in a state of justification;' except the following texts refer to it. 66 By whom also, we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God," "While 66 we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much "more then being justified by his grace, we shall "be saved from wrath through him."1 "That, "being justified by his grace, we should be made "heirs according to the hope of eternal life."2 "Who are kept by the power of God, through "faith, unto salvation."-There is indeed one passage, which may be thought more favourable to the sentiment; "If ye continue in the faith grounded "and settled, &c.:" but even here, their continuance in a state of reconciliation is connected with their continuance in the faith, not with good works. P. clxii. 1. 4. 6 The authors, &c.'s Were then the churches, to which the apostles wrote, constituted of professed believers, who were not real christians? This, alas! is to a great degree, the case in modern times, now that whole nations profess to believe in Christ; and yet the bulk of them do not so much as appear to live as it becometh christians! But surely it was not thus, with the select companies, collected into churches, by the apostles them Rom. v. 2. 8, 9. 4 Col. i. 21-23. 5 5 The authors of these epistles were therefore chiefly anxious, by the use of plain and intelligible language, to induce their converts to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they were called, by an upright and holy life; to make professed believers ་ in the gospel real christians.' selves. And if the epistles were written to make professed believers real christians: where are we to find those fuller instructions, by which they were led further into the knowledge of the deeper and more mysterious parts of christianity? The laboured discussions of St. Paul, in his epistles to the Romans, the Galatians, and the Hebrews, were evidently intended to settle the minds and judgments of the persons addressed, in all the great truths of christianity; to explain and confirm the grand doctrines of the gospel; not only to induce the converts to 'walk worthy of their vocation;'"but also to rectify "their errors, to recal them from their wanderings, "to guard them against deceivers, and to lead them "forward in the knowledge of Christ:" "that they "should no more be children, tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and "cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to "deceive; but, speaking the truth in love, might grow up into him in all things, which is the head, ❝even Christ." I think no man can attentively read the first chapters of the Epistles to the Ephesians, the Colossians, and the Thessalonians, without being convinced, that the persons to whom they were sent, were already true christians, who gave decided proof of living faith, by "the work of faith, "the labour of love, and the patience of hope." Even those to the Corinthians and the Galatians, in which much warning and reproof are contained, suppose the most of the persons addressed to be true christians, at least "babes in Christ." Those to ? Eph. iv. 14-16, Timothy and Titus were evidently intended to instruct these eminent ministers, how to perform, more and more completely, the duties of their important station: and in that to the Hebrews, the apostle. says, "Called of God an High Priest after the order " of Melchizedeck, of whom we have many things. "to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull "of hearing." Yet, having shewn, that they had made very small proficiency, compared with what might have been expected; he proceeds with his purpose, and says, "Therefore, leaving the first 66 principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on "unto perfection." St. Peter speaks thus of St. Paul: "As our beloved brother Paul also, according "to the wisdom of God given unto him, hath writ"ten unto you: as also in all his epistles, speaking "in them of these things; in which are some things. "hard to be understood, which they that are un" stable and unlearned wrest, as they do the other "Scriptures, to their own destruction,"2 These were not "milk for the unskilful in the word of " righteousness:" but strong "meat, which belong"eth to those of full age; even those who, by reason "of use, have their senses exercised to discern good, " and evil.”—If, however, any modern teachers go further into doctrinal discussions, than the apostolical epistles do; and if they neglect by the use of 'plain and intelligible language to induce their con"verts to "walk worthy of their vocation;" they are justly to be reprehended. And we may find abundant opportunity of attempting to convert 'pro Heb. v. 10-14. vi. 1. 22 Pet. iii, 15, 16. 'fessed believers into real christians;' and 'should use all scriptural means for that purpose. P. clxii. 1. 10. St. John, &c." That act of obedience, by which we receive Christ as our Saviour, is the same as faith in him; but all subsequent obedience is produced by faith, and consequently cannot signify the same thing, as faith. The tree produces the fruit: but the tree and the fruit are not the same thing; any more, than the mother and the child are the same person; nor can they properly be said to include each other.' The tree indeed in some sense included the fruit, before it produced it; but the fruit never included the tree. The rest of the quotation, however, shews that the passage was intended chiefly to prove that true faith always produces obedience, about which there should be no controversy. Yet the important doctrine, of justification by faith alone, requires some notice to be taken of such expressions, as are inconsistent with it and if faith and obedience signify the same thing, we are as really justified by obedience, 6 1 Again, St. John says, "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him "should not perish, but have everlasting life;" and St. Paul says, Christ became the Author of eternal salvation unto all them that "obey him :" salvation therefore is promised both to faith and to obedience; and consequently, faith and obedience must in reality signify the same thing, or include each other; otherwise, the two passages would be irreconcilable. The obedience, in the latter, is the obedience which proceeds from faith; and how or why should men obey Christ, if they do not believe him to be the predicted Redeemer of the world? The faith in the former is the faith which produces, or is accompanied by, obedience; and indeed a true and lively faith in the merits and promises of Christ, is naturally productive of obedience to his commands.' as by faith; and that not till after we have performed the obedience: but good works, which are the fruits of faith, follow after justification."1 6 P. clxiii. 1. 5. "A man, &c.'' That, a man is saved by faith, which produces obedience,' accords to the language of Scripture: the other propositions, if intended of final salvation from sin and all its consequences, may bear a scriptural construction: but should we not "speak according to" the language, as well as to the meaning of "the oracles of "God?" Moreover, as justification and salvation are often considered as the same thing, or as convertible terms, it is highly important, that, in shewing the necessity of obedience and good works, we be careful not to cloud the doctrine of justification, or to mislead men respecting it. 3 · P. clxiii. Note from Whitby. It is, &c.'s Thus Art. xii. 2 A man is saved by obedience which proceeds from faith ; a man is saved by faith which produces obedience; a man is "saved by faith and obedience. In all these three propositions, Christ is supposed to be the meritorious cause of salvation, and faith and obedience are asserted to be in the person saved. If the obedience of the first proposition does not proceed from faith, it does not save; if the faith of the second proposition does not produce obedience, it does not save; and therefore both faith and obedience, as declared in the third proposition, are necessary to salvation.' 3 It is evident that Paul esteemed that alone true faith which is productive of obedience, and so doth virtually, although not formally, include obedience, as the effect is virtually contained in the cause. So that the difference between men of judgment, as to saving faith, is more in words than sense, they all designing the same thing, that we cannot be saved by that faith which doth not produce in us a sincere obedience to the laws of Christ.' |