throne exalted, a kingdom that cannot be moved, and an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, are reserved for the happy and glorified subject of this salvation. He shall want no more, suffer, fear, weep, sin, die no more-no more for ever: and the positive good that God has prepared for him, sense cannot discern, and imagination cannot conceive. It is an "exceeding and eternal weight of glory."

Now the sinner asks what he must do in order to realize this salvation-not to merit it, nor to earn it: that the awakened sinner knows he cannot do—but to have it, to come into possession of it: nothing which he is capable of doing would avail to this had not others undertaken and done for him. Before I tell him what he must do to be saved, let me tell him what others have done that he might be saved.

"God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." This Son, whom his Father spared not, though he was his only-begotten and well-beloved, the Lord Jesus, though rich, became poor for our sakes; took upon him the form of a servant; humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Yes, for us he condescended and came downlived in earthly circumstances-moved in human society-was subject to all our ills-was insulted and despised-wanted, wept, bled, and died. This is what he did for our sakes, and in our stead; it was the hardest of doing-it was suffering. For the same object he is doing now in heaven, and for this God in providence is ever doing, and the Holy Spirit is doing within us, and angels are waiting to do, and men are doing, ministers preaching, and Christians praying.

In the midst of all this doing for him, the sinner asks what he must do for himself. "What must I do to be saved ?" And it is true, he must do something, after all that has been done by others, or never be saved: he must act; his co-operation is indispensable; he cannot be the subject of salvation without being an agent in it; that about which he inquires is not merely permitted, but required; it is not what he may do, but what he must do-not what he ought to do, or had better do, but what it is indispensable he should do. Salvation includes a work done for us, in us, and by us. The question is about this last, which is as essential in its place as was the death of Christ in its place, or as is the influence of the Holy Spirit. I would have this truth grounded and settled in your mind. Every sinner must do in order to be saved. His salvation can no more be without his action, than it could be without the action of God; not doing destroys, but it does not save: men may perish by omission, but to their salvation action is necessary. "He that believeth shall be saved. Except ye

repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Strive to enter in at the strait gate."

But what is it? He asks what he must do to be saved. I will answer. And here let me pass to the method of direct address, for it is your case, my fellow-sinner, for which I am going to prescribe. What you must do has immediate respect to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not any exercise, of which sin is the object, that saves the soul; our sins have ruined us; it is no looking at them that can save us neither are we saved by any exercise of which God, absolutely considered, is the object. The words whereby we may be saved, are about Jesus; he is the object of the saving act. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."

But you ask, and very properly, "Who is Christ? How stands he connected with my salvation? Why am I directed to him ?" That the act may be intelligently done, it is necessary these questions should be satisfactorily answered. Faith presupposes knowledge. I reply that Christ is God, and that he became man, and so was "God manifest in the flesh;" was made under the law for sinners, in which capacity he obeyed for them the precept they broke, and suffered for them the penalty they had incurred; and as he was delivered for their offences, so he rose again for their justification, and ascended to heaven, where he ever liveth to make intercession. Now in him, in consequence of this under taking, work, and passion, there is salvation: there is redemption through his blood; it cleanses from all sin. He is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth, so that God can be just, and yet justify such; for by his obedience they are made righteous. "Neither is there salvation in any other." You see, then, why you are directed to him.

Now here is the object. Observe, it is with him you have to do with him immediately. You need no daysman between you and the Mediator. We come to God by him, but to Christ without any medium; and it is only one thing you are directed to do with respect to him: it is to believe on him. It is true, the exercise is sometimes expressed by other terms, and it is also true that believing includes or draws after it other exercises. It implies confidence; it works by love; it is the principle of all evangelical obedience; and the eye that looks to Jesus, believing, is always moistened with the tears of ingenuous repentance for all sin: but it is faith that saves the soul, or rather that brings the soul to Christ, that he may save it.

The connexion between believing and being saved is certain and infallible. Believe and thou shalt be saved. There is no peradventure here; thou shalt be saved-depend upon it-doubt it not-thou shalt be saved, and that, whoever you be, whatever

your age, how many soever and great your sins, thou shalt be saved. Yes, thou. "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." Only believe. If all the sins of all men met on you, yet, believing, you should be saved from them all.

But what is it to believe? It is to give credit to the testimony of God. This supposes that you understand it, that you give credit to it as His and for His sake, and that you feel and act suitably to it. To believe a command is to obey it; to believe a threatening is to be awed by it; to believe an admonition is to take the heed it recommends; to believe a promise is to rely on it, and plead it; and to give credit to an invitation, is to comply with the terms of it.

But what, in particular, is believing in Christ? It is to give credit to what is testified of him as a Saviour, and to exercise implicit, unbounded confidence in him as such. It is to receive him, to look to him, to commit the soul to him; and this not merely that he may be its Priest, but also its King and Lord, its Master and Teacher too. Is Christ divided, that one can receive him in one of his offices and not in all ? Does he say, "Come unto me," in the same breath he adds, " Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me." It is all one invitation, and in the compliance the parts cannot be separated.

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But do you ask how are you to believe? Faith is a moral exercise. "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness." Do you ask how you may know if you have believed? By their fruits ye shall know them." Faith works by love; the heart is purified by faith; and "this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." These are among its achievements; it is a holy and heroic principle. Read a record of its exploits in Heb. xi.

Now your question is answered; act upon it. I have done my part; do you yours; practise upon your knowledge. If you know this thing, happy are you if you do it. Believe, since that is the thing you must do, believe on Christ and be saved ;-believe without delay-it is a present duty-believe while it is your privilege-to-day-now.

Not believing, you remain not saved, and "how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation? Not saved-and soon the harvest will be passed, the summer ended, and you not savednot saved, and never to be saved! O sinner, act immediately, and with thy might be instant-be in earnest; the Saviour looks towards thee he calls to thee-he comes after thee his arms are extended his heart is open; by the love that was stronger than death, he pleads with thee to let him save thee.

But perhaps you say, "I hear all this, and I approve it, and I do make the attempt to believe but it is all in vain; I experience

no relief, no change.”

Renew the attempt; there is no alternative; there is no second thing you are to be directed to do, in case the first does not succeed.

"But may I not pray, and read my Bible, and break off my evil habits, and attend on the means of grace ?" Most assuredly you may; and if you are in earnest you will do it, whoever says nay. Salvation includes a work for you; read about it-think about ithear about it, the incarnation, the agony, the crucifixion, the resurrection, the intercession; be grateful for it. It includes also a work in you, done by another-for that pray; ask the Holy Spirit to do it in you, but do not on that account neglect the work that is to be done by you; and remember that that which is to be done by you, is more than reading about the work of Christ, and praying for the work of the Spirit. Propitiation was the work of Christ; regeneration is the work of the Spirit; to repent and believe is thine. 66 Study to do thy own business," and then thou shalt not only have to praise Christ for having done his work, but thou shalt bless the Spirit too for having accomplished his. And to the Divine Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, shall be due, and shall be rendered by thee, the glad subject of the salvation, and by the general assembly of the redeemed, and by the whole fraternity of angels, the praise, all the praise, and the praise for ever, that thou art saved.

THE ENGLISH MONTHLY TRACT SOCIETY,
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THE HEIRS OF GLORY.