DISCOURSE XVII. EPHESIANS, CHAP. II.-VERSE 8. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. WE have here in few words the argument which St. Paul always insists on, when he has occasion to set forth the kindness of God towards mankind. Life and immortality are the greatest blessings that we have any notion of; and these were brought to light by the gospel of Christ: him God gave for a Redeemer to the world, that whosoever believeth on him should not die, but have eternal life.' And even that through faith in him we are saved, is the gift of God; for of ourselves we are able to do nothing. These things are taught us in the compass of the text, 'We are saved by grace:' we had no title or claim to salvation, but God of his own good will hath sent among us plenteous redemption; and according to the richness of his mercy, and the great love wherewith he loved us, hath together with Christ quickened us who were dead in sins. The condition of this salvation on our part is faith; for we are saved by grace through faith.' We must believe our Redeemer, that he cometh from God, and hath the words of life; and must rely on him to perform the word of salvation which is gone out of his mouth. But neither on the performance of this condition can we say that our own arm hath saved us, or that we have done any thing towards perfecting our redemption: for this salvation through faith, and this faith, is not of ourselves, it is the gift of God.' 6 I shall discourse on this proposition, that faith is the gift of God: First, I shall endeavour to show what the Scripture doctrine on this head is; and, secondly, shall suggest to you some considerations proper to this subject. : First then, let us consider what the Scripture doctrine on this head is. The faith which St. Paul speaks of in the text is such a faith as is effectual to salvation; for it is the faith through which, by grace, we are saved this faith he asserts to be the gift of God. There are different significations of the word faith' in Scripture: sometimes it signifies barely an assent of the mind to the revelations and doctrines of the gospel, grounded on such evidence as the things were capable of. This faith sometimes is merely the effect of common sense; for men cannot help believing the things they see. Sometimes this faith is grounded on the necessary deductions of reason from common principles; by this means we arrive at the knowlege of God: a man of reason can no more avoid believing the existence of a first cause, than a man with eyes can avoid thinking that there is a material world in which he lives. But 6 neither has this assent of the mind the true nature of faith in it : Thou believest,' saith St. James, that there is one God; thou doest well; the devils also believe, and tremble.' But neither of these kinds of faith being the faith through which we are saved, you cannot say that St. Paul asserts of these that they are the gift of God; any farther than as sense and reason are his gifts, by which we know these and all other things. Nor do we teach that nature and reason cannot lead to the speculative knowlege of divine truths; for the evidence of all divine truth resolves itself ultimately into either sense or reason; which are the common gifts of God to mankind, by the principles of which the truth of all things, depending on the deductions of sense and reason, may be proved and examined. From the exercise of reason we come to know God, and the essential difference between good and evil; and by these principles are enabled to judge of any doctrine, whether it be agreeable to the pure and holy nature of God; which is the first presumptive argument for the truth of any divine revelation; that it is holy and pure, and such a one as, were God to have given a law to the world, he would have given from reason we learn the unlimited power of God; and from sense and reason we know the limited power of man, and are enabled to distinguish between the works which the power or policy of man can perform, and the works which can flow only from the unbounded power of God: from hence we can judge of the positive arguments of a divine revelation, the works and miracles which are offered to the world in confirmation of its truth. Thus far the natural gifts of sense and reason can carry us; but the result is barely the assent or dissent of the mind to the things under inquiry which assent alone is not the faith through which we are saved. But let it be observed, as to these first rudiments of faith, that though reason and knowlege may attain to them, yet the exercise of reason and knowlege depends on the will and inclination; which are not naturally much given to dwell on the subject of religion, but are engaged in the affairs and concerns of the world, and taken up in the pursuit of present pleasures and enjoyments: that, were men left to themselves, but few would arrive even to this degree of faith; not for want of understanding to discern, but for want of will to inquire after the things which make for their salvation. Thus, at the first preaching of the gospel, all the worldly-minded men, and generally all the great men, were professed enemies to our Saviour. No sooner did he appear to preach a new doctrine, but they opposed him: not that they had time or opportunity to examine his pretensions; but this presumption, that his doctrine would thwart their interest, and lesson their power and authority among the people, prevailed with them to endeavor to stifle and suppress this new doctrine before it spread to their prejudice in which they were evidently guided, not by sense or reason, but by a perverse will and evil disposition. And since men cannot but know, from their natural notions of good and evil, that any revelation coming from a pure and holy God must cross their evil designs and affections, they cannot but lie under a great indisposition to inquire after divine truths, in which, as long as lust and passion have the dominion over them, they can promise themselves but little comfort or satisfaction : so that, to enable men fairly to examine the truth of a divine revelation, and to acknowlege it on full and sufficient evidence, there must be such a disposition of mind to receive whatever may appear to be the will of God, as may enable you to be impartial judges. This our Saviour requires of us, when he says, If any man will do the will of God, he shall know of the docrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself;' that is, if any man has so far got the victory over his own passions and lusts, as to be ready to give himself to the direction of God's will, whenever it may be made appear to him; this man is in a right disposition to receive the truths of the gospel, and to judge whether Christ be indeed the Prophet of the Most High. Now this disposition is far from being natural to man, according to the nature man has at present; and therefore thus to prepare and dispose men's minds to receive the gospel, is the work of the Spirit, and is ascribed to him constantly in Scripture, where there is occasion to speak of it: No man,' says our Lord, can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me, draw him.' And again, No man can come unto me except it were given unto him of my Father ;' that is, unless the Father, by the grace of his Spirit, inclines and disposes his will to attend to the words of life which I deliver. To the same purpose he speaks in another place, He that is of God, heareth God's word;' where, to be of God is no more than to be of the number of those who are disposed to obey God; for if to be of God signifies any thing more, it will hardly leave any tolerable sense for the word. Our Saviour would not say, 'Those who obey God will hear God's word;' which is saying, 'Those who obey God, will obey God :' and, therefore, to be of God must signify no more than to be ready and disposed to receive the will of God by the influence of his grace. To be of God, and to be drawn of God, and to be willing to do the will of God, are manifestly put to signify the same thing, because the same thing is affirmed of them. Our Saviour says, 'No man can come unto him, unless he be drawn of God;' and yet he says, ' He that is of God will hear his word;' and in another place, ‹ If any man is willing to do the will of God, he shall know of his doctrine;' and if so, then to be willing to do the will of God must amount to the same thing with being of God, and being drawn by God. From whence it follows that those who are willing to do his will, that is, disposed to receive his truth, are drawn by him; that is, all who are well disposed to receive the faith of Christ, owe their disposition to the grace and influence of God's holy Spirit. Accordingly we read of Lydia, that God opened her heart to attend unto the things which were spoken of Paul;' where opening her heart can signify nothing but inclining her will to attend to and examine the truths of the gospel, which were the things spoken by Paul. And as faith is ascribed to this disposition wrought by the Spirit of God, so the want of faith is ascribed to the contrary disposition, where a man is under the power of lust and appetite, and possessed with the love of this world and the pleasures of it: If our gospel be hid,' says St. Paul, it is hid to them that are lost in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.' But, Secondly, faith signifies likewise trust and reliance on God, and includes a confident hope and expectation that God will perform his promises made to us in his Son. It is described as an active principle of religion, influencing the mind to obedience to the law of God. This is the faith through which ‘ we are saved,' and is affirmed by St. Paul to be the gift of God :' to this faith we owe our growth and progress in all kinds of Christian graces and virtues; this is the foundation of them, and this it is that makes them acceptable to God, that they are done in faith. That faith is perfect which is attended with a good conscience, 'void of offence towards God and towards man.' These two St. Paul couples together in his advice to Timothy, enjoining him to hold the faith and a good conscience, which some having put away, concerning faith have made shipwreck :' so that faith cannot stand without a good conscience; that is, it is no faith which does not purge the conscience from dead works,' and perfect holiness in the fear of God.' Now all that reason can do, is to assent or dissent to any doctrine; but obedience must come from the will. Wicked men often believe; but, like the devils, they tremble at the majesty of God, and do not love or delight in him, or seek to do his will. Faith then is made up of the concurrence of the will and the understanding. The understanding is still the rule to judge truth by; but the will is not the right rule of action, and therefore the assistance of the Spirit, to induce the will to follow the understanding, is |