they fhould leap at once to the middle, much less to the highest round of that ladder; but if the foot of it is upon earth, in the very nature of things, the loweft ftep is within their reach, and by laying hold of it, they may go on from faith to faith, till they ftand firm even in the Chriftian faith; if diftin guishing grace has elected them to hear the Chrif tian gofpel.

SECTION II.

Truth cordially embraced by faith, faves under every dif penfation of divine grace, though in different degrees. A fhort view of the truths that characterize the four grand difpenfations of the everlasting gofpel.

FA

'AITH is more or lefs operative according to the quality of the truths which it embraces. This obfervation recommends itself to reason: for, as fome wines are more generous, and fome remedies more powerful; fo fome truths are more reviving and fanctifying than others. But every evangelical truth, being a beam of the Sun of Righteoufnefs rifen upon us with healing in his wings, is of a SAVING nature; the SAVING grace of God, which has appeared unto all men, teaching us to deny ungodlinefs, &c. and to live foberly, &c. Thus I am faved from ATHEISM, by heartily believing, there is a God, who will judge the world:-from PHARISAISM, by firmly believing, that I am a miserable finner, and that without Chrift I can do nothing-from SADDUCEISM, by truly believing, that the SPIRIT ITSELF helpeth my infirmities:-from ANTINOMIANISM, by cordially believing. that God is not a refpecter of perfons, but a rewarder of them that diligently feek him, and a punifher of all that prefumptuously break his commandments;-and from DESPAIR, by fteadily believing, that God is love, that he fent his only begotten Son into the world to fave that which

was loft, and that I have an advocate with the Father Jefus Chrift the righteous.

Hence it appears: (1.) That every religious truth fuitable to our prefent circumftances [when it is kindly prefented by free grace, and affectionately embraced by prevented free-will] inftantly forms, according to its degree, the faving, operative faith, that converts, transforms, and renews the foul. And (2.) That this faith is more or less operative according to the quality of the truth prefented to us; according to the power, with which the spirit of grace impreffes it upon our hearts; and according to the earneftnefs, with which we receive, espouse, and welcome it to our inmost fouls.

When God fixed the bounds of the habitation of mankind, he placed fome nations in warm climates and fruitful countries, where the juice of the grape is plentiful. And to others he affigned a barren, rocky foil covered with fnow half the year: water is their cordial, nor have they any more idea of their want of wine, than St. Peter had of his want of the blood of Chrift, when he made the noble confeffion upon which the Chriftian church is founded. Oh, fays a Predeftinarian geographer, the God of providence has abfolutely reprobated thofe " poor creatures." Not fo, replies an unprejudiced philofopher; they may be as healthy and as happy over their cup of cold water, as fome of our men of fortune are over their bottles of claret and madeira. And fome of

those " poor creatures," as you call them, may come from the caft and from the weft, to drink the wine of the kingdom of God with Abraham, when the children of the kingdom fhall be thrust out.

What I have faid of water and wine, may illustrate what the scriptures fay of the truths peculiar to the gofpel-difpenfations. God forbid, that an antichriftian zeal for the Chriftian gospel fhould make me drive into the burning lake Chrift's fheep, which are big with young. I mean the fincere worshippers, that wait like pious Melchifedec, devout Lydia, and charita

ble

ble Cornelius, for brighter difplays of gospel-grace: for, there are faithful fouls, that follow their light under every difpenfation, concerning whom our Lord kindly faid, Other sheep I have, which are not of this Jewish and Chriftian fold. Them alfo I muft bring into marvellous light, and there fhall be one fold and one fhepherd. Those feeble sheep, and tender lambs I must take into my bosom; and to give them their portion of meat in due feafon, I venture upon the following remark.

If free-will prevented by free-grace ardently receives the truths of the Chriftian gofpel, Chriftian faith is conceived. If the heart fervently embraces the truths of the Jewish or Gentile-gofpel; [thofe which are peculiar to the Chriftian golpel remaining as yet veiled] the faith of a Jew, or of an Heathen is begotten. Nevertheless if this faith, let it be ever fo affaulted by doubts, works by love, it is faving in its degree.

I fay in its degree; for as there are in the earth various rich tinctures, fome of which form diamonds, while others form only rubies, emeralds, or agates: so there are in the universal church of Christ, various tinctures of gofpel-truth, which form various orders of spiritual jewels, as appears from fuch fcriptures as these. They that feared the Lord fpake often one to another and they fhall be mine, faith the Lord of hofts, in that day when I make up my jewels. For in every nation he that feareth God, and worketh righteoufnefs is accepted of him according to the dispensation he is under, and the progrefs he has made in practical religion.

This gofpel, for example, "God hath made of one blood all nations of men, that they fhould feek the Lord as the gracious Author of their being, and love one another as brothers"-this everlafting gofpel, I fay, has in all countries leavened the hearts of pious Heathens. This doctrine, "Meffiah will come to point out clearly the way of falvation," added to the gospel of the Gentiles, has tinctured with fuperior goodness

the

the heart of believing Jews. This truth, "Meffiah is come in the flesh," fuperadded to the Jewish gofpel, has enlarged the heart of all the difciples of John, or the babes in Chrift. And these truths, 'Chrift died for my fins and rose again for my juf'tification: he is afcended up on high: he has re'ceived the gift of the Spirit for men-for me. I 'believe on him by the power of that spirit. He 'dwells in my heart by faith. He is in me the hope of glory. The promife of the Father is ful'filled: the kingdom of God, [righteousness, peace, ' and joy in the Holy Ghoft] is come with power :' -these richer truths, I fay, fuperadded to those, which are effential to the inferior difpenfations, tincture the hearts of all adult Chriftians, and make them more or lefs intimately one with Chrift, according to the degree of their faith, and the influences of his Spirit.

Saving Faith is more particularly defcribed by its rife and operations; and diftinguished from the faith of trembling devils, immoral Antinomians, penitents fold under fin, and modifh profeffors, who believe without frame and feeling.

F we affent to a religious truth, merely because we

ing to shake it off, wifhing it were a lie, and fretting because we cannot make it fo; we have the faith of devils for devils believe and tremble; the force of the awful truths, which they cannot deny, giving them a foretaste of infernal torments.

The faith of immoral profeffors is not much better than the faith of Satan. Two or three comparifons may help us to understand this mystery of iniquity.

L

When

When a perfon vifits you, you may either receive him with cold civility, as a ftranger; or embrace him with warm affection as a friend. From fecret motives you may even fhow a peculiar regard to a man, whom you fecretly defpife or deteft. He has a good voice, you love music, and he minifters to your amusement: perhaps you want him to cloke the fin of his Bathsheba; perhaps you are a party-man; he is a proper tool for you; and therefore you make much of him. But while your regard for him springs merely from fuch external circumstances, can it ever be fincere? Equally ungenerous is the regard that Gallio and Fulfome have for the truth. Gallio holds faft the doctrine of general redemption, becaufe he fondly fuppofes, that he has only to avoid robbery and murder to go to heaven: Fulfome extols "ever lafting love," but it is because he thinks, that it gives him the liberty of loving the world, without the leaft danger of lofing God's eternal favour. He embraces juftification by faith alone;" but it is because he confounds the works of faith and the works of the law, and vainly hopes to be finally juftified without either. He fhouts "free grace" for ever, because it enfures, as he thinks, his eternal falvation, whatever length he may go in fin. I queftion if an Indian warrior is fonder of the fcalp of an Englishman, than Gallio is of the doctrine of "God's mercy" feparated from God's holiness and juftice; or Fulfome, of the doctrine of "Chrift's merits," torn away from the evangelical worthiness of fincere obedience.

The foaring faith of an immoral Antinomian is inferior to the abortive faith of an imperfect penitent, whom St. Paul describes in his own perfon, Rom. vii. We approve the revealed will of God, and delight in his law after the inward man. But we cannot yet give up our bofom-fin; carnal reason and the flesh prevail ftill against the spirit, though not without a ftruggle; unbelief and abortive faith (if I may ule the expreffion) wrestling in our distracted breasts,

as