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for our fins. The grace of the gofpel is fummed up in this, that "God was in Chrift reconciling the world unto himself." Here then, reader, is the divine remedy, propofed in every page of the bleffed gofpel. Behold the Lamb of God, which

taketh away the fin of the world."

Those who deny the doctrine of reconciliation, as has been justly observed by a judicious writer, are at once enemies to the falvation of men, to the honour of Christ, and to the glory of God. From men they take away, as far as lies in their power, all ground of hope, of peace, and of happiness; from Chrift, his office and honour; and from God, his grace and glory. Let fuch go with their fophisms to men who were never burdened with a fense of guilt, who never were awakened to just apprehenfions of divine wrath on account of their offences, who never trembled at God's threatening word, and the fentence of his righteous law, who never cried out in the bitterness and anguish of their fouls," What muft I do to be faved? Wherewith fhall I come before the Lord, and bow before the high God?" They may perhaps hearken to the fine things which may be faid to them, about recommending themselves to the favour of God by virtue, probity, and a benevolent temper. They have no need of the phyfician, for they are not

fick. They have no need of healing, for they are not broken in heart. But those who are ready to perish, like the Ifraelites ftung by the fiery flying ferpents, and on the point of expiring under the deadly wound, see the need of that remedy which God has provided.

Sinner, beware, if any thing but the blood of the cross give ease to thy guilty confcience, it is but like an opiate, which may stupify for a short season, but will not work a cure.

Hence the neceffity of a living faith in the divine Redeemer, in order to the enjoyment of God's favour. Faith is that gracious power of the mind, whereby it firmly believes what is revealed, upon the fole authority of God the revealer, as the fountain of all truth. As the human mind acts naturally by its reason, in receiving those truths which are natural and fuited to its capacity; fo when renewed through the power of the Spirit, it acts spiritually by faith, in receiving truths which are spiritual and fupernatural. Believing confifts not in a mere affent to the truth of the objects, but in fuch a reception of them, as gives them a real fubfiftence in the foul. And it is this in-being of the things believed which produces the immediate effects of a living faith; namely, love, joy, peace,

No. XVI. 2.

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and

and spiritual obedience to the divine commands. *

This diftinguishes the faith of the operation of God from every other kind of faith. The temporary perfuafions of fome men give no fubfiftence

to

*The apostle to the Hebrews tells us, that faith is Ελπιζομένων υποςασις, the fubftance or fubfiftence of things hoped for; fuch a firm perfuafion of the truth. believed, as gives it a kind of subsistence in the mind. Hence the truth is faid to dwell in the man who rightly understands and receives it; and Chrift dwells in his heart by faith. The fame word vnosaois is rendered confidence, in Heb. iii. 14. The objects believed, the things hoped for, have a fubfiftence in the mind of the believer, and abide in him in their power and efficacy, so as to answer all the ends of his spiritual life; to purify his heart, and to change and transform his whole foul into the image of God.

Faith, in the farther defcription of it, is faid to be λyxos, the demonftrating or convincing evidence of things not feen. It is fuch a demonftration of them as carries with it a confutation of all objections against their real existence. By "things not feen," we are to understand all those things which, though not proposed to our outward fenfes, ought to influence our conftancy and perfeverance in the ways of religion; namely, God himself; his eternal existence; the adorable perfections of his nature; the perfon, atonement and grace of Chrift; together with all spiritual, heavenly and eternal things, which God has

pro

to the things believed in their minds, fo as to be productive of proper effects. There is no real image or reflection of the things they profess to believe made upon their fouls. The death of Chrift, for infance, or Chrift crucified, is proposed to our faith in the bleffed gospel. The

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proper effect

of

promised in his word, but which are not yet actually enjoyed. It hath been obferved by many learned men, that the word ɛɛyxos, used by the apostle, and tranflated evidence, fignifies a ftrict proof, or demonstration; it is fuch a kind of evidence as both convinces the understanding, and engages a man to at according to that conviction. Dr. Doddridge's paraphrafe on the latter claufe of the verse in queftion, is very juft: Faith is the powerful conviction of things which are not feen, but of the certainty and importance of which there is such a full perfuafion, that they act upon the mind, in a great measure, as if they were present.?'

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This definition of faith is general, and relates to its efficacy through the whole of our chriftian course, as is evident from the inftances produced, to exemplify it, in the following parts of the chapter. It defcribes the faith by which a just man lives and walks, by which he overcomes all enemies, all difficulties, and all oppofition in his way to the kingdom. But that particular notion of faith which relates to a finner's looking to Jefus for the remiffion of his fins, the juftification of his perfon, and his acceptance with God, is certainly included. See Hebrews xi. 1.

、.

of true faith in this object, is to destroy fin, to crucify, or to mortify it in us. But where it is only apprehended by a fuperficial or temporary faith, this effect will not be produced in the soul. Sin will retain its dominion, notwithstanding the profeffion which the man makes of faith in Chrift. He only who believes in Jefus with the heart unto righteousness, becomes dead to fin, so as not to live any longer therein. He receives the word of promise, revealing Chrift and his atonement, fo as to give it a real admittance into his mind and heart, to abide and dwell there, as in its proper place. It is in him the ingrafted word which is able to fave the foul. Or, to use another allufion, it transforms his whole mind into a new state, as the form of wax is changed by the impreffion of a feal into the image of the feal itself. Chrift crucified, we have faid, is the principal subject of the gofpel. He himself tells us, that he is the bread that came down from heaven; that his flesh is meat indeed, and his blood drink indeed. Faith is the eating of this provision. As, in eating, the food is received, and by digeftion turned into the very substance of the body, fo the divine word is received by faith, and having a fubfiftence in the foul, produceth the happy fruits of righteousness; for the truth "worketh effectually in them that believe."

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