Saviour; a belief of a very different kind, and which must be attended with very different emotions. In a word, that there may be a belief of the gospel, which is never "made perfect" by suitable works, fatal experience but too strongly compels us to admit; but the honor of our holy religion obliges us to maintain, that there can be no real belief of the truth of the gospel without a tendency to produce goodness.

The faith of miracles alone remains to be considered. This is of two kinds, the passive and the active. That is called the passive faith of miracles, which was generally required as a qualification for receiving the benefit of a miraculous cure. The nature of this faith will be clear from two or three remarkable instances.

What then was that faith of the Centurion, which our Lord himself admired, and which he honored with this high encomium, "I have "not found so great faith, no not in Israel? "Lord, I am not worthy," thus did this Roman express himself, "I am not worthy that "thou shouldest come under my roof." Thy personal attendance cannot be necessary to

J

* An effectual faith of miracles it is supposed we do not at this time aspire after, or expect to be blessed with. And therefore should it really be proved to have been a distinct species of faith, it cannot be brought as an exception to that idea of faith which hath been before established. But even here we shall find the general character of faith, which hath been deduced from our Saviour's words, and the practice of his apostles, clearly preserved.

this miracle. Even my commands are executed at a distance by these soldiers, who are under my authority. But all nature is more obedient to thy will, than these soldiers are to mine: therefore "speak the word only;" obedient nature will execute the rest, "and my 66 servant shall be healed." Our Lord was struck with these exalted conceptions of the power by which he acted; and in answer to this sublime expression of faith, he replied; *"Go thy way, and as thou hast believed, so "be it done unto thee."

"Believe ye that I am able to do this?" said our Saviour to the blind men. "They "said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched "he their eyes, saying, according to your faith "be it unto you." Their addressing him by the title of "Son of David," may be considered as an acknowledgment that they believed him to be the Messiah, since that was one of his prophetic characters.

Jesus thus described the power of this kind of faith to the man who brought his son to be healed of a dumb spirit. "If thou canst be"lieve, all things are possible to him that be "lieveth. And straitway the father of the "child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I "believe; help thou mine unbelief."

"Fear not," said Jesus to the ruler of the synagogue: "believe only, and thy daughter

shall be made whole."

*Matthew viii. 13.

Mark ix. 23, 24.

Matthew ix. 28.

S Luke viii. 50.

When Jesus was preparing Martha for the resurrection of her brother, " He said unto "her, I am the resurrection and the life; he "that believeth in me, though he were dead, 66 yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and "believeth in me shall never die. Believest "thou this? She said unto him, Yea, Lord, I "believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of "God, which should come into the world." And afterwards, "Jesus said unto her, Said I "not unto thee, that if thou wouldest believe, "thou shouldest see the glory of God?"

In all these instances the general character of faith is clearly preserved. In the last there is a full and explicit confession of one of the noblest articles of our faith, and indeed expressly of the fundamental article of all christian faith. "I believe that thou art the "Christ, the Son of God, which should come "into the world." In the other instances the act of faith is still the same; it is still a belief; differing only in the extent of the object.Martha was honored with the peculiar confidence of our Lord, and therefore she had a clearer and fuller revelation of his will than others at that time enjoyed. They all express ed a firm belief of our Lord's supreme power over nature, and therefore of his divine mission. The great object of faith was not yet distinctly revealed to them; but they believed as much of it as was revealed. Their faith was like that of the patriarchs, a belief, con|| John xi. 25.

nected with a trust, in the power and promises of God.

I may be permitted to add, that as these miraculous cures wrought on the body were preparatory to that salvation which was to be dispensed to the soul, so they seem to present us with an emblem of it in some very striking particulars. The person to be healed is sensible of his own diseased state, and of his utter inability to relieve himself. He flies to our Redeemer for help, and trusts entirely in his power to save. Though there are many expressions which seem to ascribe the miracle to the virtue of faith, yet it is certain that it was performed solely by the power and mercy of our Lord. Those expressions therefore, so frequently used on these occasions, “Thy "faith hath saved thee, thy faith hath made "thee whole," in consonance with many declarations of the like import used in speaking directly of salvation, cannot be understood to mean that faith was itself the operating and efficient cause in the miracle, but only that it was a necessary condition of receiving the blessing.

Our Saviour himself clearly points out the transition from that "virtue which went out of him" to relieve the body, to that healing virtue which he dispenses to the soul, by expressly joining on some occasions "remission of sins" with the bodily cure. *"Son," saith he to the sick of the palsy, "be of good cheer, thy * Matthew ix. 2.

"sins be forgiven thee." And in answer to the injurious construction which the Scribes put upon this declaration, "Whether," continued he, "is it easier to say thy sins be for"given thee; or to say, arise, and walk? But "that ye may know that the Son of Man hath "power on earth to forgive sins; then saith "he," addressing himself "to the sick of the "palsy, Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto "thine house:" clearly informing us, that his chief design in these miraculous cures wrought on the body, was to prove to us his power of giving salvation to the soul.

The

This remark will lead us to understand our Saviour's conduct on another occasion. evangelist informs us, that he did not many mighty miracles amongst his own country"men, because of their unbelief." Not that his divine power was exhausted or diminished or its efficacy dependant on man, or restrained by any act of his; but that our Saviour chose to exert it there only where it could be sub- é servient to the purposes of religion. We have reason to believe, from the many instances of that kind expressly mentioned, that he rarely performed these miraculous cures, but where he foresaw that the miracle would have an extensive and happy effect upon the mind. He expressly requires an open acknowledgment of their faith from many of those, on whom, or at whose request, the miracle was wrought; and probably had always a regard to the dispo † Matthew xiii. 58,