gospel has had to encounter much obloquy from the allegation, that it offers its blessings on a condition which has no moral quality. The objector defines faith an exercise of the understanding simply-a necessary result of evidence presented to that faculty, and without connection with the heart or practice. Hence a favorite maxim of infidelity; "No matter what a man believes, if his practice be good." But genuine faith is not thus "dead, being alone." It is a most efficient principle. We have seen how it "wrought righteousness." "Without faith it is impossible to please Him." Faith has then a'part in all actions pleasing to God. And in no case can the existence of saving faith be proved, where there is no moral excellence-nay, without this, it has no existence; "For with the heart"-not with the understanding merely-" man believeth unto righteousness." What! no moral quality in a belief which never exists without holy feelings! which is always in happy accord with sound and enlightened reason! No moral quality in a faith which secures the mortification of all the unholy affections and lusts! None in a faith which always prompts to that right-forward course, which the finger of God points out for man, through this crooked and ensnaring world! Where is moral excellence to be found, if not here? if not in the Noahs, and Abrahams, and Pauls? And what more suitable condition of eternal life could be proposed, than a faith which influences the wanderer from God and happiness to return, with true penitence and love, to his Father's house?

For

Yet, justification by a holy faith is not of works, but of grace. it is the faith of a transgressor; and when a person has once broken the law, no subsequent obedience, however strict, can avert the curse. "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them." By the law, then, "no flesh can be justified." Besides, every believer regards his own imperfect righteousness as "filthy rags." In his best deeds, he sees no meritorious ground of acceptance with God. He fixes his eye solely on the merit of Christ. Here is all his dependence for pardon and eternal life. He therefore expects salvation, not by deeds of law, but entirely by grace, through the precious blood of a Redeemer.

Such, brethren, as appears from its operations, is the Christian grace, to which, in the matter of salvation, the Bible has given a marked preeminence. And now, in conclusion, we may notice,

First, its divine origin. If it were not classed with "the fruits of the Spirit;" if it were not expressly called "the gift of God;" if Jesus were not styled "the Author and Finisher of our faith;" its very works and leading features would reveal its high source. Who can fail to see the broad, deep stamp of Heaven on a principle so entirely at variance with the spirit and course of this world, so stern and uncompromising, so holy, "so unlike every thing human?" Truly, "this is the finger of God," the result of his transforming power. Nor does the fact excuse unbelief. For, a refusal to believe the well-attested, " true sayings of God," so as to feel and act in accordance with them, can have no apology. It is manifestly irrational. It betrays great perversity of heart. "He that believeth not God hath made him a liar." The sin is "red like crimson." And the fact that, "all men have not faith," proves an unwillingness to have it-demonstrates human depravity.

A second remark is, that saving faith is the same in every age and nation. It may differ in the number of its objects, and in its degree of strength; for our Savior speaks of "great faith," and "little faith." The form, also, of its conflicts and trials may vary with circumstances. But its distinctive character is invariable. It is always an influential belief in divine testimony. We have found it in Noah before the flood, and in Abraham and Moses before the giving of the law; in Daniel and his companions under the Jewish economy, and in Paul under the Christian dispensation. These specimens of faith, selected from the different dispensations under which God has seen fit to train men for heaven, are of course genuine. They come attested by the hand and seal of Jehovah. With the exception of Paul, the examples have all been taken from those worthies so happily grouped in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, as "having obtained a good report through faith." The marked agreement between them alike supports the apostle's definition of faith, at the opening of the chapter, and evinces the fact that there is but " one faith,” as well as "one Lord." They are in truth of a high order, but not too high for imitation. While we may well inquire, if we have "the like precious faith," we should consider that these ancient saints had far less light and privilege than ourselves. We have not only "Moses and the prophets," but Christ and his apostles, together with the more abundant "ministration of the Spirit ;" and shall our faith be of a slender and sickly growth? shall it suffer in comparison with those bright specimens from less favored times?

Thirdly, contemplate some of the victories which faith is called to achieve at the present day, and in future. And what are the leading forms of opposition in our beloved country? Not a tyrant's dungeon "with bread of affliction and water of affliction." Not a despot's heated furnace; for this is a land of religious freedom. She is neither called to "stop the mouths of lions," nor to "quench the violence of fire." Her foes are of quite other stamp-less terrific, yet more subtle, and possibly more dangerous.

Sitting as we do under our vines and fig-trees, the enemy appears with deceitful smiles, kind looks, and "words softer than oil." Now, he displays, with not a little address, the pleasures of sense. Now, ease, or

honor, or property, is the lure. And now, again, he puts on the grave and wise look of philosophy, and doubts the divine origin of the Bible, offers a plea for vice, casts a sneer at divine institutions, or in some other way encourages departure from truth and holiness.

Under our free government, we hear much of the omnipotence of public opinion. If this opinion quadrate with Christian doctrine and practice, well; the greater its influence, the better. But if it take its shape in no small measure from worldly men and worldly maxims--if it is in fact the opinion of a corrupt community, and a standard of moral sentiment and conduct quite unlike and quite below the high standard of Scripture, it becomes a rock on which there is great danger of making "shipwreck of faith and a good conscience." And such it has ever been, to large extent, in this unholy world. Even on these fairest plains of Christendom, where our lot is kindly cast, public opinion, especially of late, has seemed to make silent and gradual departure from the pure and unbend

ing word of God. Now, it has a little softened down one offensive feature, and now another. Here, it has given a polluting touch to the snow-white purity of the Sabbath; there loosened the reins of family government, or shortened the lessons of family instruction. Here, it has warned away from the pulpit a severe or a mysterious doctrine; there mingled a little vain philosophy with heaven-descended truth. Here, it has taken from some vice a portion of its deformity; there disarmed the rod of church discipline of half its terror, and plead for a conformity to the spirit of the age. It has even exalted the favorite and pliable doctrines of expediency and interest above the plain commands of God. These officious and profane intrusions of public opinion into our holy of holies, faith is called to resist. She must make a bold stand in the name

of the Lord. She must insist on the punetilios of revealed truth, fearless of consequences.

What has

But our faith has other foes to encounter. See you not those giant forms, Infidelity and Popery, the enemies alike of God and man? They lift up their heads to the clouds. They stretch abroad their arms from the Atlantic to the Pacific. They "speak great swelling words." They defy the armies of Israel. They threaten extermination. faith to do now? She looks in her Bible. She reads: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God"-" Upon this Rock will I build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it"- "Then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." "Tis enough. She takes the sword of the Spirit; fixes upon the foe her steady eye: it brightens, as she cries to God for help. The Most High gives strength and skill. The champions, locked arm-in-arm, fall to the ground.

Look again. See vice, gross and shameless, stalk through the length and breadth of the land-Sabbath-breaking and intemperance, with their whole natural, numerous family of evils. Shocking sight! Faith opens her Bible, and reads a glowing description of the time, when nothing shall hurt or destroy in all God's holy mountain; when holiness shall be universal. She sees no cause to tremble. She puts forth new efforts against these combined and formidable foes, sure that they will yet wither before the breath of the Almighty.

Is

But the faith of Zion has victories to gain on a far broader scale. Before we gaze in rapture on the full glories of the Millennium, we may expect many hard-fought battles. Look away to the pagan world. the darkness of ages broad and deep? Are Satan's strong holds, which he has been forming and fortifying for centuries, "walled up to heaven?" Are his legions-nerved with uncommon wrath--prepared at all points for desperate conflict? Faith reads the charter which gives to Christ "the heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession," and takes courage. She reads again; "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature ;"—and now farewell ease. and wealth, and honor. The missionary breaks away from every tie, like the father of the faithful, and from earth's strongest allurements, like the deliverer of Israel's tribes. I see him as another Paul, "in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sca; in weariness and pain

fulness, in hunger and thirst, in cold and nakedness." Yes, he penetrates fearlessly to the very center of Satan's earthly empire. He counts not his life dear. He takes the most difficult, hazardous posts. He soon falls in glory, or rather ascends to his reward. A kindred spirit follows, and another, and another. Unbelief calls it a wanton waste of life. It insists that youth should reserve themselves for better services. It urges the abandonment of these perilous stations. But faith, consulting the record, finds no spot on earth, trodden by the foot of man, excepted by our Savior as too hot or too cold, or too fatal to health or life, to receive the gospel. His command is, "Go ye into all the world." And why should it be disobeyed? Shall a Parry be lauded for his enterprise, while he wraps himself in triple furs, and ventures amid the eternal ice of polar seas? Even after repeated failure, shall he be met on his return by the loud applause of a world? And must the devoted missionary receive the sneer of this same world for his perils, and sufferings, and toils among the shivering and depressed Esquimaux? Shall men dare the blaze of a tropical sun in Asia for luxuries, and fortunes, and posts of honor, but not for souls? Or, in Africa, to fasten the chains of slavery, but not to loosen and remove the heavier chains of sin? Or, in South America, to bring away silver, and gold, and diamonds, but not to carry thither the unsearchable riches of Christ? Shall the thinned ranks in deadliest battle be promptly filled, and must a dangerous missionary post be relinquished, because the men to occupy it are mortal? No, while love of the world can crowd stations of greatest peril, let faith show itself an equally powerful, as it is a more noble, principle of action. Go, then, some Hall, some Fisk, some Martyn; go, take the places of these loved missionaries. These pioneers had a short campaign. Their indulgent Captain took them early from the conflict to the crown. others are alike faithful, they too may receive an early discharge. The church must not hold back these daring, elevated spirits. Christ bids them go. He shows them his torn hands and bleeding side, and, pointing to the dark world of idolatry, asks, in a tone of love and pity, if they can suffer nothing in a cause which has cost him life. Yes, he engages to be their company.—“ Lo, I am with you alway." "Tis enough. Their eyes sparkle to be away. Faith disregards every obstacle, and urges their departure. And shall we stay them now? It would be treason against the King of kings. It must not be. In this day of religious revival and holy enterprise the voice from heaven is, "ONWARD, ONWARD TO CERTAIN TRIUMPH."

And if

We look forward, and

Faith has yet to gain her noblest victories. see the circle of her influence rapidly widening, and widening to earth's remotest bounds. Thrones of despotism all crumble. Temples of idolatry fall. Human sacrifices cease. The darkness of ages rolls off from the face of the earth. The empire of Jesus becomes universal: and the nations rejoice in his reign.

And now, who among you, my brethren, is "doing what he can" to hasten this blest consummation? Who "shows by works," that he really believes? Here is the eternal standard-" the same that shall judge you in the last day." O," JUDGE YOURSELVES NOW, THAT YE MAY NOT BE CONDEMNED WITH THE WORLD!"

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