in fpirit, ferving the Lord. The Chriftian must therefore improve every opportunity, and all his advantages, diligently working while his day lafts. To fit ftill

in indolence and floth, is really to go backwards. In doing this work the Chriftian muft do as the apostle Paul did; he attended to this one bufinefs; forgetting thofe things which were behind, i.e. his former indolence in, and deviations from, the way of truth, he reached forth to those things which were before, he preffed toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jefus.

7. The work of a Chriftian confifts much in watching and guarding againft, fuppreffing and overcoming, the unbelief of his heart, and all unbelieving thoughts.

ing

Faith is neceffary to falvation; and they who are faved live by faith, and persevere in believing to the fav of their fouls. The Ifraelites were excluded from entering into the land of Canaan by their unbelief; and the fcripture teaches us that unbelief under the gospel will as effectually exclude men from heaven: "He who believeth not shall not fee life, but the wrath of God abideth on him, and he shall be damned."

Believing and unbelief, as it refpects divine revelation or the gofpel, do not mean merely the fpeculative judgment or conclufion of mind refpecting the truth or falfehood of the gofpel, or of any particular doctrines or facts which relate to invifible things. Two perfons may be convinced in their judgment that there is good evi dence that the gofpel is from heaven, and agree in their fpeculative fentiments in the doctrines which are revealed; and yet one of them may be a true believer, in the fcriptural fenfe of believing, and the other an unbeliev er. This will be according to the difpofition and exercifes of their hearts, with refpect to the gofpel, and the truths which it contains. If the heart of one of them have no relish of these truths, and love of them, but dif. likes and is difpleafed with them, fo that they are not cordially embraced as good and excellent, he has no true difcerning refpecting them, and does not fee them

to

to be what they really are, and is not a believer, in the fcripture and proper fenfe of believing. The other has fuch a tafte and difpofition of mind, that he relishes these truths, and receives them with cordial approbation and love. He fees them in a light of which the other has no apprehenfion or idea, and he feels them to be great and important realities, true, excellent and good; and they have fuch an influence and power on his heart as to excite strong affections, and govern him in all his exercises and conduct. This is a true believer. His faith is as different from that of the former, as light is from darkness; as powerful fenfibility of heart, with ftrong exercises of affection and love, are from infenfi bility and hardness of heart, and real diflike of the truth, and averfion from it.

True faith, or a real belief of the truths of the gospel, is of a moral nature, and therefore has its foundation and feat in the heart; fo that exercise of heart is neceffarily implied in it, and effential to it; for every thing of a moral nature belongs to the heart, and that in which no difpofition or exercise of the heart is implied, has no thing of a moral nature, and is neither good nor evil in a moral fenfe, i. e. neither virtue nor vice, which is true of every thing in the mind which confifts in mere fpe, culation. Therefore we find that believing and unbe lief, as they refpect the gofpel, are reprefented in fcripture as belonging to the heart, and an exercife of that: "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confeffion is made unto falvation. If thou believeft with all thine heart, thou mayeft. Take heed, brethern, left there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God."

It appears from the paffage of fcripture laft mentioned, not only that unbelief belongs to the heart, and, being seated there, is moral evil; but that profeffing Chrif tians are fo expofed to the influence of an unbelieving heart, that it concerns them to take heed to themselves, and be on their watch and guard against the prevalency of this evil in their hearts. And indeed all true,

Christians

Chriftians have as much of this unbelief in their hearts as they have of moral depravity or fin. Their faith is comparatavely fmall, and as a grain of muftard feed. It does exift and increafes fo far as their hearts are purifi ed, and they grow in grace. Yet they are more fenfi ble of the awful degree of unbelief in their hearts, than any other perfons are or can be, and fee the evil nature and hatefulness of it.

This unbelief does not confifts fo much in fpeculatively queftioning the truth of divine revelation, and doubting of the truths contained in it, as in the want of fenfibly feeling these truths in their reality, excellence: and importance, and not being properly affected with them. All this is unbelief, which no conviction which is merely fpeculative, or any light and evidence which can be offered, by any external means and revelation or inftructions, will remove, as it is properly hardness of heart. But it may, and often does, prejudice and blind the fpeculative understanding, fo as at leaft to weaken the evidence of truth in fpeculation, and occafion fpeculative doubts about it; and is the cause of all that unbelief in fpeculation which takes place in the Christian world; this being not for want of external light and matter of conviction, but from the blindness and moral diforders of the heart.

The true Chriftian is fenfible of this, and that he has that infenfibility of heart to divine truth, and that darknefs and blindness, which is not owing to any want of light and evidence which is fet before him, but to the ftupidity, hardness and moral depravity of his heart, which will refift the greateft light and matter of conviction that can be fet before him, and the ftrongeft mere fpeculative conviction of his judgment, and would lead to renounce in fpeculation all the evidence of the truth of divine revelation, were he given up of God to the power and prevalence of a reprobate mind; and that it is to be afcribed to divine reftraints, or to the grace of God fhining in his heart, and giving him the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jefus

Chrift,

Chrift, that he has any degree of true faith, and has not abandoned himself to total infidelity.

His remaining unbelief appears, to him, efpecially at times, to be fo great and overbearing, that it is very grievous, and as a heavy burden finks him down, as an unfpeakable calamity, and exceeding criminal. Againft this he has to watch, ftrive and pray continually, and he can work out his falvation in no other way. His conftant petition is, "Lord, deliver me from this evil heart of unbelief. Lord, I do believe, help thou my unbelief, and increase my faith. Give me that faith which is the fubftance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not feen. May I never draw back to perdition, but believe to the faving of my foul."

8. The Chriftian cannot work out his own falvation without refifting the devil, by watching against and oppofing his influence, and the evil thoughts fuggefted by him.

The devil works in the hearts of men by the lufts, depraved propenfities and evil thoughts which have been mentioned. He is reprefented in fcripture as taking the advantage of the depravity of man to fuggeft evil thoughts, and excite and ftrengthen the lufts of the heart, and to blind the minds of all them who do not believe; to watch and exert all his cunning to deceive and destroy them. Unregenerate, wicked perfons are reprefented to be wholly under his power, in whom he powerfully worketh, they being in his fnare, and led captive by him at his will. And in order to perfons being converted and becoming Chriftians, this ftrong enemy muft be difpoffeffed of their hearts, by Chrift, and they turned from the power of Satan unto God. And though Chriftians are fo far delivered from the power of the devil, and out of his reach, that he cannot deftroy or really hurt them in the end; and he who is born of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not; that is, is not able to deftroy or hurt them, by leading them to fin the fin unto death,

or

.or to live in a courfe of fin; yet they are not out of the reach of his temptations and affaults, fo long as they are fanctified but in part, and live in this ftate of imperfection and depravity. Satan provoked king David to number the people; and our Saviour said to Peter," Behold, Satan hath defired to have you, that he may fift you as wheat." The apoftle Paul was attended with a temptation which was the meffenger of Satan to buffet him. And even Jefus Chrift, who had no depravity to give the devil an advantage, was affaulted and tempted by him. The apoftle Peter directs Chriftians to confider the devil as their adverfary, as a roaring lion, walking about feeking whom he may devour. The apostle Paul, fpeaking in the name of all Christians, fays, “We wreftle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, againft fpiritual wickedness in high places ;" and directs Chriftians to take to themfelves the whole armour of God, that they may be able to ftand against the wiles of the devil; and goes on to addrefs them in the following words: "Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breaftplate of righteoufnefs, and your feet fhod with the preparation of the gofpel of peace; above [or over] all, taking the fhield of faith, wherewith ye fhall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet

of falvation, and the fword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: praying always with all prayer and fupplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perfeverance, and supplication for all faints:" [Eph. vi. 10, 18.]

In these words great and conftant work is prefcribed to Chriftians in refifting the devil, and ftanding their ground against all his wiles and affaults; a conflict too great and mighty for all but thofe who are ftrong in the Lord, and in the power of his might; yet neceffary in working out their own falvation. The apoftles James and Peter exhort Chriftians to this fame work in the words following: "Refift the devil, and he will flee

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