names. And none can talk or write intelligibly on the subject any other way, without a perpetual, tedious circumlocution.

Right views and exercises of heart respecting God, considered as being what he is in himself, is love, considered in the general nature of it, as consisting primarily in disinterested benevolence, and comprehending all holy love. This is generally meant perhaps by love, when spoken of in scripture, in distinction from other graces, such as faith and hope, &c. and is the root and essence of all right exercises of the heart.

The love of a sinner towards God, whom he has offended, so far as it regards those objects which relate to his essence, exercises itself in justifying God in all his declarations and proceedings against the sinner; in confessing his sin with self-condemnation and abhorrence; in hating sin, and turning from it. And this is true repentance.

This same love, as it consists in believing in, realizing and relishing the true character of the invisible God and Saviour, as exhibited in divine revelation, is exercised in receiving and trusting in him as a wonderful, all-sufficient, excellent and glorious Saviour of sinners. And this is saving faith, as distinguished from repentance, hope, and love.

Love, considered as realizing and desiring the future good things, brought to light in the gospel, as the portion of the redeemed, and relying upon the divine declarations and promises, is hope, as distinguished from faith and love.

But it must be observed and remembered, that as faith, hope, repentance, &c. partake of the nature of love, and are really love diversified, with respect to the objects and operations of it; so they are included in each other, and where one is, there the others are, as comprehended in that. Yea, repentance, faith, hope, and every christian grace, may all be comprised in the same exercise of heart. Thus, faith and repentance cannot be separat. ed, but imply each other, and come into the very same act of the mind, as a true sight and sense of the divine character, and of the nature of sin, are implied in both, 6

VOL. II.

and essential to each: And a turning from sin to Christ, is both repentance and saving faith.

Hence it is that, though there is this variety and distinction in the exercises of the new creature, which is the proper ground of their being called by distinct names; yet as what is called by these different names, is really involved in the same act of the mind, and one is implied in the other, they are often used to denote the whole, or the whole is often intended to be comprehended by one of these names. Thus love is often mentioned in the scriptures as intending the whole of christian holiness. And repentance is frequently put for the whole of active conversion: And the same is often denoted by faith, as has been observed and shown. And hope is used to express the whole of saving faith.

The whole of the foregoing, concerning the nature of saving faith, will lead to the following definition of it.

Saving faith is an understanding, cordial receiving the divine testimony concerning Jesus Christ, and the way of salvation by him; in which the heart accords and conforms to the gospel.

The following observations may serve to illustrate this definition; and farther explain and confirm what has been offered on this important subject:

I. The things, which the gospel contains, as peculiar to it, which relate to Jesus Christ, and redemption by him, and which are the objects about which christian holiness is chiefly exercised, are matters of pure revelation. The exhibition of them to us is by revelation only. And it is a revelation of spiritual, supernatural, mysterious and wonderful things, which, without such revelation, are wholly out of sight, altogether above our senses and reason, and out of the reach of any created faculties, as they depend entirely on the mere good pleasure of God. In this revelation alone are exhibited the person and character of Jesus Christ, an invisible, wonderful and mysterious person. And here we have our state revealed as it respects him, and his character and works, our need of him, and concern with him, as offering himself to us as an all sufficient Saviour. And the benefits offered by Christ, are deliverance from invisible eternal evil, and the bestowment of good

things, which are invisible, wonderful, incomprehensible and future, belonging to the unseen world.

II. The gospel is not of the nature of a law exhibit. ing the sovereign authority and will of God, demanding of man what is his duty, which he is to perform and offer to him, being what he expects to receive of man, as the price of his favour: But it is of the nature of a testimony; a revelation not of works to be done by us, in order to a reward, and the price of it; but of what God has done for us; and an offer made to us, to be received by us. It is a revelation testifying to us God's mysterious, wonderful mercy, wisdom and power, exercised in our behalf, making ample provision for the redemption of man, and offered to us, in order to a reception by us, answerable to such a revelation. It is a record and testimony which God has given of invisible, spiritual, supernatural good things, which are provided and suited to our circumstances and necessities, and freely offered to all who are willing to receive, as a free bounty, without money and without price. This leads to observe again,

III. This revelation represents man as altogether universally and remarkably dependent on God for salvation and happiness: Nothing could set this in a more visible, sensible, striking light, than the gospel does. This represents man as infinitely guilty and miserable, as wholly undone, helpless and lost, and altogether dependent on the Redeemer for that help and grace, of which he is, and ever will be, infinitely unworthy.

Now, in the view of these observations, it appears, that the leading and principal exercise and manifestation of a right taste, or of the new creature, which consists in the concord or agreement of the heart with the divine truths exhibited in the gospel, is, in believing them, and acquiescing in them as true, and as really being just as they are reported by the word and testimony of God. And this, as has been shown, is not an act of intellect merely; but of the whole soul, in the exercise of a right taste and temper of mind, which is holiness, or the new

creature.

And as this divine revelation, in which the things of the gospel are exhibited, is a testimony of good things

offered; but all the virtue and holiness that can be exercised in this case, consists in believing and receiving the things exhibited and offered, or acquiescing in them as real and excellent. And this, as it is opposed to obedience or works, as a worthiness to recommend to favour and a reward, is more properly called FAITH.

The apostle Paul makes this distinction, as a very important one. He calls the gospel the law of faith, by which he distinguishes it from the first covenant, and sets it in opposition to it, which he calls the law of works. "Where is boasting then?-It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay, by the law of faith."* The gospel, or covenant of grace, is the law of faith. is a revelation and testimony, a proper conformity to which, puts on that peculiar form, which is best denominated by calling it FAITH, in distinction from the obedience required by the law of works. He sets this in the same light in the following words. "Received ye

It

the spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" Here he sets the covenant, or law of works, in opposition to the hearing of faith, or the report or revelation of the gospel or covenant of grace. The former requires works, perfect works, as the price of a reward: The latter brings and offers all good to him who will receive it, or which is the same, to him who believeth. In this same view he puts faith in opposition to the works of the law, or obedience to a covenant of works, in the following words, "Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law."‡ To seek righteousness, as it were by the works of the law, is to do works, or attempt acts of obedience to law, with a view to offer this as their righteousness, and worthiness, to recommend themselves hereby to acceptance and favour with God. To seek righteousness by faith, is to receive and trust in the atonement and righteousness of the Mediator, or cordially to embrace the gospel, which is evangelical obedience, and as much a work, and exercise of gospel holiness, as any obedience to the gospel whatever, and is the obedience of faith, as has been proved.

* Rom, iii, 27.

† Gal. iii, 2.

+ Rom. ix. 32.

From the foregoing, the following question may arise in the minds of some.

QUESTION. The apostle Paul says, men are not justified by works: But if saving faith implies works, and cannot be distinguished from evangelical obedience, and men are justified by faith; they are really justified by works, or evangelical obedience. Is not there an inconsistency in this? And why is not evangelical holiness, a righteousness which recommends him who has it, to the favour of God, as a moral worthiness, and a ground of boasting?

ANSWER. What has been already said, is a full answer to the first part of this question; and it is presumed every one who has understood it, will see the question to be wholly without ground. By the works and deeds of the law, is meant obedience to law as a covenant of works, in order to obtain the righteousness of the law, to be thereby recommended to the favour of God, as has been observed and shewn. This the apostle opposes to faith, but does not oppose evangelical holiness to faith, but considers these as implying each other; which gospel obedience, is not offered as a righteousness to recommend; but consists in renouncing all worthiness or claim to any favour, and receiving pardon and salvation as a free gift, to an infinitely unworthy and ill deserving sinner. This point, and the latter part of the question, will be more particularly considered in the next section.

IMPROVEMENT.

I. FROM the above description of saving faith, taken from the holy scripture, we learn that what has been called saving faith by some, is not so.

1. Saving faith does not consist in a person's believing that his sins are forgiven, that Jesus Christ died for him, and he shall be saved, and the like. A person may have a strong and most confident persuasion of this, without any good reason for it, and all may be gross delusion. No one can have any ground for such a belief, until he has exercised saving faith, and has evi