hospitable reception to those who, with a view of spreading that truth, were journeying from place to place.

St. Jude, in his short epistle, writes thus: "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to exhort you, that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ," Jude 3, 4. "But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life," verses 20, 21.

The concluding book of the New Testament abounds with striking testimonies to the foregoing truths, and was added for the consolation of the Church in every age. It opens with a sublime eulogy pronounced upon that incomprehensible Saviour, who is "the Alpha and the Omega, the faithful Witness, the first begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth, who hath loved and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, for ever and ever," Rev. i, 5, 6.

The faithful, who groan in secret to behold their Master rejected by Deists, and neglected by the greater part of Christians, attend with holy transport to the representations here given by St. John. Here they perceive that condescending Saviour, who was dishonoured upon earth, acknowledged and adored by the hosts of heaven. They see the prostrate elders, and behold the innumerable multitude of the redeemed assembled before the throne. They hear that new song of adoration, in which angels and the spirits of just men made perfect unanimously cry out, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing," Rev. v, 12. These are scenes which the believer is assisted to realize by means of a lively faith, and in which he already bears an humble part, ascribing, with his more exalted brethren, "Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever," ver. 13.

This mysterious book concludes with that short prayer of St. John, which shall one day be offered up with the energy of the Holy Spirit, by ten thousand times ten thousand of the faithful, "Come, Lord Jesus, fully to accomplish thy gracious promises, xxii, 20.

If it be here inquired, "Do not all ministers maintain this Scriptural faith?" I answer, It is a rare thing with the generality of ministers to treat on a point of so vast importance: and even when they are heard to speak of this mighty grace, they represent it as something manifestly different from that living faith by which we are regenerated. If ever they discourse with their catechumens on this subject, they speak as men who attempt to teach what they have yet to learn. They frequently repeat the word faith, but are unable to open its spiritual signification. They take it for granted that all their neighbours are possessed of this grace, except those who openly rejected the word of God; and thus they become perfectly satisfied with that species of faith against which St. Paul and St. James were authorized to denounce the anathemas of the Gospel. On this account, one of the last texts a worldly pastor. would

make choice of, is that solemn exhortation of the apostle, "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith: prove your own selves: know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" 2 Cor. xiii, 5. The faith with which he contents himself, and which he publishes to others, may be equally possessed by those who are conformable to this present evil world, and those who "have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts," Gal. v, 24. It belongs to self-exalting Pharisees, who boast of their own righteousness, as well as to those humble believers who count themselves unworthy of the benefits they have received.

Farther so far is the ill-instructed minister from preaching the true faith, that he is always prepared to plead against it. In confirmation of this melancholy truth, take the following relation :—

A believer, whose circumstances frequently engaged him in conversation with a worldly man of his neighbourhood, once took occasion to offer him such advice as brotherly charity suggested. After the customary civilities, Sir, said he, we have lived as neighbours long enough to know one another; and, I presume, the intimacy of our acquaintance authorizes us to speak to each other without any reserve. It has given me real satisfaction to observe your constant attendance at our church, and your strict attention to her most solemn services. Nevertheless, permit me to express my fears that you are not seeking the kingdom of God with that earnestness and solicitude without which it can never be obtained. Though you are constant at church, yet you are as constant at tables of festivity; and an approaching entertainment appears to afford you greater pleasure than an approaching sacrament. I regularly observe the gazette upon your table, with a variety of new and ingenious publications; but I have never found you perusing the sacred pages of a more important volume. I have heard you speak in an agreeable manner upon twenty different things; but cannot recollect that your conversation ever turned upon what our Lord has described as "the one thing needful," Luke x, 42. In short, sir, I apprehend, from your conduct, that you are altogether unacquainted with evangelical faith; and if so, your hope is as fallacious as your devotion is Pharisaical.

Neighbour. I am obliged, sir, by the interest you appear to take in my salvation; but allow me to say, with Solomon, "There is a time for all things."

Believer. Yes, sir; for all that is good. But, if you really believe there is a time for all things, is it not amazing, that after you have found four seasons in every day convenient for eating and drinking in your family, you should find no proper opportunity, through the whole course of a week, to pour out your prayers with that family before God?

:

N. It is true, I do not pique myself upon my piety and I will confess to you, that I frequent the church and the holy communion, rather out of decency than choice. But, notwithstanding this, my faith is as orthodox as that of my neighbours. We all believe in God as our Creator, and in Christ as our Redeemer, except some few persons, who glory in trampling all revelation under foot. For my own part, I have never erred from the faith since I first became acquainted with the apostles' creed: and that was so early in life, that I cannot now recol. lect who first instructed me in it.

B. It seems, then, neighbour, that you imbibed your faith as you drew in your nurse's milk and you have learned to believe in Christ, rather than in Mohammed, because you happened to be taught the English rather than the Turkish language.

N. That may be. However, if I had been a Mohammed, I trust I might also have been an honest man. I give to every one his due. This is the grand principle upon which I have always acted, and from this I leave every rational man to form a judgment of my faith.

B. Ah, sir! if such are the principles by which your conduct is regulated, then make a full surrender of your heart to God, and consecrate to his service those powers of body and soul which you have received from his bounty, and to which he has so just a title. But, alas! without piety, your strict justice is like the fidelity of a subject, who fulfils his engagements with a few particular persons, while he withholds the homage due to his rightful sovereign. If such a subject can be termed faithful, then may you, with propriety, be accounted just, while you offer not to God that tribute of love, gratitude, adoration, and obedience, which is your reasonable service. You made a confession but now, that you piqued not yourself upon your piety: it would not have astonished me more had you said, that you piqued not yourself upon paying your debts, and acting with common honesty in the world. Alas, sir, your boasted principles do but confirm the fears to which your conduct had given rise. I entreat you, in the most solemn manner, "to examine yourself, whether you be in the faith."

N. What do you call faith?

B. The Scriptures teach us, that we must believe with the heart, and that "faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen," Heb. xi, 1. He, therefore, who truly believes in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, carries within him a lively demonstration of the Almighty's presence, which penetrates him with sentiments of fear, respect, and love, for a Being so powerful, just, and good: he possesses an internal evidence of the affection of that Redeemer upon whom alone he grounds his hope of salvation, saluting him, with Nathanael, as "the Son of God, the King of Israel," John i, 49: and he discovers in his own heart the most indisputable testimonies of the sanctifying and consoling operations of the Holy Spirit. Now, from this threefold demonstration he is enabled to say, with suitable sentiments of gratitude and devotion, "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God," 1 John iii, 1. "He hath made us accepted in the Beloved, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins," Eph. i, 6, 7; and "the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God," Rom. viii, 16. Tell me, then, since you boast of having received the Christian faith, have you ever experienced those salutary effects of faith, which I have now described?

N. If that demonstration, and that lively representation of which you speak, are essential to Christian faith, I must confess that to such a faith I am a perfect stranger. But the writings of St. Paul, whose definition of faith you have just cited, are generally looked upon as remarkably dark and mysterious; I wish you had rather quoted St. John.

B. I doubt, sir, whether you will gain any thing by such an appeal

"Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ," saith St. John, "is born of 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?" 1 John v, 1-5. You perceive, sir, that, according to this apostle, faith is a principle of grace and power sufficiently forcible and victorious to regenerate and make us partakers of the Divine nature, enabling us to triumph equally over the most seducing, as well as the most afflicting occurrences in the world. Have you obtained, or have you even sought the faith of which such excellent things are spoken.

N. You embarrass me. I never heard the least intimation of such a faith in this country.

B. Indeed, sir, you are in an error, since this very faith is plainly set forth in the sixteenth chapter of the Helvetic Confession. "The Chris. tian faith," say the pious ministers who composed that work, "is not a mere human opinion or persuasion, but a state of full assurance: it not only gives a constant and clear assent to, but also comprehends and embraces the truths of God, as proposed to us in the apostles' creed. The soul, by this act, unites itself to God, as to its only, eternal, and sovereign good, and to Jesus Christ as the centre of all the promises." Have you, then, this Divine persuasion, this full assurance of the truths of our holy religion? And have you experienced this act, by which the soul is united to God, through Christ, as to its sovereign good?

N. I have, undoubtedly, a persuasion that the word of God is true. But how may I absolutely determine, whether or no I am a possessor of the faith of which you speak?

B. If you are possessed of faith, you have some experimental knowledge of those happy effects of that grace, which are thus enumerated in the same confession: "True faith restores peace to the conscience. It procures a free access to God, enabling us both to approach him with confidence, and to obtain from him the things which we need. It retains us in the path of obedience, enduing us with power to fulfil our several duties both to God and our neighbour. It maintains our patience in adversity, and disposes us, at all times, to a sincere confession of our confidence. To sum up all in a single word, it produces every good work." "Let it be observed," says the same confession, "that we do not here speak of a pretended faith, which is vain, ineffectual, and dead, but of a living, effectual, and vivifying faith. This is a doctrine which St. James cannot be understood to combat, seeing he speaks of a vain and presumptuous confidence, of which some were known to boast, while they had not Christ living in them by means of faith."

N. "Christ living in them by means of faith!" I pray, sir, what is to be understood by this expression? I do not comprehend the thing. But, if I recollect, I shall have an opportunity, in a few hours, of mentioning the matter to our pastor, whom I expect here this evening to make up a party at cards. The true believer, after thanking his worldly neighbour for the patience with which he had listened to his conversation, took his leave and withdrew, apprehending every evil consequence from the decision of a pastor who was known to indulge a taste for play and vain amusement. His fears were too well founded. The minister, true to his engagement, arrived at the appointed hour, and the gentleman thus

eagerly addressed him: "I have been receiving some singular advice from a person of a very unaccountable turn, who appears to agree either with the Mystics or the Pietists. He spoke much of faith, asserting that all true Christians are really regenerate, and that they have Christ living in them by faith. What think you, sir, of such assertions as these?" "I will tell you freely," replied the minister, "that these abstruse points of doctrine are among those profound mysteries, which neither you nor I are appointed to fathom. It is usual with enthusiasts to speak in this manner: but such mystic jargon is now out of season. There have been ages in which divines were accustomed to speculate concerning this faith, and publicly to insist upon it in their sermons. But, in an age like this, enlightened by sound philosophy and learned discoveries, we no longer admit what we cannot comprehend. I advise you, as a friend, to leave these idle subtilties close shut up in the unintelligible volumes of our ancient theologists. The only material thing is to conduct ourselves as honest men. If we receive revelation in a general sense, and have good works to produce, there can be no doubt but that our faith is of a proper kind, and highly acceptable before God." To this short discourse the card table succeeded, which served to strengthen the bands of intimacy between our careless clergyman and his deluded neighbour: so perfectly alike were their faith and their manners.

The circumstances alluded to in the above relation are not imaginary; and there is every reason to fear, that circumstances of the same nature are no less common in other Christian countries, than in that which gave birth to the writer of these pages.

Thus the worldly minister, instead of preaching this important doctrine in its purity, seeks to destroy even the curiosity which would engage an irreligious man to inquire into the necessity, the nature, the origin, and the effects of evangelical faith. And while the generality of those who are required to publish this victorious grace are seen to reject it with contempt, no wonder that the true minister esteems himself obliged to contend for it, with increasing earnestness, both in public and private, Jude 3.

To close this section. When the Christian minister proclaims salvation by faith, he adheros, not only to the Holy Scriptures, but also to those public confessions of faith, which are in common use among the Churches of Christ. "We believe," say the Churches of France, "that every thing necessary to our salvation was revealed and offered to us in Christ, who is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption," Art. xiii. "We believe that we are made partakers of righteousness by faith alone; since it is said, that he [Christ] suffered in order to procure salvation for us, and that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish," Art. xx. "We believe that, by this faith, we are regenerated to newness of life, being by nature in bondage to sin. So that faith, instead of cooling in us the desire of living righteously and godly, naturally tends to excite such desire, and necessarily produces every good work," Art. xxii.

Such also is the doctrine of the Helvetic Confession: "We believe, with St. Paul, that sinful man is justified by faith alone in Jesus Christ, and not by the law. Faith receives Jesus, who is our righteousness; and on this account justification is attributed to faith. That by means