q4í. FAITH BUfLT ON ,KNOWLEDGE. [DISC.`Ii4.. angels, and..men ; in this,day shall Christ openly deli- ver up his great trust tö the Father, Who committed all elect sihners into his hands : In this day shall he tnakeit appear, that he has been able and faithful to keep what- soever God and his saints have committed to hire. Besides, till this day come, Christ has not fulfilled his commission, nor answered his trust for which he is en- gaged to his Father, aid to believers; for this is one part of.it, that he would take care of their dying bodies, and raise themup at the last day ; John vi. 39. The apostle, thoughhe well knew the happiness of separate souls, that were absent from the body, and immediately present_ with the Lord, yet he more frequently points to this bright and distant day of the resurrection,. when he in- vites our hope abroad beyond the limits of life and time to give it' the fairest and the longest prospect. Thus having sufficiently unfolded whatsoever might teem doubtful in the text, let us proceed to a more par- ticular improvement of it : And to this end we may com- prise the sense in this one proposition or doctrine : Doctrine. A christian lays a solid' foundation for his faith and joyful hope in the knowledge of the person whom he trusts. He has some good acquaintance with that great Friend ofhis, to whom. he commits all his con- cerns from time to eternity ; and upon this he builds his confidence and comfort ; and from this he rises to joy and triumph. The words of my text are the language of an advanced and well -grown faith,; and both my doc- trine and discourse keep this in view ; yet the natureand practice of a sinners first addresses to Christ by faith, may be easily learnt hereby ; as I shall shew hereafter. To confirm and improve this doctrine, _let us consider, I. What it is that a christiao knows of Christ, that engages his trust and confidence ? . II. What sort of knowledge it -is ? And how he comes by it ? And: III. What useful remarks may be drawn from this sub- ject Fiist, What is it that a christian knows of Christ, that engages his trust in him ? The answer may be comprised under these two4geue- ral heads ; ris. The personal qualifications of Christ,
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