1. The objects of faith are admirably fuited to have the most universal influence; as they are things of the greatest importance and fuitableness to us. Every part of divine revelation tends one way or other to promote prac tical godliness. All the difcoveries made therein of God himself, either point out to us a fubject of direct imitation, or fome corref pondent temper or duty, which is truly perfective of our natures.. The precepts it contains are holy, juft, and good; and taken together, are exceeding broad, fufficient for our direction in every relation and circumstance of life. The motives it propofes, are of the largest extent; fit to ftrike upon all the fprings. of human action; to move gratitude, to animate hope, to awaken fear, to impress a fenfe of duty. And these motives in every kind are of the greatest weight and moment in themfelves. The highest and most undoubted authority prefcribes our duty, the one fupremelaw-giver. The moft endearing engagements are propofed to our gratitude. We are per fuaded by the infinite and innumerable mercies of God, in creation, providence and redemp tion. The most exceeding great and precious promifes are fet in our view for both worlds, to encourage our obedience; while the ways. of fin are fenced up with the most awful and terrible threatnings. So that it may very juft-ly be apprehended, that if Men hear not Moles and the prophets, Chrift and his apoftles, neither would they be perfuaded, though one rofe from the dead, Luke xvi. 31.

2. The reafon of faith is very strong and: forcible,

66

forcible, the teftimony of God. We are often greatly and juftly influenced by the teftimony of credible men: but "if we receive the witness of men, the witnefs of God is greater," infinitely greater, 1 John v. 9. All men, who believe a God, agree in this principle, that what he says must be true, because he is "a God that cannot lie." And if there is fufficient and fatisfactory evidence, indeed all that can reasonably be defired, that the Scriptures are the word of God, a perfuafion fo founded will bring the truths of the Gofpel with full power upon confcience. Some of the objects of faith, as the everlasting recompences of another life, are of that vaft moment to us, that if there was no more than a probability, or even a poffibility of their truth, they ought in reafon to determine our courfe on the fafeft fide: but what force and weight are they fit to have, when confidered as made certain by revelation ? when we look upon eternal life, as the promise which God hath promtsed us? and the wrath of God, as revealed from heaven against all fin and unrighteoufnefs of men? What a means of establishment may it be in an hour of temptation, to be able immediately to turn our thoughts to an it is written, that fuch a practice is undoubtedly finful, that it will exclude from the kingdom of heaven? This is a weapon at hand in the greatest exigence, in the moft fudden affault, when a man hath not time or inclination for a long and laboured train of thoughts.

3. The inftitution of faith to be the main principle of the divine life, makes it especial

ly

1y fuccefsful for that purpose. What hath been hitherto faid, fhews its aptitude in its own nature; that the wifdom of God, in this as in other cafes, ufually chufes proper means to serve the ends he intends by them. But his bleffing is neceffary to fuccefs and accordingly we have the encouragement of "his appointment in this cafe. He hath prefcrib ed faith as the principle of vital religion; as the means of" purifying our hearts," Acts xv. 9. of "refifting the devil," 1 Pet. v. 9. and of "overcoming the world," 1 John v. 4. as the foundation, upon which every other grace and virtue are to be built; they are to be added to it, 2 Pet. i. 5. By this we abide in Chrift, and derive grace out of his fulrefs for our conftant fupply and in the exercife of it may expect the continual influences of the Spirit according to all the occafions of the chriftian life. For thefe two ftand connected together in God's faving defign, 2 Theff.

13. "He hath chofen us to falvation, thro' fanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth." It is God's conftitution, that "the juft fhall live by faith," Heb. x. 38. that the beginning and progrefs of his fpiritual life fhall be under the fway of this principle; and that all, which is to be expected from God to maintain and cultivate it, is to be obtained in the way of believing.

The Application I would make of this fubject, fhall be in three general exhortations from it.

1. We fhould be concerned to fee that we are poffeffed of fuch a faith, as is fit to be an effectual

effectual principle of the chriftian temper and life. All faith will not be fo. But to this purpose,

Let us be very careful, that what we believe hath a foundation in the word of God: that we take not up with the mere imaginations of our own minds, or the mere dictates of men, for objects of faith. Erroneous perfuafions, as far as they are entertained, and how much the firmer the perfuafion is, are the more likely to have a bad influence upon the fpiritual life. Or if men fhould be preferved in a good measure from their bad practical tendency yet if afterwards the fallhood of them comes to be difcerned, this too often proves an occafion of fhaking men's faith in truths which are better grounded. Which thews of what confequence it is, that we search the Scriptures diligently, and bring our fentiments to the test by them, that we may be able to fee our foundation there.

Let it be our endeavour to extend our faith in what God hath revealed, as far as we can. That our faith take as wide a compafs as may be, and that we gain more clear and diftinct apprehenfions of divine truths. All the dif coveries made in the word of God, are one way or other fubfervient to practice; either for direction, or encouragement, or admonition; though all are not equally useful and in fome or other circumftances of life, we fhall find the ferviceablenefs of every object of faith. Therefore we fhould carefully ftudy the rule of faith; and by that means, joined with prayer to God, purfue the fame aim for our

Telves, which the apoftle had fo much at heart. for the Theffalonians, "to perfect that which is lacking in our faith," 1 Theff. iii. 10.

Let it be our daily concern and prayer, to have a more full and lively perfuafion of thofe truths with which we are acquainted. Though we fhould be concerned to grow in the extent of our faith, because nothing which God hath feen fit to reveal, is without its ufe one way or another, at one time or another, in the chriftian life yet I take it to be of more confequence of the two, to have our faith grow intenfively, tho' it fhould not take fo wide a compafs. He is the better fcholar, and like to make more profitable use of his learning, who hath carefully and well digefted a few books in comparison, than he that hath curforily run over a far greater number: fo a chriftian, of finaller attainments in knowledge, if he hath but a firm and lively faith in the fewer principles of religion with which his mind is furnifhed, will far exceed a more knowing chriftian, who gives but a weak affent to his larger flore of divine truths. Above all things, therefore, labour to have au affurance of faith, as far as you go to receive the word with much affurance, then it will be in power, 1 Theff. i. 5. To have a realizing, prefenttiating faith of the uafeen things which God reveals that tho' it is a distinct way of perception both from fight and knowledge, yet it may come as near as may be in its proper province, to the ftrength of perfuafion which they give in theirs. Hence ftrong faith is fometimes expreffed by fight: Mofes faw VOL. I

:

N