h

cated by the Priefts and Pharifees: yet all this was done before he knew, and believed him to be the Son of God; but Jefus afterwards meeting with him, revealed himself to him as the Son of GOD, and he believed on himt.-Among the chief rulers, alfo many believed on him; (e) they believed him to be fent of GOD; and, according to their carnal notions of the Meffiab's kingdom, might believe him to be the Chrift alfo: but they did not confefs him, left they should be put out of the fynagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praife of God. Thus they were not honeft to their own consciences, as the man who was born blind; and being deftitute of love to Chrift, their faith was not faving: Had they beheld his glory, as the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, they could not but have loved him, and have confeffed him openly, as Nicodemus did, who was one of them: Or, had they been faithful to the evidence which they had already received of Christ being fent from GOD, and acknowledged him as fuch; no doubt but by attending to his word, (for faith cometh by bearing it) they would have had a farther, and faving discovery of his divine perfon, and glorious grace, to their fouls. For, to this purpose he faid to fome of the Jews that believed on him; if ye continue in my word, then are ye my difciples indeed;

+ John ix. 35, 36.

4

John xii. 42, 43.

and

and ye shall know the truth, and the truth fhall make you free: But they hated the light, fome of them at its very first dawning on their fouls; and others, who in a measure received it, when they came to fee further rejected it, because of its entire oppofition to their pride and carnal lufts.

Thus, He that bath, to him fhall be given; but be that bath not, from him fhall be taken away even that which he bath.

St. Peter alfo tells us of fome, who knew the way of truth t, and confeffed it, that afterwards turned from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But time would fail me to mention inftances of this fort: I reckon therefore that the effential difference between a temporary faith, and that which endureth unto the end; a living, and a dead faith is love to GOD, and: Chrift.That which hath not love, is dead, and cannot weather out the ftorm of perfecution for his Name's fake. Yet fome, perfons in error will fuffer imprisonment, confifcation of goods, and death itself, fooner than gainfay, and deny the conviction of their own consciences, as hath been the case with many obstinate Papifts whom God in righteousness hath given up to believe a lie, because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be faved.

Again;

te Pet, ii. 21.

Again; the nature of faith appears from its oppofite unbelief; which is called a departure from the living God, and a not coming to Chrift-ye will not come unto me that ye might have lifet.and a rejetting, or not receiving of Chrift: a difobedience to the Gofpel, or not fubmitting to the righteousness of Gop therein revealed.But, on the contrary, faith in Chrift is termed a coming to him; All that the father giveth me, shall come to me; and whofo cometh unto me, I will in nowise cast out ‡.

Now this coming is not an act of the underftanding, but of the will. It is also called a receiving of Chrift, which fuppofes love, and affection; and that is with the heart, where Christ dwells by faith, and is embraced by all his Saints.

There is in every man by nature, not only blindness in the understanding, which muft needs be removed, but also hardness of heart, and rebellion in the will; or, to fum up all in one word, a carnal mind, that is enmity against God: confequently, no man can receive Chrift, or believe in him, to any faving purpose, if that enmity and rebellion be not deftroyed, and taken away. Thus Paul was fent to the Gentiles not only to open their

+ John v. 40. ↑ John vi. 37.

Il John i. 12.

their eyes, but alfo to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God; that they might receive forgiveness of fins, thro' faith in CHRIST +.

The fourth fort of hearers mentioned by our LORD, in the parable of the fower, are such as not only understood the word, but alfo received it into boneft and good bearts; therefore they brought forth fruit unto perfection, fome an hundred fold, some fixty, and fome thirty. But had the word not reached their hearts, and been received in the love thereof, their knowledge of it would have profited them nothing. By their understanding, they difcerned the truth, with its neceffity, and glory; which being tranfmitted to the heart, was loved, and embraced; therefore it abode with them, and brought forth fruit unto God.

Hence Peter diftinguished a living, from a dead faith, by tafting that the LORD is gracious. St. Paul likewife fets it forth in the fame manner : GOD who commanded the light to fine out of darkness, bath fbined into our hearts, to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jefus Christ S. By this glory entering into their

hearts,

† Acts, xxvi. 18. § 2 Cor. iv. 6.

+ Luke viii. 15.

H1 Pct, ii, 2.

hearts, they were made not only to know, but also to love the truth: Being caft into the mould of GOD's glorious gofpel, they embrace it, and are conformed to it, as the melted wax is to the feal.Accordingly to Timothy he faith, This is a faithful faying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jefus Chrift came into the world to fave finners: Faithful, in that it is true and certain, clearly revealed, and fupported by the moft undoubted proof, and infallible teftimony of God, who cannot lie:

Worthy of all acceptation; in that it is a glorious truth, bringing falvation to perifhing finners; and therefore meriting the most cordial approbation, love, and esteem.

Again; he gives us the reason why this bleffed Gospel is rejected, and not heartily received by men; If our Gofpel, faith he, be bid, it is bid to them that are loft, in whom the God of this world (that is, Satan) bath blinded the minds of them that believe not, left the light of the glory of the Gospel of Chrift, who is the image of God fhould fhine unto them .

Thus we plainly fee that they who believe the Gospel only for a time, as well as they who believe not at all, are ignorant of its glory in their hearts; Satan

1 Tim. i. 15.

|| 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4.