Some are wanting in gentleness. They resist evil instead of turning the other cheek. They do not receive reproach with gentleness; no, nor even reproof. Nay, they are not able to bear contradiction, without the appearance, at least, of resentment. If they are reproved or contradicted, though mildly, they do not take it well. They behave with more distance and reserve than they did before. If they are reproved or contradicted harshly, they answer it with harshness; with a loud voice, or with an angry tone, or in a sharp and surly manner. They speak sharply or roughly when they reprove others, and behave roughly to their inferiors.

Some are wanting in goodness. They are not kind, mild, sweet, amiable, soft, and loving at all times, in their spirit, in their words, in their looks and air, in the whole tenor of their behaviour; and that to all, high and low, rich and poor, without respect of persons: particularly to them that are out of the way, to opposers, and to those of their own household. They do not long study, or endeavour by every means to make all about them happy. They can see them uneasy, and not be concerned: perhaps they make them so; and then wipe their mouths and say, "Why, they deserve it: it is their own fault."

Some are wanting in fidelity, a nice regard to truth, simplicity, and godly sincerity. Their love is hardly without dissimulation; something like guile is found in their mouth. To avoid roughness, they lean to the other extreme. They are smooth to an excess, so as scarce to avoid a degree of fawning, or of seeming to mean what they do not.

Some are wanting in meekness, quietness of spirit, composure, evenness of temper. They are up and down, sometimes high, sometimes low their mind is not well balanced. Their affections arc either not in due proportion; they have too much of one, too little of another; or they are not duly mixed and tempered together, so as to counterpoise each other. Hence there is often a jar. Their soul is out of tune, and cannot make true harmony.

Some are wanting in temperance. They do not steadily use that kind and degree of food, which they know would most conduce to the health, strength, and vigour of the body. Or they are not temperate in sleep; they do not rigorously adhere to what is best both for body and mind. Otherwise they would constantly go to bed and rise early, and at a fixed hour. Or they sup late, which is neither good for body nor soul. Or they use neither fasting nor abstinence. Or they prefer, (which is so many sorts of intemperance,) that preaching, reading, or conversation which gives them transient joy and comfort, before that which brings godly sorrow, or instruction in righteousness. Such joy is not sanctified: it does not tend to and terminate in the crucifixion of the heart. Such faith does not centre in God, but rather in itself.

So far all is plain. I believe you have faith, and love, and joy, and peace. You who are particularly concerned, know each for yourself, that you are wanting in the respects above mentioned.

You are wanting either in long-suffering, gentleness, or goodness; either in fidelity, meekness, or temperance. Let us not then, ou cither hand, fight about words. In the thing, we clearly agree.

You have not what I call perfection. If others will call it so, they may. However, hold fast what you have, and earnestly pray for what you have not.

Q. 29. Can those who are perfect grow in grace?

A. Undoubtedly they can.

the body, but to all eternity.

And that not only while they are in

Q. 30. Can they fall from it? A. I am well assured they can. Matter of fact puts this beyond dispute. Formerly we thought one saved from sin could not fall. Now, we know the contrary. We are surrounded with instances of those, who lately experienced all that I mean by perfection. They had both the fruit of the Spirit and the witness. But they have now lost both. Neither does any one stand, by virtue of any thing that is implied in the nature of the state. There is no such height or strength of holiness as it is impossible to fall from. If there be any that cannot fall, this wholly depends on the promise and faithfulness of God.

Q. 31. Can those who fall from this state recover it? A. Why not? We have many instances of this also. an exceeding common thing for persons to lose it more before they are established therein.

Nay, it is than once

It is therefore to guard them who are saved from sin, from every occasion of stumbling, that I give the following advices. But first I shall speak plainly concerning the work itself.

I esteem this late work to be of God; probably the greatest now upon earth. Yet like all others, this also is mixed with much human frailty. But these weaknesses are far less than might have been expected; and ought to have been joyfully borne by all that loved and followed after righteousness. That there have been a few weak, warm-headed men, is no reproach to the work itself, no just ground for accusing a multitude of sober-minded men, who are patterns of strict holiness. Yet (just contrary to what ought to have been) the opposition is great; the helps few. Hereby many are hindered from seeking faith and holiness by the false zeal of others: and some who at first began to run well, are turned out of the way.

Q. 32. What is the first advice that you would give them?

A. Watch and pray continually against pride. If God has cast it out, see that it enter no more: it is full as dangerous as desire. And you may slide back into it unawares; especially if you think there is no danger of it. "Nay, but I ascribe all I have to God." So you may, and be proud nevertheless. For it is pride, not only to ascribe any thing we have to ourselves, but to think we have what we really have not. Mr. L-, for instance, ascribed all that he had to God, and so far he was humble. But then he thought he had more light than any man living. And this was palpable pride. So you ascribe all the knowledge you have to God, and in this respect

you are humble.

But if you think you have more than you really have; or if you think you are so taught of God, as no longer to need man's teaching, pride lieth at the door. Yes, you have need to be taught, not only by Mr. Mn, by one another, by Mr. Md, or me, but by the weakest preacher in London: yea, by all men. For God sendeth by whom he will send.

Do not therefore say to any who would advise or reprove you, "You are blind: you cannot teach me." Do not say, "This is your wisdom, your carnal reason:" but calmly weigh the thing before God.

Always remember, much grace does not imply much light. These do not always go together. As there may be much light where there is little love, so there may be much love where there is little light. The heart has more heat than the eye; yet it cannot see. And God has wisely tempered the members of the body together, that none may say to the other, "I have no need of thee."

To imagine none can teach you but those who are themselves saved from sin, is a very great and dangerous mistake. Give not place to it for a moment. It would lead you into a thousand other mistakes, and that irrevocably. No: Dominion is not founded upon grace, as the madmen of the last age talked. Obey and regard them that are over you in the Lord, and do not think you know better than they. Know their place, and your own: always remembering, much love does not imply much light.

The not observing this has led some into many mistakes, and into the appearance, at least of pride. O beware of the appearance, and the thing. Let there be in you that lowly mind, which was in Christ Jesus. And be ye likewise clothed with humility. Let it not only fill, but cover you all over. Let modesty and self-diffidence appear in all your words and actions. Let all you speak and do, show that you are little, and base, and mean, and vile, in your own eyes. As one instance of this, be always ready to own any fault you have been in. If you have at any time thought, spoke, or acted wrong, be not backward to acknowledge it. Never dream that this will hurt the cause of God; no, it will further it. Be therefore open and frank, when you are taxed with any thing: do not seek either to evade or disguise it. But let it appear just as it is, and you will thereby not hinder but adorn the Gospel.

Q. 33. What is the second advice which you would give them? A. Beware of that daughter of pride, enthusiasm! O keep at the utmost distance from it: give no place to a heated imagination. Do not hastily ascribe things to God. Do not easily suppose dreams, voices, impressions, visions, or revelations to be from God. They. may be from him. They may be from nature. They may be from the Devil. Therefore "believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God." Try all things by the written word, and let all bow down before it. You are in danger of enthusiasm every hour, if you depart ever so little from Scripture: yea, or from the plain literal meaning of any text, taken in connexion with the con VOL. 8.-F

text. And so you are, if you despise or lightly esteem reason, knowledge, or human learning: every one of which is an excellent gift of God, and may serve the noblest purposes.

I advise you never to use the words wisdom, reason, or knowledge, by way of reproach. On the contrary, pray that you yourself may abound in them more and more. If you mean worldly wisdom, useless knowledge, false reasoning, say so; and throw away the chaff, but not the wheat.

One general end of enthusiasm is, expecting the end without the means; the expecting knowledge, for instance, without searching the Scriptures, and consulting the children of God: the expecting spiritual strength without constant prayer, and steady watchfulness: the expecting any blessing without hearing the word of God at every opportunity.

Some have been ignorant of this device of Satan. They have left off searching the Scriptures. They said, "God writes all the Scripture on my heart: therefore, I have no need to read it." Others thought, that they had not so much need of hearing, and so grew slack in attending the morning preaching. O take warning, you who are concerned herein. You have listened to the voice of a stranger. Fly back to Christ, and keep in the good old way, which was once delivered to the saints: the way that even a heathen bore testimony of, "That the Christians rose early every day to sing hymns to Christ as God."

The very desire of growing in grace, may sometimes be an inlet of enthusiasm. As it continually leads us to seek new grace, it may tead us unawares to seek something else new beside new degrees of love to God and man. So it has led some to seek and fancy they had received gifts of a new kind, after a new heart, as, 1. The loving God with all our mind. 2. With all our soul. 3. With all our strength. 4. Oneness with God. 5. Oneness with Christ. 6. Having our life hid with Christ in God. 7. Being dead with Christ. S. Rising with him. 9. The sitting with him in heavenly places. 10. The being taken up into his throne. 11. The being in the New Jerusalem. 12. The seeing the tabernacle of God come down among men. 13. The being dead to all works. 14. The not being liable to death, pain, or grief, or temptation.

One ground of many of these mistakes is, the taking every fresh strong application of any of these Scriptures to the heart, to be a gift of a new kind: not knowing that several of these Scriptures are not fulfilled yet; that most of the others are fulfilled when we are justified; the rest, the moment we are sanctified. It remains only, to experience them in higher degrees. This is all we have to expect.

Another ground of these, and a thousand mistakes, is, the not considering deeply that Love is the highest gift of God, humble, gentle, patient Love: that all visions, revelations, manifestations whatever, are little things compared with love: and that all the gifts above mentioned are either the same with, or infinitely inferior to it,

It were well you should be thoroughly sensible of this: the heaven of heavens is love. There is nothing higher in religion: there is, in effect, nothing else: if you look for any thing but more love, you are looking wide of the mark, you are getting out of the royal way, and when you are asking others, Have you received this or that blessing? if you mean any thing but more love, you mean wrong; you are leading them out of the way, and putting them upon a false scent. Settle it then in your heart, that from the moment God has saved you from all sin, you are to aim at nothing more, but more of that love described in the thirteenth of the Corinthians. You can go no higher than this, till you are carried into Abraham's bosom.

I say yet again, beware of enthusiasm. Such is the imagining you have the gift of prophesying, or discerning of spirits, which I do not believe one of you has; no, nor ever had yet. Beware of judging people to be either right or wrong, by your own feelings. This is no scriptural way of judging. O keep close to the law and the testimony.

Q. 34. What is the third?

A. Beware of Antinomianism, making void the law, or any part of it, through faith. Enthusiasm naturally leads to this: indeed they can scarce be separated. This may steal upon you in a thousand forms, so that you cannot be too watchful against it. Take heed of every thing, whether in principle or practice, which has any tendency thereto. Even that great truth, that Christ is the end of the law, may betray us into it, if we do not consider, that he has adopted every point of the moral law, and grafted it into the law of love. Beware of thinking, "Because I am filled with love, I need not have so much holiness: because I pray always, therefore I need no set time for private prayer: because I watch always, therefore I need no particular self-examination." Let us magnify the law, the whole written word, and make it honourable. Let this be our voice, "I prize thy commandments above gold or precious stones. O what love have I

unto thy law. All the day long is my study in it!" Beware of Antinomian books; particularly of the works of Dr. Crisp, and Mr. Saltmarsh. They contain many excellent things; and this makes them the more dangerous. O be warned in time! Do not play with fire: do not put your hand on the hole of a cockatrice den! I entreat you, beware of Bigotry. Let not your love or beneficence be confined to Methodists (so called) only; much less to that very small part of them, who seemed to be renewed in love; or to those who believe your's and their report. O make not this your Shibboleth. Beware of stillness; ceasing in a wrong sense from your own works. To mention one instance out of many, "You have received," says one, "a great blessing. But you began to talk of it, and to do this and that. So you lost it. You should have been still."

Beware of self-indulgence; yea, and making a virtue of it, laughing at self-denial, and taking up the cross daily, at fasting or absti