nished by his unscriptural conduct; all which amounts to this: the first is taught to know what lovingkindness is, and the second loses some part of the lovingkindness that he has enjoyed. And now we are called upon to discern the difference between these two men, and to glance at the astonishing cause. For my part, as far as I can discern, taking all the circumstances together, I should choose the state of the dead man.

Quot. There is scarcely any thing in which true Christians differ more evidently from common professors, than in this their attendance on publick worship.

The foolish

Answ. This is a false evidence. and wise virgins took each of them their lamps, and went forth together to meet the bridegroom. They slumbered and slept together till the midnight cry was made, and then all those virgins, foolish as well as wise, rose together in order to trim their lamps; these all attended the publick worship of God together; and the difference was so evident between the wise and the foolish, as Timothy says, that none but God who searcheth the heart could discern it. Judas attended public worship as well as the apostles, and the difference was so evident between him and the rest, that they knew not till the last hour who the traitor was, nor even then, till Christ gave him the sop.

Quot. The unregenerate having never felt their lost condition by nature, or discerned the

worth of spiritual things, will evidently appear to be possessed of none of those motives which influence the true believer.

Answ. Cain, Judas, and Balaam, felt their lost condition; and the latter discerned the worth of spiritual things. To die the death of the righteous, which is dying in faith and peace, and to have one's last end like their's, which is salvation and glory, these are spiritual things, and Balaam discerned them as such, and desired them too; but it was no more an evidence to him of his obtaining them, than Tim's last evidence is to his timorous soul that he is a christian; and the different motives which influence the possessor, and professor, will be just as easily discerned by a weak believer, as the difference there was in the soil of the stony and good ground, until the sun scorches the one, and ripens the other. The timorous soul thinks as a child, and understands as a child, and consequently believes every word; and while this is the case, such as Timothy may guide him, and lead him where he pleases; but when he becomes a man in understanding, and able to judge of himself what is right, then he condemns his blind guide out of his own mouth, and flees from him as he would from a serpent.

Quot. As it is by the difference there is in the complexion of men, that we are able to distinguish one man from another; so there is something in every man whereby we may form a judgment of what spirit he is.

Answ. A man may be known sometimes by his speech, as well as by his complexion; and we can judge better of his spirit by his words, than by the colour of his hair. I have ere now, blessed be God for eyesight, seen a world of darkness and confusion under a white wig; and I have seen the haunt of a lying spirit, by a train of false evidences. "A good man out of the good treasure of the heart, bringeth forth good things, and an evil man, out of the evil treasure, bringeth forth evil things. O generation of vipers," saith the Saviour, "how can ye, being evil, speak good things; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." But I know that there is not in every timorous soul this judgment; and therefore it is my desire to be eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame, Job xxix. 15; and that by making use of my eyes and legs, they may see a blind guide, and run from him.

Quot. It would appear singular, to see a man attend a market regularly, and to go a considerable distance from his habitation, and we sensible at the same time that he had not the least prospect either to buy or sell, nor had any particular end in view; yet such unaccountable folly is common among professors.

Answ. I do not believe that any man would attend this market of Timothy's who had no end in view: many go to market not with any prospect either of buying or selling. Some go to meet their friends, and others to know the price of

things; some for the sake of company, others to see and be seen, and some perhaps for nothing else but to spend a market penny. Nor do I believe that there are any professors guilty of such unaccountable folly, as to have no particular end in view in all their profession. Some go to shew their new clothes, others to shew their beauty; some who love money had rather spend an hour in God's house than spend it in an alehouse, because of expense; some go to meet sweethearts, and others to pick up business; some to hear an organ, others to hear singing; some make a profession to get a professing wife that has found favour in their eyes; some to pacify an evil conscience; others to merit heaven by what they call a discharge of their duty; some, as the Saviour says, to be seen of men; and others will attend the worship of God for nothing else but the loaves and fishes.

Quot. There is nothing in which men act so irrationally as in religion.

Answ. This is a real truth. For men that are asleep in their sins to assume the office of watchmen, and to sound an alarm to the carnally secure; for a dead man to hold forth the word of life: for one that has not eyes given him to see, to undertake the guidance of souls to heaven, where millions have lost their way; and for men at an utter uncertainty about spiritual things, to describe the operations of God on the souls of his saints, which have puzzled thousands that have felt the deepest

sensations under them, is acting so irrationally as one would think none could but lunatics and idiots; and yet many act this irrational part, though at the peril of their souls.

Quot. A man will not apply to a physician unless he be necessitated; he will not part with his time or money without some motive; if, through mistake, he does this once, it shall suffice, he wishes not to repeat his folly: but how many poor carnal creatures continue their folly year after year, and without any conviction of either folly or danger! Men who are possessed of great abilities in natural things, yet will continue from youth to old age in this folly; and this is not the case of some who are singular; but they are particular and singular persons, who act rationally in this important part of their conduct: important it is, for what part of a man's conduct will be attended with such eternal consequences?

Answ. Here, reader, is another history, and another mystery. Here is a man who acts in nothing so irrationally as in religion; he continues his folly year after year, without any convictions either of folly or danger; this man is endowed with great natural abilities, and he continues from youth to old age in this folly; and this is not the case of some who are singular, but of particular and singular persons, who act rationally in this important part of their conduct.

Qur difficulty, reader, in this mystery, lies in this: To find out the difference between the case