It gave him admission into the Christian Church. Now had St. Paul thought, that where this principle was once established, it would of course draw after it all those graces and virtues necessary to render it effectual to salvation; in other words, had he thought that the faith which gave admission into the Church, would of course make the party a perfect member of it, he would not have furnished his disciples with that complete system of moral duties which is to be found in his writings. If he had thought that faith included under it Christian practice, his direction to Titus,* that the constant subject of his preaching should be, "that they which have believed in God (those who professed the faith) might be careful to maintain good works," had been superfluous.

If St. Peter had thought that Christian faith was necessarily of that prolific nature, that it could no where exist without producing its proper fruits, he would not, after having mentioned the precious faith obtained through the righteousness of God, have directed his disciples "to give all diligence to add to their faith, virtue; to virtue, knowledge; to knowledge, temperance; to temperance, patience; to patience, godliness; to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity." The important reason for this direction he immediately subjoins: "For (continues the Apostle) if these be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind." He may have a knowledge

* Titus iii. 8.

of our Lord Jesus Christ as the Saviour of mankind, and profess his faith in him as such; but his faith being barren and unfruitful will profit him nothing. "Wherefore, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if you do these things, ye shall never fall. For so (or upon this condition) an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."*

if

This plain passage from St. Peter places the whole plan of salvation through Christ fairly before us. It represents the exceeding great and precious promises which have been obtained for man, through the righteousness of Christ, as the basis of his salvation; but the bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit, as the condition upon which that salvation will be ultimately realized. In this sense, the writings of St. Paul and St. James, and all other parts of scripture, will be found to harmonize; and we need no longer be afraid to talk of works, if we represent them, as the learned Bishop Bull,t in vindication of St. James, has

* 2 Peter i. 5, 6, et seg.

"Accedamus jam ad alterum istud, quod breviter notandum duximus; nempe, phrasi illâ, & gywv, non id voluisse Jacobum opera nostra esse justificationis nostræ causam principalem aut meritoriam ; illa quippe in merâ et gratuita Dei Patris misericordiâ, hæc in Christi solius morte ac meritis unicè statuenda est, et ab Apostolo revera statuitur. Etenim quamvis particula eam nonunquam vim obtineat, sæpe tamen adhibere solet sensu quodam mitiori, ut notet medium quodcunque rei obtinenda, sive conditionem præcedaneam, quæ vulgo causa qua non dicitur, licet reverà vix causæ nomen mereatur.

sine

represented them; not as "either the principal or the meritorious cause of man's salvation, but as only the condition upon which, according to the terms of the Gospel covenant, man is to become partaker of it."*

There is another part of this respectable writer's publication which, as it strikes me, ought to be read with some comment; because, as it stands, it seems calculated to lead the indiscriminating reader to a conclusion different, I should suppose, from that meant to be conveyed by it. The part alluded to is to be found in p. 327 and 328, and runs thus: "But the nature of the holiness to which the desires of the true Christian are directed, is no other than the restoration of the image of God; and as to the manner of acquiring it, disclaiming with indignation every idea of attaining it by his own strength; all his hopes of possessing it rest altogether on the Divine assurances of the operation of the Holy Spirit, in those who cordially embrace the Gospel of Christ."-Thus far we are perfectly agreed.

communi sensu abhorret, Ut enim alia taceam, cum particula ex manifeste hor

Atque is loquendi modus neque a neque a stylo scripturæ alienus est. dicitur homo εκ πίστες δικαιώσθαι, sensu sumitur. Quippe ne ipsâ quidem fide tanquam causâ principali, imo non ut causâ omnino, nisi improprie dictâ, justificari aliquis dici potest. Dicitur igitur homo, 4 ügyûr dinαıSoba, quia bona opera conditio sunt, juxta ordinationem divinam in Evangelico fædore stabilitam necessario in hoc requisita, ut quis justificetur, i. e. remissionem peccatorum per Christum partam obtineat, Deoque ad salutem gratus et acceptus fiat." -BULL, Harmon. Apostol. cap. i. §. 8.

To proceed with our author :

"He knows, therefore, that this holiness is not to precede his reconciliation to God, and be its cause, but to follow it, and be its effect. That, in short, it is by faith in Christ only that he is to be justified in the sight of God; to be delivered from the condition of a child of wrath, and a slave of Satan; to be adopted into the family of God; to become an heir of God, and a joint heir with Christ; entitled to all the privileges which belong to this high relation; here, to the spirit of grace and a partial renewal after the image of his Creator; hereafter, to the more perfect possession of the Divine likeness, and an inheritance of eternal glory."

That general reconciliation of God to man in his fallen condition, through the sacrifice of Christ, by virtue of which he is placed in a state of conditional salvation under the new covenant, seems here not sufficiently distinguished from that particular reconciliation of God to the individual in his redeemed condition, when restored to that degree of likeness to his Creator necessary to qualify him for admission into his presence.

There can be no such thing as holiness in man, independent of the operation of the Holy Spirit; and the work of the Holy Spirit being the part of the Gospel scheme of salvation, consequent upon that all-sufficient sacrifice by which alone God became reconciled to his fallen creatures; it certainly follows, that this work cannot precede the cause which gave it birth.

But every one admitted into the Church is, in

some sense, in a state of reconciliation with God; that is, he is taken out of a condemned condition, in which there can be no holiness, and placed in a condition of grace and relative holiness; in consequence of his dedication to the service of God in baptism. But whether this relative holiness may become perfect holiness, effectual to the salvation of the party, must depend upon subsequent considerations. The Apostle, therefore, after having first mentioned God's reconciliation to man in Christ, as the foundation of all our hope, proceeds to remind us of man's reconciliation to God, as necessary to give effect to the former. "We pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God:" and how this is to be effected, the Apostle proceeds to inform us; "We beseech you receive not the grace of God in vain;" but having, in consequence of God's reconciliation to man, the promises of an eternal inheritance through Christ, and of Divine assistance to qualify us for it, "let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God:" in other words, let the work of the Holy Ghost, to whose assistance the dispensation of grace has given us a title, be carried on to perfection in our hearts; and so shall the work of reconciliation between God and man be rendered complete.*

The line of distinction between professing faith and practising faith, should at all times be so marked as to leave a distinct idea upon the mind respecting a subject which has been so open to misconception. Professing faith, it is to be observed, gives admis* 2 Cor. v. 20; vi. 1; vii. 1.