SERMON VI. ST. JOHN, Chapter xx. Verse 31. Thefe are written that ye might believe that Jefus is the Chrift, the Son of God, and that believing, ye might have life through his name. THE completion of the prophecies con tained in the scriptures of the Old Testament by the Birth, Life, Death, and Refurrection of Jefus Chrift is a convincing proof that he was the extraordinary perfon foretold by the prophets, and expected by by the Jewish Nation under the name of the Meffiah. His character was farther declared and confirmed by the manifestation of fupernatural authority in the operation of miracles. The doctrine, alfo, which he delivered, confonant altogether in its principles to the perfection of the divine attributes, and adapted to the imperfection of human nature, affords a collateral evidence that the difpenfation of Chriftianity, is of God's appointment. Forcible as either argument is when taken feparate, yet like the parts of a well compacted structure they derive additional ftrength from their connection with each other. It has pleased God that the facred prophecies fhould be still preserved to us; the history too of the facts relating to their accomplishment, was written under the divine influence, for the inftruction of after ages, by men chofen to be eye wit witneffes of the truth, whofe record has been uninterruptedly tranfmitted down from their time to our own. The gracious defign of God's providence herein is obvious, that we who could not be of the number of fuch as believed, because they faw, might still partake of the bleffing extended by promise to those who have not feen, and yet have believed, That we alfo might have life through his name. It is a common phrase of scripture to express whatever is most excellent and defirable to us by the term Life; but a state of eternal happiness in the world to come, as it is the confummation of all the bleffings of the Gospel, fo it feems to be unqueftionably what is intended in the text, as will appear alfo by comparing it with other parallel paffages in the fame Evangelift; Whofoever believeth in him, faith St. John, Shall not perish, but have eternal life; and, in the fame chapter, He that believeth on the Son bath everlasting life.* St. John, ch. iii. ver. 16. 36. Re Regeneration from the death of fin, and juftification from the fentence of past tranfgreffions are also included in the term Life. St. John fays, Whafoever believeth that Jefus is the Chrift, is born of God,* and St. Paul, fpeaking of his fanctification, says The life that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God. In which ever then of these fenfes the word is taken, it makes no other difference than that in the one, it is confidered as the preparation for the happiness proposed to us, in the other as the confummation of it; both are the rewards of faith in Jesus Christ. But the main stress of the inquiry upon this fubject, lies in the following question, What is the nature of that Faith or Belief in Chrift whereby we have life through his name? Various are the conceits into which men have been led by the zeal of contro *First Ep. of St. John, ch. v. ver. 1. verly, verfy, and such has been, and I fear is the extravagance of fanaticifm as to oppose faith to morality, and to fet at variance with each other, what ought ever to be as infeparably as they are naturally allied, differing only as cause and effect. Whoever will be at the trouble to compare the feveral paffages of fcripture where faith is spoken of, and adopt the plain and obvious sense of them, confidered together as forming a complete fyftem of religious duty, cannot be at a lofs to discover, that the Faith required of a Chriftian, is fuch a firm perfuafion and acknowledgement of Chrift's divine authority, as implies the obligation of unreferved obedience to his commands, and a full confidence, that through his mediation the gracious promifes of God to mankind will finally be accomplished. I fhall endeavour to confirm this idea by recommending to your attention in the first place, what is faid on the nature and excellence of Abraham's faith. St. |