The sea itself was a defence unto Israel whilst in the midst of it: so whilst we rely on the merits of Christ for grace and forgiveness, sin loses its reigning and condemning power. And though Satan and sin, like Pharaoh and his host, presume to pursue, and continue to harass the believer, yet being at length obliged to confess, like Pharaoh, that God fighteth for Israel, their vigour abates, their strength fails, their hearts faint, and they cry, Let us flee from Israel, the believing Israel, for neither Satan to accuse, nor sin to condemn, dare stand in their way, for "the blood of Christ cleanseth them from all sin." Thus all Israel have the honour to tread down the strength of the enemy; divine justice acquits the believer. Her sorrows have been great, and so her mercies are multiplied: Christ, the great Emmanuel, God with us, has doubly atoned for her sins, and heaven shall make double amends for her sorrows. God smiled on Israel, and they marched briskly; he frowned on the Egyptians, and their carriages moved slowly, and they began to be heavy-hearted, for his looks gave them to understand that Israel was under divine protection, encompassed within the Red Sea, a type of Christ's blood, and therein surrounded with salvation as with walls and bulwarks. So Satan and sin, like Pharaoh and his host, attempt to save themselves by flight, but Jesus stretches out his hand, over the sea of his blood, points out the certainty and sufficiency of his death and resurrection, saying, Behold my hands and my feet!" So the sea of Christ's blood, in his sufferings and intercession viewed together, like the sea in its full strength, overflows and beats down all opposition, and drowns all the enemies of Israel slavish fears, unbelief. and hardness of heart. Hence it appears that all the hopes of victory which the devil and sin have, are all drowned, when they pre sume to encamp within the walls of this atoning sea- - the covenant of grace. Thus the Lord saves all his Israel, out of the hands of sin and Satan, when the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head (Gen. iii. 15), and casteth out the strong man armed (Luke xi. 21). And when the believer hath effectually learnt, by faith, the great work which the Lord hath done for him and in him, and feels in himself, like the woman of Samaria, by touching of Christ's garment, that he is healed of his plague, as she was of her issue of blood, though of twelve years continuance (Mark v. 25); then will he fear the Lord, and believe the voice of his servant, and will acknowledge all the promises of God, in Christ Jesus, both yea and amen; that is, sure and everlasting to the glory of God the Father (2 Cor. i. 20). He can then perceive the voice of the Lord calling after him, saying, Remember these thy privileges, O Jacob and Israel, for thou art my servant; I have formed thee (for my glory), thou shalt never be forgotten of me; I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions, and as a cloud thy sins: return unto me, for I have redeemed thee. Sing, O heavens, for the Lord hath done it," Isa. xliv. 21. 22, 23. Thus the promises of God are, to the believing soul, as so many strong towers to hide him from the face of his enemies. Yet God hath kept his people, sometimes, so long under their pressures, that they began at length even to give themselves up to despair, and to conclude they should never see deliverance. But the Lord shall smite the enemies of his children-sin, Satan, or persecutors-as he did the Philistines (1 Sam. iv. 11). For "it is better a millstone were hanged about their necks, and they cast into the midst of the sea, than that they offend any one that believeth in me," saith Christ (Matt. xviii. 6). "Touch not mine Anointed, and 172 do my prophets no harm," Psalm cv. 15. 66 For his hand shall be known toward his servants in their deliverances, and his indignation towards their enemies in their destruction (if grace prevent not) sooner or later. The Captain of our salvation is with us; his eye is upon us, his everlasting arms beneath us; in his name, therefore, we may go on, lift up our banners, and say, If God be for us, who can be against us? Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." So safe is the church of God from destruction, that when all things perish, they shall sustain no loss; in the judgment day, though the great globe itself be dissolved, happy will the bride be in the enjoyment of her adorable Husband, whose love is unchangeable. Also the destruction of sin shall be accomplished in God's people, who pass through the Red Sea of Christ's atoning blood. They shall be delivered from the very shadow of death, and shall see all their enemies extinct, and the envious blaze of their transitory life quenched for Whilst the righteous being delivered from the powers of darkness, and translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son, sit triumphant at the Lord's right hand; having obtained redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of their sins,' Col. i. 13. ever. 68 all its sweetness: but, alas, how can two walk together except they be agreed? And what agreement can there be betwixt light and darkness, -the glorious Majesty of heaven and sinful dust, but only through a Mediator? and the only Mediator is Jesus Christ. The high-priest had the names of the tribes engraven on his breast or heart: Christ pleads the love he bears to his people. Three places the names of the saints are written in, from either of which neither men or devils can blot them out, namely, in the book of life, on the palms of his hands, and on the heart of Christ. I may add, the fourth thing the high-priest did, when he entered into the holy place, was, he went in with all his rich priestly garments, to show we should be clothed with the rich robes of Christ's righteousness; for what the high-priest did, he did not in his personal, but in his public capacity. Christ is the very life and soul of all our comforts. and without him all our creature enjoyments are but as so many cyphers without a figure, which have no signification in them, but are so many nothings. Nothing in respect of true comfort here; nothing in respect of our meetness for another world. May we be led by the Spirit to see through the glass, both of scripture and experience, to behold all the excellencies of this world as so many bladders filled with wind, and at best to be like Hagar's bottle which was soon empty, or as broken cisterns, and therefore cannot hold much, broken cisterns, and therefore cannot hold what they have long. May we be led to look to and live upon Christ, as that everlasting fountain of all good, which can never be drawn dry as that never-failing spring of all those blessings which will not only sweeten every condition here, but go with us beyond death and the grave. The assured believer knows he is rich in the midst of poverty (Col. ii. 2). Though, says he, I cannot say riches are mine, yet I can say that Christ is mine, and that is more; though I cannot say that silver and gold are mine, yet I can say grace and glory are, and that is far better. This believer can look up to heaven, and say, Yonder is the place, the palace, the kingdom I have a title to; above yonder heavens must I for ever dwell, above yonder sun is a mansion for me: oh, I long to be there, where I know I shall for ever be. My heart is filled with joy while I think on it. oh what joy shall enter into me when I shall go into that joyful, blessed place. Though now I walk in rags, and am subject to the want of the bread that perisheth, I shall shortly be clothed with white and glorious robes, eat of the hidden manna and the fruit of the tree of life, and drink of the rivers of pleasure at God's right hand for ever. Now, a cottage, kitchen, or garret is my dwelling, but a stately building is prepared for me there (2 Cor. v. 1; John xiv. 2, 3). Here frequently my days are spent in sighing, and my night with tears, but then I shall be all ear, all heart, all tongue; when I shall see my Redeemer as he is, I shall be like him. This will be heaven indeed :-to behold his glory without a vail, to rejoice in his love without a cloud, and to sing his praises without one jarring or wandering note for ever. Why should I fear when guarded so, His mouth is held with bit: No cross or bliss, no loss or gain, Since thou so kind and watchful art, Teach me with child-like mind to sit, ON A LIVING AND DEAD FAITH. IN the following pages I shall attempt to point out the difference between a dead and a living faith- -a faith without works, and a faith which is productive of good works. A dead faith is a mere assent to the truth, or to the letter of the word; but the letter killeth, it is the Spirit giveth life. The devils believe and tremble: but their faith is of the same nature—a bare assent. I might hear a person relate to me all about what he had seen in the Indies, when he was there: if I knew the person to be an honest man, I should have no reason to doubt his word, but should believe and receive his word as true without any hesitation; notwithstanding all this, I could not say what the climate was by my own personal knowledge, nor that I had experienced the scorching heat of the sun, nor seen the black natives in their different habitations. Such is the difference between a mere assent to the truth, and the real belief of it. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen. There is a real substance in the faith of the operation of the Spirit of God: it lays hold of, appropriates, and brings into the very soul, the great and glorious realities which are revealed in the word of God. Many persons will say, I believe the word of God; but I want the power. But such persons forget, or do not know, that it is an utter impossibility to believe without the power; for the faith of God's elect doth not stand in the wisdom of man, but in the power of God: so that if I possess this living faith, I am sure to reap the benefit. Indeed it is impossible it should be otherwise; for if I am enabled to believe that the Lord Jesus bore my sins in his own body on the tree-that he endured all the curse due to my transgression -that he wrought out and brought in an everlasting righteousness, to clothe my naked soul, that I might stand justified before him in a way which I could not by the law of Moses if I really believe this, I cannot at the same time doubt and fear that my sins will sink me to perdition. These two things can never exist together, because they are directly opposed, as much so as fire and water, light and darkness, life and death. If I say that I believe in the word of God, trust in the promises, and rely upon God's immutable oath, his unchangable and everlasting love: and at the same time I am murmuring and repining, fretting and rebelling, because I cannot have things my own way. Though under such circumstances I may be in possession of faith, in the principle or root, yet it is very evident I cannot have it in its powerful operation in my experience, for that would be sure to bring peace and tranquillity into the soul, and cause me to stand fast in the midst of all opposition. This I know a little of by experience, for it is what I have tasted, handled, and felt. But our father Abraham understood the nature of this faith far better than I can describe it. When the Lord commanded him to take his son, his only son, Isaac, and offer him for a burnt offering, after that he had promised that in him should all the nations of the earth be blessed; what could be more contrary to his natural understanding and his carnal reason? yet he staggered not at the promise, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God. And no doubt there were many real christians who, had they seen Abraham take the knife to slay his son, would have exclaimed, What a presumptuous man! what an enthusiast! surely the man must be beside himself, he cannot be in his right mind. Just so it is at the present day: for if a person is enabled by this same omnipotent faith (for it is nothing less than God's omnipotence put forth in the soul that can perform such wonders) to believe and realize his interest in all the Lord Jesus has done and suffered, and that his sins are all pardoned, and to cast his burden entirely upon the Lord, and be careful for nothing, but in every thing to give thanks, trusting in him at all times, and making him their only refuge in a storm: such persons will be termed by many professors, presumptuous hypocrites, and dead letter Calvinists. And why is all this? Because such persons have no knowledge of this part of christian experience. But, had Job no knowledge of it when he said, " Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him?" Had Paul no knowledge of it, when he said, I know in whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him?" Did the three worthies spoken of in Daniel know nothing of it, when they answered the king" Our God is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king?" What was David's experience, when he said, "Although my house be not so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure: this is all my salvation and all my desire, although he maketh it not to grow?" And the Lord says, by the mouth of the prophet Isaiah, 'The work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever: and my people shall dwell in a peacable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting-places. He shall dwell on high his place of defence shall be the munition of rocks: his : bread shall be given him, and his water shall be sure." I have no doubt but the persons before referred to, upon reading this statement, would set me down for a dead letter Calvinist, because I have quoted so much scripture, and said nothing about the plague of my heart, and what it is to groan under the weight of my accumulated sins and transgressions. And why is it that I cannot now make this the theme of my tongue? the reason is, not because I have never felt it, and groaned to be delivered from it; but it is, because the deliverance hath been obtained and realized by precious faith, and the burden is removed, that I can now treat of and rejoice in a better subject. I was for many years borne down with the weight of my sins, shut up in Doubting Castle, and beat about by Giant Despair, till I had given up all for lost, and would have given a thousand worlds, had I possessed them, to have realized my interest, and read my title clear; which I have of late been enabled by precious faith to do: and this faith worketh by love, and purifies the heart. This is indeed the bright side of christian experience: but I ask, is it that which goes for christian experience in the present day? are not the greater part of christians living upon their frames and feelings? measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves amongst themselves? pinning their faith to the minister's sleeve, and making his experience the object of their faith? This is what I have done myself many a time I have gone to hear the word preached, when I have been so miserable, so full of doubts, fears, and suspicions as it was possible for a man to be, and the minister has so exactly described all my feelings by preaching what he called his own experience, that it has been a sort of consolation to my mind to find that my case was not so singular as I had supposed it to be; and I, being fully а satisfied that the minister was christian, had more hope for him than I had for myself, and thence began to hope that I was one too. But was I really benefitted by this conclusion? in no wise, because my house was built upon the wrong foundation; for I no sooner got into fresh difficulties, than I began to say,' Surely no one ever felt like me: can God dwell here? my heart is like the nether millstone; I am one complete mass of sin and depravity; surely my minister never felt like this?' Then I have gone and heard him again, and he has again entered into all my feelings, and this has been another lift: but all such lifts put together never did me any real or lasting good. It was like my going into an hospital where there was a number of persons labouring under some disease, and I had the same disease; and as each one described his symptoms to be exactly like mine, this would become a kind of relief, to find others equally bad with myself. But this is poor consolation. Yet this is what is called christian experience. That such things are the soul-exercises of a christian, I do not dispute; but that it is right to call this true christian experience, I deny: for that faith which makes another man's experience the object of his faith, I make no hesitation in pronouncing a dead faith, and will produce nothing but death in the soul. Faith that comes short of Christ as its object must be a dead faith. The faith which is of the operation of the Spirit of God, can never build upon such a sandy foundation as the experience of a poor sinful worm, that changes with every wind that blows. When things have worn a smiling aspect, and I have felt pretty comfortable, then I have been ready to conclude I was a christian; but when the clouds have gathered round, darkness intervened, and cross providences have pressed upon me, then I have thought that I must be |