BELIEF IN GOD'S WORDS, AND CONDUCT COR

RESPONDING TO IT.

So is it said of Noah:-"By faith Noah being warned of God, of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is by faith." (Heb. xi. 7.)

Now here were two things in which Noah differed from others. There was faith, and there was action. There was something within, and something outward. And that which was outward, came from, and agreed with that which he had within him. God spoke of destruction, and faith made him wish to avoid it. God pointed to a refuge, and faith made him flee to it. We can best know what faith is, by seeing what it does. Faith in wrath to come, must make a man eager, anxious, diligent to escape it. Faith in his house being on fire, will make a man run from it. Faith in the truth of our being certainly condemned to eternal fire, will put a man in fear,—great in proportion to the danger. He will be moved with fear. Faith in the appointed means of pardon, will make a man seek to it. He will wait for nothing,-he will tarry for no one,he will say, let every thing in the world be uncertain,-every thing doubtful,-of this one

thing, I want to be assured, that I am pardoned and delivered from the wrath to come. Faith that stops short of such fear and such acting, is dead faith, vain faith, and not saving faith at all.

To make us like Noah, heirs of "righteousness which is by faith," is what our faith must do for us. It is this righteousness, and not faith itself, which is the meritorious cause of salvation. This is the obedience of the second Adam, the Lord from heaven, which is imputed to those who believe on Him that raised up Jesus from the dead. Now it is expressly said, such faith in the heart, must be shown by confession with the mouth, which is the first act of obedience to God. "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." It is not always easy to confess Christ's name before men. It is never easy to act up to that confession and profession in the world. But real faith gains this victory, as it did in Noah's case.

This is why it is said, baptism was prefigured by the waters of the flood. After mention has been made of the ark wherein "eight souls were

saved by water," it is added,

"the like figure

whereunto even baptism doth also now save. us (not the putting away of the filth of the

flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter iii. 21.) "He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved." To be baptized, is the great proof of a man's faith in God's word which requires it. It is a seal of the righteousness which is by faith,—it is a confession of Christ's faith before man, and it is the time of making an open profession of what we believe. This last is called the answer of a good conscience. This the eunuch had when Philip baptized him, and his answer was, "I believe that Jesus is the Son of God." (Acts viii. 37.) It is this that saves,-the washing away the filth of a conscience defiled with sin by the blood of Jesus, "and not the putting away the filth of the flesh" by water only.

Yet the outward sign,-the outward act of obedience is necessary,--for the Lord hath appointed it. We are not saved in our own way, but God's way. Noah might have built the greatest ship ever seen in the world, without God's direction, but it would not have saved him. The ark did, because God had appointed it. Many may think baptism needless, but if God has appointed it, "who art thou, O man, that repliest against God?" The answer of a good conscience in one sense

saves, but in another it is written, "baptism doth now also save us" by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The resurrection of Christ is the procuring cause of our salvation,-but he that believeth and is baptized, is the way of applying the resurrection to our souls. Noah was baptized into Christ, when the waters swelled around him in the ark,-and at the last he came forth like a new creature, to the enjoyment of a new creation. So it is written, "We are buried with Christ by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so, we also should walk in newness of life." (Rom. vi. 4.)

And mark the security of Noah once in the ark. God Himself shut him in. Even our position in Christ, is not safe, except God place us there. The work of faith in the soul, is God's work. "No man can come unto me, except the Father which sent me draw him." Christ must be made "of God unto us,wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption." But, blessed be God, He is as ready to shut us into Christ, as He is unwilling we should remain without Him. There is no poor sinner really desires to be safe in Christ, but what God's hand is at work already in his heart, and that hand will

lead on till it place him on the Rock that is higher than he. And how safe is that sinner! Not more safe was Noah from the raging elements around him, than is he from the swellings of ungodliness. Danger may threaten, but it shall not come nigh him. Past sins may look black, but none shall condemn him whom the Lord justifieth,—for whom Christ died,-for whom He intercedeth. Lusts may rage horribly, but the Lord is mightier. Satan will plan and plot to get the soul from trusting to what he will tell him is the unsafe raft of the work of Jesus of Nazareth,—but the soul taught of God, will feel secure in the merits of the Son of God, and will know that He is able to save to the uttermost, all that come unto God by Him.

Oh! shall I not ask, hath God thus shut me in His ark of grace? Am I really delivered from the wrath to come ? By faith in Jesus am I an heir of the righteousness of faith? The highest mountain of good works, -the mightiest fabric of our own working,will not secure us from the wrath to come, nor make us safe in the day when God appears to punish the ungodly,-for all are ungodly but those who have their righteousness of Him,whose hearts are renewed by His Spirit, and whose hopes unto the end are that God "hath