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is more common than for those who seek sal-
vation to be expecting supernatural impressions -
that in some way or other they will suddenly
feel forgiven - that an impression be made
upon them altogether unmistakable, the Spi
rit witnessing with their spirit that they are
the children of God.

No impressions or
feelings of his own can tell him whether the holy
God has pardoned his past tansgressions.
He can be assured of this only by God's own
declarations. He reads "He that believeth"
that puts his trust in "Christ, shall be saved."
He interprets these declarations as meaning
that God forgives every sinful man who puts his
trust in Christ - "whom God sets forth as a
propitiation for sins that are past; "and that
whoever comes to Christ, and puts a simple
and entire trust in Him for the forgiveness
of his sins, is forgiven - forgiven the [...] that
he trusts. If then his own consciousness tells him
that he has so come to Christ - lay hold as it were up
on Christ as the only possibility of forgiveness,
then he draws the inference that therefore he is
forgiven. God will not tell him personal
ly that he is forgiven - will not produce
upon him a supernatural impression
that he is forgiven. He gives him a general
assurance - sets before him, and before all
men, the general conditions of forgiveness.
It is for him to determine whether he has
complied with these conditions, and to
conclude that, having done this, God has for
given him, as He promised to do. And