mingled with truth, is like poison in the water we drink. "I mean," it may be said, "the good tidings of peace and forgiveness to sinners-is not that definite enough?" Ah, no indeed. You may combine any amount of error with that, and make a very pleasant, soothing mixture to any poor profligate that loves his sins, but deadly as night-shade. True, there are tidings of salvation to sinners in the Gospel, but this is only a part of it. It expresses rather the design and frequent result of the Gospel, than its very essence. If we would have a sound, sanctifying, saving faith, we must have a whole Gospel. We may be very sure that all will be well with us in the end; every fear of final wrath may be laid to rest, while yet we are in the gall of bitterness, and in the bonds of iniquity. He that entereth into the sheepfold by the door, "shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.'

Shall we put the question to another? "Sir, what is the Gospel?" "The Gospel is God's conditional promise of salvation, 'he that believeth on the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved.' That is what we are to believe." Much better; but is it perfectly accurate? So indeed we have often heard it represented, but may not "the spirits in prison" believe "that he that believeth shall be saved?" May not any poor wretch, trembling on the verge of eternal ruin, believe so much as that, and yet die in despair? Must we not

come closer to the truth? We are to believe all the promises of the Gospel, and to approve all its conditions, but strictly the Gospel is not a promise. Faith regards things rather than words-facts rather than terms. It strips off the dress of words that constitutes a promise, and seizes upon the thing promised-the glorious gift of God. The Gospel is a great truth, a joyful fact. "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners."

Now, we have the true, central, direct object of faith, the very pith and kernel of the Gospel. The sentence, "He that believeth on the Lord Jesus Christ. shall be saved," includes both the object of faith, and an expression of the necessity of believing. Let us remember this distinction: we shall have use for it.

We have now to do only with the object of faiththe LORD JESUS CHRIST-a person, not a promise. This Gospel the Apostles preached every where, to Jew and Gentile, bond and free-Christ crucified. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, and as our Lord was lifted up on the cross, so they lifted up in their preaching a crucified Redeemer as the object of faith; and on this they relied for conviction, for conversion, for sanctification, for every thing that was good and desirable to man. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." faith is called, receiving Christ, looking to Christ,

So

coming to Christ. True, the Gospel is often expressed in the form of a promise or offer, and we must be fully satisfied of the credibility of the promise, and of the sincerity of the offer; but the faith that enlightens and transforms, that fills the soul with joy and peace, is engaged directly with the glory and grace of the only-begotten Son of God.

In these last words we have advanced a step. The object of this faith is not the historical truth of the existence of Christ; nor is it the mere name, familiar to the ear and lips, of one to whom our hearts are strangers. It includes a perception of the glory and grace of Christ, in his person and in his work, as they are revealed to us in the Word of God.

I. Faith recognises and is firmly persuaded of the eternal and infinite glory of Christ, as God, the only begotten of the Father. It has respect to his holiness, his truth, his power, his love, his wisdom-all infinite. It hails him as an almighty Saviour, and receives unutterable satisfaction and encouragement from the thought of his Divine nature. I cannot know that he is able to keep that which I commit to him against that day, if he be less than God. I cannot feel sure of his victory over sin, death, and hell, for me I cannot think that he could bear the full burden of Divine wrath-I cannot be confident that none shall ever be able to pluck me out of his hand, unless I am persuaded of this. If he is not God, per

haps, after all, my hopes may be disappointed. I need one "mighty to save." I cannot dismiss all fear of shipwreck, unless I see infinite wisdom, infinite compassion, infinite power at the helm. I must hear the voice of the Son of God, saying to whatever threatening form of evil may be around me, Peace, be still. When I see "the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth," my soul is assured. This is indeed a rock, a strong foundation— Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. "This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?"

II. Faith has respect to the Mediator between God and man- the man Christ Jesus. That the Son of God, when he assumed our nature, undertook no doubtful task, is evident from his name Christ, which indicates the fact, as well as the objects of his appointment. It was no self-assumed office. It was no experiment as to whether he might not possibly be able to satisfy the claims of justice, leaving it to be decided after he had done his utmost, whether it were enough. No; he was sent by the Father in his compassion for a lost world, bearing in his commission the assurance and pledge of his success; having a promise and actual gift of all those who through the Spirit should believe in him to the end of time, to encourage and sustain him in his agonies. He knew

that he would be heard, when he prayed, "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory." Even in his darkest hour, he knew that he should prevail, because he had been appointed and accepted by the Father from before the foundation of the world. "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation for our sins." "Who of God is made unto us, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption."

We have remarked that both the fact and the nature of his appointment are intimated in his mediatorial name. He is CHRIST, the anointed one. The very name bestowed on him by the Father, long before his appearance in the flesh, was a token of his qualification for certain offices, the duties and objects of which are definite, and bear a special relation to our miseries and wants. The soul has respect in believing to these offices and duties, and regards him as anointed to be her PROPHET, PRIEST and KING.

1. Faith sees Christ sent by God to be our great Prophet and teacher, and inclines one to forsake blind leaders of the blind, and to sit at his feet, drinking in with thirsty souls the precious words of heavenly truth that drop from his lips. "Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe, and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God."