salvation. On account of his opposition to their moral character, he can say with David, "Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred." Psalm cxxxix. 21. Before he be. lieved on Jesus he loved the society, and had pleasure in the iniquity of those persons, who so soon as they were seen by the eye of faith became abominable to his soul.

Fourthly, The filial fear of God is an ope ation of the faculty of feeling, which proceeds from faith, "The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him." But he takes pleasure in no unbeliever. Fear is a painful feeling, which is called a passion, and which we experience on the apprehension of future evil. It is religious fear, when the evil apprehended is the loss of God's favour, the incurring of our Heavenly Father's displeasure, or some dishonour that may accrue to the Redeemer's cause through our sin. By faith we realize that it is an evil thing to depart from him; we know that the consequences of it are dreadful; and it may be safely affirmed, that there never was a child of God who did not fear to offend him, precisely in proportion to his belief of the odious nature and horrible evil of transgression.

Fifthly. Saving faith produces the feeling which is called hope. This is a pleasurable feeling which we experience in contempla

tion of some expected good. Hope always regards something which we do not at present possess, but believe to be not only desirable but attainable. When a sinner looks to Jesus by faith for salvation, he hopes for all which is included in the salvation which has been proffered, but not yet received. He hopes for perfect purification, a glorious resurrection, a public manifestation of his justification before the assembled universe, a. mansion in heaven, and all the felicity which the Saviour promised him through endless ages.

In considering the operation of saving faith on the human WILL, we remark that it produces,

1. A volition to accept of Christ as he is freely offered in the gospel. When we believe through the Holy Spirit that we are accursed sinners, that Christ is offered to us for pardon and sanctification, and that he will be ours if we accept him, we shall inevitably will to accept him. "Let us have him," we shall

say, on the terms of the gospel. Lord we accept thy proposals of reconciliation and heaven with all thankfulness." Then will the

sinner no longer cavil against the nature and terms of salvation by Jesus Christ; and no longer vainly wish that salvation were possible for sinners in some other way. This acceptation of Christ is made once and for ever.

2. Faith in Christ produces a voluntary reception of him into our bosoms. He proposes to come in to us, and take up his residence there, for our instruction, warning, comfort, and glorification. Believing on him, we will that he should abide in us, rule in us, defend us, and make us meet for his Father's house. He stands at the door of our hearts, and knocks for admission, until we accredit God's testimony concerning him, when we say, "thy servants hear, Lord; enter and take possession of our souls." Receiving Christ includes every voluntary effort which we make to know, enjoy, commune with, and serve the blessed Jesus.

3. Faith in Jesus produces a voluntary resting on him. Beliving the truth concerning his great work of salvation, we perceive a sufficient motive to induce our choice of him as a refuge, a reward, an everlasting home. In trouble the believer chooses to make known his wants to Jesus and pour out his heart before him. He chooses to seek for refreshment when weary, and quiet when disturbed in mind, from the Son of Man. None of these things, however, did he do, before he believed the testimony of God concerning the salvation of sinners, and should his faith now cease, he would no longer find an ark of safety; nor the bosom of a beloved one on whom, like John, he could lean his head.

Christian brethren, you never could rest until you savingly knew Christ; and through faith in him alone can you continue to rest from unprofitable toils under the load of wrath.

Search yourselves my hearers, for if you have not these feelings, in your minds, and these operations of will which have been described, you have no saving faith on the Son of God. Blessed are all they who believe with the heart; whose judgments and whose -emotions in relation to Christ are of the right kind, for God promises them heaven.

May we all be thus blessed, O thou Author and Finisher of saving faith. AMEN.

SERMON III.

THE CHARACTER AND CONFIDENCE OF A

BELIEVER.

"Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.' ROMANS X. 11.

THE passion of shame is peculiarly painful to us. It causes the heart's blood to mantle the cheek; renders vision no longer

grateful; turns away the face; and depresses the head in wretchedness. We instinctively desire self-possession and approbation. Who could endure confusion of face for a single day, and be unacquainted with agony? Who of delicate sensibility could be made to suffer shame in the circle of his acquaintance for an hour and not feel constrained to pray, from some motive, with the psalmist, "O Lord, put me not to shame:"*"let me never be put to confusion?" The prophet Ezra couples "confusion of face," with the sword and captivity; and considers it a punishment procured by iniquity.

SHAME is one constituent part of the torment of hell. "The wise shall inherit glory, but shame shall be the promotion of fools." In Daniel we read, that many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt."§

Who shall escape this misery of perpetual self-condemnation? Who shall dwell at peace, when devils deride, and Jehovah laughs at the calamity, or mocks the fear, of the wicked? ||

"Whoso

Our text furnishes an answer. ever believeth on him, shall not be ashamed." The person referred to, as the object of faith,

*Psalm cxix. 31. + Psalm lxxi. 1. + Prov. iii. 35. § Dan. xii. 2. || Prov, i, 26.