*

work of grace, St. Peter speaks, and with the certain prospect of this, animates and encourages us in our christian course, in his first epistle, "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end, for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." To the same purpose does the Apostle Paul, in the verse preceding our text, declare the great end proposed in the plan of redeeming mercy. And the consummation of that plan in the glorification of each believer in Jesus, he designates by the very term grace: hereby denoting that to this, and to this only, in its final completion, not less than in its earliest commencement, and in every intermediate stage of it, the great work of our salvation is to be attributed. "That in the ages to come" (even throughout a never-ending eternity) "he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus, for by grace are ye saved." "What" says the apostolical

* Ch. i. v. 13.

Leighton, "are preventing grace, assisting grace, working and co-working grace, (as we admit their differences in a sound sense) but divers names of the same effectual saving grace in relation to our different estate? As the same sea receives different names from the different parts of the shore it beats upon."* They are in fact but as so many streams issuing from the same fountain-the rich super-abounding grace of Jehovah displaying itself towards sinners in a variety of ways, and adapting itself to the circumstances and exigences of our fallen nature.

2. But that which is ascribed to grace in one sense, is attributed to faith in another; "by grace ye are saved, through faith"--that is, by grace originally and meritoriously, through faith intermediately and instrumentally. Salvation which originates in grace as its source and cause, is effected through faith, as the medium of its conveyance, the mode of its accomplishment, the means of its application.

* Leighton on St. Peter, ch. i. v. 2.

Reflect now my brethren on the blessings of redemption; let them pass one by one in review before you; take into the account, reconciliation with God, conformity to the image of Christ, peace, holiness and adoption—whatever, in fact, the Father hath promised, or the Saviour hath purchased by his death, or the Holy Spirit hath engaged to perform. These are but so many emanations of divine goodness, and streams of mercy proceeding from his own free grace and covenant love, and flowing on to an interminable sea of heavenly bliss and glory: and they are all to be obtained and enjoyed by ourselves through believing. By faith we gain access to this boundless plenitude of grace; by faith we obtain a personal interest therein; by faith we apply it to our own use, and enter into the full possession and enjoyment of it. That salvation, therefore, which is by grace, as far as concerns any personal benefit of it to ourselves, entirely depends on our believing. If it be asked, who are they that are justified from all things? The scriptures declare

If

"All that believe are justified."* Christ is the wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption of his peopleHe is made such of God unto them that believe. His righteousness is denominated "the righteousness which is of God by faith." He sanctifies their hearts by faith-Whosoever believeth shall not perish. "He that seeth the Son and believeth on him that sent him hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life." "O taste and see how gracious the Lord is: blessed is the man that trusteth in him." ¶ O my brethren, of what unspeakable importance is faith, and how deeply interesting the enquiry-wherein does it consist, and how may it be obtained? Faith is the submission of the heart to the testimony of God; it is the dependence of the truly convinced and penitent soul on Christ, to be saved entirely by free grace: and this precious grace of faith, like every good and perfect

*Acts xiii. 39. † Rom. iii. 22 § John v. 24. Ps. xxxiv 8. ¶ Vide Note at the end of this sermon.

gift cometh from above, and by fervent prayer must be sought for from the Father of lights. This is not a natural principle, or any way within the compass of human powers or capacities: it is, as our text declares, not of ourselves, but the gift of God. Indeed "all things are of God;' and this leads me to remark generally,

3. That He is the divine author of salvation: the grace, the salvation and the faith, are all his own, and are never any otherwise to be obtained than as his free and unmerited gift. To each partaker of this grace, it may be said-What hast thou thou didst not receive? Every good gift is from God. He hath given us his dear Son; He hath promised the Holy Spirit to them that ask for it; Jesus is exalted to give repentance, and faith, and every grace; the gift of God is eternal life in Him: and, in a word, "he that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not, with him also freely give us all things?"* The testi

* 1 Rom. viii. 32.