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before his footstool, and fay, with the holy Pfalmift, Lord what is man that thou art mindful of him, or the Son of man that thou so visitest him! Surely we fhould exert mind, foul, ftrength, and every power to make fome return of duty, for love like this! Let us try our confcience on the fubject. Should we not think that they little deferved our love, who could not be perfuaded in any measure to return it? How much more are we bound to love our Savior, the Lord Jefus Chrift, who hath bought favor, life, and freedom for our fouls? Let us ftrive then, to give that proof of our love which he so plainly requires of us. That we honour his name and keep his commandments. Let us never forget, that falvation is the free gift of God. Nothing on our part, but our misery, nothing but his own pure nature could have moved him to it; and therefore, in this sense, Chrift is most truly our righteousness, in that nothing could have juftified us in the fight of God, but his atonement; fince after Adam's fall, we never had been capable of recovery, had he not renewed the power in us of looking to the bishop, and shepherd of our fouls.

It only remains, that you fhould now be taught how to apply Chrift's death and fufferings to your prefent comfort, in the healing of your fouls, fo that they may produce the defired effect, eternal life; for as it would profit a fick man nothing, to fupply him with medicine, without he ufed it as prefcribed, fo Chrift's death will avail, us nothing, unless we receive it as God has appointed. Now our heavenly Father doth usually work by fuitable means, in all his dealings with his rational creatures, and not by fupernatural, or miraculous means; and in the benefit we expect from this his most extraordiact of love, he also hath propofed a certain grace, or principle, whereby our fouls may be affifted in obtaining all the bleffings purposed by it, and which we cannot be too earnest in fupplicating him

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to grant us, and that is FAITH; not an inconftant, wavering faith, but a well-grounded lively faith, a faith, founded in a confcioufnefs of our own infufficiency (as of ourselves alone) for any thing that is good, and that infinite mercy and power were abfolutely neceffary to compafs the redemption of a finful world; and this, as St. Paul teacheth, we must believe with the heart unto righteousness, that is, fo effectually, as to procure us farther power of bringing forth all manner of good works, this being as effential a proof of Chrift's work upon our fouls, as health is the effect of proper medicines for our bodies.And when this faith hath taken place, we shall readily make confeffion with the mouth unto falvation, that we have nothing of our own, but that Chrift is all in all. St. Paul's reply to the trembling keeper of the prifon, was, believe in the Lord Jefus Christ, and fo fhalt thou and thy house be faved, that is, thefe are the means you and your family must take for your falvation; there are no other. By believing in the Lord Jefus Chrift, the apostle meant, not merely a belief that fuch a perfon actually lived on earth, (for of this, doubtlefs, the Jailor was well affured, and the devils alfo know that he is both the cause of life, and final judge, and therefore tremble;) but the faith propofed, was to confefs the power of Jefus both to forgive fin, and to fubdue its growth, by the fpirit of his grace; and to confirm the fenfe of the advice, we may obferve, that after the evangelift St. John hath fet forth at large the life and death of the Lord Jefus in his Gofpel, he concludeth with these words: But these things are written that ye might believe that Jefus is the Chrift the Son of God, and that believing ye might have LIFE through his name; (xxth ch. 31ft verfe) in other words, that your faith in him might fanctify you. And St. Paul afferts the fame (Rom. x. 4.) in these words, For Chrift is the end of the law for RIGHTEOUSNESS, to every one that believeth.

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believeth. So that by thefe words it is evident, that the grand principle to be obtained and established on our parts, to forward our falvation, is faith; that is to fay, a fure truft and confidence in the mercies of God, whereby we feel fecure, that God hath forgiven original depravity for Chrift's fake, and will alfo blot out the ftain of actual fin, upon fincere repentance and amendment of life; and this likewife on account of what Chrift has done for us, and not as a reward for any thing we could have done without bim. Further, that through him we are released from the condemnation our corrupted nature had incurred, and are reconciled and received into favour, and placed upon frefh trial, as though our first parents had not offended God's juftice, and deserved his anger. This is the faith required of us, and if we live up to this as the caufe, principle, or motive of correfponding good works, there is no doubt but we fhall find plentiful falvation at God's hand (through Jefus Chrift), as did Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob, who believed, and it was ac-, counted to them for righteousness. But we must be very careful never to forget how they proved that this faith was actual righteoufnefs, viz. by the OBEDIENCE that it wrought in them. As to Abraham in particular, his faith was fo established concerning what God had promised, that he did not hesitate to facrifice, even his only Son, the instant so trying a command was given to him. And pure faith will be effectual to bring forth good works in us also, if it be fuch as God (the fearcher of hearts) knoweth will produce fruit, if he pleases to try it, as he did that of his fervant Abraham, for there can be but one faith that can please God, and obtain falvation. We must be ftedfaft to our life's end. He that wavereth (faith St. James), is like the waves of the fea. Thus we fee, the instant St. Peter failed in faith, or confidence in the ftrong hold, he was in danger of drowning. We must, VOL. II

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therefore, earneftly and inceffantly pray for the gift of that faith, for the attaining which, the one fufficient facrifice for the fins of the whole world, hath been offered by Christ, and that so fully, and perfectly, that no other is neceffary; and which will be granted to all who afk it in fincerity, and purity of heart. This, then, is the one true method, or principle, through which we muft apply the merits of Chrift's death; even a faith that fo worketh by love, as naturally to pro- · duce obedience. The brazen ferpent was one type or fign of this faith in Chrift; for as all who looked up to that, with dependence on God's goodness, and power, as the means of healing their bodily ftings, were cured; fo all who look up to Chrift, with a true and lively faith, fhall most surely be delivered from the grievous burden of their fins, whereby if the Tempter terrify us with difmal fears, or if the infirmities to which flesh is heir, furprife us into accidental falling, (as who is free from both affaults in this ftate of trial, and vale of mifery) let us not faint through vain terror, and doubts, but let us hold faft our belief, that he that has promised is faithful, and able to perform, and then neither death, hell, nor judgment, fhall finally harm us.

Let us behold Chrift crucified with the eye of the heart, and that will conquer every other danger; let us truft to nothing elfe as the cause of our falvation, but his death and fuffering: nor defire other witness, but such an earnest of the Spirit, as to live like his true difciples, humbly preparing ourselves by his grace and help, for joining the bleffed fociety of his purified and elect people, when he shall come at the last day to judge both quick and dead. May Chrift's all-powerful interceffion obtain this bleffed portion for all who hear and read his word, for all who love his appearing, even as the Father hath promised to give him all who come unto him. Amen.

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DIS

DISCOUR

DISCOURSE XIII.

Upon the Resurrection of our Savior Jefus Chrift.

A SERMON FOR EASTER DAY.

ROMANS iv. 25.

He was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our juftification.

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on any occafion the excellency and defire of fpiritual, or pure worldly happiness, hath roufed your minds to clofe and ferious thoughts, there can be no doubt but that the fubject of this difcourse will fix your attention as earnestly, as any wonder, or bleffing, that ever engaged your meditations; for it relates to no less than that important and comfortable article of the christian faith, the refurrection of the Lord Jefus Chrift from the dead. This was a circumftance of fuch mighty confequence to the caufe of christianity, that our bleffed Savior, in his high wifdom, judged it expedient to remain forty days upon the earth, after he had rifen from death to life, in order that the hearts of his difciples might be established by fenfible and indifputable conviction, as to the