to us in this present day. In fine we have shown that if there were no
future existence--if nought were held up to man but the dreary
prospect of a beamless eternity, he could not be justified,
sanctified, born again, pass from death to life or enter the kingdom
of God through faith, because in such case the _objects_ of his _faith
and hope_ would be annihilated, his faith would be vain, he would be
yet in his sins. In this view of our subject, we perceive that Christ
is but "the author and finisher of our faith," having been ordained of
God "to bring life and immortality to light," to set us an example for
our imitation and happiness here below--and to die and rise in
attestation of the truth involved in his mission. Consequently his
kingdom will be delivered up when _faith and hope_ shall be lost in
certainty and joy.

It now remains that we urge the importance of the _new birth_ through
faith in the truth. And here we shall probably meet with one objection
from the reader, viz. As we argued in sermons, No. 5, 6, and 7, that
faith was the first exercise of the creature, and that no one could
_believe or disbelieve_ what he pleased, the reader may then ask, what
necessity is there of urging the importance of the new birth through
faith in the truth, in as much as faith cannot be exercised at the
_pleasure_ or simply at the _will_ of man? And here we would remark--
that the guilt of unbelief does not consist in rejecting a fact after
patient investigation, by collecting all the evidences in our reach,
but it consists in rejecting a fact without examination of its truth.
For instance; let the gospel be preached to a heathen, who rejects it
without attempting to acquaint himself with the evidences upon which
its truth is based. He is condemned for not believing, because he
neglects the only means by which he might be convinced of the truth.
He declines searching for evidence. Of the truth of this remark we