fixing their views on those things that are seen, and removing their dependence from the word of the living God.

These are some of the most fatal causes of weakness and wavering in the faith of believers, which operate on an evil heart of unbelief, to seduce their minds from establishing views of the divine declarations, by turning their thoughts to the appearances of things, to the power of second causes, or to the conscious feelings of their own souls, as the rule by which they should judge concerning the truth and certain performance of the promises of God.*

SECT. IV.-The faith of the Gospel is always successful, even in its weakest and lowest degrees.

The Scripture is very particular and full in declaring the inexpressible happiness of true believers. Jesus, discoursing with Nicodemus, informed him, that "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned." He further assures us, that "this is the will of the Father that sent him, that every one

• The reader is desired to recollect what was said on the first section of this chapter, as it may serve to throw considerable light on the reasons why believers are weak in faith.

which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life." The disciple whom Jesus loved, when copying out those things which he had seen and heard, expressly says, "This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life; and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” If you ask, For what purpose doth he write so particularly, and with so great earnestness, on a point that is frequently and clearly inculcated in the sacred page? he says, "These have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life." He writes these things, not with a view of leading them either to a knowledge of their having believed, or to a consciousness of their title to eternal life by any marks of their gracious state, but of confirming them in the belief and comfort of the gospel. He intimates, that the privilege and the consolation should go together. If we believe, that Christ is our Surety, we should be persuaded, that he has paid our debt, and satisfied justice to the very uttermost farthing. If we believe that Christ is our Bridegroom, we should rest assured, that his righteousness, his inheritance, and his kingdom are ours.

*

Jesus said unto the centurion, "Go thy way, and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee." The centurion had been requesting him only to speak a word concerning his servant, who lay at home sick of the palsy, and grievously tormented. He believed that by a single word his servant should be healed; and the sacred historian records, that "his servant

* Mr. Hervey's Theron and Aspasio, Dialogue xvi.

was healed in the self-same hour."

Whenever he spake, it was done; when he commanded it stood fast. He sent his word and healed him.

The woman of Canaan, who came to Christ for her daughter, who was grievously vexed with a devil, was at last comforted with this gracious answer: "O woman! great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt." The consequence was, that "her daughter was made whole from that very hour."

The woman which had an issue of blood twelve years, "when she heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment; for she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole." Having touched him, "straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body, that she was healed of that plague." When she came before Jesus," she fell down, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague."

When blind Bartimeus was asked by Jesus, "What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? the blind man said unto him, Lord, that I may receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he recovered his sight; and followed Jesus in the way."

From these instances, and others of the same sort, it appears, that faith unfeigned is really "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Resting upon the word of God, it puts the soul into a kind of present possession of the blessings he hath promised. to him that believeth." Son hath everlasting life."

"All things are possible "He that believeth on the

Where the promise is not believed at all, the mercies it conveys are not enjoyed at all; but wherever it is believed, even in the lowest degree, the blessings it reveals are really possessed in believing. The faith of God's elect rests only upon the testimony and promise of God; that testimony is faithful and true, and therefore every thing therein reported to the sons of men, becomes the sure possession of every believer, who receiveth his testimony as a promise of eternal life in Christ. The success of faith does not arise from any virtue, worth, or power in itself, to acquire a title to salvation, or to procure the enjoyment of it, but only from the sovereign will of God, who hath irreversibly given eternal life in these divine declarations, which are received and embraced by believing. The declarations are infallibly true, and therefore the soul that believes them must have eternal life, according to the promise of God that cannot lie. If it could be supposed, that a believer in Christ, be the measure of his faith ever so small, could possibly come short of everlasting life, he must be supposed to have believed a lie, and not the word of God, when he believed the gospel of his salvation. But "let God be true, and every man a liar." "He that believeth shall be saved."

Some, perhaps, will be inclined to debate, "Is this so extraordinary a matter? Will believing put us in possession of such singular blessings ?" Moses might have formed the same scruple with regard to the sprinkling of blood. • Will this seemingly insignificant circumstance,' might he say, 'be such an extraordinary safe-guard to us? Will this preserve us from the impending blow more effectually than

the labours of the engineer, or the shield and spear of the warrior?' But Moses consulted not with flesh and blood; Moses rejected all such carnal reasonings. By faith he and his people kept the passover, and were made partakers of the temporal salvation; by faith also sinners receive Christ, and so become partakers of pardon and eternal salvation. By believing the promise of God, and by trusting in the person of Christ, believers are united to the Lord Jesus, so as to enjoy the unsearchable treasures of his blood, and righteousness, and complete redemption. "Christ dwells in their hearts by faith." They shall never be confounded; they cannot be ashamed of their confidence, nor disappointed of their hope: " according to their faith shall it be unto them." Jesus, in whom they believe, is "the author and finisher of faith," and therefore, "a bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory." Hence the apostle gives this character of the people of God, that "they believe to the saving of the soul," while nominal professors, of every character, "draw back unto perdition."-" Believing in Christ, they are sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the infallible earnest of their everlasting inheritance."

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REFLECTIONS.

1. Since there are various degrees or measures of faith, it must be fallacious and dangerous reasoning for persons to conclude they are not believers, because they are not strong in faith: "If the foot should say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of