whilft pity, compaffion, and goodness flow like a river, and God-like power is exerted to accomplish the whole purpofe! The law is magnified and made honourable, and juftice is fully fatisfied, and is now become the ranfomed finner's friend! What a wonder of all wonders! That a fcheme of falvation fhould be devifed, which makes the finner both happy and glorious for evermore, and yet fecures all glory to God in the highest !

When Paul faw, how God was glorified in CHRIST, it made him with wonder to say, God' who commanded the light to shine out of darkness bath fhined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of CHRIST JESUS, 11 Cor. iv. 6. And here, remember it as a distinction betwixt a real Chrif tian, and one that is fuch only in name, herein the faint quite outftrips the natural man whatever the latter may be, or know, he is void of divine light, and therefore cannot difcern how all the attributes of the God-head are glorified in JESUS CHRIST, I Cor. ii. 14.

for

I would juft add in the 4th place, That it is revealed unto us, and ever calls for our credence, that in this JESUS there is falvation, and in no other.

There are many ways of falvation devised by men * ; but, Let God be true and every man a liar,

D

* A very remarkable scheme of falvation, lately iffued out from MILL-HILL Chapel, Leeds, in a fermon published in the year 1772, titled, "Repentance the only condition of final acceptance." Wonderful! Moft likely the author had discarded

Paul's

liar, that would fet up a Dagon before God's ark. The Father hath called the Son, His falvation, Ifa. xlix. 6. and therefore the commandment was given, that remiffion of fins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerufalem.

This glorious doctrine runs through the whole volume of facred writ, fo that I need not at prefent fay more on this head, but fhall conclude the firft general propofition with obferving, that believing in God, includes a believing that there shall be a resurrection, both of the just, and of the unjuft-That there shall be a future Judgment, when all that ever were, are, or shall be; must all appear before the Judgment feat of this great God and our Saviour JESUS CHRIST, who is appointed of the Father to fit on the throne of Judgment at that day. Alfo, that the Judge is juft, and will judge the world in righteousness

That the juftified fhall be pronounced bleffed, and welcomed into everlasting blifs and glory; whilft all the wicked fhall ftand trembling before their Judge, and hear him as with the voice of thunder, pronounce them curfed, and banish them from his prefence and the glory of his power for evermore. These are a few things from many,

which God hath revealed of himfelf

Paul's doctrine, elfe he might have learned, from Eph. i. 6. that finners are accepted, (not on account of their repentance,) but in the BELOVED. The author of that execrable fermon, has done enough to leave the ill favour of his name behind him in the world, whilft there is a man exifting that knows the gospel of CHRIST. Thoufands of books lefs pernicious have been burnt by the hand of the common hang-man.

felf-of man-of CHRIST and falvation by him, and of the future confequences of believing in him, or rejecting the counfel of heaven. Believing these truths with the heart is faith * unfeigned, and he that thus believes is born of D 2 God,

* There are fome perfons who have inconfiderately expreffed themselves, as tho' faith was a certain quantity of fomething from heaven put into their hearts; and that the putting of that something in agitation, is exercifing faith; and not only fo, but unhappily afcribing to faith the parts and powers of a body, and most of the actions of a creature. One reafon affigned is " It is an embellishment to language." Paul ftudied to avoid fuch embellishments as would prove embarrassments to his ideas; and it is pitiful, that ever any fhould decorate language 'till the fimple truth is quite darkened, and the serious mind left in suspense what it is. Such notions, and such a method of expression, seem calculated to burlesque the faith of the gofpel, rather than edify, or inftruct those who are fincerely enquiring after the nature of it, which is not only intelligible, but plain, and eafy, and is nothing more or lefs in itself, than an unfeigned affent of the mind to a teftimony, or in fcripture ftile, a belief of the truth as it is in JESUS. Were this definition admitted, it would fave much trouble to those who have laboured in the dark, confounded themselves, and greatly perplexed others; in going about to afcertain the SEAT of faith: but with all due deference to the Age, Learning, and Abilities of thofe gentlemen, I would humbly propofe, Whether faith SITS any where? Faith is believing, and believing is an action, and how an action can fit, would perhaps puzzle the best of our metaphyficians in the universe. The fource of bodily actions is natural life, and mufcular powers; and it feems moft confiftent, that fpiritual actions (of which believing is one) are the refult of fpiritual life. For with the heart man believeth unto righteoufnefs, and with the mouth confeffion is made unto falvation. However it may have been with others; for my own part, I have been greatly confounded, when I have heard the preacher, or read the writer upon faith; and have been entertained with perhaps eight or ten different kinds of faith, and when that which they called the right kind was difcovered, there were fo many different acts of faith, The direct act, the reflex act, the act of recumbency, &c, &c. &c. little lefs puzzling to a weak mind, than Lily's latin Grammar is to a raw school-boy; nor is there any way of getting relief, but by being perfuaded that thefe phrafes are purely of human invention, and that there is very little, if any, either fenfe er meaning in them.

God, and is a partaker of the holy Spirit. I humbly conceive, that this is the fenfe of those words, 1 Cor. xii. 3. No man can fay that JEsus is the LORD but by the Holy Ghost, (viz.) no natural unenlightened man can difcern the glories of the God-man, confequently in that ftate, can never believe in him. But, as many profess to believe in God, who give no proof that their profeffion is well founded; it is neceffary in the next place to enquire into a few fcriptural evidences of believing THE TRUTH. Saying that we believe, can never be adınitted as a fufficient proof, for there are too many, who are ready to say in this cafe, as the young ruler faid of his keeping the law. "Believe," say they, " I have believed my bible from my youth up until now." Many are bold to rank themselves with believers, but alafs ! they are under the disagreeable neceffity of telling perfons that they believe, or you would never fufpect them to be guilty of any fuch weakness. The truth is, it is common for their friends and neighbours to fay the bible is true; and therefore rather than be thought infidels, they fay the fame, but they know almost nothing of the contents of that facred book; for, if you come to talk with them concerning the doctrines of the gofpel, they foon give proof they are mother-taught believers; and because they have been ufed to fay, I believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and earth. And in JESUS CHRIST his only Son our LORD, &c. They make no doubt but they are as good believers as any in the neighbourhood, nay as the very parfox himself. Simon the forcerer faid he

believed,

1

believed; and he certainly did believe, that the things which the apostles did were great miracles, but when he offered to purchase the gift of the holy Ghost, (in all probability with a defign to make a pretty lucrative trade by felling his miracles at a round price) then the cheat was detected; and Peter, (notwithstanding Simon's feffion) pronounces him in the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity. It appears highly needful then, that we examine ourselves whether we be in the faith.

pro

The first evidence * I shall mention is this, Those who believe in God are truly afraid † of being visited in a way of vengeance according to the crimes of which they are guilty. This is generally the first affection that is discovered in the criminals breast when he is apprehended: and it is the cafe with the finner when God apprehends him, The commandment comes-fin revives, and he dies. His mind being enlightened, he fees the law in fome measure in its purity; confcience cries out against him, charges him with tranfgreffing that good rule, and he is perfuaded in his heart that he deferves to die eternally. Hence he is truly alarmed, for he knows

not

fo

*There are fome who are got so high, that they are above evidences, and are ready to mock at the very phrafe; but those that are mounted to fuch a wondrous height, I must leave them in their furprising elevation, for I dare not follow, left all my bones should be broken when I am brought down.

Though all that believe are fubject to fear, yet fear of itself, is no infallible evidence of a spiritual change; many have feared for a time, 'till they have quieted their confciences by a partial reformation, but have not given any proof that they were born of God: we can only judge of fear by its effects.