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tion, it is manifeft, that he is freely given, in the gospel offer, to every one of them in particular. Moreover, all the hearers of the gofpel are either believers or unbelievers. That Chrift was offered to believers is evident from the fact, that they have received him, and are faved by him. And that he is offered to unbelievers is no less evident, because they will be condemned for their unbelief. He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.* But the righteous Lord, who loveth righteousness, will not condemn finners for rejecting an offer which was never made.

From all this it refults, that God hath laid, in his word, a firm foundation for the faith of finners

that they have his own warrant, and therefore a perfect right, to take the Lord Jefus, in all his grace and fulness, for their own falvation in particular,

Now, as faving faith must correfpond both with the warrant of the divine teftimony, and with the right to an offered Saviour which that warrant creates, it is properly afferted to be A RECEIVING and RESTING upon Chrift alone for falvation, as he is freely offered to us in the gospel.

It is to be carefully noted, that the true and only object of faith is the Lord Jefus Chrift himself, fet forth and given to finners as fuck, in the free promife of the gospel and that, in believing, we receive and rest upon HIM, and upon him alone, in all thofe relations, for all thofe ends, and in that manner

*

John ili. 12.

which the divine testimony exhibits, and thus set to our feal that God is true.

This receiving of Chrift, and refting upon him, are ufually termed the APPROPRIATION and ASSURANCE of faith. By the former we take the Lord Jefus, who is ours in the general grant, to be ours in perfonal poffeffion. By the latter, we truft in him that we fhall be faved; believing, that whatever he did for any of the human race, he did for us; and that whatever God hath promised to his people, shall be performed unto us. These are not to be confidered as different acts, but as effential properties, of the grace of faith. And that they are effential to it, is most demonstrable.

First, then; Appropriation of the Lord Jefus to ourselves, for our own falvation in particular, is effential to faving faith-For,

1. Without fuch an appropriation faith could not answer to its warrant in the divine teftimony; which, as hath been proved, tenders Chrift to every one in particular; nor to the authority of the divine command, which requires every one in particular to take him thus tendered.

2. Without fuch an appropriation there would be no material difference between the faith of God's people, and that of hypocrites or devils. Both may believe, in general, that Chrift died for finners; that God is in him, reconciling the world unto himself; that he is able to fave finners, and that many fhall be faved by him. Mere affent to the abstract truth of the gospel does not and cannot imply any complacency or interest in the falvation which it reveals. But

that faith which may be found in the devils and the damned can, in no sense, be faving faith.

3. The condemnation of the law is particular. Curfed is EVERY ONE that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.* When the Holy Ghoft convinces of fin, the finner fees himself, in particular, shut up under the curse. "THOU art the man," fays the violated law." I am the man," replies his awakened confcience. Nor is it poffible that he fhould have peace or fafety till the blood of Chrift purge his confcience, and he, for himself, be delivered from the curfe. Therefore, if there were not, in believing, a particular application of Chrift to the foul, the curfe of the law would be more efficacious to deftroy than the blood of Chrift to fave.

4. Salvation is particular. A fentence of justification must pass upon, and a work of fanctification be wrought in, every one who shall see the kingdom of God. But juftification, and fanctification, and whatever elfe belongs to the falvation of the gospel, flow unto us only in and through Chrift Jesus. And as we receive his benefits in believing; as they cannot be separated from himself; and as they are all communicated by particular application to our fouls, it is evident that the faith which embraces him, and with him his benefits, is a faith of particular appropriation. He is made of God unto us wisdom, and righteoufnefs, and fanctification, and re-. demption.

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5. The experience of God's people, as it is defcribed in his word, proves that their faith is an appropriating faith. Whether they rejoice in the light, or mourn under the hidings, of his countenance, they equally claim him as their God, even their own God. I will love thee, O Lord, MY ftrength. The Lord is my rock, and MY fortress, and MY deliverer; MY God, MY ftrength, in whom I will truft; MY buckler, and the horn of MY falvation, and my high tower.* Thou art the God of MY ftrength: Why dost thou caft me off? Why go I mourning because of the oppreffion of the enemy? Ofend out thy light and thy truth-Then will I go-unto God My exceeding joy: Yea, upon the harp will I praife thee, O God, MY God.

6. The fcripture continually afcribes this appropriation to faith. It is illuftrated by figures, than which nothing can more ftrongly mark its appropriating quality. It receives the Lord Jefus, as a gift -puts him on, as a garment§-flees to him, as a refuge-lays hold of him, as a hope||-claims him, as a portion-feeds upon him, as the living bread. which came down from heaven.** This, indeed, is the very life of a believer's foul; the fountain of his hope, his peace, his confolation, that Chrift is his Saviour, and God, in Chrift, his covenant-God.

Secondly. In believing, we not only appropriate the Lord Jefus to ourselves; but are perfuaded, that whatever he did for the falvation of finners he did

Pf. xviii. I, 20 † Pf. xliii. 2, 3, 4. # John i. 12. § 2 Rom. xiii: 14: || Heb. vi. 18. ¶ Lam. iii. 24. ** John vi. 51.

for us: and that whatever God hath promised to his poeple, shall be performed to us. This perfuafion is the assurance of faith, and is infeparable from it,

1. Faith, being an affent to, and reliance on, teftimony, respects nothing but the veracity of the testifier. It is this which distinguishes it from all other principles, and which is effential to every kind of it, in every degree, and under every circumftance. Now the teftimony of the living God hath set forth the Lord Jefus as a propitiation through faith in his blood. There can be no medium between receiving him by faith, and rejecting him by unbelief: and in believing, we can believe nothing but what God hath teftified, because this is the fole ground of our faith. But he hath teftified, that whatever Christ did as a Saviour, he did for them who receive him; and that, to them, and every one of them, all the exceeding great and precious promises fhall certainly be accomplished. I cannot, therefore, caft my foul upon Christ for salvation, without believing the divine teftimony: and this affures me that, as a believer, I, in particular, fhall be faved; fo that my faith, correfponding with God's testimony, neceffarily includes a perfuafion of my own falvation in particular.

2. In the fcripture, faith is uniformly opposed to doubting. If ye have faith, and DOUBT not.* Othou of LITTLE FAITH, wherefore didst thou DOUBT? If a man lack wifdom, let him afk of God-but let him afk in FAITH, NOTHING WAVERING; but doubt

* Matt. xxi. 25.

† Matt. xiv. 31.

# James i. 5, 6.

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