the fame thing by "faith which worketh by love," which the Apoftle James does, by faith which operates by works, and by works is made perfect, as the working life of faith. By this living, active, holy faith, implying all the good works and gospel obedience of a christian, James fays, a man is juftified, and cannot be justified by any other kind of faith, which does not include all this. Paul fays, a man is justified by faith, and that this faith operates by love, às the life and active nature of it, in which all the holiness and good works of a christian are implied and confift. In this they perfectly agree, and affert the fame thing in different words. The Apostle Paul opposes this faith to the works of the law, to obedience to law as a covenant of works, as the price of the favour of God; and it has been fhewn above, wherein the difference and oppofition, between thefe, confift Therefore, it is needless to repeat it here. The Apostle James fays nothing relating to the works of the law; and speaks only of those works which are implied in faith and christian obedience, or the obedience of faith.

V. FROM the view we have had of faving faith, we may learn why pardon of fin and falvation are in the Bible promised to the least degree of true holinefs and chriftian obedience, in whatever way it be exercised fuch as love to God, or to our neighbour; and to our fellow christians; to hungering and thirfting after righteousness, humility, meekness, a forgiving spirit, &c.— The reason is, not because evangelical holinefs in the leaft degree of it, is only a fign of faith, as fomething dif tinct from it; but because it is faving faith itself, and is that in the exercise of which the foul does unite itself to Chrift: For every holy exercise of the chriftian has the nature of faving faith in it, as has been fhown. Every act of gospel holiness is connected with pardon and falva. tion,

E 2

tion, as it is an act of faith, and implies in it a believing in Chrift, and acceptance of pardon and salvation, as a free, undeferved gift.

Therefore, any person may know that he has faving faith, if he have evidence that he does exercise any degree of real holiness, in any branch of it.

VI. We may hence fee why faving faith isthe gift of God; and in what refpect it is fo. The Apostle Paul fays, "By grace are ye faved, through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God."** "For unto you it is given, in the behalf of Chrift, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his fake."

The difciples of Chrift prayed him to increase their faith.†

Chrift fays, " "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath fent me, draw him, It is written in the Prophets, And they fhall all be taught of God.Every man therefore, that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me." And he faid to Péter, when he profeffed his faith in him, as the Son of God, "Bleffed art thou, Simon Bar-jona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven."

Faith is the gift of God, as holinefs is his gift, because they involve each other, and are really the fame. If faving faith did not imply holinefs, and were not holiness itself, it would be no more the gift of God, than any of the natural exercifes of unrenewed men, and in no other fenfe For there would be no more oppofition to it in their hearts, than to any thing else whatsoever. It is the holiness of saving faith which puts it out of the reach of the unrenewed man, and all the difficulty of believing on Chrift lies in this, and this is the only ground of the oppofition of the carnal mind to faving faith. This diffi

culty and oppofition to believing, therefore, cannot be removed in any poffible way, but by Taking away the ftony heart, and giving a new heart, by which men are created in Chrift Jefus, unto good works, being faved by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghoft." This point is illuftrated by what has been obferved in the preceding fection, on divine illumination,

SECTION

VII.

On the Sinner's Juftification by Faith in Chrift.

THIS HIS doctrine has been confidered by calviniftic divines, even in the fenfe in which they underftand it, of great importance, and effential to the fyftem of truth revealed in the fcriptures, fo that if it be fecluded, or not underflood, the whole fyftem of chriftian doctrine falls with it, and comes to nothing. And if we attend to the writings of the Apostle Paul, efpecially his letters to the churches at Rome and Galatia, we shall find that he confiders the doctrine of justification by faith in Chrift, for which he earheftly contends, as effential to the chriftian fcheme; fo that Chrift and chriftianity can be of no advantage to them, who oppose and reject it. What is proposed in this fection, is, to attempt to explain this doctrine, according to the fcripture; and to evince the truth and importance of it.

of

What has been already faid, in the foregoing part this fyftem, concerning the law of God; the apoftacy of man, and the guilty loft ftate in which he is; the nature and demerit of fin; the character, defign and work of the Redeemer; and the nature of faving faith, prepares

E 3

the

the way to understand the doctrine we are now to confider, as it is involved in these particular truths, as the foundation of it; and the proper application of them to this fubject, will show what is meant by being juftified by faith in Jefus Chrift, according to the fcripture, and that it is an important and essential article of the christian doctrine.

The juftification of a finner, now under confideration, confifts in forgiving his fins, or acquiting him from the curfe and condemnation of the law; and receiving him to favour, and a title to all the bleffings contained in eternal life; which is treating him as well, at leaft, as if he never had finned, and had been always perfectly obedient. Though thefe may be confidered diftinctly, as in fome respects two, yet they are never feparated, but are both always implied in the juftification of a finner. Both thefe are mentioned by St. Paul, as included in justification by faith. "Therefore, being juftified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. By whom also we have accefs by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."* By faith men are justified, in which they receive the forgiveness of their fins, and are made heirs of an eternal inheritance, heirs of God and joint heirs with Jefus Chrift, agreeable to the following words of Chrift. "That they may receive forgiveness of fins, and inheritance among them which are fanctified, by faith that is in me."t

For the illustration of this point, the following things must be observed.

I. THE finner has nothing in himself, nor is it poffible he ever should have any thing, that could render it proper and reasonable that he should, out of refpect to that, be pardoned and received to favour. He is under the curfe

curfe of the law, which curfes every one who once tranfgrelles it. Therefore, every finner is under this curse, who is not delivered from it by Jefus Chrift. Thus St. Paul fates the cafe," For as many as are of the works of the law, are under the curfe: For it is written, Curled is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them. Chrift hath redeemed us from the curfe of the law, being made a curse for us."* The law curfes the finner, and leaves him under the curfe; and that, is all the law can do.The curfe dooms him to eternal destruction, as the juft punishment of his crime; unlefs by fome means it can be taken off, and yet the law be maintained and honour ed as juft and good. Nothing that can be done by the finner to make atonement for his fin or recommend him felf to favour, will do any thing towards removing the curfe. The reafon of this is plain, and easy to be feen, The fin of which he has been guilty, is an infinite evil, and has therefore rendered him infinitely ill deferving. It is as a weight infinitely heavy lying upon him; and he muft eternally fink under it. Though he had all poffible finite power, it could not remove it, or lighten it in the leaft degree; for finite power is nothing before an infinite weight, and can do nothing to remore, or make it lefs. Suppofing the finner comes to repentance, re nounces his fin, returns to his duty, and becomes perfectly holy and obedient; he does no more than his prefent daty, by the fuppofition. This cannot make up, or atone for his paft faults, or do any thing towards it; and therefore can do nothing towards removing the curfe.Befides, if he could do more than his prefent duty, and continued in his obedience a thousand years, or ever fo long, this would do nothing towards removing the curse, or counterbalancing his crime; for his crime is infinite, and f

E 4

Gal. iii. 19, 13.