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VIII.

JAMES, ii. 18.

A MAN MAY SAY, THOU HAST FAITH, AND I HAVE WORKS: SHEW ME THY FAITH WITHOUT THY WORKS, AND I WILL SHEW THEE MY FAITH BY MY WORKS.

HIS whole chapter of the apoftle James is fo good a comment upon thofe parts of St. Paul's epiftles, which the folifidian has drawn to his own purpose, that one should think it might prevent any mifconftruction of them. Indeed fome reformers, who favoured the folifidian fcheme, wished to exclude this epiftle from the canon of fcripture. It still however, maintains its ground. The text contains a fort of challenge to those who hold faith independent of works. Shew me thy

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faith

faith without thy works; and I will fhew thee my faith by my works.

In the following difcourfe, I fhall confider the two opinions which the apostle characterizes→→ faith without works, and faith by tworks; and fhall endeavour to fhew which has the more chafitable tendency.

The folifidian maintains, that faith is the end, or fum of religion-that it is this which juftifies and that as to works, they should be considered merely as the test of faith.

The oppofer of thefe doctrines allows, that faith is the true fource of good works; but he contends, that it is a mean, not an end. Indeed he afferts, that neither faith, nor good works, can be faid to justify any man, but the merits of Chrift alone; for which good works, wrought through the agency of faith, are the fpecial qualification.

Let us now from this ftate of the two opinions, which, I apprehend, is a fair one, see what effect they naturally seem to have on the mind.

The folifidian trufts in faith folely for his juftification, and conceives it therefore to be the fum of Christianity. Of course he allows no perfon, who has not his idea of faith, to be a good Christian; and if he fpeaks out, he will fay, (indeed I have

heard

heard him fay it,) that he does not believe fuch a person to be in a state of falvation.

On the other hand, he who considers faith not as an end, but as the mean of a good life, confiders that person only as a bad Christian, whose life is wicked. He may believe the folifidian, and many others, to be in error; yet ftill he confiders them as good Christians, if their lives be without reproach.

We are far however from fuppofing, there are not many enlarged minds, which may hold the doctrine of faith, without any of these prejudices about them. All we mean is, that among the low and bigotted people of this persuasion, there is often found a want of charity.

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IX.

I COR. i. 21.

FOR AFTER THAT THE WORLD BY WISDOM KNEW NOT GOD, IT PLEASED GOD BY THE

FOOLISHNESS OF PREACHING, (that is, by the fimplicity of the Gospel,) TO SAVE THEM THAT

BELIEVE.

W

E have here a contrast between the heathen world, depending on its own wifdom—and the Christian world, depending on the fimple truths of the Gospel.

The philofophy of the heathen was carried to a great height. Their wife man, in lofty language, allowed himself inferior only to the gods. And yet, with all this pride and felf-confequence, he was in fact ignorant of all those truths which most concerned him. He knew little of the nature of God-little of his own nature here-and ftill lefs

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of his future ftate hereafter. In the mean time the Gospel gives him fufficient information on all thefe fubjects.

From this contraft may be known, in what the fimplicity of the gofpel confifts; and how much better it is adapted to inculcate our duty to God and man, than any fyftem of human ethics.. Happiness is the great end we all aim at: and when the truths of the Gospel find a foil prepared for them, they produce, it may be fhewn, every happiness that can be enjoyed in this world, and hoped for in the next. Whereas, the virtues of the world are often among the greateft fources of mifery; and at best, cannot carry us beyond the world.

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