3. This is the great damning sin of the world. I do not say but all other sins deserve damnation, (for the wages of sin is death) but this is the sin in the virtue whereof other sins damn and ruin the soul. This is the condemnationy John iii. 19- And as it is a damning sin, so it is a sin which damns with aggravated damnation, S Thess. i. 8. O then, let us mourn over, and tremble at this dreadful sin which opposes and so often frustrates the great design and main end of the whole gospel.
III. Use, for Exhortation.
Is it the main scope of the gospel to bring men to Christ by faith .? then he persuaded heartily to comply with this great design of the Father, Son, and Spii'it, ministers, ordinances, and providences, in opening your hearts to receive Christ this day by faith unfeigned.
And, O that I could suitably press this great point, which falls in so directly with the main stream and scope of the whole gospel : and O that whilst I am pressing it, you would lift up a hearty cry
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to heaven, ' Lord give me faith, whatever else thou deny me ; ' open my heart to Christ under the gospel-calls.' I do not only press you to a general and common assent to the truths of the gos- pel, * that Christ is come in the flesh, and laid down his hfe for ' sinners ;' but unto ' a hearty evangelical consent to receive him ' upon gospel-terms ; to close with him in all his offices, .sub-* ' jecting heart and life unto his authority, living entirely upon liim ' for righteousness, and to him by holiness.' The value of such a faith as this is above all estimation. For, (1.) this is the grace which God hath dignified and crowned with glory and honour above all its fellow-graces. Its singular praises and encomiums are in all the scriptures. This is called precious faiths 9, Pet. i. 1. Soul-searchin^^ faith^ Jam. ii. 5. That is a miserable poor soul indeed that is destitute of it, whatever the largesses of providence have been to him. And he is truly rich to whom God hath given faith, whatever he hath denied him of the comforts of this life. This Christ calls the work of God, John vi, 22. " This is the work *' of God, that you believe.'" AVhy so, are all other things that your eyes behold ; they are the works of God ; the earth, the .sea, the sun, moon, and stars, they are his handy- work. True, they are so ; but this is the work^ tlie most eminent, glorious, and admirable work of God, sine pai'e^ excelling all his other works which your eyes behold. And, (2.) that which exalts and dignifies it not only above all the works of God's hands, but even above its fellow-graces, the work of his Spirit, is that high office unto which it is appointed in the justification of a sinner. God hath singled out this grace from among all the other graces, to be the instrument of receiving and applying the righteousness of Christ for the justification of a guilty soul, Rom. v. 1. You are never said to be justified by love, hope, or desire, but by faith. It is true, all other graces are supposed in the person justified ; but none apprehends and applies the righteousness of Christ for justifi- cation, but this only. And the justifying act of faith being a re- ceiving act, the glory of God is therein secured ; thei^efare it is of faith tltat it might be by grace. (3.) The grace of faith, which I am recommending to you this day, is not only the instrument of your justification, but it is also the bond of your union with Christ, Eph. iii. 17. " That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith" It is the uniting grace, the marriage-knot ; it is that which gives in- terest in, and title to the person and benefits of Christ ; the great thing upon which the eyes of all the awakened world are intently and solicitously fixed. Whatever apprehensions you have of an interest in Christ, and whatever his benefits be worth in your eyes, neither himself nor they can ever be obtained without faith. O brethren, there is a day coming when they that now slight and
neojlcct this interest and concern of their soulsj would gladly part with ten thousand worlds for a good title to Christ, could it be pur- chased therewith : but it is faith, and notliing without faith, that intitles you to Christ, and to his benefits. (4.) That which should yet more endear this grace of faith to you is this, that it is the hand which receives your pardon from the hand of Christ, the messen- ger that brings a sealed pardon to a trembling sinner. Acts x. 43. *' And by him all that believe are justified from all things, frorA " which they could not be justified by the law of Moses."" Cleared of all those sins from which the law could never clear them, nor any repentance, restitution, nor obedience of their own without faith. O what a welcome messenger is faith, and what joyful tidings doth it bring ! you would say so if ever you had felt the efficacy of the law upon your consciences ; if ever you had lain, as some sinners have, with a cold sweating horror upon your panting bosoms, under the apprehensions of the wrath of God. This fruit of faith is rather to be admired than expressed, Psal. xxxii. 1. (5.) Faith is not only the messenger that brings you a pardon from heaven ; but it is, as I may say, that heavenly herald that publishes peace in the soul of a sinner. O peace^ how sweet a word art thou ! how welcome to a poor condemned sinner ! " Beautiful upon the " mountains are the feet of them that publish peace.*" Now it is faith that brings this blessed news and publishes it in the soul, without which all the publishers of peace without us, can administer but little support, Rom. v. 1. Faith brings the soul out of the storms and tempests with which it was tossed, nUo a sweet rest and calm, Heb, iv. 3. " We which have believed do enter into rest." Is the quiet harbour welcome to poor weather-beaten seamen, after they have past furious storms and many fears upon the raging sea ? O how welcome then must peace be to that soul that hath been tossed upon the tempestuous ocean of its own fears and terrors, bloMn up and incenficd by the terrible blasts of the law and conscience ? It was a comfortable sight to Noah and his family, to see an olive-leaf' in the mouth of the dove, by which they knew the waters were abated. But, oh ! what is it to hear such a voice as this from the mouth of faith. Fury is not in 7ne, saith the Lord ; his anger is turned away, and he comforteth thee ? Fear not thou, poor tem- pestuatcd soul, the God of peace is thy God. (6.) Faith doth not only bring the tempestuous soul into a calm, but it is the grace also which opens to the soul a door of access into the gracious presence of God ; without it there is no coming to him acceptably ; Heb, xi. 6. " He that cometh unto God must believe." This liberty and access to God is indeed the purchase of the blood of Christ ; he procured it at a great sum : but faith is the grace that brings the soul actually into the presence of God, and there helps it to