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nifhing the luftre of his tranfcendent mercy, by covering or extenuating the offence. Hence fecure persons are eafily fatisfied, while true penitents make fupplication with ftrong crying and tears. They are often reconfidering the promife, and frequently queftioning the ground on which their dependence has been placed. Hence alfo fecure perfons feek eafe to themfelves from the remonftrances of confcience, by ftifling conviction, and offering excufes; but true penitents, by giving full force to the accufation, and pleading the benefit of the remiflion. To fay all in a word, the one ftruggles hard to be found innocent, the other to obtain mercy.

4. From what hath been faid, you may fee of how much moment it is to the Chriftian to keep clear views of the mercy of God, as well as of his own intereft in it. The moment he lofes the comfortable fenfe of peace with God, his chariot-wheels are troubled, and he drives heavily. It makes his duty burdenfome, and his trials infupportable. And no wonder, fince he is not fo far left of God as to return to the fecurity of finners; and at the fame time the fource of his inward confolation is like a spring shut up, and a fountain sealed. For what end are the promifes of God contained in fcripture? why are they put into your hands? why are they repeated in your ears? Why, but for preferving you in that peace which the world cannot give, and which, bleffed be God, it cannot take away. Her what your Saviour fays John xvi. 33, "Thefe things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye fhall have tribulation: but be "of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

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5. In the last place, You may fee from what hath been faid, in what way you may moft effectually, and moft certainly, preferve your peace with God, viz. By the frequent exercife of penitence and confeffion. This will fhew you the neceffity of forgivenefs from God. This will conftrain you daily to feek for forgivenefs from God. Beware of feeking or preferving peace by the extenuation of fin, or by ftifling conviction. This may well lead you to floth and fecurity for a feafon, which lays the foundation of the bittereft repentance of all; but will never give

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the comfort of God's children. He that shutteth his eyes upon his own fins, fhall never fee the glory of di-vine mercy. Serious, voluntary, deliberate humiliation, is the true way of promoting both that fleadiness in duty, and that peace with God, which ought to be the Chriftian's fupreme defire. Whatever deftroys felf-fufficiency promotes the growth of true piety. The gofpel is particularly directed to thofe that fee their neceflity. It brings comfort to the mourner, help to the miferable, and mercy to the guilty. It is a great miftake to think, that the contrition and penitence of the children of God is hurtful to their comfort, for it is the very foundation of it; according to that refreshing promife, with which I fhall con.. clude, If. Ixi. 1, 2, 3. "The fpirit of the Lord God "is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek, he hath fent me to "bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that "are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, "and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all "that mourn to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, "to give unto them beauty for afhes, the oil of joy for

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mourning, the garment of praise for the fpirit of heavi"ness, that they might be called trees of righteousness, the "the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified."

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And this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ.

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ACTION SERMON.

E propofe, in a little, to draw near to God in the moft folemn act of Christian worship. With what humble folicitude ought we to enquire, whether we are truly intitled to this great privilege, or may hope for acceptance in this important duty. It is the most explicit, and the most public profeffion we can make of faith in the Redeemer's blood; and therefore none can do it in a proper manner, but those who have indeed believed in the Redeemer's name.

Faith in Chrift is the great foundation of our peace with God. It is the great principle of our fanctification. It is the great diftinction between the heirs of glory and the heirs of hell: "For he that believeth, and is baptized, "fhall be faved; but he that believeth not, fhall be damn"ed." And therefore no subject can be of more importance in general, or more fuited to our present employ. ment, than what is prefented to us in the words of the text: This is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ.

In the context the apostle is speaking of the Christian's confidence or perfuafion of his relation to God, ver. 20, 21,

God is greater than Beloved, if our heart confidence towards

22. "For if our heart condemn us, "our heart and knoweth all things. "condemn us not, then have we "God. And whatsoever we afk, we receive of him; be"cause we keep his commandments, and do thofe things "that are pleafing in his fight."

Having thus mentioned the commandments, he points out in the words now read, the great commandments of the gofpel, in their order, And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. My purpose at this time is, to confine myself to the firft of thefe; and open, in as comprehenfive and practical a manner as I am able, what it is to believe on the name of Jesus Christ the Son of God; and having done fo, to make fome practical improvement of the sub. jeft; particularly, by preffing every hearer, in the most earneft manner, to obey this commandment of God,

1. In the first place, then, I am to explain what it is to believe on the name of Jefus Chrift the Son of God. Many have been the controverfies raifed and agitated on this fubject, most of them unprofitable, and fome of them very hurtful, as tending to difquiet and perplex the minds of ferious perfons, and fometimes even to furnish an objection to the enemies of the gafpel. I fhall therefore avoid every thing of this kind, as in general undefirable, and at this time highly unfeafonable; and endeavor to lay it down in fuch a manner as I hope may be underflood by the meanest real Chriftian, and may afford to every exercised foul inward confolation and peace with God.

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For this purpofe, I hope it will be fufficient to obferve, that faith may be confidered in two views; its object, and its actings: 1, The object of faith; that is to fay, the truths to be believed: 2dly, The actings of faithy or what it is to believe these to the faving of the foul. As to the object of faith, it is thus expreffed in our text, This is bis commandment, That we should believe on the name of Bis Son Jesus Christ. Christ Jesus, the Saviour, then, is

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