erations are always directed by consummate wisdom, producing consistency and uniformity. While rendering present adversity or pain to individuals; while scourging communities or nations; and while assigning misery to the incorrigibly wicked, the Almighty never feels pleasure in the pains which his creatures suffer, but resorts to these measures for purposes, which, if made known, every wise and good being would be constrained to approve. Nor does he, for the accomplishment of these excellent purposes, resort to any means but such as are perfectly consistent with the highest moral purity, and with justice to each individual. His justice and benevolence are not less active in those parts of his government, which have most appearance of severity, than in those in which his mercy shines so clearly, as to be universally acknowledged.

Now he who has the faith which is connected with salvation, embraces and is delighted with such a character. He has confidence in God. He has no apprehension, that there can be any fault, error, or imperfection, in a government administered by such a being.

2. Christianity represents religion, as a reasonable service. It decribes the love of God as wise, rational, and perfect. Now, the pious believer assents to this, not with his understanding merely, but with his heart. He sincerely loves the law, by which his iniquities are condemned. He perceives that the allowance of any sin would be unbecoming the holy character of God, and of course, that his law would be defective, did it require less than perfect obedience. He does not desire that its demands should be thus reduced; but rejoices in the consideration of its immutability.

When it is said that the law requires perfect obedience, we do not mean that this is the lowest condition on which salvation may be obtained. This would be inconsistent with the most obvious declarations of the New Testament. But though unfailing compliance with the law is not the condition of being received to eternal life, God's claim to this is not relinquished. It is what man is under undeniable obligations to yield. No

breach of the divine law ever has been or ever will be allowed. The pious believer is so far from desiring such allowance, that were it so granted, his confidence in Deity would be shaken, and his love diminished.

3. Christianity represents moral evil, as irrational and abominable in itself; and connected with eternal disgrace and ruin. In the view of God, it is an object of supreme detestation.

With these representations the feelings of the penitent believer are in agreement. His past sins are contemplated with unfeigned aversion. In his present imperfections, he finds a never failing source of humiliation and regret. The sense,

which he has of personal demerit, is that which no language can express. He well understands the prophet's emphatical words: Know thou and see, that it is an evil and a bitter thing, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God.

That approbation of the divine law, and that conviction of personal guilt which is implied in piety, prevent those passages of Scripture which relate to human depravity, from appearing incredible. From the general aspect of the world the believer can scarcely doubt, that those inherent propensities to evil, which he laments in himself, are common to others. If so, he is by no means surprised at such declarations as these: The whole world lieth in wickedness: The imagination of man's heart is evil continually: You hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: We were by nature children of wrath, even as others. The doctrines of scripture strikingly correspond with what he feels in himself, and observes in those around him.

4. There is a coincidence between the doctrines of Scripture and the feelings of him who possesses saving faith in regard to human dependence. The Christian religion ascribes all moral goodness in man to the operation of Deity on the heart. It teaches, that a life of true virtue is neither commenced, nor maintained, but by a divine power. Where there is an essential change of moral character, God is said to have given a new heart,-to have produced a new spirit; and the perseverance

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of the justified person is attributed to the indwelling of his spirit, Who raised up our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead. inscious of arcenday The believer feels his dependence to be such, as is here des+ sin beleving & Pribed. Whatever of moral worth he possesses, is not, he is may spent to reines in altery stumbles a convinced, the native growth of the human heart, but is a Emith ofpolep, bis die er plant, which his heavenly Father has planted; and would withP540:13,13 er and die, unless cultured and nourished by the same hand. He is conscious of propensities, which would lead to disobedience and ruin, were they not restrained and counteracted by influence from on high.

5. The christian religion represents salvation as gratuitous. By grace are ye saved, through faith. Being justified freely by his grace, we have peace with God.

No person can receive this religion to the salvation of his soul; no one can entertain the faith, which it demands, who views himself capable of standing on the ground of his good desert. If I am free from guilt; or if my good deeds compensate for my offences, I am indebted to no one. I cannot therefore be pleased with a religion, which represents me as condemned in the eye of justice, and utterly incapable of being saved, but through the compassion of God. That faith, by which the just shall live, not only assents intellectually to the doctrine of gratuitous justification; but rests upon it with the highest satisfaction and delight. The believer is willing to have it known40:9/ on earth, in heaven, and through the whole universe, that his salvation is the result of divine mercy. His affections are in unison with theirs, who will, through ceaseless ages, ascribe glory and dominion to him, Who hath loved them and washed them from their sins in his own blood. He rejoices in the religion of Christ, not merely because it affords to himself eternal security; but because this security is bestowed on him and innumerable millions, without endangering the order and happiness of God's kingdom.

The lecture will be concluded with a few remarks.

1. From the account of faith which has now been given, it is not difficult to perceive, why so much importance should be at

tached to it in the Christian system. Were it merely an act of the understanding,—an intellectual assent to certain propositions, it would, indeed, create surprise, that our Saviour should have said: He, that believeth on the Son, hath life: but he, that believeth not on the Son, hath not life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

But, if in the term faith we comprehend, not only that assent of the understanding, which evidence demands: but that state of the heart, those moral affections, which the relations of man require; there is an essential difference between the believer and the unbeliever; a difference, which enables us to perceive the propriety of their future separation. The one, yielding to moral obligation, is the friend of real virtue, and therefore the friend of God: the other is alike the enemy of both. The one has a moral principle, which qualifies him to enjoy the presence of God and the employments of the celestial world; the other would, in no place, nor in any society, be less happy, than in that presence, or in those employments.

2. If the sentiments, conveyed in this lecture are true, it is not correct, to speak of saving faith, as the foundation of holiness, or, as that by which we receive Christ. Faith is not the foundation of holiness, any more, than a thing can be the foundation. of itself. Faith is holiness, or what is the same thing, true virtue. It is obedience; and will be expressed by external actions. When the Jews inquired of our Lord, What they should do, that they might work the works of God, his reply was: This is the work of God, that ye believe on him, whom he hath sent. For a similar reason, it is not that by which we receive Christ. Faith is the Christian temper existing in the heart; and therefore cannot be that by which we receive the Christian temper.

3. As, from the preceding remarks, it would seem, that the principal excellence of saving faith, consists in a moral resemblance of God, it is natural to inquire, whether the moral resemblance, if found in a pagan, will not ensure the salvation of its possessor? I answer in the affirmative. Wherever there

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is an obedient heart, a sincere love of holiness, there is a virtual agreement between moral feelings and the truths of the Christian religion: there is that which would secure those truths a welcome reception, were they made known. If there be truly virtuous heathen, they would embrace, with adoration and love, such a character, as that which the gospel attributes to the Almighty; and, of course, they must abhor the moral character of those deities, who are the common objects of pagan worship. If there be any virtuous heathen, they have that conviction of personal ill desert, which would render the Christian doctrine of salvation by Christ most welcome. If there are in pagan nations, individuals of such feelings and such characters, there can be no room to question, that they are the chosen of God, and, through the merits of Christ, heirs of the heavenly kingdom. For, in every nation, whosoever feareth God, and worketh righteousness, is accepted of him. God is no respecter of persons; and, therefore, will not receive one person of real holiness, and reject another. But these remarks do by no means express any opinion, as to the actual salvation of heathen. Such characters, wherever found, will inherit eternal life. But whether there be any among pagans, answering to this description, I am not authorized to determine, nor can it be certainly known till the day of retribution.

The subject leads us to notice an objection, frequently made; viz. that it ill comports with the justice of God, to condemn the heathen for not assenting to truths, which were never proposed to them. The heathen will not be condemned for not assenting to truths, which were never proposed to them; but for the want of true virtue ;-genuine uprightness of heart; that quality, in short, by which the friends of God are distinguished from his enemies.

It is obvious to remark, that between the condition of unbelievers in heathen and Christian countries there is an important difference. The latter, by rejecting Christianity, clearly show that their feelings do not correspond with it. They have seen what Christianity is; what purity it ascribes to God; what