The same proposition may be evinced, fourthly, from the nature of justification, which, being a forensic term, implies a prisoner at the bar, a law by which he is to be tried, a witness to accuse him, and a judge to pass sentence. Thus, in the case before us, the prisoner at the bar is man: the law by which he is to be tried is not the law of Moses, exacting a perfect and sinful obedience, but that of Christ, requiring repentance and faith, with their proper fruits; the witness is conscience; the Judge is Christ. Now, no one can be justified, unless he be absolved by that law by which he is tried; nor can he be absolved by a law unless he has fulfilled it. Indeed, were we to be tried by a law requiring perfect obedience, it is certain no flesh could be justified by it, no man being able to fulfil it. But as we are to be tried by a law requiring repentance and faith, with their proper fruits, which now, through the blood of Christ, are accepted and "counted for righteousness," it most certainly follows, that works, Gospel works, works of repentance and faith, are necessary conditions of our justification, and that we cannot be justified without them. This consequence cannot be evaded, but by supposing that the Gospel is entirely made up of promises without any precepts, to the observance of which through faith those promises are annexed; a supposition surely that can be made by no man that has ever read the first seven chapters of St. Matthew's Gospel. is so founded is the result of works wrought | cause "of every idle word they must give through faith. It undeniably follows there- account in the day of judgment,"-subjoins fore, that faith cannot justify but as it -"for by thy words thou shalt be justified, worketh by love; and, consequently, that and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."* works are a necessary condition of our jus- And elsewhere he foretells his second advent tification. in these words-"The Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his holy angels, and then shall he reward every man according to his works." And some of the last words delivered by him to his church after his ascension, by the ministration of the well-beloved John, are these which follow-" Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." But above all, that celebrated passage, Matt. xxv. where the process of the last day is described, should be engraved as with the point of a diamond on the tables of our hearts for ever. There we hear the Judge from his glorious throne, before which all nations are assembled to hear their final doom, declaring some to be justified and accepted, because their faith had wrought works of love to him in his poor brethren and members; and others, because their faith had not wrought those works, to be condemned and everlastingly rejected. "Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed children of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.-Then shall he say also unto them on his left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not." If therefore works wrought through faith are the ground of the sentence passed upon us at the day of judgment, then are they a necessary condition of our justification, of what that sentence is declarative. ་ The fifth and last argument to prove that works are a necessary condition of our justification, is drawn from the method of God's proceeding at the day of judgment, as the manner of our being justified will be best seen by the manner in which we are declared to be so at that day. Now, how often is it said in the New Testament, that God shall judge every man according to his works, and that not the hearers or bare believers of the Gospel, any more than of the law, shall be accounted "just before God ?" "We must all stand," saith the apostle, "before the judgment-seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."* Our Lord, warning men against foolish talking, be 2 Cor. v. 10. Thus plainly doth it appear from Scripture testimonies, from Scripture examples, from the nature of faith, from the nature of justification, and from the process of the last day, that "by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." Marvellous would it be if, after this, we should find the great apostle of the Gentiles preaching a contrary doctrine. But having made our ground good thus far, we shall easily be able, by a short | Nay; but by the law of faith." From state of that case, to show that he doth not, but harmonizeth in every respect with his brother apostle. With regard to the first, what are the works here excluded by St. Paul, as unnecessary to justification? the question is obvious. They are heathen and Jewish works, whether ceremonial or moral, performed without the grace of Christ, and set up as meritorious. Without these, doubtless, a man is justified; for it was the impossibility of his being justified by them which made gift of God, and brought Christ from heaven to obtain it for us. That these are the works intended by the apostle is undeniably evident from hence, that heathens and carnal Jews are the persons against whom he is here arguing. Not one word is here said against good works wrought through faith by the Holy Ghost, which are as necessary a condition of our justification as faith itself, and made so by this very St. Paul, as shall be now shown, in answer to the these premises the apostle now draws his great conclusion-" Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith, without the In the first three chapters of the Epistle deeds of the law." Out of these last words to the Romans, St. Paul undertakes to de- arise two questions, which being answered, monstrate that all who would be saved, every difficulty will vanish, and the great whether Jews or Gentiles, must have re- truth witnessed both by St. Paul and St. course to the Gospel of Christ. To evince James shines forth without a cloud. The the necessity of their so doing, he begins questions are these. First, what are the with convicting the whole world of sin. In works here excluded by St. Paul, as unnethe first chapter he prefers a bill of indict-cessary to justification? Secondly, what ment against the Gentiles, setting before is the faith to which justification is attributhem their abominable sins against God, ted? their neighbors, and their own souls and bodies; their idolatry and their iniquity. But, as the Jew was always ready to thank God that he was not as the Gentiles were, as living under a perfect law given him by God himself immediately from heaven, St. Paul in the second chapter takes down his pride, by telling him, that the perfection of a law could not be matter of glory, but of shame and condemnation to the transgress-it necessary that justification should be the ors of it; and that this was so notoriously the case of the Jews, that through their breaking the law, in which they foolishly made their boast, the lawgiver was dishonored, and the name of God blasphemed even among the Gentiles on that account. Having thus proved both Jews and Gentiles to be under sin, having stopped every mouth by showing all the world to be guilty and obnoxious to the judgment of God, the apostle makes his inference in the third chapter-" Therefore by the deeds of the Second question, viz. what is the faith, law there shall no flesh be justified in his to which justification is attributed by him sight;" plainly, because all flesh having in this place? He shall tell us himself. transgressed the law, all flesh is condemned" In Christ Jesus neither circumcision by it, and therefore men must go elsewhere availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but for justification. St. Paul tells them whither faith which worketh by love."*"In Christ they are to go in the following glorious Jesus neither circumcision availeth anystate of that doctrine according to the Gos- thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creapel-"But now the righteousness of God ture." "in Christ Jesus neither circumwithout the law is manifested, being wit-cision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, nessed by the law and the prophets; even but keeping the commandments of God." the righteousness of God which is by faith Who does not see here that the faith to of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them which St. Paul attributes justification, in that believe; for there is no difference; for opposition to the deeds of the law, is that all have sinned, and come short of the glory" which worketh by love," is the same of God; being justified freely by his grace, with the "new creature," and implies in through the redemption that is in Jesus it the "keeping the commandments of Christ; whom God hath set forth to be a God?" propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and yet the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Again, "Therefore there is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus ;"§ that is, they are justified. But who are they? It follows" who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit," that is, who do not the works of flesh, but the † Ibid. vi. 15. § Rom. viii. 1. * Gal. v. 6. works of the spirit: doing the works of the Spirit, therefore, is the condition of their justification" If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die, but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." Once more, this same apostle, 1 Cor. xiii. speaking of faith, though otherwise ever so sound and right, as disjoined from charity or love, maketh it to be of no value"Though I have all faith, and have no charity, I am nothing." Faith therefore, all faith, faith in the highest degree, avails nothing unto justification, but so far as it "worketh by love" to the "keeping the commandments." The most orthodox faith may be without charity, and then it will be altogether unprofitable to him who hath it. But there would be no end of citing passages from St. Paul to this effect. Let these therefore suffice. son of Abraham be justified otherwise than his father is declared to have been-“ Faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect." I close all with the noble confession made by Bishop Bull of his faith in this article of justification, and ratified by him just before his death, when he experienced the comfort of having adhered to it through life, steering his course thereby, amidst all the antinomian errors of those fanatic times in which he wrote, to the haven of everlasting rest. "I most firmly believe," says this excellent prelate, " that as I yield a steadfast assent to the Gospel of Christ, and as I work out true repentance by that faith, shaking off, by the grace of God, the yoke of every deadly sin, and devoting myself in earnest to the observation of the evangelical law, I shall obtain, by the sovereign mercy of But what shall we say to the case of God the Father, for the merits only of JeAbraham, of whom St. Paul asserts, "that sus Christ, his Son, and my Lord and Sahe believed God, and it was counted to him viour, who offered himself up unto the Fafor righteousness?" Why, truly, we have ther, a truly expiatory sacrifice for my sins, nothing to say, but only this, that St. James and for the sins of the whole world, the full brings this very instance of Abraham as of remission of all my past sins, be they never one who was justified by works, "Wilt so many and great. But then I have no thou know, O vain man, that faith without otherwise any confidence of my sins being works is dead? Was not Abraham our forgiven me, or of my being in a state of father justified by works, when he offered grace and salvation, but as by a serious exIsaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou "amination of my conscience, made accord(and wonderful it is that there should be any one who does not see,) "how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?" And so, his works being all wrought through faith, the Scripture was still fulfilled which saith, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness" his faith working by love was accepted in Jesus Christ, according to the terms of that Gospel, which "the Scripture preached before unto him." Thus in this instance of the father of the faithful, as in a common centre, are the doctrines of both apostles met: one says a man is justified by "faith working;" the other by working "faith ;" and this is really and truly all the difference there is be-away; and, after having received the Holy tween them. What pity then it is that so Ghost, as our church speaketh, depart from many volumes should have been written, grace; and that thereforre I ought to work to the infinite vexation and disturbance of out my salvation with fear and trembling. the church, upon the question-Whether a I believe also that in the Gospel there is man is justified by faith or works; seeing pardon promised to all that fall, let it be they are two essential parts of the same never so often, so that they do before their thing! The body and the spirit make the death renew their repentance, and do again man; faith and works make the Christian. their first works; but then there is not any "For as the body without the spirit is where promised to them either space of life, dead," and therefore but half the map, (( so or grace that they may repent. I believe faith without works is dead also," and there- that there is given to some persons a certain fore but half the Christian. Nor can any extraordinary grace, according to the good ing to the rule of the Gospel, there shall be evidence of the sincerity of my faith and repentance. And I believe moreover, that while I bring forth fruit worthy of faith and repentance, and while I not only abstain from those crimes which, according to the Gospel, exclude a man from heaven, but do diligently likewise exercise myself in good works, both those of piety towards God, and those of charity towards my neighbor, so long I may preserve the grace that is given me of remission and justification; and that if I die in this state, I am in the way of obtaining by it the mercy of God, and eternal life and salvation for the sake of Jesus Christ. I believe that I may fall pleasure of God; but I account it the greatest madness for any one therefore to presume upon such a grace, or to challenge aught for himself beyond the promises of God which are made in the Gospel. And lastly, it is my firm belief, that throughout the whole course of my salvation, from the very first setting out to the end thereof, the grace and assistance of God's Spirit is absolutely necessary: and that I never have done, nor never can do, any spiritual good without Christ, is my full and certain persuasion. This is the way of salvation which by God's grace I have entered into, or at least have desired to enter into, which I have therefore chosen, because it is clearly set forth to me in the Holy Scriptures, and is a trodden and safe way, which all catholic Christians for fifteen hundred years at least from our Saviour's birth have trodden before me."* God Almighty enable us to walk in the same way to the same end; and for this purpose let us beseech him, in those excellent words of the church, to "give unto us the increase of faith, hope and charity; and that we may obtain that which he doth promise, he would make us to love that which he doth command, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.", Apolog. pro Harmon. p. 12. Nelson's Life of Bishop Bull, p. 463. † Collect for the 14th Sunday after Trinity. DISCOURSE LXIII. THE INFLUENCE OF CHRISTIANITY ON CIVIL SOCIETY. TITUS, II. 11, 12. The grace of God, that bringeth salvation, hath appeared to all men; teaching us, that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world. WERE it required to produce from the | the world were the religion of Jesus rightly Scriptures that passage, which exhibits, in fewest words, the fullest account of the nature and design of Christianity, this is, perhaps, the passage that should be fixed on for the purpose. Let us, therefore, survey understood, and zealously practiced, among men. A view of the Gospel, in this light, will furnish us with proper answers to some objections made by its enemies, as if it had been useless, nay, even prejudicial, to soand examine the striking features of society. An inference will likewise offer itpleasing a portrait. self to the consideration of its friends, suitable to this audience, and the present solemnity. It is by no means intended to enter into a discussion at large of the various topics here suggested by the apostle. It will be St. Paul, then, first declares the origin, more advisable to contract our views, and universality, and general intent of the confine them to a single point. It shall be Gospel. It was not a production of this; viz. the friendly aspect which Chris-earth: it came from above; it was xagis tianity, as here represented-and it is here Oss, the grace, or gift of God. As a gift, truly represented-bears towards society, we may conclude it given, like other gifts, and the welfare and felicity of mankind upon earth. In other words, I would wish, by an illustration of the text, to convey to your minds some faint idea of that state of things, which would begin to show itself in for the benefit of the receivers. As the gift of him, who is the Father of mercies, and the God of all consolation, it must be calculated to diffuse mercy and comfort among his creatures. Issuing from the God' actions of men must always take a deep tincture from the color of their religious or irreligious principles. He who believes in a Deity, of whatever kind, will endeavor to please, by imitating him: and he who believes in none, like the poor demoniac in the Gospel, easily bursts all other bands, neither can any man hold him. of peace and order, it could never be designed to give birth to wars and tumults. Offspring of that Being who, as St. John tells us, is love, it could never be intended to produce hatred in the hearts of which it should take possession. Proceeding from the God of holiness and of life, it was not designed to be the means of enlarging the empire of sin and death. It came, owrnpios, "Denying ungodliness, and worldly lusts," "bringing salvation," or deliverance, from Koduixa si dicuntur ea cupiditates, every enemy; and it came to all, without says Grotius, quas major pars hominum sequidistinction of sex or age, country or con- tur; ea enim major pars sæpe, in his libris, dition, Επεφανη η χαρις τε Θέση σωτηριος πασιν τε κόσμε vocatur nomine. Worldly lusts, or ανθρωποις. It appeared, it shone forth, desires, are desires whose objects are worldmanifesting itself by its own splendor, like ly, and by worldly men coveted and sought the day-spring from on high; like the light after by undue means, or in an inordinate of the morning when the sun ariseth, free, manner, beyond the limits designed and apbright, universal; author of light and life, pointed by God and nature. And what is it of joy and gladness; and hailed, as such, but the prosecution of such desires, that fills by all things in heaven and earth. It ap- the world with wickedness and misery ; propeared to dispel ignorance, as darkness; ducing luxury and extravagance among some; and to disseminate knowledge, as light; to poverty and wretchedness among others; inform and instruct mankind; adeouda hateful quarrels and vexatious suits between nuas, taking us into training, and putting individuals and families; ravaging and desous under discipline, in the school of a Di- lating wars between princes and kingdoms; vine Master, who teacheth us to avoid evil factions and tumults in the state; and, we and to pursue good; and who alone can may add, generally heresies and divisions in enable us to do either with effect. In this the church, as our apostle has somewhere last particular his school excels all others, classed them likewise among "the works of with respect to the benefits accruing from the flesh." Let not vain man, then, under it to civil society, in proportion as it is bet- the name and notion of philosophy, insult ter that men should practice virtue, than and revile, as a monkish and solitary princithat they should speak or write of it. Man-ple, that doctrine, on which the Son of God kind, it is true, wanted a perfect law, or rule of conduct; but this was not all. The perfection of a law would afford small comfort to those who lived under it, if they could not observe it, and must perish for transgressing it. Men stood in need of other things; they stood in need of pardon for their past errors, and a renewal of their powers unto future obedience. Herein is the glory of the Gospel. This is the triumph of" the grace of God," which, by the Gospel, "hath appeared unto all men, teaching us," and bestowing the virtues it enjoins, that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world." Apa asiav, denying, disclaiming, renouncing, forsaking impiety; every species of irreligion; either disbelief of a Deity, or mistaken notions of his nature, attributes, providence, and of the manner in which he is to be worshipped; with all the erroneous and abominable practices consequent thereupon. How prejudicial these were to the interests of society, no one can be ignorant, to whom the history of the heathen world is in any degree known. And the case must be the same in every age. The * has thought proper to lay the deep foundations of his religion, the doctrine of self-denial. In the present state of human nature, the desires of self are frequently the sickly cravings of a distempered being; the gratification of them would tend only to increase and inflame the disease; and therefore, by our heavenly physician, we are, in mercy, enjoined to "deny" them. All that he requesteth of us is, to consult our own happiness, and that of others; "let the desires that are contrary to the commands of the Gospel be examined, and it will be found that they cannot be satisfied without hurting human society;"† and if we are commanded to renounce worldly lusts, it is because they have deluged the earth with sin and sorrow. From the negative part of the apostle's description we pass on to that which is positive. Having "denied ungodliness and worldly lusts," we are to live, in the first place, soberly," dwproves. The noun, from whence this adverb is formed, signifies one of a sound mind, one that is master of himself, having his appetites and passions in due order and |