminent Christian, what can? The whole drift of this Looking-glass is to stumble and stagger the faith of a Christian at the surest evidences, and to build up impostors and hypocrites on false ones.

In the first quotation, Timothy tells us, that our salvation does not depend on our persuasion of interest in Christ.

Secondly, He tells us that the Christian cannot venture on grace received.

Thirdly, He is not to build his comforts on uncertain frames and feelings. And,

Fourthly, He cannot be satisfied with the greatest manifestations of divine love.

What would a poor weak believer, in his first love, do with such assertions as these? It is tearing the breast of consolation from his mouth, and kicking him into the devil's den of unbelief. And where must that timorous soul end his journey, but in everlasting darkness, who follows such a guide? The promise of eternal love is the first landmark; and to walk in love, as Christ hath loved us, is the more excellent way. And God himself says, "Cursed be he that moveth his neighbour's landmark; and cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way."

Quot. Nor will they rest their assurance wholly on such seasons.

Answ. Why not, Timothy? Faith worketh by love, and charity believeth all things; and if a saint cannot rest his assurance on the greatest manifestations of divine love, what can he rest it upon, seeing our faith is not to stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God? And, of all power, love is the sweetest, the strongest, and the most sure. Paul lays love as the very basis of "Now the end of the commandment is charity, out of a pure heart and a good conscience, and faith unfeigned."

assurance.

Quot. But will repeatedly try themselves by the true touchstone, the word of God; and, without they discover an agreement with that unerring rule, they obtain no satisfaction.

Answ. But the greatest manifestations of divine love are sure to agree with that rule; insomuch that, if a man hath all knowledge, if he understands all mysteries; and if he has all faith, so that he could remove mountains; and if he speak with the tongue of men and angels; yet, if he hath not charity, or the manifestations of divine love, he is nothing; he is nothing but sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. "Now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three;" but the greatest of these are the manifestations of divine love. Observe here, reader, that Timothy makes the kingdom to stand in word, not in power!

Quot. That assurance is the most agreeable to scripture which is not built on a few single circumstances, but has the whole word of God for its basis.

Answ. These single circumstances, according to Timothy's foregoing account, are a persuasion of interest in Christ; the grace of God; frames and feelings; and the manifestations of divine love. And sure I am, that the soul that hath an experience of these circumstances, as Timothy calls them, has the whole scriptures of truth on his side, and shall be eternally saved; and he that is destitute of these circumstances, and dies so, shall be damned, for his faith stands on the letter of scripture, and not in the power of God. And we know that the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power, in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost; all which must be experienced, known, and felt.

Quot. There is a peculiar satisfaction in having an opportunity of being the means of comforting any of Christ's lambs.

Answ. There are none of Christ's lambs that will ever understand this book, nor that will ever get one beam of light or grain of comfort from it: it is not calculated nor intended to be of any use to them. The intention of it is to encourage the foxes, and nourish the young cubs. The lambs lie in the chief shepherd's bosom; but if you stagger their faith at the love of the shepherd's heart,