To CORRESPONDENTS.

When MINOS propofed his two questions, he certainly forgot either the difcrimination or the gravity which became A JUDGE. We rather fufpect the latter to have been the case; but on neither fuppofition could we think of giving him a ferious anfwer.

Any friend who wishes to fend an answer to the queftion propofed in page 218, with a view to its infertion in our next number, is requeft-ed to fend it on or before the 15th inft.

ERRATUM.-No. 4.

Page 150, line 17, for profefs read profefs

DUBLIN:

Printed by Robert Mapper;

SOLD BY H. COLBERT, 136, CAPEL-STREET } AND BY J. JOHNSTONE, 20, CROWE-STREET.

FAITH, in the Scripture account of it, is a

very fimple, intelligible thing. But as it is retailed out in the profeffing world, it is fometimes fo cut and trimmed, fo changed and metamor phofed, that it is hard to fay, after all the definitions and directions that have been given, what it is, wherein it confifts, or how it is to be performed! Some notice, however, may be taken of the names which have been given it, in fome of its tranfmutations, though fully to explain their genuine import, our skill would fail us in attempting, 1 Tim. i. 6, 7. Faith then, as it appears in human writings, has among M feveral

feveral other, obtained the following epithets, viz. hiftorical faith, temporary faith, the faith -of reliance, the faith of affiance, the faith of application, the faith of approbation, the direct, the reflex, the recumbent, the courageous, the venturefome, and the triumphant, acts of faith. It is alfo reprefented by fome as having, and putting into action, eyes, ears, mouth, arms, hands, fingers, legs, and feet.-To defcribe these various kinds of faith, and to give direction when each of thefe acts fhould be put forth, or which of thefe members fhould be exerted, has ferved to employ the time, talents, and ingenuity of many, though, after all, few of them, if any, have condefcended to make it appear, how their notion of faith is confiftent, either with the Scripture definition thereof, or the use of the term in common life. Fearing, therefore, left we fhould get involved in a labyrinth of inextricable difficulties, fhould we attempt to explain the above terms, and indeed not feeing what ufe our labours would be of, had we talents to perform it, we fhall leave that part of the work to those that have more time on their hands than we have, and whofe reputation and intereft may lie more in the use of them, than our's happen to do. However, a few of the moft intelligible definitions that have been given may be confidered,

First: it has been ufed as a common axiom, for the ufe of the weak and wavering, who ǹewertheless wifh to think well of themselves in religious concerns, that the defire of grace is grace; and fo that the defire of faith is faith.

So that if there be but a willing mind to this "fervice it is accepted." Without doubt, where the true grace of God is known, there will be

an

an earnest defire after its increase, it being a living principle in the foul. But furely this is a very unwarrantable way of proceeding, either in defining faith, or leading those who wish to know whether they have believed or not to a fair trial. The human heart is deceitful above all things, and is ever ready to fancy what is most agreeable; and indeed there are but few under a religious profeffion, but are ready to think, that they fincerely defire and endeavour to believe, though they are not able to perform their defire. Surely then we are not allowed to fay, that every defire of faith, is faith; this would be too vague. The defire must be limited, and of courfe qualified. Without doubt it fhould be, in order to prove itself genuine, an humble, penitent, fincere, earnest, and affectionate defire. But there are some very material objections to this notion of faith; Firft:-it leads thofe who think they have fuch a defire, to presume upon it. If a fenfe of guilt trouble the confcience, nothing but that which fairly atones for fin can effectually remove it. But finners are naturally difaffected to the gospel hope, and would rather catch at any thing for prefent relief, than give up every good thought of themselves, and be relieved by that which is equally free for the profligate, as for the morally decent. To lead finners therefore to take peace, or encouragement from the workings of their own minds, (which, while in a ftate of nature, are nothing better than the working of pride,) is to establish them in their enmity to the gofpel hope; and this cannot be done without confirming then in prefumption. Again: it tends to, and often actually does, involve thofe for whofe relief it is intended, in greater diftrefs, fince it is told them

that the defire must be qualified. The diftreffed perfon is led to feek within himself, for the approved qualities of this defire; but finding fo much of the world there, fo many interruptions in his devotion, fo many inftances of deceit in his heart, &c. either he comes to a conclufion that he has not fuch a defire, or has it not to that degree, which it is thought neceffary, in order to conftitute a right defire. This he fincerely laments; yet lives in fad fufpenfe from day to day, waiting and praying, as he is encouraged, for this defire. Sometimes he thinks (especially under preaching) he has obtained it, and then hope, joy, and comfort, begin to arife. Anon all these pleasing fymptoms are cut down, dried up and withered then his life hangs in doubt, and were it not that he were told by his miferable comforters, that to fincerely lament these things is a token for good, his foul would be driven into black despair, unless it could obtain fome temporary eafe, by mingling again with the world. It needs not be told, at leaft to those who have had accefs to meetings for relating experiences, how common this method of comforting them that mourn, is in our day. But ah! how foreign to the hope fet before us in the gofpel! In fact it is neither law nor gofpel. Neither works nor grace. But a mere device of Satan to blind the minds of them that believe not. For,

Further the thing itfelf is contrary to Scripture and common fenfe. When a person says, "I defire to believe," nothing more pertinent can be replied than, Why then don't you believe? Does fome fovereign power, fome fatal neceffity, prevent you? Or have you a fincere defire to beeve what God has faid, only there is not fuffi