Obfervations on John vii. 36. "He that believeth on me, as the fcripture hath faid, out of his belly fhall flow rivers of living water. NUMBER I. AITH makes a very capital figure in the writings of the New Teftament. Our Saviour declares this to be the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath fent.* This is effential to all fpiritual life, to all our God. poffible to that cometh that he is, warder of feek him. Without faith it is implease him: for he to God must believe and that he is a rethem that diligently Most important is it therefore that Chriftians fhould understand the nature and effects of faith, and that they should be indeed the subjects of this divine principle. Of this and its happy and accelerated the work. Under The nature and effects of Faith. Artaxerxes, called Ahafuerus, who had Either for his queen and Mordecai for his prime minifter of ftate, the Jews enjoyed great profperity and peace. Do we find a fingle inftance of perfecution, or even of vexation, which occurred to the Jews through the whole duration of the Perfian empire, if we except the decree of Smerdis the ufurper, (but he reigned only one year) called Artaxerxes, Ezra iv., and the attempt of Haman which coft him his life? Was this mild and lib-communion and acceptance with eral difpofition of the Perfian kings toward the Jews reprefented by a bear ?-Alexander granted many favors and privileges to the Jews. Antiochus the great, tranfported many of the Jews to the leffer Afia, and, providing liberally for their fubfiftence, committed his most important caftles to their valor and fidelity for defence. Paleftine lying between Syria and Egypt, the Jews fuf-effects it is that our Saviour speaks fered great calamities from the in this paffage. In the preceding contefts of their kings, but can verfe, he had with great carneftmore than three or four of all the nefs, the laft, that great day of fucceffors of Alexander be justly the feast of tabernacles, called all denominated perfecutors ?-The who were thirsty to come and Roman empire, ancient and mod-drink; importing that he was the ern, it is acknowledged, hath gen-water of life, and that in him erally been a perfecuting power, there was every thing neceffary but if a perfecuting character be to cleanse and refresh the foul, and not justly applicable to any one, to give it all imaginable entertainis it not a conclufive exception a- ment: That he was a fountain gainst applying it to any of them open for public ufe, for Jews and all? But whether fuch an inter- Gentiles, to wash in for fin and pretation be formed from the rep-uncleannefs; and that whofoever refentation of fcripture, or hath proceeded from the common propenfity of mankind to understand and judge of all fubjects with reference to themfelves, it is not the province of the writer to decide. (To be continued.) would, might come unto the waters, wash and be clean, drink and thirst no more, but live for ever. In this verfe Jefus explains what he defigned by coming to him and drinking, viz. believing on his name. Coming to Chrift, and believing on his name, are frequently used in the New Teftament to exprefs the fame thing, a genuine faith.* To every fuch perfon who believeth in Jefus it is promifed, That out of his belly fhall flow rivers of living water. This imports that his faith fhall not be a dormant principle, but have great activity, producing the most useful and happy effects. It will be a principle of life flowing out in all pious, righteous and benevolent affections, exercifes and conduct. To illuftrate this fubject it will be natural to contemplate the nature of faith, its activity and effects. With respect to faith in Chrift, it is the act of a convinced, regenerate finner, embracing him, in his whole character, as he is exhibited in the gospel. Every believer acting faith in Jefus Chrift is a convinced finner, who is bro't practically to fee that he is totally ruined and entirely hleplefs in himfelf, curfed by the law ;t and that without a Saviour he muft have inevitably perished. The commandment comes home to his confcience, and fin revives and he dies. He is brought to renounce his own name and righteoufnefs, and every name and righteoufnefs, in heaven and on earth, but the name and righteousness of Jefus Chrift. He is certain that there is falvation in no other. He has alfo a ftrong conviction that Jefus is the Chrift, the Son of the living God, by whom he is reconciling the world unto himself, and that there is forgiveness with God thro' cur Lord Jefus Chrift. He is a *Matth. xi. 28. John vi. 37Ga'. iii. 1o. John iii. Rom. vii. 9. VOL. I. No. 7. regenerated, as well as a convinced finner, whofe heart is reconciled to God, and who believes the record which God hath given of his Son; that he is the refurrection and the life; fet forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteoufnefs for the remiffion of fins; and that through him all who do believe are juftified from all things from which they could not be justified by the law of Mofes. The true believer is not only rationally and entirely convinced of these truths, but he fully believes them on the teftimony of God, given in his word. It is effential to faith, that men affent to the truths of the gofpel on the divine teftimony; efpecially to those which refpect the Redeemer, and falvation in his name. Faith alfo involves in its very nature the entire confent of the heart or will to these truths. It approves them and closes with them as excellent and worthy of all acceptation. The believer having been renewed by the Spirit, and illuminated with the know. ledge of God, and his fon Jefus Chrift, apprehends a commanding beauty in the divine character, in the gofpel, and in Jefus Chrift: He appears to be a glorious, willing and all-fufficient Saviour. The believer rejoices exceedingly in the discovery of this rich treafure, and for joy thereof goeth and felleth all that he hath, and buyeth it. His heart unites in fupreme love to God and the Redeemer. He renounces all for Chrift, and choofeth him as his only beloved. He choofes or embraces him in his whole character, as prophet, priest and king. He fubmits to him as king, to be ruled by his law, and protected by his power, no lefs than to be faved by his death. Thus with K k upon when the heart man believeth unto right- | places all his reliance upon him coufnefs.*. He embraces Christ on for the forgivenefs of his fins, for his own terms, as he is freely of- grace to keep his commandments, to receive his foul to fered in the gofpel, rejoicing to mercy receive pardon, adoption, fanctifi- he dies, to raise him up at the last cation and eternal life as a free day, and to give him eternal life. gift, to a guilty, helpless finner, He commits his immortal foul whom he realizes God might juft- and all its interests into the hands ly destroy for ever. He fets God of his Saviour, and with an unfhaken confidence, refts the throne, takes his own him upon place in the duft, at the foot of the cross, if it may be fo expreffed, and afks and receives all on the footing of fovereign grace, as it reigns through the righteoufnefs of Jefus Chrift; which is unto all and upon all them who believe without any difference. This confent of the heart to the terms * of mercy, and embracing Jefus as the only beloved of the foul, is an exercife of love. For the heart embraces nothing, unites to nothing but what it loves; and thus love is effential to the very nature of faith. for the accomplishment of all that he hath promifed. Hence that remarkable declaration of the apoftle, 2. Tim. i. 12. "I know whom I have believed, and I am perfuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him againft that day." In this view, faith, in the Old Teftament, is often termed trufting in God. In the exercises of faith in Chirft believers refpect him, as a mediator between them and God the Father, by whom they come unto the Father, as the ultimate object of faith. Hence he is termed the way, and men are faid to come to God by him. In this view it is that the apoftle affirms of all thofe for whom Chrift died, as is manifeft, That they by him do believe in God, who raised him up from the dead and gave him glory, that their faith and hope might be in God. This is a doctrinal and experimental view of faith, as it refpects Chrift, unites the foul to him, and is juftifying. Further, an entire truft in Christ, or in God the Father, through him, is effential to a fav. ing faith. Chrift is offered in the gospel as an all-fufficient Saviour, as the refurrection and the life, as able to fave them to the uttermoft, that come unto God by him. God is offered as an all-fufficient portion, and in the covenant of grace makes himfelf over to the believer in Chrift, as a covenant God and Father, to perform all things for him, to preFaith, in a more large and comferve him from all evil, and to con.prehenfive view, receives the teftiduct him to his heavenly kingdom.mony of God concerning all that The true believer, fenfible of his he hath spoken: It embraces the own weaknesses, dangers and un- promifes, believes the divine threatworthinefs, and believing in theenings, and realizes the invifible mercy, power, wifdom and faith- and immenfe objects and feenes of fulness of his God and Redeemer, another world. It brings God and Chrift, death, judgment and eternity near to the mind, and Rom x. 10. Chap. iii 22. 1 Pet. i. 21. enables the believer to live as feeing him who is invifible, and all thofe invifible things of which he hath spoken in his word. The apoftle therefore terms faith, The fubftance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not feen.* But the nature of faith will further appear from its excellent effects. It is a principle of life in the foul, of conftant and powerful influence. Out of his belly fhall flow rivers of living water. In another paffage the Saviourtaught, The water that I fhall give him fhall be in him a well of water fpringing up into everlafting life.+ | Thefe are ftrong expreffions, fhowing the power of a divine principle in the foul, and the activity of faith in the true Chriftian. It will produce wonderful and happy effects with refpect to the believer himself, cleanfing, refreshing and giving great peace and joy to his foul, and it will do great and lafting good to others. Again it is written, this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. Faith not only purifies the heart and operates by the love which is in it, but as it apprehends the great love of God the Father and of our Lord Jefus Christ, conftraining the believer to love and new obedience. In both these respects faith purifies the heart and makes the believer alive to God. Faith brings God near to him, and enables him, as the Pfalmift exprefleth it, to fet him at his right hand, and to live as in his prefence. It enables him to apprehend his greatness and glori ous holinefs, and fo it purifies and ftimulates him to duty. Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, he is changed into the fame image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Faith, as it makes the doctrines, examples, promifes and threatenings of the word real; as it brings death, the refurrection of the dead, the judgment of the great day, the folemn and immenfe realities of eternity near to the mind, and caufes the Chriftian to act under the influence of them, purifies his heart and makes him faithful. As water cleanfeth those things to which it is applied, and as rain and dews, ftreams and rivers fer It is to the believer himself, cleanfing and refreshing as ftreams and rivers of water. It renders him ever green and fruitful, like trees planted by the rivers of water, which bring forth their fruit in due feafon, and whofe leaf fhall not wither. Faith, by the dir vine conftitution, unites the believer to Christ the living vine, fotilize the earth, the fields and that he derives conftant life and meadows, fo doth faith cleanse nourishment from him, and is ena- the believer and render him fruitbled to bear much fruit. Faithful. It applies the blood of purifies his heart and works by Chrift which cleanfeth from all love. That is, it operates thro' fin. that love which is in faith itself, and which is effential to it. Love is a powerful principle of obediIf a man love me, faith the Saviour, he will keep my words.‡ ence. *Heb. xi. t. Further, the true believer hath great peace, comfort and joy in believing. Chrift and his benefits are like ftreams and rivers to the thirsty traveller. How beautifully does the prophet Ifaiah reprefent this! A man fhall be as § 1 John v. 3. Further, out of the faints fhall flow rivers of falutary and life giving waters to others. By their faith and good works they are the falt of the earth, and the light of the world. They prevent its total darkness and corruption, and render it luminous and favoury. By their doctrines, heavenly converfation, and examples, they inftrumentally feafon it with piety and righteoufnefs. Their inftructions, prayers, counfels and influence make others holy and happy. Others, beholding their good works, glorify their Father who is in heaven. an hiding place from the wind, fruitful, be comforted and refreshand a covert from the tempefted as with gentle dews and showas rivers of water in a dry place, ers, as with ftreams and rivers of as the shadow of a great rock in a water. As this principle of life weary land.* Pardon, deliver- within fhall never fail, but be ance from wrath, fanctification, fpringing up, in the holy tendenpeace with God and in his own cies of his heart and conduct, into foul, communion with Chrift in everlasting life, until his holy his word and ordinances, affurance fruits and joys terminate in fulness of his love and the hopes of glory, of joy and pleasures for ever more; are far more welcome to the be- fo it will be to him as ftreams and liever than cold waters, ftreams rivers whofe waters never fail. and rivers to the thirty traveller in a land of drought and heat. These are the sweet fruits of faith to the believer himself. Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jefus Chrift, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. The peace of God which paffeth understanding keeps the hearts of the faints. It is the promife of the faithful Saviour, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.† In the exercises of faith the believer has always communion with God. And truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his fon Jefus Chrift. In believing, eternal life commences in the foul. The good feed is fown in good ground, and will fpring up and bear fruit, fome thirty, fome fixty and fome an hundred fold. The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, and righteoufnefs, and truth. Thus out of the Chriftian fhall flow rivers of living water as it refpects himself. He will be washed as with fountains and ftreams of water, that he may be without fpot, or wrinkle, or any Tuch thing. He will be made *Ifaiah xxxii. 2. Faithful parents, who devote their children to God according to his inftitution, inftruct and pray with them abundantly, reftrain them from fin, and wicked company, and fo train them up in the way in which they fhould go, are more beneficial to them than riv ers of water, or ftreams from Lebanon. By God's bleffing, they make them ufeful, pious, pure and bleffed. They may be the means of God's keeping covenant with their pofterity unto a thousand generations. Their children thus educated may become the ornaments of the churches, pillars in the houfe of God, pillars of the earth, upon whom the Lord fhall fet the government of the world. § 1 Sam. ii. 8. |