in whom they live, move, and have their being; and who hath not left himself without witnefs among them, but furnishes them with daily proofs of his goodness, "giving them rain from heaven and fruitful feasons, and filling their mouths with food and their hearts with gladnefs ;" and furely he cannot be unwilling to fave the perfons whom he daily preferves, and on whom he fhowers his daily and hourly benefits. Nay, he is the Redeemer of all, who hath "fo loved the world as to give his only begotten Son, that whofoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life;" yea, whofe Son died for all, when all were dead; gave himself a ransom for all, and by divine grace, or favour, tafted death for every man. And is it poffible he should shut the door of falvation against any that he hath purchased with his Son's blood? Hence it is that he is exprefsly termed the " Saviour of all men, although especially of thofe that believe, not willing that any fhould perish, but that all should come to repentance," should" be faved and come to the knowledge of the truth."

5. And as none are excluded by any decree of God, so none are shut out by any natural or moral incapacity. None that are not idiots, (in which cafe they are not accountable for their actions, nor the proper fubjects of rewards and punishments) are fo ignorant as to be incapable of understanding the Truths of the Gofpel, if enlightened by the Spirit of God, which is free for all, and promifed to all that fincerely and earnestly afk it. None are fo guilty, as to be debarred the Privileges of the Gospel, purchased for all, that will accept them, by the death of Chrift, and offered to all by the free mercy of God. None are fo weak and depraved, as to be unable to obey the Precepts of the Gofpel, if affifted by the grace of God in Chrift Jefus, which bringing falvation, hath appeared unto all men, as

the

the Apostle teftifies, and may be received by all. Hence it is, (and this leads me to the last particular), that

Fourthly, Faith is juftly required of all, on the peril of everlafting damnation. "He that believeth and is baptized, fhall be faved, and he that believeth not, fhall be damned."

1. From what has been faid, it will eafily appear, both what Faith is, and how juftly it is required in order to everlasting falvation. It refpects the Gospel in all the three grand branches of it above mentioned. First, As the Gofpel is a revelation of Truths, it implies that, in confequence of an attentive confideration and thorough knowledge of them, we be perfuaded of the certainty and importance of these Truths, and that in fuch a lively and operative manner, that our hearts are truly affected, and our lives duly influenced by them from day to day. Thefe truths, coming to us not in word only, but also in power, and in the lioly Ghoft, and in much affurance, are the power of God unto our falvation. For as foon, and in proportion as we thus believe, we are tranflated out of darkness into marvellous light:" in other words, we are faved from ignorance and error, into the light of knowledge and truth. Secondly, As the Gospel is an offer of Privileges, faith in it implies, that we accept that offer in the way God hath appointed, viz. The way of "Repentance towards God, and Confidence in our Lord Jefus Chrift," the High Prieft of our profeffion, who by his death hath obtained thefe Privileges for us, and in his Gospel, makes them over to all that repent and believe in him. By faith in this fenfe, we are justified from all things:" we are faved from the guilt of fin, into the divine favour,

are adopted into God's family, regenerated through his grace, and restored in a degree, at leaft, to his likeness. Thirdly, As the Gofpel is a promulgation of Laws, faith in it implies, that we acknowledge the authority of the Law-giver, and yield ourselves up to obey his Laws, looking to him, and depending on him, as a Saviour, for power to enable us fo to do, and trufting in the mercy of God, through his merits, for the pardon of our daily infirmities and defects. By faith, in this refpect, we are faved into univerfal holiness of heart and life, and obtain "a confcience void of offence towards God, and towards man," with great boldness in the profeffion of the Gospel.

2. It appears by this, that our Lord's promife is, and must be always ftrictly fulfilled,"He that believeth fhall be faved." By believing in, and receiving Chrift, and his Gofpel, with regard to the Truths it reveals, the Privileges it offers, and the Laws it enjoins, we are faved even here, from ignorance and error, fin and mifery; we are enlightened, juftified, fanctified, and comforted. And perfevering to believe, we continue to be faved, and that in proportion to the degree of our faith. The greater number of divine truths we receive by faith, and the more fully and clearly we are perfuaded of them and impreffed by them, the more muft our minds be enlightened with true and faving knowledge. The more conftantly we apply to, and the more firmly we truft in Christ for the Privileges of the Gospel, the more must we be encouraged and comforted, purified and ftrengthened. And the more we submit, by faith, to the authority, and comply with the injunctions of the Laws of the Gofpel, looking to the Law-giver, who is alfo the Saviour, for grace and ftrength, the more fhall we be faved from the appearance of evil; and the more holy shall we become "in all manner of converfation

converfation and godlinefs." Thus, the Juft continues to live by faith, and to live more abundantly. The full affurance of faith, always attended with the full affurance of hope, never fails to be productive of perfect love, even the love that cafteth out fear and that love is followed by an equal degree of every inward grace and outward virtue. And the believer enduring to the end," and being "faithful unto death," receives the crown of life, and is faved eternally.

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3. Now, when the Gospel is preached to those, who have not already been admitted members of the vifible Church, and when fuch are brought cordially to receive it, it is neceffary, whatever danger of perfecution may be incurred thereby, that they fhould publicly profefs their Repentance and Faith, by fubmitting to the ordinance of Baptifm. Therefore, our Lord fays, " He that believeth and is baptized shall be faved." And St. Paul declares, in words of nearly a fimilar import, "If thou shalt confefs with thy mouth the Lord Jefus, and believe in thy heart, that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be faved." This was undoubtedly the practice of the primitive Church, with regard to thofe adult Heathens or Jews, who were converted to Christianity. They were not admitted to baptifm till they profeffed repentance for fin, and faith in the Gospel, Then, and not before, they were fprinkled, or washed with water, as a token that they were " fprinkled from an evil confcience, and washed in the laver of regeneration." But we cannot infer from this, that the children of Christian Parents were debarred from baptifm, till they were capable of believing perfonally: on the contrary, we have reafon to fuppofe, from the very nature of the New Covenant, as well as from many paffages of Scripture, and the authentic records of the primitive Church, that they

were generally baptized in their infancy or childhood. But as this is not a proper time to discuss fuch a doctrine, referring any, that may wish for information upon this head, to the Books and Tracts written profeffedly on the fubject, I go on to obferve, that if our Lord fhould be confidered by any as intimating, here, the neceffity of being baptized in order to Salvation, in cafe there be an opportunity for it; yet he cannot be understood, as making it neceffary for any converts to receive baptifm from the very fame perfons that were inftrumental in bringing them to repentance. If they be but baptized in the name of the Lord Jefus, it feems a matter of little moment, by whom the ceremony is performed. St. Paul, it is certain, was an inftrument in the hands of God, of bringing hundreds to repentance in the city of Corinth, but according to the account he gives us, he only baptized two perfons there, and the household of a third. From this, it appears, both that he confidered it as a matter of much greater importance to preach the Gofpel, than to baptize; and also, that he judged many perfons to be fufficiently qualified to perform the latter office, who were not called to be extensively useful in the execution of the former. And no wonder, for, by preaching the Gofpel, the feed of Faith is fown, which as, in adults, it must precede baptifm, fo it is of much greater neceffity and importance.

4. This is implied in the next claufe, "He that believeth not, fhall be damned." Our Lord does not say, He that believeth not, and is not baptized, but fimply, "He that believeth not, shall be damned." If a perfon believe the Gospel, with fuch a faith as is above described, he fhall be faved, even if, through want of opportunity, or his own involuntary prejudices, he should be prevented from receiving the washing of baptifinal water.

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