'And so,' he says, 'it is often in grace;' making a proper distinction between salvation and grace. But, as salvation is all of grace, one would think the experience of the former was the effect of the latter; and that salvation and grace can no more be divided, than Timothy's christian can be united to the Author of eternal salvation.

Quot. Those who have been privileged with a good education, and have been kept from open sin, seldom can tell in so particular a manner as others who have been brought up in sin and dark

ness.

Answ. Paul is a singular instance to disprove this lie; who was privileged with a good education; and so far kept from open sin, that, as touching the righteousness of the law, he was blameless; and yet he could tell in a particular manner the time when, the place where, and the manner how, he was converted to God: and so could Abraham, Jacob, David, Isaiah, and all the prophets, who had as good an education, and were kept as much from open sin and darkness, as ever Timothy's christian was. I never knew till now, that a good education was attended with keeping a man from sin and darkness, seeing man is nothing but darkness and sin. This cannot be proved by any one text in the Bible, unless by the following, "God hath hid these things from the wise and prudent."

Quot. Let such as are perplexed with this fear remember, it is not so much how the light came, as what they are brought to see by this light.

Answ. It appears to me, that the importance of the matter lies in knowing how this light came, and where it came from; whether from the God of Heaven, or the god of this world, who is sometimes transformed into an angel of light. Some souls are light in the Lord; while the light that is in others, the Saviour says, is darkness; and adds, "How great is that darkness!" It is necessary, therefore, to know where the light came from, and how it came; and whether it shines into the head, to make a man see and talk, as it did into the head of Balaam, whose lamp is sure to go out; or whether it is a reconciled God shining into the heart, "to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." The former makes a prating fool, the latter a gracious soul.

Quot. This objection is not easily removed. We are always more ready to lend an ear to what mortals say, than we are to attend to the word of God.

Answ. This is verified in every affected reader and follower of Mr. Priestley: for the whole of this book, except the scripture texts quoted, is nothing but the sayings and carnal reasonings of a poor uninspired mortal. There is not one page in it that is consistent with the oracles of God, nor with the experience of a genuine Christian. The Spirit of God had no hand in it, nor did he ever dictate any thing like it.

Quot. God works as a sovereign. Some, when

they are savingly called, are a long time before they are led to see into the doctrines of the gospel. Others are taught them in a small space of time.

Answ. This is verified in the Author of this glass; for God has not given him eyes to see, nor a heart to understand, even to this day. And though some real saints may make a creed sooner than others, or be led to see into the doctrines of the gospel; yet, I believe, when Jesus Christ is manifested to and revealed in the soul, that he is the truth of every doctrine; yea, the whole sum and substance of the everlasting gospel, If he is formed in the heart, the word is sure to take root. It is not a speculative knowledge of it, that constitutes an heir of promise; but Christ in the heart, the hope of glory.

Quot. Why does the believer love and follow after this light?

Answ.

Your Christian is not alone here; ancient hypocrites have done that as well as he. The novelty of it has led many to love it, and follow it too. There were many that were willing to rejoice in John's light for a season. If they rejoiced in it, they must have had an affection for it. Joy doth not spring from envy, nor malice. The wayside hearers did the same; Demas did the same; and yet they all forsook it: and I think the Author of this Looking-glass will do the same.

Quot. The light, however, that has come into

his mind, proves itself to be the sovereign and saving teachings of the Holy Spirit of God.

Answ. Light in the head is not the whole of God's teaching: the sinner must have the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of sins. God gives his children an heart to know him, for he pardons them whom he reserves. Life and power must attend the voice, before the sinner will know his Divine Teacher: "They shall know in that day, that it is I that do speak. Behold, it is I!" And the way by which they are brought to know it, is by the quickening energy that attends the voice: "The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live." Many who have committed the unpardonable sin, have sinned against greater light and knowledge than what is reflected from this glass; for I can find nothing but darkness and confusion in it.

Quot. Could such see themselves in the glass of the word of God, they would, instead of spending their time in suspicions about their state, be employed in giving thanks to him who has commanded the light to shine into their hearts.

Answ. If this head christian could see himself in the glass of God's word, he would soon discover the false reflections of Timothy's glass: and would throw it away, with the hoods and veils.

The last clause of that quotation is wrongly worded. It is head knowledge, or rather head confusion, that you have been insisting on. Heart

work has not been so much as touched, nor enforced, nor any one part of it described. Not one discovery in that chamber of imagery has been made; not one sensation nor real view of an awakened sinner has been either described, stated, proved, or cleared.

Quot. If he has given thee eyes to see thy own nothingness, and is enabling thee to see more and more of the excellency of the Lord Jesus, he has done great things for thee; he hath done more for thee than if he had given thee ten millions of worlds.

Answ. Then Judas must be in an excellent state; for he not only saw, but felt, his own nothingness, when he cast down the money in the temple: and he saw and knew the excellency of the Lord Jesus, when he said, "I have sinned in that I have betrayed innocent blood." The rich man, when he lifted up his eyes in hell, saw his own nothingness, and the excellency of Abraham's bosom; and yet no great things had been done for him. This twofold view, Timothy, will not do, without the appropriating hand of faith, to bring the excellent Saviour into the empty heart. A sight of man's nothingness, and Christ's excellency, which is your criterion of great things, would have sunk the Psalmist into black despair, if the hand of his faith had not caught hold of the excellent object seen: "I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in