If some of those, who maintain that there is no holiness in saving faith, (at least when first exercised by the convinced sinner) should be called to converse with a man, whom they had intimately known when a stout-hearted self-confident Pharisee; and should find him deploring the wickedness of his past life, the hypocrisy of his proud duties, the worthlessness of his present endeavours to repent and seek mercy, and the exceeding deceitfulness of his own heart; should they hear him own that God might justly leave him to perish, and express many trembling apprehensions, lest the Saviour whom he had so long rejected should now reject him, and disregard his feeble defiled prayers: should they, I say, witness this scene, would they not be convinced that an alteration for the better had taken place in his mind, and that, in proportion as he had more lowly thoughts concerning himself? Would they not be ready to say "What hath "God wrought?" And could they deny that the change was from a wrong to a right state of the heart and affections; or in other words from unholiness to holiness? They would feel, that they ought not to enquire what the man thought of himself; but in what light that God," whose "judgment is according to truth," viewed his former and his present disposition; and what the Scripture has determined concerning it?

The sacred Scriptures distinguish between a living faith, and a dead faith; but not between a legal and an evangelical faith, as many persons now do: and on this ground alone, we may fairly conclude that this unscriptural distinction was devised to support an unscriptural system. Dead faith credits the doctrines of the gospel, as readily as other parts of revealed truth; and living faith as simply believes the testimony of God concerning the demands and curse of the

law, a future judgment, and the wrath to come, as it does the doctrines and promises of the gospel. But, as it hath before been observed, dead faith is merely an assent to certain opinions as true, without a cordial approbation of them as holy, just, good, suitable, and valuable; with reference to a man's own character, conduct, and situation. It is therefore either wholly inefficacious; (for being destitute of spiritual life it has no efficacy to excite spiritual affections, much less to produce them; and can only work by natural principles :) or it gives rise to slavish terrors connected with enmity, and sometimes terminating in blasphemous despair; (as "the devils "also believe and tremble:") or it abuses divine truth by presumptuous confidence, and excites selfish affections without repentance, love, and holy obedience, like those of the Israelites when they saw the Egyptians dead on the sea-shore, as they are described by the Psalmist: "Then "believed they his word and sang his praise. "They soon forgat his works, and would not "abide his counsel; but lusted exceedingly in "the wilderness, and tempted God in the de-. "sert." According to our Lord's words, converts of this description "have no root in them"selves, but for a while believe, and in time of

temptation fall away." And he teaches us how to address unproved professors of the gospel, by his own example as recorded by the Evangelist: "As he spake these words many "believed on him. Then said Jesus to those "Jews which believeth on him; If ye continue "in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed, "and ye shall know the truth, and the truth. "shall make you free.+"

But living faith is an active principle in a soul

*Ps.. cvi. 12.—14..

+ John viii. 30-32..

alive to God: it receives the truth in love, and is permanently and speritually operative upon the understanding, will, and affections. A dead corpse may have every limb, organ, and vessel, in exact order and proportion: while a living man may want an eye, a leg, or a hand, or be otherwise mutilated, defective, or ill proportioned. True faith therefore cannot be known by the doctrines believed, as the distinction between legal and evangelical faith seems to suppose; but by the manner in which they are believed. Many, who in a certain way credit the whole gospel, are hypocrites and dead in sin: while others whose creed is very defective, disproportioned, and in some respects erroneous, are sincere Christians, and partakers of divine life. Perhaps they are out of the way of systema-tical, or even solid, instruction; or they are not yet freed from prejudices, through which they cannot receive some parts of divine truth; or they are babes in Christ, who feed on milk, and being unskilful in the word of righteousness can not digest strong meat: yet their faith is living, and effectually influences their conduct; their imperfect views of truth are humbling, sanctifying, and transforming; and they are gradually, by searching the Scriptures and praying for divine illumination, "growing in grace and in "the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus "Christ."

When the apostle had said, "Without faith "it is impossible to please God;" he added, "for "he that commeth unto God, must believe that "he is, and that he is the rewarder of them that "diligently seek him.*" I apprehend, the rea son he assigned for his universal proposition, is not very satisfactory to many persons, who very

* Heb. xi, 6.

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steadily maintain the proposition itself; but it accords well to the views given in this publication. A general belief concerning the existence and perfections of the one living and true God, and his merciful readiness to accept, and even reward, those that diligently seek him," notwithstanding past offences and present sinfulness, has been and is essentially necessary, under every dispensation, and in all possible circumstances, to encourage and incline men to come unto God; and it forms the lowest degree and exercise of faith that can be conceived. But many, we may warrantably conclude, have pleased God, in seeking him as just and merciful, on the ground of revelation, written or handed to them by oral tradition, without explicit faith in Christ, or a clear knowledge of the plan of salvation.

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Faith, even in that indistinct and incipient exercise which has been described, receives with cordial approbation many of those truths, against which the proud and carnal heart rises with disgust and indignation, or which it perverts to the vilest purposes. It consents to them on the ground of divine revelation, though they are contrary to man's vain imaginations and proud reasonings; and it practically uses them in various instances which run counter to worldly interest, reputation, indulgence, and natural inclination. Even this must require a state of the heart far above the propensities of fallen man, and contrary to his alienation from God, and whatever bears the stamp of his holiness. But when further illumination has led the believer to a more explicit knowledge of Christ, and to receive him for all the purposes of salvation: his faith is an exercise of the soul peculiarly humble, submissive, obedient, and

expressive of unreserved reconciliation to God; and it contains almost as much genuine holiness in its nature, as any thing we are capable of in this state of imperfection.

It is generally and justly agreed, that all the graces of the Spirit have a near agreement, and intimate co-existence, a mutual subserviency, and an inseparable connexion: like the several colours of the sun beams, which though seen distinct in the prism and the rainbow; yet so coalesce, and blend together, as to form a pure and beautiful whiteness. Thus the love of God cannot subsist in that heart which is totally destitute of faith; or faith in the heart, which is at enmity with God.-True repentance is believing repentance; true faith is penitent faith; reverential fear cannot exist without love; holy love of God implies reverence, and fear of dishonouring and offending him: and an earnest desire that the Lord should be reconciled to us, and receive us into his favour according to the gospel, implies an incipient disposition to be reconciled to him, to his character, government, commandments, and service. And hence it is, that the approved character is described in Scripture, sometimes by one and sometimes by another of these holy dispositions: but we must not on that ground conclude, that they exist separately; but on the contrary, that where one is, there all are found.

It has before been observed, that by faith in Christ, is not here meant, a confidence that • Christ and his salvation belong to me in particular, without any regard to the state of my heart, or my real character at present in the "sight of God.' Such a confidence may indeed be altogether unholy; and it is generally the selfish presumption of an unhumbled carnal