MED. evident to need any illustration.—The X. grand principle of all moral duty is Faith. "Without faith, it is impos

"sible to please God *." "It was the "faith of Moses that made him de

spise the riches of Egypt, the faith "of Joshua that made him valiant; "the faith of Joseph that made him "chaste; Abraham's faith made him "obedient; Mary Magdalene's faith "made her penitent; and the faith of "St. Paul made him travel so far, and "suffer so much, till he became a pro

digy both of faith and patience. "Faith is a Catholicon [an universal remedy] and cures all the distem"peratures of the soul; it overcomes "the world, saith St. John; it works righteousness, says St. Paul; it purifies the heart, says St. Peter; it works miracles, says our blessed Saviour; "miracles in grace always, as it did "miracles in nature at its first publica,

*Heb. xi. 6,

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"tion; and whatsoever is good, if it MED. “be a grace, it is an act of faith; if "it be a reward, it is a fruit of faith; 66 so that as all the actions of man, are "but the productions of the soul, so 66 are all the actions of the new man "the effects of faith. For faith is the "life of christianity, and a good life is "the life of faith*.

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This is plain instruction, and as impressive as it is plain. But though old in age, to many of us it is new in plication. We have been accustomed perhaps to think slightly and erroneously of faith-to call it an unproductive principle--and to say can faith save us? Can the bare belief of any man, or any circumstance, however supernatural, entitle us to an everlasting reward in a future world? Can even the knowledge of one whom the Scriptures describes as the Son of God, as well as the Son of man, and acquaint us that

*Bp. Taylor's great Examples, p. 235.

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MED. he appeared on earth, and suffered an ignominious death to rescue perishing sinners from eternal destruction, can this knowledge, simply communicated and even implicitly believed, have any sensible effect on our future destination?-By no means. They have a very inadequate apprehension of the nature of faith who think so: and they wilfully mis-represent a principle which accords not with the indulgence of their vicious propensities. True faith is more comprehensive; it embraces the whole range of human life. By faith only are you saved through Christ; but many have believed in the existence and history of Christ, who yet have perished. You must go further, my friends, to reap the whole benefit of faith. You must obey, as well as believe. Not that you are saved by works, but by faith productive of good works. You must be sensible of a personal interest in your Saviour, and in all that he did and suffered for you. You are saved

X.

by faith only, because Christ died for MED. you while you were yet sinners. You had not only done nothing to entitle you to reward, but you had done much, you had done all, to deserve punishment. In this interval of awful suspence, mercy rejoiced against judgement, and Christ died for the ungodly. But as the merits of Christ's death cannot be imputed to the impenitent, before it will be effectual to your final salvation, you must bring your faith to the touchstone of obedience; or rather, you must examine, with the most penetrating eye, whether the good deeds which you present before men are the legitimate offspring, and genuine fruits of the Holy Spirit of God.-Here, and here only, and they who "keep the "commanduents of God and the faith " of Jesus." This character must be united in the Christian. So invaluable is faith, and so inalienable from the life

* Rev, xiv. 12.

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us,

MED. of the Gospel, that the great St. Paul requests the prayers of his converts that, "he might be delivered from unrea❝sonable and wicked men: for all men "have not faith*:" all such men are indeed void of that holy principle which bringeth forth fruit unto everlasting life. "Every vice that rules among and sullies the fair beauties of our "souls is a conviction of infidelity." Lord!-increase my faith! and deliver me from all the dangers of infidelity. Purify my heart by thy Spirit, that it may not be hardened against thy word, but may evermore be nourished with that holy bread and living water, which may infuse into me a new principle of life. Strengthen in

me that which is weak, and add to me "that which is wanting." Improve in me this moment of devout meditation, and let all the powers both of mind and body rest wholly upon Thee. I

* 2 Thess. iii. 2.