Saving faith contains two acts in it: the one is, believing the truth of the gospel; the other is, believing in Christ as revealed and freely promised to us in the gospel for all His salvation. Now, your great endeavor must be to perform both these acts in a right manner; as I shall show of each of them in particular.

In the first place, you are highly concerned to endeavor for a right belief in the truth of the gospel of Christ; that so you may be well furnished, disposed, and encouraged to believe on Christ, as revealed and promised in the gospel. Hereby you are to remove all discomforting thoughts and objections of Satan, and your own conscience, and to overcome all corrupt inclinations that hinder a cheerful embracing of Christ and His salvation. It is found, by experience, that when all fails in the second act of faith, the reason of the failing is commonly some defect in this first act. There is some false imagination or other in them, contrary to the belief of the truth of the gospel; which is a stronghold of sin and Satan, that must be pulled down, before they can receive Christ into their hearts by believing on Him. If they knew the name of Christ as He is discovered in the gospel, and judged rightly of the truth and excellency of it, they would not fail to put their trust in Him. And we are in great danger of entertaining such false imaginations, and to account many truths of the gospel strange paradoxes, yes, foolish and pernicious, because of our ignorance, self-conceit, guilty consciences, corrupt affections, and manifold errors, wherewith our judgments are wrongly pre­determined in matters of salvation; and because Satan labors to beguile us as he did Eve, through his subtilty, to corrupt our minds from the simplicity of the gospel that is in Christ (2 Cor. 11:3). I shall therefore give you some particular instructions that are of greatest importance, to prevent such defects as we are most liable to in the first act of our faith.

1. You must believe with a full persuasion that you are a child of wrath by nature, as well as others; fallen from God by the sin of the first Adam; dead in trespasses and sins; subject to the curse of the law of God, and to the power of Satan, and to insupportable misery to all eternity; and that you cannot possibly procure your reconciliation with God, or any spiritual life and strength to do any good work, by any endeavoring to get salvation according to the terms of the legal covenant; and that you cannot find any way to escape out of this sinful and miserable condition by your own reason and understanding, without supernatural revelation, nor be freed from it, except by that infinite power that raises the dead. We must not be afraid, as some are, to know our own vileness and sinfulness, neither must we be willing to think ourselves better than we are; but must be heartily desirous and glad to know the worst of our condition; yea, when we have found out the worst that we can of ourselves, we must be willing to believe that our hearts are deceitful, and desperately wicked, beyond all that we can know and find out (Jer. 17:9). This is all necessary to work in us true humiliation, self-despair, and self-loathing, that we may highly esteem and earnestly seek the salvation of Christ, as the one thing necessary. It makes us sick of sin, and sensible of our need of the great Physician, and willing to be directed according to any of His prescriptions, whatever we suffer, rather than to follow our own wisdom. It was for want of this humiliation that the scribes and pharisees were not as forward to enter into the kingdom of heaven, as publicans and harlots.
2. You are to believe assuredly that there is no way to be saved, without receiving all the saving benefits of Christ; His Spirit as well as his merits, sanctification as well as remission of sins, by faith. It is the ruin of many souls that they trust on Christ for the remission of sins, without any regard to holiness; whereas these two benefits are inseparably joined in Christ, so that none are freed from condemnation by Christ, but those that are enabled to walk holily, that is, not after the flesh, but after the Spirit (Rom. 8:1). It is also the ruin of souls to seek only remission of sins by faith in Christ, and holiness by our endeavors, according to the terms of the law; whereas we can never live to God in holiness, except we became dead to the law, and live only by Christ living in us by faith. That faith which receives not holiness, as well as remission of sins from Christ, will never sanctify us; and there­fore it will never bring us to heavenly glory.
3. You are to be fully persuaded of the all-suf­ficiency of Christ for the salvation of yourself, and of all that believe on Him; that His blood cleanses from all sin. Though our sins be never so great and horrible, and continued in ever so long, yet He is able to deliver from the body of death, and mortify our corruptions, be they never so strong. We find in scripture that abominable wicked persons have been saved by Him; idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, covetous, drunkards, extortioners, etc.; such as have sinned against the light of nature, as the heathens, and the light of scripture, as the Jews; such as have denied Christ, as Peter, and persecuted and blas­phemed Him, as Paul. Many that have fallen into great sins are ruined forever, because they do not account the grace of Christ sufficient for their pardon and sanctification; when they think they are gone, and past all hope of recovery; that their sins are upon them, and they pine away in them, how shall they live? This despair works secretly in many souls, without much trouble and horror, and makes them careless of their souls and true religion. The devil fills some with horrid, filthy, blasphemous thoughts, on purpose, that they may think their sins too great to be forgiven; though commonly such thoughts are the least of the sins of those that are pestered with them, and rather the devil's sin than theirs, because they are hurried into them sorely against their wills. But, if their hearts are some­what polluted within them, Christ testifies that all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven, ex­cept the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost.
   And, as for those that are guilty of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, the reason why they are never forgiven is not because of any want of suf­ficiency in the blood of Christ, or in the pardoning mercy of God; but because they never repent of that sin, and never seek to God for mercy through Christ, but continue obstinate until death; for the scripture testifies that it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance. So that the merits of Christ are sufficient for all that seek to Him for mercy by be­lieving.

There are others that despair of ever getting any victory over their lusts, because they have formerly made many vows and resolutions, and have used many vigorous endeavors against them in vain. Such should persuade themselves that the grace of Christ is sufficient for them, when all other means have failed; as the woman that had the issue of blood, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse by any remedies that physicians could prescribe, yet persuaded herself that, if she might but touch the clothes of Christ, she should be whole. Those that despair, by reason of the greatness of their guilt and corruption, do greatly dishonor and undervalue the grace of God, His infinite mercy, and the in­finite merits of Christ's blood, and power of His Spirit, and deserve to perish with Cain and Judas. Abundance of people that give themselves up to all licentiousness, in this wicked generation, lie under secret despair; which makes them so desperate in swearing, blaspheming, whoring, drunkenness, and all manner of wickedness. But however horrid and heinous our sins and corruptions have been, we should learn to account them a small matter in com­parison to the grace of Christ, who is God as well as man, and offered up Himself, by the eternal Spirit, as a sacrifice of infinite value, for our salvation; and can create us anew as easily as he created the world by speaking a word.

4. You are to be fully persuaded of the truth of the general free promise, in your own particular case, that if you believe on Christ sincerely, you shall have everlasting life, as well as any other in the world, without performing any condition of works to procure an interest in Christ; for the promise is universal, Whosoever believeth on Him, shall not be ashamed (Rom. 9:33), without excep­tion. And, if God does not exclude you, you must not exclude yourselves; but rather conclude firmly that, however vile, wicked, and unworthy you are, yet, if you come, you shall be accepted as well as any others in the world. You are to believe that great article in the Creed, the remission of sins, in your own case, when you are principally concerned, or else it will little profit you to believe it in the case of others. This is that which hinders many broken wounded spirits from coming to the great Physician, when they are convinced of the abominable filthiness of their hearts, that they are dead in sin, with­out the least spark of true grace and holiness in them. They think that it is in vain for such as they are to trust on Christ for salvation; and that Christ will never save such as they are. Why so? They can be but lost creatures at worst; and Christ came to seek them that are lost. If they who are dead in sin cannot be saved, then all must despair and perish; for none have any spiritual life until they receive it by believing on Christ.
   Some think themselves to be worse than others, and that none have such wicked hearts as they; and though others are accepted, yet they shall be re­jected. But they should know that Christ came to save the chief of sinners. And that the design of God is to show the exceeding riches of His grace in our salvation, which is most glorified by pardoning the greatest sinners. And it is but our ignorance to think ourselves as no one else. For all others, as well as we, are naturally dead in trespasses and sins; their mind is enmity to God, and is not subject to his law, nor indeed can be; and every imagina­tion of the thoughts of their hearts are only evil, and continually so. They have all the same corrupt fountain of all abominations in their hearts, though we may have exceeded many others in sev­eral actual sins. Others think that they have out­stayed their time, and therefore now they should find no place for repentance, though they should seek it carefully with tears. But, Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation (2 Cor. 6:2), even as long as God calls upon you by the Gospel. And, although Esau was rejected, who sought rather the earthly than the spiritual bless­ings of the birth-right; yet they shall not be rejected that seek the enjoyment of Christ, and His salvation, as their only happiness. If you come into Christ's vineyard at the eleventh hour of the day, you shall have your penny, as well as those that came early in the morning; because the reward is of grace, and not of merit (Matt. 22:9, 10). And here you must be sure to believe steadfastly that Christ and all His salvation is bestowed as a free gift upon those that do not work to procure any right or title to Him, or fitness or worthiness to receive Him, but only believe on Him that justifieth the ungodly. If you put any condition of works or good qualifications between yourselves and Christ, it will be a partition wall which you can never climb over.
5. You are to believe assuredly that it is the will of God you should believe in Christ, and have eternal life by Him, as well as any other; and that your be­lieving is a duty very acceptable to God; and that He will help you, as well as any other, in this work, because he calls and commands you, by the gospel, to believe in Christ. This makes us begin the work of believing cheerfully; as when Jesus commanded the blind man to be called, they said unto him, be of good comfort, rise; He calleth thee. A command of Christ's made Peter walk upon the water. And here we are not to meddle with God's secret of predestination; or the purpose of His will, to give the grace of faith to some rather than to others; but only with His revealed will, in His gracious invitations and commands, by which we are required to believe on Christ. This will of God is confirmed by His oath; "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way, and live; turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for, why will ye die, O house of Israel?" (Ezek. 33:11). Christ testifies that He "would often have gathered the children of Jerusalem even as a hen gathereth her chickens un­der her wings, and they would not" (Matt. 23:37). And the apostle Paul testifies that God will have all men to be saved, etc. (1 Tim. 2:4). You are to reject and abandon all thoughts that are contrary to this persuasion. What if few are saved? Your salvation will not make the number too great; for few will follow you in the duty of believing. What if the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against you in many terrible judgments; and the Word, and your own conscience condemn you, and Christ seem to reckon you no better than a dog, as He did the woman of Canaan? You are to make a good inter­pretation of all these things, that the end of them is to drive you to Christ, as this was the end of the curses of the law, and all the terrible dispensations of them. If a prophet, or an angel from heaven, were sent by God on purpose to declare that the sentence of everlasting damnation is declared against you; it would be your duty to believe that God sent Him to give you timely warning, for this very end, that you might believe, and turn to God by faith and repentance. Jeremiah prophesied against the Jews, that God would pluck them up, pull them down, and destroy them for their sins; yet he himself taught them, if they turned from their evil ways God would repent him of the evil. Jonah preached nothing but certain destruction to Nine­veh, to be executed upon them within forty days; yet the intent of that terrible message was that those heathen people might escape destruction by repentance. The most absolute and peremptory denunciations of divine vengeance against us, while we are in this world, must be always understood with a secret reserve of salvation for us, upon our faith and repentance. And we are to believe, that the reason God does so terribly denounce his judgments against us by His Word, is, that we may escape them by flying for refuge to His free mercy in Christ.
   Take heed of fostering any thoughts that God has absolutely decreed to show no saving mercy to you, or that you have already committed the unpardonable sin; or, that it is in vain for you to attempt the work of believing, because God will not help you in it. If such thoughts prevail in your hearts, they will do you more hurt than the most blasphemous thoughts that terrify you, or the grossest abomina­tions that ever you were guilty of, because they obstruct your believing on Christ for salvation. The Spirit and the Bride say, Come. Christ saith, Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely (Rev. 22:17). Therefore, we are to abandon all thoughts that hinder our coming to Christ as very sinful and pernicious, arising in us from our own corruptions and Satan's delusions, and utterly op­posite to the mind of Christ and teachings of His Spirit.
   And what ground can we have to entertain such unbelieving thoughts? Has God made us part of his privy-council, before it is manifest by our final unbelief and impenitence? As for the unpardonable sin, it consists 'in renouncing the way of salvation by Christ with the whole heart, after we have at­tained to the knowledge of it and are convinced of the truth of it by the gospel.' It is the sin that the Christian Hebrews would have been guilty of if they had revolted from Christianity to the religion of the unbelieving Jews, that accounted Christ to be an impostor, and were most rancorous persecutors of Him and his ways. They that have committed that sin continue implacable, malicious enemies to Christ and his ways, to the end, without any repentance. Therefore, if you can but find that you desire seri­ously to get an interest in Christ, and to be better Christians than you are; if you are troubled and grieved, that your hearts and lives are so wicked, and that you need faith, love, and true obedience; yea, if your hearts are not maliciously bent to persecute the gospel, and prefer atheism, licentious­ness, or any false religion before it; you have no cause to suspect yourselves to be guilty of this unpardonable sin.
6. Add to all these a full persuasion of the incomparable glorious excellency of Christ, and of the way of salvation by Him. You are to esteem the enjoyment of Christ as the only salvation and true happiness, and such a happiness as has in it unsearchable riches of glory, and will make our cup run over with exceeding abundance of peace, and joy, and glory, to all eternity. We must account all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord. Such a persuasion as this will allure and incline your wills and affections to choose and embrace Christ as the chief good, and never to rest satisfied without the enjoyment of Him; and to reject everything that stands in com­petition with Him, or the enjoyment of Him. Christ is precious in the esteem of all true believers. Their high esteem of His incomparable preciousness and excellency induces them to sell all, that they may buy this pearl of great price. This makes them say, Lord, evermore give us this bread, that cometh down from heaven, and giveth life to the world. Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life (John 6:33, 34, 68). Because of the favor of his good ointments, his name is an ointment poured forth; therefore do the virgins love Him (Song. 1:3). They are sick of love to Him, because he is, in their eyes, the chiefest among ten thousand.

As the glory of God that appeared in the wonderful beauty of the temple, and in the wisdom and glory of Solomon, drew worshippers to God from the utmost parts of the earth; so, the unparalleled excellency of Christ, which was prefigured by the glory of Solomon and the temple, draws believers more powerfully in these gospel-days. The devil, who is the god of this world, knows how necessary it is for our salvation, to discern all the glory and excellency of Christ; and therefore, where the gos­pel is preached, he makes it his great work to eclipse the glory of Christ in the ministry, and to blind the minds of the people, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should shine into them. One that is convinced of the truth of the gospel may be averse to embracing it until he see also the goodness of it, that Christ is altogether lovely and excellent.

I come now to 'the second principal act of faith whereby Christ himself, and his Spirit, and all His saving benefits, are actually received into the heart, which is believing on Christ, as revealed and freely promised to us in the gospel, for all his salvation.' The Spirit of God habitually disposes and inclines our hearts to a right performance of this act by enabling us to perform the first act, according to the former instructions, by believing assuredly those great things of the gospel, whereby we are delivered, into a form of doctrine, which we are to obey from our hearts, and to follow as our pattern, in the manner of our acting faith in Christ for salvation. Therefore, I need only exhort you briefly to act your faith in Christ according to that form and pat­tern in which you have been so largely instructed.

You are to believe in Christ as alone sufficient, and all-sufficient for your happiness and salvation; despairing altogether of any attainment of happiness by our own wisdom, strength, works of right­eousness, or any fleshly, worldly confidences whatever. We must be as dead people to all other confidences, and account them to be loss for Christ, according to the example of the blessed apostle. We must not be grieved that we have nothing to trust upon besides Christ for our salvation; but rather we are to rejoice that we need nothing else, and that we have a sure foundation to rely upon, incomparably better than any other that can be imagined. And we must resolve to cast the burden of our souls wholly on Christ, and to seek salvation no other way, whatsoever becomes of us.

If the cripple does not lay the whole weight of his body upon a strong staff, but part of it upon a rotten one, he is likely to fall. If the swimmer will not commit his body wholly to the water to bear him up, but catch at weeds, or struggle to feel for firm ground, he may sink to the bottom. Christ will be all our salvation, or nothing. If we seek to be saved any other way, as the Galatians did, by circumcision, Christ will profit us nothing.

You are also to receive Christ merely as a free gift, given to the chief of sinners, resolving that you will not perform any conditions to procure your­selves a right and title to Him; but that you will come to Him as a lost sinner, an ungodly creature, trusting on Him that justifieth the ungodly; and that you will buy Him without money, and without any price whatsoever. Do not look on your faith or love, or any good qualifications in yourselves, as the grounds of your trusting in Christ, but only to the free grace and loving-kindness of God in Christ: How excellent is thy loving-kindness, O God! there­fore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. For, if you make your own faith, love, or good qualifications, to be your first and principal foundation, and you build Christ upon them instead of building all upon Christ, you invert the order of the gospel, and Christ will profit you nothing.

Another thing to be observed diligently is that you must come to Christ for a new holy heart and life, and all things necessary thereto, as well as for deliverance from the wrath of God and the torments of hell. You must also come to Him with an ardent love and affection to Him and esteem Him better than a thousand worlds and the only excellent portion, loathing and abhorring yourself as a vile, sin­ful, and miserable creature, and accounting all things dung in comparison of His excellency; that you may be able to say, from the bottom of your heart, Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee.

Lastly, You must endeavor to draw near with full assurance of faith; trusting on Christ confidently for your own particular salvation, upon the account of that general promise, that whosoever believeth on Christ shall not be ashamed. You must check yourself against all doubtings, fears, and staggerings, concerning your own salvation by Christ, saying with the Psalmist, Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me?