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the things that are excellent, is mentioned as an instance of the exercise of that knowledge and judgment that is spoken of as the fruit of love, appears more plainly in the original, as the connexion is evident, es to doxalev, unto the approving. The same thing appears by 2 Thess. ii. 12. "That they all might be damned, who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

§ 54. It is fit that, seeing we depend so entirely and universally, visibly and remarkably, on God, in our fallen state, for happiness, and seeing the special design of God was to bring us into such a great and most evident dependence; that the act of the soul, by which it is interested in this benefit, bestowed in this way, should correspond; viz. a looking and seeking to, and depending on God for it; that the unition of heart, that is the proper term, should imply such an application of the soul to God, and seeking his benefits only and entirely, and with full sense of dependence on him, that as the condition before was obedience, or rendering to God, so now it should be seeking and looking to him, drawing and deriving from him, and with the whole heart depending on him, on his power and free grace, &c. Faith is the proper active union of the soul with Christ as our Saviour, as revealed to us in the gospel. But the proper active union of the soul with Christ as our Saviour, as revealed to us in the gospel, is the soul's active agreeing, and suiting or adapting itself in its act, to the exhibition God gives us of Christ and his redemption; to the nature of the exhibition, being pure revelation, and a revelation of things perfectly above our senses and reason; and to Christ himself in his person as revealed, and in the character under which he is revealed to us; and to our state with regard to him in that character; and to our need of him, and concern with him, and his relation to us, and to the benefits to us, with which he is exhibited and offered to us in that revelation; and to the great design of God in that method and divine contrivance of salvation revealed. But the most proper name for such an active union or unition of the soul to Christ, as this, of any that language affords, is faith.

VOL. IV.

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§ 55. The revelation or exhibition that God first made of himself, was of his authority, demanding and requiring of us, that we should render something to him that nature and reason required. The act of the soul that is suitable to such an exhibition, may be expressed by submitting, doing, obeying, and rendering to God. The exhibition which God makes of himself, since our fall, in the gospel, is not of his power and authority, as demanding of us, but of his sufficiency for us, as needy, empty, helpless; and of his grace and mercy to us, as unworthy and miserable. And the exhibition is by pure revelation of things quite above all our senses and reason, or the reach of any created faculties, being of the mere good pleasure of God. The act in us, that is proper and suitable to, and well according to such an exhibition as this, may be expressed by such names as believing, seeking, looking, depending, acquiescing, or in one word, faith.

§ 56. That believing, in the New Testament, is much the same as trusting, in the Old, is confirmed by comparing Jer. xvii. 5. "Cursed is the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord;" ver. 7. "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, whose hope the Lord is,"....with Heb. iii. 12. "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God." It also is confirmed by this, that trusting in God, and hoping in him, are used in the Old Testament as expressions of the same import. So hope is often in the New Testament used to signify the same thing that, in other places, is signified by faith. Rom. xv. 12, 13. "And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, in him shall the Gentiles trust."...." Now the God of peace fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost." Compare Dan. iii. 38, with Dan. vi. 23, and Heb. xi. 33, 34.

It is manifest, that trusting in God is a phrase of the same import with believing in him, by comparing Isaiah xlix. 23. "They shall not be ashamed that wait for me;” with Isaiah xxviii. 16, and Rom. ix. 33, and x. 11; 1 Pet.

vi. 6, 7, 8. These places shew, that waiting for God, signifies the same as believing on him. And it is evident, by various passages of Scripture, that waiting on God, or for God, signifies the same as trusting in him.

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$57. That saving faith implies in its nature divine love, is manifest by 1 John v. 1. "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God; and every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him." The apostle's design in this verse seems to be, to shew the connexion there is between a true and sincere respect to God, and a respect to and union with Christ; so that he who is united to the Son, is so to the Father, and vice versa. As he believes in Christ, and so loves him, it is evident that he is a child of God, and vice versa. He, whose heart is united to the Father, is so to the Son too. He that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him. (Compare chap. ii. 22, 23, 24, and chap. iv. 15, with John xiv. 1, and John xv. 23, 24.) The same is further manifest again by the following verses of this chapter, 3, 4, 5. "This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous;" i. e. this is a good evidence that we have true love to God, that we are enabled to triumph oyer the difficulties we meet with in this evil world, and not to esteem the yoke of denial of our worldly lusts a grievous and heavy yoke, and on that account be unwilling to take it upon us. "For whosoever is born of God, overcometh the world ; and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." This is explaining what he had said before, that our love to God enables us to overcome the difficulties that attend keeping God's commands; which shews that love is the main thing in saving faith, the life and power of it, by which it produces great effects; agreeably to what the Apostle Paul says, when he calls saving faith, faith effectual by love."

$58. Seeking God is from time to time spoken of as the condition of God's favor and salvation, in like manner as trusting in him; Psal. xxiv. 5, 6." He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his

salvation.

This is the generation of them that seek him that seek thy face, O Jacob." 1 Chron. xvi. 10. "Glory ye in his holy name. Let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord." See the same words in Psal. cv. 3. Psal. xxii, 26. "The meek shall eat and be satisfied. They shall praise the Lord, that seek him. Your heart shall live for ever." Psal. xxxiv. 10. "The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; but they that seek the Lord, shall not want any good thing."

They that seek God, are spoken of as those that love God's salvation. Psal. lxx. 4. "Let all those that seek thee, rejoice and be glad in thee; and let such as love thy salvation, say continually, Let the Lord be magnified." We have the same words again, Psal. xl. 16. The expression seems to be in some measure parallel with trusting in God's salvation; Psal. Ixxviii. 22. "Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation." And hoping in God's salvation, Psal. cxix. 166. "I have hoped for thy salvation."? And waiting for God's salvation, Gen. xlix. 18. "I have waited for thy salvation, O God." Lam. iii. 25, 26. "The Lord is good unto them that wait for him; to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope, and quietly wait for, the salvation of the Lord." Mic. vii. 7. " I will wait for the God of my salvation." Agreeably to this, despising the pleasant land, is spoken of as an exercise of the spirit of unbelief; Psal. cxvi. 24. "Yea, they despised the pleasant land: They believed not his word."

§ 59. Flying, resorting or running to, as to a refuge, are terms used as being equivalent to trusting; Psal. Ixii. 7, 8. "My refuge is in God. Trust in him at all times. God

Prov. xviii. 10. "The the righteous runneth "In thee, O Lord, do

is a refuge for us." Psal. xci. 2. name of the Lord is a strong tower; into it, and is safe." Psal. lxxi. 1, 3. I put my trust.". "...." Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort. Thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress." Heb, vi. 18. "Who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us."

§ 60. Waiting on the Lord, waiting for his salvation, and the like, are terms used as being equivalent to trusting in God in the Scripture. Psal. xxv. 2. "O my God, I trust in thee; let me not be ashamed." Verse 5. "On thee do I wait all the day." Verse 21. "Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for on thee do I wait." Psal.xxxvii. 3. “Trust in the Lord." Ver. 5. "Trust also in him." Verse 7. "Rest on the Lord, and wait patiently for him." Psal. xxvii. 13, 14. "I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord, and be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: Wait, I say, on the Lord."

§61. Hoping in God, hoping in his mercy, &c. are used as terms equivalent to trusting in God. Psal. lxxviii. 7. That they might set their hope in God." Psal. cxlvi. 5. "Happy is that man that hath the God of Jacob for his aid; whose hope is in the Lord his God." Jer. xiv. 8. "O the hope of Israel, and the Saviour thereof in time of trouble." Jer. xvii.

7.

"Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord; whose hope the Lord is." Verse 13. "O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee, shall be ashamed." Verse 17. "Thou art my hope in the day of evil." 1 Pet. i. 3, 4, 5, &c. "Hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Christ from the dead; to an inheritance incorruptible, &c. who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, wherein ye greatly rejoice; that the trial of your faith being much more precious....whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice, &c. receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls." Verse 13. "Be ye sober, and hope to the end, for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;" verse 21, 22. "Who by him do believe in God, who raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God: Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit." Chap. iii. 15. "And be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you." Heb. xi. 1. " Faith is the substance of things

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