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a person now departed this life, and that the testament is in all points legal and valid: Does he not immediately feel an agreeable alteration in the opinion he forms concerning his circumstances, comparing the past with the future, or rather with the present? for in believing the information, he anticipates what is to come, and every thing becomes present to his mind. Surely the sinner, who is taught by the Spirit to know that eternal life is freely given him, as a guilty condemned criminal, receives and applies the precious gift with much joy. On the day of Pentecost that immediately succeeded the ascension of Christ, the Holy Ghost was poured out with extraordinary power, and converted three thousand in one day. These converts, upon hearing the humbling and awakening descriptions of their sin in crucifying the Lord of glory, were pricked in their heart;" but upon hearing further, that divine grace was revealed to them in a free promise, and that this promise, which contained every thing that constitutes the salvation of a perishing sinner, was actually sent to them, then they gladly received the word," and rejoiced in it as their treasure, believing God that his promise was verily made to them, and that their happiness was effectually secured in it. The language of a believer is well expressed in the dying words of the sweet singer of Israel: "God hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure; this is all my salvation, and all my desire or in the apostle's phrase, "We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement" that he made for us while we were ungodly and without strength, sinners and enemies.

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By perceivitig our interest in the salvation of God, revealed to us by the gospel, and embracing it with application to our own souls, we become possessed of salvation itself. Christ the Saviour, with all his unsearchable riches, " dwelleth in our hearts by faith." While the saints live in the favour of God, and live to the praise of his glory," Christ liveth in them, and their life in the flesh is" maintained and nourished" by the faith of the Son of God," who liveth in them. "He that believeth on the Son of God hath the Son, and hath everlasting life in him." The faithful Witness hath given us the strongest assurance on this head: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." From these texts, two things are most evident: (1.) That believers have the actual enjoyment of Christ and salvation only by faith; and, (2.) That the efficiency or operation of faith, in order to the enjoyment of Christ and his fulness, cannot be the procuring of a right or title to this enjoyment. The office of faith appears to be altogether inconsistent with this proud and dangerous notion, which dishonours the sovereignty of divine grace, and rejects the surety-righteousness of Emmanuel. These passages expressly inform us, that faith assumes no merit to itself, it establishes no title for the believer; it claims no reward; but enters into the enjoyment of a complete salvation freely offered in the gospel, and takes possession of it upon the sufficient warrant of God's free gift: for " we which have believed, do enter into rest;" and

"through Christ we have access," or entrance, "by faith into the grace of God wherein we stand.” The amount of what has been said is briefly this→→→ that sinners, who have destroyed themselves, are brought into a state of salvation by the grace of God, through faith discerning and appropriating salvation, as the merciful provision and free gift of God. By this means, and in how other way, do they become partakers of Christ, and heirs of the promises.

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SECT. II. Salvation is of Faith, that it might be by Grace.

The express design of that establishment God hath been pleased to make for man's salvation in the new covenant, is," that he may show the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness towards us, through Christ Jesus;" and that his "grace may reign through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord." This being his great design, it is necessary that the means of carrying it into execution be of such a nature as to answer the purpose, by excluding all boasting on our part, and magnifying the riches and sovereignty of divine grace, For this reason our salvation is "of faith" as the means of enjoying it," that it might be by the grace of God" conferring it. Believing does not invade the honour of divine sovereignty, while it takes possession of all the promises, and of all their précious contents; and therefore the saints give glory to God, by believing the gospel of his grace. To understand this matter more perfectly, the fol

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lowing observations are recommended to the reader's serious consideration:

1. The salvation of sinners is the result of the mere good pleasure of God, who is "gracious to whom he will be gracious," and "showeth mercy on whom he will show mercy;" and his end in saving them with an everlasting salvation, is expressly declared to be the magnifying of his merciful kindness, that his redeemed may "glory in the Lord," and that they "may be to the praise of the glory of his grace." The Lord's redeemed, whom he hath called and saved, not according to their works, but according to his purpose and grace, ought always to confess their great and everlasting obligations to his mercy "which endureth for ever;" they speak not aright, unless they constantly say, "By the grace of God we are what we are."

2. Salvation is published and given to sinners in the promises of the gospel, and not in the law. Abraham was called out of Ur of the Chaldees by the God of glory, who appeared to him while he was serving strange gods; a covenant was made with him, wherein he received" the promise that he should be the heir of the world, that he might be the father of all them that believe." But how did Abraham receive this promise? Did it depend on his obedience to the law, or the sovereign grace of God, reigning through that righteousness which the gospel reveals in Christ to the guilty, that they through faith may become the righteousness of God in him? Not upon his obedience to the law, because this would have made the promises of none effect; but the peculiar honour and happiness he

received, were both conveyed and embraced in the promise of God. The law is so far from countenancing the vain pretensions of a legal spirit, which goes about to make out a title to eternal life by its own righteousness; that it worketh wrath, both by revealing the wrath of God against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, and by distressing the conscience with apprehensions of that wrath, and by irritating the enmity of the heart against the holiness and justice of God and his law. Salvation is only provided for sinners in the covenant of grace; it is only revealed in the gospel; it is only given in the precious and faithful promises of God. To seek it any other way is egregious folly, and will certainly end in a fatal disappointment; but all that take hold of God's covenant, shall rejoice in their portion.

3. Salvation, originating from the free grace of God, and published in the promises of the gospel, must be received and embraced by believing that it is the undeserved gift of God, which he hath freely promised in Christ Jesus to a lost and ruined world. It cannot be received in any other way. What is promised cannot be enjoyed by us, while the promise is not performed, except in a way of believing that promise and we cannot become possessed of a gift any other way but by receiving it. When the Lord promised Abraham a son by Sarah, in their old age, the venerable patriarch did not consult with flesh and blood; he did not consider the impossibility of that event, upon the principles of nature and experience; but being fully assured that God had promised, he was strong in the faith, giving glory to God, and was fully persuaded that what God had