300

CONCLUDING ADMONITIÓNS:

"Lord, Lord, open to us: for he will silence every plea " and bid you depart as workers of iniquity."

But have you, my brethren, begun seriously to practise what you know, and to enquire the will of God that you may do it? Blessed be the Lord for his grace bestowed on you! Go on in this way, my beloved brethren; and even the most humiliating discoveries, you make of yourselves, will serve to endear the gospel of salvation to you. "Then shall you know,

if you follow on to know the Lord:" "For the "path of the just shineth more and more to the perfect day." The practice of duty will prepare your hearts for the reception of truth; by removing those prejudices, with which the prevalence of carnal affections closes the understandings of the disobedient: and every accession of spiritual knowledge will have a sanctifying, and comforting effect upon your hearts.

Finally, were we as desirous of having our souls adorned with holiness, as most persons are of decorating the poor dying body; we should certainly make continual discoveries of our remaining uncomeliness, and be thankful for assistance in such researches; and we should make daily progress insanctification; by "put

ing off the old man, which is corrupt according to the "deceitful lusts, and putting on the new man, which "after God is created in righteousness and true holi"ness."

SERMON XIV.

I CORINTHIANS, xiii. 13.

And now abideth faith, hope, charity; these three: but the greatest of these is charity.

THE apostle, in this remarkable chapter, shews the Corinthians, that the most splendid and useful of those miraculous powers, which they emulously coveted and ostentatiously displayed, were far inferior in value to sanctifying grace: yea, that when united with the deepest knowledge of divine mysteries, the most selfdenying liberality, and the most vehement zeal, they were nothing without charity; and did not so much as prove the possessor to be a real Christian of the lowest order. He then describes charity, as a man would define gold, by its distinguishing properties, which are the same in a grain as in a ton; but the more a man possesses, and the less alloy is found in the mass, the richer he is. And having shewn, that charity would never fail; whereas miraculous powers would cease, and knowledge itself would be swallowed up and lost in the perfect light of heaven, he adds, " and now abideth

302

THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE SUBJECT.

[SERM.

"faith, hope charity; these three, but, the greatest "of these is charity."-It is evident, that he meant to sum up,in these three radical graces, the grand essentials of vital Christianity, to which all other holy affections and dispositions may be referred.-As the word charity is now used for one peculiar expression of love, which is equivocal and may be counterfeit : it will render our discussion more perspicuous to substitute love in the place of it, it being well known that the original word is generally thus translated. I shall endeavour, therefore,

I. To consider separately and copiously the peculiar nature, exercise, and use of faith, hope and love.

II. To shew briefly in what respects love is the greatest of the three; and how this agrees with the doctrines of justification and salvation by faith alone.

The subject before us, my brethren, is of the greatest importance, and often fatally misunderstood. Let me then beg a peculiar measure of your attention; and let us lift up our hearts to the Lord, beseeching him to

open our understandings, that we may understand "the scriptures," and be guided into the knowledge of his holy truth.

I. Let us consider separately and copiously the pecu liar › nature, exercise, and use of faith, hope, and love.

We begin with faith. That peculiar act of the

XIV.J

THE PECULIAR NATURE OF FAITH.

308

understanding, by which we avail ourselves of infor mation given us by others, in those things which fall not under our own observation, and which do not ad. mit of proof in a way of reasoning, is called faith or believing. If we credit testimony without sufficient grounds, we are unreasonably credulous: if we refuse to believe testimony which has sufficient grounds of cre dibility, we are unreasonably incredulous. It is therefore extremely absurd to oppose reason and faith, as if contrary to each other; when in fact faith is the use of reason in a certain way, and in cases which confine us to that peculiar exercise of our rational powers, Believing may be distinguished from reasoning, and in some cases opposed to it: but in opposing faith and reason the friends of Christianity have given its enemies an advantage, to which they are by no means entitled.

It is evident to all observing men, that the complica ted machine of human society is moved, almost exclusively, by that very principle which numbers oppose and deride in speaking on religion. Testimony received and credited directs the determinations of princes and councils, of senates and military commanders, of tribunals and commercial companies, in their most impor tant deliberations: and did they refuse to act, without self-evidence, demonstration, or personal knowledge; all their grand affairs must stagnate. But human testimony, though often fallacious, is deemed credible;, they believe, decide, and carry their decisions into execution, In the common concerns of life too, we believe a guide, a physician, a lawyer, and even those who provide our food; and the incredulous sceptick in such cases must be ruined, left to ftarve, or perish by disease,

804

BELIEF OF GOD'S SURE TESTIMONY.

[SERM

But if the teftimony of man be great, the teftimony "of God is greater." The scripture is "the sure"testimony of God; which giveth wisdom to the

simple'." It relates to facts, the certainty of which God hath attested; to doctrines he hath immediately. revealed; to promises and assurances concerning the future, which he hath engaged to accomplish; and to commands and ordinances, which he hath thus enforced with that clearness and authority the case required. All these things are intimately connected with our duty, safety, and felicity; they are made known for our warning, encouragement, and instruction: faith receives the information, and this excites and directs the be-. liever's activity. We may reason soberly and humbly concerning the evidences of revelation, and the meaning of scripture: but when these points have been ascertained our reasonings are at an end; for either faith receives the testimony of God, or unbelief makes him a liar.

Faith strictly speaking is, the belief of the truth;'. with the application of it to ourselves, and a perception of its importance, holiness, excellency, and suitableness to our characters and circumstances. It is the gift and operation of God: for many of the truths, revealed in scripture, are so contrary to our pride, prejudices, and worldly lusts, that no evidence is sufficient to induce our cordial belief of them; till our minds have been prepared by preventing grace. "The natural man "receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for "they are foolishness to him: neither can he know "them, because they are spiritually discerned." True 2 Tim, iii. 15-17 21 Cor. ii. 14.