VI.

SERM.eafily reconciled. The one, as I have already fhewed, teaches, that we are justified by grace and by faith without works: The other directly afferts, that faith without works cannot justify. They both prove their seemingly contrary affertions by the example of Abraham. For as St. Paul expreffly fays, his faith without works was imputed to him for righteousness; and refers to the words of fcripture, Gen. xv. 6. Abraham believed, and it was counted to him for righteousness. St. James as plainly says, was not Abraham our father juftified by works when he offered his fon Ifaac upon the altar? And fupports his doctrine by the fame paffage in Genefis: For, fays he, and the fcripture was fulfilled which faith, Abrabam believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness. But the works which thefe two apoftles fpeak of are intirely dif ferent. St. Paul treats of the works of the law, of circumcifion, and facrifices, and washing, and tythes: But St. James of judgment, mercy and faith, and the love of God; of virtue and charity out of a pure heart, and a good confcience, and faith unfeigned. Thefe laft, as he speaks in the cafe of Abraham, work together with faith,

and

and by them faith is made perfect. That SERM. eminent patriarch did not obtain righteouf VI. nefs, and that high title of the friend of God, by his diligence and zeal in ritual obfervances; but by a very substantial proof of his confidence in God, and refignation to his will, which carried faith to its highest perfection. In like manner, altho' the works of the mofaic inftitution, or the Jewish religion, are now laid afide; and if we seek to be justified by them, we are fallen from grace; it does not follow, that the works of the chriftian religion, and obedience to the commands of Chrift, are unneceffary likewife; for by them it is that faith is made perfect, practical christianity receives its finish'd form, and they are what the gospel indifpenfably requires to our sal

vation.

The fum is this; when the religion of nature, which effentially confifts in an imitation of God's moral perfections, when this was fo obfcured in the degenerate state of human nature, that the end generally could not be obtained by it, that is, bringing men to the regular practice of virtue, and to the happiness they were originally defign'd for; it pleafed God to favour fome

SERM. of mankind with a positive revelation of his VI. will. The patriarchal form of religion was

first instituted, and then the Mofaical, in which with a mixture of many ceremonies, fuitable to the then state of things, and the genius of the people to whom it was given, there are many excellent inftructions in the chief points of duty: but, afterwards this alfo proving infufficient, for the apoftle fhews, that both Jews and Gentiles finned, and fell short of the glory of God, and therefore were equally concluded under wrath; it pleafed God, by his Son Jefus Chrift, to publish the law of faith, and declare his righteoufnefs for the remiffion of fins; by which all, who fubmit to it, whether formerly under the Jewish difpenfation, or heathenish darkness and fuperftition, should be alike entitled to the favour of God.

N

T

By this new conftitution the former was difannulled, because of the weakness and unprofitablenefs thereof. But the effence of religion remains the fame and unalterable, however the outward forms of it may vary. The fubftance of all true religion is obedience to the moral and eternal law of God; that is, to imitate him in juftice, holiness, The ceremonies which Mofes inftituted

and mercy.

instituted were of no fignificancy, farther SER M. than as they ferved to promote this end, as VI. appears by many express declarations of the Old Teftament itself. The Prophets often warn the Ifraelites not to trust in their oblations, and their ritual obfervances; for God loved mercy more than facrifice; and the knowledge of him, and obedience to his moral law, more than all their burnt-offerings; that he took no pleasure in the blood of bulls and goats; nay thousands of rams, and ten thousand rivers of oyl, could not expiate the leaft of their tranfgreffions. And the only way to please him was, to cease to do evil, and learn to do well; to feek judgment, relieve the oppreffed, judge the fatherless, and plead for the widow: in fine, to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God. Thus the apostle teaches us to understand the true fpirit of the Jewish religion, and to diftinguish between a nominal Jew, who is one outwardly, and him who is fincere, and comes up to the real defign of his prefeffion. Rom. ii. 28, 29. He is not a Few who is one outwardly; neither is that circumfion which is outward in the flesh but he is a few, which is one inwardly, and circumfion is that of the heart, in the spirit and not

SERM. in the letter, whofe praife is not of men but VI. of God. The cafe is the fame in christia

may

nity, which is perverted in the worst manner, if we take encouragement from it to fin. The apoftle having fully establish'd his doctrine of grace, and faid, that it did much more abound where fin had abounded; afks this question, what shall we say then, Rom. vi. 1. fhall we continue in fin that grace abound? Which inference he rejects with the utmost abhorrence. God forbid! and goes on to fhew, that it is quite contrary to the nature and defign of the christian state, whereby we are dead to fin, and therefore ought not, to live any longer therein. Elsewhere he speaks of it as a most fhocking abfurdity, to make Chrift the minister of fin; which is really the meaning of representing the gofpel, as if it made void the law, or in any respect weaken'd the obligation which is upon christians to keep its precepts.

Upon the whole; one cannot imagine a greater inconsistency, than for a christian to tranfact with God and claim to his favour, upon the foot of external obfervances, or of faith, while he allows himself in any vicious courfe, and neglects judgment, mercy, and

the