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far as unbelief is brought down, fo far faith raifes up to a full affurance.

But more particularly, I think it implies thefe four things following.

1. A view of the particular offer. The call of the gofpel is to every one that hears it; "Ho! every one that thirfteth, come." When faith comes by hearing, it takes up thefe good news, fo particularly as to fay, Here is good news for me; here is mercy offered to me; here is grace offered to me; here is Chrift offered to me; here is the call given to me by name; here is love made

to me.

2. It implies a holy selfishness in faith, appropriating all the offered mercy fo to itself, as if there were none else concerned. This loving Lord fpeaks to me, and tells me, He bath loved ME, and gave himself for ME; and therefore, what he fays in his word, I will fay to myself, He loved ME; what he gives to me in his word, I will take to myself, He gave himself for me. Faith, like the busy bee, what it gathers abroad, it takes home to its own What the foul gathers abroad in the field of the gofpel, and among the flowers of the promifes, it takes home to its own heart it no fooner finds fuitable meat for it in the word, but it falls to the eating of it; " Thy word was found of me, and I did eat it; and it was the joy and rejoicing of my foul."

hive for its own ufe.

3. It imports a holy pleasure that the foul takes in this giving love of Chrift; and hence, the ingemination, or doubling of the me; fo fweet it is to the foul, that after one tafte, it muft have another. True faith is not foon fatisfied; after one fight of Chrift, it must have another; after one kifs of the Son of God, it must have another; Let him kifs me with the kiffes of his mouth, for thy loves are better than wine," Song i. 2. It is not love in the finguar, but loves in the plural number: let him give me one love-token after another; ME, ME!

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4. It imports a cordial affent unto, and perfuafion of the kindness and love of God in Chrift, manifefted in the word, fo as to give both the heart and hand to the Son of God, with a my Lord, and my God; a Lord for me, a God for me; Me, Me! It is like a laying hold of I 4 him

SER. CXIII him with both hands, and embracing him with both arms, refolving never to part with him, but ftill to hold by this glorious Lover and Giver; He loved me, and gave bimfelf for me.

II. The fecond general head was, To fhow how and upon what grounds faith makes this particular application, and entertains this giving love with a me, me. I offer the following remarks for clearing this head.

Remark 1. “That we speak not now of the affurance of fenfe; for that comes by fpiritual reflection, or a reflex act upon the work of God, and not a direct act "of faith upon the word of God." That reflex affur. ance comes alfo from the Spirit, witnefling and fealing the foul after believing, and that either mediately, fhining upon graces and experiences, &c. or, immediately, upon the foul, by fome fpecial direct intimation. We fpeak of that affurance, which is properly in faith, of which the apofile here fpeaks, when he fays, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Remark 2. "That the particular application of faith "is grounded upon the word; for faith relates to a "teftimony, believing on a word to be believed." So it is faid, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God," Rom. x. 17. Faith in a hearer relates to faithfulness in a speaker, and credits the word spoken.

Remark 3. "That it is not every word of God that "is the ground of this particular application of faith." It is not the word of God in the law, but the word of God in the gospel for the law ferves to convince of fin, and difcover wrath due for fin; but makes no difcovery of the love and mercy of God. The light of the law discovers death, damnation, and mifery, for evermore to the finner; but the light of the gospel difcovers life and falvation thro' Jefus Chrift, who hath brought life and immortality to light.

Remark 4. That it is not every word or every doc"trine of the gofpel, that is the ground of faith's parti "cular application of the love of Christ with a me, me.” For example, it is not every legal precept or threatening this is taken in to the gofpel-difpenfation, that is the ground

or

or foundation of this particular application, but the gofpel itself, revealing the love and grace of God in Chrift. As many things are in a houfe that yet cannot be called the house itself: fo, many things are in the gospel-difpenfation, that are not properly the gofpel itself. Law-precepts and threatenings are brought in as a fence to the gofpel, to guard it against being abufed: For inftance, John iii. 17. "God fent not his Son into the world, to condemn the world, but that the world by him might be faved;" there is the gofpel: but when it is added, verse 18. "He that believeth not, is condemned already" this is brought into the difpenfation of the gofpel, but is not properly the gofpel itself, but is fubfervient thereunto, to defend it from abufe. Now, the former, not the latter, may be the foundation of faith's particular application of the love of God. Thus, " He that believeth not, fhall be damned," is a fence for the gospel, but not properly the gofpel itfelf: the gofpel is the thing propofed to be believed, namely, the difpenfation of the love and of God in Chrift.

grace

Remark 5. "That it is not every doctrine, even of the "love of God in the gofpel, that is the firft ground of faith's "applying this love to itfelf." For example, there is a two-fold love of God in Chrift, that cannot be the ground of faith's applying it to itself, viz. his love of deftination, and his love of approbation: his love of deftination and purpose, whereby he is faid to have chosen us in Christ, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, having predeflinated us to the adoption of children, Eph. i. 4, 5. Again, his love of approbation and friendship, or complacency, fuch as that fpoken of, John xiv. 23. "If any love me, and keep my words, my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." Now, the object of the former love, viz. that of deftination, is every elect foul, and that from all eternity, as well as in time, even before their conversion and union to Chrift: the object of the latter, namely, the love of approbation, is every believer united to Chrift, every faint. Now, thefe are precious doctrines of the gofpel, and the fweetness of this divine love, both of deftination from eternity, before faith, and of approbation

in time, after faith, may come to be felt in due time, when the foul, after believing, comes to be fealed with the holy Spirit of promife: but yet, none of thefe, I fay, are the firft ground upon which any finner can build this particular application of Chrift's giving love, faying, He loved me. For that love, whereof the elect are the objects, who can apply till they know they are elected? And that love, whereof believers and faints are the objects, who can apply, that know themfelves to be, as yet, neither believers, nor faints? And therefore the love of God in the gofpel, that is the firft ground of faith's particular application, muft be a love manifefted to finners as fach, and confequently, fuch a love, as finners, under the notion of finners, may rely upon, as exhibited in the gofpel. Therefore,

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Remark 6. "That the doctrine of the love and grace "of God in the gofpel, that lays a foundation for the particular faith I fpeak of, is the doctrine of his love "of benevolence and good will in Chritt Jesus, manifest"ed to finners of mankind, accompanied with a parti"cular call to every one to believe this love, and take "hold of this Lover for wifdom, righteousness, fanc"tification, and redemption to himfelf in particular."

The general word of grace and love is to finners, That Jefus Chrift came to fave finners, 1 Tim. i. 15. The particular call and command to every finner, that hears the gospel, is, That he believe on the Son of God, 1 John iii. 25.; or, in other words, That he believe that, through the grace of the Lord Jefus Chrift, he shall be faved, Acts xv. II.; or, which is all one, That he receive and rest upon Chrift for falvation, as offered to him in particular in the gofpel. Now, the general indefinite declaration, That he came to fave finners, and died for the ungodly; this points out our general name, ungodly finners: but then, the particular call and invitation to come to this Jefus by faith, believing his love and grace manifested in this gofpel, this points it out to every one, faying, "Thou, in particular, art the ungodly finner, "thus called to apply his love and grace declared in "the gofpel; and upon this ground thou mayst, by

faith, make this particular application, and venture

"out

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for ME.".

He loved ME, and gave bimfelf.

Object. 1. "May not one fear prefumption in the prefent cafe, if it be no more that is needful as a "ground for this appropriating faith?"

Anfw. Men prefume, when they are either encou raged by their own godnefs to believe Chrift's love, or difcouraged by their own badnefs from believing it: for this fays it is either fome goodness they have, or fome goodness they want in themselves, that they are making the rule and ftandard of their faith, and not the word of God, nor the gofpel of the grace of God: this is indeed prefumption; for it fays they are cleaving to the old-covenant way of life by works, or goodness of their own, and not trufting to the goodnefs, grace, and love of God in Chrift revealed in the gospel: but if the finner were taking with the charge, that he is a finner indeed, and accepting of thefe good news, That Chrift came to fave finners, as a faithful faying, and worthy of all acceptation, and apprehending the gofpel call particularly to him, faying, To thee is the word of this falvation fent ;" and was thereupon rolling himfelf over upon the grace and love of Chrift, faying, Even fo I take it to me, as offered to me in the word; and thereupon conclude, He loved me, and gave bimfelf for me: this is no prefumption, but faith building upon the proper ground of it, the word of God.

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Object. 2. "But may not one fear delufion in this cafe, if he build this particular application only upon the word, without feeling the operation of the Spirit, fince it is the Spirit that works faith in us?

Anf, We are to make a difference between how faith is warranted, and how faith is wrought. The Spirit is the worker of faith; but the word is the warrant of faith, and the ground of it: and the Spirit works faith by fhewing to the foul what is the warrant of faith; and hence faith comes by hearing. what the Spirit faith in the word, and not by feeling what the Spirit works in the heart; therefore, if build your you faith on any feelings or influences within you, then you

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