narrowness, and Clement and Ignatius pass for but very moderate divines, when compared with the new lights of the Tabernacle and Foundery? Should this method of studying divinity prevail, to the exclusion of the other, there will soon be neither order left in the church nor certainty in the faith.

It is by no means my design, in the following discourse, to endeavour to conduct you through all the windings and foldings of the polemical labyrinth of justification. A matter of such importance as man's acceptance with his Maker does not, blessed be God, depend upon nice scholastic subtleties, nor fond enthusiastic fancies. It may be settled in a short and easy way, by such plain declarations of Scripture as holy men of old were wont to direct themselves by, in those happy times when no one was accounted a believer who was not virtuous, and when faith and a good life were synonymous terms. "Alas!" saith Bishop Taylor, "the niceties of a spruce understand"ing and the curious nothings of useless specula

tion, and all the opinions of men that make the "divisions of heart, and do nothing else, cannot

bring us one drop of comfort in the day of tribu"lation, and therefore are no parts of the strength "of faith: nay, when a man begins truly to fear "God, and is in the agonies of mortification, all these "new nothings and curiosities will lie neglected by, "as bawbles do by children when they are deadly "sick. But that only is faith, which makes us to "love God, to do his will, to suffer his impositions,

to trust his promises, to see through a cloud, to "overcome the world, to resist the devil, to stand

"in the day of trial, and to be comforted in all our "sorrows." The proposition therefore which I shall undertake to prove, or rather to collect and set before you in one point of view the arguments by which learned men, and particularly the author of the Harmonia, have irrefragably proved it, is that evidently contained in the words of St. James now read to you, viz. that works wrought through faith are a necessary condition of our justification: "Ye see, "then, how that by works a man is justified, and not 'by faith only."

I call works a necessary condition of our justification, because most certain it is, that the only meritorious cause thereof is the satisfaction of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who alone by his most precious blood shed upon the cross hath obtained for us remission of sins and eternal life. But in the Gospel covenant, to which we are now admitted by baptism, faith and works are the conditions, to the performance of which through the power of his grace God has annexed the promises of redemption, and without the performance of which a right to those promises can neither be acquired nor preserved. That faith is such a necessary condition, all Christians are agreed. That works are so likewise I shall prove from Scripture testimonies; from Scripture examples; from the nature of faith; from the nature of justification; and from the process at the day of judgement: after which I shall show from

Bp. Taylor's Sermon styled Fides Formata, printed in the folio edition of his Sermons, p. 43.

St. Paul's own words, that he preaches the very same doctrine with St. James; and close the whole with the state of that doctrine given by Bishop Bull in the noble confession of his faith in this particular made by him when on his death bed.

And, first, that works are a necessary condition of our justification may be proved from plain and express testimonies of holy Scripture. For thus God by the prophet Isaiah enjoins his rebellious people to "cease to do evil, and learn to do well," and then promises that though "their past sins were as

scarlet, they should be white as snowd." Here, "remission of sins" through the Redeemer is the gift on God's part: " ceasing to do evil," and "learning to "do well," are the conditions on man's part. In the same manner the prophet Ezekiel informs the sinner, to his great and endless comfort, that if he will "turn from his evil ways, and make restitution, "and walk in the statutes of life," then "all his sins "that he hath sinned shall not be once mentioned"." Our Lord in the Gospel calls all sinners to him, that they may "find rest to their souls" in the arms of his mercy forgiving them their trespasses; but then it is upon condition that they "take his yoke," that is, his law " upon them, and learn of him, and fol"low him," as his disciples, in word and deed. "Ye are my friends," says he in another place, "if ye do whatsoever I command you." Agreeably hereto it is declared by St. Peter,

that in every

d Isai. i. 16.

e Ezek. xxxiii. 14.

f John, xv. 14.

"nation he that feareth God and worketh righteous

ness is accepted of him." And St. John in like manner instructs us, that "if we walk in light, as "God is in the light, then have 'we communion with "him, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleans"eth us from all sinh." And again-" Let no man "deceive you;" there is therefore some danger of our being deceived in this point: "he that doeth "righteousness is righteous." And these testimonies may suffice for the necessity of works in general as a condition of our justification.

But we must not, upon this occasion, forget those Scriptures which insist upon the necessity of the great work of repentance in particular for that purpose. To call men from time to time to repentance was a part of the employment of the prophets until John, who thus began his preaching-" Repent, for "the kingdom of heaven is at hand:" "bring forth "fruits meet for repentance;" that is, in the language of St. Paul, "do works meet for repent"ance". m "" When Jesus himself began to preach, it was in these words: "Repent, and believe the "Gospel "." With him accordeth the apostle St. Peter, in his first sermon to the Jews on the day of Pentecost" Repent, and be baptized, every one "of you, for the remission of sins." And again, in another sermon afterwards-"Repent, and be "converted, that your sins may be blotted out" ;” that is, that you may be justified. Nor is repent

Acts, x. 34.
Matt. iii. 2.

" Mark, i. 15.

h 1 John, i. 7.
1 Ibid. 8.

0

Acts, ii. 38.

i 1 John, iii. 7.

m Acts, xxvi. 20. P Ibid. xiii. 19.

ance a single work, but a complication of many, comprehending under it, if it be genuine and sincere, the following particulars: viz. a true sorrow and deep compunction of heart for sins past; a humiliation under the righteous hand of God; a hatred and detestation of sin; an unreserved confession of it; an earnest and importunate solicitation for the divine grace and mercy; the fear and love of God; a ceasing from evil, and the occasions that may lead to it; a firm purpose of a new obedience; restitution of what hath been unjustly gotten; forgiveness of all them who may have trespassed against us; and lastly, works of beneficence and charity. These are the plain and easy diagnostics of a true repentance, as that is the best evidence of a man's being an object of the divine mercy, and in the right way to justification.

A second argument to prove that works are a necessary condition of our justification, may be deduced from the examples of holy men of old who were so justified. Of these illustrious worthies we have a long list in the eleventh chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews. Here let us learn what justifying faith is, by seeing what it was, and what it did, in those heroes of the ancient church proposed to us by the apostle for our imitation. By faith Abel offered a sacrifice in obedience to the institution of God; Noah built an ark; Abraham left his country and kindred, and offered up all that was near and dear to him; Moses rejected all the pleasures and honours of the court of Egypt, and chose to have his part and portion with the oppressed and afflicted church;