Christ is for the prefent; but faith will look to what he hath been from eternity, before time; and what he will be to eternity, after time: and faith's long journey, from eternity to eternity, makes it fall into an ocean of admiration, and raifes the thoughts to a higher pitch of estimation of Christ.-Sense, in a word, will follow Chrift for his love, and for the loaves; but faith prizes him for himself. And furely this is the exercise of the higher house, to be dwelling upon the contemplation of Chrift's beauty, and to be tranfported with love to him, and joy in him.-By faith we view the matchlefs excellency, and the transcendent properties of Christ. Faith makes long commentaries and precious encomiums upon Chrift: "It is the faithful spy, as one calls it, that "brings the good report of glorious Chrift." Chrift's and his Father's honour are both advanced at once by faith, when we receive Chrift.

2. The fecond excellency in faith, is with refpe&t to the believer, in that it advances the believer to the higheft dignity, fuch as, the dignity to be a member of Chrift; for, by faith, Chrift and the believer are so unite, that they are no more two, but one fpirit; " He that is joined to the Lord is one fpirit." And herein faith keeps afweet correfpondency with her fifter love; for faith is that nail which faftens the foul to Chrift; and love is that grace that drives the nail to the head. Faith takes hold of him, and love helps to keep the grip. Chrift dwells in the heart by faith, and he burns in the heart by love, like a fire melting the breaft. Faith cafts the knot, and love draws it faft.-The dignity of being God's children; "We are the children of God by faith: and to as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the fons of God, even to them that believe in his name,” John i. 12. And is this a small thing to be a fon to the King of kings; or to enjoy the privileges of his children; The fon abideth in the boufe for ever: to be heirs of God, and joint heirs with Chrift? O if we knew the excellency of this dignity, it would fir us up to more concern after this grace of faith!-The dignity of power with God, like Jacob; for, he hath faid, Whatfoever ye afk in prayer, believing, ye shall receive it, Mat. xxi. 22. And, indeed,

if ye receive Chrift, ye fhall receive whatsoever ye afk of God. It is ftrange to see his condefcenfion, in that he puts a blank in the poor believer's hand many times, faying, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?

3. The third excellency in faith, is with refpect to other graces, in that it advances all other graces: faith doth quicken every other grace.It advances love; and hence faith and love are put together in fcripture fo frequently for, no fooner doth faith look to the glorious object, than love delights in it faith draws afide the vail, and love fits down and folaces itfelf in the dif covery.-Faith advances mortification; for, by this fhield of faith, we quench the fiery darts of the wicked: “And this is the victory whereby we overcome the world, even our faith." Faith makes the foul to efteem his idols to be as tastelefs as the white of an egg: and that which formerly was fweet provifion for their lufts, doth now become forrowful meat, and bitter herbs.-Hence faith advanceth humility. By what law is boafting excluded? It is not by the law of works, but by the law of faith: yea, faith fees fuch glory in Chrift, as makes the man vile in his own eyes.--Faith advances joy; for, "The God of peace doth fill with joy and peace in believing: in whom believing we rejoice." The more faith the more joy. And further, faith advances the grace of hope. We cannot hope for the thing promifed, unless by faith we clofe with the promise itself; for faith lays hold on the promife, and hope to the thing promifed.In a word, all the graces of the Spirit are quickened and advanced by this grace of faith; as, peace, long-fuffering, gentlenefs, goodnefs, and temperance.

4. The fourth excellency in faith, is with refpect to` duty, in that it advances duties as well as graces: I inftance in prayer and obedience.-It advances and excites to the duty of prayer: a believing perfon is a praying perfon; Lord, I believe, faid the man, Mark ix. 24.; there is the confeffion and profeffion of his faith: Lord, belp my unbelief; there immediately follows his prayer. Faith excites to the greatest diligence in attending upon the Lord in this duty. Little faith makes little prayer little fweet diverfion from fleep, in this fpiritual VOL. III.

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exercife. Faith advances obedience: it makes obedience eafy and pleasant; Heb. ix. 8. "By faith Abraham, when called to go out to a place which he fhould after receive for an inheritance, obeyed." Why are God's commands a burden? Even want of faith is the reafon : a pleafant obedience is impoffible without faith. Faith difcovers the invaluable excellencies that are in Chrift, and this makes the perfon look upon his duty, more as his dignity than his duty. Faith takes hold of that infinite ftrength that is in Chrift, and draws virtue from him and this makes him obey. No holinefs without faith. It facilitates every duty, and makes it fweet: but unbelief makes every duty a burden.

5. The fifth excellency in faith, is with refpect to acceptance of every duty and action: neither our prayers nor fervices are acceptable but in faith; By faith Abel offered up a more acceptable facrifice than Cain, Heb. xi. 4. intimating, that without faith, no acceptable facrifice. And ver. 6. Without faith it is impoffible to please God; intimating, that by faith we do exceedingly please him. Many prayers are nothing elfe but a breach of the third command, in taking the name of God in vain; for which the Lord will not hold them guiltlefs. The duties of the moft part are nothing but abomination; becaufe, to the unbelieving and impure, nothing is clean, Tit. i. 15.

6. The fixth excellency in faith, is in respect of communion with God. Faith is that grace whereby a believer doth attain the most intimate communion with God, and correfpondence with heaven; for, "Christ dwells in the heart by faith," Eph. iii. 17. By the exercife of other graces, Chrift is as a paffenger that tarries at most for a night: but, by the exercise of faith, he is as an inhabitant, that comes and takes up houfe with us. The acts of faith are like the fteps of a ladder, by which we go up to heaven, and converfe with the higher houfe; it ufhers the believer to the throne.-Faith is the grace whereby the believer attains the moft fenfible enjoyments; for, it keeps the eye upon the moft glorious object: and feeing it is a fenfible act, and faith is a feeing of him who is invisible, Heb. xi. 27.; perhaps fome may be faying, Whence fo little feeing of the Lord? Alas! it is more

than

than thirty days fince I faw the King: yea, fome may be at that; I have lived thefe two years at Jerufalem, and yet have not feen the King's face: yea, the complaint of fome may go higher; thefe three years and fix months, it hath not rained upon me, but the clouds have been reftrained and bound up, and the heaven hath become brafs; and why? it is the want of the exercife of faith many are lefs convinced of the neglect of the duty of faith, than of the neglect of the duty of prayer: but if we knew the excellency of this grace, we would have a holy impatience till we believed.-It is by faith the man hath a clear fight of the things promifed; the great things in the promife, as well as the promise itfelf: by faith a man is brought within fight of God, and within fight of heaven; Faith is the evidence of things not feen, Heb. xi. 1. So by faith Mofes faw him who is invifible, ver. 27. Why, is it poffible to fee things that cannot be feen? yea, faith's difcoveries of God are as certain as the difcoveries of our bodily eyes are: and, by this means, it comes to have fuch communion with God: for it is moft mysterious and fublime in its actings; and therefore called the mystery of faith.-Hence faith can believe the word of promife, though fenfe feenis to contradict the accomplishment thereof; for, it walks not upon the low ground of fenfe and reafon, but upon the high road of the fure word of prophecy, and the divine faithfulness is engaged in the promife; as we fee in Abraham's faith, Rom. iv. 19. Thus faith believed the falling down of the walls of Jericho, by the blowing of rams horns, which was impoffible to fenfe and reafon.Faith can believe the promise, though the pr vidence of God feems to contradict the accomplishment; faying with Job, “ Tho' he kill me, yet will I trust in him.” Notwithstanding of killing difpenfations, yet he would believe the Lord's word.-Faith can believe a word of promife, even when the commands of God feem to contradict the accomplishment: thus, when Abraham was commanded to facrifice his fon, the promifed feed, yet he believed the promife would be accomplished: 'He ' had natural affection to wrestle with, and the com'mand of God feeming to contradict the promise of · God;

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God; yet, over the belly of all thefe, as one faith, believing Abraham gives faith to the promife, and brings Ifaac to the altar,' Heb. xi. 17, 18, 19.-Faith can believe a promife, though challenges for fin and conviction of guilt do feem to oppofe and contradict the accomplishment of the promife; 2 Sam. xxiii. 5, “Though my houfe be not fo with God," yet he believed the promise, faying, "He hath made with me an everlafting covenant ordered in all things and fure." Thus again, Pf. Ixv. 3. Iniquities prevail againft me;" yet this doth not interrupt his faith; " as for our tranfgreffions, thou fhalt purge them away:" And furely it is a noble act of faith to believe, notwithstanding of unanfwerable challenges of guilt. The best way, both to crucify idols, and to anfwer challenges, is by receiving Christ, and hoping against hope. Now, the faith of a promife being the great medium, the grand mean of communion with God, and intercourfe with heaven, we may fee how it advances communion with God.-Yea, faith can believe a promise, though temptations, falls, and follies feem to contradict the accomplishment. Satan aims at nothing more, than to oppofe and weaken faith; but God turns his temptations, and their falls, to the further eftablishment of faith, which, like a tree, ftands the ftronger of its being fhaken. True faith gets ftrength by every fall to the ground, it rifes and fights more valiantly; as we fee in Peter, and other fcripture examples. Temptation to faith is as fire to gold, 1 Pet. i. 7. It makes the true gold more pure; and inftead of deftroying faith, it is the occafion of refining it, and adding to its ftrength. --I might enlarge this purpofe, concerning the excellency of faith, to a great degree; from the confideration of the worthy Prince that faith receives, Chrift Jefus the Lord: and the walk that iffues from thence, and ends in glory.

3dly, The third thing here propofed, in this exhortation to receive Chrift, was to give fome directions, in order to the receiving of Chrift: And the directions I would offer may be confined to thefe four. 1. Study the fad ftate you are in while without Chrift, and faith in him. 2. Study the right ufe of the means of faith. 3. Study