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But you are distressed, perhaps, by the consideration of some passages of scripture which you think entirely condemn you. Thus that passage, "He that doubteth* is damned if he eat," you have been led to think, has sentenced you to final condemnation, because you have sometimes. done that, which afterwards you doubted the propriety of. But it is necessary to observe that this word, here rendered damned, properly signifies condemned; that is, by a man's own conscience, when he doth what that tells him or at least suspects is wrong. But this has no reference to eternal damnation, any farther than all actings against conscience exposes one to it.

Another passage has most probably affected your mind, and that is what is said of Esau, "that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears;" and from this text you are sometimes afraid that your repentance may be too late. But in answer to this it has been properly observed, that "it is true that Esau's time for the blessing was past, as soon as Isaac had given it to Jacob.

* This passage was a source of trouble in another way to Miss Anthony. My distress," says she, "increased until the necessaries of life grew tasteless; and here Satan set in to persuade me I had sinfully indulged my appetite. When Lattempted to eat, it would be suggested that I was then increasing my condemnation; and while I was under this temptation, I met with these words, He that doubteth is damned if he eat.' I did not consider it had no reference to our daily common food, but to what was offered to idols; but the tempter would persuade me it was just my case, for I was convinced it was a sin, and yet went on. I was almost ready to give up and wholly abstain, rather than endure that distress of mind which every morsel I took occasioned."-See her Life, p. 38, 39. Guyse in loc. Heb. xii. 17.

Rom. xiv. 23.

When he had sold his birthright, it was too late too recall it, for the right was made over to his brother; and it was not repentance, and cries, and tears, that could recall the right he had sold, nor recall the words that Isaac had spoken: but this does not prove that our day of grace does not continue till death, or that any man repenting before his death shall be rejected as Esau's repentance was. The apostle neither says nor means any such thing. The sense of his word is only thus much : "Take heed lest any set so light by the blessings of the gospel, as to part with them for a base lust or transitory thing, as Esau set more by a morsel of meat than by his birthright."

But what, perhaps, most of all affects you, is that you sometimes think you have sinned against the Holy Ghost. You read that this sin will never be forgiven; and that if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins. †

But by this unpardonable sin you must understand is meant an absolute denial and total rejection of Christ and his gospel, by those who retain their obstinacy and malice to the end, and never repent. Such have no fears, no feelings of compunction, no desires whatever to believe in or receive the truth; and thus rejecting the only sacrifice for sins, of course, as the apostle says, there remains

*This is a very common thought of young christians. I know a minister who said, that, when was a school boy, he remembered cursing the Bible. This circumstance was brought so fresh to his remembrance some years afterwards, when he was awakened, that he was fearful that he had committed this sin, until he was relieved by conversation with a friend.

Matt. xii. 32. Heb. x. 26.

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no other. Now how can this be your case? You, who see more excellency in Jesus than in any other object whatever? You, whose desire it is every day to glorify him, and unreservedly devote yourself to him? You, who if you were to be asked what is your petition, and what is your request, could say, Lord, that I may know, and fear, and love thee; that thou mayest be mine; and that my body, soul, and spirit, may be consecrated to thy praise; that while I live, I may live to thee, and when I die I may dwell for ever with thee." No hypocrite, no one that is deceived, no one that is under the 'influence of the powers of darkness, can ever possess such feelings, experience such desires, or sincerely express such ardent wishes to be with and to be like the Saviour.

Again, you are discouraged, also, because of the small degree of knowledge you possess. But this is every way unreasonable.

It cannot be ex

pected that you should have the knowledge and experience of those who have been longer in the way. Nor are you in the least to be disheartened on this account. The first dawn of the morning evidences that there is a sun, as much as if you already saw it with your own eyes. The appearance of the blade proves the existence of the vital seed as well as the ear and the full corn in the ear. Our Lord compares the work of grace to a grain of mustard seed, which is the least of all seed; but afterwards it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs. Do not overlook, therefore, the day of small things, and imagine that your knowledge is not genuine because it is not extensive. The smallest portion of real grace is of more value than all the works of God in creation beside; for VOL. I.

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for these are only the work of his hands, but this is part of the image of himself. "It is a greater mercy to give the first grace of conversion, than to crown that grace with glory. As it is more grace and condescension in a prince to betroth one of his poorest subjects, than afterwards to clothe her like a princess." Instead of lamenting, therefore, that you have not all the wisdom, the experience, as others, rejoice and be thankful that God has given you any light; that you are not what you once were; and that though you cannot boast, nor say much, yet this you can say, "One thing I know; that whereas I was blind, now I

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You may sometimes also be cast down because of the meanness of your talents. "Perhaps," as

one says, "when you hear others, with what liberty they pray, how able to discourse of the things of God; you are ready to go into a corner and mourn, to think how weak your memory, how dull your apprehension, how straitened your spirit, hardly able (though in secret) to utter and express your mind to God in prayer. O you are

ready to think those the happy men and women, and almost murmur at your condition. But though you have not words as they, yet if you have faith, if every sermon you hear makes you hate sin and love Christ more, have you not the better part? You little think what a mercy may be wrapt up even in the meanest of your gifts; or what temptations their gifts expose them to, which, perhaps, God in mercy has denied you. Joseph's coat made him finer than all his brethren; but this caused all his trouble. Thus great gifts lift up a saint a little higher in the eyes of men, but

occasion many temptations which they meet not with who are kept low. None, perhaps, find so hard a work to go to heaven as such; they have much ado to bear up against the winds and waves, while you creep along the shore under the wind. It is with such as with some great lord of little estate a meaner man oft hath money in his purse when he hath none, and can lend his lordship some when he needs. Great gifts and parts are titles of honour among men; but many such may come and borrow grace and comfort of a meangifted brother. Do not, therefore, murmur, or envy them, but rather pity and pray for them : they need it more than others; their gifts are for others, but thy grace is for thyself. "*

Satan, that great enemy of souls, perhaps sorely tries you. He insinuates that the service in which you are engaged will be found hard and unpleasant; that you will soon be glad to relinquish it; that the word of God requires some things too hard to be performed, and proposes others too strange to be believed. Or it may be he suggests that there is no sincerity in your professions; that the experience you talk of is the effect of imagination; that the change taken place is nothing but fickleness and novelty; and that after all there is no real difference between your present and former state. Or perhaps he endeavours to spoil your devotions by vile and blasphemous suggestions; or to represent to you all your past sins as too enormous to be pardoned. The apostle telis us of his fiery darts, and these probably you

* Gurnall.

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