EVIDENCES OF FORGIVENESS. 159 what is so good, and thence an aversion to the centrary, and this obtained by an habitual frame of heart, there is strength, there is steadfastness and assurance. This is the teaching of the " unction from the Holy One," which will not, which cannot deceive. hence many of old and of late, that could not argue, could yet die for the truth. He who came to another, and went about to prove by sophistical reasons that there was no such thing as motion, had only this return from him, who either was not able to answer his cavilling, or was un- willing to trouble himself about it ; he arose, and walk- ing up and down, gave him a real confutation of his so- phistry. It is so in this case ; when one has a real ex- perience of the grace of God, of the pardon of sin, of the virtue and efficacy of the death of Christ, of justifi- cation by his blood, and peace with God by believing; let men or devils, or angels from heaven, oppose these things, if he cannot answer their sophisms, yet he can " rise up and walk ;" he can, with all holy confidence and assurance, oppose his own satisfying experience to all their arguings and suggestions. A man will not be disputed out of what he sees and feels; and a believer will abide as firmly by his spiritual sense as any man can by his natural sense. This is the meaning of that prayer of the apostle, Col. 2 : 2, " That your hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mys- tery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ." Under- standing in the mysteries of the Gospel they had; but he prays, that by a farther experience of it they might come to the "assurance of understanding." To be true, is the property of the doctrine itself; to be certain or assured, is the property of our minds. Now this expe- rience so unites the mind and truth, that we say, such a truth is most certain; whereas certainty is indeed the
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