the throne, believing the communication to be opened betwixt heaven and them, which, during the war, was blocked up.".0 BINE A. A

The soul in believing is not conscious to itself of any succession in its exercise about the divine truths it sees, and is persuaded of, and embraces. It acquiesces in them as "faithful sayings, and worthy of call acceptation," which convey eternal life to its immediate enjoyment, with as much simplicity, as if it only credited a historical narrative. The whole attention of the mind is engaged unto the revealed objects of its belief, which are perceived in the most simple view. When a malefactor receives the king's pardon, or an insolvent debtor gets a receipt in full discharge of all his debts from his creditor, the pardon and the receipt engage and direct all their thoughts; but their belief is as simple an act of the mind, as if they only credited a report concerning an indifferent thing. Indeed the pardon and the receipt must have quite other effects upon the minds and conduct of the malefactor and the debtor, than any thing arising from the credit they give to a piece of intelligence wherein they are not interested; but these different effects do not proceed from the difference of their act in believing the one and the other, but from the difference of the things which they believe, and the different interest they have in each. When God promised that Sarah should have a son, she saw the promise, and was persuaded of it, and embraced vit, in the simplest form that can be conceived for she judged him faithful that had promised." In "judging God faithful," she saw his promise, she was persuaded of his promise, and she

When God giveth to sin

embraced it, in one act. ners eternal life in his Son, the believing soul sees this gift, and is persuaded of it, and embraces it, in one simple act. The report of the gospel does not present so many successive views of divine truth to sinners, that they may first become persuaded of one thing and then of another, that they may first gain one view, and then advance to another, as we mount a ladder step by step; but it presents the freely given salvation of God in Christ, as his testimony to be received for their complete and everlasting benefit. This testimony must either be received whole and entire, just as God hath delivered it, or else it is not received at all. The simplicity in believing is exactly proportioned to the noble and God-like simplicity of the divine record; for it cannot go beyond the word of the Lord. The foregoing extract from Mr. Boston, is sufficient both to illustrate and confirm this position.

REFLECTIONS.

1. The account that has been given of believing, both justifies and establishes the essential difference that the Scripture has expressly stated between faith and works. Indeed, they that believe in God must be careful to maintain good works: for "faith without works is dead; and whatsoever works are not of faith, are sin, and cannot please God." Faith and works ought never to be separated from one another. But as they must never be divorced, so they should never be confounded. In their nature they are not only distinct from each other, but set in opposition

to one another." Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward, not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works."

The difference between the nature of believing and the nature of works, is as great as the difference between grace and a debt, or between the law and the promise. The meanest capacity can perceive a wide difference between the service performed by a domestic, and the credit he gives to his master's word, while the master generously promises to confer upon him some favour. Nobody ever imagined a domestic was performing any service to his master, when he believed a promise which his master made to him. The person who believes a promise made in his own favour, does honour to the generosity, truth, and candour of the person that made the promise; but he cannot be said to serve him by doing any work, while he only believes his word. By believing, we hear and receive the word of God, declaring his will to us, and giving unto us in that word eternal life: by working, we keep the law, and do the will of God. In believing, we consider God as revealing what is true, and giving us what is good in working, we view him as a lawgiver, prescribing our duty, and demanding our services. believing, we receive from him: in working, we act for him. In believing, we judge him faithful that hath promised: in working, we give obedience to his

In

commandments. By believing, we receive the conviction and the comfort of truth: by working, we act under the power of that conviction and comfort.

When faith is called a work, and when it is enjoined unto mankind by the command of God; we are to remember, that the work they are called to do, is to live by the sovereign grace of God, and the everlasting righteousness of his "beloved Son in whom he is well pleased;" which are freely given to them in the word of truth, the gospel of their salvation. The gracious words that testify the free grace of God, are proposed to be the alone, and the whole dependence, life, and comfort of lost sinners, that they may hear and live, that they may believe and rejoice, and that their souls in believing them may enter into rest. These glorious blessings are not given in order to be enjoyed by men who perform some virtuous deed, but to be received and enjoyed by unworthy and guilty criminals. And as this receiving terminates directly in its objects, the favour of God, and the righteousness of Jesus, it can no more exist without them, than a beggar's receiving his alms can exist without the alms he receives, or eating without food, or beholding an object without the object beheld. Faith always receives the truth it believes; and the faith of God's elect receives, and depends upon, the gift of complete righteousness and salvation in Christ, by the free grace of God. In so doing, it only takes possession of Christ and eternal life, as a divine and undeserved gift. But in regard this is the gift of God, the revelation of it is attended with an express command, obliging all that hear it to receive and live by the given Saviour,

as made of God unto them wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. To conclude, a conviction of the truth of the sovereignty of divine grace, and of the sufficiency of Christ, and of this grace being revealed in Christ to the guilty and lost, is the only activity that answers to the doctrines of the gospel, or the command to believe on the name of Jesus Christ. But how widely different is this from all our activity in the service of God, as our Lord, our King, and our Lawgiver!

2. The preceding account of the foundation and nature of the faith of the gospel, is a manifest proof, that unfeigned faith is grounded in knowledge. How can we believe the word of God, without knowing it to be his word, and without understanding what it reveals to be believed by us? An implicit assent, not founded in knowledge and understanding, is necessary to be adopted in the church of Rome; but faith, founded in a blind attachment to an unknown doctrine, is not "the fruit of the Spirit of wisdom and revelation." He that heareth the words of Christ, must also understand it, in order that he may enjoy it through faith. Every one that "believeth on the Son," and hath everlasting life, must see him previous to his believing. Every man that cometh to Christine way of believing, must first hear and learn of the Father." Believers have "enlightened eyes of the understanding" given them, to know the things which are freely given to them of God. Their eyes are opened, and they are turned from darkness to light. Divine things are commended to their conscience, by a manifestation and discovery both of the meaning and authority of divine truth.