tence passed upon us in that day, then they are a necessary condition of our justification." This is an argument which has been built much upon, from Bp. Bull to the present day. Its fallacy lies in considering the works of believers as the only or chief ground of that sentence; that is, the administration of eternal life to them in its different degrees of glory at the coming of Christ. That it is not so, is plain from those express passages of Scripture which represent eternal life as the fruit of Christ's atonement, and the gift of God through him. "By grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works," &c. "Why," says an old writer, "might he not have said, By grace are ye saved, through faith and works; it were as easy to say the one as the other."(2) If our works are the sole ground of that sentence of eternal life, then is the reward of righteousness of debt according to the law of works, and not of grace; but if of grace, then works are not the sole or chief ground of our final reward. If of debt, we claim in our own right; and the works rewarded must be in every sense our own; but good works are not our own works; we are "created in Christ Jesus unto good works ;" and derive all the power to do them from him. If, then, we have not the right of reward in ourselves, we have it in another; and thus we again come to another and higher ground of the final seatence than the works wrought even by them that believe, namely, the covenant-right which we derive from Christ,-right grounded on promise. If then, it is asked, in what sense good works are any ground at all of the final sentence of eternal life, we answer, they are so secondarily and subordinately, 1. As evidences of that faith and that justified state from which alone truly good works can spring. 2. As qualifying us for heaven; they and the principles from which they spring constituting our holiness, our "meetness for the inheritance of the saints in light." 3. As rewardable; but still of grace, not of debt, of promise, not of our own right, since after all we have done, though we had lived and suffered as the apostles to whom the words were first addressed, we are commanded to confess ourselves "unprofitable servants." In this sense good works, though they have no part in the office of justifying the ungodly, that is, in obtaining forgiveness of sin, are necessary to salvation, though they are not the ground of it. As they are pleasing to God, so are they approved and rewarded by God. "They prevent future guilt, but take away no former guilt, evidence our faith and title to everlasting glory, strengthen our union with Christ because they strengthen faith, confirm our hope, glorify God, give good example to men, make us more capable of communion with God, give some content to our consciences, and there is happiness in the doing of them, and in the remembrance of them when done. Blessed are they who always abound in them, for they know that their labour is not in vain in the Lord. Yet Bellarmin, though a great advancer of merit, thought it the safest way to put our sole trust not in these good works, but in Christ. It is, indeed, not only the safest, but the only way so to do, if we would be justified before God. True, we shall be judged according to our works, but it doth not follow that we shall be justified by our works. God did never ordain good works, which are the fruits of a sincere faith in Christ, to acquire a right unto the remission of sin and eternal life; but to be a means by which we may obtain possession of the rewards he hath promised.(3) justify, sanctify, &c., are to be taken to express that church relation into which, by the destruction of the Jewish polity, believing Jews and Gentiles were brought; that they are "antecedent blessings," enjoyed by all professed Christians, though, unless they avail themselves of these privileges for the purposes of personal holiness, they cannot be saved. This scheme is, in many respects, delusive and absurd, as it confounds collective privileges with those attainments which from their nature can only be personal. If we allow that with respect to "election," for instance, it may have a plausibility, because nations of men may be elected to peculiar privileges of a religious kind; yet with respect to the others, as "justification," &c., the notion requires no lengthened refutation. Jus tification is, as the apostle Paul states it, pardon of sin; but are the sins of nations pardoned, because they are professedly Christian? This is a personal attainment, and can be no other, and collective justification, by church privileges, is a wild dream, which mocks and trifles with the Scriptures. According to this scheme, there is a scriptural sense in which the most profane and immoral man, provided he profess himself a Christian, may be said to be justified, that is, pardoned; sanc. tified, that is, made holy; and adopted, that is, made a child of God! CHAPTER XXIV. BENEFITS DERIVED TO MAN FROM THE ATONEMENT.→ CONCOMITANTS OF JUSTIFICATION. THE leading blessings concomitant with justification, are REGENERATION and ADOPTION; with respect to which we may observe generally, that although we must distinguish them as being different from each other, and from justification, yet they are not to be separated. They occur at the same time, and they all enter into the experience of the same person; so that no man is justified without being regenerated and adopted, and no man is regenerated and made a son of God, who is not justified. Whenever they are mentioned in Scripture, they, therefore, involve and imply each other; a remark which may preserve us from some errors. Thus, with respect to our heirship, and consequent title to eternal life, in Titus iii. 7, it is grounded upon our justification, "For we are justified by his grace, that we should be heirs according to the hope of eternal life." In 1 Pet. i. 3, it is connected with our regeneration. "Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who of his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, unto an inheritance," &c. Again, in Rom. viii. 17, it is grounded upon our adoption-"If children, then heirs." These passages are a sufficient proof, that justification, regeneration, and adoption are not distinct and different titles, but constitute one and the same title, through the gift of God in Christ, to the heavenly inheritance. They are attained, too, by the same faith. We are "justified by faith ;" and we are the "children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." Accordingly, in the following passages, they are all united as the effect of the same act of faith. "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God (which appellation includes reconciliation and adoption), even to them that believe on his name, which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God," or, in other words, were regenerated. The last theory of justification to which it is necessary to advert, is that comprised in the scheme of Dr. The observations which have been made on the subTaylor, of Norwich, in his Key to the Apostolic Writ-ject, in the preceding chapter, will render it the less ings. It is, that all such phrases as to elect, call, adopt, necessary to dwell here at length upon the nature and extent of Regeneration. (2) The reader will also recollect, Rom. vi. 23, "The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ." The following passages expressly make the atonement of Christ the ground of our title to eternal life. "By his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemptio for us." "He is the Mediator of the New Testament, that, by means of death, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance," Heb. ix. 12-15. "Christ died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him," 1 Thess. v. 10. (3) LAWSON's Theo-politica. It is that mighty change in man, wrought by the Holy Spirit, by which the dominion which sin has over him in his natural state, and which he deplores and struggles against in his penitent state, is broken and abolished, so that, with full choice of will and the energy of right affections, he serves God freely, and "runs in the way of his commandments." "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." "For sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace." now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end But ADOPTION is the second concomitant of justification, and is a large and comprehensive blessing. To suppose that the apostles take this term from the practice of the Greeks, Romans, and other nations who had the custom of adopting the children of others, and investing them with all the privileges of their natural offspring, is, probably, a refinement. It is much more likely, that they had simply in view the obvious fact, that our sins had deprived us of our sonship, the favour of God, and our right to the inheritance of eternal life; that we had become strangers, and aliens, and enemies; and that, upon our return to God, and reconciliation with him, our forfeited privileges were not only restored, but heightened through the paternal love of God. They could scarcely be forgetful of the affecting parable of the prodigal son; and it is under the same simple view, that St. Paul quotes from the Old Testament, "wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." everlasting life." Deliverance from the bondage of sin, | peace from God the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ," and the power and the will to do all things which are and enjoy "the communion of the Holy Ghost;" and pleasing to God, both as to inward habits and outward this Spirit, as the sanctifying Spirit, is given to us to acts, are, therefore, the distinctive characters of this state."abide with us, and to be in us," and then, we walk not That repentance is not regeneration, we have before after the flesh but after the Spirit. observed. It will not bear disputing whether regeneration begins with repentance; for if the regenerate state is only entered upon at our justification, then all that can be meant by this, to be consistent with the Scriptures, is, that the preparatory process, which leads to regeneration, as it leads to pardon, commences with conviction and contrition, and goes on to a repentant turning to the Lord. In the order which God has established, regeneration does not take place without this process. Conviction of the evil and danger of an unregenerate state must first be felt. God hath appointed this change to be effected in answer to our prayers; and acceptable prayer supposes that we desire the blessing we ask; that we accept of Christ as the appointed medium of access to God; that we feel and confess our own inability to attain what we ask from another; and that we exercise faith in the promises of God which convey the good we seek. It is clear that none of these is regeneration, for they all suppose it to be a good in prospect, the object of prayer and eager desire. True it is, that deep and serious conviction for sin, the power to desire deliverance from it, the power to pray, to struggle against the corruptions of an unregenerate heart, are all proofs of a work of God in the heart, and of an important moral change; but it is not this change, because regeneration is that renewal of our nature which gives us dominion over sin, and enables us to serve God, from love, and not merely from fear, and it is yet confessedly unattained, being still the object of search and eager desire. We are not yet "created anew unto good works," which is as special and instant a work of God as justification, and for this reason, that it is not attained before the pardon of our sins, and always accompanies it. This last point may be proved, 1. From the nature of justification itself, which takes away the penalty of sin; but that penalty is not only obligation to punishment, but the loss of the sanctifying Spirit, and the curse of being left under the slavery of sin, and under the dominion of Satan. Regeneration is effected by this Spirit restored to us, and is a consequence of our pardon; for though justification in itself is the remission of sin, yet a justified state implies a change, both in our condition and in our disposition: in our condition, as we are in a state of life, not of death, of safety, not of condemnation; in our disposition, as regenerate and new creatures. 2. From Scripture, which affords us direct proof that regeneration is a concomitant of justification, "If any man be IN CHRIST, he is a new creature." It is then the result of our entrance into that state in which we are said to be IN CHRIST; and the meaning of this phrase is most satisfactorily explained by Rom. viii. 1, considered in connexion with the preceding chapter, from which, in the division of the chapters, it ought not to have been separated. That chapter clearly describes the state of a person convinced and slain by the law applied by the SPIRIT. We may discover, indeed, in this description, certain moral changes, as consenting to the Jaw that it is good; delighting in it after the inward man; powerful desires; humble confession, &c. The state represented is, however, in fact, one of guilt, spiritual captivity, helplessness, and misery; a state of condemnation; and a state of bondage to sin. The opposite condition is that of a man "IN CHRIST JESUS:" to him "there is no condemnation;" he is forgiven; the bondage to sin is broken; he "walks not after the flesh, but after the SPIRIT." To be IN CHRIST is, therefore, to be justified, and regeneration instantly follows. We see, then, the order of the Divine operation in individual experience: conviction of sin, helplessness and danger; faith; justification; and regeneration. The regenerate state is, also, called in Scripture sanctification; though a distinction is made by the apostle Paul between that and being "sanctified wholly," a doctrine to be afterward considered. In this regenerate or sanctified state, the former corruptions of the heart may remain, and strive for the mastery; but that which characterizes and distinguishes it from the state of a penitent before justification, before he is "in Christ," is, that they are not even his inward habit; and that they have no dominion. Faith unites to Christ: by it we derive "grace and Adoption, then, is that act by which we who are alienated, and enemies, and disinherited, are made the sons of God, and heirs of his eternal glory. "If children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ;" where it is to be remarked, that it is not in our own right, nor in the right of any work done in us, or which we ourselves do, though it be an evangelical work, that we become heirs, but jointly with him, and in his right. To this state belong freedom from a servile spirit,-we are not servants, but sons; the special love and care of God our Heavenly Father; a filial confidence in him; free access to him at all times and in all circumstances; the title to the heavenly inheritance; and the Spirit of adoption, or the witness of the Holy Spirit to our adoption, which is the foundation of all the comfort we can derive from those privileges, as it is the only means by which we can know that they are ours. The point stated last requires to be explained more largely, and the more so as it has often been derided as enthusiastic, and often timidly explained away by those whose opinions are in the main correct. The doctrine is, the inward witness or testimony of the Holy Spirit, to the adoption or sonship of believers, from which flows a comfortable persuasion or conviction of our present acceptance with God, and the hope of our future and eternal glory. This is taught in several passages of Scripture. Rom. viii. 15, 16, "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God." In this passage it is to be remarked, 1. That the gift of the Spirit spoken of, takes away "fear," being opposed to the personified spirit of the law, or rather, perhaps, to the Holy Spirit in his convincing agency, called the spirit of bondage, producing “fear," a servile dread of God as offended. 2. That the "Spirit of God" here mentioned, is not the personified spirit or genius of the Gospel, as some would have it, but "the Spirit itself," or himself, and hence called in the Galatians, in the text adduced below, "the Spirit of his Son," which cannot mean the genius of the Gospel. 3. That he inspires a filial confidence in God as our Father, which is opposed to "the fear" produced by the "spirit of bondage." 4. That he produces this filial confidence, and enables us to call God our Father, by witnessing, bearing testimony with our spirit, "that we are the children of God." Gal. iv. 4, 5, 6, "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons; and because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father." Here, also, are to be noted, 1. The means of our redemption from under (the curse of) the law, the incarnation and sufferings of Christ. 2. That the adoption of sons follows upon our actual redemption from that curse, or, in other words, our pardon. 3. That upon our pardon, the "Spirit of his Son" is "sent forth," and that "into our hearts," producing the same effect as that mentioned in the Epistle to the Romans, filial confidence in God,-"crying, Abba, Father." To these are to be added all those passages so numerous in the New Testament, which express the confidence and the joy of Christians; their friendship with God; their confident access to him as their God; their entire union, and delightful intercourse with him in spirit. This doctrine has been generally termed the doctrine of assurance, and, perhaps, the expressions of St. Paul, -"the full assurance of faith," and "the full assurance of hope," may warrant the use of the word. But as there is a current and generally understood sense of this term among persons of the Calvinistic persuasion, implying, that the assurance of our present acceptance and sonship, is an assurance of our final perseverance, and of our indefeisible title to heaven; the phrase, a comfortable persuasion, or conviction of our justification and adoption, arising out of the Spirit's inward and direct testimony, is to be preferred for this has been held as an indubitable doctrine of holy writ by Christians, who, by no means, receive the doctrine of assurance in the sense held by the followers of Calvin. There is, also, another reason for the sparing and cautious use of the term assurance, which is, that it seems to imply, though not necessarily, the absence of all doubt, and shuts out all those lower degrees of persuasion which may exist in the experience of Christians. For, as our faith may not at first, or at all times, be equally strong, the testimony of the Spirit may have its degrees of strength, and our persuasion or conviction be proportionately regulated. Yet, if faith be genuine, God respects its weaker exercises, and encourages its growth, by affording measures of comfort, and degrees of this testimony. Nevertheless, while this is allowed, the fulness of this attainment is to be pressed upon every one that believes, according to the word of God: "Let us draw near," says St. Paul to all Christians, "with full assurance of faith." It may serve, also, to remove an objection sometimes made to the doctrine, and to correct an error which sometimes pervades the statement of it, to observe that this assurance, persuasion, or conviction, whichever term be adopted, is not of the essence of justifying faith; that is, that justifying faith does not consist in the assurance that I am now forgiven, through Christ. This would be obviously contradictory. For we must believe before we can be justified; much more before we can be assured, in any degree, that we are justified; and this persuasion, therefore, follows justification, and is one of its results. We believe in order to justification; but we cannot be persuaded of our forgiveness in order to it, for the persuasion would be false. But though we must not only distinguish, but separate this persuasion of our acceptance from the faith which justifies, we must not separate, but only distinguish it from justification itself. With that come as concomitants, regeneration, adoption, and, as far as we have any information from Scripture, the "Spirit of adoption," though, as in all other cases, in various degrees of operation. On the subject of this testimony of the Holy Spirit, there are four opinions. The first is, that it is twofold; a direct testimony to, or "inward impression on the soul, whereby the Spirit God witnesses to my spirit that I am a child of God; that Christ hath loved me, and given himself for me, that I, even I, am reconciled to God,"(4) and an indirect testimony, arising from the work of the Spirit in the heart and life, which St. Paul calls the testimony of our own spirits; for this is inferred from his expression, "And the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit," &c. This testimony of our own spirit, or indirect testimony of the Holy Spirit by and through our own spirit, is considered as confirmatory of the first testimony, and is thus explained by the same writer. "How am I assured, that I do not mistake the voice of the Spirit? even by the testimony of my own spirit, 'by the answer of a good conscience towards God:' hereby you shall know that you are in no delusion, that you have not deceived your own soul. The immediate fruits of the Spirit ruling in the heart are love, joy, peace; bowels of mercies, humbleness of mind, meekness, gentleness, long-suffering. And the outward fruits are, the doing (4) WESLEY'S Sermons. good to all men, and a uniform obedience to all the commands of God." The second opinion acknowledges, also, a twofold witness; the witness of the Spirit, which consists in the moral effects produced in him that believes, otherwise called the fruits of the Spirit; and the witness of our own spirits, that is, the consciousness of possessing faith. This they call "the reflex act of faith, by which a person, conscious of believing, reasons in this manner, I know that I believe in Christ, therefore I know that I shall obtain everlasting life."(5) The third opinion is, that there is but one witness, the Holy Spirit, acting concurrently with our own spirits. "The Spirit of God produces those graces in us which are the evidence of our adoption; it is he who, as occasion requires, illuminates our understandings and assists our memories in discovering and recollecting those arguments of hope and comfort within ourselves. But God's Spirit does witness with, not without our spirits and understandings; in making use of our reason in considering and reflecting upon those grounds of comfort, which the Spirit of God hath wrought in us, and from them drawing this comfortable conclusion to ourselves, that we are the sons of God."(6) With this notion is generally connected, that of the entire imperceptibility of the Spirit's operations, as distinguished from the operations of our own mind," so that we could never have known, unless it had been communicated to us by Divine revelation, that our souls are moved by a Divine power, when we love God, and keep his commandments."(7) The following passage, from the Rev. Thomas Scott's Commentary, agrees with Bishop Bull in making the witness of the Spirit mediate through our own spirit; and differs chiefly in phraseology. It may be taken as the view of a great part of those called the evangelical clergy of the present day. "The Holy Spirit, by producing in believers the tempers and affections of children, as described in the Scriptures, most manifestly attests their adoption into God's family. This is not done by any voice, immediate revelation, or impulse, or merely by any text brought to the mind (for all these are equivocal and delusory), but by coinciding with the testimony of their own consciences, as to their uprightness in embracing the Gospel, and giving themselves up to the service of God. So that, while they are examining themselves as to the reality of their conversion, and find scriptural evidence of it, the Holy Spirit, from time to time, shines upon his own work, excites their holy affections into lively exercise, renders them very efficacious upon their conduct, and thus puts the matter beyond doubt; for while they feel the spirit of dutiful children towards God, they become satisfied concerning his paternal love to them." A fourth opinion allows the direct witness of the Spirit, as stated above; but considers it only the special privilege of a few favoured persons; of which notion it is a sufficient refutation, that the apostle, in the texts before quoted, speaks generally of believers, and restrains not the attainment from any who seek it. He places it in this respect on the ground of all other blessings of the new covenant. Of the four opinions just adduced, the first only appears to express the true sense of the word of God; but that the subject may be fully exhibited, we may observe, 1, that by all sober divines it is allowed, that some comfortable persuasion, or, at least, hope of the Divine favour, is attainable by true Christians, and is actually possessed by them, except under the influenco of bodily infirmities, and in peculiar seasons of temptation, and that all true faith is, in some degree (though to what extent they differ), personal and appropriating. "The third part of repentance is faith, whereby we do apprehend and take hold upon the promises of God, touching the free pardon and forgiveness of our sins ; which promises are sealed up unto us, with the death and blood-shedding of his Son Jesus Christ. For what should it avail and profit us to be sorry for our sins, to lament and bewail that we have offended our most bounteous and merciful Father, or to confess and acknowledge our offences and trespasses, though it be done never so earnestly, unless we do steadfastly believe, and be fully persuaded, that God, for his son Jesus Christ's sake, will forgive us all our sins, and put (5) Dr. HILL's Lectures. (6) Bishop BULL. them out of remembrance and from his sight? Therefore, they that teach repentance without a lively faith in our Saviour Jesus Christ, do teach none other but Judas's repentance."(8) "Faith is not merely a speculative, but a practical acknowledgment of Jesus as the Christ,--an effort and motion of the mind towards God; when the sinner, convinced of sin, accepts with thankfulness the proffered terms of pardon, and in humble confidence applying individually to himself the benefit of the general atonement, in the elevated language of a venerable father of the church, drinks of the stream which flows from the Redeemer's side. The effect is, that in a little, he is filled with that perfect love of God which casteth out fear, he cleaves to God with the entire affection of the soul." (9) "It is the property of saving faith, that it hath a force to appropriate, and make Christ our own. Without this, a general remote belief would have been cold comfort. He loved me, and gave himself for me,' saith St. Paul. What saith St. Chrysostom? Did Christ die only for St. Paul? No; non excludit, sed appropriat; he excludes not others, but he will secure himself."(1) 2. By those who admit, that upon previous contrition and faith in Christ, an act of justification takes place, by which we are reconciled to God, and adopted into his family, a doctrine which has been scripturally established; it must also be admitted, that this act of mercy on the part of God, is entirely kept secret from us, or that by some means, it is made knowable by us. If the former, there is no remedy at all for doubt, and fear, and tormenting anticipation, which must be great in proportion as our repentance is deep and genuine; and so there can be no comfort, no freedom, no cheerfulness of spirit in religion, which contradicts the sentiments of all churches and all their leading theologians. What is still more important, it contradicts the Scrip tures. To all true believers, the Almighty is represented as the "God of peace and consolation;" as "a Father;" as "dwelling in them, and walking in them." Nay, there is a marked distinction between the assurances of grace and favour made to penitents, and to believers. The declarations as to the former are highly consolatory; but they constantly refer to some future good designed for them by the God before whom they humble themselves, for the encouragement of their seeking prayers, and their efforts of trust. "To that man will I look (a Hebraism for showing favour), saith the Lord, who is poor, and of a contrite spirit." The "weary and heavy laden" are invited to Christ, that he may "give rest unto their souls." The apostles exhorted men to repent and be baptized, in order to the remission of sins. But to all who in the Christian sense are believers, or who have the faith by which we are justified, the language is much higher. "We have peace with God." "We joy in God, by whom we have received the atonement." They are exhorted "to rejoice in the Lord always." "The spirit of bondage" is exchanged for "the Spirit of adoption." They are "Christ's." They are "children, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ." They "rejoice in hope of the glory of God." They are "always confident, knowing, that while at home in the body, they are absent from the Lord, but that when absent from the body, they shall be present with the Lord." his moral work in them: or, what is the same thing, 4. Two witnesses, and a twofold testimony is then sufficiently established; but the main consideration is, whether the Holy Spirit gives his testimony directly to the mind, by impression, suggestion, or by whatever other term it may be called, or mediately by our own spirits, in some such way as is described by Bishop Bull in the extract above given; by "illuminating our understandings, and assisting our memories in discussing and recollecting those arguments of hope and comfort within ourselves," which arise from the graces which he has produced in us ;" or as it is expressed by Mr. Scott, by "shining upon his own work, exciting their affections into lively exercise, rendering them very efficacious upon their conduct," and "thus puts the matter beyond doubt, for while they feel the spirit of dutiful children towards God, they become satisfied concerning his paternal love to them." To this statement of the doctrine we object, that it makes the testimony of the Holy Spirit in point of fact but the testimony of our own spirit; and by holding but one witness contradicts St. Paul, who, as we have seen, holds two. For the testimony is that of our own consciousness of certain moral changes which have taken place; no other is admitted; and therefore it is but one testimony. Nor is the Holy Spirit brought in at all, except to qualify our own spirit to give witness by assisting its "discernment and memory," according to Bishop Bull, and by "shining upon his own work," according to Mr. Scott: and so there is but one witness, and that ourselves; for though another may assist a witness to prepare and arrange his evidence, there is still but one deposition, and but one deposer. This is made still stronger, since it is supposed by both these writers, that there is no impression or revelation from the Spirit of the fact of our adoption, and that he does not in any way which we may distinguish from the operation of our own minds, assist us to prepare this evidence; for if 3. If then we come to know that this great act of this assistance, or shining upon his own work, could forgiveness has taken place in our favour; that it is be ascertained to be from him distinctly, and with intenvouchsafed to us in particular, and know this with that tion to assure us from these moral changes that we are degree of conviction, which lays a sufficient ground of adopted into the family of God, then an immediate colcomfort and joy, the simple question is, by what means lateral impression or revelation would be supposed, the knowledge of this is attained by us? The general which both reject. It follows, therefore, that we have no promise of pardon alone is, in all the schemes just other ground to conclude those "graces and virtues" stated, acknowledged to be insufficient for this purpose; which we discern in ourselves to be the work of the for since that promise is suspended upon conditions, Spirit, than the general one, that all good in man is of they all profess to explain the means by which we may his production, and our repentance and contrition might conclude that we are actually and personally interested as well, on this general ground, be concluded to be the in the benefit of the general promise, the conditions evidence of pardon, although they arise from our conbeing on our part personally fulfilled. The first opi-sciousness of guilt, and our need of pardon. The argunion attributes this to a double testimony, a direct one of the Holy Spirit to our minds, and an indirect one of the same Spirit, through our own minds, and founded upon (8) Homily on Repentance. (9) Bishop HORSLEY. ment of this opinion, simply and in fact is, that the Holy Spirit works moral changes in the heart, and that these are the evidence of our sonship. It goes not beyond this: the Holy Spirit is not excluded by this opinion, as the source of good in man, he is not excluded as qualifying our minds to adduce evidence as to certain changes being wrought within us; but he is excluded as a wit ness, although he is said so explicitly by the apostle to give witness to the fact, not of a moral change, but of our adoption. We pentance and faith, quite destructive of "comfort," must remain throughout life. Tho 6. But, if neither our repentance, nor even a consci5. But, farther, suppose our minds to be so assisted ousness of faith, when joined with it, can be the eviby the Holy Spirit as to discern the reality of his work dence of the fact of our adoption; it has been urged, in us; and in an investigation, whether we are or are that when all those graces, which are called the fruits not accepted of God, pardoned by his mercy, and adopted of the Spirit, are found in our experience, they, at least, into his family, we depose this as the evidence of it; to must be sufficient evidence of the fact, without supposwhat degree must this work of the Spirit in us haveing a more direct testimony of the Holy Spirit. advanced before it can be evidence of this fact? "fruits" thus referred to, are those enumerated by St. have seen that it were absurd to allege contrition, and Paul in his Epistle to the Galatians. "But the fruit of penitence, and fear, as the proofs of our pardon, since the Spirit, is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, they suppose, that we are still under condemnation; goodness," &c. Two things will here be granted, what farther work of the Spirit, then, is the proof? The and they greatly strengthen the argument for a direct reply to this usually is, that though repentance should testimony of the Holy Spirit :-that these fruits are not be evidence of pardon, yet, when faith is added, this found only in those who have been received, by the becomes evidence, since God has declared in his word remission of their sins, into the Divine favour, and that that we are "justified by faith," and "whosoever be- they are fruits of the Spirit of adoption. The first is lieveth shall be saved." proved from the connexion of the words which follow: "And they that ARE CHRIST's have crucified the flesh," &c. For to be "Christ's," and to be "in Christ" are phrases, with the apostle, equivalent to being in a state of justification:-"There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus." The second is proved by the connexion of the words with verse 18, "But if ye be led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law," for these words are exactly parallel to chap. iv. 5, 6, "To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons; and because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father." These are then the fruits following upon a state of pardon, adoption, and our receiving the Spirit of adoption. We allow that they presuppose pardon; but then they as clearly presuppose the Spirit of adoption, "sent forth into our hearts, crying Abba, Father;" that is, they not only presuppose our pardon, but pardon previously attested and made known to us; the persuason of which, conveyed to the mind, not by them, but by the Spirit of adoption, is the foundation of them; at least, of that "love, joy, and peace," which are mentioned first, and must not be separated, in the argument, from the other. Nor can these "fruits" result from any thing but manifested pardon; they cannot themselves manifest our pardon, for they cannot exist till it is manifested. If we "love God," it is because we know him as God reconciled; if we have "joy in God," it is because "we have received the reconciliation; if we have peace, it is because, "being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ." God, conceived of as angry, cannot be the object of filial love; pardon unfelt, supposes guilt and fear still to burden the mind, and guilt, and "joy,' and "peace" cannot exist. But by the argument of those who make these the media of ascertaining the fact of our forgiveness and adoption, we must be supposed to love God, while yet we feel him to be angry with us; to rejoice and have peace, while the fearful apprehensions of the consequences of unremitted sin are not removed; and if this is impossible, then the ground of our love, and joy, and peace, is pardon revealed and witnessed, directly and immediately, by the Spirit of adoption. To this we reply, that though we should become conscious of both repentance and faith, either by "a reflex act of our own minds," or by the assistance of the Spirit "shining upon his own work," this would be no evidence of our forgiveness; our spirit would, in that case, witness the fact of our repenting and believing, but that would be no witness to the fact of our adoption. Justification is an act of God, it is secret and invisible, it passes in his own mind, it is declared by no outward sign, and no one can know, except the Holy Spirit, who knows the mind of God, whether we are pardoned or not, unless it had been stated in his word, that in every case pardon is dispensed when repentance and faith have reached some definite degree, clearly pointed out, so that we cannot fail to ascertain that they have reached that degree; and, also, unless we were expressly authorized to be ourselves the judges of this case, and confidently and comfortably to conclude our justification. For it is not enough that we have faith. Faith, both as assent and confidence, has every possible degree; it is capable of mixture with doubt, and self-dependence; nor, without some definite and particular characters being assigned to justifying faith, could we ever, with any confidence, conclude as to our own. But we have no such particular description of faith; nor are we authorized, any where, to make ourselves the judges of the fact, whether the act of pardon, as to us, has passed the mind of God. The apostle, in the passages quoted above, has assigned that office to the Holy Spirit; but it is in no part of Scripture appointed to us. If, then, we have no authority from God to conclude that we are pardoned, when faith, in an uncertain degree, is added to repentance, the whole becomes a matter of inference; and we argue, that having "repentance and faith," we are forgiven; in other words, that these are the sufficient evidences of pardon. But repentance and faith are exercised IN ORDER to pardon; that must, therefore, be subsequent to both, and they cannot, for that reason, be the evidence of it, or the evidence of pardon might be enjoyed before pardon is actually received, which is absurd. But it has been said, "that we have the testimony of God in his word, It has been said, indeed, that love to God may be prothat when repentance and faith exist, God has infallibly duced from a consideration of God's general love to connected pardon with them from the moment they are mankind in his Son, and that, therefore, the force of the perceived to exist, and so it may be surely inferred from above argument is broken; but we reply, that in Scripthem." The answer is, that we have no such testi- ture Christians are spoken of as "reconciled to God;" as mony. We have, through the mercy of God, the pro- "translated into the kingdom of his dear Son;" as mise of pardon to all who repent and believe; but re- "children," "heirs," &c.; and correspondently with pentance is not pardon, and faith is not pardon, but they these relations, their love is spoken of as love to God are its prerequisites; each is a sine qud non, but as their Father,-love to God as their God in covenant, surely not the pardon itself, nor, as we have just seen, who calls himself " their God," and them "his people." can either be considered the evidence of pardon, with- This is the love of God exhibited in the New Testaout an absurdity. They are means to that end, but ment; and the question is, whether such a love of God nothing more; and though God has "infallibly con- as this can spring from a knowledge of his "general nected" the blessing of pardon with repentance and love to man," or whether it arises, under the Spirit's faith, he has not connected it with any kind of repent- influence, from a persuasion of his pardoning love to ance, nor with any kind of faith; nor with every degree us "individually." To clear this, we may divide those of repentance, nor with every degree of faith. How who hear the Gospel, or Christians by profession, into then shall we ever know whether our repentance and the following classes :-the carnal and careless; the faith are accepted, unless pardon actually follow them? despairing; the penitent, who seek God with hope as And as this pardon cannot be attested by them, for the well as desire, now discouraged by their fears, and reason above given, and must therefore, have an attest- sunk under their load of conscious guilt, and again enation of higher authority, and of a distinct kind, the couraged by a degree of hope; and lastly, those who only attestation conceivable which remains, is the di- are "justified by faith, and have peace with God." rect witness of the Holy Spirit. Either this must be The first class know God's "general love to man;" but acknowledged, or a painful uncertainty as to the genu- it will not be pleaded that they love him. The second ineness or the required measure and degree of our re- know the "general love of God to man;" but thinking |