promised, he was able also to perform. When the gospel of the grace of God is preached unto the sons of men, it is either believed, or it is not believed: when it is believed, it immediately becomes the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; when it is not believed, the unbelievers remain in a state of sin and misery, they are condemned already, and the wrath of God abideth on them. Believers are saved by grace, through faith; but how shall unbelievers, who neglect the great salvation, escape the wrath and curse of God?

4. This way of enjoying salvation, by believing the promises of the gospel, is altogether adapted to secure and advance the honour of the grace of God. The righteousness of the law, and salvation by faith, are placed in a direct opposition: "For," says the apostle, "by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” Let any attentive reader, though but of common understanding, consider this passage, and he cannot but observe, that faith and works, in point of salvation, cannot stand together; but where one is the means of salvation, the other is not. Where a person does any work for his salvation, he does not believe for it; and where he does really believe for salvation, he does not work for it. Believing and working are so very different in their natures, that whensoever any favour is enjoyed or received by mere believing, it cannot in any proper sense be said to be obtained by working; because it is received by faith, as a blessing which is freely given, and not as a reward of any services we perform. "This is the record,

that God hath given to us." sinners in the gospel of our salvation, namely, "eternal life; and this life is in his Son:" A comfortable and gracious declaration indeed! When God, by his Spirit, brings this testimony home to the conscience, makes an application of it to the soul, writes it in the heart, and thereby produces an unfeigned belief of this joyful truth; every one must see that whatsoever is of such a faith must be of free grace. Whatsoever blessings are conveyed into the soul, or conferred upon it, in this way, must be gifts of sovereign, rich, and effectual grace, and must be received in that light only.

If faith, as it denotes the exercise or activity of the mind about the grace of God that bringeth salvation, were the foundation of our claim to Christ and his salvation, as many gross corrupters of the gospel would persuade the world, then it could not be said, that whatsoever is of faith, is of absolute, unconditional grace. But this proud unscriptural notion is as much inconsistent with the nature of faith, as it is injurious to the design of the gospel. Faith is not that which gives us a claim to Christ and eternal life; but that by which we really claim and receive him with all his unsearchable riches, upon the footing of a free and faithful promise. Faith is not that which gives us either our liberty, ground, or warrant, to trust in Christ as our Saviour; but it is that by which we trust upon him, having all our liberty and warrant to do so from the free exhibition of Christ, and the free invitations of the gospel.

The case is very clear, and it might be proved by many considerations, that faith and free grace are entirely consistent; and that believing is the only

means by which we can be saved in a way of grace and mere sovereignty, so as to exclude all boasting on the part of the creature. But I shall conclude this section with an appeal to the experience of the saints:-"Look back upon those happy moments when you trusted in the name of the Lord, and stayed yourselves upon your God; and recollect what were, at such desirable seasons, the inward sentiments of your minds, the motions of your souls, and the breathings of your hearts. When you fled to Christ, and committed your souls, and all your spiritual concerns, into his hands; did you not then see, feel, and acknowledge, that you were quite lost and undone, polluted, helpless, and condemned in yourselves? Did you not clearly see, that your condition was so very deplorable, that you could have no hope from Christ, unless he were not only a sufficient, but an absolutely free Saviour? Did you not cast your souls upon him, because you believed his grace is altogether sovereign, and he is willing to save the most unworthy? Could you then see any thing in yourselves, or venture to bring any thing with you, to recommend you to the gracious Redeemer, whether duties or endeavours, privileges or attainments? On the contrary, was not the powerful, lively, effectual application of divine grace to your souls, by the declarations of the gospel, the first ground of your comfort and hope? Have you not, at particular seasons, been brought into such spiritual distress, that if you had not a free Saviour, and free salvation in him, to lay hold upon, your souls must have been overwhelmed? When such workings and sentiments prevailed in your souls,

how did you gain relief? Was it by a direct application of your souls to Jesus Christ, or by a special appropriation of him as the free gift of God? Upon the whole, let me ask, What did you then think of Christ, and of the grace of God, and of eternal salvation? Did you, or could you, in these circumstances, apprehend the grace of God to be conditional, or suspended upon any works to be done by you? Or, did you not rather say, By grace are we saved through faith;' and being saved through faith, we are to the praise of the glory of the grace of God?"

SECT. III.-Salvation being of Faith by Grace, the promise of it is sure to all the seed.

When God had created man, he entered into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of perfect obedience, forbidding him to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil upon the pain of death. Life was promised in this covenant; but the promise of life was suspended upon the obedience to be performed by Adam; and therefore, it was not to be sure and absolute in favour of mankind, until the probationary service prescribed him should be fulfilled. The first man sinned, and came short of the glory of God. He transgressed the divine law; and by his offence judgment came upon all men to condemnation. The consequence of his disobedience is, that all his posterity, descending from him by ordinary generation, are fallen into, a state of sin and misery. inflexible justice of God denounces death as the wages of sin, and his inviolable veracity solemnly declares, "The soul that sinneth shall die."

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these circumstances, there remaineth nothing for mankind, but if a certain fearful looking-for of judg ment, and fiery indignation," to devour them as "the adversaries" of God. If the rebels were suffered to escape, how should the Judge of all the earth be just? If the offenders were thoroughly pardoned, how should he be "faithful and true?". This is an intricacy which the most exalted of finite intelligences are unable to clear up. But, behold! the mysterious secret is set in the clearest light by the gospel, which brings life and immortality to the enjoyment of guilty and destroyed sinners; and brings it to them as a free gift, conveyed in the sure promise of God that cannot lie. This gift is to be received by believing the promise wherein it is conveyed, in opposition to all the efforts of human pride, that would establish a title to it by our own works of righteousness. Salvation is the free gift of God; his promise concerning it is our alone and sufficient warrant to receive and possess it; salvation is received and possessed by believing the promise of God concerning it; and this way of conferring and receiving salvation, makes the promises of salvation sure to all the seed. This will be very evident from the following observations.

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1. All the promises relating to our salvation, were made to the Lord Jesus Christ in the everlasting covenant. They are indeed presented unto us in the word of truth, that we may believe them; and that, in believing them, we may enter into the possession of the good things promised in them: but they are presented unto us as promises of that cover nant which is "confirmed in Christ," and as promises made to Abraham's seed, that is, to Christ,