fully. See what a steady faith in Christ, and what sure persuasion of his accessibleness they had, not at all dreading any repulse from him! Their minds being buoyed up and confirmed by these hopes, they were emboldened to call upon Christ, and to lay their misery before him, entreating with an earnest cry a release from their disease. For, had they not first conceived these feelings toward him, they would have remained in their house, and would not have run after him with so much concern, nor have lifted up their voices to cry unto him. Nay, this scruple would have arisen in their minds. What are we going to do? Who knows that he will take it well at our hands, if we pray unto him? Perhaps he will disdain us! A fluctuating and wavering faith of this kind prays with fear and trembling, and does not lift up its voice, nor run willingly towards God. It mutters, indeed, many words, and makes all things sound again with a great noise, but it rather wants a thing with great pride than humbly prays for it, and it would be first sure whether or not it should be heard, which is no less than tempting God. But true faith in the merciful and good will of God, does not distrust; and for that reason, the prayer is powerful and effectual, as the faith is itself. Nor is it in vain that Luke notices these three particulars concerning the lepers;-first, that they "met him :" secondly, that they "stood:" and thirdly, that they "lifted up their voices." In these three things their faith is displayed, and an example is

afforded for us to follow.

This meeting signifies a courage, which, through a sure confidence in Christ, emboldened them to meet him. And their standing signifies an immovable and fixed mind, not having any scruples in itself. Their earnest cry shews that fervency in prayer which arises out of such a confidence. Whereas, on the other hand, a mean doubting, neither goes straight forward, nor fixes itself still, nor lifts up its voice, but is carried about here and there, and miserably tormented; its countenance is cast down, and its hand under its head; now and then it opens its mouth, and then mutters,- Who knows,'-

'Who can tell,'-'If it were but certain,'' Suppose all this hope should end in nought,'-and other mutterings of the same kind, betokening despair. It has no good persuasion concerning God: it cannot bring up the mind to a certain expectation of any thing from him therefore, it is but just that it should receive nothing: according to that of James, He that setteth himself to ask any thing of God, let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that prayeth wavering, let him not think that he shall obtain any thing of God,' &c. It was thus with the foolish virgins. They came with their oil out, and their lamps empty; that is, stuffed up with their own works, and knocked at the door with great fury, hoping to be admitted, but no one opened unto them.

Behold this persuasion concerning God, and this confidence of obtaining every good, being conceived in an enlarged and free mind, is what the scripture calls the Christian faith, and "a good conscience:" unto which, every one that shall be saved, must attain. But at this no one can arrive by mere works and doctrines, as we shall make it plainly appear in this exposition. For, unless thou have the mind above-mentioned, thou canst do no good works at all. Take heed therefore that thou be not deceived. Many men that have a plenty of words, have taken upon themselves to teach concerning faith and a good conscience, having themselves no more experience therein than a common post, but persuading themselves, that the whole is nothing more than a certain knowledge lying coldly asleep in the soul; and that it is enough if the heart believe, that that God exists, about whom it hears. But you may see, in the present case, what a lively and powerful thing faith is; seeing that, it brings the heart of man, and so the whole man, into that sensible experience, that he through hope expects from God every good. And hence it constrains to a going forward, to a standing fast, and causes the lifting up of the voice: and, resting in the goodness of God, it prays without wavering for the removing away of every evil.

The SECOND property of faith is, that it does not first want to inquire whether it may be sure and certain that God has condescended to receive it into his grace, and whether or not he will hear it when it prays, as these wavering ones do who tempt God, and want to take hold of him with their hands as a blind man takes hold of a wall; for it is thus that these lay hold of God, and want to hold him safe in their hands lest he should slip away from them. But Paul saith, Heb. xi. that “faith is the evidence of things not seen;" that is, faith rests in those things which cannot be beheld nor laid hold of by any sense of the body or soul, stands in that persuasion which it has conceived concerning God, and commits itself wholly unto it; nothing doubting, that it shall obtain its hope, and be most assuredly brought to the enjoyment of it. And this sensible persuasion comes upon the man, without his first seeking it, or expecting any such thing, and is effected by this faith and confidence.

I pray you who sent any letter signed and sealed to these lepers to assure them that Christ would hear them? And when this sensible persuasion of his grace came upon them, who, interposing his faith, commanded them to have a good hope and not to doubt at all of his goodness? There were none of these things whatever. There was nothing but their own encouraged mind, freely yielding itself up to the goodness of Christ: of which, however, they neither had a sense, a taste, nor an experience. Nay, they had no traces whatever whereby they could feel out what he would do with them. They fixed their eyes solely and only on his goodness: which had given birth to such confidence in them, that they did not doubt but they should have the enjoyment of the benefits of Christ. Whence then did they get their knowledge of his goodness? (For they must have had some kind of previous knowledge of it, how far soever they might be from the experience and feeling sense of it.) No doubt, from the great fame that was every where spread abroad concerning him. They had heard how ready he was to bestow his benefits on all, even on

men of the vilest description. This it was that allured them on, although they themselves had had, as yet, no feeling sense of it themselves. For the good-will and inclination of God toward us must first be proclaimed to us by the Word: on which, afterwards, without any previous knowledge or experience of it, we are to be built up as will be shewn in what follows.

The THIRD property of faith then, is, that it holds out in its hand nothing of merit, nor attempts to purchase the grace of God by I know not what works; as those wavering ones, and the pharisees always do. Nay it offers nothing but its sins and imperfections; cleaving to the goodness of God only, and committing itself unto it. For faith will suffer no works or merits to be near it. Because, it so wholly presents itself before the mercy of God, and has so great a desire and so craving an affection after him, and so poises itself upon that affection, and, as it were, mounts upward like an eagle; that all its own works and merits, in comparison of that goodness of God which it so loves and admires, are accounted nothing, and, compared with that, mere sins. Hence it acknowledges itself to be devoid of all merit, and more deserving the wrath of God than his grace; and that, without any hypocrisy and mere pretence; for when it descends deeply into itself, it sees nothing whole!

Of this, these lepers here shew forth a striking example; who, without any merit to stuff them up, conceive a firm a hope in Christ of having their health restored. With what duties could they have gained him over, when they had never so much as looked upon him with their eyes, much less had done him any services. Moreover, they were rendered loathsome by the leprosy so that, according to the law, he might justly have abhorred their approach to him, and have refused to have any intercourse with them. And therefore, if you look at their real case, every opportunity of getting near Christ, when they had never benefited him by the value of a straw, and when their dreadfully contagious disease had prevented them from all right of communicating with him, was to them precious. Hence it was, that they

stood afar off, and considered themselves unworthy of the benefits of Christ.-And in the same way also, faith stands afar off from God; and yet, nevertheless goes to meet him, and lifts up its voice for his help; for it well knows, how undeserving it is of his divine benefits; nor has it any thing to rest in, but the great goodness of God which it hears every where spoken of. For it is that soul that seeks God, which stands afar off and acknowledges itself to be destitute: because, the goodness of God can endure none of our merits near it, and will have all its operations come free: even as Christ comes into this place to the lepers, that his glory may be whole, and unmingled with any thing else. And here, behold, there is a beautiful harmony.-The goodness of God bestows its benefits freely, and will have nothing to be paid for them. So, responsively, faith also, as she receives these benefits freely, wants not to pay any thing back unto him from whom she receives them. Thus, The rich and the poor are sweetly agreed,' according to the voice of the Psalmist.'

This also the words of the lepers testify: for they cry thus unto him, "have mercy on us." He who desires to have mercy shewn him, does not want a purchase or exchange of any thing: he seeks grace only and mercy of which, he confesses himself unworthy, and deserving far the contrary. Behold, therefore, what a beautiful, true, lively, and appropriate representation of Christian faith this is: abundantly shewing us, what we are to do if we desire to be in the right way to find grace, and to aspire unto felicity. But, in addition to this doctrine wherein we have been taught to believe, there follows the allurement of faith; that is, that whereby we are drawn out to believe readily. And this allurement of faith stands in this:-our considering, how impossible it is that faith thus acted should deceive us: and how certain it may be that it is heard, and will undoubtedly receive that concerning which it believes. For the Evangelist Luke shews, with what willingness and favourable inclination Christ heard them. He looked upon them and said as follows: