who in attempting to answer this objection have pleaded that the Devils only believe that there is one God; not only leave the objection unanswered, but certainly have very limited notions of their creed. The apostle James plainly fhows that their faith, in fome refpects, is more orthodox than that of many profeffors of religion, because the faith of the former produces terror and dreadful horror, while that of the latter leads to prefumption, and awfully fears the confcience; nor have we any reafon to believe otherwife, if fcripture be our guide, than that Devils believe every gofpel truth as firmly as the true believer does: and perhaps understand the nature of the truth much more extenfively. But what does this avail them? Chrift did not take upon him the nature of Devils. He did not become furety for, and bear the fins of Devils. Nor is it faid to them, to you is the word of this falvation fent. No: unhappy creatures! they are, in awful fovereignty, though in ftrict juftice, referved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day, Jude, ver. 6. So that though they believe and confefs with Peter, that Jefus is the Son of God, Luke iv. 34. 41. Mark iii. 11. Yet they hate the truth, knowing that for this purpose he was manifefted, that he might deftroy the works of the devil, 1. John, 3. 8. Hence we find them crying out and faying, Let us alone, what have WE to do with thee, thou Jefus of Nazareth? Art thou come to deftroy us? I know thee who thou art, the holy one of God, Mark i. 24. But though the faving truth torments Devils, it delivers finners of the human race from the wrath to come. The Son of God clothed himfelf in the human nature, and became the Surety of his people: and the language of Scripture is, To you, O MEN, I call, and my voice is to the SONS OF MEN. And whofoever among men believes what Devils do about the Son of God, are born of God, and fhall be faved, 1. John, v. I. Nevertheless there are not wanting thofe among the

fons

fons of men, who make no better ufe of what they know about the gofpel than the Devils do; and who therefore, have no more benefit from it than they have. The Devils know the truth weli: but they hate it—make ule of every artifice to corrupt and pervert it, and bring forth fruits directly oppofite to it. The Pharifees faw fo much of the truth, as to hate it, fpeak evil of it, and feck to take Chrift's life away, for bearing witnefs to it; and hereby manifefted themselves to be the children of the Devil. John viii. 40. 44. And many in our day agree with Devils, to hate and pervert the truth, and perfecute them that are of it having feen fo much of it as to be aware, that it does not fuit their fcheme of religion. Let us remember then, that the faith of Devils is this; to know fo much of the truth as to join with them to hate and corrupt it; while the fame truth known in its beautiful connection; believed in its native fimplicity; and therefore received in the love of it, will fave the foul, and promote a godly converfation.

And it will appear plain to every one, who duly confiders what the apoftle James fays, that he does not diftinguish the faith of the operation of God from the faith of Devils, by the nature of the thing believed, but by its fruits; he plainly intimates, that if we feparate love and good works from faith, as its certain and neceffary concomitants, the Devils are as ORTHODOX as the most critical profeffor, James ii. 18-20. Chap. i. 22-27.

"But did not Simon Magus believe, who yet was a bad man?" True: but what did he believe? Is it replied, He believed the doctrine of Philip? without doubt he did in the fenfe in which he understood it. But who will fay that he really underflood the preaching of Philip? If then he did notunderstand that very gofpel which was preached, but held it in a corrupt fenfe under a form of found words; he cannot, with any degree of propriety,

be

be faid to have believed the gofpel of Chrift: for what we have no understanding of, we cannot believe, John ix. 35, 36. But that he did believe in fome fenfe is true because the word afferts it, and it is very plain wherein his miftake lay. He had not received the evidence of the freeness of falvation by Jefus Chrift, and was ignorant of the fovereign manner in which the bleffings of it are beftowed. For he thought that the gift of the Holy Ghoft might be purchafed with money, Acts viii. 18-24. He wondered, like fome profeffors now, at the difcoveries which he had made, or the wonders which he beheld the apoftles work: but did not understand the true grace of God. Their faith, therefore, fhould be claffed with his, who think by their doings, or on the account of their fincere, earnest, motions of heart, &c. they are qualified for Chrift, and fo through the medium of these things hope for his mercy..

"But is there not fuch a thing as believing in' vain?" 1. Cor. xv. 2. Yes and to believe in vain is to believe fomething that is not true, and which therefore deceives us; to hold fome error along with the truth, which tends to deftroy its nature. As for inftance. Thofe to whom the apoftle wrote, believed that Chrift was risen from the dead; and yet denied that there would be a refurrection of the juft and of the unjust and thereby overthrew the faith of fome. The apoftle thows that if this fentiment be true, that the dead rise not, the doctrine of Chrift's refurrection must of confequence fall; and fo, their preaching would be vain, and the Corinthian's faith would be vain, and they would be yet in their fins, 1. Cor. xv. 13, 14. Again: If we believe that falvation from fin and hell comes only by the death of Chrift and yet maintain that we obtain righteoufnefs by our legal works, or be come qualined for Chrift by virtue of any thing exerted by us, or wrought in us under any name or

K

pretence

pretence whatever; it is plain that we have believed in vain. For if righteoufnefs come by the law; or if we can by any means fhorten the distance betwixt God and us, and fo begin to return to him— the great difficulty is over; we may easily proceed on our way; but in that cafe Chrift has died in vain, and, of confequence, our faith in him is a vain thing.

"But is it not faid that fome believe only for a time?" Mat. xiii, 20, 21. True: and where fhall we say their faith was defective, for that there was fome fatal defect is manifeft. But furely it was not in the manner of their believing; for there appears to have been approbation of their idea of the gofpel-delight in it, and dependance upon it. And, in the appearance of things, they deserved to have been received, as those who had obtained like precious faith with the apoftles. Yet, as before hinted, fome where or other a mistake was made which, like a canker worm, at length eat away their zealous profeffion, Where then did this latent evil lie? Chrift condefcends to inform us; and therein points out a real difference between true faith, and its most subtle counterfeits that can poffibly exist." He that receiveth the feed into the good ground is he that heareth the word and UNDERSTANDETH it, which allo beareth fruit and bringeth forth fome an hundred fold, fome fixty, fome thirty. v. 2, 3. while the reft UNDERSTOOD it not, v. 19. On this account Jefus frequently inquires of his difciples, Have y underfood these things? After all the labored definitions and nice diftinction, that have been given to diftinguish a true faith from a falfe one, it appears from infallible truth, that the reason why any draw back to perdition, after many fair and flourishing appearances, is, because that under their profeffion they entertain fome mistaken notions of the truth, and join fomewhat of their own to it fo that though they may frequent the ordinances, talk in feeling

feeling trains about their experiences, and profess much regard to many of Chrift's fayings; yet fome pernicious falfehood, lying at the root of their profeffion, they endure but for a while. But we ought not to have fufpicion of this being the cafe with any, while they continue in a true profeffion of Chrift, or while they apparently abide in him, and bring forth fruit. The example feems to have been recorded in order to prevent any, when they fee thefe draw back, from fuppofing that true faith might be loft, 1. John, ii. 19. And to lead each profeffor to examine what kind of faith he holds, 2. Cor. xiii. 5. But when we perceive perfons fwerving from the form of found words-courting the favor of the world to avoid the cross-declining in good works, and falling into enthufiaftic fancies, or immoralities we have fufficient ground to fufpect, they have no root in themselves, and are withering away, 2. Peter ii. 1, 20, 21, 22, Heb. vi. 4-6, chap. x. 26, 27, 38. There are various inftances of perfons, making as clear profeffion of the truth as words can well exprefs, who yet (as is the cafe with the Antinomians) do not understand that the Lord is a jealous God-that his holy law, fo far from being abolished by the gospel, is honored and magnified by the Surety's obedience, and established as a rule of duty to them * ; and it is to be feared that the principal reafon, why fome cavil at the law being a rule of conduct to believers, is, because it forbids and condemns what their carnal appetites approve. The clearness of the profeffion-the uprightness of the converfation -obedience to Chrift's commands and ordinances, and enduring therein unto the end, are the fcripture criterions of true faith.

Is it the duty of all who hear the gospel to believe it?" If the intention of this inquiry be, Ought

K 2

* See the Death of Legal Hope, the Life of Evangelical Obedience, by Mr. A. Booth, p. 130-169.