the kind and nature of the union that is to be established be tween Christ and the saints, and that subsists between them, and is the foundation of the saints communion with Christ. Such is the nature of it, that it is not merely like the various parts of a building, that are cemented and cleave fast together; or as marbles and precious stones may be joined, so as to become one: But it is such a kind of union as subsists between the head and living members, between stock and branches; between which, and the head or stock, there is such a kind of union, that there is an entire, immediate, perpetual dependence for, and derivation of, nourishment, refreshment, beauty, fruitfulness, and all supplies; yea, life and being. And the union is wholly for this purpose; this derivation is the end of it; and it is the most essential thing in the union. Now, such an union as this, when turned into act, (if I may so say) or an active union of an intelligent rational being, that is agreeable to this kind of union, and is a recognition and expression, and as it were the active band of it, is something else besides mere love. It is an act most properly expressed by the name of faith, according to the proper meaning of the word so translated, as it was used in the days when the Scriptures were written.

§ 52. Trusting in a prince or ruler, as the phrase was understood among the Jews, implied in it faithful adherence and entire subjection, submission and obedience. So much the phrase plainly implies; Judges ix. 15. "And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow; and, if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon." We have an account of the fulfilment of this parable in the sequel....How the men of Shechem. did not prove faithful subjects to Abimelech, according to their covenant or agreement with him, but dealt treacherously with him. Verse 23. And how accordingly Abimelech proved the occasion of their destruction. The like figure of speech is used to signify the nation's obedience to the king of Assyria, Ezek. xxxi. 6. "All the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches did all the

beasts of the field bring forth their young, and under his shad ow dwelt all great nations." So also it signifies the subjection of the nations to Nebuchadnezzer; Dan. iv. 11, 12. “The tree grew, and was strong: The beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh fed of it." The benefit that those who are the true subjects of Christ have by him, is expressed by the very same things; Ezek. xvii. 23. "In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: And it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar; and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell." Our trusting in God and Christ, is often expressed by our trusting in his shadow, and under the shadow of his wings, and the like; Psal. xvii. 8, and xxxvi. 7, and lvii. 1, and Ixiii. 7, and xci. 1, Cant. ii. 3, Isaiah iv. 6, and xxv. 4. Here see Ruth ii. 12, compared with chap. i. 16, John iii. 36. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: he that believeth not the Son awabar.” The force of the word may in some measure be learned from Acts v. 36, 37, and Acts v. 40. "And to him they agreed or obeyed;" the word is the same in the Greek. And Acts xxiii. 21. "But do not thou yield unto them;" the word is the same in the Greek. Acts xxvi. 19. "I was not disobedient (arabes) to the heavenly vision ;" Rom. xxvi. 19. "Disobedient to parents, audaç.” See also Acts xvii. 4. "Some of them believed (in the Greek ) and consorted with Paul and Silas." Acts xiv. 2. "The unbelieving Jews; axels." Eph. ii. 2. «The spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, arenas." We may judge something of the force of the word webopas, by the signification of the word whence it comes; webopa is the passive of ew, which signifies, to counsel, to move or entice, draw or persuade unto.

10.

§ 53. That a saving belief of truth arises from love, or a holy disposition and relish of heart, appears by Phil. i. 9, "And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge, and in all judgment, that ye may approve things that are excellent." That this approving of

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, so do unto the approving. The same thing appears by hips9. ill 127 « 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.

§ 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. hope is often in the New Testament used to signify the same thing that, in other places, is signified by faith. Rom. xv. 12, 18. "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.

So

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

xlix. 23.

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.

§ 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 over 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 bless ing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his