a great regard to them, and will receive them into heaven, by reason of the many duties they perform, and the multitude of their good actions. And Thirdly-There are those again that have such inward sensations, exercises of mind, and animated feelings, together with such an appearance of love, joy, and peace, that they think, in the nature of things, it cannot be otherwise than that they are the chief of saints, when at the same time, it may be only the workings of their own unsanctified hearts, without any divine influence on them whatever.

Few people are careful to examine the source from whence suggestions come, or consider the cause by which their persuasion is produced; while others neither weigh their actions in the balance of the sanctuary, nor try their affections by the standard of the gospel. Hence it is, that Satan comes forward with his counterfeit productions, as the magicians did in the time of Moses, and completely deludes and deceives the degenerate sons of men. For as there is hardly any coin but has its counterfeit, so it is in this case. "It is," says one, “the easiest thing in life, to be deceived in matters of religion; counterfeit faith may be so adjusted, expressed and exhibited, as not to be distinguished from evangelical faith, but by a spiritual and a discriminating eye. Legalists, Pharisees, and Antinomians may perform the same actions, may make the same professions, and use the same language, as the true saints of God; but their motives, their hopes, their

expectations are not the same, much less are their views." Satan and our own corrupt and deceitful hearts, are ever ready to beguile and deceive us to our ruin; and I lament to see so many the willing dupes of deception in the present day, only for want of examining things impartially, and dispensing with a little of their self-love.

To proceed: 1. That every suggestion to the mind does not come from the Spirit of God, nor every persuasion arise from a divine influence, nothing is more clear. They often come from pride, self-love, or through the agency of Satan. Thus said the Assyrian king: "By the strength of my hand have I done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent." Whereas he was only as a "rod" in the hand of the Almighty, to scourge a hypocritical nation. "I sit a queen and shall see no sorrow," saith Mystery Babylon, just before death and sorrow come suddenly upon her. Haman thought, surely the king could delight to honor no one more than himself. Nobody, it is likely, could beat him out of a persuasion, that the honor was to be conferred on him, till he was ordered to confer it on another. Oh! how great was his disappointment. When the chief baker heard the favourable interpretation of the chief butler's dream, he verily thought his dream good also; he concluded, no doubt, it would be well with him too. But oh! remember, he soon was hung; his pleasing prospects had no solid foundation to stand upon. And see how confident

Ahab's four hundred prophets were, that the king would prosper, and that Ramoth Gilead would be delivered into his hand. It seems they had not a doubt about his success, for when Micaiah presumed to speak contrary to what they had asserted, one of them was filled with indignation towards him, and smote him on the cheek, saying, "Which way went the spirit of the Lord from me, to speak unto thee?" As if he had said, I am confident that I am under the immediate direction of the Spirit of God in what I have declared, and how is it possible, if you are under the influence of the same spirit, that you should speak so directly contrary to what I have predicted. He had such confidence, it seems, in his own prediction, that he set Micaiah down at once for a false prophet; and thought it right, perhaps, to strike him for what he considered his impudence. But it is well known, that this prophet, with all the three hundred and ninety-nine prophets with him, were deceived through the agency of an evil and lying spirit, as confident as they were respecting their predictions.

Thus it appears from the most positive scripture proofs, that all suggestions, however forcible they may come to the mind, are not from the Spirit of God, nor is every persuasion from a divine influence. Persons whose chief anxiety is to have a knowledge of their good estate, and become established in a belief that they shall go to heaven, need not wonder at all if they should be deluded by Satan. I believe it

is often the case. Satan knows what they de sire, and how much it will be to his interest to establish in them a belief that their state is good; and their hearts not being rightly exercised towards the Lord, he may leave them to be ensnared by his stratagems: for it is his service they like, and it is only through self love they pay any respect to the Lord, or give themselves the least concern about religion.

Whenever such characters as these become established in a belief that all is well, that God has pardoned all their sins, and has a particular esteem for them, as may be supposed, they are greatly pleased; their confidence is strong, so that nothing can shake it, and Satan, who has been the chief instrument in bringing about this confidence, endeavours by every possible means to keep it up in them, well knowing how firmly it secures them to himself. President Edwards, speaking of such [called evangelical hypocrites] says, "The confidence of many of this sort of hypocrites, is like the confidence of some madmen, who think they are kings: they will maintain it against all manner of reason and evidence." A man in the Southern states, about two years ago, told me his heart was as bad as the devil's, and yet he said he knew the throne of God was set up in it; and further added, “I have in my heart all the abominations the devil can devise, and am as sure of going to heaven, as that I am now living." Mr. Edwards speaks of these hypocrites as being brought off from their confidence with the greatest difficul

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ty. Says he, "I have scarcely known the instance of such an one in my life that has been undeceived."

2. But false suggestions, and a blind confident persuasion of one's good estate, unsupported by evidence, is not the only way people are deceived. The great things which many do, their multiplied prayers, zeal and strictness lead them to conclude, that surely the Lord is well pleased with them. They think it scarcely possible that it should be otherwise. Like the Pharisees of old, from an opinion of their own righteousness, owing to a rigid strictness to the outward letter, they despise all others; and say in their hearts, "stand by, I am more holy than thou." But upon a little reflection, we shall perceive that no external performances, zeal, or engagedness in religion, furnish any conclusive evidence of one's being in a renewed state. All these things may be found in those who are utter strangers to God, and in whom he takes no delight. A man, says the apostle Paul, may give all his goods to feed the poor, and his body to be burned, and yet be nothing.

The grand question to be considered, therefore, is not so much what we do, as what moves us to the doing of it. A mere fear of hell, a desire to be noticed as a very religious character, or a regard to our own interest, may be the moving spring of all our actions. In this case, all we do is of no account in the sight of God. The Pharisees were exceedingly strict in the duties of religion, made long prayers, had much