remove his misapprehensions, and to convince him, that the power and will of Christ to grant whatever is asked in faith are inseparable. In the same chapter* is an account of a Roman officer, who, in making his application to the divine Physician, declared his belief was, that Christ could as easily and effectually command diseases to depart, as he could command his servants, and the soldiers under him to obey his orders. And now let us mark the answer of Christ on that occasion, that we may learn wisdom, and take courage. "When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." The instances and proofs of the power of Christ to save are all evidences of his willingness. His assumption of our nature, dying for our sins, commanding the gospel to be preached to every creature, and now calling you by my unworthy lips, are all proofs, that he is willing to save you. And they are all in perfect harmony with those gracious declarations; "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. And let him that is athirst, come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."+ Jesus is indeed full of power to save; and he is also full of grace, full of compassion, full of love. Arise then, and come to him without delay for what he delights to give. Come, I say, to him, who calls you by name, if you labour and are heavy laden; who invites, persuades, allures, and even bids me compel you to come in, that his house may be filled. If you can hear his invitations and promises, and yet take no encouragement to come, and see no rest for your souls, I fear you believe his power to

* Mat. viii. Luke, v. 12. + John, vi. 37. Rev. xxii. 17.

save as little as you do his will. The mistake of many is, that they want comfort, before they will surrender themselves to the Lord, to be entirely his. Be on your guard against this error; and beware of making comfort a condition, without which you will not consider the promises as belonging to you. The root of your distress is the want of faith; and your immediate duty therefore is to believe; but you are to wait for comfort till the Lord sees proper to bestow it. For, "It is good that a man should both hope, and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord."* Your case may resemble that of Abraham, who "against hope believed in hope."+ You may "walk in darkness, and have no light;" but even then you are commanded to "trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon your God."

This seems a proper place to introduce some seasonable admonitions, in order to guard you against mistakes of a most dangerous nature. I consider it a duty to remind you, that distress of soul, in professors of religious truth, often arises, not from a conviction of the evil of sin, or a desire to be delivered from it; but from a real attachment to it, of which the mind may not always be conscious, and from a reluctance to part with certain habitual indulgences of a sinful kind, which to the perverted judgment appear desirable, and necessary as a right hand, or a right eye. They learn to exercise a refined ingenuity in their endeavours to palliate their besetting frailties. The system they have embraced, instead of humbling them, as the true gospel always does, becomes to them an occasion of pride, through the deceitful

Lam. iii,26. Rom. iv. 18. Isa.1. 10.

ness of unmortified sin. They may be considered as a sort of gospel Pharisees, who are puffed up with what they know, and despise others. Correct views are held by them in higher estimation than a right faith, and a holy practice. And it is both surprising, and painful to observe the progress which many seem to make in knowledge be-. fore they have entered the strait gate, or even discovered that, and the narrow way, in which all the real followers of Christ walk. They are advocates for faith and grace, whilst strangers to genuine repentance, contrary to the established order of the gospel. For it is certain, that no faith will avail to salvation, which is not accompanied with repentance. It can bring no peace, or comfort to the soul, because it reveals not there a Saviour from sin; but opposes the grand design of his exaltation at God's right hand, which is to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance, as well as forgiveness of sins.* Professors of this description are frequently off their guard for want of that fear of the Lord which is to hate evil.+ Enticements to sin, if not complied with, are nevertheless entertained, or not immediately denied. "Chambers of imagery"‡ are opened, in which the carnal mind seeks enjoyment, and parleys, and plays with those "fleshly lusts which war against the soul."§ Privileges are undervalued, and duties omitted with knowledge and consent. Small sins (as some call them) are despised, as if they were harmless, or as if to be troubled about them would be a weakness; though it is certain that every sin is deserving of hell, and that it cost Christ as much to redeem us from the smallest sins

Acts, v. 31. + Prov. viii. 13. Ezek viii. 12. § 1 Pet. ii. 11.

as from the greatest. It may be, that intemperance is occasionally gratified;-resentment and malice cherished;-the sabbath profaned for the sake of a little filthy lucre ;-children left unrestrained to follow their own ways ;--prayer omitted, or hurried over without the concurrence of the heart, and with less care and respect than is used in addressing a fellow-sinner;-or covetousness, and the love of the world are suffered to carry away the heart, and which separate men from God as certainly, and as effectually as robbery and murder. For be it remembered, that "covetousness is idolatry" and that, "if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

These, and other evils are, I doubt not, the usual causes of that darkness, slavish fear, and spiritual distress, under which many labour. For the Lord Jesus will not dwell in the heart, nor the Holy Spirit make the body his temple, nor can faith be exercised, while sin is entertained, and allowed. We must forsake our sins, if we would continue to believe.§ For "then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord." In all cases whatsoever, that we perceive we have sinned, we are called anew to the exercise of repentance as well as faith. These are the two grand and comprehensive heads of Christian doctrine, as the Apostle shews in this chapter, reminding his hearers, that he "had taught them publicly, and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." Repentance and faith, though distinct in their nature, have the same end, namely, the advance

+ Eph. v, 5. 1 John ii. 15. § 1 John v. 13. || Hos. vi. 3.

ment of holiness, and of that spiritual knowledge of God, which is life eternal; and in their operation they tend mutually to the increase of each other.

Are any of you conscious, that the representation I have just given applies to your case; and are you ready to say, 'we are the persons you have described; and the charge brought against us is just. But how may we escape from the snares into which we are fallen, and enjoy the consolations of the gospel? O that you were as ready to receive, as it is easy to give advice in this case! Nothing can be more plain than the words of Scripture which bear immediately upon it. "Stand in awe, and sin not. Cease to do evil; learn to do well, Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him ; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God," The prac

tice of sin, you see, is set in direct opposition to the knowledge of God. This is the advice which the Lord himself gives you. Let it be received and valued as such, and obeyed with thankfulness to Him. There was a time, when his word was precious in this country. I have somewhere read that a farmer, I think in the reign of Henry the eighth, gave a load of hay for a single leaf of the epistle of James; and his conduct was a proof of his good sense. Alas! that we should ever value

the sacred oracles of God the less because his mercy has now made them so cheap and common, that may have access to them! There is much in

all

Ps.iv. 4. Isa. i. 16, and lv. 7. 1 Cor. v. 7. and xv. 94.