attainments; but he yet fees righteoufnefs enough in Chrift, for a fafe foundation of confidence, though he find none in himself. This, and this alone, keeps his foul from finking, anfwers the clamours of confcience, and difpofes him to rely upon the free grace and mercy of God. He may be diftreffed with the prevalence of his inward corruptions, he may in an unguarded hour, be furprized and foiled by the power of his finful appetites or paffions, or by fome unexpected temptation; but even in this cafe, his refuge is in that bleffed Advocate with the Father, Jefus Chrift the righteous. And though from fad experience of his own dreadful imperfections, he may be ready to question his ftate, and to fear left he be deceived, and left he fhould finally be afhamed of his hope, nevertheless he ventures that alfo in the hands of Chrift, and depends upon him, that he won't leave him to a foul-ruining deceit, but will guide him by his counfel, and afterwards bring him to glory. Such a dependance upon Chrift the believer ordinarily exercifes in his darkest hours and dulleft frames. But when in the more lively exercife of grace, and when Chrift is pleased to shine into the foul with clearer communications of his love, his confidence (like a rock in the fea) ftands unmoved in the greatest tempefts; and he knows whom he has believed, that he is able to keep that which he has committed to him against that day. With this confidence he can even glory in tribulation; he can chearfully look death itself in the face, and triumph over the king of terrors.

But now, if we take a view of a dead faith, we shall find it in the quite contrary properties. The unfincere profeffor (as has been obferved already) ordinarily raifes his expectations and encouragements from fomething in himself. His good frames, his joys and comforts, his endeavours or defigns to ferve God, are what he has to depend upon; and upon these he does and will depend: and perhaps will never fee his mistake, till it be too late. Some of thefe indeed don't find even this falfe foundation to build upon; but quiet their fouls with a loofe and general hope. They believe that God is merciful, and that Jefus Chrift came to fave finners; or they hope, they fhall fome time or another obtain grace, tho' I

they find none at prefent. Thus too many of them go on quietly in their fins, dwell at eafe, and cry peace to their fouls, 'till the flood of God's difpleafure fweeps away their refuges of lies. Others there be, who by means of a better education, or from fome awakening fenfe of their guilt and danger, cannot but fee, that these beds are too fhort to stretch themselves upon; and therefore their faith is their torment. They believe in Chrift as their judge; but not as their Saviour. They spend their lives in fears and anxieties, in difquietude and uneafinefs of mind, as often as their confciences are awake, to entertain any ferious apprehenfions of a future and eternal world. Thus they live under a fpirit of bondage; not being able to venture their guilty fouls upon the pardoning mercy of God, and the infinite merit of the Redeemer's blood.

Nothing can be more apparent, than the diftinction and difference here represented, between these two forts of believers. The one, in all his ftraits, fears, difficulties and dangers, looks unto Chrift as to a fure foundation of fafety, confidence and hope: and though he may at fometimes doubt his intereft in Chrift, he can at no time deliberately place his confidence or expect fafety for his foul any where elfe, but in the mere mercy of God in Chrift. The other leaves the foul afleep; or elfe feeks reft only from the righteoufnefs of the law, from defires and endeavours of his own, and muft either find comfort there, or no where. The one ventures all his interefts, and all his hopes of grace and glory, upon the faithfulness of the Gofpel-promifes, and the infinite mercy of God in Chrift. The other fees no way to quiet the accufations of his confcience, and to obtain qualifications for falvation, by depending upon a naked promife. In a word, the one can fee fafety and fecurity, in leaving all the concerns both of time and eternity in the hands of Chrift. The other being ignorant of the righteousness of God, must make the righteoufnefs of the law his refuge, or elfe live without the comfort of hope.

4. A faving faith fubjects the foul to the fcepter and yoke of Chrift: but a dead faith leaves the foul unrenewed and difobedient. A true faith purifies the

heart, and overcomes the world; and he that hath this hope in Chrift, purifieth himself, even as he is pure. A true faith unites the foul to Chrift, as the branch is united to the vine; and thereby enables the man to bring forth much fruit. The true believer hates every falfe way; he mourns over, and watches, strives, and prays against all the corruptions of his nature, and all the im perfections of his heart and life. There is no known fin, which he indulges himself in; no known duty, which he willingly neglects; no difficulty, which can deter him from following Chrift; no temptation, which can allure him from endeavouring a conformity to the whole will of God. Not as tho he had already attained, or were already perfect. He has daily caufe to lament his defects: but yet he can truly fay, that he de'ights in the law of the Lord, after the inward man; and accordingly endeavours in every ftation and relation, in all his conduct both to God and man, as well in fecret as openly, to live a life of conformity to God, in all the duties he requires of him. And wherein he cannot attain, he is yet preffing towards perfection, and groaning after a further progrefs in holiness, even in all inftances, without referve; nor yet fatisfied without a final perfeverance, to crown his fincerity.

But on the other hand, the obedience of an unfincere profeffor is very partial, defective, temporary; and but a matter of force and conftraint upon the appetites and affections. If with Herod he reforms and does many things, he yet retains his Herodias, fome darling corruption unmortified; or leaves fome unpleasant duty neglected. Or if, by the lafhes of an awaken'd confcience, he is driven for a time to a more general reformation from all known fin, and to outward attendance upon all known duty, he finds no inward complacency in it; and therefore is like a dull horse, that will be kept on his way no longer than he feels a fpur in his fide.

Here then is a confpicuous difference between a true and a falfe believer. The one has a principle of holi nefs, a delight in it, and an earnest and continuing defire after further proficiency in the divine life. The other aims only at fo much holinefs as he thinks will fave him out of hell, but cares for nothing more; and what

he has, is excited by fear, or conftrained by force, con trary to the natural tendency and bias of his foul. In. fine, the one makes it the endeavour of his life, to approve himself to a pure, holy, and omnifcient God. The other refts in endeavours to quiet his confcience, and to filence his clamours and accufations.

5. A faving faith works by love to God and man : but a dead faith always falls fhort of both. The apostle aflures, that if we have all faith, jo that we could remove mountains, and have not charity, we are nothing. Faith worketh by love; and the true believer keeps himself in the love of God, looking to the mercy of the Lord Jefus Chrift for eternal life. He delights in contemplating the glorious perfections of the divine nature. His medita tions upon God are fweet, and the thoughts of him precious to his foul. He values the favour of God as life, and his loving kindness as better than life. If he can have the glorious God for his portion, and live in the light of his countenance, he can be content with faits, difficulties, trials, and afflictions here in the world. He takes peculiar pleafure in the ordinances of God, and all the appointed means of a near approach into his fpecial prefence; and he is especially pleafed, when favoured with fenfible communion with God. Though he can't al ways walk fo near to God, and find fuch fenfible delight in him; yet he laments his abfence, when he withdraws; heavily complains of his own deadnefs, worldlinefs, fenfuality, which feparates between God and his foul; and can find no true reft or fatisfaction, till hereturn to God, and God to him. This is at leaft the ordinary courfe and tenour of the believer's life: and if at any time he fhould be fo left of God as to grow forgetful of him, and have any continuing prevalence of a dead carnal worldly frame in his foul, this darkens the evidence of his ftate, robs him of his comfort and peace, and will at length put him upon vigorous and active endeavours for obtaining a revival of his languifhing graces, by a fresh fupply of the Spirit of Jefus Chrift.

Thus, the true believer hath the love of God dwelling in him; and from the fame principle, he likewife loves his neighbour as himself. He maintains a life of justice, neeknefs, kindnefs, and beneficence towards all men,

bears injuries, is ready to forgive, entertains the best opinion of men's fate and actions, that the cafe will allow; and endeavours to live in the exercise of love, joy, peace, long-fuffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meeknefs. And as he thus maintains a love of benevolence to all men, he has in a fpecial manner a love of complacence towards thofe who bear the marks of the divine image. These he delights in, on account of their being (or at leaft appearing to be) the children of God. He loves them for their heavenly Father's fake, as well as for those gracious qualifications, which make the righ teous more excellent than his neighbour. He loves the company of the faints. These are the excellent, in whom is all his delight. He loves their piety; and ftudies an imitation of them, wherein they follow Chrift; and studies to equal (if not excel) them in their highest improvements in religion. He loves their perfons; and hopes to join with them in the eternal praises of God.

This is the real and genuine character of every true believer : while the highest attainments of a dead faith do fall short of every part of this defcription. The falfe profeffor may imagine, that he has fomething of the love of God in him: but upon a juft view of the cafe it will appear, that it is only to an idol, the creature of his own imagination. If he feems to love God under an apprehenfion of his goodnefs and mercy, he yet dreads him on account of his juftice, and has an inward averfion to his purity and holiness; fo that the object of his love is an imaginary being, of infinite goodnefs and mercy, without either juftice or holiness. I from the alarms of confcience, or fome emotions of his natural affections, he may take fome pleasure in religious exercites, this pleasure is fhort and tranfient, like the principle from whence it flows; he foon returns to careleffnefs and forgetfulness of God, and has his affections quickly engag. ed in worldly and fenfual purfuits. And however he may deceive himfelf in any fuppofed progrefs in religion, he can never fatisfy his foul with having God for his portion. He can never in courfe keep up a life of fpiritual-mindednefs, and delight in God, and in a way of obedience to him, and communion with him..