1. Have you got a view of your loft ftate and condition. by nature, and fo of your abfolute need of Chrift, because of this fad ftate you were in? Have you feen that it was a destitute state, being without God, without Christ, without hope, without righteoufnefs, without pardon, peace, and life? A guilty ftate, wherein you lay open to God's everlafting wrath; a filthy, polluted ftate, wherein you found your heart a fink of fin and wickednefs; a wretched ftate, wherein you was out of all capacity to help yourself, and had no ability to come to Chrift for help? Have you got a particular afflictive view of all this? If not, then you have not yet believed this gofpel with application, That Chrift loved you, and gave himfelf for you: but, if you have, then the way is fo far paved.

2. Have you got a view and apprehenfion of the Saviour, and of his love and grace in doing and dying? For, it is he who fees the Son, that believeth on him. Have you got a clear view of him, as it were, with open face? 2 Cor. iii. 18. in the reality and glory of his perfon, natures, and offices, and commiffion to fave finners; and of his readinefs and ability to fave you!-Have you got a particular view of him to your own foul?Hath he been revealed not only to you, as a Saviour for finners, but in you, as a Saviour for you? Gal. i. 16. I fpeak now, not properly of the grounds of faith, but of the marks and evidences of faith.-Have you got a powerful view of him, fuch as hath drawn your heart to him? This is the true teaching of God, that caufes the foul come to Chrift, John vi. 44.

3. Have you, under the influence of this divine teaching and drawing, been made to receive Chrift Jefus the Lord, as held forth in the gofpel, fo as to lay your own particular falvation from fin and wrath over upon him? Have you been made to do this upon the warrant of the general, declaration, that he gave himself for, and came to fave finners; together with the particular invitation "Come to me whofoever will?" Have you, upon this warrant, been determined powerfully and pleafantly to caft yourself over upon him, as a blind finner, for wisdom to thee; as a guilty finner, for righteoufnels to thee; as H 2 a filthy

a filthy finner, for fanctification to thee; as a miferable finner, for redemption to thee? Then thou haft, in effect, believed that he loved thee, and gave himself for thee; for this is imported in your applying him thus to yourself.

4. If you have truly believed, that he loved you, and gave himself for you, then the faith of this love will work love, and purify the heart, Acts xv. 9. Hence, this faith melts down the heart fometimes into godly forrow for fin; They fhall look upon him whom they have pierced, and mourn," Zech. xii. 10. And it influences the mortification of fin, Gal.v.24. Hence, the foul reckons itself wretched, on account of the remains of fin; "O wretched man that I am! who fhall deliver me from the body of this death?" Rom. vii. 24. Does this faith conftrain you to a holy gofpel-obedience, infomuch, that having received him, you walk in him, Col. ii. 6.; and live daily by the faith of the Son of God, and in the faith of his love; as in the text? Does this faith make you defire and endeavour to live to him that died for you? 2 Cor. v. 15.

These four put together, are infallible marks of faith, and of this faith particularly, that he loved you, and gave himfelf for you. Where these are wholly wanting, there

is no true faith.

The third Ufe fhall be for exhortation. Did Chrift love, and give himself for the like of us?

1. Then, O! let us love him, and give ourselves to him can we bestow ourselves better than upon him? We have but two mites to give, our foul and body; and fhall we with-hold them from him, that infinitely great and glorious him, that gave himself for us? It was fweetly faid of one, "I owe to God all that I am, "for my creation; what fhall I give further for my redemption? In my creation, he gave me to myself, "and in my redemption, he gave himself to me, and "restored me to myself." We are bought with a price; therefore we ought to glorify him in our fouls and bodies which are his. O may we give him our hearts that loved us, and gave himself for us and may we give him all our heart-lufts to be killed by him, and revenge the blood

blood of our deareft Lord upon our dearest lufts, by kil ling them, for killing the Lord of glory.

2. Did Chrift love and give himfelf for us? Then let us willingly give ourselves for him, as well as to him; to lay down our life for him, if he call us to it. Do you believe, that he gave himfelf for you? Here is a hard question; Are you willing to die for him that died for you? We ought to be martyrs in purpose; and if called, to feal his truth with our blood, to be martyrs indeed, as well as in refolution. We have not yet refifted unto blood: but bloody days may be a-coming, wherein Chrift will call for our blood, and our life for him and ought we not to be willing to fuffer for him, that loved us, and gave himself for us? O! how will we venture our life, when we will hardly venture a living, for him and his caufe? How will we venture our blood, when we will hardly venture a word for him? How will we face a fcaffold, to confefs with our death, if we dare not face a court or a council, to confefs him with our mouth?

3. Did he love us, and give himfelf for us? Then may we not be encouraged to expect much at the hand of this glorious Lover, this glorious Giver? May not faith and hope look that he will, in love and mercy, give us all that we need? Since he gives himself, what will he not give? "He that spared not his own Son, but deliver, ed him up for us all; how fhall he not, with him, also freely give us all things?" Rom. viii. 32. So may we fay, He that spared not himfelf, but freely gave himself up for uś all; how will he not, with himfelf freely give us all things? We need not fear the putting him to too much trouble in any thing we want: what will he deny, that denied not himfelf? Nay, he is exalted to give us what grace and bleffings we need, Acts v. 31. We may be

hopeful feekers of great things from him, who is fuch a hearty giver of great things; He loved me, and gave bimfelf for me. You may feek great things, believer, efpecially at his table; for you ought furely to go there, and commemorate this love of his to you, in giving him. self for you; and there feed upon his love, and feed up. on his gift; that is, upon himself, who is both the gift

H 3

and

and giver. "Do this in remembrance of him ;" and there let your faith and hope be more and more encouraged, and ftrengthened.-But these advices, fay you, belong to fuch as can fay, He loved me, and gave bimfelf for me: but, I cannot win to speak this language of faith. Therefore,

4. Did Chrift love and give himself for finners? Then, finners, put in for a fhare of this grace, and of the benefits of Chrift's death; and, by faith, accept of this loving and dying Jefus, as held forth to you in this word.

Queft. Where fhall I fee this love of his to me? Where fhall I fee the love of God in Chrift to me in particular?

Indeed, finner, I need not speak to you of the love of God, if you have no conviction of fin, or apprehenfion of the wrath of God as your due; to speak of his grace and love to you, will be loft labour; to speak of reconciliation to them that never thought they were enemies; of healing, to them that are not fick; of liberty, to them that are not prifoners, is but loft labour: or, to fpeak of falvation, to them that are not loft, or were never brought to that question, "What fhall I do to be faved?" And, therefore, before I call you to believe the love of God manifefted in the gofpel, I would call you to believe the wrath of God manifefted in the law. This wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinefs and unrighteoufnefs of men. And, O that the Spirit of God would convince you of fin; and let you fee, that you are lying at the very mouth of hell, ready to tumble into the pit of eternal torment; for, "Curfed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law, to do them."

But, if you be convinced of this curfed flate you are in by the fentence of God's law, and be enquiring, O! where is the love and mercy of God to be feen? Why, let me afk you, Where do you fee the wrath of God, but in the law, which is a word of wrath, and of wrath to you in particular, faying, "Curfed is every one, that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law, to do them?" Even fo, Where may you fee the love and mercy of God, but in the gofpel, which is a word of

grace

grace and love to you, and to you in particular, faying, Jefus Chrift came to fave finners: Chrift hath redeemed us from the curfe of the law, being made a curfe for us?" Now, as the word of a threatening God in the law war, rants your believing his wrath against you, and you in particular; even fo, the word of a promifing God in the gofpel, accompanied with a particular command to believe in Jefus, warrants your believing his grace, love, and mercy to you, and to you in particular; and upon this ground, you may fay with Paul, He loved me, and gave bimfelf for me.

The object of the finner's faith, as was already faid, is not Chrift in the decree, giving himself for the elect; nor Chrift in poffeffion, given already to believers; but Chrift in the word and gofpel-difpenfation, giving himfelf for finners; and finners are to feek after him in this word. You need not fay, Who will afcend to heaven, and bring Chrift down, and tell me whether I be elected or not? Or, Who will defcend to the deep, to bring Chrift up out of my heart, and tell me, whether I be a believer already or not? The marks of faith that I have offered, may tell you, whether you be a believer or not but - confound not the marks and evidences of faith with the grounds of faith; thinking, because you want the marks, you have no ground to believe. Nay, though you were deftitute of all the marks of faith, and had all the marks of unbelief; yea, all the evidences of reprobation to your view, about you, yet you have a flanding ground of faith to build upon the evidences of faith a believer may find within him; but the grounds are to be found without you in the word: and the belt believer in the world cannot find a ground of faith within him, but he is forced to go out of himself to the word for them. You may try and feek the marks of faith within you, if they be to be had; fuch as repentance, love, humility, holinefs, &c. But if you were to ground your faith upon thefe, your faith would foon want a bottom and foundation: you are to feek the ground and warrant for faith in the word only; or, Chrift as held out in the word.

Now, as a great gift does not enrich a beggar, unlefs