"We know,"

of the promises of the gospel. says he, "that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before GOD. Therefore, by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in His sight; for, by the law is the knowledge of sin. But, now, the righteousness of GOD without" (independently of, x)" the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of GOD (which is) by faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all, them, that believe: For there is no difference; for all have sinned and come short of the glory of GOD; being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth (to be) a 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, at this time, His righteousness, that He might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? Nay, but by the law of faith. Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith without (xapis) the deeds of

the law. (Is He) the GoD of the Jews only? (Is He) not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also. Seeing (it is) one GOD which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. Do we, then, make void the law through faith? GOD forbid yea, we establish the law."▾

Faith, then, implies a firm reliance on GoD and His promises, a deep sense of our own impotency and unworthiness, a grateful acceptance of the free gift of justification through Christ. With such a faith is, necessarily connected, love towards GoD and man; that love springing, naturally, as it were, out of such faith, as fruit from a tree. And, by such " faith," man is said to be justified. "And, now," says St. Paul, "abideth faith,

hope, charity, these three, but the greatest of

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▾ Rom. iii. 19-31.

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these is charity.' And why is charity the Cor. xiii. greatest of these three? Because, it "never faileth;" for it is eternal as the Deity him- — -8 self. Faith, which "is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen," will, when the things hoped for are seen and possessed, cease to have existence. Hope, will then, be lost in eternal, and immutable, fruition. But charity, whose influence, from everlasting, in the councils of GOD,

prompted the establishment of the Christian scheme, while, in itself, it constituted, as it were, the very soul and essence of that scheme; shall, when that scheme has received its full and final consummation, diffuse itself throughout the mansions of the blessed, animating the grateful strains of the redeemed, blending all the heavenly host in harmony and in love, and uniting them, throughout eternity, with their Redeemer and their GOD.

St. James confirms what St. Paul says respecting true faith, namely, that it is that "faith which worketh by love." For, addressing himself to those who were deficient in works of charity, "who despised the James ii.6. poor," but who laid a stress on their "faith;" he says, "What (doth it) profit, my brethren, though a man say he have faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, depart in peace, be (ye) warmed and filled, notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body, what (doth it) profit? Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works; shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one

GOD; thou doest well; the devils also believe and tremble. But, wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" Such fruitless faith, must, indeed, be dead; such is not the living faith which St. Paul describes and commends: "Faith which worketh by love," by that love which springs out of faith unfeigned." For, the workings of faith prove it to be genuine. If faith be of that true and genuine character which the Apostles describe, it must evince that character by its fruits. Those fruits afford a proof that the faith professed is genuine faith. They cannot effect anything towards procuring justification; they are, merely, the evidence of the existence of justifying faith.

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Thus, we find St. Paul and St. James, each, referring to Abraham, as a case illustrative of the doctrine which they maintain respecting faith. St. Paul argues, that "faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness;" "Abraham believed GOD, and it was counted to him for righteousness."" And how did Abraham testify his firm belief, his "faith?" He, "against hope, believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be. And, being not weak in faith,

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he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old; neither the deadness of Sarah's womb. He staggered not at the promise of GOD through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to GOD, and being fully persuaded, that, what He had promised, He was able to perform; and, therefore, it was imputed to him for righteousRom. iv. ness.' This firm faith, on the part of Abraham, was reckoned to him for righteousness. His imputed righteousness was of faith, that it might be a gift of grace, or free favour for, had he been justified by works, his justification would not have been the result of mere favour on the part of GOD; but, it would have been the reward due to those works; for, as St. Paul argues, "to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt; but to him that worketh not" (that is, has not any meritorious actions to present as entitled to recompense), "but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David, also, describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom GOD imputeth righteousness without (xweis) works, (saying)—Blessed (is) the -4 man to whom the Lord will not impute sin."e Thus was Abraham justified by his faith.

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