The faith of the Protestants, in general, embraces only those truths as necessary to salvation which are clearly revealed in the oracles of God. Whatever is plainly de

clared in the Old and New Testament, is the object of their faith. They believe neither more nor less than what is manifestly contained in, and proveable by the Holy Scriptures. The word of God is "a lantern to their feet, and a light in all their paths." They dare not, on any pretence, go from it to the right hand or to the left. The written word is the whole and sole rule of their faith, as well as practice. They believe whatsoever God has declared, and profess to do whatsoever he hath commanded. This is the proper faith of Protestants: by this they will abide, and no other.

Hitherto faith has been considered chiefly as an evidence and conviction of such truths. And this is the sense wherein it is taken at this day in every part of the Christian world. But in the mean time let it be carefully observed (for eternity depends upon it) that neither the faith of a Roman Catholic, nor that of a Protestant, if it contains no more than this, no more than the embracing such and such truths, will avail any more before God than the faith of a Mohammedan or a heathen; yea, of a deist or materialist. For can this "faith save him?" Can it save any man either from sin or from hell? No more than it could save Judas Iscariot: no more than it could save the devil and his angels; all of whom are convinced that every tittle of Holy Scripture is true.

But what is the faith which is properly saving; which brings eternal salvation to all those that keep it to the end? It is such a divine conviction of God, and the things of God, as even, in its infant state, enables every one that possesses it to "fear God and work righteousness." And whosoever in every nation believes thus far, the apostle declares" is accepted of him." He actually is, at that

very moment, in a state of acceptance. But he is at present only a servant of God, not properly a son. Meantime let it be well observed, that "the wrath of God" no longer "abideth on him."

It is easy to observe, that all the sorts of faith which we can conceive are reducible to one or other of the preceding. But let us covet the best gifts, and follow the most excellent way. There is no reason why you should be satisfied with the faith of a materialist, a heathen, or a deist; nor indeed with that of a servant. I do not know that God requires it at your hands. Indeed, if you have received this, you ought not to cast it away: you ought not in any wise to undervalue it, but to be truly thankful for it. Yet in the mean time beware how you rest here: press on till you receive the Spirit of adoption. Rest not till that Spirit clearly witnesses with your spirit that you are a child of God.—Sermons, vol. ii, pp. 384–386.

SECTION II.

To be exercised in God.

WE cannot serve God unless we believe in him. This is the only true foundation of serving him. Therefore the believing in God as "reconciling the world to himself through Christ Jesus," the believing in him as a loving, pardoning God, is the first great branch of his service.

And thus to believe in God implies, to trust in him as our strength, without whom we can do nothing, who every moment endues us with power from on high, without which it is impossible to please him; as our help, our only help in time of trouble, who compasseth us about with songs of deliverance; as our shield, our defender, and the lifter up of our head above all our enemies that are round about us.

It implies, to trust in God as our happiness; as the cen

tre of spirits; the only rest of our souls; the only good who is adequate to all our capacities, and sufficient to satisfy all the desires he hath given us.

It implies (what is nearly allied to the other) to trust in God as our end; to have an eye to him in all things; to use all things only as means of enjoying him; wheresoever we are, or whatsoever we do, to see him that is invisible, looking on us well pleased, and to refer all things to him in Christ Jesus. Sermons, vol. i, pp. 269, 270.

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SECTION IV.

The Condition of Justification.

By affirming that this faith is the term or condition of justification, I mean, first, that there is no justification without it. "He that believeth not is condemned already;" and so long as he believeth not, that condemnation cannot be removed, but "the wrath of God abideth on him." As "there is no other name given under heaven" than that of Jesus of Nazareth, no other merit whereby a condemned sinner can ever be saved from the guilt of sin; so there is no other way of obtaining a share in his merit than by faith in his name. So that as long as we are without this faith we are strangers to the covenant of promise," we are "aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and without God in the world." Whatsoever virtues (so called) a man may have,-I speak of those unto whom the gospel is preached; for "what have I to do to judge them that are without?"—whatsoever good works (so accounted) he may do, it profiteth not; he is still a child of wrath, still under the curse, till he believes in Jesus.

Faith, therefore, is the necessary condition of justification. Yea, and the only necessary condition thereof. This is the second point carefully to be observed; that, the

very moment God giveth faith (for it is the gift of God) to the "ungodly" that "worketh not," that "faith is counted to him for righteousness." He hath no righteousness at all, antecedent to this, not so much as negative righteousness, or innocence. But "faith is imputed to him for righteousness" the very moment that he believeth. Not that God (as was observed before) thinketh him to be what he is not. But as "he made Christ to be sin for us," that is, treated him as a sinner, punishing him for our sins; so he counteth us righteous from the time we believe in him that is, he doth not punish us for our sins, yea, treats us as though we were guiltless and righteous.

Surely the difficulty of assenting to the proposition, that faith is the only condition of justification, must arise from not understanding it. We mean thereby thus much, that it is the only thing without which no one is justified; the only thing that is immediately, indispensably, absolutely requisite in order to pardon. As on the other hand, though a man should have every thing else without faith, yet he cannot be justified; so on the other, though he be supposed to want every thing else, yet if he has faith, he cannot but be justified. For suppose a sinner of any kind or degree, in a full sense of his total ungodliness, of his utter inability to think, speak, or do good, and his absolute meetness for hell fire; suppose, I say, this sinner, helpless, and hopeless, casts himself wholly on the mercy of God in Christ, (which indeed he cannot do but by the grace of God,) who can doubt but he is forgiven in that moment? Who will affirm that any more. is indispensably required, before that sinner can be justified?

Now if there ever was one such instance from the beginning of the world, (and have there not been, and are there not, ten thousand times ten thousand ?) it plainly follows, that faith is, in the above sense, the sole condition of justification.-Sermons, vol. i, pp. 50, 51.

SECTION V.

Its Fruits.

"He cried unto the Lord in his trouble, and God delivered him out of his distress." His eyes are opened in quite another manner than before, even to see a loving, gracious God. While he is calling, "I beseech thee, show me thy glory!" he hears a voice in his inmost soul, "I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord: I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy." And it is not long before "the Lord descends in the cloud, and proclaims the name of the Lord." Then he sees, but not with eyes of flesh and blood, "the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth; keeping mercy for thousands, and forgiving iniquities, and transgressions,

and sin."

Heavenly, healing light, now breaks in upon his soul. He "looks on Him whom he had pierced ;" and "God, who out of darkness commanded light to shine, shineth in his heart." He sees the light of the glorious love of God, in the face of Jesus Christ. He hath a divine "evidence of things not seen" by sense, even of "the deep things of God;" more particularly of the love of God, of his pardoning love to him that believes in Jesus. Overpowered with the sight, his whole soul cries out, "My Lord and my God!" For he sees all his iniquities laid on Him who "bare them in his own body on the tree;" he beholds the Lamb of God taking away his sins. How clearly now does he discern that "God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself; making him sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God through