EVIDENCES OF. FORGIVENESS. 161 the Spirit, creating grace and comfort in the soul, and has had an experience of the love, holiness, and power of God in them all, and he will, with more firm confi- dence, adhere to this mysterious truth, being led into it, and confirmed in it, by some few plain testimonies of the word, than a thousand disputers shall do, who only have the notion of it in their minds. Let 'a real trial come, and this will appear; few will be found to sacrifice their lives on bare speculations. Experience will give assurance and stability. We have thus established the testimony now to be improved. It is evident on these grounds, that there is great certainty in those truths of which believers have experience. Where they communicate their power to the heart, theygive an unquestionable assurance of their truth; and when that is once realized in the soul, all disputesiabout it are put to silence. These things being so, let;,us inquire into the faith and experience of the saints on earth, as to what they know of the truth proposed for confirmation; namely, that there is forgiveness with God. Let us go to some poor soul that now walks comfortably under the light of God's countenance, and say to hirn, Did we not know you some time since to be full of sadness and great anxiety of spirit ; yea, sorrowful almost to death, and bitter in soul ? .,ggnswer. Yes, saith he, so it was indeed; my days were consumed with mourning, and my life with sor- row; and I walked heavily in fear and bitterness of spirit all the day long. Why, what ailed you'? what was the matter with you, seeing, as to outward things, you were at peace 1 .ñnswer. The law of God had laid hold of me, and slain me ; I found myself thereby a woful sinner, yea, overwhelmed with the guilt of sin. Every moment I
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=