endowed, were

Among other things, which the apostle urges in favour of charity, he speaks of its eternal nature. All the spiritual gifts, he tells his converts, with which they were calculated only for this world. Prophecy shall be completed, and at an end- various languages, no longer necessary, shall cease the knowledge to be acquired in this imperfect state, will be of no use.

in heaven.

But charity never fails.

It commences on earth, and continues with us There it is exalted beyond what this world will allow. It becomes celestial love, and unites in praise to the Creator, with the blessed inhabitants of those regions of everlasting happiness.

*

It is from this eternal nature of charity the apostle, in a great degree, infers its superiority to faith and hope. In this world, says he, we exercise the three great virtues of faith, hope, and charity. But the two former of these losing their end, and even their existence, after our removal into another world; charity, which lasts for ever, is, therefore, of a nature superior to both.

The great conclusion to be drawn from the whole, which was my last head, is to consider faith, and charity, or good works, in their proper light. Faith, no doubt, is the foundation of all religion; and, when firmly established, good works will naturally follow. But, it must be considered that faith is thus a mean, not an end. The Gospel was intended to purify our nature, and make up the deficiencies of the fall. The whole Scripture, therefore, from one end to the other, exhorts us to good works, through faith in Christ. A heathen may be saved, we suppose, without faith: but no man was ever saved, so far as we are allowed to judge, without good works. Laying a stress upon these works, and thinking we merit heaven by them, is a different idea, and cannot be too much discouraged.

At the same time, I think, we should be cautious how we lay the chief stress on faith, and leave good works to follow as they may. Though this doctrine cannot mislead exalted minds; yet I fear it is a dangerous doctrine for common hearers, and liable to much misconception and self-deceit. There may be many, who, professing they have faith, which they consider as a justifying principle, are sometimes, perhaps,

rather

rather lax with regard to good works. In short, though faith, when explained in its full latitude, is the most valuable doctrine of Christianity; yet, when it is held in all its exclusive strictness, it seems, I think, to contradict the tenor of Scripture, and appears to oppose that superiority given by the apostle in the text to charity, which is every where represented as the end of the commandment.

TWELVE

SERMONS

ON THE

CHRISTIAN RELIGION.

I. The connexion between the fall of man and the revelation of the Gospel.

II. The preparation necessary for the reception of the Gospel.

III. The truth of Scripture.

IV. The proof of our Saviour's mission from miracles and prophecy. ·

V. The precise difference between Christianity and the moral law.

VI. The general design of Christianity.

VII.-The

VII. The conditions required of Christians— faith and repentance.

VIII. Forgiveness of injuries — restitution, and advancement in Christian perfection.

IX. The promises of the Gospel.

X.-The threatenings of the Gospel.

XI.-The sacraments.

XII.- Recapitulation of the whole.

The last sermon, No. XXV., is so closely connected with the subject of the foregoing twelve sermons, that the author prints it as a concluding discourse.