senses or faculties. Faith is that divine evidence whereby the spiritual man discerneth God and the things of God. It is with regard to the spiritual world what sense is with regard to the natural. It is the spiritual sensation of every soul that is born of God.

Faith, according to the Scriptural account, is the eye of the new-born soul. Hereby every true believer in God "seeth Him who is invisible." Hereby (in a more particular manner, since life and immortality have been brought to light by the gospel) he "seeth the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ ;" and "beholdeth what manner of love it is which the Father hath bestowed upon us that we (who are born of the Spirit) should be called the sons of God."

It is the ear of the soul, whereby a sinner "hears the voice of the Son of God and lives;" even that voice which alone wakes the dead: 66 Son, thy sins are forgiven thee." It is (if I may be allowed the expression) the palate of the soul for hereby a believer "tastes the good word, and the powers of the world to come;" and hereby he both tastes and sees that "God is gracious, yea, and merciful to him a sinner."

It is the feeling of the soul, whereby a believer perceives, through "the power of the Highest overshadowing him," both the existence and the presence of Him in whom "he lives, moves, and has his being ;" and indeed the whole invisible world, the entire system of things eternal. And hereby, in particular, he feels "the love of God shed abroad in his heart."

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By this faith we are saved" from all uneasiness of mind, from the anguish of a wounded spirit, from discontent, from fear and sorrow of heart, and from that inexpressible listlessness and weariness, both of the world and of ourselves, which we had so helplessly laboured under for many years; especially when we were out of the

hurry of the world, and sunk into calm reflection. In this we find that love of God and of all mankind which we had elsewhere sought in vain. This, we know and feel, and therefore cannot but declare, saves every one that partakes of it both from sin and misery, from every unhappy and every unholy temper.

"Soft peace she brings wherever she arrives,

She builds our quiet as she forms our lives;

Lays the rough paths of peevish nature even,
And opens in each breast a little heaven."

་ ་ ་

If you ask, "Why then have not all men this faith? All at least who conceive it to be so happy a thing? Why do they not believe immediately?"

We answer, (on the Scripture hypothesis,) "It is the gift of God." No man is able to work it in himself. It is the work of Omnipotence. It requires no less power thus to quicken a dead soul than to raise a body that lies in the grave. It is a new creation, and none can create a soul anew but He who at first created the heavens and the earth.

May not your own experience teach you this? Can you give yourself this faith? Is it now in your power to see, or hear, or taste, or feel God? Have you already, or can you raise in yourself, any perception of God, or of an invisible world? I suppose you do not deny that there is an invisible world: you will not charge it in poor old Hesiod to Christian prejudice of education when he says in those well known words,

"Millions of unseen creatures walk the earth
Unseen, whether we wake or if we sleep."

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Now is there any power in your soul whereby you cern either these, or Him that created them? Or can all your wisdom and strength open an intercourse between yourself and the world of spirits? Is it in your power to

burst the veil that is on your heart, and let in the light of eternity? You know it is not, You not only do not, but cannot (by your own strength) thus believe. The more you labour so to do, the more you will be convinced "it is the gift of God."

It is the free gift of God, which he bestows not on those who are worthy of his favour, not on such as are previously holy, and so fit to be crowned with all the blessings of his goodness: but on the ungodly and unholy: on those who till that hour were fit only for everlasting destruction : those in whom was no good thing, and whose only plea was, "God be. merciful to me a sinner." No merit, no goodness in man precedes the forgiving love of God. His pardoning mercy supposes nothing in us but a sense of mere sin and misery and to all who see and feel, and own their wants, and their utter inability to remove them, God freely gives faith, for the sake of Him "in whom he is always well pleased."-Works, vol. v, pp. 6, 7.

SECTION II.

Its several Kinds.

THE lowest sort of faith, if it be any faith at all, is that of a materialist: a man who, like the late Lord Kaimes, believes there is nothing but matter in the universe. I say, if it be any faith at all; for, properly speaking, it is not. It is not 66 an evidence or conviction of God," for they do not believe there is any neither is it " a conviction of things not seen;" for they deny the existence of such. Or if, for decency's sake, they allow there is a God, yet they suppose even him to be material. For one of their maxims is, "Jupiter est quodcunque vides." Whatever you see, is God." Whatever you see! A visible, tangible god! Excellent divinity! Exquisite nonsense! The second sort of faith, if you allow a materialist to

have any, is the faith of a deist. I mean, one who believes there is a God, distinct from matter; but does not believe the Bible. Of these we may observe two sorts: one sort are mere beasts in human shape, wholly under the power of the basest passions, and having "a downright appetite to mix with mud." Other deists are, in most respects, ' rational creatures, though unhappily prejudiced against Christianity. Most of these believe the being and attributes of God: they believe that God made and governs the world; and that the soul does not die with the body, but will remain for ever in a state of happiness or misery.

The next sort of faith is the faith of heathens, with which I join that of Mohammedans. I cannot but prefer this before the faith of the deists: because, though it embraces nearly the same objects, yet they are rather to be pitied than blamed for the narrowness of their faith. And their not believing the whole truth is not owing to want of sincerity, but merely to want of light. When one asked Chicali, an old Indian chief, "Why do not you, red men, know as much as us white men ?" he readily answered, "Because you have the Great Word, and we have not."

It cannot be doubted but this plea will avail for millions of modern heathens. Inasmuch as to them little is given, of them little will be required. As to the ancient heathens, millions of them likewise were savages. No more, therefore, will be expected of them than the living up to the light they had. But many of them, especially in the civilized nations, we have great reason to hope, although they lived among heathens, yet were quite of another spirit; being taught of God, by his inward voice, all the essentials. of true religion. Yea, and so was that Mohammedan, an Arabian, who, a century or two ago, wrote the life of Hai Ebn Yokdan. The story seems to be feigned; but it contains all the principles of pure religion and undefiled.

But, in general, we may surely place the faith of a Jew

above that of a heathen or Mohammedan. By Jewish faith I mean, the faith of those who lived between the giving of the law and the coming of Christ. These, that is those that were serious and sincere among them, believed all that is written in the Old Testament. In particular they believed that, in the fulness of time, Messiah would appear "to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, and bring in everlasting righteousness."

It is not so easy to pass any judgment concerning the faith of our modern Jews. It is plain "the veil is still upon their hearts," when Moses and the prophets are read. The god of this world still hardens their hearts, and still blinds their eyes, "lest at any time the light of the glorious gospel" should break in upon them. So that we may say of this people, as the Holy Ghost said to their forefathers, "The heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and should be converted, and I should heal them," Acts xxviii, 27. Yet it is not our part to pass sentence upon them, but to leave them to their own Master.

I need not dwell upon the faith of John the Baptist, any more than the dispensation which he was under; because these, as Mr. Fletcher well describes them, were peculiar to himself. Setting him aside, the faith of the Roman Catholics in general seems to be above that of the ancient Jews. If most of these are volunteers in faith, believing more than God has revealed, it cannot be denied that they believe all which God has revealed as necessary to salvation. In this we rejoice on their behalf: we are glad that none of those new articles which they added at the council of Trent to "the faith once delivered to the saints," does so materially contradict any of the ancient articles as to render them of no effect.