ed to the chief of finners through Chrift. The two preceding truths are preparatory to this, and serve to point out its neceffity and moment. This is the gracious meffage which was brought into the world by the gofpel; and from which it derives its name, importing glad tidings. What we are particularly to attend to here is, (1.) that Chrift Jefus was fubftituted in the room of finners, and fuffered, the juft for the unjust, that he might bring us to God; that the holinefs and justice of God required an expiation of fin, which was made by this immaculate victim: If. liii. 5. 6. But he was wounded for our "tranfgreffions, he was bruised for our iniqui"ties: the chastisement of our peace was upon "him, and with his stripes we are healed. All "we like fheep have gone aftray: we have "turned every one to his own way, and the "Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Rom. iii. 25. "Whom God hath fet forth to "be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, "to declare his righteoufnefs for the remiffion "of fins that are paft, through the forbear"ance of God." (2.) Another thing alfo to be obferved, is the conftitution of the fufferer's perfon. It was no lefs than the eternal and only begotten Son of God. This is a circumftance of the utmost moment, and on which the greateft ftrefs is manifeftly laid in feripture. It is included in the words of the text : "This is his "commandment, That we fhould believe on "the name of his fon Jesus Christ." It is alfo conftantly found in the early Confeflions of Faith John i. 49. "Nathaniel anfwered and

"faid unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of

God, thou art the King of Ifrael." Matth. xvi. 16. "And Simon Peter anfwered and faid, "Thou art Chrift, the Son of the living God." Acts viii. 37." And Philip faid, If thou be "lieveft with all thine heart, thou mayeft. And "he answered and faid, I believe that Jefus "Chrift is the Son of God." Unless this is at tended to, we shall neither be fufficiently fenfible of the evil of fin, which required fuch an atonement, nor of the love of God which provided it, nor of the power of the Saviour to execute it; nor can we have fuch encouragement to put our truft in it.

From these two circumftances you may be directed to contemplate the leading and principal object of faith, viz. the only begotten Son of God dying in our room, and purchafing our pardon. Jefus, the mediator of the new covenant, having finished his work, invites weary and heavy-laden finners to come unto him; and affures them, that the highest demands of the law are answered, that their debt is fully paid, and nothing is now to be laid to their charge: Rom. viii. 33. 34. "Who fhall lay any thing

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to the charge of God's elect? It is God that "juftifieth: Who is he that condemneth? It is "Chrift that died, yea rather, that is risen a

gain, who is even at the right hand of God, "who alfo maketh interceffion for us." Rev. xxii. 17. "And the Spirit and the bride fay, "Come. And let him that heareth, fay, Come. And let him that is athirft, come: and who

"foever will, let him take the water of life free"ly."

4. In the last place, The object of faith is the power of Chrift to renew our natures, to deliver us from the bondage of corruption, and bring us into the glorious liberty of God's children. We must never separate the Redeemer's merit and his power. Conviction is imperfect unless we see our flavery, as well as mifery, and unfeignedly defire deliverance from both. Neither do we properly apprehend the extent of Christ's undertaking, unless we view him exalted as a prince and a faviour to give repentance to Ifrael, and remiffion of fins. There are two things equally effential to the gospel upon this particular. (1.) The neceffity of being fanctified. Salvation in fin is not promised; falvation or happiness in fin is not poffible; and therefore all who hope for falvation through Chrift, must be renewed in the fpirit of their minds. Thenceforth they muft not ferve fin: 2 Cor. v. 17. "If any man "be in Chrift, he is a new creature: old things.

are paffed away, behold, all things are become "new." If the wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness of men, it must still abide on the children of difobedience. (2.) The other thing to be obferved is, that the fanctification of the believer is the purchase of Christ's blood, and the work of his Spirit. This is plain through the whole of the fcriptures both of the Old Teftament and the New: Ezek. xxxvi. 25. 26.27. "Then will I fprinkle clean water up"on you, and ye fhall be clean: from all your filthinefs

"filthiness, and from all your idols will I cleanfe you. A new heart alfo will I give you, and

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a new spirit will I put within you, and I will "take away the ftony heart out of your flesh, " and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I " will put my Spirit within you, and cause you "to walk in my ftatutes, and ye fhall keep my judgments, and do them." "Abide in me, and I in you.

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John xv. 4. 5.

As the branch

except it abide in

"cannot bear fruit of itself, "the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in 86 me. I am the vine, ye are the branches : " he that abideth in me, and I in him, the fame bringeth forth much fruit: for without me "ye can do nothing." Nothing can be stronger than the language used on this fubject: " His

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grace is fufficient for us; his ftrength is made "perfect in weaknefs." "By the grace of "God," fays the Apoftle, "I am what I am." And again, "Not I, but the grace of God "which was with me." Nay, he is faid "to

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work in us both to will and to do of his good "pleasure." All this fhows, that there is no room left for the finner to glory; but that the whole of his lofs by the fall, both his integrity and his happiness, may be recovered, and can only be recovered, through Chrift. This is the fum of evangelical truth, this is the fource of evangelical holinefs: Gal. ii. 16.-20.

Knowing that a man is not justified by the "works of the law, but by the faith of Jefus "Chrift, even we have believed in Jefus Chrift; "that we might be juftified by the faith of

" Chrift,

"Chrift, and not by the works of the law: for "by the works of the law fhall no flesh be justi"fied. But if while we feek to be juftified by "Chrift, we ourselves also are found finners, is "therefore Christ the minister of fin? God "forbid. For if I build again the things which "I destroyed, I make myself a tranfgreffor. "For I through the law am dead to the law, "that I might live unto God. I am crucified "with Chrift: nevertheless I live; yet not I, "but Chrift liveth in me and the life which I "now live in the flefh, I live by the faith of the "Son of God, who loved me, and gave him"felf for me."

I proceed now, in the fecond place, to confider the actings of faith, or what is implied in believing these truths to the faving of the foul. And I cannot help obferving to you, that it is but in compliance with common custom, or at leaft with the present state of things, that I fay much upon this part of the fubject. I am perfuaded it is of much more consequence, and much more proper, to direct you to the object of faith in God's revealed will, to explain it in all its extent, and to prefs it with all the evidence that attends it, than to examine curiously into, and diftinguifh nicely upon the nature of faith, as it is an act of the human mind. I do not find, that the fcripture fays much upon the act of believing; but it is in a manner wholly employed in telling us what we ought to believe, both with regard to our apoftafy and recovery. We do indeed read in fcripture of believing with alk

the