LETTER XVI.

Wherein is confider

ed in what Respects good Works are neceffary; and our Obligations to them reprefented and urged.

SIR,

YOUR obfervation is juft, that "it would be

"unfuitable and unfeafonable to make apologies for this further trouble [as you are pleafed to "call it] after I have given you fo many affurances "of my cheerful readiness, to contribute all in my "power to your beft intereft."-Indeed, Sir, I have found nothing troublesome in the whole progrefs of our correfpondence, excepting some dark apprehenfions of late, left you would frustrate the grace of God, in feeking righteousness, not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. But it now greatly animates my endeavours to ferve you, to find thofe fears on my part fo happily removed, by finding, "the difficulties on your part obviated, in "that important point, and you fatisfied with re

fpect to the foundation of your hope." I am fenfible, that the principles which I have been pleading for, are "commonly loaded with oppro"brious invectives, as being destructive of an holy "life, and fubverfive of morality and godliness." But I think I have already given you fufficient evidence, that all thefe infinuations are mere calumnies; and that there is no other poffible foundation, than what I have reprefented to you, for a life of true holiness and piety. I appeal to your own obfervation and experience, whether in general there be any that live more holy lives, and more honour their profeffion, than they who moft strictly ad here to the doctrines of fpecial grace, and depend

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upon Chrift alone for righteousness and strength; and whether they, on the contrary, who depend upon their good works for a title to the divine favour, do not too commonly fhew the weakness of their foundation, by the careleffnefs and unfruitfulness of their lives.

The question which you propofe, is however worthy of a diftinct confideration." How far, and " in what refpects are our good works neceffary to "falvation?"

In order to give you a proper view of this case, it will be needful to anfwer this queftion both nega tively and pofitively; or to fhew you wherein our good works ought to have no place, nor be at all looked to or depended upon; and then to fhew you wherein good works ought to have place, and in what refpect they are neceffary to every Christian indeed, that would entertain a well grounded hope of eternal life.

In my negative answer to this question, I must firft obferve, that we are not to do good works in order to change God's purposes and designs towards us, or to excite his benevolence and compaffion to us. -I fufpect, it is too common a cafe for men to depend upon their penitent frames, their duties, their reformations, their works of charity, or other reli. gious exercises, as what will excite affections, paffions, or compaffions in the glorious God, correfpondent to what they find in themfelves. And thence, when confcience upbraids the finner for his paft provocations to God, he hopes to appease his difpleasure by his remorse, by his duties, or by his more careful future conduct: And now he is deli vered to do all thefe abominations; his account is balanced, and he begins upon a new fcore. Thence it is that his hopes and fears bear proportion to his frames and carriages. Every ferious pang, every religious

religious duty, or moral practice, which his confcience approves, will raise his dejected hopes, and give him comforting expectations of the divine fayour. But it fhould always be remembered, that the change to be hoped for by our duties, religious frames, or moral conduct, must be in ourselves, and not in God. He is of one mind, and who can turn bim? He is the Lord, he changeth not. We are therefore not to look to our good works, but to the Redeemer's merits, and the infinite mercy of the divine nature, as what will render God propitious to us. Though we are only to hope for mercy in a way of duty, it is not because this will render God more willing to bestow it; but because it is the way which God has appointed, to render us more difpofed and ready to receive it. It is an imagina. tion very unworthy of God, to fuppofe that we can move him to the exercife of compaffion, whofe very nature is goodness and love itself; that we can excite any mercy in him, whofe infinite mercy endures for ever; or that we can procure any change of purpose in him, who is without any variableness, or Shadow of turning. When the glorious God treats with us, as if he were a partaker of human affections and paffions, this is in mere condefcenfion to our weakness; we being incapable to behold him as he is. Surely it is not to lead us into apprehenfions, that he is altogether fuch an one as ourselves. Our business therefore is, to come to Chrift, and learn of him, to bow our necks to his yoke, to do good works from faith in Chrift, and out of love and obedience to him; and in that way to hope in God for mercy, for Christ's fake, and for his own fake, and not for ours. We are to obey him as a gra. cious Sovereign; and to hope in him as the fovereign author and donor of his own favours. We are to hope in his mercy; not because we can al

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lure him to the exercise of it, or recommend ourfelves to him by any thing we can do; but because he is infinite in goodness, and delighteth in mercy. The gifts and calling of God are without repentance, Rom. xi. 29.

I may add, we are not to do good works with a view to qualify us for our reception of Chrift by faith, or for our intereft in him.-Multitudes feem moft dangerously to deceive their fouls in this matter. It is but too common a cafe for men to quiet their confciences, and to entertain hopes of falvation, from apprehenfions, that they endeavour to be found in a way of duty, they endeavour to mortify their lufts, and to live a holy life; and therefore, though guilty of many defects, both in their duties and converfations, they hope God will accept them upon Chrift's account, that the merits of Chrift will make up the defects of their performances, and his blood cleanse them from the guilt of their fins.If they should fall into fome more grofs and enor mous fin, or grow careless and remifs in duty, they will then perhaps fall into a panic, and terrify them. felves with apprehenfions, that Chrift will not accept fuch as they are; but when they have reform. ed their conduct, their fears blow over, and they revive their hopes, that they fhall yet obtain mercy for Chrift's fake. And what is the natural language of all this, but that they fhall obtain an intereft in Chrift by their good works; and when they have done their part, he will do the reft, will make up the defects of their attainments, and give such a value to their fincere (though imperfect) obedience, that this fhall recommend them to the favour and acceptance of God?-As though the glorious Redeemer undertook our ranfom, for no other end, than to render our deficient duties meritorious, and our fins innocent and inoffenfive.-This legal and Self-righteous

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felf-righteous principle feems generally to obtain with the careless carnal world. And when finners come under conviction of their guilt and danger, they are yet influenced by the faine legal difpofition, though it appear in another form. What diftreffing fears and terrors do they usually agonize under! How impoffible is it to give them any fenfible view of the hope that is fet before them! But what stands in the way? Their fins are great, their hearts are hard, their duties formal and hypocritical, their corruptions prevalent, that they can. not think Christ will accept fuch as they are; and therefore they dare not venture their fouls and their eternal interefts upon him.-Were the cafe otherwise, could they fubdue these stubborn hearts, could they get a victory over these corruptions, fanctify these depraved affections, and be more fpiritual in their duties; or, in other words, could they themfelves begin their own falvation; then they could depend upon Chrift to carry on the work in their fouls; and then they could hope, that God would accept them for Chrift's fake.But all this is to fubftitute our own righteousness in· the place and ftead of the righteousness of Chrift; or, at best, to divide the work of our falvation between Chrift and ourselves.

Will you bear with me, Sir, if I am forced to exprefs my fears, that you are yet under too great remainders of this unhappy difpofition.—I rejoice in your recovery from your late dangerous mistake. I cannot but hope, that you have chofen the good part, which shall not be taken from you. But what mean the frequent returns of your defponding hours? Whence do your hopes and fears bear proportion to your prefent frames? What occafions thofe many dark apprehenfions, not only that you have not yet an intereft in Chrift, but that you fhall