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LIFE OF FAITH.

THE persons for whose use this little tract is drawn up, are supposed to be practically acquainted with these following truths:-They have been convinced of sin, and convinced of righteousness. The word of God has been made effectual, by the application of the Holy Spirit, to teach them the nature of the divine law; and upon comparing their hearts and their lives with it, they have been brought in guilty. They found themselves fallen creatures, and they felt the sad consequences of the fall; namely, total ignorance in the understanding of God and his ways, an open rebellion against him in the will, and an entire enmity in the heart; a life spent in the service of the world, the flesh, and the devil: and on all these accounts, guilty before God, and by nature children of wrath. When they were convinced of those truths in their judgments, and the awakened conscience sought for ease and deliverance, then they found they were helpless and without strength; they could take no step, nor do any thing which could in

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the least save them from their sins. Whatever method they thought of, it failed them upon trial, and left conscience more uneasy than before. they purpose to repent?-they found such a repentance as God would be pleased with, was the gift of Christ. He was exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance. Suppose they thought of reforming their lives, yet what is to become of their old sins? Will present obedience, if it could be perfectly paid, make any atonement for past disobedience? Will the broken law take part of our duty for the whole ? No: It has determined, that whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. And let him be ever so careful in doing what the law requires, or in avoiding what the law forbids; let him fast, and pray, and give alms; hear and read the word; be early and late at ordinances, yet the enlightened conscience cannot be herewith satisfied: because, by these duties, he cannot undo the sin committed, and because he will find so many failings in them, that they will be still adding to his guilt, and increasing his misery. The more

What method then shall he take? he strives to make himself better, the worse he finds himself: he sees the pollution of sin greater; he discovers more of his guilt; he finds in himself a want of all good, and an inclination to all evil; he is now convinced that the law is holy, just, and good, but when he would keep it, evil is present with him. This makes him deeply sensible of his guilty, helpless state, and shows him, that by the works of the law he cannot be saved. His heart, like a fountain, is continually sending forth evil thoughts; yea, the

very imaginations of it are only and altogether evil, and words and works partake of the nature of that evil fountain from whence they flow; so that after all his efforts, he cannot quiet his conscience, nor obtain peace with God.

The law having done its office as a schoolmaster, by convincing him of these truths, stops his mouth, that he has not a word to say, why sentence should not be passed upon him. And there it leaves him, guilty and helpless. It can do nothing more for him, than show him that he is a child of wrath, and that he deserves to have the wrath of God abiding upon him for ever; for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

The gospel finds him in this condition, as the good Samaritan did the wounded traveller, and brings him good news. It discovers to him the way of salvation, contrived in the covenant of grace, and manifests to him what the ever-blessed Trinity had therein purposed, and what in the fulness of time was accomplished. That all the perfections of the Godhead might be infinitely and everlastingly glorified, the Father covenanted to gain honour and dignity to his law and justice, to his faithfulness and holiness, by insisting upon man's appearing at his bar in the perfect righteousness of the law. But man having no such righteousness of his own, all having sinned, and there being none righteous, no, not one! how can he be saved? The Lord Christ, a person in the Godhead, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father, undertook to be his Saviour; he covenanted to stand up as the head and surety of his people, in their nature and in their stead, to obey for them, that by his infinitely precious obedience many might be made

righteous, and to suffer for them, that by his everlasting meritorious stripes they might be healed. Accordingly, in the fulness of time, he came into the world, and was made flesh; and God and man being as truly united in one person, as the reasonable soul and flesh in one man, this adorable person lived, and suffered, and died, as the representative of his people. The righteousness of his life was to be their right and title to life, and the righteousness of his sufferings and death was to save them from all the sufferings due to their sins. And thus the law and justice of the Father would be glorified in pardoning them, and his faithfulness and holiness made honourable in saving them he might be strictly just, and yet justifier of him who believeth in Jesus.

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In this covenant, the Holy Spirit, a person coequal and co-eternal with the Father and the Son, undertook the gracious office of quickening and convincing sinners in their consciences, how guilty they were, and how much they wanted a Saviour; and'in their judgments, how able he was to save all that come unto God through him; and in their hearts to receive him, and to believe unto righteousness; and then in their walk and conversation, to live upon his grace and strength. His office is thus described by our blessed Lord, in John xvi. 13, 14. "When the Spirit of truth is come, he shall glorify me; for he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you:" that is, when he comes to convince sinners of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment, he takes of the things of Christ, and glorifies him by showing them what a fulness there is in him to save. leads them into all necessary truth in their judg

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ments, both concerning their own sinfulness, guilt, and helplessness, and also concerning the almighty power of the God-man, and his lawful authority to make use of it for their salvation. He opens their understandings to comprehend the covenant of grace, and the offices of the eternal Trinity in this covenant, particularly the office of the sinner's surety, the Lord Christ; and he convinces them that there is righteousness and strength, comfort and rejoicing, grace for grace, holiness and glory, yea, treasures infinite, everlasting treasures of these in Christ; and hereby he draws out their affections after Christ, and enables them, with the heart, to believe in him. unto righteousness. And the Holy Spirit, having thus brought them to the happy knowledge of their union with Christ, afterwards glorifies him in their walk and conversation, by teaching them how to live by faith upon his fulness, and to be continually receiving out of it grace for grace, according to their continual needs.

The corruption of our nature by the fall, and our recovery through Jesus Christ, are the two leading truths in the Christian religion, and I suppose the persons for whose sake this little tract is drawn up, not only to know them, but also to be established in them, steadfastly to believe, and deeply to experience them. The necessity of their being well grounded in them, is very evident; for a sinner will never seek after, nor desire Christ, farther than he feels his guilt and his misery; nor will he receive Christ by faith, till all other methods of saving himself fail; nor will he live upon Christ's fulness, farther than he has an abiding sense of his own want of him.