d through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the
gift of God. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.
Whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but hath eternal life. He
that believeth shall be saved." Faith is the simplest operation of the
mind; and may therefore strictly be said to be incapable of definition.
Still it is easy to say what is meant by the term when applied to
personal salvation. It means the trust of the heart on the atonement of
Christ, as the condition of pardon. "With the heart man believeth unto
righteousness." It is however of the highest importance that the thought
of its _simplicity_ be made prominent. Let us not undervalue religious
knowledge; for to some extent it is absolutely necessary. But do not
mystify the plan of mercy, and perplex the anxious seeker by requirements
which the gospel has not made prominent. Many a poor sinner exercises
faith in Christ who cannot give a philosophical disquisition as to its
nature. It is not necessary to be thoroughly acquainted with the science
of optics in order to see. A man may look through a telescope before he
can define the refraction or reflection of light. Now all that is
included in the word salvation hangs on this simple condition.

The question may be regarded perhaps more nice than wise as to _why_ such
a condition should have been appointed; and yet it will sometimes force
itself upon the thoughtful mind. The answer to it must in great measure
be conjectural, but may we not suppose that _one_ design of it was to do
away with the last vestige of self-righteousness in man? If Moses had
struck the rock with something more powerful than the little rod, the
gushing of the waters might have been attributed to his own strength. If
Jericho had been taken by a regular siege, the glory of its conquest
would have been ascribed to military science and the prowess of arms. If
some heavy conditions had been imposed upon the sinner, he would have
_claimed_ his pardon.

"But, 'how unlike the complex works of man,
Heaven's easy, artless, unencumbered plan,
No meretricious graces to beguile,
No clustering ornaments to clay the pile.
From ostentation as from weakness free,
It stands like the cerulean arch we see,
Majestic in its own simplicity.
Inscribed above the portal from afar,
Conspicuous as the brightness of a star,
Legible only by the light they give,
Stand the soul