they had faith. But this exertion is altogether useless, if none can have faith without knowing it. Says another apostle (2 Pet. i. 10.) "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure." This is spoken to brethren in Christ, that is, Christians. "Calling," means no less than effectual calling, or regeneration. Election must mean no less than being "chosen unto salvation." Christians, then, are here called upon to make their regeneration and salvation sure. And this is not a command to be regenerated and to receive salvation, for, being Christians, this must have been done already. It must be no less than a command to make it sure, that this had been done; in other words, to gain the full assurance of hope. But this command would not have been given, if they could not have been Christians without this assurance. And in the epistle to the Hebrews, it is said"And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end." Heb. vi. 11. This was spoken, not to sinners, but to those who did “ 'things which accompany salvation," as may be seen from its connexion with the foregoing verses. Here, then, Christians. are required to use diligence for the purpose of obtaining full assurance of hope. But this diligence would be perfectly needless, if a man could not be a Christian without assuredly knowing it. Christians, therefore, do not infallibly know that they are Christians. How full is the evidence, then, that the opinion now considered, is an erroneous one. All We have now done with the falseness of this sentiment; but we have yet to consider its HURT FUL AND DANGEROUS TENDENCY. And it John Error in religion is always more or less hurtful, either in preventing good, or in promoting evil.— We are safe only in the truth. It is through the belief of the truth that saints are chosen to salvation. 2 Thess. ii. 13. It is the truth that makes us free from condemnation. John viii. 32. is through the truth that we are sanctified. xvii. 17. The more truth we embrace in our sentiments, the more spiritual good we shall probably secure. In other words, the more error we embrace, the less spiritual good we shall probably secure. All error must be constantly, though perhaps imperceptibly, preventing good and promoting evil; particularly in hindering our growth in grace. But many of the evil effects of the error in question are very perceptible. Some of them let us now consider. It keeps men from seeking assurance of hope in the only way in which it is to be obtained. It is to be obtained by a faithful inquiry into the evidences of a saving change of heart, in order to ascertain what those evidences are, and whether those evidences are found in our own hearts and lives. But while men believe that saving faith consists in believing that Christ is ours, instead of examining themselves to see whether they have the Christian graces, they will be all the time striving for this supposed appropriating faith.' Or, supposing that they have this faith already, they will despise all attention to those graces which afford the only real foundation for the full assurance of hope. Or, should they believe that none can be Christians without certainly knowing it, instead of searching for the only real evidences of a change of heart, they will be idly waiting and longing for some more marvellous change than they have experienced or ought to expect; or for some strange and indescribable manifestation to force them to the irresistible and undoubting persuasion, that they have been born again. Or, wrapping themselves up in the presumptuous belief that they have this irresistible certainty, that they are Christians, they too will despise all attention to the real evidences of a change of heart. Thus it is, that this erroneous opinion keeps those who embrace it from seeking the full assurance of hope in the only way in which it is to be obtained. It is more directly on this account that the error needed to be exposed in this work. It was also necessary, perhaps, to prepare some readers to profit by the two following chapters. Other evil effects there are, resulting from this erroneous opinion: evil effects which, though they have no direct bearing on the perusal of this work, are still so dangerous that they ought here to be noticed. One is nearly allied to the foregoing.— It is the effect which it has upon religious teachers. If those who are employed to instruct others in "the things of the kingdom," believe that faith consists in believing that Christ died for us in particular, and that we shall assuredly be saved; or if they believe that the change of heart is of such a nature, that we cannot experience it without certainly know ing it, they will not warn others against self-deception. But how needful such warnings are, we see from the frequency with which they occur in the word of God; and from the many whom we hear expressing assurances of salvation, but who give evidence, nevertheless, that they are strangers to vital godliness. How dangerous it is for religious teachers to withhold these warnings, we see from the need there is of having them administered, and from the confidence which many people put in their spiritual guides. If they hear no warning from them to beware of self-deception, they will conclude their teachers have no doubt of their good estate; and this will lull them into deeper and deadlier confidence respecting their supposed safe estate. Nor is there any calculating what an extensive and fatal influence would result from neglect of these needed warnings. But this error is especially hurtful, as it leads to dangerous presumption on the one hand, and to needless and distressing despondency on the other. It leads to presumption. If any should be persuaded that saving faith consists merely in believing that Christ died for us in particular; in other words, that all we have to do, in order to secure our salvation, is to believe that God intends to save us, they will be in danger of working themselves up into this presumptuous hope. For all men are constitutionally inclined to believe what they wish to have true. And they who are most insensible of the corruption and deceitfulness of their own hearts, and are most unhumbled in view of their corruption-they who are most impenitent and most self righteous, will find it most easy to believe without evidence, that they are accepted of God There : are many people of a warm, hasty, and rash temperament, that are always ready to adopt what is proposed to them, without much caution or evidence. And others there are, who are so self-conceited and self-important, as to believe almost any thing that is in their favour. And if these should drink in the opinion that saving faith consisted in believing Christ is ours, how easily could they work themselves up into this presumptuous belief. Such seems to have been the native temperament of the stony-ground hearers spoken of by Christ; and such the event with them. "He that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended." Matt. xiii. 20, 21. In short, the belief that appropriating faith is saving faith, has a tendency to give those the most confidence of salvation who have the least right to it. And when such a presumptuous hope has gained a place in their hearts, there is a fearful probability that it will lead them down to final wrath. When we consider how eagerly the selfish heart of man clings to a welcome deception; when we consider how much there is in a profession of religion, and in the good opinion in which many self-deceivers stand with mankind, to foster such a delusive hope; and when we consider how seldom such a hope is finally rejected, we cannot but tremble for those who hope they are Christians while |