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implied in the text. Secondly, It is for Christians to read their characters in even to the world's end. Thirdly, It is the universal experience of all Christians. Fourthly, The feelings of a believer be discerned in this scripture. And, Fifthly, It will be a true light to many, when the fancied experience of some will be to the unwary as the ignis fatuus, Will-o'-the-wisp, or Jack-o-lanthern, which endangers the lives of those it leads astray. Who could think, that the resolution of one saint could perform so much, and Timothy perform so little? However, we may here perceive what Tim. means by experience: he means nothing by it, but the description of it in the letter of scripture, not as felt in the heart; for power felt, is fancied experience; vision, is deception; and feeling, is the mistake of poor mortals. However, Timothy is not one of those burning and shining lights which shine in vision, for he has not cast one ray of light upon any one text that he has mangled, Nor can we call him one of the experimental ones, who is acquainted with power: it is truly the speech of one that is puffed up, and nothing else.

Quot. When I am weak, then am I strong. The true believer has not only an understanding of the method of salvation given to him, but such an acquaintance with scripture as is peculiar to those who are taught of God.

Answ. Then our friend Timothy is not one of God's pupils, for he has not described one true

notion of the method of salvation; and, as to Timothy and the scriptures, they seem to be utter strangers to each other. There is not any understanding, acquaintance, familiarity, or intimacy, between them: one would be ready to conclude, that they had never seen each other before.

Quot. This knowledge of spiritual weakness Paul himself lived a total stranger to before his conversion; and, were all the children of God to keep a distinct idea how ignorant they once were of themselves, it would be a proof to them, that their having now an understanding of the scripture, is an evidence of spiritual life.

Answ. This is another pillow, to bolster up and establish the hypocrite in Zion: for Paul declares, that a man may have all knowledge, and understand all mysteries, and have all faith, so as to remove mountains, and to speak with the tongue of men and angels, and yet be nothing but sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal; or, as he elsewhere explains it, be nothing but an instrument without life, giving sound. Understanding is a proof and evidence to Tim's Christian of divine life; but Paul's hypocrite goes three steps beyond him, and has no life at all. Either Paul deceives us, or Timothy tells lies, one of it.

Quot. Many have called in question the truth of their faith, because they have found it fail them in times of their greatest need.

Answ. If faith fails in times of greatest need, there is just ground to call it in question, and to

reject it too, as the vain confidence of a hypocrite; for the faith of God's elect never fails: it is main

tained by the Spirit of God, and supported by the intercession of Christ. "I have prayed for thee,

that thy faith fail not."

Quot. This sense of weakness is a greater evidence of genuine faith than that which those have, who pass on year after year, and are utter strangers to themselves, and their own inability to stand in a time of difficulty.

Answ. It is impossible that any person, who is an utter stranger to himself, and to his own inability, can have any evidence at all of genuine faith; and Tim's Christian, whose great evidence of faith springs from a sense of his own weakness, or of his faith failing him in times of greatest need, has no more faith, or scriptural evidence of faith, than the other.

Quot. Such persons appear to be, according to Paul's expression, bastards, and not sons; to be then wholly insensible of our weakness, is a mark of a hypocrite.

Answ. In this, reader, Timothy shews us a mystery. The mystery is this: Here is a Christian, for such Timothy calls him, whose faith fails him in times of greatest need. This Christian is compared to another Christian, who is wholly ignorant of himself. Tim's Christian has the greatest evidence of the two; which great evidence of genuine faith springs from it's failing in times of greatest need. And the conclusion is this: he who

is not sensible of his weakness, or whose faith doth not fail, is a bastard, and not a son; for, if faith fail not, it is the mark of a hypocrite. Faith, failing in times of need, and human weakness, are made to mean one and the same thing.

Quot. Why, then, should any distress themselves by calling in question the truth of their own faith, on account of having seen their own weakness on some particular occasions? This is nothing new, but that which the people of God have experienced in every age.

Answ. Faith failing in times of greatest need, and human weakness, are still continued as synonimous terms, though there is a deal of difference between faith and nature, and between weak faith, and human frailty. Why, then,' says Timothy, 'should any distress themselves, by calling in question the truth of their faith?' I think they have cause enough to be distressed. The Psalmist cried out, when his heart and flesh failed; but if heart, flesh, and faith, all fail together in times of greatest need, there is ground for the greatest distress: for, although Timothy says, that the people of God have experienced this in every age; yet I know, that there is not one proof, in all the book of God, of the saints' faith ever failing them in their greatest calamities.

Quot. Impatience increases our troubles: yet all this tends to shew us how weak we are.

Answ. Timothy is weak enough, God knows; for such weak arguments, weak evidences, and

weak proofs, never appeared in the world till Timothy took pen in hand.

Quot. I cannot leave this subject without adding an Appendix; in which I shall enlarge chiefly upon those perfections in the divine nature, which are manifested in the person, sacrifice, and priestly office of Christ; also, on those promises which particularly tend to lead the timorous soul to that foundation which God has laid in Zion. End of the Second Part. T. P.

Answ. My reader will observe how the above quotation is worded. Timothy will enlarge upon those perfections in the divine nature, which are manifested in the person of Christ, &c. For some perfections of the divine nature, to be manifested in Christ, is one thing; and for every perfection of Jehovah, in the highest sense, to be possessed by Christ, as God over all, blessed for evermore; and for all this glorious fulness of the Godhead to dwell in Christ bodily, is another thing. When this wonderful Appendix comes out, reader, if God spares my life, I will write an Appendix to my Barber; which shall consist in an examination of Timothy's enlargements on the perfections of Christ; and in citing one half of his Christian evidences, to contradict the other half, that my reader may see, at one glance, the consistency of this Timothy.