would fin by denying him, what faid he? "I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not." As if he had faid, I plainly fee that thou wilt deny me in the hour of temptation; but I have prayed that thy faith may not fail, and this is the thing that will recover thee. Oh Sirs, when you fall into any fin, ftudy to renew the acts of faith on the Lord Jefus Chrift; according to that advice of the apoftle, John ii. 1. 2. “If any man fin, we have an Advocate with the Father." As if he had faid, The only way for a fallen faint to recover himself, is by faith to go to Chrift as the great Advocate and Propitia tion.

9. I might tell you further, that faith as it were the mothergrace, the radical grace, on which all the other graces of the Spirit do depend. If faith be lively, fo will all the other graces be; if faith be languid and faint, fo will all the other graces be. If faith be fet a-work, it will work by love, that celestial fire will burn, the fountatn of holy forrow will flow; "They fhall look upon him whom they have pierced, and mourn;" the foot of obedience will be active to 66 run the way of God's commandments."

10. Faith carries the foul on high, above time and time's enjoyments; it " mounts up with wings as eagles." It carries the foul to mount Nebo and Pisgah, and gives the foul a view of the goodly mountain, even Lebanon'; and then the believer is like the "woman clothed with the fun, having the moon under her feet."

To conclude, as it is by faith that you must live, fo it is by faith you must die, and fhoot the gulf comfortably. It is faid of the worthies, Heb. xi. "All thefe died in faith." Faith as it were lays its head in Chrift's bofom, and fays, with a holy confidence, "Into thy hand, O Lord, I commend my spirit." Faith, leaning on the staff of the divine promise, can fay with David, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the fhadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me, thy rod and thy ftaff shall comfort me," Pfal. xxiii. 4.

A fecond question that may be moved for clearing this exhortation is, What is it in Chrift that faith lives and leans upon, in its paffage through the wilderness?

Anfw. Chrift is fuch a fuitable good, that there is no cafe the foul can be into in its wildernefs-condition, but faith will always find fomething correfponding to its neceffity in him. Is the foul in darknefs? He is "the Son of righteoufnefs, the bright and morning Star." Is the foul in danger? He is " a fhield, a hiding-place, and refuge." Is the foul in trouble? He is a reft to the weary, he is "the fhadow of a great rock in a weary land;" he is bread to the hungry, drink to the

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thirsty

thirsty foul. But, more particularly, there are these things following in Chrift, that faith lives upon in the wilderness, and which it finds like marrow and fatnefs to the foul.

"

1. Faith lives and leans upon the name of Chrift; for "his name is a strong tower, into which the righteous flee, and are fafe:" hence we are fo frequently exhorted to "trust in the name of the Lord." O he has a great name, and a pleasant name, a name above every name, and at his name every knee fhall bow." Whenever a believer engages with work, he is to do it in the name of the Lord: "Whatfoever ye do in word or in deed, (fays the apoftle), do it all in the name of the Lord Jefus, to the glory of God by him." And whenever we go a warfare against fin, Satan, or the world, we are to do it in his name; otherwife we can never profper. This was the way of the church: "We will be joyful in thy falvation, and in the name of our God we will fet up our banners. Whenever we go to God in prayer, we are to present our perfons and petitions in the name of Chrift: "Whatsoever ye afk the Father in my name, he will do it." Oh Sirs, the name of Chrift works wonders, when it is managed in a way of believing. When the difciples or apofties went forth and preached the gofpel among the nations, they went forth in the name of JESUS; and when they wrought miracles, they did it in the name of JESUS CHRIST: Acts iii. "In the name of Jefus Chrift of Nazareth, rife up and walk," faid Peter and John to the cripple man; and prefently he arofe. God is fo delighted with the name of Christ, that for the fake of that name he will do any thing to us or for us. And therefore let us live by faith, and lean upon his name, as we come up out of the wilderness.

2. Faith lives upon the flesh of Chrift, that is, upon the human nature as it ftands perfonally united unto the divine: My flesh is meat indeed." You know, Ifrael in their travels through the wilderness to Canaan, which was a fhadow. or type of our travels through this world unto glory, they lived upon the manna that was rained from heaven upon the camp. But, O Sirs, that was but a fhadow of the true bread of life, an incarnate God, that we present to you in this gofpel, John vi. 66 32. My Father giveth you the true bread which is from heaven." And again, fays Chrift, in that fame chapter, "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." This feems to be a hard faying to a blind carnal world, and they are ready to think or fay, with thefe Jews, John vi. 52. "How can Chrift give us his flesh to eat?" But whatever ye may think of it, the flesh of Christ, or his human nature, as it ftands united to the divine in the VOL. II. perfon

X

perfon of the Son, when taken up by faith in the light of the word and Spirit, is the fweeteft meal and banquet to a believer in heaven or earth; no meat or drink like it to a poor perishing foul and a believer, in travelling through the wilderness, he is ay taking a look of an incarnate Deity; and thus he is enlightened, ftrengthened, quickened, and comforted. O Sirs, what think you of this food? I am fure if ever ye tafted of it, you will be ready to fay, it is like "wines on the lees well refined, and fat things full of marrow."

3. Faith lives in the wilderness, not only on the flesh of Christ, or the myfteries of his incarnation, but upon the blood of Chrift; by which I understand his fatisfaction, which is frequently in fcripture expreffed by his blood: "Behold the blood of the covenant ;" that is, the fatisfaction or death of Christ, that whereby the covenant is confirmed. This is drink indeed to the believer, in paffing through the wilderness; let the believer get a draught of this red wine of the blood of the flain Lamb of God, he is able to go forth like a giant, or a strong man, to encounter all the powers of hell. Rev. xii. 11. It is faid of the faints in their wars with the devil, that "they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb," that is by faith's improvement of the death and fatisfaction of Chrift. Let faith be but fet a-work upon the death and blood of Christ, it can look God himself in the face with an undaunted boldness, without fear of danger, or without fear of being rejected: " Having, brethren, boldness to enter into the holieft by the blood of Jefus, let us draw near," &c. Let faith act on the blood of Christ, it can go to God in prayer, and ask any thing that lies within the compafs of the whole teftament of Chrift; for whatever is in the teftament, is the purchase of this blood. O, will faith fay, give me peace, give me pardon, give me light, life, ftrength, grace, or glory, give me the Spirit; for here is the blood of the Lamb that bought it. Let faith be acted on this blood, and the man dare, with courage, comfort, and joy, look death, eternity, and a tribunal, in the face: Why? Becaufe faith fees the curfe of the law abolished, death unftinged, the grave vanquished, and a tribunal sprinkled by the blood of Jefus. The gates of glory are opened to receive the foul that is fprinkled by the hyffop of faith dipt in the blood of the Lamb.

4. Faith lives in the wilderness upon the life of Christ: "Because I live, ye thall live alfo. I live (fays Paul); yet not I, but Chrift liveth in me;" and then follows, "The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God." Faith's way is to follow Chrift from his birth to his crofs, from his crofs to his grave, and from his grave to his

life again; and then it cries in a way of triumph, "He who was dead is now alive, and lives for evermore: I know that my Redeemer liveth ;" and he lives as my head, my representative, my husband, my advocate, my king, my prieft, my prophet, and my all and in all. O Sirs, the refurrection of Chrift unto life, never to die any more, is a sweet and pleasant banquet in the wilderness, by which we are begotten again unto a lively hope of the inheritance that is incorruptible and undefiled."

5. Faith lives upon the advocacy and interceffion of Chrift: "If any man fin we have an Advocate with the Father, Jefus Chrift the righteous, who makes interceffion for the tranigreff

And O how fweetly doth the foul feed here by faith: O will the foul fay, I may be condemned by the world, or by the law, or by confcience; yet I know that I fhall carry the day in the court of heaven, because my Advocate is the Lamb in the midst of the throne: he never loft a cause, he has the Father's ear; he has fuch intereft and moyen in heaven, that all power in heaven is his, and his will is a law in the higher court. "Father, I will that those whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am," &c

6. Faith lives upon the word of Chrift as it comes up from the wilderness. Chrift has paffed his word in his testament, and he has it fealed with his blood, and he lives as the executor of his teftament: and I know, will faith be ready to fay, that the Spirit of Chrift will take all that is in his testament, and fhew it unto me, and fhew it so as to make all the teftament and latter-will effectual: and therefore in his word do I hope t his promife is not yea and nay, but it is always yea and amen in him. Oh when faith gets the word of promife, the confirmed teftament of Christ in its hand, how will it go to God, and crave the fulfilling of the latter-will of his own Son, saying with David," Remember the word upon which thou haft caused me to hope?"

7. Faith lives and leans on the righteousness of Christ, particularly, in the matter of juftification and acceptance; it cafts away all the works of the law like dung and lofs, faying, "Surely in the Lord have I righteoufness and ftrength."

8. Faith leans on the fulness of Chrift, and fays, "Out of his fulness do all we receive, and grace for grace:" My wants are great, I am just made up of wants; but what wants will not the all-fulness of the Godhead dwelling in Christ supply? for he fills all in all. What is my poor empty veffel unto that ocean that is in him? I will go with confidence, for that fullnefs is in him for my ufe; for he received gifts for men, even for the rebellious."

9. Faith

9. Faith lives on the offices of Chrift, his general offices as Mediator and Redeemer, and his particular offices as Prophet, Prieft, and King. Ob, will faith fay, no man taketh an office upon him, but with a defign to execute the duties of his office. Will any man pretend to be a magiftrate, a minifter, an advocate, or judge, and yet live in the neglect, or refufe to dif charge the duties of fuch an office? the world would look on him as very unfaithful: and fhall we imagine fuch a thing of Chrift, who is "faithful in all his houfe?" Oh, will faith fay, he is a Mediator and Peace-maker; and therefore I trust that he will make my peace with the offended Majefty of heaven. He is a Saviour and Redeemer; and therefore I truft he will deliver me from the hands of all mine enemies; he will fave from fin, becaufe it is his office to "finish tranfgreffion and make an end of it." He is a Prophet; and therefore I will trust that he will teach me the good and perfect will of God, open the fecrets of his covenant, the myfteries of his kingdom, unto me. He is a Prieft, and the great High-priest of our profeffion now, under the New Teftament; and therefore he will, by the great facrifice of atonement, purge away my fins, and make my perfon and duties acceptable unto God. He is a King; and therefore he will fubdue my corruptions, and fanctify me throughout, in foul, body, and fpirit. He is a Shepherd; and therefore I truft he will feed me, and lead me in his pastures, and I fhall not want. He is a Phyfician, his name is JEHOVAH ROPHI; and therefore I truft he will heal all my difeafes, he will open my blind eyes, he will cure the obftinacy of my will, the hardnefs of my heart, the carnality of my affections. He is the Captain of falvation, who "leads many fons unto glory;" and therefore I trust he will fight all my battles, and make me a conqueror, &c. Thus, 1 fay, faith comes up from the wilderness, leaning on the of fices of Chrift, general and particular. I fhall only add,

10. That faith comes up from the wilderness, leaning upon the divine attributes, as they are manifefted and difplayed in Chrift. God, abfolutely confidered, is the finner's terror; and every attribute of God taken up abfolutely, or in a lawview, breathes nothing but wrath and ruin to the whole tribe of Adam in their fallen eftate: but God manifefting himself in the flesh, or in the nature of man, through his death and fatisfaction every attribute of the divine nature prefents itself as with a pleasant fmile, inviting finners to come to him as an object of truft; and accordingly faith leans upon these attributes of God, as the foul comes up from the wildernefs. I fhall ofly instance in these few.

1A, Art thou furrounded with troubles on every hand? art

thou