SECTION -V. SID lections;' when, you feel the doctrines of his grace, speaking peace to your conscience, and pardon through the blood of the .Son of God; when you experience a divine and universal change, wrought in the very temper of your spirit by the influence of the precepts and the promises of the bible ; when you find such asacred love to God and men, as thegospel recom- mends, wrought in your hearts by this gospel; when your per- verse appetites and sinful passions are mortified by the power of this religion, and your souls are made holy and heavenly, and fit for converse with God, you will then have an inward, settled and comfortable evidence within yourselves, that this is a divine reli- gion indeed; 1 John v. 10. He that believes has the witness in . himself: nd you will not easily be turned aside from the belief and profession of this gospel, for you have felt it to be thepower of God for the salvation of your souls. IX. "When you are satisfied of the truth of Christianity, upon just and reasonable grounds, make it yonr constant prayer to God theFather of spirits, to establish you in this faith, and to preserve you from every temptation to infidelity." As we must invoke the divine assistance, to lead us into all truth, in our first enquiries in religion, so we must be constant addressers at the throne of grace, that the same divine Spirit, the enlightener and instructor, may dwell with us, to establish our souls in the truth; and especially, in such a day of temptation as this is, we have need to be more constant and importunate in our petititons to heaven on this account. It is the Spirit of God that enlightens us in thé knowledge of the gospel, and he seals our souls unto the dayof redemption. He continues the communications ofhis own light to those that seek it. He is promised to abide with the dis- ciples of Christ for ever, and to dwell in them as a springof light and holiness. If we begin to grow self-sùfficient, we begin to depart from the gospel, and we lay ourselves open to the power of every temptation. Solomon, the wisest of men, assures us, he that trusts in his own heart, is a fool; Prov. xxviii. 26. And the man that presumes upon his own understanding, or his own strength, is verynear to apostacy. Peter was a terrible instance of this folly : He boasted of.. his courage above the rest of the disciples, and he was the only man that denied his Lord. X.," When you are once established upon just grounds, in tite faith of the gospel, do not rashly expose yourselves to temptation." Do not run into free conversation with infidels and apostates, without a plain call of ;providence. A needless, Indulgence of dispute, and fondness of controversy upon this subject with subtle men, who lie in wait to deceive, has too often exposed young christians, and shaken their faith. 'Though there be variousand abundant proof of the truth of the gospel, and it may be well defended upon the foot of right reason, yet every
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