We have now fhewn, 1ft, That LIFE AND IMMORTALITY is, in its nature, a FREE GIFT; and that holy Scripture always reprefents it under this idea: 2dly, That the benefit, which Natural Religion informs us we have to expect from our great Mafter, is, fimply, a reward for well doing: A reward, indeed, which will be abundant; for, though we be unprofitable fervants, yet is he a most bountiful Mafter. But ABUNDANT and ETERNAL belong to different Systems.

Man, from his Creation, to his entrance into Paradife, was, as hath been fhewn, fubject to the Law of Natural Religion only. From thenceforth, to his expulfion from Paradife, Revealed Religion fuperinduced to the Natural, was to be his Guide: whereby, to GoD'S FAVOUR (the fanction of Natural Religion) was added IMMORTALITY (the fanction of the Revealed ;)

not on condition of his obfervance of moral duties; for that was the condition of God's favor under Natural Religion; but on condition of his obedience to a pofitive command.

But

But who are they, who, on the recovery of the free gift of immortality, are qualified to claim it? Certainly none but those who are already entitled to some reward by the Religion of Nature; which Religion accompanies the Revealed throughout all its various Difpenfations; and on which, they are all founded.

But to make this great principle of JusTIFICATION BY FAITH ALONE ftill more clear, let us fuppofe that, at the publication of the Gospel, all to whom the glad tidings of immortality were offered, on the condition of faith in Jefus, had been moral or virtuous men; and, on that account, entitled (as natural Religion teacheth) to the favour of God, and an abundant reward; is it not felf-evident, that FAITH ALONE, exclusive of the condition of good works, would, in that cafe, have been the very thing which juftified, or entitled to life everlasting?

But are good works, therefore, of no use in the Chriftian fyftem? So far from that impiety, good works are feen, by this explanation, to be of the greatest avail; as

they

1

they render Men the only capable Subjects of this JUSTIFICATION which FAITH ALONE procures.

This is the true ufe and value of WORKS with regard to FAITH; and greater cannot be conceived. Hence it appears, that JUSTIFYING FAITH is fo far from excluding GOOD WORKS, that it neceffarily requires them. But how? Not as fharing in that JUSTIFICATION; but as procuring for us a title to God's favour in general, they become the qualifi cation of that ineftimable Reward, revealed by the Gofpel, to be obtained by FAITH

ALONE.

To illuftrate this matter by a familiar inftance: Suppose a British Monarch should beftow, in free gift, a certain portion of his own Domains * upon fuch of his fubjects who should perform a certain fervice, to which they were not obliged by the stated Laws of that fociety under which they lived; it is evident, that the performance of this laft engagement ONLY would be the

* To which immortality may be well compared.

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thing

thing which entitled them to the free gift: although that which gave them a claim to protection, as Subjects, in the enjoyment of THEIR OWN PROPERTY *, acquired by obferving the terms of the contract between Subjects and Sovereign, was the neceffary qualification to their claim of the free-gift; fince it would be abfurd to fuppofe that this gift was intended for Rebels and Traitors, or for any but good and faithful fervants of the King and Community.

This, I prefume, is the true, as it certainly is the only confiftent explanation, which hath been hitherto given of JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ALONE. Well, therefore, might St. Paul reprove the ignorance or licence of certain of his converts at Rome, in his question (which, under his authority, we have asked before) Do we then make void the LAW through FAITH? God forbid ! Yea, we ESTABLISH THE LAW †.

To which the reward offered by natural religion may be well compared.

+ Rom. iii. 31.

"But how (it may be asked) is the Law of Works ESTABLISHED by the Chriftian Doctrine of Faith? For by the Law of Works, the Apostle could mean no other than the Law of Nature; he having again and again told us, the Law of Mofes, as diftinguished from the Law of Nature, was abolished by the Law of Chrift. I answer, This Law of Works was indeed ESTABLISHED, and in the most substantial manner, by the doctrine of Faith, as these Works are the very foundation of juftifying Faith; the qualification of all who are entitled to the Fruits of that Faith, viz. LIFE AND IM

MORTALITY.

But further, to prevent all miftakes on this important fubject, (if the wifest provifions of Heaven could have prevented the effects of human perverfity, without violating freedom of will) God was pleased to fend JOHN THE BAPTIST, as the Fore-runner of his bleffed Son, to proclaim and REPUPLISH this great principle of Natural Religion, PARDON ON REPENTANCE-Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at

band.