themselves-the rest believe on credit, which is, in a greater or less degree, a blind assent. Again: If this be a saving faith, who will deny that evil spirits possess it? St. James assures us, that in some sense they do believe; and indeed, it is highly probable that they have a knowledge of the evidences of religion, more clear and minute than the most laborious human inquirers can obtain. Again: If this be a saving faith, God has exacted of his creatures, as a condition of salvation, that, and that only, which does not necessarily affect either the state of the hearts, or the tenor of their lives and conduct. Again: If this be a saving faith, how comes it, that multitudes, and perhaps many in this house, profess the firmest belief in the sacred Scriptures, and yet know and acknowledge that they are not truly pious? Again: If this be a saving faith, why do the inspired writers speak of it as the substance of things hoped for, as working by Love-as purifying the heart-as overcoming the world. Surely, the faith to which we are alluding may be cherished without all these appendages. It requires no more exercise of hope-no more love to Godno more purity of heart-to believe the Bible as a matter of fact and argument, than to believe any other book in the same way. No, my brethren; that faith which the great God, in the economy of grace, has appointed as the condi. tion, or, more properly, as the instrument of salvation, is of another kind still. It is a work of the Spirit of Christ in the sinner's heart-it is the effect of a supernatural agency. I know that such a faith has been called the offspring of enthusiasm-an appeal to the credulity of mankind. I know, too, that behind some such pretence as a supernatural light, enthusiasts and fanatics have generally taken refuge. But all this proves nothing to the point. What doctrine of Revelation has not been distorted and abused? Where shall we find any thing valuable without its counterfeit? -where a substance without its shadow? If saving faith be not wrought by the Spirit of God, why do the sacred Scriptures assure us, that it is the Holy Ghost who gives us hearts to understand, eyes to see, and ears to hear-who bestows on us a sound mind-opens the eyes of our understandings, and teaches us from the Father ? Why do they assure us so plainly, that faith is never a meritorious act on the part of the Creation, which is plainly predicated on the supposition, that the Divine Spirit is concerned in implanting it? Indeed, my brethren, there is no principle in the sacred volume more distinctly recognised than this. It is the citadel of gospel truth; and he who can boldly deny that "By grace we are saved through faith, and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God," may as well deny that there is such a duty as faith required. After all, it will be replied, "Admitting this representation, why is a supernatual agency necessary? May not a man truly and firmly believe without it? And if he may, where lies the distinction between a common and a Divine faith?" This question has long since been answered by the apostle Paul. "The natural man," says he, "receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." It seems then, from this passage, that the true Christian receives the sacred Scriptures in some sense of which the unregenerate are ignorant. And it is such a spiritual sense in which he discerns and embraces the truths of the Bible, that distinguishes a saving from a common faith. This distinction, my brethren, cannot well be explained to the satisfaction of all. A pious man will comprehend it, because, with him, it is an experimental thing. But to one who is unregenerate, although he may admit that the distinction exists, it is impossible to convey an adequate view of it, for the same reason that it is to give to a blind man an idea of colors. It is one of those subjects, of which, in the

nature of the case, the mind can form no just conceptions. There is, however, an expression in St. John's gospel, which may help us on this point: "The Spirit," says our Lord, "shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you." And this, it appears, is enough. Only let the truths of the sacred Scriptures be shown to us spiritually, and we receive them of course. When we see any thing to be true, it is impossible that we should not believe it. So also of the affections. No man is opposed to the character of God after a true and spiritual discernment of it. His opposition arises from his ignorance of it; for, when we see any thing to be lovely, we always love it, just as when we see any thing to be true, we always believe it. And this is evidently the reason that the sacred writers have uniformly connected the love of God with saving faith. Because it is, strictly speaking, no part of faith-it must be viewed as a distinct exercise. But they invariably go together. When we believe aright, love is a necessary consequence. He that has no love, has no faith; and he that has the least love, does actually possess saving faith, whether he know it or not. The Christian graces are inseparably connected-where one is wanting, there is none, and where one is found, there are all. This is a trait of Christianity, for which, we find nothing like a parallel in any other religion upon earth. "From this great chain, whatever link you strike, Tenth or ten thousandth, breaks the chain alike."

But it is time to inquire, 2dly, What is the object of saving faith? When I look over Christendom, and see a multitude of religious sects differing from each other in various points, and each adhering to its own peculiarities, I reflect that some or all of these must be adopting errors. It is very natural, then, to inquire, Can error be the object of saving faith? No, never; it may exist with saving faith, but can never be its object. The root may be sound, though the leaves and branches are more or less withered. Not that every sect, calling itself Christian, does in fact embrace the fundamental articles of religion, for this would be deciding the nature by knowing the name. But, doubtless, it is hypothetically true, that no one sect in Christendom may be essentially wrong, and yet no one entirely right. There is another question, which has often been asked by the timid and trembling believer, Whether the object of saving faith be our own personal interest in the promises? This, too, we answer in the negative. For there are probably, in every age, some persons truly pious, who do not entertain a hope,which could not be the case if they must first believe themselves to be included in the list of the redeemed. Besides, the act of the mind which believes is antecedent to that which ascertains our interest in Christ; the last only examines the genuineness of the first; the one does something which is commanded, the other inquires whether it really has done it aright. And more than all, an appeal may be made to inspiration. "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ," is the requirement; not, "believe that you believe." The whole tenor of the sacred Scriptures inculcates a different sentiment; and were it necessary, we could quote a variety of passages of the same import with that we have just repeated. For instance: St. John affirms in our text, "Whosoever believeth on the Son of God, hath the witness in himself." And what is this but to say, that the only object of that faith which instrumentally justifies the sinner in the sight of God, is the blessed Redeemer? We take for granted, then, that the Lord Jesus Christ is the object of saving faith. But, perhaps, some one is saying to himself, I have heard all this before, and I believe it; but yet I do not definitely know what is meant by it. Remember, then, my friends, that without sincerely receiving and resting upon Christ for salvation, God can no more dispense a pardon for sin than he

can falsify his oath. And this receiving and resting upon him must be performed with a view to all his offices of Prophet, Priest, and King. When we have an exhibition of our own ignorance, of our total inability by nature to form proper conceptions of the character of God; when we are sensible of that darkness which shrouds us until the eyes of our understandings are enlightened; when we feel the need of light and direction, as much as blind men left without a guide in a pathless and boundless forest, we are prepared to receive Christ as a prophet, to reveal to us the will of God for our salvation. When the Spirit of God thoroughly convinces us that we are sinners by nature and by practice; that we have no power to atone for past guilt, or to yield future obedience; that our souls must be bathed in the blood of the Cross, or perish forever; and when, under this solemn and affecting view of our condition, we cast ourselves over on the arm of sovereign mercy, we receive Christ in the character of priest, to satisfy divine justice, and reconcile us to God. When we are oppressed with the consciousness of our innumerable corruptions, of our tendencies from holiness, and towards sin; of our weakness in conflicting with the world, the flesh, and the devil; of our necessity of some being to lead, to guide, to guard, to encourage, to support us; when we are thus induced to surrender all that we are to the great Head of the Church, then it is that Christ becomes our king, in subduing us to himself, in ruling and defending us, and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies. And this, my brethren, is what we mean when we say that Christ is the object of saving faith. Without these views,-more strongly marked, indeed, in some, and less in others, but without these radical views of the plan of salvation, Jesus Christ may be the object of that faith which custom forbids us to withhold, or of that which speculation