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hotable inftances in the fcripture. John the Bapfift, whose business it was to make way for Chrift, and prepare finners for entertaining the call of the gofpel, begins his miniftry with conviction, with preaching of fin to his hearers. Repent, faith he, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. He fmartly rebukes fuch as came to him, and fully unfolds, to them their need of a Saviour. There were two forts of people that came to him, as we read in ili of Matthew. The ordinary fort of people, and the more refined fort, the Scribes and Pharifees; and he deals with them accordingly. The more grofs fort he directly preffes to repentance, in confideration of the approach of the gofpel. Their fins went beforehand into judgment. Matters of fact they could not deny; and therefore he diefes them to load their confciences with a fenfe of them. The more refined fort of finners he takes another way of dealing with; he calls them vipers, thereby pointing them full as bad, if not worfe than the common fort, and beats them from the ftrong holds they were wont to fhelter themfelves in from the ftorms of an awakened confcience: Think not to fay within yourfelves, We have Abraham to our father, etc. This was their ordinary relief; and this he, difcovers the vanity of, in order to prepare them for the entertainment of the gofpel. The fame courfe was followed by the apoftles, Acts ii.The fame method did our Lord ufe with the apostle Paul in Acts ix. and this method have we endeavoured to flow in dealing with you: we have laid fin before you; and it is for the fake of fuch as are convinced among you, that we have entered upon the confideration of this relief, that is only fuited to convinced finners: But, 2. In the words we may take notice of the" per

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perfons who propofe this relief to this awakened finner, viz. Paul and Silas. In reference to them there are only two things I obferve amongst many, the one, that they were perfons who had a commiffion from Chrift to preach the gofpel; the other, that they once had been in the fame cafe themselves: which two, when they meet in one, help to fit a man to be a complete minister; one who in his meafure will be capable to answer the character given of Chrift, that he had the tongue of the learned to speak a word in feafon to weary fouls.

3. We may take notice of the way wherein they propose this direction: and here it is remarkable, that they do it fpeedily, they do it plainly. No fooner is the queftion propofed, but it is anfwered. One would have thought, that it had been the apostles wifdom, to capitulate with him, and hold him in fufpence, till fuch time as he fhould engage to contribute for their efcape: but they would not do fo, but prefently offer him relief; having themselves been acquaint with the terrors of the Lord, they know how uneafy it would be for him to continue in that miferable. perplexity, nay, how cruel it would be not to do their utmoft for his fpeedy relief. They minded more the finner's eternal falvation, than their own temporal fafety. They had greater regard to the glory of Chrift, than to their own fafety. They were more concerned to fatisfy a poor convinced and dejected finner, than their own private grudges. And this they do, not by propofing the gofpel in fuch a dark and obfcure way as might a mufe and confound; but in fo fair and plain a way, as might be understood easily by the poor diftreffed man.

4. In the words we are to notice the direction itfelf, Believe on the Lord Jefus Chrift. In which again we are to obferve three things, the duty pointed to, the perfon whom it refpects, and the way how it refpects him. The duty pointed to, is, believe; that is, act faith upon, receive and reft upon Chrift, look unto him. All these words fignify exactly one and the fame thing, as we shall fee anon, if the Lord will. The perfon whom this faith refpects, is the Lord Jefus Chrift. Here we have a threefold title given to him. He is called the Lord, which points at his authority and domini on. He is Lord over all things and perfons, bee caufe he did create, and doth ftill uphold them; and he is fo in a peculiar manner, as he is the redeemer of the, church, for whofe behoof all things are put into his hands, he being made head over all things to the church. Again, he is called Jefus, to point at the defign of his lordship and dominion; as he is exalted to be a Prince, fo he is likewife to be a Saviour. Nay, the defign of his advancement to that dominion which belongs to him as mediator, is to fit him to be a Saviour which is the proper import of the name Jefus, ac cording to the fcripture account of it, Thou shalt call his name Jefus, because he fhall fave his peo ple from their fins, Matth. i. 21. In fine, he is called Christ, i. e. Anointed, because he is anointa ed, defigned, and furnished of God to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and remiffion of fins, Acts v. 31. The laft thing we did notice in the direction itself, is the nature of that respect. which this faith has to Chrift: it is not faid, Be lieve the Lord Jefus Chrift, but believe [on] him, or [in] him. It is not fimply to give credit to his word, and take as truth whatever he has faid; but

ir is to rely on him, to put our trust in him, as one that is able to fave fuch as come unto God through him.

In the words we are to obferve, the encouragement that is given, to engage to a compliancé with this direction: and this is twofold, particular, thou shalt be faved; and more general, and thy boule In the

Firt, We have two three things, worthy of our notice, (1.) The thing that is promifed, and that is falvation, the very thing that the man was feeking. (2.) The order in which it is to be had; believe in the Lord Jefus, and thou shalt be faved. (31)There is the certain connection, betwixt the one and the other; thou shalt be saved, if once thou believe. Where, by the by we cannot but take notice of the different influence of the Arminian doctrine of juftification, and that of the apofties doctrine, upon the comfort of awakened finners. Had Paul faid to him, Believe on the Lord Fefies; and if ye fhall hold out in faith to the end, then ye fhall be faved; if ye hold your will right, then all thall be well. If, I fay, the apostle had made his propofal fo, the poor man might have Hien ftill upon the ground, and trembled all his" days; fince this would have given him, at beft, but a may be, for his eternal falvation, and escapet from eternal mifery. But here there is a ground for present and abiding comfort; Believe on the Lord Jefus Chrift, and thou shalt be faved. The Second branch of the encouragement is general, and thy boufe thall be faved. Which is not fo to be understood, as if hereby it were promised that their falvation fhould abfolutely depend upon his belief: for his faith could not fave them; fince the fcripture is exprefs, that he that believeth not, eve

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ry particular perfon who doth not believe, shall be damned; and upon the other hand that every particular person that believes fhall be faved, tho' there should not one more believe. But the meaning of the words I fhall offer to you fhortly thus: when it is added, and thy houfe, this expreffion imports, (1.) That all his houfe had need of falvation, as well as himself. One might poffibly think, as for that rude fellow, who treated the fervants of Chrift fo ill, he has need to be faved; but his innocent children are guilty of nothing that can endanger their eternal happiness; but hereby the apostles intimate that they needed falvation as well as he. (2.) It imports the commonnels of this direction; as if the apoftles had faid, This direction is not fuch as is peculiar to fuch great, notorious, and flagitious finners as thou hast been; but it is the common road wherein others walk to ward happiness: there is one way for you and your. houfe to be faved in. (3.) It imports the extent of this remedy: as if they had faid, This is not only fufficient to reach and benefit you; but it is fuch as may reach all in your house, and they may have the fame advantage as ye may have. (4.) It imports the certainty of falvation to them upon the fame terms. As if the apostles had faid, And let thy houfe believe in the Lord Jefus Chrift, and they likewife fhall be faved. (5.) It imports this much, That hereby his family fhould obtain some special advantages in order to their fal

vation.

Now becaufe I defign not to fpeak any more of this part of the text, I fhall here mention fome of thefe advantages, which the jaylor's children or houfe had by his faith, and confequently which the children of every believer has by the faith of