III. AN ACTUAL EMBRACING OF THEM.

'Oh yes!' says the worldly man, 'to be sure I believe the bible—I have no doubt that good people will go to heaven!' And perhaps you might not find it easy to convince him, that he disbelieves these things: but you have no difficulty in discovering, that he takes no interest in them. Here then is a faith, "persuaded" of the truth, but not "embracing" the truth! Do you still ask what is meant by embracing it? A few examples, out of many that are supplied by this chapter, will furnish the explanation.-Noah is "warned of God, of things not seen as yet; "1 and is directed to build an Ark, as his only safeguard from the waters of a flood. He believes ; and he embraces the promise" of deliverance, by adopting the means of deliverance.-Moses might perhaps become hereafter king of Egypt; but he is assured that the Jewish slaves will be supernaturally brought out, and conducted to the long promised Canaan. For this apparent uncertainty, he abandons all other worldly views-and this was his "embracing of the promise." You may trace the same principle in every instance of faith recorded in this chapter. And now see the position in which you yourselves stand. God says, that eternal fire is prepared for sinners; his Gospel points to a way of escape-the only way-by Repentance and Conversion, and by a simple Trust in the Atonement of Christ. Do you ask, then, How shall I embrace the salvation thus offered ?' The answer is plain- By coming to Christ for it, in the way prescribed-repenting, converting, trusting in him.'

2

It is not real Faith, till this deliberate act takes place. And if so, how many among us are evidently condemned as unbelievers !-But there will be,

fourthly,

1 Verse 7.

2 Verses 24-26.

IV. A VISIBLE INFLUENCE ON THE HEART, THE LANGUAGE, AND THE life.

Men, thus believing, openly profess" that they are strangers and pilgrims on the earth." It is their genuine feeling. Let a man gaze upon the Sun, till he can without pain examine its splendors: he will find, on recalling his eyes to this lower world, that their power is gone for a season. And such is the effect, where faith is in full exercise: one upward glance at the glory that shall be revealed," 1 is enough to eclipse the most glittering earthly bauble. You observe that the Christian is commended for that very thing, on account of which the word censures him; namely, his peculiarity and strangeness. This peculiarity is, in fact, inevitable, where the faith is genuine. Others may exclaim, "See what manner of stones, and what buildings are here!"2 But the believer, like his Master, thinks only of the day when all these things shall be dissolved." 3-The Pilgrim cannot settle himself in a strange land: his tastes, views, intentions, are all diverse from it; and therefore his language and conduct also proclaim,

that he is seeking another country."4 This is an indispensable token of genuine faith. Is it then to be traced in your conduct? Is it the language of your heart-the language of your life?

Faith in the Divine promises includes, lastly,

V. A STEADFAST RELIANCE ON THEM, EVEN IN DEATH.

After "seeing," "being persuaded," "embracing," and walking as "pilgrims and strangers," the black river of Death still remains to be crossed, before we" receive the promise." But" the righteous hath 1 1 Pet. v. 1. 2 Mark xiii. 1. 32 Pet. iii. 11.

4 Verse 14

hope," even then; and they that “walk by faith” will assuredly" die in faith.”

It is indeed a striking circumstance, that, in this comprehensive description of the believing children of Abraham, the Apostle should have alluded, not in the first instance to their lives, but to their deaths. “These all died in faith.” Here was, in fact, the highest triumph of faith. Abraham "went forth, not knowing whither he went;" but he still had with him some friends, and many comforts. Nay, he also lived to see, to enter, and to “walk through the length and breadth" of the Land of promise. But he whom Death summons, must sacrifice everything; nor has any living man had even a glimpse of that world, which lies beyond the grave.-A wise heathen, “having no hope," might therefore well say, that Death was of all frightful things the most frightful.' -Here, then, let every one bring himself to the touchstone. ‹ What is my hope, if God should this very hour take away my soul?' Ah, brethren, can the World promise anything here! Or will you believe it, if it do? Who but Christ speaks here one single comfort? Well-the believer, who has trusted him in health, will trust him to the last and so far from regretting, that he has anxiously waited for that which he must die without receiving, he dies in peace and joy, as on the verge of eternal bliss.

6

This is what Faith in Christ, and that alone, can do for you! "Nevertheless, when the Son of Man cometh, shall he find faith upon the earth?"3 will, in some beware that you be not found wanting.

He

1 Prov. xiv. 32.

2 Aristotle.

3 Luke xviii. 8.

SERMON XLVII.

ROMANS Xiii. 12.—The night is far spent, the day is at hand; let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

ROME, at the time when St. Paul wrote this epistle, was the capital city of the greatest Empire in the world: it was also the strong-hold of idolatry, and of every kind of vice. The pure gospel of Jesus Christ, nevertheless, had already made its conquests, even in this abandoned city; and St. Paul had heard such an account of the Christian church established there, that he "longed to see them," in order "that he might impart unto them some spiritual gift." It is to them that this epistle is addressed; in which the Apostle, after setting them on the only right foundation of faith in the righteousness of Christ, proceeds to urge upon them the practice of holiness in every relation of life. Universal love, in short, is the substance of all his exhortations.

One powerful argument, by which he enforces the obligations of practical godliness, is contained in my text.-Our Church appears to have considered the words peculiarly appropriate to the season of the year called Advent; which in one point of view they undoubtedly are. I shall therefore desire your attention, in the first place, to

I. THE FACT ASSERTED BY THE APOSTLE. "The night is far spent, and the day is at hand."

What night? what day?

1. In reference to the entire heathen city of Rome, and the heathen world at large, the night of Gentile ignorance and vice was far spent, and the day of Gospel knowledge, grace, and blessing was at hand.

The glo

For a melancholy succession of ages, idolatry and all its wretched attendants had covered a fearful proportion of the world. This had originated in Man's wilful apostasy; and it had been perpetuated by God's judicial sentence. Three times in the first chapter of this epistle is it said, that "God gave them up."1 But he had long ago promised, that they should not be finally abandoned. That Redeemer, who was expected as "the glory of his people Israel," would also be "a light to lighten the Gentiles." rious time was at length come. Jesus had been born in Bethlehem of Judea-had blessed the Jews with his preaching and his miracles-had risen from the grave, and been "taken up to glory." For a little space, so much respect had been paid to the ancient people, that to them first the offe of salvation was sent. But the day of the Gentiles could no longer be delayed its dawn had already been seen and the full rising of "the Sun of righteousness" would shortly beam over all the nations.

2. In reference to the Christian Church at Rome, the night of imperfect acquaintance with the Gospel was far spent, and the clear day of spiritual light was at hand.

Christianity had been introduced into that city, by those who brought with them many Jewish prejudices; and St. Paul had thought it necessary to send them this clear and orderly exposition of its doctrines-not for their 1 Verse 24, 26, 28. 2 Luke ii, 32.