SERM. from having in any View the leaft Concern III. in this Matter of Juftification. Thofe mo

ral Duties which we owe to God, our Neighbours, and ourselves, and the Gospel clearly enforces (let others look with never fo unfavourable an Eye on them also as contrary to a juftifying Faith) are doubtless its natural and fure Effects, and should be fo regarded by us. They as nece:Tarily flow from it, as the Rays of Light from the Sun ---are its very Substance diffused abroad, and made to fhine before Men: And whenever our Faith is barren of thefe Fruits, if kindly Seafons be granted for their Production, it is not That, which juftifies. Here let us take our Stand, and not be driven from it by any Objections started on Account of the primitive Martyrs, who were many of them put to Death immediately after their being baptized, yet were certainly received to very high Degrees of Favour,---were at once justified and glorified, without behaving fuitably to their holy Profeffion. But thofe Champions were not fo inactive in the Cause of Christ, as is infinuated; they did all, that could be done in their Circunftances. They cleared their Ground by Repentance from dead Works,---they laid their Foundation by witneffing a good Confeffion,---

they

they begun the Superftructure by the Sti- SERM. pulation of a good Confcience, and if they III. did not go on to finish it by the Obedience of Faith in their future Practice, they performed what was more than equal, by facrificing their Lives in Teftimony of the Truth. Besides, theirs, we should remember, is an extraordinary Cafe, and not rafhly to be drawn into a Precedent by others,. who enjoy fufficient Opportunities to have Faith both in its Root and Branches.

AND to keep us ftedfaft in this Perfuafion, we want not very cogent Reasons,---Proofs as convincing as thofe, on which we embrace Christianity itself; there being nothing more plainly revealed, than that a juftifying Faith includes, and ought to be accompanied with, a copious Measure of moral Virtue; otherwise it will not, generally speaking, conduct Men finally to Salvation. It is, what we may fairly collect from thefe Words of our Lord himfelf: Not every one that faith unto me, Lord, Lord, fhall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but be, that doth the Will of my Father, which is in Heaven (s). And then he presently adds, Many will fay to me in that Day, (viz.

(s) St. Matth. vii. 21,

SERM. (viz. in the great Day of Retribution) Lord, III. Lord, have we not prophefied in thy Name,

and in thy Name have caft out Devils, and in thy Name done many wonderful Works? And then I will profefs unto them, I never knew you: Depart from me ye, that work Iniquity (t). From which laft Paffage it is as easy to remark, as it is important, that no Faith in Jefus Chrift, not even a miraculous one, will fuffice to justify any, without great Uprightness of living, and that what will qualify a Man for fome fpecial Employment under God, will not qualify him, without fomething elfe, for Acceptance with him. It will not be enough to have prophefied or caft out Devils in Chrift's Name, if our moral Character be not fuch as becometh his Gospel.

AND many other Sayings are there of our Saviour's importing the Neceffity of Obedience to perfect our Faith in order to Juftification. As, Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the Things which I say? (u). To call Chrift Jefus Lord, is to acknowledge, him for our Divine Mafter, to believe in him, and to expect Reconciliation by him: But this, he gives us to underftand

(t) St. Matth. vii, 22, 23. (u) St. Luke vi. 46.

ftand, we may look for in vain, if we SERM. obey not his Commandments And to con- III. found all fuch ill-grounded Hopes, he at little after declares, Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my Sayings, and doth them not, is like a Man, that without a Foundation built his Houfe upon the Sand, against which the Stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell, and the Ruine of it was great (x).

Nor do any of the Apostles, not even St. Paul himself, differ from their Lord and Master in this fundamental Point. As for St. Peter, he exhorts us (y) to adorn our Lives with the whole Circle of Chriftian Graces and Virtues, concluding, that if ye do thefe Things, ye shall never fall: But he, that lacketh thefe Things, is blind, and bath forgotten, that he was purged from his old Sins.

ST. John alfo bids us be upon our Guard against those corrupt Teachers, who magnify Faith to the Exclufion of Holinefs: Let no Man deceive you, fays he; He, that doth Righteousness, is righteous, even as he righteous (z).

I

AND

(x) St. Luke vi. 49.

(3) 2 St. Pet, i. 5, 9, 10%.

(x) 1 St. John iii. 7.

SERM.
III.

T

2

AND St. James it is well known, gives not the leaft Countenance to the Error of thefe Men. For, as he rightly argues, What doth it profit, my Brethren, though a Man fay be bath Faith, and have not Works? Can Faith fave him? If a Brother or Sifter be naked, and deftitute of daily Food. And one of you fay unto them, Depart in Peace, be you warmed and filled: NotwithStanding ye give them not thofe Things, which

are needful for the Body, what doth it profit? Even fo Faith, if it hath not Works, is dead, being alone (a). This his Doctrine he goes on to illuftrate by the Examples of Abraham and Rahab (b). And it is remarkable, that St. Paul urges the Patriarch, as an Inftance to prove Juftification by Faith alone without Works: Abraham, fays he, believed God, and it was accounted to him for Righteousness (c).

Now as thefe Apoftles of our Lord are allowed by every one, who is convinced or the Divine Authority of the Scriptures, to have both written their Epiftles by the Guidance and Inspiration of the Holy Ghost, all fuch muft acknowledge, that though there be

(a) St. James ii. 14. 15, 16, 17. (b) V. 21, 25.

(c) Gal. iii. 6.