artifices of the devil will be above all things opposing, he must be set to search it out in the Scriptures, and in much prayer for the Spirit, labouring that all doubt concerning it may be removed, and that he may be growing up into a more satisfying assurance of Christ's sufficiency. Here these things must be carefully observed by the instructor.

1. That the sinner do not deceive himself by a supposed conviction of this truth, as because he hath always heard it was true, has been taught to assent to it from his youth, nobody seems to doubt it, it is one of the articles of his belief, and all good people believe it. These foundations are merely human, and so must the faith be which is built upon them, neither justifying nor giving peace, nor sanctifying

the heart and life.

2. That the only ground of faith is God's word, on which he must and can only build his belief of its sufficiency, so that he must be satisfied hereof from God's mouth.

3. That there is a natural unbelief in his heart of this thing, which he cannot subdue by his own strength.

4. That it is the Spirit must shew him Christ in the Scriptures. In opening this point, he must be made to see the purpose of God before the world, to save sinners by a Redeemer, and the promises consequent to and issuing from that purpose. From the fall [he must be shewn] the fitness of the Redeemer in his double nature, his obedience unto death, with the design, fulness, and proofs of his atonement, his exaltation, dominion, and intercession. He must be

made sensible how, in the execution of this merciful contrivance, Christ hath magnified the law, satisfied divine justice, taken away the curse; and how, the scheme being purposed at the instance of God's infinite good will towards sinners, planned by his infinite wisdom, and actually engaged for by repeated promises, all the perfections of God, his love, wisdom, truth, and faithfulness, stand at stake for the performance of the whole and every part of it.

Secondly, being pursuaded of the sufficiency of this salvation, he must be assured of Christ's willingness to be his Saviour, and so be encouraged to make application to him. To this [end] the gospel invitations come and be saved," the gospel complaints against such as come not, "ye will not come to me," the gospel commands, "this is the will of God, that ye believe," the gospel threatenings, "he that believeth not shall be damned," must be made out to him.

N. B. There will often be found a doubt of Christ's willingness when there seems to be a persuasion of his power. But I suppose they who doubt the former, do so because at the bottom they do not believe truly the latter.

Thirdly, he must be made distinctly to see that this only is the way of salvation, and that the faithful God doth certainly forgive and take into his favour all self-condemned sinners, who come to him by Jesus Christ, and that for Christ's sake only. Not in the least degree for the sake of any thing he sees in them now, or for the sake of any thing the Spirit shall work in them hereafter.

Here the sinner must be guarded against self

righteousness, must be shewn the workings of it in his heart, in those complainings he makes of the want of sensible sorrows and particular frames, which he seeks for to substitute them in place of Christ ;4 and this he will be apt to lean towards during his whole after course. This lies couched under that common expression, "God for Christ's sake will for give us our sins with true repentance," where, however true it be, that such as repent not shall perish, yet in the common acceptation of that expression, the repentance is made the cause of God's forgiveness, and is put up in the place of Christ; for which, by the way, our self-justiciary divines have given but too much room, in most of those sermons and discourses which have appeared for many years past.

The person to be instructed is by no means to be perplexed with any notions, which in truth have nothing to do with Christianity. As far as it is notional Christianity, it is perverted to speculation; for which reason, at this time at least, he should not be put to determine what faith precisely is. The above is the real practice; and if he be in the practice of it, it is sufficient, and far better that he be not set a disputing and doubting by the various opinions of one and another, concerning the precise nature of justifying faith. Whatever condemned sinner, being persuaded of the sufficiency of Christ, doth commit

4 This remark shews a very deep knowledge of the human heart, and should be indelibly impressed on the minds of such as trust too much to these delusive criteria of their state.

5 We here have Mr. Walker's matured view of the character of those divines alluded to in the last chapter.

his soul to him to be saved, doth surely believe; though he knows not what is the justifying act, yet he certainly performs it. Nor is it of any import

ance he should know the time when he first did this. Doth he do it now? Doth he live upon Christ daily? Else, whatever he seemed to do and experience, a while ago, is of no avail. Yet the instructor should ascertain distinct notions of the true nature of faith, should be clear that it is such a persuasion of Christ's sufficiency, as determines the heart to rest wholly upon him, should separate in his own idea of it, faith from feeling, faith from sight, faith from the fruits and proofs of it, else he will lead the person to be instructed into doubt, if not danger.

The thing to be discerned and kept always in view by the instructor is, that not for the sake of any thing in us, disposition, desire, feeling, joy, love, sorrow, &c., but for the sake of what Christ hath done, we must be accepted. Otherwise, our people will be looking for a Christ in themselves, not a Christ in heaven, and so will either be deceived or discomforted. In a word, the endeavour must be, that the person to be instructed be brought at all times and in all cases, in all frames, high as well as low, and low as well as high, in all attainments, and in all spiritual temptations to rest on Christ only, and so to give God glory by believing.

Especial care must also be had, that his faith be

6 There is an inaccuracy in this expression. Faith is neither the matter nor meritorious cause of our justification, but only instrumental. The justifying act was the atonement of Christ. Mr. Walker would no doubt have corrected this had he printed the scheme himself.

grounded only on God's declarations in the Scriptures, on what he hath heard with his own ears, and seen with his own eyes in them; not taking it for granted these things are so, (as through the slothfulness of his own nature, averse to pains, thought, and inquiry, he will be apt to do) because his instructor says they are, and other good people, nor particularly, putting up the experiences of others in the place of God's word, as is too much the practice of many serious persons in this day. To provide that his faith rest only on God's word, the instructor must carefully direct him thereto, and make the word of God the ground of all he says to him; and this not only by taking heed that what he advises be agreeable to Scripture, and the analogy of faith, but also bringing out the Scriptures on all occasions, making the express word of God, suited to the case, the foundation of his advice and direction. To this end the instructor must take care that his own heart be free of all party prejudices, that he means not the sect or denomination, but Jesus only and souls; otherwise he will be usurping authority over the conscience of the instructed, and while he is solicitous to gain him to his persuasion, will not leave him to be taught by the word and Spirit.

SECTION III.

After

The third great thing is the fruit of faith. conviction and faith follows repentance, (μETάVOIα) which is the heart choosing God in Christ as a master and portion, and refusing the service of sin