in the Lord fefus Chrift; and thou shalt be faved.

.

Believe in the Lord Jefus Chrift! What is the meaning of this command, to the obfervance of which the promise of falvation is annexed? Is the meaning this? "I must acknowledge the Bible to be the "word of God. More particularly I muft

give full credence to the narrative which "the Scriptures deliver of the actions and "the fufferings of Jefus Chrift. I must "believe all the articles of the Creed. "I "must keep my mind fully fatisfied, in de"fiance of cavils and difficulties, that the "Chriftian religion is true. I must alfo "be perfuaded that the specific doctrines "of the Gospel are actual verities." This faith is the faith of the understanding: and as a firft ftep, is abfolutely neceffary. But. your faith is to conduct you to falvation, it must be perfected in another quarter. How fpake the Evangelift Philip? "If "thou believeft with all thine heart, thou "mayeft be baptifed." How fpeaks St. Paul?"With the heart man believeth unto righteoufnefs ().”

if

You perceive then that faith, if it terminates in the understanding, is nothing. In its way to the heart it must convince the (b) Acts, viii. 37. Rom. x. 10.

judge

judgement: because our Maker deals with us as rational creatures, and requires a reafonable service. But the heart is its object. There it must arrive. There it must dwell. There it must reign. Believe with the heart in the Lord Jefus Chrift, and thou fhalt be faved.

What then does Chriftian faith, as governing the heart, include? It implies, a deep fenfe of our own inherent corruption. For how shall we be duly folicitous for a cure, unless we are impreffed with the danger of the disease? It implies an aweful confcioufnefs of the punishment, to which we have justly become obnoxious by wilful tranfgreffion. For how fhall we be fufficiently earnest to be relieved from the penalty which we have incurred, unless we are fenfible of its amount? It implies a decided conviction of our own inability to discharge any part of our debt to divine juftice. For otherwife how fhall we be deeply anxious to feek for a mediator and a furety? It implies a fervent defire to be rescued from the future dominion of fin. For to what purpose should we be delivered from the fentence pronounced against us, if we are fpeedily to bring down upon ourfelves the fame fentence again? It implies an experimental knowledge that, if we are

aban

abandoned to our natural ftrength, we shall unquestionably be the prey of fin, as heretofore. For if we imagined ourselves to be equal to our own defence; why thould we look around for fuccour? It implies undoubting belief that in Chrift Jefus is perfect salvation; perfect wisdom and righte oufnefs and fanctification and redemption. For otherwife where would be the adequate encouragement to confide our falvation to him? It implies a cordial affurance that he alone is the way, the truth, and the life, that no man cometh unto the Father but by him (c). For otherwife how fhall we be guarded against the blafphemous delufion of framing to ourselves coordinate or fupplementary mediators?

How then will this faith manifest itself? By its fruits by its efficacy in impelling and conftraining us to act in every respect conformably to its nature. If we believe ourfelves to be radically corrupt; we shall renounce with difguft, the idea of profeffing any righteousness of our own. If we believe ourselves obnoxious to punishment; we fhall devoutly apply for an intereft in the appointed ranfom. If we be

VOL. II.

(c) John, xiv. 6.

Ff

lieve

lieve ourselves utterly unable to discharge any portion of the demands, which the avenging juftice of God urges against us; we fhall confefs that our deliverance, if we are delivered, will be an act of free and unmerited grace. If we are fervently defirous of future holinefs; we shall feek with proportionate folicitude the renewing influence of the Spirit of fanctification. If we are convinced that, left to ourselves, we cannot but fall; we fhall place our whole reliance on the continued guidance and fupport of the Holy Ghoft. If we are convinced that Jefus Chrift is an all-sufficient Saviour; to him we fhall have recourse for falvation. If we are fatisfied that there is falvation in no other, that there is no other name under beaven given among men whereby we may be faved: to him alone we fhall commit our fouls. To him we fhall fly, as the lamb of God who taketh away the fins of the whole world: as having made atonement even for us by his blood as our prefent advocate with the Father as ever living to make interceffion for us as having the fuccours of the Holy Spirit at his difpofal: as invefted with all power in earth and heaven: as loving us with unparalleled affection: as watching

over us with unwearied care: as our example, our inftructor, our law-giver: as having afcended into the manfions of his Father to prepare a place for his fervants: ás again to return in glory, that he may raife all the generations of man from the grave; judge the affembled world in righteoufness; receive his faithful followers to himself; and feal up the wicked with the devil and his angels in the abodes of unutterable and everlasting deftruction.

These are the fruits of faith, when first it brings the finner to the foot of the cross. What are its fruits, when rifing from the foot of the cross, the penitent finner proceeds to approve himself the fervant, of that Lord, who loved him and gave Himfelf for him? Its fruits are unto holiness. Looking unto Jefus, the author and finisher of his faith, the penitent finner actuated by a new principle, living to new objects, devoted to a new mafter, labours in the ftrength of his Redeemer's grace to become dead unto fin and alive only unto righteoufnefs. He is eager to manifeft his gratitude to his Saviour. To the laws of Christ he cheerfully and unrefervedly fubmits. In the fteps of Chrift he endeavours to tread. The glory of Christ he is watchful Ff2

and