148. We shall therefore, from his injunctions, (if And to show how much he is in earnest, and exany such there be,) see what he has made neces-pects obedience to these laws, he tells them, that sary to be performed, by all those who shall be re- if they obey, "great shall be their reward; they ceived into eternal life in his kingdom prepared in shall be called the sons of the Highest."* And to the heavens and in this we cannot be deceived. all this, in the conclusion, he adds this solemn What we have from his own mouth, especially if sanction: "Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do repeated over and over again, in different places not the things that I say?" It is in vain for you and expressions, will be past doubt and controver- to take me for the Messiah, your king, unless you sy. I shall pass by all that is said by St. John obey me. "Not every one who calls me Lord, Baptist, or any other, before our Saviour's entry Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, or upon his ministry and public promulgation of the be the sons of God; but he that doth the will of laws of his kingdom. He began his preaching my Father which is in heaven." To such disobewith a command to repent; as St. Matthews tells dient subjects, though they have prophesied and us: From that time Jesus began to preach; say-done miracles in my name, I shall say at the day ing, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at of judgment, "Depart from me, ye workers of inihand:" and, Luke v. 32, he tells the Scribes and quity, I know you not." Pharisees, "I come not to call the righteous," (those who were truly so, needed no help; they had a right to the tree of life,) “ but sinners to repentance."

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150. When he was told that his mother and brethren sought to speak with him, "stretching out his hands to his disciples, he said, Behold my mother and my brethren: for whosoever shall do the will of my Father, who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother." They could not be children of the adoption, and fellow-heirs with him of eternal life, who did not do the will of his heavenly Father. Matt. xv. and Mark vii., the Pharisees finding fault, that his disciples eat with unclean hands, he makes this declaration to his apostles: "Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever from without entereth into a man, cannot defile him; because it enters not into his heart, but his belly, That which cometh out of the man that defileth the man: for from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, false witnesses, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these ill things come from within, and defile a man." He commands self-denial, and the exposing ourselves to suffering and danger, rather than to deny or disown him; and this upon pain of losing our souls, which are of more worth than all the world.t

149. In his sermon, as it is called, in the mount, he commands they should be exemplary in good works. "Let your light so shine amongst men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." And that they might know what he came for, and what he expected of them, he tells them, "Think not that I am come to dissolve or loosen the law, or the prophets: I am not come to dissolve or loosen, but to make it full, or complete;" by giving it you in its true and strict sense. Here we see he confirms, and at once reinforces all the moral precepts in the Old Testament. "For verily I say to you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be done. Who- | soever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least (that is, as it is interpreted, shall not be at all) in the kingdom of heaven. I say unto you, that except your righteousness," that is, your performance of the eternal law of right, "shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and 151. The apostles disputing amongst them who Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the king-should be greatest in the kingdom of the Messiah, dom of heaven:" and then he goes on to make good what he said, "that he was come to complete the law," viz., by giving its full and clear sense, free from the corrupt and loosening glosses of the Scribes and Pharisees. He tells them, that not only murder, but causeless anger, and so much as words of contempt, were forbidden. He commands them to be reconciled and kind towards their adversaries; and that upon pain of condemnation. In the following part of his sermon, which is to be read, Luke vi., and more at large, Matt. v. vi. vii., he not only forbids actual uncleanness, but all irregular desires, upon pain of hell-fire; causeless divorces, swearing in conversation, as well as forswearing in judgment, revenge, retaliation, ostentation of charity, of devotion, and of fasting, repetitions in prayer, covetousness, worldly care, censoriousness: and on the other side, commands loving our friends, doing good to those that hate us, blessing those that curse us, praying for those that despitefully use us; patience and meekness under injuries; forgiveness, liberality, compassion: and closes all his particular injunctions with this general golden rule: "All things whatsoever ye would have that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets."

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he thus determines the controversy: "If any one will be first, let him be last of all, and servant of all:" and setting a child before them, adds, “ Verily I say unto you, unless ye turn, and become as children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." Matt. xviii. 15, “If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone; if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother; but if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it to the church; but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen and publican. Peter said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus said unto him, I say not unto thee till seven times, but until seventy times seven." And then ends the parable of the servant, who being himself forgiven, was rigorous to his fellow-servant, with these words:" And his lord was wrath, and delivered

Luke vi. 35.

This we may read, Matt. xvi. 24, 27, and the parallel places. Matt. viii. and Luke ix.

him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that mon, who will commit to your trust the true richwas due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly es? And if ye have not been faithful in that Father do also unto you, if you from your hearts which is another man's, who shall give you that forgive not every one his brother their trespasses." which is your own?" Luke xvii. 3: "If thy Luke x. 25, to the lawyer, asking him, "What brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if shall I do to inherit eternal life? he said, What is he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against written in the law? How readest thou? He an- thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a swered, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with day turn again to thee, saying, I repent, thou all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all shalt forgive him." Luke xviii. 1: "He spoke a thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy parable to them to this end, that men ought alneighbor as thyself." Jesus said, "This do, and ways to pray, and not to faint." Verse 18: "One thou shalt live." And when the lawyer, upon our comes to him, and asks him, saying, Master, what Saviour's parable of the good Samaritan, was shall I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus said to forced to confess, that he that showed mercy was him, if thou wilt enter into life, keep the comhis neighbor,-Jesus dismissed him with this mandments. He says, which? Jesus said, thou charge: "Go, and do thou likewise." Luke xi. knowest the commandments: Thou shalt not kill; 41,-" Give alms of such things as ye have: be- Thou shalt not commit adultery; Thou shalt not hold, all things are clean unto you." Luke xii. steal; Thou shalt not bear false witness; Defraud 15,-"Take heed, and beware of covetousness. not; Honor thy father and thy mother, and thou Be not solicitous what ye shall eat, or what ye shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. He said, all shall drink, nor what ye shall put on ;" be not these have I observed from my youth. Jesus fearful or apprehensive of want, "for it is your hearing this, loved him; and said unto him, yet Father's pleasure to give you a kingdom. Sell lackest thou one thing:-sell all that thou hast, that you have and give alms: and provide your- and give it to the poor, and thou shalt have treaselves bags that wax not old, and treasure in the sure in heaven: and come, follow me." To unheavens that faileth not; for where your treasure derstand this right, we must take notice, that this is, there will your heart be also. Let your loins young man asks our Saviour what he must do to be girded, and your lights burning; and ye your-be admitted effectually into the kingdom of the selves like unto men that wait for the lord, when he will return. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord, when he cometh, shall find watching. Blessed is that servant, whom the lord having made ruler of his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season, the lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him a ruler over all that he hath. But if that servant say in his heart, my lord delayeth his coming, and shall begin to beat the men-servants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; the lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with unbelievers. And that servant who knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes: for he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes; for unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required; and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." Luke xiv. 11: "Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." Verse 12: "When thou makest a dinner or supper, call not thy friends, or thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy neighbors, lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor and maimed, the lame, and the blind, and thou shalt be blessed; * Doubtless not; yet he who revels in superfluities for they cannot recompense thee; for thou shalt while his poorer brother in Christ lacks the very nebe recompensed at the resurrection of the just." cessaries of life, is, in the true sense of the words,Verse 33: "So likewise, whosoever he be of you not a Christian. Few, I am afraid, are inclined to that is not ready to forego all that he hath, he interpret this, and similar passages, half so literally cannot be my disciple." Luke xvi. 9: "I say we should sell all, and give it to the poor, which as they were meant: but, if Christ never intended unto you, make to yourselves friends of the mam- would render us poorer than any of them, he doubtmon of unrighteousness, that when ye fail, they less did intend we should suffer them to partake of may receive you into everlasting habitations. If what we have, and we can never be his disciples unye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mam-less we do so.-ED.

Messiah? The Jews believed that when the Messiah came, those of their nation that received him should not die; but that they, with those who, being dead, should then be raised again by him, should enjoy eternal life with him. Our Saviour, in answer to this demand, tells the young man, that to obtain the eternal life of the kingdom of the Messiah, he must keep the commandments. And then enumerating several of the precepts of the law, the young man says he had observed these from his childhood: for which, the text tells us, Jesus loved him. But our Saviour, to try whether in earnest he believed him to be the Messiah, and resolved to take him to be his king, and to obey him as such, bids him give all he has to the poor, and come, and follow him, and he should have treasure in heaven. This I look on to be the meaning of the place: this of selling all he had, and giving it to the poor, not being a standing law of his kingdom,* but a probationary command to this young man, to try whether he truly believed him to be the Messiah, and was ready to obey his commands, and relinquish all to follow him, when he, his prince, required it.

152. And therefore we see, Luke xix.14, where our Saviour takes notice of the Jews not receiving him as the Messiah, he expresses it thus:-"We will not have this man to reign over us." It is not enough to believe him to be the Messiah, un

ment of unspeakable rewards and punishments in another world, according to their obedience or disobedience. There is not. I think, any of the duties of morality which he has not, some where or other, by himself and his apostles, inculcated over and over again to his followers in express terms. And is it for nothing that he is so instant with them, to bring forth fruit? Does he their king command, and is it an indifferent thing? Or will their happiness or misery not at all depend upon it, whether they obey or no? They were required to believe him to be the Messiah; which faith is of grace promised to be reckoned to them for the completing of their righteousness, wherein it was defective: but righteousness, or obedience to the law of God, was their great business, which, if they could have attained by their own performances, there would have been no need of this gracious allowance in reward of their faith; but eternal life, after the resurrection, had been their due by a former covenant, even that of works, the rule whereof was never abolished, though the rigor was abated. The duties enjoined in it were duties still: their obligations had never ceased, nor a wilful neglect of them was ever dispensed with; but their past transgressions were pardoned to those who received Jesus, the promised Messiah, for their king; and their future slips covered, if, renouncing their former iniquities, they entered into his kingdom, and continued his subjects, with a steady resolution and endeavor to obey his laws. The righteousness therefore, a complete obedience and freedom from sin, are still sincerely to be endeavored after: and it is no where promised, that those who persist in a wilful disobedience to his laws, shall be received into the eternal bliss of his kingdom, how much soever they believe in him.

less we also obey his laws, and take him to be our | the strictness as well as obligation of its injuncking to reign over us. Matt. xxii. 11-13: He tions; but moreover, upon occasion, requires the that had not on the wedding garment, though he obedience of his disciples to several of the comaccepted of the invitation, and came to the wed-mands he afresh lays upon them, with the enforceding, was cast into outer darkness. By the wedding garment, it is evident good works are meant here. That wedding garment of fine linen, clean and white, which we are told is the dikaipara, "righteous acts of the saints;"* or, as St. Paul calls it, "the walking worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called." This appears from the parable itself:-"The kingdom of heaven," says our Saviour, "is like unto a king who made a marriage for his son." And here he distinguishes those who were invited into three sorts:-1. Those who were invited, and came not; that is, those who had the gospel, the good news of the kingdom of God proposed to them, but believed not. 2. Those who came, but had not on a wedding garment; that is, believed Jesus to be the Messiah, but were not new clad (as I may so say) with a true repentance and amendment of life, nor adorned with those virtues which the apostle, Col. iii., requires to be put on. 3. Those who were invited, did come, and had on the wedding garment; that is, heard the gospel, believed Jesus to be the Messiah, and sincerely obeyed his laws. These three sorts are plainly designed here, whereof the last only were the blessed, who were to enjoy the kingdom prepared for them. Matt. xxiii.: "Be not ye called Rabbi; for one is your master, even the Messiah, and ye all are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth; for one is your Father which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters; for one is your Master, even the Messiah. But he that is greatest amongst you, shall be your servant; and whosoever shall exalt himself, shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself, shall be exalted. Luke xxi. 34:-"Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be at any time overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life." Luke xxii. 25: "He said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest amongst you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve." John xiii. 34: “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another: by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another." This command of loving one another, is repeated again, chap. xv. 12—17. John xiv. "If ye love me, keep my commandments. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him. If a man loveth me, he will keep my words. He that loveth me not, keepeth not my sayings." John xv.: "In this is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you."

153. Thus we see our Saviour not only confirmed the moral law, and clearing it from the corrupt glosses of the Scribes and Pharisees, showed

154. A sincere obedience, how can any one doubt to be, or scruple to call, a condition of the new covenant, as well as faith, who ever read our Saviour's sermon on the mount, to omit all the rest? Can any thing be more express than these words of our Lord: "If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses :" and, "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them?" This is so indispensable a condition of the new covenant, that believing without it will not do, nor be accepted, if our Saviour knew the terms on which he would admit men into life. "Why call ye me Lord, Lord," says he, "and do not the things which I say?"* It is not enough to believe him to be the Messiah, the Lord, without obeying him: for that these he speaks to here were believers is evident from the parallel place, where it is recorded: "Not every one who says Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doth the will of my Father, which is in heaven."† No rebels, or refractory disobedient, shall be admitted there, though they have so far believed in Jesus as to be able to do miracles in his name;

as is plain out of the following words; "Many will say to me in that day, Have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name have done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye workers of iniquity!"

more zealous for the law than he; and therefore it was with reason that his discourses were directed chiefly to what they yet wanted, and were averse to, the knowledge and embracing of Jesus, their promised Messiah. But what his preaching generally was, if we will believe him himself, we may see, Acts xxvi., where, giving an account to king Agrippa of his life and doctrine, he tells him, "I showed unto them at Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance."

157. Thus we see, by the preaching of our Saviour and his apostles, that he required of those who believed him to be the Messiah, and received him for their Lord and deliverer, that they should live by his laws; and that (though in consideration of their becoming his subjects, by faith in him, whereby they believed and took him to be the Messiah, their former sins should be forgiven) yet he would own none to be his, nor receive them as true denizens of the New Jerusalem, into the indemnation of the unrighteous, who renounced not their former miscarriages, and lived in a sincere obedience to his commands. What he expects from his followers, he has sufficiently declared as a legislator; and that they may not be deceived, by mistaking the doctrine of faith, grace, free grace, and the pardon and forgiveness of sins and salvation by him, (which was the great end of his coming,) he more than once declares to them for what omissions and miscarriages he shall judge and condemn to death, even those who have owned him, and done miracles in his name, when he comes at last to render to every one according to what he had done in the flesh, sitting upon his great and glorious tribunal, at the end of the world.

155. This part of the new covenant the apostles also, in their preaching the gospel of the Messiah, ordinarily joined with the doctrine of faith. St. Peter, in his first sermon, Acts ii., when they were pricked in heart, and asked, "What shall we do?" says, verse 38," Repent, and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins." The same he says to them again in his next speech, Acts iv. 26: "Unto you first, God having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you." How was this done? "In turning away every one from your iniquities." The same doctrine they preach to the high-priest and rulers: "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand, to be a prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and for-heritance of eternal life, but leave them to the congiveness of sins: and we are witnesses of these things, and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him."* Acts xvii. 30: St. Paul tells the Athenians, that now, under the gospel, "God commandeth all men every where to repent." Acts xx. 21: St. Paul, in his last conference with the elders of Ephesus, professes to have taught them the whole doctrine necessary to salvation. "I have," says he, "kept back nothing that was profitable unto you; but have showed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews and to the Greeks;" and then gives an account what his preaching had been, viz. "Repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus, the Messiah." This was the sum and substance of the gospel which St. Paul preached, and 158. The first place where we find our Saviour was all that he knew necessary to salvation, viz. to have mentioned the day of judgment is John v. "repentance, and believing Jesus to be the Mes-28, 29, in these words: "The hour is coming, in siah;" and so takes his last farewell of them whom he should never see again, verse 32, in these words: "And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified." There is an inheritance conveyed by the word and covenant of grace, but it is only to those who are sanctified.

156. Acts xxiv. 24: When Felix sent for Paul, that he and his wife Drusilla might hear him, concerning the faith in Christ, Paul reasoned of righteousness, or justice, and temperance; the duties we owe to others, and to ourselves, and of the judgment to come; till he made Felix to tremble. Whereby it appears, that temperance and justice were fundamental parts of the religion that Paul professed, and were contained in the faith which he preached. And if we find the duties of the moral law not pressed by him every where, we must remember, that most of his sermons left upon record, were preached in their synagogues to the Jews, who acknowledged their obedience due to all the precepts of the law, and would have taken it amiss to have been suspected not to have been

* Acts v. 30.

which all that are in their graves shall hear his [that is, the Son of God's] voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." That which puts the distinction, if we will believe our Saviour, is the having "done good or evil;" and he gives a reason of the necessity of his judging or condemning those "who have done evil," in the following words, verse 30: "I can of my ownself do nothing. As I hear I judge, and my judgment is just; because I seek not my own will, but the will of my Father who hath sent me." He could not judge of himself; he had but a delegated power of judging from the Father, whose will he obeyed in it, and who was of purer eyes than to admit any unjust person into the kingdom of heaven. Matt. vii. 22, 23: Speaking again of that day, he tells what his sentence will be: "Depart from me, ye workers of iniquity." Faith, in the penitent and sincerely obedient, supplies the defect of their performances, and so by grace they are made just. But we may observe, none are sentenced or punished for unbelief, but only for their misdeeds. They are workers of iniquity," on whom the sentence is pronounced. Matt. xiii. 14: "At the

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end of the world, the Son of man shall send forth so taking him for their king, whom they are rehis angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom solved to obey to the utmost of their power, what all scandals, and them which do iniquity, and cas shall become of all mankind who lived before our them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing Saviour's time, who never heard of his name, and and gnashing of teeth." And again: "The angels consequently could not believe in him? To this shall sever the wicked from among the just, and the answer is so obvious and natural, that one shall cast them into the furnace of fire." Matt. xvi. would wonder how any reasonable man should 24: "For the Son of man shall come in the glory think it worth the urging. Nobody was, or can be, of his Father, with his angels; and then he shall required to believe what was never proposed to reward every man according to his works." Luke him to believe. Before the fulness of time, which xiii. 26: "Then shall ye begin to say, We have God from the council of his own wisdom had apeaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast pointed to send his Son in, he had, at several times taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, and in different manners, promised to the people I know you not: Depart from me, ye workers of of Israel an extraordinary person to come, who, iniquity." Matt. xxv. 24-26: "When the Son of raised from amongst themselves, should be their man shall come in his glory, and before him shall ruler and deliverer. The time, and other circumbe gathered all nations, he shall set the sheep on stances of his birth, life, and person, he had, in his right hand, and the goats on his left: then sundry prophecies, so particularly described, and shall the King say to them on his right hand, Come so plainly foretold, that he was well known and ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom pre-expected by the Jews, under the name of the Mespared for you from the foundation of the world; siah, or Anointed, given him in some of these profor I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; I phecies. All then that was required before his was thirsty, and ye gave me drink I was a appearing in the world was, to believe what God stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed had revealed, and to rely with a full assurance on me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in pri- God for the performance of his promise; and to son, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righte- believe, that in due time he would send them the ous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee Messiah, this anointed king, this promised Saviour 1 an hungered, and fed thee?" &c. "And the King and deliverer, according to his word. This faith in shall answer, and say unto them, Verily I say unto the promises of God, this relying and acquiescing you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the in his word and faithfulness, the Almighty takes least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto well at our hands, as a great mark of homage, paid Then shall he say unto them on the left by us frail creatures, to his goodness and truth, as hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting well as to his power and wisdom; and accepts it fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: for I as an acknowledgment of his peculiar providence was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat; I and benignity to us. And therefore our Saviour was thirsty, and ye gave no drink; I was a tells us, John xii. 44: "He that believes on me, stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye believes not on me, but on him that sent me." clothed me not; sick and in prison, and ye visited The works of nature show his wisdom and power: me not. Insomuch that ye did it not to one of but it is his peculiar care of mankind, most emithese, ye did it not to me. And these shall go into nently discovered in his promises to them, that everlasting punishment; but the righteous into shows his bounty and goodness; and consequently life eternal." engages their hearts in love and affection to him. This oblation of a heart fixed with dependence on, and affection to him, is the most acceptable tribute we can pay him; the foundation of true devotion, and life of all religion. What a value he puts on this depending on his word, and resting satisfied in his promises, we have an example in Abraham, whose faith "was counted to him for righteousness," as we have before remarked out of Rom. iv. And his relying firmly on the promises of God, without any doubt of its performance, gave him the name of the father of the faithful, and gained him so much favor with the Almighty, that he was called the "friend of God;" the highest and most glorious title that can be bestowed on a creature. The thing promised was no more but a son by his wife Sarah, and a numerous posterity by him, which should possess the land of Canaan. These were but temporal blessings, and (except the birth of a son) very remote, such as he should never live to see, nor in his own person have the benefit of; but because he questioned not the performance of it, but rested fully satisfied in the goodness, truth, and faithfulness of God who had promised, it was counted to him for righteousness. Let us see how St. Paul expresses it: "Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken,

159. These, I think, are all the places where our Saviour mentions the last judgment, or describes his way of proceeding in that great day; wherein, as we have observed, it is remarkable, that every where the sentence follows doing or not doing, without any mention of believing, or not believing. Not that any to whom the gospel hath been preached shall be saved without believing Jesus to be the Messiah; for all being sinners, and transgressors of the law, and so unjust, are all liable to condemnation, unless they believe, and so through grace are justified by God for this faith, which shall be accounted to them for righteousness: but the rest, wanting this cover, this allowance for their transgressions, must answer for all their actions; and being found transgressors of the law, shall, by the letter and sanction of that law, be condemned, for not having paid a full obedience to that law, and not for want of faith; that is not the guilt on which the punishment is laid, though it be the want of faith which lays open their guilt uncovered, and exposes them to the sentence of the law against all that are unrighteous.

160. The common objection here is, if all sinners shall be condemned, but such as have a gracious allowance made them, and so are justified by God for believing Jesus to be the Messiah, and