of JESUS CHRIST must be freely imputed to, and apprehended by us through faith, before we can offer an acceptable facrifice to GOD: for out of CHRIST, as I hinted before, GOD is a confuming fire: and whatfoever is not of faith in CHRIST, is fin.

That people mistake the doctrine of free juftification, I believe, is partly owing to their not rightly confidering the different perfons to whom St. Paul and St. James wrote in their epiftles; as also the different kind of justification each of them writes about. The former afferts in line upon line, argument upon argument, "That we are juftified by faith alone:" The latter put this question, "Was not Abraham juftified by works?" From whence many, not confidering the different views of thefe holy men, and the different perfons they wrote to, have blended and joined faith and works, in order to justify us in the fight of GOD. But this is a capital mistake; for St. Paul was writing to the Jewish profelytes, who fought righteoufnefs by the works, not of the ceremonial only, but of the moral law. In contradistinction to that, he tells them, they were to look for juftification in GOD's fight, only by the perfect righteousness of JESUS CHRIST apprehended by faith. St. James had a different let of people to deal with; fuch who abufed the doctrines of free juftification, and thought they fhould be faved (as hum-1 bers among us do now) upon their barely profeffing to believe on JESUS CHRIST. Thefe the holy Apoftle endeavours wifely to convince, that fuch a faith was only a dead and falfe faith; and therefore, it behoved all who would be bleffed with faithful Abraham, to fhew forth their faith by their works, as he did: For was not Abraham juftified by works Did he not prove that his faith was a true juftifying faith, by: its being productive of good works? From whence it is plain, that St. James is talking of a declarative juftification before men; fhew me, demonftrate, evidence to me, that thou haft a true faith, by thy works: Whereas, St. Paul is talking only of our being juftified in the fight of GOD; and thus he proves, that Abraham, as we also are to be, was justified before ever the moral or ceremonial law was given to the Jews: for it is written, Abraham believed in the LORD, and it was accounted to him for righteoufnels."

Take

Take the fubftance of what has been faid on this head, in the few following words. Every man that is faved, is juftified three ways: First, meritoriously, by the death of JESUS CHRIST "It is the blood of JESUS CHRIST alone that cleanfes us from all fin." Secondly, inftrumentally, by faith: faith is the means or inftrument whereby the merits of JESUS CHRIST are applied to the finner's heart: " Ye are all the children of GOD by faith in CHRIST JESUS." Thirdly, we are juftified declaratively; namely, by good works: good works declare and p 'prove to the world, that our faith is a true saving faith. "Was not Abraham justified by works?" And again, "Shew me thy faith by thy works."

It may not be improper to illuftrate this doctrine by an example or two. I fuppofe no one will pretend to fay, that there was any fitness for falvation in Zaccheus the publican, when he came to fee JESUS out of no better principle, than that whereby perhaps thousands are led to hear me preach; I mean, curiofity: but JESUS CHRIST prevented and called him by his free grace, and fweetly, but irrefiftibly inclined him to obey that call; as, I pray GoD, he may influence all you that come only to fee who the preacher is. Zaccheus received our LORD joyfully into his house, and at the fame time by faith received him into his heart: Zaccheus was then freely juftified in the fight of GOD. But behold the immediate fruits of that juftification! He stands forth in the midst, and as before he had believed in his heart, he now makes confeffion with his mouth to falvation: "Behold, LORD, the half of my goods I give unto the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by falfe accufation, I restore him four-fold." And thus it will be with thee, O believer, as foon as ever God's dear Son is revealed in thee' by a living faith; thou wilt have no reft in thy fpirit, till out of love and gratitude for what God has done for thy foul, thou fhewest forth thy faith by thy works.

Again, I fuppofe every body will grant there was no fitness for falvation in the perfecutor Saul; no more than there is in thofe perfecuting zealots of these laft days, who are already breathing out threatenings, and, if in their power, would breathe out flaughter alfo, against the disciples of the LORD.

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Now our LORD, we know, freely prevented him by his grace, (and O that he would thus effectually call the perfecutors of this generation) and by a light from heaven ftruck him to the ground. At the fame time, by his Spirit, he pricked him to the heart, convinced him of fin, and caufed him to cry out, "Who art thou, LORD?" CHRIST replies, "I am JESUS whom thou perfecuteft." Faith then was inftantaneously given to him, and behold, immediately Saul cries out, "LORD, what wouldst thou have me to do?" And fo will every poor foul that believes on the LORD JESUS with his whole heart. He will be always afking, LORD, what fhall I do for thee? LORD, what wouldft thou have me to do? Not to juftify himself, but only to evidence the fincerity of his love and thankfulness to his all-merciful High-prieft, for plucking him as a firebrand out of the fire.

Perhaps many felf-righteous perfons amongst you, may Aatter yourselves, that you are not fo wicked as either Zaccheus or Saul was, and confequently there is a greater fitness for falvation in you than in them. But if But if you think thus, indeed you think more highly of yourfelves than you ought to think for by nature we are all alike, all equally fallen fhort of the glory of God, all equally dead in trefpaffes and fins, and there needs the fame almighty power to be exerted in converting any one of the moft fober, good-natured, moral perfons here prefent, as there was in converting the publican Zaccheus, or that notorious perfecutor Saul. And was it poffible for you to afcend into the highest heaven, and to enquire of the fpirits of juft men made perfect, I am perfuaded they would tell you this doctrine is from GOD. But we have a more fure word of prophecy, to which we do well to give heed, as unto a light fhining in a dark place. My brethren, the word is nigh you; fearch the fcriptures; beg of Gob to make you willing to be faved in this day of his power: for it is not flesh and blood, but the Spirit of JESUS CHRIST, "that alone can reveal these things unto you.

Fourthly and Laftly, What think you of JESUS CHRIST being formed within you? For whom CHRIST juftifies, them he also fanctifies. Although he finds, yet he does not leave us unholy. A true chriftian may Hot to properly be do faid to live, as JESUS CHRIST to live in him. For they only

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that are led by the Spirit of CHRIST, are the true fons of GOD.

As I obferved before, fo I tell you again, the faith which we preach is not a dead, but a lively active faith wrought in the foul, working a thorough change, by the power of the Holy Ghoft, in the whole man: and unlefs CHRIST be thus in you, notwithstanding you may be orthodox as to the foregoing principles, notwithstanding you may have good defires, and attend conftantly on the means of grace; yet, in St. Paul's opinion, you are out of a state of falvation. "Know you not, (fays that Apoftle to the Corinthians, a church famous for its gifts above any church under heaven) that CHRIST IS in you, (by his Spirit) unless you are reprobates?"

For CHRIST came not only to fave us from the guilt, but from the power of our fins: till he has done this, however he may be a Saviour to others, we can have no affurance or well-grounded hope, that he has faved us for it is by receiv ing his bleffed Spirit into our hearts, and feeling him witneffing with our spirits, that we are the fons of God, that we can be certified of our being fealed to the day of redemption.

This is a great mystery; but I fpeak of CHRIST and the new-birth. Marvel not at my afking you, what you think about CHRIST being formed within you? For either GoD muft change his nature, or we ours. For as in Adam we all have fpiritually died, fo all that are effectually saved by CHRIST, muft in CHRIST be spiritually made alive. His only end in dying and rifing again, and interceding for us now in heaven, is to redeem us from the mifery of our fallen nature, and, by the operation of his bleffed Spirit, to make us meet to be partakers of the heavenly inheritance with the faints in light. None but thofe that thus are changed by his grace here, fhall appear with him in glory hereafter.

Examine yourselves, therefore, my brethren, whether you are in the faith; prove yourselves; and think it not fufficient to fay in your creed, I believe in JESUS CHRIST: many fay fo, who do not believe, who are reprobates, and yet in a state of death. You take GoD's name in vain, when you call him Father, and your prayers are turned into fin, unless you be lieve in CHRIST, fo as to have your life hid with him in

GOD, and to receive life and nourishment from him, as branches do from the vine.

I know, indeed, the men of this generation deny there is any fuch thing as feeling CHRIST within them; but alas! to what a dreadful condition would fuch reduce us, even to the fate of the abandoned heathen, who, St. Paul tells us, "were paft feeling." The Apoftle prays, that the Ephefians may abound in all knowledge and spiritual understanding, or as it might be rendered, fpiritual fenfation. And in the office for the visitation of the fick, the minifter prays, that the LORD may make the fick perfon know and feel, that there is no other name under heaven given unto men, in whom and through whom they may receive health and falvation, but only the name of our LORD JESUS. For there is a fpiritual, as well as a corporeal feeling; and though this is not communicated to us in a fenfible manner, as outward objects affect our fenfes, yet it is as real as any fenfible or vifible fenfation, and may be as truly felt and difcerned by the foul, as any impreffion from without can be felt by the body. All who are born again of God, know that I lie not.

What think you, Sirs, did Naaman feel, when he was cured of his leprofy? Did the woman feel virtue coming out of JESUS CHRIST, when fhe touched the hem of his garment, and was cured of her bloody iffue? So furely mayft thou feel, O believer, when JESUS CHRIST dwelleth in thy heart. I pray God to make you all know and feel this, ere you depart hence.

O my brethren, my heart is enlarged towards you. I trust I feel fomething of that hidden, but powerful prefence of CHRIST, whilft I am preaching to you. Indeed it is fweet, it is exceedingly comfortable. All the harm I wish you, who without cause are my enemies, is, that you felt the like. Believe me, though it would be hell to my foul, to return to a natural state again, yet I would willingly change ftates with you for a little while, that you might know what it is to have CHRIST dwelling in your hearts by faith. Do not turn your backs; do not let the devil hurry you away: be not afraid of convictions; do not think worfe of the doctrine, because preached without the church walls. Our LORD, in the days of his flesh, preached on a mount, in a fhip, and a field; and VOL, V.

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