divine revelation of an almighty and gracious Saviour; belief in whom always implies belief in the preceding fundamental truths; and faith, or believing in the Saviour, is simply our availing ourselves of the deliverance from sin and misery, which he can and does afford; whence follows, our duty to avail ourselves also of his instruction, his direction, his protection and government in this life, and of the eternal happiness he has to bestow in the next. It never can be supposed that the divine Saviour died to save men from the guilt and punishment of sin, and at the same time procured a licentious liberty for them still to go on to sin. The disciple who imagines this, does, as far as in him lies, by every reiterated transgression, crucify the Son of God afresh, and tramples the Saviour's blood under his feet. The real believer in Christ does not view sin, and its punishment, and deliverance therefrom, such light matters as to trifle with them.

Those who think that their rites, or ceremonies, or penance, or alms, or public benevolence, or masses, or prayers for the dead, can wash away sin, may, and do make light of sin; but not so he, who believes the awful truths expressed and implied by the humiliation and crucifixion of the Son of God. No man who ever really believes God's testimony, that sin is justly punished by everlasting destruction; that he, as an individual, has himself deserved that punishment; but by an amazing, never-to-be-expected effort of divine beneficence, he is now delivered from it, can make light of sin, and go on wilfully, and with a quiet conscience, to commit sin. It is therefore a mistake, or it is a calumny, that the doctrine of salvation, by faith in Christ alone tends to licentiousness. But further, the believer's mind is restored to a proper apprehension of the just authority of God; and he obeys him because he ought -because of the excellence and bliss-conferring nature of all God's commandments, and because it is his true interest and real happiness so to do. He has high sentiments of the infinite goodness and loving-kindness of Jehovah, and he obeys from gratitude and love. He now, first of all, yields any proper obedience, or, indeed, does

any good work; for love to God is the great and first commandment, without which there is no true, no acceptable obedience; and further, the truly repentant believer resists and strives against sin; he crucifies the flesh, with its affections and lusts; he denies himself, and takes up his cross and follows Christ; and, in this sense, works out his own salvation with fear and trembling, and gives all diligence to "make his calling and election sure."

Is not this state of mind, and these motives, then, as powerful to produce good morals, as the opinion that salvation is easily obtained by some doings of our own, such as that, if poor we have only to repent, and reform a little before we die, or steadily adhere to some sect or hierarchy; or be staunch in reciting, or in contemning some prayers ; and in observing or in avoiding some festivals; or, if we be rich, we have only to give money to the poor, or leave money to say masses, or erect an hospital, or build a temple, or make an idol-god, or an image of the Virgin, or beautify a church; if we have power, we can persecute heretics, or infidels, or Christians, according to the country in which we live, and so defend the faith, and the national religion; and then, as a reward for these, and other similar good works, our sins will be forgiven, and we shall be saved? Yes, the doctrine of the cross furnishes more powerful motives to live a good life than any of these; for all these, and such-like, proceed upon the supposition that sin against God is really not a matter of much moment.

But should not faith and works be united? Assuredly; faith is the root, good works are the fruit-they are the consequence or effect of salvation by faith; which is the

Third topic to be noticed. The humane behaviour of the jailer was subsequent to his faith in the doctrine of the Lord. Faith without works is dead, being alone; if the fruit does not appear, the inference is, that the root of the matter is not there. In that case, the supposed faith is either unreal, or the things believed are not the truths revealed and taught in God's holy word; but something different or contrary. If many who say they believe the

Christian religion, and who attend to its forms, and who yet live vicious lives, were asked, " And pray what is it that you do believe?" they would not be able to give any other answer than, generally, they believed the Christian religion to be the true one; or, they believed what the particular church, the Greek or Romish, English or Scotch, or any other church in which they were born and educated, taught. In such cases there is no distinct perception of the truths of the Bible, and there is nothing that can be properly called faith; for a person cannot believe a proposition, the existence of which he does not know; nor can he believe a proposition, the terms of which he does not comprehend; although he often believes propositions which state things beyond his comprehension. For example, take this short proposition, "God is omniscient." An unlettered person, who did not know what "omniscient" meant, could not be said to believe the proposition, although he might repeat it as his creed, his church-going, solemn belief, all his life long; nor would it at all influence his moral conduct. But he who does understand the terms of the proposition, and does fully believe the important truth contained therein, is, I imagine, still unable to comprehend how the Deity knows all things, throughout eternal duration and infinite space. Therefore, when I say that a man cannot believe what he does not comprehend, my meaning is very different from that of those persons, who sometimes use a similar phrase, to denote that they will not believe any thing is really true, the mode or manner of which they cannot comprehend.

A man's faith may be unproductive of good works, not only from the vagueness and indistinct perception of divine truth, commonly arising from wilful disregard of the means of better information; for how few, after all, study the Bible or religious books; but if, instead of believing the testimony of our Lord, they believe something different from, or contrary to divine truth, their faith will not only be dead, but mischievous. St. Paul, at one time, verily believed that he ought to do many things contrary to Jesus of Nazareth. The faith of the Gospel is faith in God, and in our Lord Jesus Christ, and in what the Almighty caused

to be made known to us by the mouths of all his holy prophets, and the apostles of our Lord.

The different effects produced upon men's minds by their faith, is not from any metaphysical difference in the act of believing; but solely from the different ideas or propositions which they do believe. For example, the Bible says, "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men." A man conscious of being ungodly and unrighteous, believes this, and he flees for refuge from divine wrath to the hope set before him in the Gospel, and henceforward he walks with God.

Another person, it may be a professing Christian, laughs at the godly, and shuns every thing that can lead him to godliness, and declares his belief to be, that, as long as a man is honest and upright in his dealings, and is not worse than his neighbours, however ungodly they may be, he sees no reason to apprehend the wrath of God; and he consequently neglects and disregards the Gospel, its refuge, its Saviour, and its hope; he lives without God, and without Christ in the world. Again, the Bible says, "The Lord searcheth the hearts of the children of men." Many, on the contrary, believe that he is too great to regard the little concerns of men, and they say in their hearts, in reference to their wickedness, "God hath forgotten-he hideth his face; he will never see it he will not require it." Must not the effect be very different in the tempers and conduct of him who believes the divine testimony; and of him who, contrary to it, believes rather the suggestions of the devil and of his own wicked mind; and this will account for the very little moral or religious efficacy of the faith of many, who fancy they believe Christianity; and who, whilst impious and vicious, yet continue attached, and even bigotted, to some particular church or sect.

But this lamentable fact does not prove that the faith of the Gospel of God our Saviour, by which we are saved, is unproductive of good works; on the contrary, it may be fully proved that this faith worketh by love to God and man; operates benevolence, and produces a virtuous

life. These are some of its proper effects; joy is another. Religion, or rather a mistaken idea concerning it, sometimes produces melancholy and gloom; but the religion of Jesus, rightly understood and sincerely believed, is productive of joy. The jailer was full of joy; he rejoiced in God his Saviour, with all his house. Holy living and a cheerful heart are the genuine effects of faith in Christ, by which we are saved.

And since the belief of any proposition, on the mind's discerning its truth clearly, is instantaneous, when the mind actually does believe, so the effects follow at once. The jailer's was a sudden conversion, against which some people declaim. He, being concerned about his salvation, was no sooner informed of the truth, and convinced that Jesus was willing and able to save him, than he believed; and the effects immediately followed the cause. Benevolence and joy shewed themselves. Undecided characters are those who still halt between two opinions, who really do not believe the truths of the Bible, or the doctrines of Christ crucified, although they have some conviction that Christianity, on the whole, is true.

It is confessed, that to man's wicked, weak, and beclouded mind, there are in the world many things to bewilder, and which will afford an excuse for scepticism to those who desire to avail themselves of them; but, on the other hand, it is maintained that many of these difficulties are magnified by objectors; that there is carelessness of a most criminal nature in not searching for the truth. Truth is indeed difficult to be found in this deluded and deceitful world, but in matters that concern our salvation, it is not unattainable to the humble, industrious inquirer.

When we look at all the nations of the world, we see that there are "gods many,"-false gods without number; yet still there is One true God. So also, as Jesus said, Many will come in my name, saying, "I am Christ." There are indeed many false Christs, false Saviours, false miracles, lying wonders; but there is also a true Saviour and true miracles, and signs and wonders were performed