and obedience.

4. And more especially, for exhortation, to excite and direct us, both to receive Chrift and walk in him.

Firft, The firft Ufe is for Information. Is it fo, that a gofpel-principle, or a gofpel-faith, is the foundation of a gospel-practice, then hence fee,

1. The nature and excellency of the gospel; it is juft that whereby God makes an offer of Chrift to us, and all falvation in him; for the receiving of Chrift here, hath a relation to the offer. A receiving faith prefuppofes an offering hand: now, Chrift is offered to us in the gofpel; there is God's offering hand: but where is our receiving hand of faith? Alas! whence is it, that we cannot take Chrift that is offered to us? Even because our hand is full: the empty hand is a receiving hand; but our hands are fo full of fin, fo full of the world, fo full of felf-righteousness, that we have not an empty hand, to receive what is offered to us, by the hand of free grace, in the gofpel: and we have no will to quit our hold of that, with which our hands are full; and hence cannot take a grip of Chrift offered to us. However, herein lies the excellency of the gofpel, that it is a Christ, a Jefus, a Lord that is offered to us therein: and the gospel is to be preffed on this account, because, as all that reject it, rejects Chrift; fo, all that receives it truly, doth receive Chrift in it. Human doctrine, however true, brings nothing, at best, but knowledge and speculation to us; but gofpel doctrine brings falvation to us; yea, the Saviour himself to our hand, to be received: and, when the offering hand of the gospel, and the receiving hand of faith meets together, then the good work is begun.

2. Hence fee the nature and excellency of faith; it is a receiver of Chrift Jefus the Lord, as he is held forth in the word and facrament. It is true, there is a difference between the receiving of Chrift in the word, and the receiving of him in the facrament, i. e. in the Lord's fupper. More generally, in the word, all finners are welcome to Chrift, as a Saviour and Lord; and in the facrament, all believers are welcome to come to him But more particularly, in the word we receive

anew.

Christ under an offer and a promife; but in the facrament, we receive him under a pawn, a pledge, and a feal. However, herein lies the nature and excellency of faith, that it is a fiducial reception of Chrift Jefus the Lord. You fay you believe, man; but, what is it that you do believe? Is it only that God offers Chrift to your faith? Why, furely there is more than a believing that Christ is offered to you: 'what is a poor man the richer for believing that one offers him a fhilling? What is a condemned man the better for believing, that a pardon is offered to him? But, do you receive the offer?-It is true, many come not this length to believe truly, that God offers Chrift to them in particular; and yet, where it is without any more, it is but the faith of the truth of the offer you believe this to be a truth; and if you believe no more, that faith doth but ferve to your just condemnation: it is not merely the truth-acknowledging, but the Christ-receiving faith that bringeth falvation. A woman may believe a man to be rich and honourable, and real in his fuit; yet, that believed, doth not make marriage, but actual confent to take him for a husband: Even fo, a man or woman may believe Chrift to be a full, glorious, and fuitable Saviour and Lord, and real in his fuit and offer; but that believed, doth not make marriage and union to Chrift, but actual confent to take him for your Saviour, and your Lord.

3. Hence fee, what is the glorious object of faith; and, therein alfo the difference between faving and justifying faith. Chrift Jefus the Lord is the object of faith; and faith, as it is saving, doth embrace Chrift in all his offices, and in all thefe capacities, as Chrift, Jefus, the Lord. But now, there are two fpecial branches of falvation, namely, juftification and fanctification; and thefe being two different things, faith acts upon Chrift for them, in a dif ferent manner. Faith acts upon Christ for justification, as he is a Jesus; or by receiving him as a Jefus: faith acts upon Chrift for fanctification, as he is a LORD; or by receiving him as a Lord. In justification, we receive him as a Jefus, to be faved from the guilt of fin; in fanctification, we receive him as a Lord, to be delivered from the power of fin. Now, though both these acts

of

of faith go together, to make up faving faith; though they be infeparable from one-another, in the fame faith; yet they differ, as the eye and the ear in the fame head: for, as we do not fee with the ear, nor hear with the eye; fo, neither are we juftified by that act of faith, that receives Chrift, as a Lord, for fanctification; but by that act of faith that receives him, as a Jefus, for juftification: we are not justified by that act of faith that receives Chrift, as a King; but by that act of faith that receives Christ, as a Prieft *. However, when we speak of falvation in general, which refpects both juftification, fanctification, and all; the object of it is a whole Christ, both as a Jefus and a Lord; to be redeemed by him as a Jefus, and governed by him as a Lord. It is not true faith that blows hot and cold out of the fame mouth; that cries, "Hofanna to the Son of David;" and yet fays, "We will not have this man to reign over us.”

4. Hence fee what is the root of right religion, and where it begins; and what is the root of true obedience, and the principle of it: It is rooted in union to Christ, by the faith of God's operation; for, there is no walking in him, till once there be a receiving of him. Men may have a moral walk, a fair outward life, a good complication of many excellent beautiful virtues, and the matter and metal of them may be very good; but, like coin that does not pafs, they want the king's fuperscription upon them; having nothing of Chrift in them, Yea, thefe moral virtues, that fome boast of, are, many times, the greatest obftructions against Christ, that can be; while the man is puft up with his felf-fitness, and felf-righteousness. A bottle ftopped with gold receives not fo much, as an empty fhell will do: even fo, fome may be filled and ftopped with golden virtues; and hence they receive not fo much as an empty foul, deftitute of all these, will do. But here perhaps you will fay, Is there any need that a change be wrought upon a virtuous man, one that has lived a virtuous life all his days? Yea, furely there is; for, there is as great a difference between a life of moral virtue, and a life of

* See this important point of doctrine more copiously handled above, at the clofe of the first general head, page 40,-46.

true

true grace, as there is between the light of the stars, and the light of the day: and, when grace changes fuch a man, it is a change from ftar-light to day-light: Let him have never so many virtues, all these stars will not make a day. It is true, religion is under a great eclipfe in our day; and, as a bright ftar will fhine and make a figure in the eclipfe of the fun; fo will moral honesty, when true Christianity is under fuch an eclipfe; but yet, let me tell you, that this is not a gofpel ftate: The true invifible church, is a woman clothed with the Sun, the Sun of righteoufnefs. There must be an implanting into Chrift, a receiving of him, before there can be any true gofpel-walk. Religion muft begin at receiving; and the walking that goes before receiving, is but morality at beft; and whatever ufe it may be of to others, it is not what will be for your comfort or falvation.

5. Hence fee, that the doctrine of the gospel doth not give any room for licentious walking. They reproach the gofpel, who flander it as a doctrine of carnal liberty and licentioufnefs: for, it calls to receive Chrift, and then to walk in him. GOSPEL-LIBERTY, is not a liberty to fin, but a liberty and freedom from fin. True believers are practical Chriftians: as by the fame hand we receive a thing, we alfo work; fo faith is the receiving hand, that receives Chrift in the promise; and it is a working hand, that works by love in the commandment: and love makes his commandments not grievous. Why? because faith's receiving Christ and the promise, is first: for, in the law, the obedience to the command is first, and this engages the promise; Do this, and live: but, in the gofpel, Chrift and the promise is first received, and this brings in gofpel-obedience to the law, and that in all duties, both of humility towards God; and righteousness towards man. In humility towards God; or, walking humbly with him. What a scandal is it, to hear it faid, There goes a proud profeffor; there goes a drunken profeffor of religion, or the like? But a humble walk before God, adorns religion; and felf-denial is the glory of all our duties. The doctrine of the gospel is a doctrine according to godlinefs; it gives no toleration to fin, or impiety toward God.—In righteoufnefs

to

towards man, doth this gofpel-obedience alfo vent itfelf: duties of religion, without righteoufnefs towards man, are hateful to God; I hate your facrifices, faith the Lord, they are full of blood. True religion is practical; it doth not ly in profeffion, but gofpel-practice; not in talking of Chrift, but walking in Chrift. Many, as I faid before, are like the lark, that fings with the highest, but builds with the loweft; they fing with the higheft, as high as angels, in their profeffion, but they build with the loweft, as low as devils in their practice: in their profeffion they fing and mount towards heaven; but in their practice they build upon the earth, and their affections are low, earthly, and fenfual: they build their neft in the earth.-Gofpel-liberty doth not ly in fome faint refolutions; but real performances, through the grace of Chrift. Many, under convictions, will flee to their good purposes and refolutions; like a mariner in a ftorm at fea, who, for the time, will do any thing; but when the danger is blown over, he is juft where he was. A man that hath the falling-fickness, in his lucid intervals may refolve to fall no more; but it is to little purpose, without fome application to the difeafe, that lies within fo it is with refolutions, upon convictions of confcience, without application to Chrift, for mortifying grace, to fubdue their corruptions; and purifying grace, to wash away their pollutions.-Gofpel-liberty doth not ly in legal conviction; for, without union to Chrift, by faith, there is no true fanctity, or gofpel walking, whatever way a man may be bruifed, in the mortar of legal conviction and humiliation, and broken with the hammer of the law. Cut a bee in pieces, yet fhe puts forth her fting; fo here, ftill the fting of enmity remains. Let iron be broken into pieces, yet still it remains hard; fo, a heart may be broken in pieces, and yet remain hard and unhumbled. But true humility is, when the foul is melted, fo as to run into this gofpel-mould; fo as to receive Chrift, and walk in

him.

6. Hence fee, that true religion is a qualified motion; for it is a WALK. It is a progreffive motion, a moving forward; a preffing towards the mark; a going from

ftrength