Whim. O no Sir! My prayer of faith, was offered up quite privately, at one corner of the Chapel; and I know a good, faithful soul, who was a washerwoman, that said, she was sure to have fine weather to dry her linen, if she could but pray in faith.*

Slapd. I should hardly suppose, that the Lord would alter the course of the clouds, for the sake of gratifying an old woman, during her washing-week.

Whim. O Sir, if you don't believe it, I do. And I remember another good lady, who was a milliner at Bath; expecting that there might soon be a Court mourning, she in faith, made up a great number of mourning caps; and while her husband thought that she was doing wrong, fearing that much might be lost for want of customers; she went up stairs, and taid the caps before the Lord in prayer, and there was almost immediately a court mourning; which as it

* Much of this false confidence in prayer, seems to originate from a conceited excellency in our devotions, arising from the mere strength of our imaginations. But where a spirit of warm and wise devotion is given, for any particular blessing, may we not take it as a good indication, that it is the gracious design of God to answer such supplications? Certainly we may, for the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous man availeth much;" but then we should have a scriptural warrant for what we ask, for instance. There is a wide difference between that prayer of faith, which was given to some by a miraculous impulse, before miracles were withheld; while there is still a prayer of faith, an answer to which every real Christian has yet a right to expect its being granted. While we cannot with too much confidence, yet with reverence, pray for all those spiritual blessings which are promised in Christ Jesus, to all believers; yet diffidence equally becomes us, while we lawfully ask that which God may most righteously refuse to grant. We may and should pray fervently for our own daily preservation, and as we are sociable beings, for the preservation of useful and valuable lives, and for the salvation of our earnest and dearest friends and relatives: but we have no warrant to conclude our prayers must at all times be answered, and that according to the strength of our imaginations. In many instances like these, God may try our patience, by very painful denials, while some good people, not altogether freed from a degree of innocent enthusiasm, may be brought into considerable perplexities, when such blessings, which we lawfully and properly pray for, are still withheld.

turned out, turned in, most wonderfully to her profit ; so that you see Sir, the Lord led her right.

Slapd. [Smiles.] Well, this is the first time in all my life, that ever I heard of caps being laid before the Lord.*

Bri. You know Sir, when I was your Curate, we had frequent discussions on these subjects, and we never could agree; but I fear that all these strange impulses, and impressions upon the fancy, which naturally lead to the grossest misconceptions of the power of Divine grace, have an unhappy tendency, most sadly to mislead. I confess, I was at times inclined to suspect the reality of these things altogether, till better taught. And I greatly bless God for that kind Providence which has directed me into these parts, where, I trust, I have seen genuine Christianity, without any of these wild extravagancies exemplified in all those wise and holy fruits of righteousness, which must abound in them, who are blessed with the purifying knowledge of the Gospel upon the heart.

I am satisfied with you Sir, that a saving discovery of the evils of sin, can never be made known to us; but by the convincing influences of the Holy Spirit, and that this is the ground work of all genuine repentance, and conversion to God, but I cannot believe, that this blessed grace, is created in us, as by a momentary impulse; but that it becomes a living,

*The reader has this story just as I had it from the lady herself many years ago. She was a very innocent and wellintentioned enthusiast. Many may have weak heads but upright hearts. The bad consequences of trusting on whimsical impressions, may not have the same effect on all, though it is not my wish to cause my weak brother or sister to offend; yet follies of this sort, are too abundant and notorious to be hid.

I am very happy to acknowledge at the same time, that many of the most judicious, belonging to the same body in which these enthusiastical scenes are exhibited enter their most solemn protest against them; their honourable testimony in opposition to such evils, deserves the highest thanks from all, who better understand the Spirit's work, than to suppose such disorderly exhibitions, can be the result of communications from a Being, who is infinitely wise and good.

and growing principle abiding in us, directing us to hate sin, as the worst of evils, and enabling us to watch and pray against it all the days of our lives.

I am therefore well persuaded, that while the work of Divine grace, may have its imperceptible beginnings, it cannot be imperceptible in its progress, and its beneficial effects. That it is as impossible to have holy sorrow of mind, without feeling it, as it is to have agonising pain of body, without being sensible of it. And with your leave, I equally bear my humble testimony against your idea of instantaneous pardon, and forgiveness; for though we must be either pardoned or not pardoned, in the eternal mind of God, yet the evidence, or sense of that pardon, can only be made known to me, as I find I am blessed with that "faith, which is of the operation of God," and which consequently, will enable me to bring forth fruit to his glory; and these are the only evidences that the Scriptures warrant; and on which the soul may safely rely.

Whim. Sir, I can't take in your doctrine at all; is it not said, "the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come into his temple."

Bri. And so he did, when the Infant Saviour, unexpectedly came into his Father's Temple, to receive the dedicating ordinance of circumcision: but to found an argument on such mere allusions, is never the way to convince those, who expect a reason for what they are to believe.

Slapd. In my opinion, this notion of instantaneous pardon, as from an express revelation, is more objectionable than the former, and creates presumptuous hypocrites, by thousands.

Spri. I cannot see any material difference between the faith of Mr Whimsey, and the faith of those Antinomians, who have lately attempted to gain a footing in our Town; for while the one set talk as if no faith were genuine, which does not come into the mind by an instantaneous impulse; the others insist upon it, that faith is nothing but a mere believing în

the direct testimony of the word: that as Christ has performed the Redeemer's office, therefore he is their Redeemer, only because they believe it, even while they are living in adultery, or cutting a throat.*. Yet these both presume they are right, from the mere fancy, or fond persuasion of the mind; while we can have no scriptural evidence that we are justified by faith, according to St. Paul, but as we have works to justify our faith, according to St. James.

Whim. Why Mr Slapdash, I always thought you were a Calvinist.

Slapd. Yes sir, I am a Calvinist ; and that makes me such an enemy to all sorts of Antinomianism. But if you mean to call any of us Calvinists, supposing we implicitly adopt the creed that Calvin has made out for us to believe, we renounce the name, however we may revere the memory of the man. We wish no more to follow him, than others who were the great lights, who sprung up in that day. But if the charge is, that we are led by the same spirit to adopt the same truths that were admitted, without controversy, for a hundred years after the reformation; we most readily yield to the charge. But pray Sir, may we be favoured with the definition of what you call Calvinism?

Whim. Why Sir, many with whom I have been acquainted, thus explain what it means. "If we are elected, do whatever wickedness we will, we are sure to be saved; and if we are not elected, let us do what we can to be saved, we are sure to be damned.”

Bri. Now Mr. Whimsey, let me seriously ask you this question. I was your Curate for sixteen months and at times you heard me preach, and though you frequently told me that I was leaning too much towards Calvinism, did you ever hear me drop a single hint, which could have the most distant tendency towards sentiments like these? or from what pulpits, or from what Minister did you ever hear language so blas phemous and profane ?

* See Dialogue 38.

Whim. Not directly so, but this is what is understood by Calvinism.

Slap. Understood by Calvinism!--This fully proves that you understand nothing about it, when those Ministers, you and others so artfully and unmercifully malign, are ever urging just the reverse. Are we not ever pressing upon our careless hearers, that while they are despisers, and profane neglecters of the means of grace, while they will not come unto Christ that they may have life, that they give every evidence in their power against themselves, that they are "given over to a reprobate mind," and are therefore permitted in just wrath to commit all uncleanness with greediness?" and are we not ever assuring all those, who are "giving diligence to make their calling and election sure," that every repenting and believing sinner, who thus cometh, the Lord will in no wise cast out? And I am further persuaded, that this is much purer, and safer ground to go upon, than any antinomian persuasion on the one hand, or any of your enthusiastic, instantaueous impulses on the other; and that before any evidences whatever can be produced. When will such men abstain from this wicked art of misrepresenting, what they cannot refute?

Whim. Why I must say, that some sort of preachers say things they ought not, when they want to deter the people from attending on your sort of preaching and I confess, that such as are accused of holding these doctrines, are as diligent in their way, as we can be in ours! nor are you so apt to fall from grace* in your way, as we are in ours.

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Slapd. If every impression upon the imagination is to be called grace, no wonder that it flies off so speedily, and evaporates so completely. So that the mystery of such people falling from grace, is easily unraveled,---they fell from that they never had. However wantonly you and others may charge us with

*Yet that misquoted expression simply means, falling from a profession of the Gospel.