PROPOSITION XXI. 1917 Peor. XXL In so doing we shall effectually secure our own Salvation ; For the Scripture has madeour Salvation to de- pend on those RelationsLind Offices which these divine Per- sons sustain, and on the honours due to them according to these Offices, rather than upon any deep Philosophical No- tions of their Essence and Personalities, any nice and exact Acquaintance with their mysterious Union and Distinction. I have said before, that I know not how we canpay such honours and worship to Christ or the blessed. Spirit, as are ex- pressed and described in the New Testament, unless we suppose them to have some real communion in the divine nature, and to have true godhead belonging to them : Yet if we turn over all the books of theNew Testament, we shall find that the stress of our salvation is laid upon our humble sense of our sins; our re- turn to God the Father by sincere repentance, and change of heart and life, and our unfeigned faith in the Lord Jesus. These were the great and glorious things that St. Paul mentions as the sum of his preaching in order to the salvation of men. Acts xr. 21. " Testifying both to theJews and also to the Greeks, repent; ance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.'' And when the things absolutely necessary to salvation are mentioned, which relate particularly to our Lord Jesus. Christ; these are generally comprehended in a belief of the characters and offices of Christ, as the great promised Messiah, as a:Sa- viour, a Prophet, a Mediator, a Priest,,and proper sacrifice of atonement, as a Lord and King, as an example, as a head of vital influence, as our final Judge, &c. .togother with our sense of his all-sufficiency for those offices, andour sacred practical re- gards to him in the:disebarge of 'them. These. are the chief things required in.ouder to salvation; and not' a distinct know.: ledge or belief how or in what manner he is the saine with the Father, and inwhat manner he dilfers from the Father. The language in which the requisitesof salvation are gene- rally expressed, as they relate to Christ or the Holy Spirit, is as fellows Acts xvi. 31. " Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved." Mark i. 15. " Repent ye,.and,believe the gospel," that is, the glad tidings of peace with God by Jesus Christ the Messiah: Mark xvi. 16. " He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." John viii. 24. " If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die' in your sins," that is, if ye believe not that I am the Messiah, the promised Saviour of mankind. Acts ii. 38. " Repent and. be baptized every one of you in x 3
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