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connects the foul with falvation. As holiness is its nature, fo its exercises and operations have a fanctifying virtue and quality in them. It renders the creature in fome measure holy in heart and life. If without holiness no man can fee the Lord, fo without this faith, which eminently dwelt in this woman, no one can be holy. Where this faith lives and reigns, it puri. fies the heart from ungodlinefs, and worldly lufts; it fanctifies the converfation, and elevates the foul from terrene things to God. It poffeffes a transforming power, fprinkles the confcience from dead works, affimilates the foul to holy angels, transforms it into the likenefs of God, and fits it for the habitations of the bleffed.

Secondly, we infer that faith is the ground of all communion with God and Jefus Christ. Without this grace, no fellowship with the Father or with the Son; no converfe with heaven, no fpiritual mindedness, nor holy living. Where faith. is, it causes believers "To cry with their voice, even unto God with their voice, and he hears their cry, and boweth his heavens and cometh down." And St. Paul speaking of himfelf and other believers, fays, "Our converfation is in hea66 ven, from whence alfo we look for the Saviour, the Lord "Jefus Chrift." Let us all be exhorted firmly to believe, and to look well to the nature, properties and fruits of our faith. Is it cleanfing in its nature, fan&ifying in its operations, and purifying in its effects? Does it cleanfe from all filthiness of flesh and fpirit, purify the heart, work by love and overcome the world?

A word of admonition fhall close the fubject.

Let us all be admonished to believe, and to fee that our faith be strong, lively and vigorous. Let us beware of a dead faith, which is alone, and unaccompanied with godly living, and the fruits of righteoufnefs. Let our faith be fuch as will

be pleafing to Chrift, and infure his praife and divine recommendation. Remember that faith is a principle of righteousnefs; let it admonish us then to become rich in good works. Let us beware of a mistaken, selfifh, delufive and fruitless faith, and be careful to obtain, poffefs and cultivate that faith, which is the gift of God, which all the faints enjoy, and those now around the throne of God once exercifed upon earth, who by this grace, "Wafhed their robes and made them "white in the blood of the lamb." Seeing we are compaffed about with fo great a cloud of witneffes in heaven and in earth' "Let us lay afide every weight, and the fin which doth so "easily befet us, and let us run with patience the race which "is fet before us, looking unto Jefus, the author and finisher "of our faith, who for the joy that was fet before him, endu"red the crofs, defpifing the fhame, and is fet down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

SERMON XXIX.

The way of faluation eafy.

John, i. 9. If we confess our fins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our fins

THAT there is fome misunderstanding between God and us, is no more to be difputed than the operation of our own minds; if the state and temper thereof can be determined from: the inward thoughts and outward actions. If when fentiments. and conduct have an immediate relation to any particular being, and it is poffible to determine the ftate and temper of the. mind with regard to that being, then it is certain that the temper of our minds, with refpect to God, is fuch as undeniably, ípeaks the want of friendfhip and regard. Let us examine the. fenfe of our fouls in regard to God; let us confider it from the beginning, from the very first exercises of thought and. reflection; do not we find upon a free recollection of ourselves, in this particular, that from the earliest apprehenfions we had of the divine being, we poffeffed a negligence of fpirit towards. him, a negligence too, not arifing from incapacity and tender

nefs of age, the mind not yet being capable of love, delight, joy and complacency; it has not arifen from hence, because with regard to other objects we have felt from early life the quickest touches of these several paffions. This is not imputable to the weakness of our youthful understanding, as incapable of comprehending fo much of a fpiritual and invisible being, as in reafon is neceffary to beget efteem and affection; an indifference of this kind must be quite innocent, a natural, not a moral imperfection. In this cafe the indifferency would wear off as the perfon encreased in knowledge and understanding. Were it a natural imperfection it would decrease as the perfon arrived at ripeness and perfection of parts and powers. As they grew more acquainted with God by means of his works; received more ideas of him, which were diftinct and determinate, especially when inftructed in their obligations to God and relation to him; how he is infinitely glorious in himself, the author of their exiftence, their preferver and benefactor, and the fountain of all their bleffings. Now, is this the fact? No-alas! perfectly the reverfe. This negligence of God is fo far from decreafing as our understandings and knowledge of him encrease, that it grows into feeling, difaffection and fenfible ill-will. It grows with our growth, ftrengthens with our ftrength. If we examine the fenfe of our hearts in the advanced ftages of life, while deftitute of renewing grace, we do not fo much as wish to meditate upon him: God is not in all our thoughts. As we pass from one ftage to another, ripen from childhood to youth, and from thence to mature years, we become more negligent of heaven, of religion, Jefus Chrift, and the falvation of our fouls. Our understandings are not improved to know the only living and true God, and his only begotten Son, and the exercifes and duties of piety, but proftituted to the fubferviency and service of divers lufts and pleasures. Instead of employing our powers to qualify us to promote the glory of God and the public good of mankind, we only ufe them for our own accomplishment to

make a figure in the world, to enjoy our pleasure, and to obtain riches and honor, altogether inattentive to, and regardless how it will fare with us in a future ftate. And when men have be come old and grey-headed in fin, and difgufted at, and furfeited with the world, do their hearts and affections turn to God, and a preparation for eternity? Quite other wife. The older finners grow they become more earthly, carnal, ftupid and fecure. Many who were thoughtful, and paid fome attention to religious concerns in their youth, have entirely dropt all these matters in advanced age. The inclination to serve God, and engage heartily in the interefts of religion, are vanifhed and gone. Or if at times certain occurrences in providence force fome reflections upon them refpecting their fouls and futurity; they are compelled to think of God and are troubled; there is an uncafiness awakened at the remembrance of his name. They feel ao comfort or happiness, till they get back to their former inconfideration and careleffness. Cannot fome remember, when it was painful to think of God, his perfections, his law and his gofpel; his government and dominion over them; to think of their fins and their exposednefs to divine wrath? Any fubjects were more entertaining to them than thefe. To have their meditations ran upon amusements diverfions and business, and the things of the world were greatly preferable and more pleasant. In the midst of the hurry and delights of fenfe, how has a fingle thought of God, that his eye is upon us, and we must give an account, in a moment dafhed the cup of our pleasures with gall and wormwood? We could have no fatisfaction or felf enjoyment while the difa-greeable idea continued. Were we not, and are not fome of us in this affembly, ftill fenfible of a certain jealousy and fuf picion of God, that he is a master and an auftere being, deftitute of thofe excellencies he is reprefented to poffefs for conferring happiness on his creatures? Is it not abfolutely certain that fome never more perfectly enjoy themselves, than when the thoughts of God are most distant from their minds? That

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