of it through the devices of Satan. And if it were now committed to us, we in our present fallen state should not be able to preserve it one single hour. God has therefore graciously committed it to his dear Son, that, by being "hid with Christ in God," it might be inaccessible to our subtle enemy. By this mysterious, this merciful dispensation, "our souls are bound up, as it were, in the bundle of life with the Lord our God." Christ "lives in us," and "is our very life1:" and hence," because he liveth," and as long as he liveth, shall live also m."] we Thus has God testified, that eternal life is to be sought as a free gift from him, and to be only in, and through, and for the sake of, the Lord Jesus Christ. But to see the full importance of this record, we must consider, II. The declaration grounded upon it— A more solemn declaration is not to be found in all the inspired volume. But let us consider, 1. What is meant by "having the Son of God?" [The more simply this is explained, the more intelligible it will appear. Christ is represented as God's gift to man: and we then receive that gift when we believe in Christ; or, in other words, when we receive him for all the ends and purposes for which he is given. This is the explanation which St. John himself gives us°: and consequently we may then be said to "have" Christ, when we have received him, and are making use of him, as the source and substance of our spiritual life.] 2. What depends on our "having" the Son of God [Behold! nothing less than everlasting happiness or misery depends on this point. He that has felt a desire after eternal life; and has sought it earnestly through Christ; and has received it from God as a free unmerited gift; and is looking to Christ to impart it to him yet "more abundantly," and to preserve it in his soul; he who thus "lives by faith in the Son of God," has both a title to life, and the very beginning and earnest of eternal life in his soul. He can claim eternal life upon the footing of God's word. He can plead the promises of God; and may be fully assured that he shall not be disappointed of his hope1. Indeed he has eternal life already begun in his soul. He was once dead like others; but now he "is passed from death unto life." The very act of living by faith in the Son of God. proves to a demonstration, that he is alive, and that Christ liveth in him". He may not indeed have a comfortable sense and assurance of his happy state; but he really liveth, and shall live for ever. On the other hand, he that hath not so received and lived upon the Lord Jesus Christ, has no life in his soul: he is yet "dead in trespasses and sins:" and, so far from having any title to life, he is under a sentence of condemnation, and "the wrath of God abideth on him." "Not having the Son of God, he hath not life." Whatever he may have, he hath not life. He may have learning, riches, honour, and even morarily itself, according to the general acceptation of the term, but he has not life: and if he die in his present state, he must perish for ever: yea, if he were the first monarch upon earth, he would in this respect be on a level with the meanest of his subjects; he would descend from his pinnacle of honour to the lowest abyss of shame and misery.] INFER 1. How plain is the way of salvation! [Supposing the way of salvation to be such as has been already stated, how can words express it more clearly than it is expressed in the text? There is no learning requisite to explain it it is level with the comprehension of the most unlettered man in the universe. Nothing is requisite for the understanding of it but humility of mind, and a willingness to be indebted for every thing to the free grace of God in Christ Jesus. If there be any difficulty, it arises only from the pride of our hearts that would mix something of our own with the finished work of Christ. The fact is, that salvation by faith alone is so plain and simple, that we are offended at it on account of its plainness and simplicity. But let the weak rejoice, that what is hid from the wise, is revealed to them.] 2. How suitable is the way of salvation! [If salvation had been to be merited and earned by our good works, who amongst us could have entertained a hope? If our works, imperfect as they are, were only to have eked out the merits of Christ, who could tell us the precise quantity and quality of the works that would have sufficed? In what doubt and suspense must we have been held all our days! s John vi. 47. u See Gal. ii. 21. before cited. t John v. 24. x John iii. 18, 36. z Matt. xi. 25. And how would this way of salvation have suited persons in the situation of the dying thief, who are called away without having sufficient time to "make up their tale of bricks?" But a gift is suitable to all : a free salvation commends itself to all: and the more humbled we are under a sense of our own guilt and weakness, the more suitable will it appear, that we should receive all from Christ, and give all the glory of our salvation to him.] 3. What infatuation is it to substitute any other plan of salvation in the place of that which God has offered us! [Suppose for one moment (though it is a horrid and blasphemous supposition) that we were wiser than God, and that we knew better than he did what was fit for him to do; still are we also "stronger than he?" and can we oblige him to alter his decrees? Vain hope! We may entertain as strong prejudices as we will, and load the Gospel with opprobious names; still that will be true and irreversible, " He that hath the Son, hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God, hath not life." Let all of us then cease to weave a spider's web, and accept with gratitude" the salvation that is in Christ Jesus."] MMCCCCLXVIII. USE OF THE SCRIPTURES TO BELIEVERS. 1 John v. 13. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. THE Scriptures of the New Testament were written doubtless for the whole world. Yet perhaps we may say, that the Gospels were written more immediately for unbelievers, in order to convince them of the Messiahship of Jesus; and that the epistles were written rather for believers, to bring them to a life becoming their high and holy calling. This idea seems to be sanctioned by St. John: for, at the end of his Gospel, he says, "These are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God ; and that, believing, ye might have life through his name." But, at the end of this epistle, he says, a John xx. 31. "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God." In truth, he had in his mind all the different classes of believerschildren, young men, and fathers: "I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake. I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one." Of course, there is much in this, as well as in all the epistles, profitable to unconverted men: but I must, on the present occasion, attend rather to believers, and mark of what use this epistle is intended to be to them. It is intended, I. To assure them, that in Christ they have all that they can need All who truly believe "have eternal life:" they have, 1. The substance of it, treasured up for them in Christ [The Lord Jesus Christ is the depository in which eternal life is placed as the Apostle says in the preceding context; "This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life; and this life is in his Son." The Lord Jesus purchased it for us, by his own obedience unto death: and to him it was granted, for our use and benefit; "that he might bestow it on as many as have been given him by the Father." "In Him, through the good pleasure of the Father, it dwells, even all the fulness of itd." "Whatever can be conceived to be comprehended in eternal life, to him it is all committed; and out of his fulness it must be received."] 2. A title to it, conferred on them by Christ [The Lord Jesus, when he sent forth his Disciples to preach the Gospel to the whole world, commissioned them to declare to all, without exception, "He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved." No one was required to bring any measure of worthiness with him as a title: on the contrary, there was to be but one plea for all mankind; namely, the promise of God to the believing soul. On that all were to rest; and that was to be the one ground of hope to every child b 1 John ii. 12-14. d Col. i. 19. c John xvii. 2. e John i. 16. of man. Life was to be, "not of works, but of grace':" and "it was to be by faith, that it might be by graces." The only thing required on our part, was to receive thankfully what God offered freely in the Son of his love. In receiving Christ. therefore by faith, we have a title to every thing else; according as it is said, "All things are yours; and ye are Christ's."] 3. The actual possession of it, derived to them from Christ [Of this, also, the Apostle speaks strongly, in the preceding context: "He that hath the Son, hath life: and he that hath not the Son of God, hath not life:" that is, life is the exclusive possession of the believing soul. This is no less. plainly affirmed by our Lord himself: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my words, and believeth in Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto lifeh." Whatever is comprehended in all the glory and felicity of heaven, is now begun in the believer's soul: " He has the witness of it in himselfi," yea, and "the earnest" and foretaste of it. In fact, as an embryo in the womb has all the parts of which manhood is the perfection, so grace is glory begun; and glory is grace consummated.] But the Scriptures are of yet further use to believers, II. To confirm and augment their affiance in himIt is necessary that they should grow in faith, as well as in every other grace'. The faith of all should daily become, 1. More simple in its exercise 66 [The world at large have very little idea how difficult it is to exercise a pure "unfeigned faith." It is easy to say, ' I believe:' but to renounce all confidence in the flesh" is inconceivably difficult. A stone does not more naturally fall to the ground, than we cleave to our own wisdom, strength, and righteousness, as grounds of hope, and sources of acceptance before God. To derive all from the Lord Jesus Christ, and depend on Him alone, as an infant on its mother's care, is the very summit of Christian perfection. And where is the person that has attained to it? But, to aid us in this attainment, the Holy Scriptures are of wonderful use: they shew us the fulness that is in Christ, and the emptiness of the creature, that |