want of attention to the freedom of his grace, and the stability of his promise.

4. Since the promises become sure to the seed by means of faith, it is plain, that " staggering at the promise of God" arises from an evil heart of unbelief. Such as stagger at the promises, will always pretend some reason for wavering in their minds ; but it is impossible their reasons can be good; because the grace of God is free, because his promise concerning it is faithful, because he that hath promised is able to perform, because his covenant of promise is ordered in all things for all possible cases, and because it is to be received only by believing, in opposition to every entitling work of the law. When persons doubt concerning the divine promises, they either suppose they must see the means of accomplishing them, and then they "walk by sight;" or they imagine they must be conscious of something in themselves to prove their right to them, and then they "desire to be under the law." In both these cases, they are fallen from a dependence on the grace of God in his free promise, by a living faith: an evil heart of unbelief has seduced them from their quiet rest, and filled their minds with perplexity and sorrow.

5. Since the belief of the promises operates so effectually in promoting man's chief end, it greatly concerns every one to receive the truth of the gospel, that he may be in a condition, both to glorify God, and to enjoy him. Vain are all the efforts of men, upon any other principle, to be truly holy, and to be truly happy. It is long since the experiment was made, and the experiment then proved unsuccessful. Whenever it is attempted, it must be followed with

the same success in any future period: for as "Israel, who followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness, because they sought it not by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law;" so it is an established rule in the dispensation of grace, that "without faith, it is impossible to please God."

CHAPTER VII.

THE FAITH OF THE GOSPEL ADMITS OF VARIOUS DEGREES.

THE apostle John writes to fathers, to young men, and little children. These characters denote the different degrees of spiritual growth among the heirs of promise. Some are strong and confirmed in faith, while others are weak and wavering. It is not by making profession of faith for many years, that persons become strong in the faith; though it must be allowed, that faith grows by exercising it but the strength of faith is owing, more than any thing, to the powerful demonstration of the truth unto the soul by the work of the Holy Spirit. We will frequently find the same person both weak and strong in the faith, at different times, and on different occasions. To illustrate this point, I shall endeavour, (1.) To account for the different degrees of faith in the people of God; (2.) To explain the nature and foundation of the full assurance of their faith; (3.) To consider the reasons, and why they are frequently so weak in the faith; and, (4.) To prove that the unfeigned belief of the gospel is always successful, even in its weakest and lowest degrees..

SECT. I.-The difference of the degrees of Faith in the people of God accounted for.

If we consider the great variety in the measure and stature of the faith of believers, we must per

ceive there is not only a difference between one be liever and another, but also between the strength of the same person's faith, at different times and in different situations. The word of God is an incorruptible seed in every believer, and therefore his faith cannot fail; but those that have believed, may be so far under the influence of an evil heart of unbe

lief, as to stagger at the promise of God. The Scripture records some of the noblest acts, and also some great weaknesses, of the same believers. Abraham in hope "believed against hope," that he should have a son by Sarah, in the hundredth year of his own age, and in the ninety-ninth year of hers; and that his covenant-seed should be called in Isaac, even though this child of the promise should be offered

up for a burnt-offering: yet this eminent believer, at other times, staggered through unbelief, and doubting of his safety among the Egyptians and Philistines, on account of the beauty of his wife, retreated to a dark ambiguous expression, in saying she was his sister. The same may be seen in the history of Rahab the harlot, whose faith was justified by her works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way; and yet she lied to them of Jericho concerning the spies. The short memoirs of almost all the saints mentioned in the Scriptures are a sufficient proof of the general position, that there is a great variety in the measure and stability of the faith of different believers, and even of the same believer, at different times, and in different situations.

This variety is not to be accounted for, merely on the principle of the length or shortness of time that

has intervened between their effectual calling, and those occasions wherein they appear to be strong or weak in the faith. Some young believers are strong in the faith, and some old disciples betray great weakness. A prosperous state is sometimes turned into great perplexity with eminent believers: and sometimes their first works of faith, as well as their first labours of love, are more noble and vigorous than their last. If they became stronger and stronger in faith, in a continued progression, from the time they are effectually called, it could never be said of them, that "the things which remain are ready to die," and that "they have left their first love."

Nor is the strength or weakness of a believer's faith to be accounted for, merely from the clearness or darkness of the revelation which he believes. The superiority of the New Testament revelation above the Old, in point of evidence and perspicuity, is as great as the light of the sun above that of the moon; yet the faith of the saints, under that dispensation, was strong and fixed. Their assurance of faith was full, and their confidence firm and stable. The apostle does not insinuate any difference in the measure of their faith from that of the New Testament believers. A child does not know as much as a grown person; but it may be as fully assured of what it does know, as a grown person can possibly be of what he knows. (13

Again, The strength or weakness of believing is not to be ascribed merely to the measures of experience people have had in the ways of religion. Sometimes the inexperienced soul, whose trials are severe to flesh and blood, is enabled to cleave to the Lord