promise of eternal life. "This is truth, and is no lie." This is a folid and substantial kind of evidence. There is no deception in it. It is an evidence within yourselves; and you may more fafely depend on this, than on the opinions of men. As the fubject under the apoftle's confideration was the believer's title to eternal life, fo the teaching, of which he speaks, muft relate to this fubject.

There are two things here obfervable. First, that we are never to depend on the opinions of others concerning our claim to eternal life. And fecondly, that the anointing or fanctification of the Spirit, is the best, and the only folid evidence of our claim; and if we have this, we have no need, that any man should teach us.

Firft. The apoftle cautions us not to rely on the opinions of other men concerning our claim to eternal life.

Perfons under ftrong exercises of religious fear, often refort to others, and efpecially to thofe, whom they think to be experienced Chriftians, for their opinion and advice, relative to their own fpiritual ftate. And they feel themfelves much relieved and comforted by the judgment of fuch Christians in their favour. Fear is a painful paffion, and peculiarly fo, when the object of it is the misery of the world to come. In this anxious ftate many are too easily flattered; and they too eafily find fome who are difpofed to flatter them. Great injury is often done to fuch people by an officious kind of pity in haftily pronouncing them converted. It would be much better to ftate before them the nature of religion, the fruits of converfion, and the evidences of holiness, and to point out to them their duty, advising them to seek the full affurance of hope, in the way which

the apoftle prescribes, by following them, who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Paul thought it a small thing to be judged of man's judgment. He advifes every man to prove his own work, that he may have rejoicing in himself, in his own experience, and not in the opinion of another. We may lay before anxious and enquiring perfons the rules, by which they are to try themselves; but we must leave them to apply the rules. We fhould not affume to be judges of their state, but rather affift them to judge their own. We are to entertain a charitable hope of them, as far as there is evidence to justify it. But that they may confirm their own hope we muft refer them to perfonal examination, and advife them to religious improvement. However fudden converfion itself may be, the evidence of it to the fubject must be his own experience; the evidence of it to others must be its vifible fruits.

The apoftle here fays, that he gave the inftruction in the text, as a caution against certain feducers, who, in that day had crept into the church. As thefe feducers endeavoured to make divifions, and form fects among Chriftians, fo one artifice, which they used to gain profelytes, was haftily pronouncing men in a ftate of fafety. And this has been an artifice of impoftors in all ages.

Every religious fect has its own diftinguishing peculiarities, either in doctrines, or forms. And an adoption of these peculiarities, is too often made a criterion of faving grace. The feducer, zealous to make profelytes to his fect, condemns all fects but his own, as alienated from God, and exposed to destruction. Thus he disturbs the peace and fhocks the hope of many ferious and tender minds. If he hears of an uncommon attention to religion in any place, he will think

there is a field prepared to receive the feeds of division, and will not fail there to bestow his labors. Perfons agitated with fears and perplexed with doubts, are anxiously looking for direction and comfort. Among fuch the impoftor promifes himself greatest fuccefs. Having gained them over to his fect, he pronounces them children of God and heirs of heaven. He tells them, that all natural men are enemies to that religion, which he teaches, and confequently, that all who embrace the doctrines, and conform to the practices, which he inculcates, must be savingly renewed. Thus anxious minds fee a fhort and easy way to obtain the peace and hope which they are feeking. It is only to change their fect, and join a new party. Such an expeditious method to gain comfort is tempting to many. They embrace the new forms and doctrines propofed to them, not on rational conviction, but for the fake of prefent relief. The fure way to peace, prefcribed in the gofpel, is too flow and tedious for their impatient feelings. Hence they eagerly hear, and implicitly adopt the inftructions, which cause to err from the words of knowledge.

Now St. John fhows us,

Secondly, a more excellent way.

He fays,

"We have no need, that any man fhould teach us," whether we are entitled to heaven.

This

is a question, which, after all advice, we muft decide for ourselves. If we have the anointing of the Spirit, this teaches us all that we need to know in relation to the matter of our enquiry.

"We are chofen to falvation through fanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth." This fanctification confifts in a temper conformed to the character of God and the pattern of Chrift; or in an habitual oppofition to fin, and love of

univerfal holiness. It comprehends all thofe gra ces and virtues, which are called the fruits of the Spirit, and which are oppofite to the works of the flesh. Thefe are enumerated by St. Paul in his epiftle to the Galatians. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long fuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meeknefs and temperance. Against these there is no law." "There is no condemnation to them, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." "Whatsoever things are true, honeft, juft, pure, lovely and of good report, think on these things." St. Peter, inftructing us how we may obtain the promises, fays, that, having escaped the pollutions which are in the world, we must become partakers of a divine nature; and befides this, giving all diligence, we muft to our faith add fortitude, knowledge, temperance, patience, godlinefs, brotherly kindness and charity." St. James gives a fimilar defcrip. tion of the gospel temper. "The wisdom, which is from above, is firft pure, then peaceable, gentle, eafy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrify." All thefe graces are included in that anointing, which, the scripture tells us, is the evidence of our title to eternal life. This is an evidence, because to this the promife is exprefsly made. "The pure in heart hall fee God." "To be fpiritually mind. ed is life and peace."

This anointing is the earnest of the Spirit. It is a qualification for, and anticipation of the heavenly inheritance. As the happiness of heaven confifts in feeing and enjoying God, fo our preparation for heaven muft confift in that holiness which affimilates us to God. And all, in whom the Spirit of God has wrought this holiness, have a pledge and carneft of their admiffion to heaven.

Their heaven is in fome measure begun. They have fome fenfible foretaftes of it while they are on earth. The pleasures, which refult from the temper of religion in the heart, are of the fame kind with thofe, which are to be enjoyed in the world above. They are, indeed, much inferior in degree; but their nature is the fame. And the grace of God in fanctifying us to a meetness for heaven, is an evidence that he will bring us to it. His preparing us for the inheritance is our best proof of his gracious intention to put us in poffefGion of it. He who thus begins the good work, will perform it to the day of Chrift.

The apoftle obferves, that this kind of evidence will not deceive us. "It is truth, and is no lie." All other kinds of evidence are uncertain, and may be delufive.

We cannot fafely rely on the judgment of others in our favor; for they cannot know our hearts. Their judgment, if founded in our external conduct, must be uncertain; for it is but a fmall part, and perhaps only the best part of our conduct, which falls under their observation; and that which they fee, may proceed from motives. wholly undiscerned and unfufpected. If we give them information concerning the ftate of our minds, this information is too imperfect to be the ground of an infallible judgment. We may by examination gain that knowledge of ourselves, which we cannot communicate to another. If others think and fpeak favorably of us, yet we know not but they are blinded by friendship, or biaffed by perfonal attachment; nor can we fay, but they aim to flatter and deceive us for their own unworthy ends.

If we judge of ourselves by a comparison with fome reputed Chriftians, here again we are liable