do submit to the simplicity of the Gospel, notwithstanding the thousands of that class who assume the office of of the ministry, and the tens of thousands who profess to be the children of God. "For you see your calling brethren, how that not many wise inen after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.And base things of the world, and things which are dispised, hath God chosen. Yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are. That no flesh should glory in his presence." i Cor. i. 26-29.

CHAPTER VI.

FAITH AND REPENTANCE.

Upon examining the Gospel, we find that in order to a present salvation, the first principles of the doctrine of Christ, must be observed by the enlightened sinner, namely, repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and to enter into covenant with God, by being baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.

We shall under this head treat a little on Repentance and Faith Christ in preaching his own everlasting Gospel declared: "The Kingdom of God is at hand; repent ye and believe the Gospel." Mark i. 15, and when he sent the twelve apostles, they also preached that men should repent. Mark i. 12, and in Luke, xiii. 3. "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" ard in John iii. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him

16 verse.

should not perish, but have everlasting life;" and in the 18th v. "He that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God;" and Mark xvi. 16. "He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned." Again, Acts xvii. 30. "And the times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men every where to repent." Now it is evident that Faith and repentance are principles of the doctrine of Christ, and as such, essential to the salvation of man. By way of explanation, we remark, that sensible sinners are in distress, more or less on account of sin, and a sense of their condition prompts them to seek and enquire the way of salvation, and in this state they are fully qualified for the work of repentance, which simply means a change of mind, that is, not only to be sorrowful on account of sin, but also to abhor and hate the abominable thing, and in our prayers to God to confess our transgression. We have an illustration of this doctrine in the character of the lost Son, for example, after he had wasted his substance by riotous living, and having spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land, and he began to be in want, and he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his field to feed swine." A very mean occupation, and spiritually speaking, it may be said when man joins himself to the devil, that he is sent by him into his enclosures, to feed, that is to nourish and thereby keep alive the evil propensities, or lusts of the soul of the natural or carnally minded man-which propensities may well be termed swine, on account of their filthy or unclean nature. Thus every sinner or hireling of the Devil is a servant of uncleaness, a worker of iniquity, and that with all greediness; now the famine

against which the prodigal had to contend, and which at last could be no longer endured, may represent the means which our Heavenly Father has sanctified or appointed for the enlightening and conviction of the sinner. It reads that the lost son, would fain have filled his belly, with the husks that the swine did eat, and no man gave unto him," this trait in the character of the prodigal, represents the great blindness and unwillingness of the sinner to admit the light of the Gospel to have its desired effect, again it is said, "he came to himself" now every sinner acts as though he was beside himself, deprived of his understanding; inasmuch as he is a rational creature and yet opposed to his greatest interest, and thus, when the sinner admits the glorious rays of the sun of righteousness into his heart, it may be said of him-he has come to himself— now he is truly sensible of his real character-and like unto the prodigal resolves on returning to his Fatherthat Father who has always been kind and willing to make his creatures happy, and who notwithstanding their rebellion against him, he pursues him in his wild and sinful career, and entreats with him by his word and spirit to abandon the service of the devil and return home to his Father's house. The prodigal does not merely resolve on returning, but absolutely prosecutes the journey and makes an humble and penitential confession of his sins-just precisely so it is with the sinner who sincerely repents-he must not only resolve on an amendment of life-but he must absolutely travel in the work of repentance, by confessing with sorrow and forsaking sin-and that a thorough reformation of life may be manifested.

The reader is earnestly requested by the author to read and ponder well the parable of the lost Son-which he will find recorded in the 15th chap. of our Lord's

Gospel by St. Luke. Upon the whole we discover that repentance is strictly a change of mind, including that reformation of life effected by the power of the Gospel.

Faith is simply the reception of testimony, and when by the Gospel we are solicited, yea commanded to believe in Jesus Christ, we are to understand so as to credit the testimony of the divinity of Jesus Christ, to put our trustin him as the Saviour and Redeemer of our ouls and bodies-and the evidence of Faith is obedience o the Gospel. For example, he who confides in God, will also rely upon his word, and act accordingly, and strictly speaking, this is faith and its fruits, otherwise it would be dead-or as James says, "without works," James xi. 17. As Faith is so much debated, and thus understood differently, I shall for the further edification of the reader enlarge a little more on this point.

Faith is commanded in the Gospel. "This is his commandment, that ye believe on the name of his son, Jesus Christ, i. John iii. 23. "Repent ye, and believe the Gospel." Mark i. 15. As faith then is a command of the Gospel, it is a voluntary exercise of the mind, for God cannot require impossibilities of man. Faith then, as well as any other command of the Gospel, is at the control of man, that is it can be obeyed or disobeyed; a remark or two on the nature of CospelFaith and we shall close the subject for the present. The Faith of the Gospel has Christ for its object. "Ye believe in God, believe also in me." John xix. i. If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. John viii. 24. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, he that believeth not is condemned already, John iii. 36. Christ the object of faith-first as respects his offices, Prophet, Priest and King, see John xii. 48. John vi. 63. Romans i. 16, iii. 25. Joha vi. 55. Acts xiv. 31, vii. 59

60. Faith an effect of the heart: with the heart, says Paul, man believeth unto righteousness. Rom. x. 10. Philip said to the Eunich. "If thou believest with all

thine heart, thou mayest be baptized." Acts viii. 37. We have already intimated that the faith of the Gospel, is confidence in Jesus Christ. See Hebrews iii. 14. Heb. xi. 1. and this is believing in Jesus as the scripture saith. The promises of Christ are founded on conditions, which terms must be complied with on the part of the believer. Now repentance and faith are the means which qualify man for baptism, or to be born of water and here let me give you a solemn warning for it is at this place, that many do err and finally perish, the devil is apt to tempt the believer, that because he hath repented &c., and thereby quickened, that he is born again, whereas he is only a fit subject for the new birth, which we shall by the favor of God more fully illustrate when we treat on the Law and subjects of Baptism.

CHAPTER V11

THE LAW OF BAPTISM, AND OF THE SELECTION OF A RELIGIOUS DENOMINATION, PROFESSING TO BE THE CHURCH OF CHRIST.

I HAVE stated, that according to the order of the New Testament, the sinner must observe the doctrine of repentance and faith, and thirdly to be born of the water or to be baptized in order to the promise of the forgiveness of sins-and then it is, that he has the promise of the forgiveness of sins. Repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ-these are the means appointed to constitute us fit subjects for this institution.