Part II. Baved by fin: and there never was, nor can there ever be any relief for him, but only in Chrift, who has a power whereby he is able to fubdue all things to himself. He can ftrengthen the weak, and make the unwilling to become willing, by A day of his power, and turn the difobedient to the wisdom of the just. Moreover,

4. The Lord Jefus Chrift is one in whom the finner finds a threefold tormenting fcruple fully Satisfied. When the Lord opens the finner's eyes, and gives him a view of his condition, how matters ftand betwixt God and him, then there are three things which ly exceedingly heavy upon the finner. (1.) Where fhall I get one that has ability fufficient to undertake for me? The finner fees fo much needful to be done in order to his relief, that he can think of none in heaven or earth that is able to relieve him. He is, as it were, laid in a grave that has a ftone rolled to the door; and many a time is he forced to put the queftion, Who will roll away the ftone? He fees mountains lying in the way, and cannot think of an arm fufficient to lift them. In Chrift only can he be fatisfied. He it is who is the mighty one, on whom the Lord has laid help, Pfal. lxxxix. 19. one cho fen out of the people for that very end, that he might be the ftrength of fuch as put their trust in him. He is the LORD JEHOVAH, in whom there is everlasting ftrength. (2.) When the finner hears of one that is able, this gives him no relief; for prefently another doubt perplexes him, and fills his foul with anxiety: here indeed I fee ability fufficient; oh! but I fear he has no mind to employ and lay out his ability that way. This made many in the days of Chrift's flesh, when he lived upom earth, come to him with their hearts full of

fear,

fear; they doubted he might not be willing to employ his fkiH, to lay out his ability for their help and relief. If thou wilt, faid the leper, thou canst make me clean, Matth. viii. 2. And fo fays the finner.. Now in the difcovery of Christ that is here made, we fee an answer to this doubt: as he is the Lord, one that has all power in heaven and in earth; whence it is that he is mighty to fave: fo he is. Jefus, one that is willing, and defigns to lay out and improve his ability that way. But here, (3.) Another doubt may ftare the finner broad in the face; there is perhaps wanting a commiffion for the work: the Lord Jefus Chrift wants neither power nor will; but I much question the father's willingness. This ma ny times sticks long with diftreffed finners. But in this.perfon, there is an answer to this as well as the former: he is Chrift, him hath God the Father fealed, anointed, and fet apart for that very work. He it is that hath exalted him to be a Saviour, and put power in his hand, for completing his work, and faving to the utmost all that come to God through him.

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5. Chrift, as clothed with his threefold office, is able to remove a threefold obftruction that stood in the way of the finner's falvation and happiness, arifing from the nature of God. (1.) Juftice had a plea against the finner, and ftood betwixt hini and falvation. The fentence of juftice is, That he who doth fin is worthy of death. Well, the finner that believes in Chrift anfwers, I am dead, I fuffered in Chrift. (2.) Holinefs fays, nothing fhall approach it that is impure. Well, Chrift fays, I have power to purge them from their filth, by the fpirit of judgment and of burning. (3.) But then the difficulty remains, as to the difcovery

of

Part II. of this to the finner. If God fhould call him to bleffednefs, he could not bear it but here Chrift undertakes to be the meffenger to impart the welcome news, That all thofe rubs are out of the way. These things I only name, because I have hinted at them already; and hereafter, if the Lord give life and strength, may have occasion to treat them more accurately and diftinctly. At prefent we.. defign rather foundness, than accuracy, ra ther fatisfaction to the diftreffed, than pleasure to the curious enquirer.

6. Chrift is one who is able to do the finner a threefold kindness with refpect to his fpiritual adverfàries. Three things they do against the finner. First, They charge him with things that he cannot deny. Secondly, They lay deep contrivances against him that he cannot difcover. Thirdly, They fall upon him with a force that he is not able to refift, and thereby endeavour his ruin. As for the first, Chrift puts an answer in the finner's mouth to all Satan's charges against him. As to the fecond, he gives him wisdom to escape his fnares, to know the depths of Satan. And as to the last, he furnishes with power, whereby he is made more than a conqueror over all enemies that put themselves in his way.

7. That there may be nothing wanting, this LORD JESUS CHRIST is one who can fatisfy the mind, the confcience and heart of finful man. He fills the mind with light; he pacifies the confcience, and stills its diforders; and he prefents to the will a fuitable good. He as a prophet opens blind eyes, and enlightens a dark mind; as a prieft he ftops the mouth of a disturbed and difturbing confcience; and as a king he bestows up

on

on man what is fufficient to content his heart, even himfelf, and all things elfe.

8. To conclude all, he is one offered in the gofpel, for all these glorious ends to all who need him. He has bid all that are weary and heavy laden, come to him, and has promised them welcome. He is one whom God has in the everlast ing gofpel propofed as the object of faith, on whom finners are allowed, warranted, nay, commanded to believe, in order to their falvation. Thefe things we fhall not any further infift on at prefent. I come now,

́HI. To mention and open up thefe fcripture expreffions whereby this duty of believing is held forth, and that are of the fame import with that in the text. This is a duty whereupon salvation and damnation do depend; therefore the Lord. has taken great care to make its nature plain; and because finners are of many different forts, and have different ways of taking up their condition, the Lord has expreffed it fo many ways, that eve ry one may fee that the duty is fuitable to their circumstances, and expreffed in a way that is a dapted to their capacity. This enquiry we are. now to enter upon, may be of great ufe; there fore. we shall infift at the more length upon it. Some are ignorant of the nature of faith, know. not what it is: this enquiry is like to lead them into an understanding of that duty, which is the foundation of all others, without which they fig nify nothing in order to the falvation of fuch as perform them. Others know what faith is, but are not confirmed in their apprehenfions of its nature, and therefore may be eafily induced to think themfelves in a mistake. To fuch it will be of notable ufe to understand that the thoughts of its

nature lean upon the meaning of fo many scripture expreffions. In fine, this enquiry is like to bring down the thing to the capacity of every one of you, who will give heed; fince fuch as cannot take it up under one notion, may under another. And I might add, That it may be of use to con firm fuch as have faith, that it is fo; and to convince them who want it, that they do so. And, to conclude all, it will give light to the next general head, and confirm the defcription we design to give of it: these things have induced me, not only to enquire into the feveral expreffions whereby the fcriptures hold forth this duty, but to infiftupon them at fomewhat more length than we are wont to use upon fuch occafions. This being premifed for fhewing the ufe of this enquiry, we come now to enter upon it.

I. Then, to believe on the Lord Jefus Chrift, is to look unto him, Ifa. xlv, 22. Look unto me, and be ye faved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none elfe. And to the fame purpose is that of the apostle, Heb. xii. 1, 2. Wherefore feeing we also are compassed about with fo great a cloud of witneffes, let us lay afide every weight, and the fin which dath fo easily befet us; and let us run with patience the race that is fet before us, looking unto Jefus the author and fie nifher of our faith. I conceive that the Spirit of God in this expreffion, alludes to the brafen ferpent fet up in the wildernefs. The children of Ifrael finned against the Lord; therefore he fent fiery ferpents which ftung them, and many died of their wounds. The Lord in his pity, notwithstanding the dishonour they had done to him, was pleased to ordain the erection of a brafen fer pent upon a pole, that whoever was ftung might

look