fpel hearer, that Chrift is abfolutely given unto him, and that he fhall be faved; because this is not true; and therefore every hearer of the gospel is not bound to believe this concerning himself nor will the hearers of the gospel that peish, be damned for not believing that they should never be damned. Seeing then the affurance of faith is the affurance of what is laid out in common to every gofpel-hearer, to be believed for their falvation; and feeing it was never, nor can be at any time, a truth, that Chrift is abfolutely given certainly to fave every gofpel-hearer, or that every gospel-hearer fhall be faved; we must have another notion of the affurance of faith. And the fcripture is very clear in this matter. When it fpeaks of the affurance of faith at its higheft, it calls it the full affurance of understanding to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Chrift, Col. ii. 2. And what is that, but a full perfuafion of the truth of which Christ speaks, when he fays, "Every one that is of the truth, "heareth my voice? "" So then, whosoever is verily perfuaded of this truth that Christ bears witness unto, and that upon the credit of his testimony, and the evidence that it carries in itself, is of this truth; and this faith or belief is the fruit of the soul's being caft into the mould of that doctrine, without which no obedience can be given unto it. 3. They that are of the truth obey it from the heart; they love it. As this teftimony of Jesus is received by faith, whereby we fet to our feal that God is true, having the witnefs in ourselves; fo there is the greateft good propofed in this truth to be embraced by us: "He hath fhewed thee "what is good," Mic. vi. 8. Eat ye that which is good,” If. lv. 2. This is the proper object of love: as faith refpects the truth witnessed unto, fo love refpects the good in this truth. This love is another fruit of the new birth, flowing im mediately from true faith; and is never, nor can be feparated from it. We read of fome profeffors of the truth perishing, because they received not the love of the truth, and this is made an evidence of their not believing it, 2 Thess. ii. 10.-13. e This love acts upon Chrift in this truth, 1. In a way of fleem, valuing him above all things, and counting all things befides him, all things that ftand in competition with him, ❝lofs and dung." Thus they that truly find Christ, are with him, as the wife merchant with the pearl of great price, when he he hath found it, felling all to buy that pearl. Chrift is in deed precious to all them that believe, and that to fuch a de gree, that he is their only glory: but the foul that thus loves him, will be grieved that it cannot esteem him more, and will be ready to think it loves him not at all, because it finds not any esteem of him within itself fuitable to fuch a glorious object; and such a foul will be jealous for him against his great rival felf, which is constantly putting in for a fhare, at least, of that love and esteem which the foul finds only due to him. 2. In a way of earnest defire, expreffed by the Apoftle, when he says, "Yea, doubtlefs, and I count all things lofs, that I may win Chrift, and be found in him, not ha "ving mine own righteoufnefs, which is of the law, but "that which is through the faith of Chrift, the righteousness "which is of God by faith; that I may know him, and the power of his refurrrection, and the fellowship of his fuffer"ings," Phil. iii. They that love and truly defire Chrift, find, as it were, a want in them, which nothing but he himfelf can fill up, and an uneasiness till they enjoy him, arifing from faith's apprehenfion of his complete fufficiency and fulnefs, his perfect fuitablenefs unto their whole cafe, and his excellent glory. They defire him, fo as to be ready to part with all things, and to fuffer the loss of their nearest and deareft things for him; and this defire fets them on to the ufe of all the means of his own inftitution for finding him. His word, and all his ordinances, from the least to the greateft of them, are as the field where this their treasure is hid; and therefore" they fell all to buy this field." Chrift is especially defired by believers in that refpect wherein he is a ftumbling block and foolishness to the world; even his cross, and his righteoufnefs; and they defire him fo much on this account, that they breathe after conformity unto him in that fame crofs. 3. In a way of complacence and delight. The foul having found Chrift, and feen his glory fhining in this truth by faith, is joyfully fatisfied and well-pleased in him and his righteousness, refts under that shadow from all such perplexing inquiries as that, "What shall I do to be faved?" and that with great delight, and feeks no further. The believer takes a peculiar complacence in the wisdom and power of God unto falvation, and in the glorious discovery of the divine attributes, especially the comely complexion of the divine mercy and juftice in this truth, and in that wonderful connection betwixt the glory of God and the finner's falvation, that is to be feen in this truth, and in Chrift him felf, felf, that glorious perfon, in whom all this is manifeft. Such is the believer's complacence in Chrift, that he abhors the nearest and deareft things to him, as they ftand in competi tion with him. He counts his own righteousness but lofs and dung for him. And "he that hates not father and mo"ther, and even his own life, for Chrift, is not worthy of « him." This love to Chrift is especially manifeft in our love to all them that are of this truth without exception, on the account of their relation to him; and it is a very vain thing to pretend love to Chrift, while we love not the least of his little ones, beyond any other fort of men in the world. Thus they that are of the truth, love it and as faith fays of that word, "Chrift came into the world to fave the chief "of finners," that it is faithful; fo love fays, "It is worthy "of all acceptation." Christ's subjects are thus devoted unto this truth; it has their hearts, and so they are of it. : 4. To be of the truth, is to be influenced by it, and to have it working effectually in us, unto all the ends for which it is revealed to us, and received by us, 1 Theff. ii. 13. 14. Col. i. 5. 6. We have not this truth as a fpeculation, only to divert ourselves with it; or as a precious jewel, only to be laid up that we may please ourselves by now and then looking upon it but it must be a living principle of action in us, and must be with us, when we lie down and rife up, and walk by the way, to influence us in the whole of our converfation in the world, and in the whole of the service of God. It is with this truth, and in it, that the Spirit of Chrift comes to dwell in our fouls, Gal. iii. 2. And this is the great inftrument by which he works his gracious works in us. The fanctification of the spirit is with the belief of the truth: "Seeft thou," fays James, "how faith wrought with his "works," James ii. 22. And we are told, that "without "faith it is impoffible to please God," Heb. xi. 6. As it has been a dangerous error, on the one hand, to think of leading a Chriftian life, and pleafing God, abftractly from this truth; fo it is a no lefs dangerous error, on the other hand, to think, that we may receive it unto our joy, and deliverance from the torments of hell, without its working effectually in us to make us live unto God. The word of the truth of the gofpel brings forth fruit in all them that know the grace of God in truth: and though in ftony ground it wither, and among thorns be choaked; yet in good ground (that is, where men obey from the heart that form of doc trine into which they are delivered) it bringeth forth fome times thirty, fometimes fixty, fometimes an hundred-fold. Thus the truth reigns in them that do believe it; fo they obey it from the heart, and fo they are of it. Now we understand what it is to be of the truth, and that it is the fame thing that the Apoftle calls being of faith, Gal. iii. 7. 9. which, as was noticed, he opposes to being of the deeds of the law. Therefore all that are of the deeds of the law, and submit not to the righteoufnefs of God, but, in their ignorance of the truth, are feeking by fome means to establish a righteousness of their own, however fincere they may ap pear to themselves or others, yet they have not gofpel-fincerity in them; for they "have not the truth in their inward parts." The imputation of righteousness without works, and a spirit without guile, go together, Pfal. xxxii. 1. 2. Rom. iv. 6. 7. 8. and all fincerity and fingleness of heart before God is of this truth. With fuch a true heart it is that the Apostle calls us to draw near, and come into the holieft by the blood of "Jefus, in full affurance of faith," Heb. x. 19.-22. "The "heart of man is deceitful above all things, and desperately "wicked," till "the truth, as it is in Jefus," take poffeffion of it, and make the man fincere and upright, so far as it takes place in him, Eph. iv. 21.-25. And therefore it is strange to see fincerity set up, as it were, in opposition to this truth, and the glorious righteousness it brings to us, the only spring of all the godly fincerity that is in the world. We find fingleness of heart taken notice of, as a remarkable fruit of the truth in them that received it, when it came first from Chrift, exalted by the right hand of God, Acts ii. 46. And their pretences to the faith of it are very poor, who ftu. dy not fimplicity and godly fincerity, but walk in policy and fleshly wisdom, and glory in the wisdom of this world, as to which the truth will make all them that are of it fools. " THE fubjects of Chrift's kingdom are, Every one that is "of the truth." And these things are imported in this. 1. This truth, with its influence, is not now confined to any fort of men, however qualified, and however excelling others. The uncircumcifed nations were excluded from Chrift, till he should come, and had no hope in the promise, by means of the wall of partition betwixt the Jews and them; but now Chrift having broke down that in his death, and come "preaching peace to them that were afar off and nigh," they both, through him, have an accefs by one Spirit to the VOL. I. Father; Father; and it is now free to all nations, all forts of finners, even the chief, to believe this truth unto their falvation, and to come into Chrift's kingdom by the belief of this truth, Matth. xxii. 9. Mark xvi. 15. 16. Rom. iii. 21. 22. and x. 4. 11. 12. 13. How much reafon have we Gentiles to rejoice in the New Testament on this account! : 2. It takes no more to make any man a subject of Chrift's kingdom, but to be of this truth; and it requires no lefs. "Every one that is of the truth heareth his voice," is his fubject. The Jews, to whom pertained the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the promises, cannot by all this be of Chrift's kingdom, if they be not of this truth; and the uncircumcifed Gentiles are free in this kingdom to the enjoyment of the privileges of it, by being of this truth, without more. Yea, "the "Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have at"tained to righteoufnefs, even the righteoufness which is "of faith but Ifrael, which followed after the law of " righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteouf "nefs. Wherefore? Because they fought it, not by faith, "but as it were by the works of the law; for they stumbled "at that ftumbling-ftone," Rom. ix. 30.-33. The circumcifion of the Jew leaves him on a level here with the uncircumcifed Gentile, and the uncircumcifion of the Gentile puts him not a whit behind the Jew as to an intereft in this kingdom. The Greek has no advantage by his politeness in this matter; nor is the rudeness of the Barbarian his lofs in this cafe. The flavery of the bondman cannot hinder his freedom in the kingdom of Chrift, if he be of this truth, and without this the liberty of the freeman can give him no part in the liberty of Chrift, Col. iii. 10. 11. As none are by us to be accounted fubjects of this kingdom, but those whom Chrift commands us to reckon his difciples, or that they are of the truth; fo all that appear to be of this truth, without difference, are by us to be held for fubjects of this kingdom, and to be dealt with accordingly; and becaufe fome, under the common influence of the Spirit, receive the word with joy, and so appear for a while to be of this truth, who yet are not of it, and many of them af terward difcover themfelves, or will be difcovered and feparated from the people of Chrift at his coming, Matth. xiii. & xxv. John xv. 2. 6. Matth. vii. 21.-29. Tim. v. 24. 25. Heb. x. 39. Jude 4.; therefore there is a diftinction made between the vifible and invifible kingdom of Jefus Chrift: and the |