220 FAITH IN ITS LOWEST DEGREES. [DISC. WIr. temple asked an alms: and they said,.look on us :-- Upon which he gave heed to them, expecting to receive something of them ;" Acts iii. 4, 5. So looking tintb God- signifies dependance on him, and expectation of mercy from him. " We know not what to, do," saith.Jehosha phat; 2Chron. xx. 12. " but our eyes are upon thee." So Ps. xxxiv. 5. " They looked unto him and were. lightened." When there was universal distress :round, about, saith the prophet ; Micah vii. 7, I will look unto the Lord, Iwill waitfor the God ofmy'salvation. It is evident from the sacred, as well as the common use of this word, that it signifies thesame as believing or trusting in. Christ in the New Testament, which is the . appointed means ofour obtaining a share in his salva- 'tion. Acts xvi. 31. 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. Sinners of the gentiles áre re- quired in my text to look to him. It is foretold by the same prophet, that " to him shall the gentiles seek ;" Is. xi. 10. Which is cited and interpreted bySt. Paul ; Rom. xv. 12. In him shall the gentiles trust. r The soul then, that is so far sensible of its past iniqui- ties, its guilt and danger of hell, and that feels so much of its inward sinful nature, appetites, and passions, as to know its own inability to procure pardon of God for sins past, or to make itself holy for time to come, and sees also in Christ such a glorious all-sufficiency of help and relief, and upon this account commits itself by prayer and humble trust, or dependance, into the hands of Jesús Christ, as an all sufficient Saviour, sincerely and earnestly desirous ofhis complete salvation in all the parts of it, the holiness and the happiness; this soul is a believer in Christ; this soul has looked to Christ, in the sense of mÿ text, and shall certainly be saved. Because the duty of faith, trusting,. or believing, is so' necessary to salvation, therefore it has pleased God inhis word to render the notion of it plain and easy, bymany metaphors and figures of speech, to accommodate the, capacities and understandings of the meanest. And these are borrowed also from the most useful and active powers of nature, and themost common actions of life. When the metaphor is taken from the feet, believing is called a coming to Christ; Mat. xi. 28. Conze unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and Iwill give you rest ; Jghn vi. 37. Him that cometli to me, I
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