submit to thine holy and sovereign will, myself, and all that I can call mine. I leave, O Lord, to thy management and direction all I possess and all I wish; and set every enjoyment and every interest before Thee, to be disposed of as Thou pleasest; contentedly resolving, in all that Thou appointest for me, my will into Thine, and looking on myself as NOTHING, and on Thee, O God, as the great, Eternal All, whose word ought to determine every thing; and whose government ought to be the joy of the whole rational creation.

Receive, O heavenly Father, thy returning prodigal! Wash me in the blood of thy dear Son! Clothe me with thy perfect righteousnes; And sanctify me throughout by the power of thy Spirit. And O Lord, when thou seest the agonies of dissolving nature upon me, remember this Covenant, even though I should then be incapable of recollecting it, and look with pitying eye upon thy dying child. Put strength and confidence into my departing spirit; and receive it to the embraces of thine everlasting love.

CHAPTER TWELFTH.

Of Assurance of Faith.

It is worthy of notice, both as a religious and an historical fact, that in a number of Christian sects a distinct and well defined modification of personal religious experience has for many ages been known and recognized under the denomination of

ASSURANCE OF FAITH.

The phraseology, which is employed to indicate this form of experience, seems to have had its origin in the following passage in Hebrews. "Having, therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; and having a high priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart, IN FULL ASSURANCE OF FAITH, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." Heb. 10: 19-22.

In the early periods of this country, when the piety of our ancestors was chastened and invigorated by heavy afflictions, the instances of ASSURANCE OF FAITH, as compared with those of later times,

were frequent. It is a matter of thankfulness, that they are not unknown even now.

The basis of this form of religious experience, as the name given to it itself indicates, is FAITH. And in this respect, it stands undoubtedly on the same footing with every other form of true religious experience. Nor do I know that the faith, which is experienced in these marked and triumphant instances of the religious life, is different from what is experienced in other cases, except in the single circumstance of DEGREE. It is a very high degree of faith. The term ASSURANCE, which, in its ordinary acceptation, excludes the idea of doubting, is an evidence that it is so. The phrase, ASSURANCE of faith, conveys, in its own terms and on its own face, the idea of faith without doubting, in other words, of perfect faith. Looking at the subject in the light of the terms used, I think we are at liberty to say, that assurance of faith is synonymous with undoubting or perfect faith. The instances themselves of this form of experience, whether they are such as are made known to us historically in the lives of those who are said to have liv. ed and died in assurance, or such as have come within the range and notice of more recent observations, sustain this view. Those, who are in the enjoyment of this state of mind, are a people, that have an unwavering confidence in God. In the language of John Rogers, the memorable martyr of Smithfield, given in a short published account of his early religious experience, "they live by faith in the Son of God, above the letter in the LIFE;

above the form in the POWER; above self in a higher self; so that they are no longer themselves; but are by the grace of God what they are; not doubting, that they shall appear perfect in Christ's righteousness, being pardoned by his death, purged by his blood, sanctified by his spirit, and saved by his power."

We have an instructive and precious illustration of the state of mind, denominated ASSURANCE of FAITH, in the instances of early saints mentioned in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews; in Abel, who "offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain ;" in Enoch, who "had this testimony that he pleased God;" in Abraham, "who went out, not knowing whither he went," and who, "when he was tried, offered up Isaac; " in Moses, "who esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt;" in Gideon, Barak, David, Samuel, and the prophets, of whom as well as of others the testimony is given, that through faith they "subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, of whom the world was not worthy;" and in regard to whom it is expressly said, that God himself was "NOT ASHAMED TO BE CALLED THEIR GOD."

As the subject of an assured acceptance with God is, in our apprehension, one of preeminent importance, and as it has in these latter days received less attention than it did formerly and far less than it deserves, we have thought it might be proper to introduce here an instructive passage from the writings of President Edwards. After referring to

some persons, who supposed, that no such thing is to be expected in the church of God as a full and absolute assurance, except in some very extraordinary circumstances, such as that of martyrdom, and asserting that this view is contrary to the doctrine of Protestants as maintained by their most celebrated writers, he proceeds as follows. "It is manifest, that it was a common thing for the saints that we have a history or particular account of in Scripture, to be assured. God, in the plainest and most positive manner, revealed and testified his special favour to Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Daniel, and others. Job often speaks of

his sincerity and uprightness with the greatest imaginable confidence and assurance, often calling God to witness to it; and says plainly, "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that I shall see him for myself, and not another," Job 19. 25, &c. David, throughout the book of Psalms, almost everywhere speaks without any hesitancy, and in the -most positive manner, of God as his God: glorying in him as his portion and heritage, his rock and confidence, his shield, salvation, and high tower, and the like. Hezekiah appeals to God, as one that knew he had walked before him in truth, and with a perfect heart, 2 Kings 20. 3. Jesus Christ, in his dying discourse with his eleven disciples, in the 14th, 15th, and 16th chapters of John, (which was as it were Christ's last will and testament to his disciples, and to his whole church,) often declares his special and everlasting love to them, in the plainest and most positive terms; and promises