EVIDENCES OF FORGIVENESS. 153 ly, even that one family in heaven and earth, which is called after the name of the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Eph. 3 : 14, 15 ; and they all agree in their testi- mony, as becomes the family and children of God. But these below we may deal personally with ; whereas we gather the witness of the other only from what is left upon record concerning them. And here several things are to be observed. Men living in the profession of religion, and not expe- riencing its power and efficacy in their hearts, are, what- ever they profess, very near to atheism. If they profess to know G-od, but in works deny him, "they are abomi- nable, anddisobedient, and toevery goodwork reprobate." Tit. 1 : 16. Let such men lay aside tradition and custom, let them give up themselves to a free and rational con- sideration cf things, and they will quickly find that all their profession is but miserable self-deceiving ; and that indeed they believe not one word of the religion which they profess. Of what their religion affirms to be in themselves, they find no evidence in its real exis- tence in their own hearts. And what evidence have they that their faith in whatever else it reveals is genuine If they have no experience of what it affirms to be with- in them, what confidence can they have in their belief of the reality of what it reveals to be without them 1 John tells us, that " he who saith he loves God whom he bath not seen, and doth not love his brother whom he bath seen, is a liar." So he who believes not, who experiences not, the power of that which the religion he professes affirms to be in him, if he says that he be- lieves other things of which he can have no experience, he deceives himself. For instance, he that professes the Gospel, avows that the death of Christ crucifies sin; that faith purifies the heart ; that the Holy Ghost quick- ens the soul to duty ; that God is gracious to all that come to him ; that there is precious communion to be
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