time of temptation fall away, Luke viii. 13. 7. There is a spe cial faith, which is peculiar to God's elect, and is by some called saving faith, though strictly speaking salvation is not in faith, nor in any other grace, nor in any duty, only in Christ; He that believes shall be saved.

II. The objects of it, and the acts of it on those objects. The objects of it are not bare axioms or propositions; for, the act of the believer does not terminate at an axiom, but at the thing.

Him as the creator,

God is the first primary and ultimate object of faith, and Christ as mediator is the mediate objeet of it, Ye believe in God, believe also in me, 1 John xiv. 1. 1. God the Father: our Lord says, He that believeth on me, that is, not on him only, but on him that sent me, John xii. 44. Faith is exercised on; so runs the first article in the creed, commonly called the apostles creed, "I believe in God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth;" and as hav ing loved his people in Christ before the foundation of the world, 2 Thess. ii. 16. as having chosen his people in Christ from the beginning, Eph. i. 3, 4. as the covenant God of his people, Zech. xiii. 9. as he is the Father of Christ, and all that believe in him, John xx. 17. As a God forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin for Christ's sake, Heb. viii. 12. as a justifier, Rom. viii. 33. as the God of all grace; and, lastly, as a promising God, he has made many exceeding great and precious promises, and these are all yea and Amen in Christ. 1. God the Son is the object of faith; it was not only the confession of the faith of Peter, Thou art Christ the Son of the living God, but of all the disciples, Matt. xvi. 16, 18. Acts viii. 37. John xx. 31. 1 John iii. 23. and v. 10. Believing in him is a going forth in acts of faith and confidence, and is called faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, Acts xx. 28. Now faith in Christ as the Redeemer and Saviour includes in it the following things, and is expressed by a variety of acts, which shew the nature of it.

First, I shall consider the several parts of faith in Christ, or what is requisite to constitute it. 1. A knowledge of Christ is necessary, Rom. x. 14. Previous to faith in Christ

as a Saviour, there must be knowledge of the want of him; and of his fulness and abilities. Hence knowledge being so requisite to faith, and included in it, faith is sometimes expressed by it, Isai. liii. 11. John xvii. 3. and knowledge and faith are joined together as inseparable companions, and as expressive of the same thing; And we have known and believ ed the love God hath to us, 1 John iv. 16. Job xix. 25. 2. An assent unto Christ as a Saviour, enters into the true nature of faith; not a bare naked assent of the mind to the truth of the person and offices of Christ. True faith, in sensible sinners, assents to Christ, as a special, suitable Saviour for them in particular: it proceeds upon Christ's being revealed in them, as well as to them, by the Spirit of wisdom and revelation; heard and learned of the Father, such as have come to Christ, that is, believe in him, John vi. 45. 3. Knowledge of Christ as a Saviour, and an assent unto him as such, is attended with love and affection to him; faith works by love. Christ is precious to them that believe. 4. True, spiritual, special faith in Christ includes in it a dependence on him: it is a soul's venturing on Christ, resolving if it perishes it will perish at his feet. All which will more fully appear by considering.

Secondly, The various acts of faith on Christ, as described in the sacred scriptures. 1. It is expressed by seeing the Son; This is the will of him that sent me, says Christ, that every one that seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life, John vi. 40. It is a looking to Jesus, who was typified by the brazen serpent set upon a pole by Moses, John iii. 14. sensible sinners are encouraged by Christ himself, who says, Behold me, behold me, Isai. lxv. 1. and xlv. 22. 2. Faith is a motion of the soul unto Christ; He that cometh to me, says Christ, shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me, which explains what is meant by coming, shall never

thirst, John vi. 25. which coming to Christ is upon an invita tion given; the Spirit and the bride say come, Rev. xxii. 17. the ministers of the word cry, Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; the sound is attended with efficacious grace, they that are ready to perish, come, Isai. lv. 1. Christ himself says, Come unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, Matt. xi. 28. 3. This motion of faith towards Christ is expressed by fleeing to him; and such souls that believe in him are described as having fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before them, Heb. vi. 18. Christ is the city of refuge; being come to Christ, various acts of faith are put forth upon him; such as the following: Aven turing act of their souls, and of their whole salvation on him, like Esther, who ventured into the presence of king Ahasue rus, saying, If I perish, I perish: reasoning in like manner as the four lepers did when ready to perish with famine; Let us fall into the host of the Syrians; if they save us alive we shall live, and if they kill us, we shall but die. A casting or throwing themselves into the arms of Christ, to be bore and carried by him, as a nursing father bears and carries in his bosom a sucking child; so Christ carries the lambs in his arms, Isai. lxvi. 12. A laying hold on Christ; even the robe of righteousness; or, as Adonijah and Joab fled and laid hold of the horns of the altar for safety. Faith is a retaining Christ, and an holding him fast; it is said of Wisdom, or Christ, Happy is every one that retaineth her, Prov. iii. 18. so the church having lost her beloved, and upon search found him, she held him, and would not let him go, Cant. iii. 4. Faith is sometimes expressed by leaning on the Lord, and staying upon him; so the church is said to be leaning on her beloved, while coming up out of the wilderness, Cant. viii. 5. But, the grand and principal act of faith, or that by which it is more frequently expressed is, receiving Christ; As many as received him even that believe on his name, John i. 12. where receiving Christ is interpreted of believing on him. Christ is received, not into the head, but into the heart; not

in part only, but in whole. 1. Christ in all his offices, as the great Prophet in the church whom God promised to raise up; as a Priest, and as King in Zion. 2. Christ and all the blessing of grace along with him, are received by faith; such as adoption; as Christ gives a power to them that believe in him, to become the children of God, they by faith receive this power, right, and privilege from him; and hence we read of receiving the adoption of children, through the redemption that is by Christ, Gal. iv. 5. Pardon, Acts v. 31. and grace as a meetness for, and as the earnest of glory, Acts xxvi. 18. 3. Christ is received as a free gift; he is the gift of God; If thou knewest the gift of God, John iv. 10. 4. Faith receives Christ in preference to all others: it prefers the worst things belonging to Christ, to the best in creatures; he esteems re proach for Christ's sake, greater riches than all the treasures in Egypt, and takes pleasure in persecutions and distresses endured on his account. III. God the holy Spirit, is also the object of faith; though we read and hear but little of faith in him; yet as we are to trust in God the Father to keep us by his power through faith unto salvation, and to trust in Christ for the salvation of our souls, so we are to trust in the holy Spi rit, for carying on and finishing the work of grace in us: he the Spirit of God, who hath begun a good work in us, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ, Phil. i. 6,

III. The subjects of the grace of faith, on whom this grace is bestowed, and in whom it is, in some more, in others less, in all like precious faith. 1. The subjects of faith are not angels, neither good nor bad. Not the good angels; they live not by faith, but by sight: much less the evil angels; they themselves very justly observed, What have we to do with thee? they had nothing to do with him as Jesus a Saviour. 11. Men only are the subjects of the grace of faith; and not all men; For all men have not faith. There are some who do not belong to Christ, are none of his ; Te believe not be cause ye are not of my sheep; As many as were ordained unto eternal life believed, Acts xiii. 48. there must be first spiritual

life before there can be faith: hence says Christ, whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die, John xi. 26. As well may a dead carcase fly, as a dead sinner believe in Christ, or have any will and desire to it. in. Those who are the subjects of this grace of faith, it is different in them as to the degree and exercise of it. 1. In some it is great faith ; instances of which we have in the centurion, and in the woman of Canaan, Matt. viii. 10. 2. In some it is but small or little faith. 3. In others it is very little, least of all, it is like a grain of mustard seed, which is the least of all seeds, Matt. xvii. 20. the day of small things he does not despise. 4. In these it seems to be next to none, and as if there was none at all; hence these words of Christ to his apostles, How is it that you have no faith? and again, Where is your faith? Mark iv. 40. Luke viii. 25. that is, in act and exercise. 5. In some faith is weak; in others strong: of Abraham it is said, that he was strong in faith. But of some others it is said, Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. 6. Faith, as to its exercise, differs in the same individuals at different times; as in Abraham, and in David, and in Peter. 7. In some it arises to a plerophory, a full assurance of faith, as it is expressed in Heb. x. 22. which signifies go. ing with a full sail, in allusion to ships when they sail with a prosperous gale; so souls, when they are full of faith, as Stephen was, move on towards God and Christ; and can say with Thomas, My Lord, and my God! and with the church, My beloved is mine and I am his; but this is not to be found in all believers; it is not always without any doubt, hesitation, and mixture of unbelief. iv. The seat of this grace, in the subjects of it, is the whole soul of man; it is with the heart man believes in Christ for righteousness, life, and salvation. IV. The causes of faith, from whence it springs. efficient cause is God; hence it is called the work of God, John vi. 29. the operation of God, Col. ii. 12. God the Father; as he is the God of all grace, so of this. Christ is expressly called, the Author and Finisher of Faith, Heb. xii. 2. and this