evil of fin, yet thou art WELCOME to approach the Saviour; yea, by coming to him as the vileft of the vile, thou doft actually place a CROWN upon his head. There is nothing to hinder thine obtaining falvation from him but thine own UNWILLINGNESS, and therefore though SATAN may throw obftacles in thy way, and fill thee with fear, let him not gain his point; the more violent his affaults are, do thou with a more accelerated motion run to him, and hide thyfelf beneath the fhadow of his wings.

4. Thou art invited to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, to eat and to drink in his prefence; let no confideration, no difficulty whatever, induce thee not to accept of the gracious invitation of thy Lord, or keep thee from his table; for not to approach argues the prevalence of unbelief, and is to difobey thy God, to caft contempt upon thy Saviour, and to work in the hands of thine enemies. Befides, by flighting this ordinance and keeping from it, thou wilt lofe ftill more of thy peace and joy in believing than thou haft already, and that which ought to have its due weight is this, that thou knowest not what bleffing, what lovevifit, what refreshment thy foul might enjoy by complying with this thy Saviour's dying command.— Wherefore, then, wilt thou keep thyfelf away? Caft thyfelf into Jesus' arms, venture thy foul upon him; he will meet thee in love. It is granted that thy faith is weak; Is not a weak faith a faith which is true and genuine? It is granted that thou art compelled to cry with tears, Lord! help mine unbelief. Thofe TEARS are agreeable to Jefus, and that CRY is the fweetest mufic in his ears.

Although what we have advanced muft cover THEE with fhame, CHILD OF GOD, who knoweft with a greater degree of affurance than others that thou haft faith in

Chrift, but at the fame time haft made but little progrefs in the divine life, infomuch that when corruptions arise with their wonted ftrength, thy confidence is diminished and thy fears increased. Nothing that has been said was meant to discourage thee; the confideration of the fmall progrefs which thou hast made ought, indeed, to humble thee; but at the fame time it should serve as a powerful motive to excite thee with lively faith to go to thy God again. Make, then, all thy complaints known to him; tell him how great a burden fin is to thee, and how defirous thou art to be freed from it; of anew take refuge in the wounds of Jefus, and feek reconciliation in his blood, which thou art particularly called upon to do in approaching the table of the Lord. Go to that ordinance, having thine heart exercised by faith, and fully purpofing, through grace TO RENOUNCE SELF, the WORLD, and ALL that is opposed to God and godliness, and to LIVE more devoted to the service of thy God and Saviour; then wilt thou be welcomed by the great Master of the Feaft, and in thine experience find THE SACRAMENT to be attended with a bleffing to thy foul; which, may God of his infinite mercy grant, through Jefus Chrift.

AMEN.

THE

PIOUS COMMUNICANT.

Lecture II.

ON THE GREAT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A TEMPORARY AND A TRUE AND SAVING FAITH.

HAVING in the preceding Lecture treated of the NATURE of faving faith, we conceived it would be highly ferviceable to address you at this time on the great and effential difference which exifts between that faith which actually unites the foul with Christ, and thus leads to falvation, and that which we are accustomed to denominate temporary, which indeed ALMOST Chriftians may exercise, but which, however near a resemblance it may bear to it, yet is as far from it as heaven is from earth, and as different as are life and death, light and darkness. We were particularly induced to discuss this subject with a view, on the one hand, to discover to the prefumptuous and the fecure finner before it be for ever too late, the danger to which he is exposed of being deceived, and to be inftrumental in leading him from the devious paths of fin and delufion into those which terminate in his

everlasting happiness; and also, on the other hand, to adminifter comfort, fupport, and grounds of encouragement to the people of God, who fo frequently are oppreffed by fear, and filled with fore diftrefs, left the faith which they exercise be not true, real and faving.

To accomplish our defign, we shall attempt

I. To fhew that to ascertain with precision, whether a person be a temporary or true believer, is a work which is most necessary, and at the fame time most ari duous.

II. We fhall then offer fome obfervations on the term "Temporary Faith," and endeavour to make it appear that it not only DIFFERS in name but in fact, from faving faith.

III. We shall exhibit in a variety of points, wherein the ESSENTIAL DIFFERENCE lies between the one and the other.

IV. On the fuppofition that there may be present PERSONS whofe faith is only temporary, and who, by what may be advanced in the courfe of this Lec ture, may be led to fee the danger which awaits them, and be alarmed at the dreadful profpect before them, we fhall offer them fome advice what to do in a SITUATION fo truly deplorable.

V. We shall close the fubject with an address unto true believers who are DISTRESSED concerning their ftate and condition, to the end that they may be encouraged to wait upon God at his table, and a divine bleffing accompany their approach to it.

To afcertain with precifion whether a perfon be a temporary or a true believer, is a work which at the fame time that it is MOST NECESSARY, is allo MOST

ARDUOUS,