that our poor weak, humble endeavours. to comply with our Saviour's rule should be received and not rejected;-I say, if we hope for this, we must hope for it, not on the ground of congruity or desert, which it will not bear, but from the extreme benignity of a merciful God, and the availing mediation of a Redeemer. You will observe that I am still, and have been all along, speaking of sincere men, of those who are in earnest in their duty, and in religion; and I say, upon the strength of what has been alleged, that even these persons, when they read in Scripture of the riches of the goodness of God, of the powerful efficacy of the death of Christ, of his mediation and continual intercession, know and feel in their hearts that they stand in need of them all. eager to embrace every opportunity of doing | ciency should be overlooked, so as not to be. it, and as active, and resolute, and persever- come the loss to us of happiness after death; ing in our endeavours to do it, as we are anxious for ourselves, and active in the pursuit of our own interest. Now is this the case with us? Wherein it is not, we fall below our rule. In the apostles of Jesus Christ, to whom this rule was given from his own mouth, you may read how it operated; and their example proves, what some deny, the possibility of the thing; namely, of benevolence being as strong a motive as self interest. They firmly believed, that to bring men to the knowledge of Christ's religion was the greatest possible good that could be done unto them; was the highest act of benevolence they could exercise. And, accordingly, they set about this work, and carried it on with as much energy, as much order, as much perseverance, through as great toils and labours, as many sufferings In that remaining class of duties, which are and difficulties, as any person ever pursued a called duties to ourselves, the observation we scheme for their own interest, or for the mak- have made upon the deficiency of our endea ing of a fortune. They could not possibly vours applies with equal or with greater force, have done more for their own sakes than what More is here wanted than the mere command they did for the sake of others. They literally of our actions. The heart itself is to be reloved their neighbours as themselves. Some gulated; the hardest thing in this world to have followed their example in this; and some manage. The affections and passions are to have, in zeal and energy, followed their ex- be kept in order: constant evil propensities ample in other methods of doing good. For I are to be constantly opposed. I apprehend do not mean to say, that the particular me- that every sincere man is conscious how un. thod of usefulness, which the office of the apos-able he is to fulfil this part of his duty, even tles cast upon them, is the only method, or that to his own satisfaction; and if our conscienc it is a method even competent to many. Do- accuse us, "God is greater than our con ing good, without any selfish worldly motive science, and knoweth all things." If we see for doing it, is the grand thing: the mode our sad failings, He must. must be regulated by opportunity and occasion. To which may be added, that in those whose power of doing good, according to any mode, is small, the principle of benevolence will at least restrain them from doing harm. If the principle be subsisting in their hearts, it will have this operation at least. I ask therefore again, as I asked before, are we as solicitous to seize opportunities, to look out for and embrace occasions of doing good, as we are certainly solicitous to lay hold of opportunities of making advantage to ourselves, and to embrace all occasions of profit and self-interest? Nay, is benevolence strong enough to hold our hand, when stretched out for mischief? is it always sufficient to make us consider what misery we are producing, whilst we are compassing a selfish end, or gratifying a lawless passion of our own? Do the two principles of benevolence and self interest possess any degree of parallelism and equality in our hearts, and in our conduct? If they do, then so far we come up to our rule. Wherein they do not, as I said before, we fall below it. When not only the generality of mankind, but even those who are endeavouring to do their duty, apply the standard to themselves, they are made to learn the humiliating lesson of their own deficiency. That such our defi God forbid that any thing I say, either up. on this or the other branches of our duty, should damp our endeavours. Let them be as vigorous and as stedfast as they can. They will be so if we are sincere; and without sincerity there is no hope; none whatever. But there will always be left enough, infinitely more than enough, to humble self-sufficiency. Contemplate, then, what is placed before us Heaven. Understand what heaven is: a state of happiness after death; exceeding what, without experience, it is possible for us to conceive, and unlimited in duration. This is a reward infinitely beyond any thing we can pretend to, as of right, as merited, as due. Some distinction between us and others, between the comparatively good and the bad, might be expected; but on these grounds, not such a reward as this, even were our services, I mean the services of sincere men, perfect. But such services as ours, in truth, arc, such services as, in fact, we perform, so poor, so deficient, so broken, so mixed with alloy, so imperfect both in principle and execution. what have they to look for upon their own foundation? When, therefore, the Scriptures speak to us of a redeemer, a mediator, an intercessor for us; when they display and magnify the exceeding great mercies of God, as set forth in the salvation of man, according to : any mode whatever which he might be pleased what that consideration ought in truth to lead to appoint, and therefore in that mode which to: it ought to lead thee to repentance, and the Gospel holds forth; they teach us no other to no other conclusion. doctrine than that to which the actual defi- Again: When the apostle had been speakciencies of our duty and a just conscious-ing of the righteousness of God displayed by the ness and acknowledgment of these deficiencies, wickedness of man; he was not unaware of must naturally carry our own minds. What the misconstruction to which this representawe feel in ourselves corresponds with what we tion was liable, and which it had, in fact, exread in Scripture. perienced which misconstruction he states thus,-"We be slanderously reported, and some affirm, that we say, let us do evil that good may come." This insinuation, however, he regards as nothing less than an unfair and wilful perversion of his words, and of the words of other Christian teachers: therefore he says concerning those who did thus pervert them, "their condemnation is just" they will be justly condemned for thus abusing the doctrine which we teach. The passage, however, clearly shews, that the application of their expressions to the encouragement of licentiousness of life, was an application contrary to their intention; and, in fact, a perversion of their words. SERMON XX. THE EFFICACY OF THE DEATH OF CHRIST OF SALVATION. What shall we say then? shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. Romans vi. 1. In like manner, in the same chapter, our apostle had no sooner laid down the doctrine, that THE same Scriptures which represent the "a man is justified by faith without the deeds death of Christ as having that which belongs of the law," than he checks himself, as it were, to the death of no other person, namely, an by subjoining this proviso: "Do we then efficacy in procuring the salvation of man, are make void the law through faith? God foralso constant and uniform in representing the bid: yea, we establish the law." Whatever necessity of our own endeavours, of our own he meant by his assertion concerning faith, he good works, for the same purpose. They go takes care to let them know he did not mean further. They foresaw that in stating, and this, “to make void the law," or to dispense still more when they went about to extol and with obedience. inagnify the death of Christ, as instrumental But the clearest text to our purpose is that, to salvation, they were laying a foundation undoubtedly, which I have prefixed to this disfor the opinion, that men's own works, their course. St. Paul, after expatiating largely own virtue, their personal endeavours, were upon the " grace, ," that is, the favour, kindsuperseded and dispensed with. In propor-ness, and mercy of God, the extent, the greattion as the sacrifice of the death of Christ was ness, the comprehensiveness of that mercy, as effectual, in the same proportion were these manifested in the Christian dispensation, puts less necessary if the death of Christ was this question to his reader-" What shall we sufficient, if redemption was complete, then say then? shall we continue in sin, that grace were these not necessary at all. They foresaw that some would draw this consequence from their doctrine, and they provided against it. may abound ?" which he answers by a strong negative "God forbid." What the apostle designated in this passage is sufficiently evident. He knew in what manner some might be apt to construe his expressions; and he anticipates their mistake. He is beforehand with them, by protesting against any such use being made of his doctrine; which, yet he was aware, might by possibility be made. It is observable, that the same consequence might be deduced from the goodness of God in any way of representing it: not only in the particular and peculiar way in which it is represented in the redemption of the world by Jesus Christ, but in any other way. St. Paul, By way of shewing scripturally the obligafor one, was sensible of this, and therefore, tion and the necessity of personal endeavours when he speaks of the goodness of God, even after virtue, all the numerous texts which exin general terms, he takes care to point out hort to virtue, and admonish us against vice, the only true turn which ought to be given to might be quoted; for they are all directly to it in our thoughts--" Despisest thou the riches the purpose: that is, we might quote every of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suf- page of the New Testament." Not every one fering; not knowing that the goodness of God that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter leadeth thee to repentance?" as if he had said, into the kingdom of heaven; but he that do-With thee, I perceive, that the considera- eth the will of my father which is in heaven." tion of the goodness of God, leads to the al-" If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye lowing of thyself in sin: this is not to know do them."-In both these texts the reward attends the doing: the promise is annexed to we would allow ourselves to consider well what works. Again: "To them, who by patient salvation is: what the being saved means. It continuance in well-doing seek for glory and is nothing less than, after this life is ended, immortality, eternal life: but unto them that being placed in a state of happiness exceedingare contentious, and obey not the truth, but ly great, both in degree and duration; a state, obey unrighteousness, tribulation, and an- concerning which the following things are said: guish upon every soul of man that doeth evil."" the sufferings of this present world are not Again: "Of the which," namely, certain en-worthy to be compared with the glory that umerated vices, "I tell you before, as I have shall be revealed." "God hath in store for also told you in time past, that they, which us such things as pass man's understanding." do such things, shall not inherit the kingdom So that, you see, it is not simply escaping puof God." These are a few amongst many nishment, simply being excused or forgiven, texts of the same effect, and they are such as simply being compensated or repaid for the can never be got over. Stronger terms can- little good we do, but it is infinitely more. not be devised than what are here used. Were Heaven is infinitely greater than mere comthe purpose, therefore, simply to prove from pensation, which natural religion itself might Scripture the necessity of virtue, and the dan- lead us to expect. What do the Scriptures ger of vice, so far as salvation is concerned, call it ? "Glory, honour, immortality, eternal these texts are decisive. But when an answer life." "To them that seek for glory and honis to be given to those, who so interpret cer- our and immortality, eternal life." Will any tain passages of the apostolic writings, especi- one then contend, that salvation in this sense, ally the passages which speak of the efficacy of and to this extent; that heaven, eternal life, the death of Christ, or draw such inferences glory, honour, immortality; that a happi from these passages, as amount to a dispens-ness such as that there is no way of describing ing with the obligations of virtue; then the it, but by saying that it surpasses human combest method of proving, that theirs cannot be prehension, that it casts the sufferings of this a right interpretation, nor theirs just inferen-life at such a distance, as not to bear any ces, is by shewing, which fortunately, we are comparison with it will any one contend, able to do, that it is the very interpretation, that this is no more than what virtue deserves, and these the very inferences, which the apos- what, in its own proper nature, and by its own tles were themselves aware of, which they pro- merit, it is entitled to look forward to, and to vided against, and which they protested against. receive? The greatest virtue that man ever The four texts, quoted from the apostolic writ-attained has no such pretensions. The best ings in this discourse, were quoted with this good action that man ever performed has no view and they may be considered, I think, claim to this extent, or any thing like it. It as shewing the minds of the authors upon is out of all calculation, and comparison, and the point in question more determinately than proportion, above, and more than any human any general exhortation to good works, or any works can possibly deserve. general denunciation against sin could do. I To what then are we to ascribe it, that enassume, therefore, as a proved point, that deavours after virtue should procure, and that whatever was said by the apostles concerning they will, in fact, procure, to those who sinthe efficacy of the death of Christ, was said cerely exert them, such immense blessings? by them under an apprehension that they did To what, but to the voluntary bounty of Alnot thereby in any manner relax the motives, mighty God, who, in his inexpressible good the obligation, or the necessity of good works. pleasure, hath appointed it so to be! The be But still there is another important question be-nignity of God towards man hath made him hind; namely, whether, notwithstanding what this inconceivably advantageous offer. But a the apostles have said, or may have meant to most kind offer may still be a conditional offer. say, there be not, in the nature of things, an And this, though an infinitely gracious and invincible inconsistency between the efficacy beneficial offer, is still a conditional offer, and of the death of Christ, and the necessity of a the performance of the conditions is as necesgood life; whether those two propositions can, | sary as if it had been an offer of mere retribuin fair reasoning, stand together; or whether tion. The kindness, the bounty, the generosi it does not necessarily follow, that if the death ty of the offer, do not make it less necessary of Christ be efficacious, then good works are to perform the conditions, but more so. Α no longer necessary; and, on the other hand, conditional offer may be infinitely kind on the that if good works be still necessary, then is part of the benefactor who makes it, may be the death of Christ not efficacious. infinitely beneficial to those to whom it is made. Now, to give an account of this question, If it be from a prince or governor, may be inand of the difficulty which it seems to present, finitely gracious and merciful on his part; and we must bear in mind, that in the business of yet, being conditional, the condition is as ne salvation there are naturally and properly two cessary, as if the offer had been no more than things, viz. the cause and the condition; and that of scanty wages by a hard taskmaster. that these two things are different. We should In considering this matter in general, the see better the propriety of this distinction, if whole of it appears to be very plain; yet, when : we apply the consideration to religion, there are two mistakes into which we are very liable to fall. The first is, that when we hear so much of the exceedingly great kindness of the offer, we are apt to infer, that the conditions upon which it was made, will not be exacted. Does that at all follow? Because the offer, This efficacy is in Scripture attributed to the even with these conditions, is represented to death of Christ. It is attributed in a variety be the fruit of love, and mercy, and kindness, of ways of expression, but this is the substance and is in truth so, and is most justly so to be of them all. He is "a sacrifice, an offering accounted, does it follow that the conditions of to God; a propitiation; the precious sacrifice the offer are not necessary to be performed ? foreordained; the lamb slain from the founThis is one error into which we slide, against dation of the world; the lamb which taketh which we ought to guard ourselves most dili-away the sin of the world. We are washed gently; for it is not simply false in its princi- in his blood; we are justified by his blood; ple, but most pernicious in its application; its ap- we are saved from wrath through him; he hath plication always being to countenance us in some once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, sin which we will not relinquish. The second that he might bring us to God." All these mistake is, that when we have performed the terms, and many more that are used, assert in conditions, or think that we have performed substance the same thing, namely, the efficacy the conditions, or when we endeavour to per- of the death of Christ in the procuring of huform the conditions, upon which the reward man salvation. To give to these expressions is offered, we forthwith attribute our obtaining their proper moment and import, it is necesthe reward to this our performance or endea-sary to reflect, over and over again, and by revour, and not to that which is the beginning flection to impress our minds with a just idea, and foundation, and cause of the whole, the true and proper cause, namely, the kindness and bounty of the original offer. This turn of thought likewise, as well as the former, it is necessary to warn you against. For it has these consequences; it damps our gratitude to God, it takes off our attention from Him. moved and excited, and conciliated that good will and pleasure, so as to have procured that offer to be made, or shall have formed any part (or portion of the motive from which it was made, may most truly and properly be said to be efficacious in human salvation. Some, who allow the necessity of good works to salvation, are not willing that they should be called conditions of salvation. But this, I think, is a distinction too refined for common Christian apprehension. If they be necessary to salvation, they are conditions of salvation, so far as I can see. It is a question, however, not now before us. But to return to the immediate subject of our discourse. Our observations have carried us thus far; that in the business of human salvation there are two most momentous considerations, the cause and the conditions, and that these considerations are distinct. I now proceed to say, that there is no inconsistency between the efficacy of the death of Christ and the necessity of a holy life (by which I mean sincere endeavours after holiness;) because the first, the death of Christ, relates to the cause of salvation; the second, namely, good works, respects the conditions of salvation; and that the cause of salvation is one thing, the conditions another. The cause of salvation is the free will, the free gift, the love and mercy of God. That alone is the source, and fountain, and cause of salvation; the origin from which it springs, from which all our hopes of attaining to it are derived. This cause is not in ourselves, nor in any thing we do, or can do, but in God, in his good will and pleasure.. It is, as we have before shewn, in the graciousness of the original offer. Therefore, whatever shall have what and how great a thing salvation is; for it is by means of that idea alone, that we can ever come to be sensible, how unspeakably important, how inestimable in value, any efficacy which operates upon that event must be to us all. The highest terms in which the Scriptures speak of that efficacy are not too great: can. not be too great; because it respects an inte rest and an event so vast, so momentous, as to make all other interests, and all other events, in comparison contemptible. The sum of our argument is briefly this. There may appear, and to many there has ap peared, to be an inconsistency or incompatibi. lity between the efficacy of the death of Christ, and the necessity of sincere endeavours after obedience. When the subject is properly examined, there turns out to be no such incompatibility. The graciousness of an offer does not diminish the necessity of the condition. Suppose a prince to promise to one of his subjects, upon compliance with certain terms, and the performance of certain duties, a reward, in magnitude and value, out of all competition beyond the merit of the compliance, the desert of the performance; to what shall such a subject ascribe the happiness held out to him? He is an ungrateful man, if he attribute it to any cause whatever, but to the bounty and goodness of his prince in making him the offer; or if he suffer any consideration, be it what it will, to interfere with, or diminish his sense of that bounty and goodness. Still it is true, that he will not obtain what is offered, unless he comply with the terms. So far his compliance is a condition of his happiness. But the grand thing is the offer being made at all. That is the ground and origin of the whole. That is the cause: and is ascribable to favour, grace, and goodness, SERMON XXI. PURE RELIGION. on the part of the prince, and to nothing else. | which propensity therefore will be encouraged, It would, therefore, be the last degree of in- when that, which professes to exhibit the gratitude in such a subject, to forget his prince whole of religion, does not, in truth, exhiwhile he thought of himself; to forget the bit the whole. What is there omitted, we cause, whilst he thought of the condition; to shall omit, glad of the occasion and excuse. regard every thing promised as merited. The What is not set down as our duty, we shall generosity, the kindness, the voluntariness, not think ourselves obliged to perform, not the bounty of the original offer, come by this caring to increase the weight of our own burmeans to be neglected in his mind entirely. den. This is the case whenever we use sumThis, in my opinion, describes our situation, maries of religion, which, in truth, are imperwith respect to God. The love, goodness, and fect or ill drawn. But there is another case grace of God, in making us a tender of salva- more common, and productive of the same eftion, and the effects of the death of Christ, fect, and that is, when we misconstrue these do not diminish the necessity or the obligation summary accounts of our duty; principally of the condition of the tender, which is sincere when we conceive of them as intending to exendeavours after holiness; nor are in any wise press more than they were really intended to inconsistent with such obligation. express. For then it comes to pass, that although they be right and perfect as to what they were intended for, yet they are wrong and imperfect as to what we construe and conceive them for. This observation is particularly applicable to the text. St. James is here describing religion not in its principle, but in its effects; and these effects are truly and justly and fully displayed. They are by the apos tle made to consist of two large articles; in succouring the distress of others, and main. taining our own innocency. And these two articles do comprehend the whole of the effects of true religion, which were exactly what the apostle meant to describe. Had St. James intended to have set forth the motives NOTHING can be more useful than summary and principles of religion as they ought to views of our duty, if they be well drawn and subsist in the heart of a Christian, I doubt rightly understood. It is a great advantage to not but he would have mentioned love to God. have our business laid before us altogether; and faith in Jesus Christ; for from these must to see at one comprehensive glance, as it were, spring every thing good and acceptable in our what we are to do, and what we are not to do. actions. In natural objects it is one thing It would be a great ease and satisfaction to to describe the root of a plant, and another both, if it were possible for a master to give its fruits and flowers; and if we think a writer his servant directions for his conduct in a is describing the roots and fibres, when, in single sentence, which he, the servant, had on-truth, he is describing the fruit or flowers, we ly to apply and draw out into practice, as oc- shall mistake his meaning, and our mistake casions offered themselves, in order to dis- must produce great confusion. So in spiritu. charge every thing which was required or ex-al affairs, it is one thing to set before us the pected from him. This, which is not practi-principle of religion, and another the effects cable in civil life, is in a good degree so in a of it. These are not to be confounded. And religious life; because a religious life proceeds more upon principle, leaving the exercise and manifestation of that principle more to the judgment of the individual, than it can be left where, from the nature of the case, one man is to act precisely according to another Jan's direction. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.-James i. 27. | if we apply a description to one which was intended for the other, we deal unfairly by the writer of the description, and erroneously by ourselves. Therefore, first, let no one suppose the love of God, the thinking of him, the be ing grateful to him, the fearing to disobey him, not to be necessary parts of true religion, beBut then, as I have said, it is essential- cause they are not mentioned in St. James's ly necessary that these summaries be well account of true religion. The answer is, that drawn up, and rightly understood; because if these compose the principles of true religion : they profess to state the whole of men's duties, St. James's account relates to the effects. In yet, in fact, state them partially and imperfect-like manner concerning faith in Jesus Christ. ĺy, all who read them are misled, and danger- St. James has recorded his opinion upon that ously misled. In religion, as in other things, subject. His doctrine is, that the tree we are too apt of ourselves to substitute a part which bears no fruit cannot be sound at the for the whole. Substituting a part for the root; that the faith which is unproductive is whole is the grand tendency of human corrup- not the right faith; but then this is allowing tion, in matters both of morality and religion;|(and not denying,) that a right faith is the |