ALL of us stand in need of justification; for, as Paul saith, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God: And then comes in the sweet gospel—we are justified freely by God's grace, thro' the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. He knew that he himself was justified freely by God's grace thro' the Re­deemer; and was forever harping on that divine string. When ministers believe, and therefore speak; when they know that justification is quite free; 'tis sweeter to them than the honey, and the honey-comb, to bear witness for God, that great sinners, even the chief of sinners, are wel­come to justification thro' the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.

[Page 2] IN speaking to these words, I propose to observe the following method, viz.

• I. To shew that God made man for his own glory.
• II. THAT all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
• III. THAT we are therefore by consequence in a state of condemnation.
• IV. THAT tho' we are naturally in such a miserable state, we are justified freely by God's grace thro' the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. And,
• V. TO improve and apply what shall have been said under the foregoing heads; bringing all home to our particular cases, and to our hearts and consciences too by the blessing of God.

According to this method—

I. I AM to shew that God made man for his own glory. 'Tis implied, that God made man for his own glory in the text. Coming short of God's glory, is coming short of the end for which man was made; and God's glory is his end in all things. He can have no higher end than his own glory. Reasonable creatures should aim higher than their own glory, even at the glory of God. But God himself can aim no higher, than that he himself should be glorified. All things were made to glorify him. For his own glory he made angels, archangels, and all the hosts of heaven. For his glory he made the firmament, the sun, moon and stars, the earth and the seas, and all things therein, whe­ther animate or inanimate; and particularly for this end did he make man the lord of this lower creation—that he might shew forth his creator's glory. He made him little lower than the angels, and crowned him with glory and honour, expecting that man would honour him, the foun­tain [Page 3]of his honour, and give him the glory due to his name. Not that man, or any creatures, even the most exalted, can make God more glorious than he is. For his glory is essential and eternal; and can neither admit of increase or diminution. And besides, creatures receive their all from him: For of him and through him and to him are all things, to whom be glory forever. But man, as other beings, glorifies God by owning him to be such a glorious being as he is, possessed of infinite excellencies and perfections. Nor doth God want to be praised and glori­fied by the works of his hands, from any thing analagous to what there is in man, which makes him pleased with the praises and acclamations of others; but he would be glorified and praised, because praise is comely, reasonable and decent; and because glorifying him is enjoying him: The fruition of God, and giving him glory, are joined together on earth as well as in heaven. I am now,

IIdly, To shew that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; which are the very words of inspired Paul. God's creatures, as was observed, glorify him by owning him to be such a being as he is. So the heavens shew forth the glory of the Lord, and the firmament his handy work: Day unto day uttereth speech, night unto night sheweth knowledge. The invisible things of him, from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being under­stood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead. The heavenly hosts actively glorify their maker; by doing his will, and by their ceaseless hallelujahs they own him to be possessed of infinite wisdom, justice, holiness, power, goodness and truth. And as those beings honour and glorify God actively, and passively, who own and acknowledge his glorious perfections; so they come short of his glory, who will not ascribe to him the glory that is his due. This is the case of devils, and of the children of men by nature. Both men and devils have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The angels [Page 4]who kept not their first estate, but fell by transgression, denied the God above to be such a glorious being as he is. Our first parents also, by the instigation of the evil one, sinned against God, and in effect denied him to be infi­nitely wise, holy, just, powerful, good and true. And as did Adam and Eve, so do all their posterity, by ordinary generation. We derive not only guilt from them (by one man's disobedience many were made sinners) but an impure and sinful nature, a bent and byass to depart from the living God. As a fountain casteth forth its waters, so our hearts cast forth their wickedness. We rob God of his glory; instead of glorifying God with our bodies and spirits which are his; we improve the powers of our souls, and the members of our bodies, as instruments of unrigh­teousness unto wickedness: We virtually deny all the glorious perfections of his nature. This is the case as Paul supposes of all; for he saith all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; and elsewhere that the whole world are guilty; that God hath concluded all under sin; and that every mouth must be stopped.

III. I AM now to shew that having sinned and come short of the glory of God, man must necessarily by conse­quence be in a state of condemnation. This is implied: For if all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; and if we stand in need of justification by the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, then man is in a state of condemna­tion, and obnoxious to the divine wrath. And accordingly the apostle saith, men are all by nature the children of wrath, Eph. II. v. 3. So we read, that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness and ungodliness of men; and that for such things sake cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.— As the angels who did not keep their first estate, but sinned and came short of the glory of God, are reserved in chains under darkness, and suffer the divine wrath; so all men naturally, and without Christ, are exposed to suffer the [Page 5]wrath and vengeance of God with them. Hence the doom of those who live according to the byass of nature, and die in their sins, will be, depart ye cursed into ever­lasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. The

IVth POINT is to make it appear that tho' all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, we are justified freely by his grace, thro' the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.

OH! this is good news. There is not one of you who hath seriously attended to what hath been spoken, but he must have a desire to hear about free justification by God's grace thro' the redeemer. Tho' God had thoughts of mercy for poor sinners from eternity, he was resolved to be merciful to them in such a way as might not be inju­rious to his justice; for justice is essential to God as well as mercy: He will by no means clear the guilty, without satisfaction to his justice: He had rather the whole world should have perished eternally, than any one should be justified and saved in such a way as would in the least reflect upon his justice. To declare, I say, at this time his righteous­ness, that he might be just, &c.—God was determimed to justify and save sinners so that he might declare himself to be a just God and a Saviour. The Father and Son were equally engaged in the redemption of sinners—And 'twas determined that the redeemer should come to Zion, and in a body prepared for him make atonement for sin by dying on the cross—And accordingly when the fulness of time was come, the Son of God became the son of man; being made of a woman and made under the law, after he had perfectly obeyed the law for us, he was made a curse for us, by dying the accursed death of the cross, that he might redeem us from the curse of the law, and reconcile us to God: The blood of one who was God as well as man, and (hence called the blood of God, Acts xx. 28.) being of infinite merit. Accordingly we read the Messiah was cut off, but not for himself; that God laid on him the iniquity of us all; [Page 6]that he made him sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him; that we have re­demption thro' his blood, the forgiveness of sin, according to the riches of God's grace. And so in our text Paul saith we are justified freely by God's grace thro' the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. So that it appears now, we are welcome to justification for Christ's sake, without bringing any thing of our own to recommend us to God. We are justified only by Christ; and tho' our justification cost him his heart's blood, he having paid the utmost farthing for it; yet this glorious priviledge comes freely to us; it comes of meer grace; not by the grace that is wrought in us, as papists teach, confounding justification with sanctifi­cation; but by the gracious favour of God to us, without any worthiness at all.

'TIS said Joseph found grace in the eyes of his master, Gen. xxxix. v. 4. But there was a reason for it: He saw that every thing that he did prospered. There was some­thing in Joseph to invite that grace. But the favour of God comes to us thro' Christ freely: freely: Freely and grace signify the same thing: The truth is doubled that it may be the more established. There is not a sweeter passage in the whole bible; 'tis enough to make the heart of any one that believes it leap for joy. That also which I mentioned before is similar: We have re­demption thro' his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of God's grace; i. e. according to the exceeding, abundant and overflowing grace and mercy of God. Agreeably hereto, Isaiah saith, chap. lv. v. 1. in the name of God, Ho every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters—and in Rev. xxii. v. 17. we read—Whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely. So that it is plain that as things now are, as Christ hath wrought out redemption^* for us, we are all of us welcome to the pardon [Page 7]of sin, and the justification of our persons, without bring­ing any thing of our own to recommend us to the divine favour. Nor, let any perplex the doctrine of free grace with the divine decree. We must not blend the grant and the decree together. But consider the grant abstractedly from the decree, otherwise we shall make confusion, Ac­cordingly, tho' the apostles held the divine decree, they preached justification as freely as if there had been no decree at all. And, in imitation of them, we may say to every one who comes to hear the gospel, to you is the word of this salvation sent; thro' this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins, and the justification of your persons. Nor let any one think that the gospel is to be preached thus; that men are welcome to be justified for Christ's sake if they have faith. If they know they have not faith, they are welcome now, believing our text to be true, to apply to themselves ^† the redemption purchased by Christ, [Page 8]or to expect justification from God for his sake. For all things are now ready; the chief of sinners are welcome; and him that cometh to God for justification, encouraged by God's word, he will in no wise cast out.

I NOW proceed to improve and apply the discourse, And

I. HENCE we learn the woful depravity of man by the fall of Adam, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Indeed God made man upright; he made him little lower than the angels, and crowned him with glory and honour. But how is the gold become dim, and the fine gold changed! Man, once almost angelick, is now become lower than the beasts that perish: For they have not come short of the glory of God, but praise their maker, and answer the end of their creation. Some deny this original depravity derived from Adam the sinner; and say men learn wickedness of one another, and are depraved by examples. And indeed evil examples are corrupting; but this will not account for the world lying in wicked­ness—Mankind could never have universally corrupted [Page 9]their ways, had they not derived a vitiated nature from their first progenitor. The wiser heathens saw this pro­pensity to sin, contrary to the light of nature and con­science, but were puzzled to find the origin. The scrip­ture informs us, that being descended from fallen Adam, we are transgressors from the womb, and have a natural propensity to sin against God, and so to come short of his glory.

II. WE learn hence, the adorable condescension and love of God, that such depraved and perishing creatures should be redeemed by Jesus Christ! That God should so love the world as to give his Son to die for us; that he should make him sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him! That the just should die for the unjust, that he might bring us to God! Such mercy, love and grace, are amazing and incomprehen­sible to all the heavenly hosts. And were it not for the slowness of our hearts to believe, we should every one of us, before we went out of this house, begin the holy won­der, and join with the innumerable company of angels and the spirits of just men made perfect, saying, salvation, glory and honour be to him that sitteth on the throne, and also the lamb: for worthy is the lamb that was slain, who hath washed us from our sins, and redeemed us unto God by his blood.

III. IF we are justified freely by God's grace thro' the redemption that is in Jesus Crist; then those doctrines which are inconsistent with this free justification are to be rejected. Tho' we are told so much of free justification, thro' the riches of God's grace in Christ Jesus, in the word of God, yet the christian world are bewitched with the doctrine of justification by works, which is the religion of nature.^* The papists are notorious for this: And would [Page 10]to God protestant countries were strangers to it! But, alas, there is such a byass to the old covenant in men's hearts, and the blood of Christ not appearing precious as the scripture saith it is, 'tis thought safer to preach justi­fication as it were by the works of the law: So that peo­ple are often taught to believe, that if they do as well as they can, what is wanting in their own righteousness shall be made up by Christ's righteousness; and having the obedience of two to depend upon, Christ's obedience and their own, they may with humility expect justification from God. This divinity is as contrary to Paul's in the text, as darkness is to light. We may learn hence also to reject that new gospel, which hath lately been maintained from the press, ^† viz. That men love God, and truly re­pent of their sins, before they believe in Jesus Christ. According to this divinity, the first thing the awakened sinner hath to do, is to love God, the next thing he hath [Page 11]to do, is to repent of all his sins; and when he hath done these two great works, then he is prepared for free justifi­cation by faith. But what sort of a person is he who hath loved God and repented of his sins, but hath not yet believed in Christ? The scriptures know but of two sorts of persons, saints and sinners. But the patrons of this divinity are forced to create a third sort, who are neither saints nor sinners, but between both. Regenerate ^* sinners is the name given to the beings they have created: Tho' the pious Mr. Firmin in his zeal against the absurdity, calls such persons damned saints. Paul saith that all lovers of God have a title to heaven, 1 Cor. ii. v. 9. And heaven is certainly open to those who truly repent, Acts iii. v. 19. So that die when they will, heaven must be their portion. And yet as unbelievers, they must be excluded, Mark xvi. 16. Query, what would become of a man who should die when he was neither a saint nor a sinner, but one of those middle sort of persons of whom these divines speak.^† And as this divinity appears shocking at first view, 'tis utterly inconsistent with the doctrine of Paul before us, viz. that we are justified freely by God's grace thro' the redemp­tion there is in Jesus Christ. For it makes it necessary for men to be regenerated, lovers of God, true penitents, i. e. real saints, or godly persons, in order to their being qualified for justification. 'Tis as a slaming sword to keep poor souls from Jesus Christ: It bids the minister cry out in the language of Sybil in Virgil; ‘Procul O procul este prophani: Away, away from Christ, all ye who are not yet holy. You must not think of coming to [Page 12]Christ for justification till ye are sanctified: You must be healed first, and then apply to the physician: Get holy hearts before you come to Christ, and then come and welcome’—So that at this rate, the hope set before the sinner in the gospel, gives no encouragement: Instead of looking out of himself to Christ the end of the law for righteousness; he must keep looking into his heart to see whether he is an holy person, and so qualified to believe; and not being able to find the impossible attain­ment, he must pine away in melancholy and despair—A number of such persons I have seen within a twelve month past, brought to the brink of this gulph by such horrible divinity: As no doubt others have been led by it hereto­fore to chuse strangling and death rather than life. ^* O how different is this from the gospel preached by Paul; that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses to them; that he died for the ungodly; and as in our text, that tho' all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, we are justified freely by his grace thro' the redemption that is in Jesus Christ; that we need not bring any holiness with us, but only our sins and misery, and yet be welcome to justifica­tion for his sake. But so much of Christ and free justi­fication would not serve the cause such divines are pro­moting. I mean men's loving God as an absolute God while he appears as a consuming fire with regard to them­selves,^† and returning to him as such. Christ must be, [Page 13]kept out of sight to make the work go on. For if the sinner should have the least glimpse of the preciousness of that blood by which we are justified, he would continue what they call an impenitent person: nor would it be pos­sible for them ever after, to bring him to repentance. And I pray God they may always meet with this impediment in the work they are carrying on: May they be divinely hindered in all their attempts to bring souls to God with­out a mediator. Nay, they themselves are not insensible, that another sort of preaching best promotes their design: [Page 14]And therefore, instead of the glad tidings of great joy which Paul was forever harping on, they insist continually on vindictive justice; as if the Almighty's glory consisted chiefly in pouring out his wrath on sinners;^* and say but little of Jesus who delivers from the wrath to come. I myself have heard a minister of that way preach a most amazing sermon upon hell and damnation, without saying one word about Jesus Christ.

I KNOW it is pretended that the impleaded divinity is contained in the doctrine of those Calvinistical divines who hold regeneration is, in order of nature, before faith. If I might, with deference to these divines, give my opi­nion, I would say that those (and I think the current of the protestant reformers were of this mind) appear to be nearer to the scripture, who hold that a man is regenerated in believing. However, the beforementioned divines who explain this differently, don't hold that a man is regenerated before he believes, so as actually to love God, and repent of his sins while an unbeliever. Perhaps there was hardly ever a divine but would disclaim the doctrine of true repen­tance before faith: For partial repentance cannot be true repentance; and the repentance that is before faith is but partial. The damning sin of unbelief must be unre­pented of, while a man is an unbeliever.— And as for loving an absolute God before faith, and without Christ, whom the scripture represents as the ‘medium of love, thro' whom God loves us, and thro' whom alone we dare to love God,^†’ it is so absurd, that tho' the papists virtually embrace something like it in their faith formed by charity; Antonia Bourignon, a deistical and enthusiastical writer of the last century, is the only one I know of, who in a bare-faced manner ever maintained that a man may [Page 15]attain to the love of God, from a view of his essential per­fections, without any regard to Jesus Christ and his attonement. ^†

[Page 16] THE truth is, this doctrine, make the best of it, hath a deistical aspect; and 'tis pity any of Christ's ministers should attempt to christen it. Oh how revived would Jews and Deists be to find christian divines harmonize with them so far, as to hold a man may be a true lover of God from a view of his essential perfections without any regard to that Messiah whom they hate? This is cer­tainly doing the infidels a pleasure; and they must be very stupid, if they are not very glad, when such affronts are offered to the Son of God. Here 'tis natural to ask such divines a question, viz. Where are men to get that love and repentance, which they are supposed to have be­fore faith? Not out of the fulness that there is in Christ, in whom it hath pleased the Father that all sulness should dwell. For they are at a distance from him yet.^† And as they are supposed to get love and repentance, not from Christ's fulness; they return to God thereby, without con­sidering him as the way to the Father. So that Christ is put out of his office.

‘MAY I be permitted on this occasion, to say with suitable respect to the ministers of Christ: Arise, this matter belongeth to you. Consider and speak your minds: Now is a time to speak and not to keep silence. The honour of your Saviour is called in question: The dispute is whether he is the way to God or not: Whether sinners return to God thro' the Mediator, or without him? We have a strange gospel obtruded up­on us, which tells the sinner, he must have nothing to do with a God in Christ, but with an absolute God only—And that when he hath by love and repentance [Page 17]returned to him; it may be said hic Christus nihil fecit. ^† This was all done without Christ, without once looking to him as the way to the father. Is this magnifying Christ? Is this making Jesus all in all? My soul come not thou into their secret. Were the same mind in us that was in Paul; were Christ precious to us as he was to him, how shocked should we be at the divinity which teaches men to return to God, as if no Saviour was provided for them; without the least dependance on his merits. The spirit of Christ in ministers, must make them zealous against this Christless divinity: And when the witnesses of one generation are fallen asleep, others shall be raised up in their stead: The zeal of the Lord of hosts shall perform this.’

But it is time to return—

I HAVE said much more against this doctrine than I intended at first: But I did not know how to leave off; because it appeared to me that while I was speaking against that tenet I was speaking for Jesus Christ.

III. HENCE let every one of us be exhorted to ex­amine ourselves, whether we have been justified freely by God's grace thro' the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. Have we believed this report? Have we received it not as the word of man, but as the word of God, that tho' all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, we are justified freely by his grace thro' the redemption that is in Jesus Christ? And have we thereupon went to God in our hearts for justification? All that believed the freeness of justification in primitive times, expected to be justify'd for Christ's sake: They had not learned that language, ‘I am a poor creature, I have got an hard heart, I am afraid such an one as I, so unfit, so unworthy, cannot be welcome to so great a privilege.’ This is thought [Page 18]to be consistent with believing the gospel to be true. But 'tis a mistake. As soon as God appears to be the author of it, all this fashionable humility, which is only spiritual pride, vanishes away, like darkness before the sun. Then the per­son sees it is safe for him to come to God as an ungodly sinner, because Christ died for the ungodly, and God saith he justifies the ungodly for his sake. Rom. 4.5. He that never dared to present himself before God with confidence, as an ungodly person, never yet believed to justification.

AND have our discoveries of Christ and free jus­tification purified us inwardly and outwardly, making us like unto Christ the righteous; for only he that doth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous: For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh; how much more shall the blood of Christ, who thro' the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge our consciences from dead works to serve the living God? This precious blood sprinkled by faith, al­ways influences men to answer the redeemer's end in shedding it, by dying unto sin and living unto righteousness.

ONCE more: Know we any thing of that divine peace, which justified ones are the subjects of? Rom. V. v. 1. Nay, 'tis reckoned the common experience of such per­sons, that they joy in God thro' our Lord Jesus Christ, having received the attonement. V. 2. I know that now a days persons are looked on as eminent christians, tho' they are eminently strangers to that joy which is the fruit of the spirit: Nay, I once heard it declared by a man of some note, of a certain woman; ‘that for forty years, she had been looked on as the best christian in the parish; and that for the whole time she appeared to be cast down and void of comfort.’ There is no doubt that a real christian may have an horror of darkness fall upon him, as fell on Abraham the father of the faithful; and fresh guilt will bring trouble into the soul. But as for those who go on habitually under legal darkness, being afraid of [Page 19]hell and the wrath to come, ministers of the gospel are authorized to tell them, that they do not walk humbly with God; that their gloominess is the effect of despising the blood of Christ, by which we are justified; that 'tis im­possible any one should believe the glad tidings of the gospel to be true, without having some gladness in his heart at the same time.

IF, according to what hath been said, you have reason to think you are justified freely by God's grace, thro' the re­demption that is in Jesus Christ; praise God, who by his spirit hath influenced you to believe what naturally a man can no more believe with his heart, than he can make a world, viz. that there is free justification for un­godly sinners thro' Jesus Christ. Before you were divinely enlightened, you could not help stumbling at this stumbling stone: For it seems impossible to be true. The law saith the soul that sinneth, it shall die; and reason can see no further than God's justifying the godly. But God, by raising up his son Jesus from the dead, hath given us a new idea of himself, which no man can heartily be recon­ciled to, till God who caused the light to shine out of darkness, shines into his heart by his holy spirit. This in the apostles time was called the foolishness of preaching: And all who have faithfully preached it ever since, have been accounted fools for Christ's sake. If we preach justification only for the godly, the offence of the cross ceaseth; and men who scorn the thoughts of being justified as ungodly sinners, may call us rational preachers, and their mouths be filled with our praises. But the foolishness of God is wiser than men. We glory in the cross of Christ. The applauses of all the men upon earth are contemned. This is our divine joy, our glory and honour, that we are counted worthy to suffer shame, for preaching free justifi­cation for ungodly sinners, thro' the redemption there is Jesus Christ.

BUT to return: If we are justified freely by God's grace, then let us live holy and godly lives. Shall we sin [Page 20]because grace abounds? God forbid! Yea, rather let the abounding of grace be the killing of sin in us. Let us be jealous over ourselves with a godly jealousy: Blessed is the man who feareth always. The soul is never safe but when afraid; afraid of being left to itself, and leaning on Jesus Christ for help: When we have this fear, we are strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Remember we were made to glorify God; and let our dishonouring him in times past, and especially since we tasted that the Lord was gracious, influence us to make it the business of our lives more than ever to glorify him in the world; whereby we shall answer his end in redeeming us also; for he gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify us to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works. And 'tis of such livers, Christ saith, I am glorified in them. O how strong this argument to one who hath the love of Christ in his heart! And in this way, be exhorted to take the comfort that belongs to you: Let the righteous rejoice? rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion, shout for joy; ye are blessed; and shall be blessed forever: for whom he justified, them he also glorified. And indeed if you live lives of holiness; if you live in all good conscience; confessing Jesus Christ, aiming at his honour and glory; having an holy disregard for your own; he will send the comforter into your hearts; he will manifest himself unto you; ye shall eat of the hid­den manna, and drink of the water of life; the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds thro' Christ Jesus; you will not only enter into the joy of your Lord when you die; but shall have the joys of heaven in you while you live.

I would now address myself to those who have no rea­son to think themselves in a state of justification. And here, what shall we say to these things: We have all sin­ned and come short of the glory of God. This is our character given by God; and our consciences must assent to it: Every mouth must be stopped—But be astonished O ye heavens at this! We are justified freely by God's grace [Page 21]thro' the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. O may not any of you receive the grace of God in vain; turn not the grace of God into wantonness. Believe the heavenly re­port: Go to God tho' sinners, tho' ungodly; and receive the pardon of your sins, and the justification ^* of your per­sons, as a free gift for the sake of Jesus Christ. There are no conditions for you to fulfill to make you welcome; you need not trouble yourselves about coming up to any terms of the gospel; ^† only set to your seals that God is true, and take him at his word.

BUT some one will be ready to say, must I not get a principle of faith first, that so I may believe? and is it not my duty to live in the use of means, and to do all the good works that lie in my power, in hopes of obtaining this principle? I answer, the apostles tell us, that when a man believes, there is in him a principle of every thing that is good: But they no where exhort persons to seek after a good principle first, that afterwards they be enabled to believe. Works of supererogation, and of subordination, are equally unapostolical. Tho' a man who knows he is without faith should do good works, yet he must not think of doing good works without faith, in hopes that hereby he [Page 22]shall be helped to get faith. When he hears, reads, or prays, &c. he should consider the divine report of a mediator, and as the Scots divines say, mint at Christ in everything he does.

PERHAPS another may say within himself, I am afraid I have not been under convictions long enough;^* 'tis but a few days, or perhaps a less space, that I have been in earnest about religion; surely I am not yet prepared for justification. Conviction of sin is needful: Were there nothing else, that description of believers would prove it; where they are said to have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before them. Heb. vi. v. 18. But how long a time were those thousands under convictions, who were wrought upon by Peter's preaching? How long the wo­man of Samaria, the jailor, or Zaccheus? The latter had only a desire to see what sort of a man Christ was, that he might describe him to others—How soon did he believe to salvation? A man may go into a christian assembly stupid and unconcerned about the one thing needful, and [Page 23]yet go home to his house justify'd, and an heir of heaven. The scripture don't at all encourage this round about way: To-day, while it is called to-day, we are to hear God's voice: Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation. Hear Paul—The righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, who shall ascend into heaven? (that is to bring Christ down from above) Or, who shall descend into the deep? (that is to bring Christ up again from the dead)—But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is the word of faith which we preach. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart, that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness. Believing with the heart, we are justified in a moment.

AND if we begin with believing what the God of truth hath said, the foundation is divine, and our religion will be lasting: Otherwise, it will be as the morning cloud and as the early dew, which suddenly passeth away. Hence it is, that so many of late years, who made a fair shew in the flesh, and even boasted of their assurance of eternal life, have returned like the dog to his vomit, and like the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. Nay, too many of them are some of the most hardned and wicked people in the land. These persons never knew any thing yet as they ought to know. Their religion was made up of distracting fears and enthusiastical joys. They never yet believed that Jesus was the Christ. They attained to what they themselves, and others, thought more spiritual and sublime. But this low experience they were strangers to—otherwise they would have been born of God, and have kept the commandments of Jesus Christ. 1 John V. 1.5. If you receive the gospel as the word of God, it will work effectually; you will put your trust in Christ alone for justification; and the lives you live in the flesh, you will live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved you and gave himself for you: Which precious faith, God of his infinite mercy, bestow on us all, for the sake of Jesus Christ. AMEN.