at once alarmed, anxious, and miserable. Nothing can easily restore him to peace, or comfort, or hope, but the return of his parent. In his own obedience, and filial affection, and in his fa ther's approbation and tenderness, care and guidance, he finds sufficient enjoyment, and feels satisfied and secure. He looks for no other motive, than his father's choice, and his own confi dence. The way, which his father points out, although perfectly unknown to him, the entertainment which he provides, the places at which he chooses to stop, and the measures, universally which he is pleased to take, are, in the view of the child, all proper, right, and good. For his parent's pleasure, and for that only, he inquires; and to this single object are confined all his views, and all his affections. No characteristic is by common sense esteemed more amiable, or more useful, in little children, more suited to their circumstances, their wants, and their character, than confidence. Na is any parent ever better pleased with his own little children, than when they exhibit this characteristic. The pleasure of re ceiving it, and that of exercising it, are substantially the same. In adult years, men of every description reciprocate the same pleasure in mutual confidence, whenever it is exercised. Friends, husbands and wives, rulers and subjects, demand, experience, and enjoy, this affection in a manner, generally corresponding with that I have described. The second passage, from which I propose to show, that this confidence was the faith of Abraham, is Rom. iv. 20-22, He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded, tha what he had promised he was able also to perform; and therefore was imputed to him for righteousness. The faith of Abraham. here described, in which he was strong, giving glory to God. and which was imputed to him for righteousness, was faith in the promise of God concerning the future birth of Isaac, through whom he was to become the progenitor of Christ, and the father of many nations, especially of believers of all ages. This faith But faith in was built on the moral character of the promiser. a promise, when it is directed to the disposition of the promiser, as is plainly the case here, because the fulfilment of the promise THE NATUTIN A 12 must depend entirely on us depositum & de A of which I have been speLETE 2dly. This is the fuck of the Que Trioment. ter xiii. 15. I will trust in the mercy of Gut for or at or- They that trust in the Lard stul de a House Lo tu not be removed, but aindest for an. Þan Who is among you a fare the Lor name of the Lord, and ning vom as Své iman Cursed be the men suut puska a na mad 19 E arm, and whose heart danna fro te Zon a No person, acquemet e Sa tate to admit te de exercS I EL N na sages under the name Iruz & Ne sme Ti Testament is cales far I care sons; viz. the rigmeow: and tertentar a racter. The mportance anthem same; and the quessings truet di ri and exercise LE CEN possess not possess it are CHE CEL In the Verse. folowing tur ar me culiar blessings of harm man, who trumein a the Lord by the waters, and that granda OSL shall not see zuen me romtia shall not be careful from yielding fru liar blessing of ill A abound in the work of the Lare Such, precisery, the some veang, 1 an who trusted in the LOT: & WEsng vaca greatest of all went in a bar an more blessed to give, than to receive; to communicate good, than to gain it at the hands of others: a declaration, which St. Paul appears to make the sum of all, that Christ taught concerning this interesting subject. 3dly. It is, I apprehend, the Faith of the New Testament also. In various places, in the New Testament, this exercise of the mind is directly called by the names trust and confidence. In his name shall the Gentiles trust; quoted from Isaiah xlii. 4, where it is rendered, the Isles shall wait for his law; in Matthew xii. 21, and Rom. xv. 12. That the word trust, used here, denotes the faith of the Gentiles in the name of Christ, will not be questioned. Ephesians i. 12, St. Paul says, that we, that is, himself and his fellow-christians, should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 1 Tim. iv. 10, For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, especially of those that believe. 2 Tim. i. 12, For I know whom I have believed. The word WEIGʊxa is, by the translators, rendered trusted, in the margin. It is rendered, also, in the same manner by Cruden, and, I think, correctly. Heb. iii. 14, If we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end: that is, our faith already begun. Heb. xi. 1, Faith is the confidence of things hoped for. This may perhaps be regarded as a general definition. The word TITSU, of which one of the meanings is trust, ought, I think, to be extensively rendered by this English term, in order to express the true sense of the original. The same thing may also be observed concerning its derivatives. But the proof, which I especially mean to allege, at the present time, is contained in the following things. 1. The faith of Abraham is the faith of the New Testament; and this has, I flatter myself, been already proved to be the confi dence above mentioned. 2. In that extensive account of faith, which is given us in the xi. Chapter of Hebrews, we are taught, that the faith, exercised by the saints of the Old Testament, is the same with the faith of the Gospel; and this is not only generally called Trust in the Old Testament itself; but, as has been already proved in several instances, and, were there time or necessity, might be proved in all, is no other than the confidence which I have specified. All these persons confided in the promises of God, and in the moral character of him by whom they were given. 4thly. The nature of the case, and the situation of the penitent, when he exercises faith in Christ, clearly evince the truth of the doctrine. The sinner is condemned, and ruined. By the Law of God all hope of his recovery and salvation is precluded. Left to himself, therefore, in his present situation, he cannot be saved. While he is in this miserable condition, Christ declares, that he is able, willing, and faithful, to save him; and that, to this end, the sinner must, indispensably, surrender himself into his hands, or give himself up to him; and consent to be saved by him in his own way. Now what can induce the sinner, in a case of this infinite magnitude, thus to give himself into the hands of Christ? Nothing but an entire confidence in his character, as thus able, willing, and faithful to save. But how shall the sinner know this? Or if he cannot know it, how shall he be persuaded of it? Know it, in the proper sense of knowledge, he cannot; for it is plainly not an object of science. The word of Christ is the only ultimate evidence, by which he must be governed; and this word depends, for all its veracity and convincing influence, on the moral character of Christ; on his goodness, faithfulness, and truth. Whenever the sinner, therefore, gives himself to Christ, according to his proposal, and in obedience to his commands, he does it, merely, because he places an entire confidence in his moral character, and in the declarations which he has made. In these he confides, because they are the declarations of just such a person, possessing just such a moral character. On this he trusts himself, his soul, his eternal well-being. If he trusts in the instructions, precepts, and ordinances of Christ; (for our faith is not unfrequently said to be exercised towards these ;) it is only because they are the instructions, precepts, and ordinances of such a person. Some of them, indeed, he may discern to be true and right, in themselves; but for the truth of others, and the wisdom and safety of obeying them all, he relies, and must rely, only on Christ's character as their author. If he believes in the righteousness of Christ, and the acceptableness of it to God, as the foundation of pardon and peace to sinners; he believes, or trusts, in it, only because it is the righteousness of just such a person. The same things are true of his faith in the invitations, promises, resurrection, ascension, exaltation, government, intercession, presence, protection, and universal blessings, of the Redeemer. The faith of the Christian is exercised towards all these things. But all of them, separated from his moral character, are nothing to the believer. From these considerations it is, I think, sufficiently evident, that the faith of the Gospel, whatever may be its immediate object, is no other than confidence in the moral character of God, especially of the Redeemer. If I am asked, "What is Confidence in moral character?" I answer, look into your own bosoms; and examine what is that exercise of mind, in which you trust man for the sake of what he is a parent, for example, or a friend. In this exercise you will find a strong illustration of the faith of the Gospel. Confidence, or trust, is a complex emotion of the mind; and involves good-will to its object. We cannot thus confide in any person, whom we do not love. It involves also, Complacency in the object; or approbation of his character. We cannot thus trust any person, whom we do not esteem. It involves a Conviction, that the attributes, which awaken our confidence, really exist in the person, whom we trust. It involves a Persuasion, that, in the case, and on the terms, proposed, the person, in whom we confide, is ready to befriend us. Until this is admitted by us, there will be nothing, about which our confidence can be exercised. It involves a sincere delight, in every exercise of it. No emotion yields higher enjoyment than confidence. It involves a cheerful devotion to the interests, and pleasure, of |