our faith in this way of accefs be full and affured.

The true heart, giving a faithful verdict upon the demerit of fin, and fubfcribing to the justice of the sentence, whereby the finner is excluded from the prefence of God, acknowledgeth this to be the only way. But faith advanceth a step farther, and presents it to the enlightened mind, as a safe, a sure, and infallible way. Hear its genuine language from the mouth of our Apostle, 1 Tim. i. 15. "This is a faithful faying, "and worthy of all acceptation, that Jefus "Chrift came into the world to fave finners; "of whom I am chief." Faith, contemplating the dignity of the High-Priest, and the nature and defign of the facrifice he offered, can have no doubt of the merit of his blood; but may conclude, firmly, and without hesitation, that it hath sufficient efficacy to cleanfe from all fin. But when it proceeds farther, and reads the commiffion he received from the Father; when it weighs the evidence that arifeth from his refurrection and afcenfion, of the Father's infinite delight in him, and his perfect fa

tisfaction

tisfaction with his whole conduct as Mediator; above all, when it follows him into the heavenly fanctuary, whither he hath carried his atoning blood, and fees the reward conferred upon him for his voluntary obedience unto death, a name given him. above every name, and all things in heaven and on earth put under his feet:—What fhall I fay from this entire view of God in Chrift reconciling the world unto himself, can any other conclufion be drawn, than what the Apostle John hath done before us, viz. God is love?So complete is the evidence afforded us in the gofpel, of God's merciful nature, and of the good-will he bears to the children of men, that the most entire credit to his declarations upon this head, is in effect no more than a fetting to our feal, to what one fhould think the most obvious and self-evident of all propofitions, that God is true. And is there a man to be found that denies this propofition? Dare any be fo outrageously infolent and injurious, as to call God a liar? Let me refer you to the fame Apostle, who teftified that God is love, for an answer to this question,

and he will inform you, 1 John v. io. that every one who believeth not the record that God hath given of his Son, maketh him a liar. This is a repetition of the first tranfgreffion, with peculiar circumftances of aggravation. Unbelief was the root of Adam's fin for had he truly believed that the threatening was to be executed, he would not have dared to incur the penalty. And can it be less criminal to charge God with falfehood in a profeffion of kindness, than in a threatening of difpleasure? Nay, is it not a worfe fpecies of deceit, to flatter with delufive hopes, than to frighten with unreal terrors? and yet an unbeliever of gofpelgrace doth in effect charge God with this very fpecies of deceit; and that not only in the face of the strongest repeated declarations of good-will, but against every kind of confirmation that the most distrustful fufpicion could require or devife, Adam had no other restraint but a naked threatening: he had feen no exertion of punitive justice; every thing around him was expreffive of the perfect goodness of its author; and there was no precedent or example of the

penalty

penalty with which the prohibition was enforced. But what have we in fupport of the gospel-record? or rather, let me afk, What addition could be made to the evidence already afforded us, that it is faithful and true? We have the promife of God, confirmed by his oath; we have the gift of his own Son to be the propitiation for our fins we are not only permitted, but invited, nay commanded, to come to the Saviour, with this most endearing declaration, that fuch as come to him fhall in no wise be rejected or caft out by him. And fhall not this accumulated, this fuperabundant evidence deter us from the presumption of calling God a liar? or rather, shall it not produce in us, that full affurance of faith, with which the Apostle exhorteth us to draw near to God by the blood of Jefus ?

The third qualification, expreffed in these words, having our hearts Sprinkled from an evil confcience, is an advance upon the other two, and implies a perfonal application of the blood of Chrift to ourselves: for it is this alone that, as we read verfe 14. of the preceding chapter, can purge the confcience

from

1

from dead works, and vanquish thofe fears of wrath, which, by representing God as an implacable enemy, drive us from his prefence, and render him an object of terror and averfion, rather than of defire and love.

This perfonal application of the blood of fprinkling, is too commonly considered in the light of a privilege, rather than as a duty. And a privilege it furely is; but fuch a privilege as we are strictly bound in duty to make use of: For this, faith the Apostle John, is the command of God, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jefus Chrift; which certainly includes more than a general perfuafion, however full and affured, that Jefus is a neceffary and fufficient Saviour. It can mean no lefs, than that they to whom the command is given, should believe on the name of Christ for themselves, and put their trust in him, as one who is both willing and able to fave them in particular.

But the queftion may be put, and it hath been put by many, How am I to know that ebis obliging command is addressed to me?