SECT. III.-Whosoever believeth on the name of Christ shall have everlasting life.

THIS proposition is supported by many express determinations of Scripture. The words of the Lord Jesus are most explicit on this head: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned." "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.” Before Christ ascended, he appeared unto the eleven apostles," And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved." The beloved disciple echoes the same truth in the following words: "This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life; and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life." Indeed, we say nothing else than Moses and the prophets, Christ and his apostles, have uniformly affirmed with one voice, when we assert, that "whosoever believeth on the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved in him with an everlasting salvation." Four things may be observed upon this point.

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1. Life is the portion of every believer. is more sweet and desirable than life? father of lies spake the truth, when he said, "All that a man hath will he give for his life." The favour of God, and a good conscience, are indeed better than life; but every worldly enjoyment is very far inferior, even to natural life, and much more to that life which consists in true happiness and felicity. Believers have a life of justification, which lies in the favour of God; a life of sanctification, which denominates them new creatures, having put on the new man, which after God is created in knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness; and a life of consolation, whereby they do, or ought to joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom they receive the atonement, which justifies their consciences, and gives them boldness and access to God with confidence.

2. The life of believers is everlasting. God hath not only promised them life, but life eternal, life for evermore, which shall never be extinguished. what a big and pregnant word is everlasting life! There is more in it than in the world, or in all the kingdoms of the whole earth, and their glory put together there is all in it that the eternal decree of love doth grasp there is all in it that the precious blood of Christ did purchase: there is all in it that the covenant of grace and everlasting gospel can hold: there is more in it than tongue can express, or heart can imagine, or angels comprehend. All things are included in it, and the whole is the heritage of believers in Christ.

3. Believers have eternal life even in this world.

Christ doth not say, he that believeth on the Son may have eternal life, as though it were possible or merely probable. He doth not say, such a person shall have it, as if it were only to be enjoyed hereafter but he says, such a one "hath everlasting life." It is the present privilege of believers to have the Son of God himself, and consequently to have life through his name. Whatever they embrace in the promise of God is their own. As believers of his promise, they enjoy all that it conveys: for faith is the substance of every thing promised and expected, as well as the evidence of things not seen. What God freely gives, faith receives; and what is received by faith, is the believer's own property. Upon this ground, the apostle addresses believers in these bold and comfortable words: "All things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's."

4. Believers have a sure reversion of heaven and all its glory, after they depart this life. Then shall they receive the end of their faith, even the complete and everlasting salvation of their souls. Christ's glory shall not be beheld thenceforth darkly as through a glass, by the eye of faith; but they shall for ever walk by sight, beholding what is now reported to them, and enjoying what is at present secured for them in the promises. Until this day of glory break, and the shadows that now surround us flee away, may we live in a joyful and confident dependence on the promise of God, who will not leave his people till he has done that which he has spoken

to them of! May we thus go up from the wilderness, trusting in the name of the Lord, and walking by faith!

SECT. IV. He that believeth not the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

world, and preach He that believeth

As this proposition is expressed in the very words of Scripture, so it agrees with many other passages, that all concur in representing unto us the same thing, and almost in the same terms. Says the faithful witness, "He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God: and this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." "I said unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins." "He said unto his disciples, Go ye into all the the gospel to every creature. not, shall be damned." Before our Lord Jesus ascended, he told his disciples, "It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove," or convince, "the world of sin, because they believe not on me." multitude that attended on his verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." On another occasion, he said, "Ye will not come unto me, that ye might have life." His apos

Jesus said unto the ministry, "Verily,

tles frequently express themselves to the same effect. One of them plainly says, "He that hath not the Son of God, hath not life." And, in another place, he affirms, that "the unbelieving shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death." Another apostle proposes this truth, and argues upon it to this effect: "We ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip: for if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation, which at first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him?”

To quote any more proofs is altogether needless; though these that have been mentioned are but a small specimen of what the Holy Ghost has recorded in the Scriptures, to show that unbelievers are in a state of wrath and condemnation; being without Christ, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world." It is not my purpose at present to anticipate what will fall in more properly afterwards, when I come to treat of unbelief in a separate chapter: only I beg leave to suggest, in this place, that an unbeliever cannot see life, because he rejects the life-giving truths of the everlasting gospel; and, in rejecting them, he rejects all the precious blessings they convey unto a lost world. He will not come to the Saviour revealed in the word of God, to be his wisdom, his righteousness, his sanctification, and his redemp