our Faith is fuch as the Gospel requires; i. e. whe ther we believe to the Saving of the Soul.-In this Matter the Scriptures are our only safe Guide; and they declare that a faving Faith has, among others, thefe two remarkable Properties; that it purifies the Heart, and overcomes the World.- A faving Faith purifies the Heart. A true Believer knows that his Sins are pardoned by the Death of Chrift, and that he is brought into a State of Salvation. At the fame Time he is deeply fenfible of a Law within him, that endeavours to bring him into his former State of Bondage, even into Captivity to the Law of Sin; and from which he has no Affurance of being preferved, but by a circumfpect Walk with. God, and trusting to the Promifes of the Covenant of Grace. When he looks into his Heart, he finds nothing but Weakness and Corruption; no Ability to help himself, tho' he is furrounded and affaulted by dangerous and powerful Enemies, and has a Traitor within, ready and defirous to deliver him into their Hands. When he confiders the Promises of the Covenant, he fees that "the Grace of God "is fufficient for him ;" and that whatever he afks in Chrift's Name, believing, he fhall receive. This emboldens him to apply to the Throne of Grace, for Grace to help in every Time of Need. And, to his unfpeakable Comfort, he experiences the Fidelity of God in his Promifes; for according to his Faith, fo is it done unto him. He receives Strength from above, by Means of which he grows in Grace, and the Corruptions of his Heart decrease. Hence it is that a faving Faith purifies the Heart.

2. A faving Faith overcomes the World. The true Believer heartily and gratefully trufts to the Mercies of God in Jefus Chrift; and, to shew his Senfe of them, dedicates himself to God, to ferve him with a conftant and refolute Subjection, again Asatwoordy

all Oppofition whatsoever. He knows in whom he has believed; that, if he perfeveres unto the End, he fhall receive a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away. His Senfe of thefe Things is not a mere Notion, floating in his Head; but a firm Perfuafion, rooted in his Heart; and therefore influences his whole Conduct in Life. It is indeed the Hinge on which all his Actions turn. Oppofition from the World he knows he must expect; for "who** foever will lead a godly Life fhall fuffer Perfe**cution." He manifefts by his Conduct that he is not of the World, and therefore the World hates him. This is the true Caufe of thofe grofs Mifreprefentations of his Actions, thofe virulent Endea vours to leffen him in the Opinion of others. The Profpect of temporal Loffes cannot shake his Refofution; for, fhould he fuffer ever fo much in his temporal Circumftances, he knows he has an almighty Friend, who has promifed never to leave him nor forfake him. The Frowns, the Threats, or even the Malice of Relations, cannot alter his fettled Purpose; fince his Redeemer has declared, "If a Man loveth Father or Mother more than me, "he is not worthy of me." Nor can even the Smiles and Favours of the World allure him: He fees the dreadful Hook concealed under thefe delufive Baits, and therefore fhuns them, as S Snares intended to separate between him and his God. Thus by Faith he overcomes the World. The Hopes of Gain, or Expectation of Lofs; the Alluréments of the World, or its most virulent Oppofition the Smiles or Malice of Friends and Rela tions, move him not: He counts them all as Lofs and Dung, fo that he may win Chrift; and be found in him, not having his own Righteoufnefs, which will avail nothing, "but the Righteousness of Chrift," which will entitle him, thro' Grace,

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to eternal Glory. He looks for Happinefs, not to the Things which are feen, but to the Things which are not feen; for the Things which are feen are temporal, but the Things which are not feen are eternal.- -Happy are they who have this Faith; for to them are the Promifes fure. Happy are they who fincerely defire to have it, who hunger and thirst after Righteoufnefs; for they fhall be filled. Such only are in a State of Salvation: For they who are indifferent about thefe Things, who look upon them merely as Matters of Opinion, or who, feeing their Neceffity, do not purfue them as the one Thing needful, do not feek first the Kingdom of God and his Righteoufnefs; they have no Part nor Lot in this Matter. They may be infenfibly eafy under the Want of them, but their Cafe is dreadfully dangerous: For he that hath the Son hath Life; and he that hath not the Son hath not Life, but the Wrath of God abideth on him.

1

SERMON

V.

On JUSTIFICATION by FAITH only.

JOHN III. 14, 15.

As Mofes lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness; even fo must the Son of Man be lifted up. That whosoever believeth in him fhould not perish, but have eternal Life.

I

T has been proved that there is no Way of being faved but by believing in Jefus Chrift-that this Doctrine of Juftification by Faith only is taught in the Scriptures, by the established Church, and is abundantly confirmed by right Reafon-that a faving Faith is not a mere Affent to the Truths of the Gospel, but a Perfuafion wrought in the Heart by the Power of the Holy Ghoft; and is fo far from encouraging Licentioufnefs, that it is the Foundation of all Holiness in Heart and Life.--I come now to confider the Nature of that Salvation which God mercifully offers to Sinners. The Son of Man was lifted up, that whofoever believeth might not perish; and farther, that whofoever be lieveth might have eternal Life. So that Salvation confifts of two Parts: A Deliverance from Punishment, and a Title to eternal Life. And these are

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purchafed

purchased for all Believers by the Death and Obedience of Jefus Christ.

It was proved largely, that by Adam's Tranfgreffion all Mankind were brought under a Sentence of Condemnation. To this Sin of Adam we have added many actual Tranfgreffions, many grofs Violations of God's holy Law, to which he demanded an Obedience in Thought, Word, and Deed; and threatened a Curfe against every one that tranfgreffed it in the least Instance. Curfed is every

one that continueth not in all Things that are " written in the Book of the Law, to do them." And as the Sin of Adam, and each of our Offences, is a Sin against an infinite Being, it is impoffible we fhould be able to make Satisfaction to God for the Breach of his Law; and therefore all Mankind must have perished in their Sins, being fubject to the Curfe of God, without a Poffibility of efcaping, if God had not in infinite Mercy provided a Saviour, who should pay the Penalty due to their Difobedience. On this Account Chrift was made a Sacrifice for Sin-God hath made him to be Sin for us, who knew no Sin-Chrift died for Sinners-he himself bare our Sins in his own Body on the Tree

the Son of Man was lifted up, that believing Sinners might not perish. And thus Satisfaction was made to the offended Majefty of God, for the Tranfgreffion of his holy Laws by Sin.But by the Death of Chrift there was no Title made to eternal Life, there was only a Penalty paid for Difobedience. And, as the Ways of God are in ftri&eft Juice and Truth, it was necessary that a Purchafe fhould be made of eternal Life, before penitent Sinners could have any Claim to it. Now the Almighty, fpeaking of the Law, had declared, Whofoever doeth thefe Things fhall live by them." Whofoever performs all thefe Command's

fhall