first John v. ii. " This is the record, o?
testimony, that God hath given to us eter-
nal life ; and this life is in his son.** This
is the sum and substance of that gracious
and important testimony^ the belief of which
is faith. The obvious meaning of ivhicb
is this: "That it hath pleased God, in
compassion to our fallen race, to constitute
and reveal a method of bestowing immortal
life and happiness upon lost, helpless and
guilty creatures, lying . in the region and
shadow of death, and exposed to everlasting
misery. And he further testifies, that this
life is in bis son : that it is only through
his son Jesus Christ, that this life and hap-
piness can be had. It is altogether through
him, that they can be hoped for : and no-
thing but death and destruction appear from
every other quarter.**— Now, what is faith,
but a hearty, full and afiecting belief and
persuasion of the truth of this record, on
the credit of God, who has given us this
testimony ?

I have already observed, in my first let-
ter, and the same is implied in this testimo-
ny, that the whole scheme of redemption,
through Christ, is founded on the fallen
and ruined state of man.-— It clearly suppo*
ses that we are all sinners, exposed to the
wrath of God, and unable to help ourselves^

DigilizeabyVjUU^lt:



THOUGHTS ON DIVINITY. 19

by any thing we can either do, or suffer.
