Familiar Letter, on a Variety of Seasonable and Important Subjects in Religion (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1831 edition. Excerpt: ...we may thus receive the Lord Jesus Christ, without this joyful persuasion of our own interest in him, may be evidenced by avariety of argiiments. 13 This is evident from the nature of things, in that the ac must necessarily precede the evidence of it: and, consequently, our first receiving the Lord Jesus Christ must necessarily precede our knowledge or grounded persuasion of it; or else we must be persuaded of a non'entity, of what is false in fact, and just as different from a saving faith as any other falsehood whatsoever. This is likewise evident, that our receiving the Lord Jesus Christ, and our penmasion of an interest in him, are two very drfererrt acts of the mind, which no way imply each other. It is one-act of the mind heartily to consent to the gospel'ofl"er; and another act of the mind, quite differentaad distinct, to entertain a joyful persuasion that this consent flows from gracious sincerity. The former may, and often does, exist without the latter; and therefore Christ may be received by faith, without the persuasion of an interest in him. This is also evident, in that a true faith may consist with u great deal of remaining unbelig." He may sincerely receive Christ by faith, who has occasion to make that exclamation, " Lord, help my unbeliefl" Thismay therefore so much darken the mind as to make the unheliever incapable of discerning and being fully persuaded of the sincerity of his faith: and consequently true faith may exist without this pcrxua-sion; and a man may have received the Lord Jesus Christ who is in great doubts and darkness about it.-This is moreover evident, in that such a one may truly receive the Lord Jesus Christ upon his own terms who has no clear idea of the nature of...