St. Paul mentions particularly the resurrection of Christ, because of its singular importance to a true religious faith. It is the first fruit of all who sleep; it is the chief corner stone of our hope of a blessed immortality. And it is required, not only that we believe in, but that we also confess with our mouth, the Lord Jesus. The necessity of this our Saviour has himself taught. Thus in the 12th chapter of Luke, he declares, "Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man confess before the angels of God. These two things are required as generally necessary to salvation; the sincere faith of the heart, and the profession of it before the world: "For, (the apostle adds,) with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." A man may speculate on the credibility of the Christian doctrines, and his understanding assent to all that the scriptures declare: or he may receive them as true without consideration of their importance, and continue to live as though they were not true, or as though he believed them not. It is with the heart that man believeth unto righteousness. When the doctrines of the cross interest the affections, they renew the mind, and reform the life. And this we know is agreeable to the constitution of the human mind. Our belief of temporal things, if it does not engage our affections, has little effect upon our conduct. You may believe that wealth can be acquired by industry; but except in your heart you desire riches; except some motive shall influence your affections, such a belief will never induce you to labour. A merchant, ardently desiring a pearl of great price, would sell all to obtain it; another, who lightly esteemed the treasure, would make no sacrifice for its purchase. A traveller, destitute of benevolence, should he see a man wounded and half dead, would pass by him on the other side. One of a contrary disposition, would have compassion on the sufferer; he would bind up his wounds and take care of him. "Even so, faith, if it hath not works, is dead :" such is the difference between the faith of the head and that of the heart. The one may exist in the imagination; the other will influence the conduct. Though you believe what the scriptures teach of the joys of heaven; yet if your heart loves rather the pleasures of this world, to this world you will live, and not to God. Though you believe that Jesus Christ is a Teacher sent from God, and is truly what the gospel declares of him, the Lord from heaven, and the only Saviour; yet, if you have not repentance towards God; if you have no awakened sense that you are a sinner, needing such a Saviour; you will not submit to his righteousness : feeling no alarm at the spiritual malady, you will make no serious application to the Physician of your soul. But when, on the contrary, the affections of the mind are deeply interested in the perils of the soul, and its immortal well-being; when men feel the truth of what they believe of their sinful state, and of God's mercy in Jesus Christ, they have an effectual motive to obedience; they have a principle of spiritual life. It is thus that" with the heart man believeth unto righ

teousness." This is that "lively faith in God's mercy," which "worketh by love ;" and by which we are justified.

It is also a truth of much practical importance that "with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." In the close of the 9th chapter, St. Paul cites from the prophet Isaiah, "Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed." Unbelievers reject his gospel, because they despise his cross; but true Christians are not "ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified." In their estimation, it is " the power of God, and the wisdom of God;" and to proclaim their belief before the world, and in evil report and good report to witness this good confession, they deem the highest honour. This tends to their salvation. Christ will honour those who thus honour him. For this end be has appointed various ordinances, in which we publickly acknowledge and confess our faith in Christ ;" our submission to his righteousness, and devotion to his will; and God on his part, seals to our comfort, his covenant of mercy: we are "made members of Christ. children of God and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven." Thus "baptism now saves us by the resurrection of Jesus Christ ;" and through our belief that God hath raised him from the dead." This will teach you the utility and importance of repeating the creed in our publick worship; of confessing, before the congregation of God's people, our belief in the essential doctrines of the gospel. By these sacraments and publick professions, if we are faithful and sincere, we are sanctified through God's grace, and separated from the world as the people of God; we are made his children by adoption; we are daily renewed by his Holy Spirit; we are strengthened to "fight the good fight of faith," and to obtain the prize of eternal salvation.

The apostle repeats what he had just before cited from Isaiah, "Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed." And he adds that. in regard to this method of salvation "there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek." The same mercy is offered to all mankind; "the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him." This too, agrees with what is declared by the prophet Joel; "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Such is the righteousness which is by faith;" such is the scheme of salvation which Divine wisdom has devised, which the mercy of God has proclaimed in the gospel of his Son; and thus is Christ the end of the law for righteousness to every one who believeth.

3. And how is this righteousness of God—this saving faith in the Saviour of the world-to be attained. The answer to this may easily be inferred from what the apostle adds. Joel has taught, what all the scriptures confirm, that they who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. But "how shall they call on him, in whom they have not believed?" How can the Gentiles, in particular, call upon the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, except they believe in him, that he is their Saviour?" And how shall they believe in him, of whom they have not heard?" It is impossible that they should have faith in Christ, till he is in some way revealed and made known to them. And how

can this be, except in that way which God has appointed? "How shall they hear without a preacher ?" This is the ordinance appointed of God to make known to mankind his salvation in Jesus Christ. "He that cometh to God must believe that he is." No one can trust in a Saviour till he has faith in him. And to have such faith it is necessary to have some knowledge of his person, character, and office. And this knowledge, as the Jews must have known, and the apostle proves, was to be communicated to the understandings of men, by a preacher. Some must preach the gospel to the Gentiles, be fore they could believe in Christ, and call upon him for salvation.

"And how shall they preach except they be sent ?" No one is allowed to take this honour to himself: no man can lawfully, or with any just authority, preach in God's name. except he is sent of God. And the just inference, according to St. Paul's reasoning, is, that the apostles, who were the persons ordained and sent of God, to preach the Lord Jesus Christ ought to preach him to the Gentiles: the same salvation which they preached to the Jews, they were bound to declare to all the ends of the earth. And the Gentiles, as the prophet Isaiah had long before predicted, were ready and waiting to receive these good tidings: for by him (lii. 7.) " it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them which preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things." The prophet represents the nations of the earth as rejoicing in the comforts of this great salvation, and receiving, with gratulation and praise, the messengers who proclaimed it.

It is true, that "they have not all obeyed the gospel." Great numbers both of Jews and Gentiles, rejected it. But this, as the apostle shows, was also foretold: "For Esaias saith, (in the nextthe 53d chapter.) Lord, who hath believed our report?" The number of believers, compared with the unbelieving world, was few; but the Gentiles, as compared with the Jews, "received the word gladly:" so that in every thing the prophecies were fulfilled.

This, then, is a just inference; this important point is proved and must be admitted, that "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God:" that men will not, they cannot, believe the gospel, unless that by preaching it is made known to their understanding. And this is verified by well known facts; by the experience of men in every age of the church. When did ever any person believe in Christ, or call upon him, or become a Christian, except the know. ledge of Christ was first conveyed to his understanding by the ministry of his fellow men? Preaching, in the larger sense of the word, comprises various ways of promulgating God's revealed truth; such as catechising children, and the publick reading of the scriptures. Thus, St. James says (Acts xv.) "Moses of old time hath in every city, them that preach him, being read in the synagogue every sabbath day." These, however, are subordinate means, and auxiliary to the regular preaching of the gospel by authorized ministers of Christ. It is chiefly by this divine ordinance that mankind are to be converted to God, and instructed in the doctrine and duties of true re

Even

ligion. The Lord will not depart from his own institutions. when miracles were wrought, for the conviction of individuals, as in the cases of Saul and Cornelius, teachers were prepared to instruct them: the one was sent into Damascus, to be 'told by Ananias, what he should do; and to the other, Peter was sent to preach the gospel. These instances are more than a thousand arguments to show that we should look for God's grace through the ordinary channels of his appointed

means.

But, (pursuing the apostle's argument,) though it is unquestionably true, that "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God," neither Jews nor Gentiles could justly plead their ignorance as an excuse for their unbelief. For "have they not heard?" Has not the gospel been clearly and extensively preached?" Yes, verily," so far and wide have Christ's ministers proclaimed these joyful tidings, that what the Psalmist says of the starry heavens, may be applied to the preachers of the gospel: "Their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the end of the world." Even in the apostle's days, as we have reason to believe, the tidings of salvation were proclaimed, from the lips of evangelists and prophets, to the remotest nations of the habitable world.

The apostle confirms his doctrine by other scriptures. Could the Jews reasonably object that "Israel did not know" it to be God's will that the gospel should be preached to the Gentiles? They might have learned better, "first (from) Moses (who) saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them who are no people (of God); and by a foolish nation I will anger you :" of which the Jews were then experiencing the fulfilment. "But Esaias (chap. lxv.) is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me." No one can doubt but he speaks this of the conversion of the nations. "But to Israel" he speaks a very different language, when in the next verse "he saith, All day long have I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people."

God in his great mercy forbid that this last scripture should ever be justly applied to us. But is not this to be feared? To us most certainly the like mercy has been extended. To us, and all day long, has the Lord's gracious hand been stretched forth. "From the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same" hath this word of salvation been sounded in our ears. To us, from early youth to the decline of age, is it unceasingly proclaimed, that "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one who believeth ;" and that he is " a light to lighten the Gentiles," no less than "the glory of his people Israel."

To ourselves, then, beloved friends, let us seriously and faithfully apply the truths which we have now "heard with our outward ears.' Though like the Jews we may have a zeal towards God, are we not also, like them, deficient in knowledge? Do we never trust too much to our own wisdom, nor go about to establish our own righteousness?

Perhaps some of us are at this time placing undue confidence in the integrity of our hearts, and uprightness of our conduct, supposing that a merciful God will never condemn those who live so well as we live. Some of us, it may be, cry peace, where peace is not well grounded. "The just shall live by faith," and sinners can have no other principle of spiritual life. Let us well consider "the righteousness which is of the law," that we may duly appreciate that " which is of faith." "To them who believe," and them only, is the promise made: "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Accept him as a Saviour, entire and complete, "who, by his one oblation of himself once offered, has made a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction, for the sins of the whole world."

We must take heed, however, that the mere assent of the understanding is not mistaken for the righteousness which is by faith. Because you have no doubts respecting what the scriptures teach, it does not follow that you believe to the saving of the soul: it is " with the heart man believeth unto righteousness." To believe what Christ has done to redeem us and not to be affected by such goodness; not to feel penitence for our sins and love for God's mercies, is to dishonour him. We had better not know this way of righteousness, than turn from it. We must give such serious and devout attention to the doctrines of Christ, that they may influence our minds, renew our hearts, and bring forth in us fruits meet for repentance.

Of such a Saviour, dying for us, let us not be ashamed, but confess him before men. And this we are to do, not only by repeating the creed in publick worship, but by acknowledging ourselves the Lord's disciples, in the holy ordinances which for that purpose he has appointed, and on all suitable occasions by speaking of what he has done for our salvation. If thus you confess with your mouth, and believe in your heart, you shall be saved.

And this which of us is not prepared to do? Will not such goodness of God lead us to repentance, awaken us to righteousness, and bring forth the fruits of a holy, heavenly, godly life? This Saviour was not ashamed to espouse the cause of sinners. When we were

such, he died for us. He left the glories of the highest heaven, the adorations of a countless host of angels, for a cross. Let us then leave the world which crucified him, and gladly take his cross. Your faith in his merits shall be reckoned to you for righteousness: your sincere confession of such a Saviour shall be sanctified to the promotion of your own salvation.

May God, in his merciful goodness, give us all grace to choose this good part which shall not be taken from us and to him for all his mercies, be rendered eternal praise.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE GOSPEL ADVOCATE.

THE subject of missions is one which I believe to be inseparably connected with the prosperity of the Church. The attention of your