of our coming to him: but it is such a coming as he directed the young man to, who came to inquire what he shall do that he might have eternal life; Christ bid him go and sell all that he had, and come to him, and follow him. If he had consented in his heart to the proposal, and had therein come to Christ in his heart, the proper evidence of it would have been his doing of it; and therein his coming to Christ would have been made perfect. When Christ called Levi the publican, when sitting at the receipt of custom, and in the midst of his worldly gains; the closing of Levi's heart with this invitation of his Saviour to come to him, was manifested, and made perfect by his actually rising up, leaving all, and following him, Luke v. 27, 28. Christ, and other things, are set before us together, for us practically to cleave to one, and forsake the other: in such a case, a practical cleaving to Christ is a practical acceptance of Christ; as much as a beggar's reaching out his hand and taking a gift that is offered, is his practical acceptance of the gift. Yea, that act of the soul that is in cleaving to Christ in practice, is itself the most perfect coming of the soul to Christ.

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Practice is the most proper evidence of trusting in Christ for salvation. The proper signification of the word trust, according to the more ordinary use of it, both in common speech and in the holy scriptures, is the emboldening and encouragement of a person's mind, to run some venture in practice, or in something that he does on the credit of another's sufficiency and faithfulness. And, therefore, the per evidence of his trusting, is the venture he runs in what he does. He is not properly said to run any venture, in a dependence on any thing, that does nothing on that dependence, or whose practice is no otherwise than if he had no dependence. For a man to run a venture on a dependence on another, is for him to do something from that dependence by which he seems to expose himself, and which he would not do, were it not for that dependence. And, therefore, it is in complying with the difficulties, and seeming dangers of Christian practice, in a dependence on Christ's sufficiency and faithfulness to bestow eternal life, that per

seen in your obedience, in the acts of your lives. If ye consent and obey, ye shall eat the good things of the land; that is, you shall take of all that he hath that is convenient for you: for then you are married to him in truth, and have an interest in all his goods." Dr Preston's Church's Carriage.

sons are said to venture themselves upon Christ, and trust in him for happiness and life. They depend on such promises as that, Matth. x. 39. He that loseth his life for my sake, shall find it. And so they part with all, and venture their all, in a dependence on Christ's sufficiency and truth. And this is the scripture notion of trusting in Christ, in the exercise of a saving faith in him. Thus Abraham, the father of believers, trusted in Christ, and by faith forsook his own country, in a reliance on the covenant of grace God established with him, Heb. xi. 8, 9. Thus, also Moses, by faith refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, Heb. xi. 23, &c. So by faith, others exposed themselves to be stoned and sawn in sunder, or slain with the sword; endured the trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, bonds and imprisonments, and wandered about in sheep-skins and goat-skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented. And in this sense the apostle Paul, by faith, trusted in Christ, and committed himself to him, venturing himself, and his whole interest, in a dependence on the ability and faithfulness of his Redeemer, under great persecutions, and in sufferings, the loss of all things; 2 Tim. i. 12. For the which cause I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed; for I know, whom I have believed, and I am persuaded, that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

If a man should have word brought him from the king of a distant island, that he intended to make him his heir, if, upon receiving the tidings, he immediately leaves his native land, and friends, and all that he has in the world, to go to that country, in a dependence on what he hears, then he may be said to venture himself, and all that he has in the world upon it. But, if he only sits still, and hopes for the promised benefit, inwardly pleasing himself with the thoughts of it; he cannot properly be said to venture himself upon it; he runs no venture in the case; he does nothing, otherwise than he would do, if he had received no such tidings, by which he would be exposed to any suffering in case all should fail. So he that, on the credit of what he hears of a future world, and in a dependence on the report of the gospel, concerning life and immortality, forsakes all, or does so at least, so far as there is occasion, making every

thing entirely give place to his eternal interest; he, and he only, may properly be said to venture himself on the report of the gospel. And this is the proper evidence of a true trust in Christ for salvation.

Practice is the proper evidence of a gracious love, both to God and men. The texts that plainly teach this, have been so often mentioned already, that it is needless to repeat them.

Practice is the proper evidence of humility. That expression, and manifestation of humility of heart, which God speaks of, as the great expression of it, that he insists on; that we should look upon as the proper expression and manifestation of it: but this is walking humbly; Micah vi. 8. He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.

This is also the proper evidence of the true fear of God. Prov. viii. 13. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil. Psal. xxxiv. 11, &c. Come, ye children, hearken unto me, and I will teach you the fear of the Lord-Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile: depart from evil, and do good; seek peace and pursue it. Prov. iii. 7. Fear the Lord, and depart from evil. Prov. xvi. 6. By the fear of the Lord, men depart from evil. Job i. 8. Hast thou considered vant Job,a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? chap. ii. 3. Hast thou considered my servant Job,a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him. Psal. xxxvi. 1. The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, There is no fear of God before his eyes.

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So practice, in rendering again according to benefits received, is the proper evidence of true thankfulness. Psal. cxvi. 12. What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me? 2 Chron. xxxii. 25. But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him. Paying our vows unto God, and ordering our conversation aright, seem to be spoken of as the proper expression and evidence of true thankfulness, in the 50th Psalm, ver. 14. Offer unto God thanksgiving, and pay thy vows unto the Most High. Ver. 23. Whoso offereth praise, glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright, will I shew the salvation of God. K k

So the proper evidence of gracious desires and longings, and that which distinguishes them from those that are false and vain, is, that they are not idle wishes and wouldings like Balaam's, but effectual in practice to stir up persons earnestly and thoroughly to seek the things they long for. Psal. xxvii. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after. Psal. lxiii. 1, 2. O God, thou art my God, early quill I seek thee: my soul thir steth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is, to see thy power and thy glory. Ver. 8. My soul followeth hard after thee. Cant. i. 4. Draw me, we will run after thee.

Practice is the proper evidence of a gracious hope. 1 John iii. 3. Every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself even as he is pure. Patient continuance in well-doing, through the difficulties and trials of the Christian course, is often mentioned as the proper expression and fruit of a Christian hope; 1 Thess. i. 3. Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope. I Pet. i. 13, 14. Wherefore, gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end, for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ, as obedient children, &c. Psal. cxix. 166. Lord, I have hoped in thy salvation, and done thy commandments. Psal. lxxviii. 7. That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of the Lord, but keep his cominandments.

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A chearful practice of our duty, and doing the will of God, is the proper evidence of a truly holy joy. Isa. Ixiv. 5. Thou meetest him that rejoiceth, and worketh righteousness. Psal. cxix. 111, 112. Thy testimonies have. I taken for my heritage for ever; for they are the rejoicing of my heart. I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway, even to the end. Ver. 14. I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. 1 Cor. xiii. 6. Charity rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth. 2 Cor. viii. 2. The abundance of their joy abounded unto the riches of their liberality.

Practice also is the proper evidence of Christian fortitude. The trial of a good soldier is not in his chimney-corner, but in the field of battle; 1 Cor. ix. 25, 26. 2 Tim. ii. 3, 4, 5.

And, as the fruit of holy practice is the chief evidence of the truth of grace, so the degree in which experiences have Enfluence on a person's practice, is the surest evidence of the degree of that which is spiritual and divine in his expe

riences. Whatever pretences persons may make to great discoveries, great love and joys, they are no further to be regarded than they have influence on their practice. Not but that allowances must be made for the natural temper. But that does not hinder, but that the degree of grace is justly measured, by the degree of the effect in practice. For the effect of grace is as great, and the alteration as remarkable, in a very ill, natural temper, as another. Although a person of such a temper will not behave himself so well, with the same degree of grace as another, the diversity from what was before conversion, may be as great; because a person of a good natural temper did not behave himself so ill before conversion.

Thus I have endeavoured to represent the evidence there fis, that Christian practice is the chief of all the signs of saving grace. And, before I conclude this discourse, I would say something briefly in answer to two objections, that may possibly be made by some against what has been said upon

this head.

Objection I. Some may be ready to say, this seems to be contrary to that opinion, so much received among good pedple; that professors should judge of their state, chiefly by their inward experience, and that spiritual experiences are the main evidences of true grace. »

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I answer, It is, doubtless, a true opinion, and justly much received among good people, that professors should chiefly judge of their state by their experience. But it is a great mistake, that what has been said is at all contrary to that opinion. The chief sign of grace to the consciences of Christians, being Christian practice, in the sense that has been explained, and according to what has been shewn to be the true notion of Christian practice, is not at all inconsistent with Christian experience being the chief evidence of grace. Christian or holy practice is spiritual practice; and that is not the motion of a body that knows not how, nor when, nor wherefore it moves: but spiritual practice in man is the practice of a spirit and body jointly, or the prac tice of a spirit animating, commanding, and actuating a body to which it is united, and over which it has power given it by the Creator. And, therefore, the main thing, in this holy practice, is the holy acts of the mind, directing and