to the Truth of the Gofpel, but by Obedience to the Commands of it? And I do not fee that upon the concontrary fuppofition, viz. that the Faith of the Gofpel doth not include Obedience in it, it is poffible to reconcile these two Apoftles. Suppose this was St. Paul's meaning, that we are juftified by Faith, as the only Condition and Inftrument, call it what they will, of our juftification; but not by Obedience or good Works, as a condition of our Juftification; by what kind of Comment can St. James his words be brought to this fenfe? What Man would allow that those words at the 21. ver. Was not Abraham our Father juftified by works, when be offer'd Ifaac his fon upon the altar, fhould be explained by this fenfe? Was not Abraham, when in Obedience to God's Command he had of fer'd his Son upon the Altar, and upon this Act of Obedience was juftified, was not he juftified by Faith only, and not by any work or act of Obedience? Or that those words at the 24. verfe, Ye fee then that by works a man is justified; and not by Faith only, fhould be interpret

ed

Sermon

IX.

ed, Ye fee then that by Faith only a Volume Man is juftified, and not by Works? XII. And unless they be thus interpreted,

they are not to be reconciled with the fenfe of St. Paul's words, which many faften upon them: but if St. Paul's words be taken in the most plain and obvious fenfe they are capable of, viz. that we are not justified by the works of the law, that is, by performing the works required by the legal Difpenfation; but by the faith of Jefus Christ, that is, by affenting and fubmitting to the Revelation of the Gofpel; we do not ftrain St. James his words, to reconcile him with St. Paul:

And thus I have fhewn, that where the Scripture speaks of Juftification by Faith, it speaks of this Faith which I have described. I add, and of no other; not of a bare appropriation of the Grace and Mercy of the Gofpel; that is, in plain English, this is not justifying Faith, to believe that I am pardoned, and juftified, nor to have a firm affurance of this. For if we be juftified by Faith, we muft believe before we can be juftified; but if this be justifying Faith to believe,

or

or be affured we are juftified, we must be justified before we believe; Sermon or else when we believe that we are IX... justified, we must believe that which is not true. Nor is this juftifying Faith, to lay hold of the Righteoufnefs and Merits of Chrift for the Pardon of our fins; that is, to truft and confide only in that, as the meritorious Cause of our Pardon. For tho' this be part of the notion of justifying Faith, it is not all; tho' this be one of the Terms or Conditions upon which we are juftified; yet it is not the whole and intire condition; which befides this takes in an affent to the whole Gofpel, Repentance from dead works, and Obedience to all the Precepts of the Gofpel. And if any Man can produce any one Text which faith, that the Faith which juftifies, confifts only in the trust and confidence in the Merits of Chrift, for the Pardon of fin, or any thing to this effect, I will be moft ready publickly to acknowledge my error: but if no body can do this, I fhall beg their Pardon if I do continue ftill of the fame mind I

was.

I

XII.

Volume I have now done with the fourth thing I propounded: but before I fpeak to the two heads which remain, I must remove an Objection or two, that my former Difcourfe may feem liable to.

Objection firft, To make Obedience a Condition of Pardon, feems to take away the freenefs of God's Grace in pardoning finners.

1. God's Grace in pardoning a finner is faid to be free, not becaufse it is not fufpended upon any Condition; for the Scripture tells us plainly, that it is upon the condition of Faith, and Repentance, and forgiving others, and the like: but it is free, because God was pleafed freely to give his Son to die for our fins, and to accept of his Sacrifice for the expiation of them, and to impofe eafie and reasonable Conditions upon us, in order to our enjoying of this benefit; and upon fuch Conditions, tho' they have nothing of Virtue, or Merit, of any Natural or Moral Efficacy to

deferve,

deferve, or procure fuch a Benefit as the Pardon of our fins, for the fake of his Son, whom he gave to be a ranfom for us, to receive us to Grace and Mercy; and I think this bundantly enough to make our juftification very gracious and free, tho' not abfolutely

free from all condition.

2. Our Salvation is faid in Scripture to be as free as our Juftification; we are faid to be faved by Grace, as well as juftified freely by his Grace. But will any Man fay, that we are faved without any Conditions, who reads thefe Texts? He that believeth an the Son, hath everlasting life: but he that believeth not the Son, shall not fee life. Bleffed are the are the pure in heart: for they shall fee God. Except ye repent, ye Shall all likewife perish. If ye walk after the flesh, ye shall die: but if thra the Spirit, ye mortifie the deeds of the flesh, ye shall live. "Without holiness no man fball fee the Lord. So that he who can understand how we may be saved by Grace, tho' our Salvation be fufpended upon the Condition of Faith, Repentance, and Holiness, and Obe dience of life, may, if he please, unS derstand