come into condemnation, but is paffed from death unto life. And the ancient churches accounted those only faithful that had received the Lord's fupper. And our church still continues that primitive imitation.

Draw near with faith, and take this holy facrament to your comfort.' But if thou, O my foul! askest what that faith is? remember it is that faith which for its object hath God's mercy, thro' Chrift, as the fountain and foundation of all those infinite bleflings and comforts, which we gain by his manifeftation in the flesh.

Now, my foul, I pray thy advice; tell me what is here intended by a quiet confcience? for I can never apply God's mercy to myself by faith, whilft I diftruft the truth and fincerity of my own repentance? I understand it myfelf that a quiet confcience entirely depends upon the opinion a man has of his repentance, as being fincere and accepted of God; but I am as well ascertained, that a man may mistake his cafe, and therefore a quiet confcience is not always a fecure ftate with respect to God; for, if a man believe he has repented truly, and yet has not, he is never the nearer pardon for thinking himself pardoned. So that,

4. It is plain, a man may have a quiet conScience,

Science, when he is really in great danger; and again, he may have a troubled confcience, when he is indeed forgiven, and intitled to God's favour; yet though I am fearful of not having repented as I ought to do, I can never believe that God will judge men finally, by their prefent affurance or defpondency, but by the truth and the fincerity of their repentance.

5. Here, methinks, O my foul, thou fend eft me for advice to the church, who underftands, by a quiet confcience, fuch a truft in God's mercy, as that, if a man be duly qualified, he shall be certainly accepted of him, and be forgiven and directs fuch men whofe fins may be of fuch a nature, as that they shall be forely perplexed to understand what fort of repentance is neceffary to the obtaining for giveness, to advife with their spiritual guides, to be inftructed and fet aright. For,

6. They will teach them the true extent of God's mercies in Jefus Chrift, and what it is will qualify them for the forgiveness of their fins. This is the quiet confcience that the Church requires of a communicant, a confcience well informed of the nature of God's promifes and threats, of the nature of repentance, and of its own ftate and condition. Thus, if I underF 2 ftand

stand you right, you fay, that the quiet of a man's confcience depends upon his firm opinion and perfuafion.

7. For, O my foul! I have found that our Safety and fecurity depends upon our practice; for God accepts us not barely according to what we believe of himself, but according to what we do and truly are. If therefore, upon a ferious examination of my life paft, I find I am, in earnest, very much concerned for having offended God, and ftedfaftly purpofe to do jo no more; and that, by the affiftance of his grace, I am refolved to lead a new and better life for the time to come; and that I do firmly believe that, if I do fo, God will, for Chrift's fake, accept of my repentance, and enable me more and more to walk carefully before him; I may come to the facrament, although I, having often broken my good refolutions before, may be ftill afraid of the truth and fincerity of my repentance.

The Hymn, for Thursday Evening.
To be repeated by a quiet confcience.
Lord! fecure and bleft are they
Who feel the joys of pardon'd fin:

Should forms of wrath shake earth and fea,

Their minds have heav'n and peace within.

The

The day glides fweetly o'er their heads,
Made up with innocence and love;
And foft and filent, as the fades,

Their nightly minutes gently move.
Quick as their thoughts, their joys come on,
But fly not half fo fast away;
Their fouls are ever bright as noon,
And calm as fummer-ev'nings be.
How oft they look to th' heav'nly bills,
Where groves of living pleasures grow;
And longing hopes and chearful fmiles
Sit undisturb'd upon their brow.
They Scorn to feek our golden toys,
But fpend the day, and share the night
In numb'ring o'er the richer joys,

That beav'n prepares for their delight.
While wretched we, like worms and moles,
Lie groveling in the duft below;
Almighty grace renews our fouls,
And we'll afpire to glory too.

Another.

FAR from my foul, fad thoughts, be gone,
And leave me to my joys;

My tongue fball triumph in my God,
And make a joyful noise.

Darkness and doubts had veil'd my mind,
And drown'd my head in tears,

Till fov'reign grace, with fhining rays,
Difpell'd my gloomy fears.

F 3

Ob!

Ob! what immortal joys I felt,
And raptures all divine;
When Jefus told me I was bis,
And my beloved mine.

In vain the tempter frights my foul,
And breaks my peace in vain;
One glimpfe, dear Saviour, of thy face
Revives my joys again.

The Prayer, on Thursday Evening.
For peace and quietness of confcience.

Lord God, our heavenly father, who, for the greater confirmation of our faith and confidence in thy mercy, haft in the holy gofpel declared, that whofoever believeth in thy fon Jefus Chrift, shall not perish, but have everlasting life; and that this is life eternal, to know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou haft fent: increase this knowledge, and confirm this faith in me evermore. Grant that I may have fuch a lively faith, as will fhew itself by love and good works; fuch a victorious faith, which may enable me to overcome the world, and conform me to the image of thy fon Jefus Chrift. Ogrant me fuch a due fenfe of thy infinite mercy, fhewn to mankind in fo much mifery, as may never depart out of my mind. I ftedfastly believe, O bleffed

Jefus,