for God blots out our transgressions, and our sins will be remembered no more. How blessed the state of all true penitents? They are recovered to the mercies of God, reinstated in his favor, introduced into the covenant of grace, and are made partakers of the promises of eternal life. O penitents, rejoice in God, and live to his glory., Bring forth fruits meet for re pentance.

But you who are still strangers to gospel repentance, and to all these experiences, what can be said unto you? While you live, our call must be unto you, "Repent and be converted, that -66 your sins may be blotted out." We beseech and pray you cease to do evil, and learn to do well; forsake folly and sin, and become reconciled to God.

SERMON XXVIII.

SAVING FAITH DESGRIBED.

HEBREWS XI. I

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

GOD, in the wonders of his grace, has revealed a method of recovery from the ruin in which man had involved himself by the fall. Nothing more proper than that we should enquire into its nature, tenor, terms and conditions. Christ Jesus is exhibited as the Mediator between God and guilty man, as making satis-faction to all the divine prerogatives, and a compleat atonement for sin. But the great question recurs, how we are to be interested in this atonement, and made partakers of the purchased salvation. The holy scriptures inform us, by a thousand ausurances, the only way in which we can be interested in, and become participants of this astonishing salvation, is by faith. Faith is a word of high import in the gospel. It is fixed as the term of eternal life. Being possessed of faith, is a divine insurance of everlasting felicity; and the destitution of it, notwithstanding all the displays of gospel mercy, the humiliation, death, and sufferings of the Redeemer, the unbeliever must perish. This be--ing the term then, on which life and death, happiness and misery are suspended, surely it must be a matter of the utmost impor

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tance that we should understand, and know by experience what is comprehended in this great and solemn word. A great and solemn word it is; for he who hath it has life-and he who is destitute of it, is under condemnation and in death.

Hence the inspired author of this grand epistle to the Hebrews, takes such immense pains in describing its nature, and exemplifying its effects. He had exhorted these christians, "to believe 66 to the saving of their souls; to be stedfast in the faith, and "had assured them, that the just live by faith." Previous to his illustration, exemplification, and the infinite advantages of this virtne or grace, he gives an accurate definition, or perfect description of it in our text. "Now faith is the substance of "things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Various are the ideas and uses of the term faith in the scrip tures and in common life.

It is frequently employed to express that trust, confidence and fidelity which one person places in another. He feels a persua sion in his mind of the honesty, truth, sincere intention and promise of his fellow creature, that he will fulfil his obligation; therefore, he trusts, confides, believes or puts faith in him.

Often in the scriptures it is taken not for the exercise, but the object of faith. Some had heard, that the persecutor Paul, "now preached the faith which once he destroyed." That is, he had become a preacher of the doctrines of the gospel. Thus also, the gospel is stiled, "The word of faith which we preach." And in many other places, the great contents of the gospel proposed. as the objects of believing are put for faith itself.

Sometimes it is used for an external profession of christianity. "Do good unto all men, especially unto them, who are of the "household of faith,” That is, who are professors of reli

It is also used to express extraordinary things done in a miraculous manner, commonly called the "faith of miracles.". This faith is of a three-fold nature-one in the person performing the miracle, and the other two in the subjects or persons on whom it is performed. With regard to the former, he is endued with a supernatural or divine power for this purpose. Hence, says our Lord to his disciples, "If you have faith," that is, this power of working miracles, " as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall

say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place, and it "shall remove and nothing shall be impossible to you." The performance of miracles is surely easy with the Lord of universal nature, who by a word could speak worlds into existence, and with Jesus Christ who is God-but the communication of this power to feeble creatures is not so easily apprehended. And it is resolved into this principle, that with God all things are possible. And this wonderful power was not only granted to saints but sinners. Did Moses possess it? So did the magicians of Egypt in a certain degree. Had the holy Apostles this gift? So had Judas. And St. Paul fully intimates, that a man might have a miraculous faith, that he could remove mountains, and yet have no true religion.

With regard to the subjects of the faith of miracles, these have been inanimate, and animal beings, as also rational creatures of various descriptions. Miracles have been wrought on the sun, moon, seas, rivers and trees. Joshua commanded the sun and moon to stand still, and they obeyed. Moses ordered the red sea to open a way for the Israelites, and they passed through on dry land. The river Jordan ceased to flow once and again, and made bare its channel for the passage of Joshua and his host, and likewise for the prophet Elisha. The barren fig tree was cursed by our Lord, and it withered from the root.

Animals have in like manner, been the subjects on which miracles have been performed. Multitudes of reptiles and insects

were brought into, and dashed out of existence by Moses; am Ass opened her mouth and reproved the madness of the prophet the mouths of lions were stopped, an herd of swine destroyed, &c.

But the principal subject of miracles was man ; some by faith required in themselves; some by faith for other persons, and many without knowledge and without faith at all.

Our Lord often asked applicants for the cure of personal discases, whether they believed, that is, in his power to heal them; upon their answering in the affirmative, they were immediately cured.

Application was frequently made to him for others; as a father for a dumb child; a nobleman for his son sick of a fever; a centurion for his servant; a ruler of a synagogue, (a very unlikely person to believe in Christ) for the restoration of his deceased daughter to life; the Canaanitish woman for her daughter, &c.All which requests, upon the faith of the applicant, were granted. And it does not appear, with regard to many others, that either faith, knowledge, or any other qualification, or even so much as the least acquaintance with the business was required, until they found themselves healed. This faith of miracles ought to have a whole lecture bestowed upon it. But it is out of the contemplation of my present plan, in the process of these dis

Courses.

I proceed to direct your attention to another kind of faith mentioned in the scriptures, common to good men, and bad men, and even to the devils themselves, "who believe and tremble." They believe there is a God, a Saviour of men, a future judg ment, eternal torments, everlasting felicity, &c. There are no atheists or deists in hell, whatever they may have been on earth. They believe, and their faith creates horror, terror and amazement; but it neither brings forth the fruits of repentance, reformation, love to God, nor holy living. It is a dead faith, and must perish with the subjects of it.