Acceptance of the Gofpel-Offer, are the Terms of our Intereft in him, and conftitute the Faith of God's Elect. They therefore, and they only, are true Believers in Chrift, who heartily acquiefce in the glorious Method of a Sinner's Recovery from Ruin by Jefus Chrift, and heartily accept an offered Saviour, in all his Offices and Benefits. A true Believer, convinced of his natural Blindness and Ignorance, repairs to the Lord Jefus Chrift, to enlighten his Mind, to make his Way plain before him, and to give him a clear, fenfible, and spiritual Acquaintance with the great Things of his eternal Peace. The true Believer has found by Experience his utter Incapacity to procure the divine Favour by the best of his Duties, Reformations, or moral Performances, and that he has Cause to be ashamed and confounded in his own Sight, for the great Defects of his highest Attainments in Religion; and therefore welcomes the Lord Jefus Chrift to his Soul as the Lord his Righteoufuefs; repairs to him, and to him only, for Wifdem, Righteoufnefs, Sanctification, and Redemption; and builds all his Hope of Acceptance with God, upon what Chrift has done and fuffered for him.-The true Believer labours and is heavy laden with the Sinfulness of his Nature; and longs for a further Victory over his corrupt Affections, Appetites and Paffions, for more Spirituality in his Duties, and for a further Progrefs in Piety and Holiness; and therefore heartily defires and accepts the Lord Jefus Christ, as his Sanctifier, as well as Saviour; and earnestly feeks after the renewing, ftrengthning, and quickning Influences of his bleffed Spirit. The true Believer feels the Neceffity of this bleffed Saviour in all his Offices, Relations, and Characters. He fees him to be juft fuch a Saviour as his Soul wants; and therefore chearfully accepts a whole Chrift, with his whole

Heart,

Heart, without any Referve, without any Defire of other Terms of Acceptance with God.-He may entertain dark Apprehenfions of himself, and complain heavily of the great Defects of his Faith and Holiness; but he can never entertain hard Thoughts of the Gofpel Scheme, nor complain of the Terms of Salvation therein propofed: Thefe appear to him the Wisdom of God, and the Power of God, and every Way answer the Exigencies of his State, and the Defires of his Soul.

But if, on the contrary, we confider the Character of a dead Faith, it is what never brings the Soul to a full Confent to the Terms of the Gofpel, without fome Exception and Referve. The unfound Believer may imagine, that he accepts of the Lord Jefus Chrift as his Saviour; but what is the Foundation and encouraging Motive of his imaginary Compliance with the Gofpel-offer? Upon an impartial Enquiry, it will always be found to be fomething in himself: His good Affections, Duties, Moralities, Keformations, Promifes, or Purposes. He endeavours by thefe to recommend himself to God; and on the Account of thefe, he hopes to find Acceptance through Christ.-Or if he feels ever fo ftrong a Defire of Salvation by Chrift, yet he is driven to it only by Fear and Self-love; and will renew his Affections to his other Lords, as foon as his awakening Apprehenfions are worn off-He does not feel his Want of Chrift's enlightening and enlivening Influences; for he knows not what they mean. He fubmits not to the Righteousness of Chrift; for he is ftill endeavouring to procure Acceptance with God, from fome good Qualifications of his own, fome Duties which he performs, or fome Progrefs which he makes, or defigns to make, in his religious Courfe.He cannot fubmit to Chrift as his Lord; for there is fome flothful Indulgence which

he

he cannot forego, fome darling Luft which he cannot part with; fome worldly Idol which his Heart. is fet upon; or fome difficult Duty which he mult excufe himself from.

There is nothing more apparent than the Diftinction between these two Sorts of Believers. The one comes to Chrift deftitute of all Hope and Help in himself, but fees enough in Christ to answer all his Wants. The other is full in himself.-The one looks to Christ to be his Light. The other leans to his own Understanding.-The one makes mention of Chrift's Righteoufnefs, and that only. The other hopes for an Intereft in Chrift and his Salvation, on Account of his own Attainments, and, in Effect, expects Juftification by his own Righteoufnefs, for Chrift's Sake.-The one brings a guilty, polluted, unworthy Soul to the bleffed Redeemer, without any Qualification to recommend it; expecting from him alone all the supplies he wants, repairing to him for Gold tried in the Fire, that he may be rich; for Eye-falve, that he may fee; and for,white Raiment, that he may be cloathed. The other ordinarily raises his Expectations from Chrift, in Proportion to his own imaginary Qualifications and good Difpofitions.-The one as well defires Salvation by Chrift from Pollution, as from Guilt. The other has a Referve of fome deceitful Lust, and hugs fome Dalilah in his Bosom, which he cannot be willing to part with.-In fine, the one is willing to accept of the Lord Jefus Chrift upon a ny Terms: The other will not come to Christ, bur upon Terms of his own ftating.—But I shall find Decafion to speak further to fome of these Things under the following Head.

3. A faving Faith is an humble Trust in, and Dependence upon the Lord Jefus Chrifti, as the Author of our eternal Salvation; but a dead Faith always

builds upon fome falfe Foundation, or upon none at all. A faving Faith is often described in Scripture by a trufting in the Lord, committing our Way to him, refting in him, and other fuch-like Expreffions; which fuppofe an humble Confidence in the abundant Sufficiency of the Redeemer's Merits, and the boundless Kiches of God's Mercy in him.

Accordingly the true Believer, in his greatest Dark-· nefs and Difcouragement, ventures his Soul and eternal Interefts in the Hands of Christ, with at least a fupporting and encouraging Hope.His paft Sins may appear in most affrightning Forms, vaftly numerous, dreadfully aggravated. However, he yet keeps his Hope alive with this comforting Confideration, that the Blood of Jefus Chrift cleanfeth from all Sin. He may be oppreffed with a Sense of the horrible Defects of his Duties and religious Attainments; but he yet fees Righteoufnefs enough in Christ, for a fafe Foundation of Confidence, though he find none in himfelf-I his, and this alone, keeps his Soul from finking, answers the Clamours of Confcience, and difpofes him to rely upon the free Grace and Mercy of God. He may be distressed with the Prevalence of his inward Corruptions; he may, in an unguarded Hour, be furprifed and foiled by the Power of his finful Appetites or Paffions, or by fome unexpected Temptation; but, even in this Cafe, his Refuge is in that bleffed Advocate with the Father, Jefus Chrift the Righteous-And tho' from fad Experience of his own dreadful Imperfections, he may be ready to question his State, and to fear left he be deceived, and left he fhould finally be afhamed of his Hope, nevertheless he ventures that alfo in the Hands of Chrift, and depends upon him that he will not leave him to a Soul-ruining Deceit, but will guide him by his Counfel, and afterwards bring him to Glory.

Such

Such a Dependence upon Chrift the Believer ordinarily exercifes in his darkest Hours, and dullest Frames. But when in the more lively Exercise of Grace, and when Chrift is pleased to shine into the Soul with clearer Communications of his Love, his Confidence (like a Rock in the Sea) ftands unmoved in the greatest Tempests; and he knows whom he has believed, that he is able to keep that which he has committed to him, against that Day. With this Confidence he can even glory in Tribulation; he can chearfully look Death itself in the Face, and triumph over the King of Terrors.

But now, if we take a View of a dead Faith, we fhall find in it the quite contrary Properties.-The unfincere Pro effor (as has been obferved already) ordinarily raifes his Expectations and Encouragements from fomething in himself. His good Frames, his Joys and Comforts, his Endeavours or Designs to ferve God, are what he has to depend upon; and upon these he does and will depend; and perhaps will never see his Miftake, 'till it be too late.

-Some of thefe indeed do not find even this false Foundation to build upon; but quiet their Souls with a loose and general Hope.They believe that God is merciful, and that Jefus Chrift came to fave Sinners; or they hope, they fhall fome time or another obtain. Grace, tho' they find none at prefent. Thus too many of them go on quietly in their Sins, dwell at Eafe, and cry Peace to their Souls, 'till the Flood of God's Ditpleasure fweeps away their Refuges of Lies. Others there be, who, by Means of a better Education, or from fome a wakening Sense of their Guilt and Danger, cannot but fee, that thefe Beds are too short to stretch themselves upon; and therefore their Faith is their Torment. They believe in Chrift as their Judge; but not as their Saviour. They spend their Lives