who would call that faith, a living, saving faith, which has not made them better men, and more. consistent followers of Christ? So that it is plain that corresponding works are not only necessary as evidences or proofs, but are actually essential parts in the constitution of faith itself, without which it cannot be said even to have a real existence.

Thirdly; in the 21st verse of this chapter he appeals to the very same argument by which St. Paul proved the doctrine of justification by faith, to shew that that faith itself was evidenced and perfected by works. "Was not Abraham our father," he asks, "justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?" "Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?" And on the same principle he further intimates that in all those cases which St. Paul has recorded of remarkable and distinguished faith, it was by corresponding actions, (as we know it to have been the case especially in the character of Abraham) that that faith was evidenced in the sight of both God and man. And, lastly, he completes his summary of arguments by a comparison derived from the life of the body, asserting that, "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." Inert indeed, and inactive as the

dead* is that cold and dormant principle of faith which finds not its vent in external manifestations like these. It has but the name and the form, it has nothing of the spirit of devotion; it has nothing of life, nothing of animation; it can scarcely be said even to exist, or, at its very best, is little more than an empty and unmeaning name.

III. It is the doctrine of our church, therefore, a doctrine which you will see is framed from a comparison of both these apostles, and the general spirit of scripture, and which, you will also observe, is equally removed from extremes on both sides,-that, while on the one hand, "we have no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a good will, and working with us when we have that will;" so, on the other, "good works are pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ, and do spring out necessarily of a true and lively faith, insomuch that by them a lively faith may be as evidently known as a tree discerned by the fruit."

* See the Fourth Homily of our church, "Of the true, lively, and christian Faith." A passage is there quoted from "A book intituled to be of Didymus Alexandrinus," to this effect;"Forasmuch as faith without works is dead, it is not now faith, as a dead man is not a man. This dead faith, therefore, is not that sure and substantial

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faith which saveth Article xii.

48

THE DOCTRINE OF FAITH AND WORKS.

But other illustrations crowd on us as we proceed, and there remain yet a variety of considerations connected with this important subject which must be reserved for a future discourse.

From what, however, has been already said, we may satisfy ourselves how mistaken is the supposition that there is any real discrepancy between the several parts of God's written word. We may learn that no doctrine of scripture will afford us excuses for spiritual negligence or sloth. We may learn that we have all our several parts, however humble, to perform in the respective spheres which providence has assigned us.-That the true Christian spirit, if it be really like the light which cometh from heaven, will shine forth in our words, our actions, and our lives.-And that if we wish sincerely to be " rulers over many things "* hereafter, and "to enter into the joy of our Lord," we must first have been "faithful over the few things," and made a right use of the few "talents," that are entrusted to our disposal here.

*Matt. xxv. 21.

SERMON III.

THE DOCTRINE OF FAITH AND WORKS,

CONTINUED.

James ii. 17, 18.

Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 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.

IV. BUT let it not be said that, in treating of this important question, we have been discussing a point which leads us beyond the range of the common practices and the common feelings of humanity, and in which, therefore, we are deprived of the illustrations which those practices and feelings may supply. We are too fond, in general, of clothing with imaginary difficulties even the simplest doctrines of the gospel; and, strange as it may appear, we often hesitate about the pro

D

priety of duties to God, which, in the case of a fellow creature, it would appear one of the plainest dictates of nature to fulfil. The ques

tion of faith and works, in particular, I am persuaded, has been disfigured by much of this unnecessary mystery; and I believe that, if we can regard it, for a moment, apart from the adventitious difficulties with which it has been encumbered, we shall find that, in the relation which the one bears to the other, this doctrine will admit of a comparison with the ordinary affairs of life which may tend greatly to simplify its meaning.

1. Take, for instance, faith in any one of the interpretations it bears, whether as signifying "belief," "trust," "confidence," or "fidelity," and ask whether, in any of the dealings or relations of this world, we should be willing to recognize even its existence unless it were in some way developed in practice. In common life, we universally act on the acknowledged principle. that belief and conviction must necessarily, and by the natural course of things, influence the outward conduct, and that we have done enough to prompt a fellow creature to action, if we have only assured his self-interest, or convinced his self-love. What, for instance, should we say if we had pointed out to another some immediate