SECTION I. 69 Christ, or trusting in him ;" and it includes also " thepromised aid of the Holy Spirit to those who seek it, to enable them to receive this salvation, and to fit them for the final possession of the promised glory." It includes also the " revelation of the future resurrection, the last judgment and eternal life." To this end did the " Son of God come into the world, that whoso- ever believes on him should not perish but have everlasting life; John iii. 16. This may be made outand explained, more at large, in the following manner : The salvation which the gospel proposes, is exactly an- swerable to our present state of sin and wretchedness, and fully supplies all the necessities of fallen man, his guilt and deserved misery, his sinful and corrupted nature, and his utter inability to help himself; and therefore it must contain in it holiness and happiness, with divine directions and divine aids, in order to at- tain them. The happiness ofit is a freedom from that death and punishment, which we had incurredby sin, and a recovery to the favour of God, which we had lost, and everlasting joy therein. The holiness of it is the image of God, in which we were at first created, which image was defaced and ruinedby man's first trans- gression. The foundation of this salvation is the eternal mercy and good-will of God the Father, to his poor, perishing, sinful crea- tures, by the glorious undertaking and various transactions and offices of our Lord Jesus Christ as Mediator, and the several operations of the blessed Spirit. This salvation in the whole of it is contrived and appointed by the various attributes of God, especially his wisdom, power and goodness, exerting themselves for this purpose : It is purchased or procured for us, by the death and sufferings of Jesus :Christ: It is applied to us, by the work Of the Holy Spirit. We are chosen, topartake of all this salvation, both the holi- ness and happiness of it, by the eternal goodwill of the Father. %Ve are recovered to the favour of God, and happiness, by the obedience or righteousness, the death and intercession, of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God, in our nature. We are restored to the image of God, and holiness, by the Spirit of Christ, that is promised and sent down into this world, to change our hearts and reform our lives, and thereby fit us for the hea- venly happiness. But, what are we to do that we may become partakers of this salvation ? For it is not every son and daughter of Adam who are possessors of it. Now, it is the gospel that reveals this to us, and also directs us in it. The appointed way to partake of this salvation is, by believing or trusting in Christ ; that is, when frorn a deep sense of the evil of sin, and our guilt and danger on that account, we grow weary andheavy laden with the bur- Vol.. sit. E
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