mates the duty which a regard to their own best interest, as well as to the command of God, enjoins on all unsanctified sinners. They ought not to remain at ease for a single moment, in a situation in which they are constantly exposed to remediless misery. Hence we read of "fleeing from the wrath to come." Hence the anxious demand of the convicted Jews, on the day of Pentecost, for immediate direction, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"-and of the trembling jailer at Philippi--"Sirs, what must I do to be saved ?" Delay is pleaded by unawakened sin ners under the gospel, and it destroys them by tens of thousands; but no sinner who has his eyes opened on the danger of an impenitent state, ever pleads for delay. He is all alive to make his escape from the brink of final perdition: and would to God, my dear youth, that every one of you, not yet savingly interested in the redemption of Christ, were in this very state of mind. You would then listen with all earnestness, to what I am still to state from the answer of the Catechism now before us-which is

II. That means are to be employed, in making an escape from the "wrath and curse of God due to us for sin." These means are of two kinds, in ward and outward. The outward means are to be particularly considered hereafter; the inward means are those that claim our special attention in the present lecture. They are "faith in Jesus Christ and repentance unto life"-called inward means, because they are .acts or exercises which take place entirely within the mind. When these, however, are called the means of escaping the divine displeasure, it is of the highest importance to understand and remember, that they are not the meritorious cause of the reconciliation of God to the offending sinner. The merits of the Lord Jesus Christ-his finished righteousness and prevalent intercession-are

alone the meritorious consideration, on which pardon, justification, and eternal life, are granted to any of our guilty race. You will understand how faith and repentance operate as means of salvation, if you consider attentively, that none will be admitted to heaven, but those who are at once entitled to its ineffable bliss, and qualified to enjoy it; and that it is by faith and repentance that both the title and the qualification are obtained. The nature of these graces are to be particularly explained, in discussing the next answer of the Catechism. In the mean time, it may be sufficient to observe, that faith is exclusively the grace by which the believing sinner becomes connected and identified with the Saviour, and of course interested in all the benefits of his great redemption; and thus gains a title to those celestial mansions which the glorified Head of the redeemed has promised to all the members of his mystical body, and which he has gone to prepare for them. Repentance, at the same time

for faith and repentance always take place together--breaks the power of sin in the soul, turns the whole bias or current of its affections from sin to holiness; and thus the disposition is implanted and cherished, which, when perfected in the article of death, qualifies it for partaking in all the holy exercises and enjoyments of the heavenly state. It is in this way, and this only, that faith and repentance are means of salvation: and till it can be proved that there is merit in the acceptance, by a perishing individual, of offered life and happiness which he has a thousand times forfeited; and merit in ceasing to hate, and beginning to love, what is supremely amiable and excellent-it can never be shown that faith and repentance are meritorious acts: for faith is really and summarily nothing more than the acceptance, by a perishing sinner, of spiritual and eternal life and happiness, procured for him and offer

ed to him, without money and without price, by the Lord Jesus Christ; and repentance is in effect nothing more than ceasing to hate, and be ginning to love supremely, the ever blessed God, the source and sum of all that is excellent and lovely. But although excluded from all merit, in the matter of the sinner's escape from the wrath and curse of God, you perceive that faith and repentance are essential means to be used in effecting this escape. Therefore,

III. God requires sinners to make use of these means-he requires of them faith in Jesus Christ and repentance unto life. Here arises the question-and we shall meet it at once-how can God require faith and repentance of the sinner, when he is utterly insufficient of himself to exercise either?-when we are expressly told that faith "is not of ourselves, it is the gift of God;"* and that Christ is exalted to give repentance to Israel and the forgiveness of sin?" I do think my young friends that this subject has been greatly perplexed and darkened by metaphysical speculations-" science falsely so called." Cannot even a child understand that his father may equitably and reasonably require of him the performance of a duty, which he cannot perform without assistance-provided the father makes ready for him all the assistance he needs, tells him of it, and tells him he must ask for it, and pro

That faith is directly spoken of in this passage as the gift of God, is the opinion

of the best commentators and criticks

Doddridge, in a note on the passage, has vindicated this construction beyond reasonable controversy. But even the other construction, which makes the whole gracious constitution of God the direct object of the apostle's declaration, does not at all invalidate the assertion in the lecture. For no one will deny that saving faith is a very important part of that constitution: and, if the whole be the gift of God, then certainly this part with the rest. But the same truth is clearly taught in other pas sages-see the references in Scott's Family Bible.

mises, if he suitably asks, he shall not fail to receive it; and warns him, too, not to think he can do the commanded duty without the provided help, and forbids him so much as to attempt it by his own unassisted exertions. Now this is the very case before us. It is a solemn and important truth, which ought never to be disguised or forgotten, that we are utterly unable, by our own unassisted powers, either to believe or repent, to the saving of our souls. "No man," said the Saviour, "can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him-without me ye can do nothing." And the inspired apostle of the Gentiles says, "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." Yes, and if it had not been the office of the Holy Ghost, in the economy of our salvation, to work faith and repentance in the sinful human soul, we have no reason to believe that God would ever have commanded any sinner either to believe or to repent-for God never trifles, never requires a man to do by his own. powers, what he knows cannot be done without special divine assistance. But in the official work of the Holy Ghost, God has not only provided all needed assistance in the most ample manner, and informed us of the fact, but has graciously promised this assistance to all who suitably ask it-nay, he most earnestly invites and importunately urges us to ask, that we may receive it.

Hear the words of the Son of God himself "If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" and this solemn interrogatory, carrying all the force of the most explicit declaration, is introduced by an appeal to parents, that, evil as they might be, they would not mock the earnest cries of their children for food, with something that was not

food; and thence, drawing the conclusion with the utmost force, that God our Heavenly Father would not thus mock any who should earnestly ask the Holy Spirit: and the whole passage is introduced by unequivocal and reiterated promises"I say unto you, ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." Now, my dear young friends, here is your duty; you are called to believe in Christ and to exercise repentance unto life: But you are not called, but forbidden, to attempt this duty in your own strength; you are to attempt it, and that without a moment's delay; but you are to call for assistance from God at every step; you are constantly to pray and plead for the needed and promised aid of the Holy Spirit; you are to be both importunate and persevering, like one who follows asking with seeking, and seek ing with knocking-resolved to take no denial till the door of mercy is opened to you-till by the aid of the good Spirit of God, you are enabled to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ with all the heart, and to exercise that "repentance which is unto salvation, and needeth not to be repented of." A falser notion cannot be named than that which some entertain and teach, that the sense of entire dependance on God for ability to believe and repent, will seal men up either in security or despair. This might, indeed, be the case, if God had not provided and authorized us to ask for the needed aid. But this being known to be the fact, the very opposite of the notion I condemn is the truth, as all experience demonstrates. In any case whatsoever, let a man feel his entire helplessness in himself, and know that effectual help may be obtained by earnest entreaty; and then, just in proportion to his felt sense of inherent inability,

and the importance of the interest at stake, or the danger of the state in which he is placed, will be the urgency of his entreaty-the agonizing cry that he will utter, that he may receive help, and receive it speedily, from one who can bring it to him. The sinner who is actually brought to feel most sensibly that he cannot save himself, will cry with all the anxious earnestness of sinking Peter-"Lord, save me or I perish." And when brought to this point-a point to which I most benevolently wish every soul that hears me were brought at this moment-help will soon be found. Yes, my dear youth, and you are not likely to find help till you are really brought to this point.* God will

It seems truly marvellous that some ministers of religion-are they really mitruth of what is here asserted, and yet nisters of the gospel ?—explicitly admit the never preach it-assigning for reason, that it is best to let sinners find it out of themselves. Alas! is it not to be feared that they may never find it out of themselves? especially when they are told, as these teachers tell them, that they have a perfect ability in themselves, without any special help from God, to do all that he requires. This seems far more calculated to produce delay in turning unto God, than the doctrine which teaches an entire dependance on him. That which can be done without his special aid at any time, they are far more likely to postpone for the present time, than if they are made to believe, as the fact certainly is, that every delay grieves the Spirit of grace, and subjects the soul to the awful danger of final dereliction, and to certain perdition as the consequence. The doctrine of human ability, and the sinfulness of all unregenerate doings, as taught in many done great injury to the souls of men. churches in our land, has, it is believed, We would be as far as any from teaching that any holy act is performed by an unregenerate sinner. But we maintain that he is to essay holy acts, before he has any eviis the doctrine of the Bible, and if so,

dence of a renewed heart. This we think

we care little what is the doctrine of me.

taphysics. Did not Peter tell Simon the sorcerer to pray, when there was only a perhaps he might be forgiven ?—Yes, it is said, but he was commanded first to repent and then to pray. But after true repentance, there would have been no per