Has he fhewed me my fins, by his convincing fpirit, and their pardon by his comforting spirit? Do I fee the infufficiency of my own righteousness, to renounce it (like the apostle, in Phil. iii. 7, 8, 9. and the all-fufficiency of the Saviour's to embrace it? Am I fo brought into a juftified state? Am I, in truth, so born again of God, as that I have been not only outwardly baptized with water, but inwardly renovated by the spiritual new birth, experimentally, knowing a work of grace in my heart? Can I tell what God has done for my foul? Is the gospel, truly, the power of God to my falvation? And do 1 preach it to others, because I know it myself? Are any finners brought to falvation by my miniftry? Have I any feals of my ministry? Have I any evidence that any fuch will be my joy, and crown of rejoicing in the great day of the Lord Jefus ? Are there any of my hearers that will bless God in heaven that ever they heard me on earth? Am I not deceived myfelf; and deceiving others? Am I fure that I am right in my foul, and as right in my miniftry? Am I clearly convinced, that my ministry to others is not delufion to others, as delufion to myfelf? Can my ftate bear close examination, and the care of my foul, and miniftry, anfwer well to ftrict inquiry? O let me pray, as one before me prayed, that I might, after him, "Try me, O God, and feek the ground of my heart; prove me, and exa mine Your own foul mine my thoughts. Look well, if there be any way of wickedness in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Now, my dear Sir, fuffer the word of exhortation; and let me beg of you coolly, fairly, and speedily, to enter upon fuch an examination into the state of your own soul, first, and then for the fouls of others, next. Let me perfuade you to confider this one folemn point, viz. is at stake; it may be now, or never, with you respecting its falvation; and the fouls of many, many others may be at stake also.—I have now said my fay; I have delivered my own foul, in attempting to fave your's. God, in mercy, grant, the event of my endeavour may, be bleffed of him to fave you! Amen, Amen. THE REV. MR. BLICK's ANSWER, TO THE REV. MR. RILAND's THIRD LETTER. MR. Blick's compliments to Mr. Riland, and informs him that of the two fermons he ftill thinks fo contradictory to the fcriptures, and the church; the first, he refers to, on Matt. xxii. 35, was almost a literal extract from one of the excellent Dr. Jortin's Sermons, which the first Divines of our church have fo highly recommended, and in whose collection Mr. R. may find it, that therefore Mr. B. leaves him to reply to as he may think proper. The other fermon fhall be printed together with the letters that have paffed. Feb. 22, 1791. THE THE SERMON. JOHN Vii. 17. IF ANY MAN WILL DO HIS WILL, HE SHALL KNOW OF THE DOCTRINE, WHETHER IT BE OF GOD, OR WHETHER I SPEAK OF MYSELF *: HE public teaching of our Saviour; ge THE nerally produced admiration and aftonishment, even in thofe hearers who were not converted by it. They wondered at the wif dom with which he spake, and were furprized that a person who had never been inftructed, but had been brought up obfcurely in the family of a tradefman fhould discover fuch a fuperior understanding, fuch a thorough and more exact knowledge of the law and the prophets, than the most learned Scribes had attained to; this was certainly a moft extraordinary circumstance: but the true folution * In compofing this Difcourfe, I have been much indebted to a Sermon on the fame text already before the public. C4 of 66 of it, Jefus himself gives us in the verse preceding my text, My doctrine," fays he, is not mine, but his that fent me." i. e. it is not a doctrine of human learning, or of human wisdom, but an immediate emana tion from the Deity himself. Here then an important queftion arose. How was this declaration fupported? How did it appear that Jefus was a meffenger immediately fent from heaven, divinely inftructed to deliver his doctrine to the world? For if this were true, confequences of the greatest moment depended upon it. And to prove this only two kinds of argument could be brought, and our Saviour infifted upon both. The one an external fign from Heaven confirming what he faid; and for this he appealed to the miraculous works which he wrought, demanding belief for their fakes, and also to the evident accomplishments of ancient divine predictions in him. He called upon the Jews to fearch the Scriptures, as we repeatedly call upon you, to fee whether the things we deliver are true or not; for the Jews acknowledged the old Scriptures to be divinely inspired, and Jefus left the question to be decided by their teftimony. For, fays he, "they are they "which |