DISCOURSE III.

EPHESIANS ii. 8.

For by Grace are ye faved, through Faith; and that not of yourselves: It is the Gift of God.

W

***E have here, in few Words, the Argument which St. Paul al

ways infifts on, when he has occafion to fet forth the Kindnefs of God towards Mankind.

Life and Immortality are the greatest Blesfings that we have any. Notion of; and these were brought to Light by the Gospel of Chrift: Him God gave for a Redeemer to the World, that whosoever believeth on him should not die, but have eternal Life. And even that through: Faith in him we are faved, is the Gift of God; for of ourfelves we are able to do nothing. Thefe Things

Things are taught us in the Compass of the Text, We are faved by Grace: We had no Title or Claim to Salvation, but God of his own Good-will hath fent among us plenteous Redemption; and according to the Richness of his Mercy, and the great Love wherewith he loved us, hath, together with Christ, quickened us who were dead in Sins. The Condition of this Salvation on our Part is Faith; for we are faved by Grace through Faith. We must believe our Redeemer, that he cometh from God, and hath the Words of Life; and must rely on him to perform the Word of Salvation which is gone out of his Mouth. But neither upon the Performance of this Condition can we fay that our own Arm hath faved us, or that we have done any Thing towards perfecting our Redemption; for this Salvation through Faith, and this Faith, is not of ourselves, it is the Gift of God.

I shall discourse on this Propofition, That Faith is the Gift of God: First, I fhall endeavour to fhew what the Scripture Doctrine on this Head is; and, Secondly, shall fuggeft to you some. Confiderations proper to this Subject.

First then, Let us confider what the Scripture Doctrine on this Head is. The Faith which St. Paul speaks of in the Text is fuch a Faith as is effectual to Salvation; for it is the Faith through which, by Grace, we are faved: This Faith he afferts to be the Gift of God. There are different Significations of the Word Faith in Scripture: Sometimes it fignifies barely an Affent of the Mind to the Revelations and Doctrines of the Gospel, grounded upon fuch Evidence as the Things were capable of. This Faith fometimes is merely the Effect of common Sense; for Men cannot help believing the Things they fee. Sometimes

this Faith is grounded on the necessary Deductions of Reafon from common Principles; by this Means we arrive at the Knowledge of God: A Man of Reason can no more avoid believing the Existence of a First Cause, than a Man with Eyes can avoid thinking that there is a material World, in which he lives. But neither has this Affent of the Mind the true Nature of Faith in it; Thou believeft, faith St. James, that there is one God; thou doeft well; the Devils alfo believe, and tremble. But neither of thefe Kinds of Faith being

the

the Faith through which we are faved, you cannot fay, that St. Paul afferts of thefe, that they are the Gift of God; any farther than as Senfe and Reafon are his Gifts, by which we know thefe and all other Things: Nor do we teach that Nature and Reafon cannot lead to the speculative Knowledge of divine Truths; for the Evidence of all divine Truth refolves itself ultimately into either Senfe or Reason; which are the common Gifts of God to Mankind, by the Principles of which the Truth of all Things, depending upon the Deductions of Senfe and Reason, may be proved and examined. From the Exercise of Reason we come to know God, and the effential Difference between Good and Evil ; and by these Principles are enabled to judge of any Doctrine, whether it be agreeable to the pure and holy Nature of God; which is the first presumptive Argument for the Truth of any divine Revelation; that it is holy and pure, and fuch an one, as, were God to have given a Law to the World, he would have given: From Reason we learn the unlimited Power of God; and from Senfe and Reafon we know the limited Power of Man; and are enabled to diftin

guish between the Works which the Power or Policy of Man can perform, and the Works which can flow only from the unbounded Power of God: From hence we can judge of the pofitive Arguments of a divine Revelation, the Works and Miracles which are offered to the World in Confirmation of its Truth. Thus far the natural Gifts of Senfe and Reafon can carry us; but the Result is barely the Affent or Diffent of the Mind to the Things under Inquiry; which Affent alone is not the Faith through which we are faved.

But let it be obferved, as to these first Rudiments of Faith, That though Reason and Knowledge may attain to them, yet the Exercise of Reason and Knowledge depends upon the Will and Inclination; which are not naturally much given to dwell upon the the Subject of Religion, but are engaged in the Affairs and Concerns of the World, and taken up in the Purfuit of present Pleasures and Enjoyments: That, were Men left to themselves, but few would arrive even to this Degree of Faith; not for want of Underftanding to difcern, but for want of Will to inquire after, the Things which make for their Salvation. Thus, at the first Preaching