TURAL RELIGION, which the Apostle began with-it follows (as we are directed) that we should GO ON UNTO PERFECTION. But if it be asked, What was this doctrine of perfection? I anfwer, it was that great MYSTERY, first revealed by the Gospel, which explains our lofs by the disobedience of Adam, and the punishment attending it, together with the recovery of that lofs by Chrift Jefus, who was gracioufly pleased to become our MEDIATOR; and more than that, by virtue of his death and sufferings on the cross, our REDEEMER likewife, together with all the circumstances attending this wonderful transaction of human redemption.

This Doctrine of Perfection, the Apoffle promises to explain to them, if God affords him leifure and a fitting opportunity-if God (fays he) permit *. This, for fome wife ends of his Providence, God did not permit. Nor have we any reason to complain, as he endowed his infpired fervants, in general, both with leifure and abilities to

* Heb. vi. 1, 2, 3.

enrich the world with the nobleft treasures of divine knowledge, ordained to enlighten and accompany his Church till the confummation of all things.

Thus, on the whole, it appears, even by the principle here explained, of SALVATION BY FAITH ALONE, that NATURAL RELIGION IS THE GROUND AND FOUNDATION OF ALL THE REVEALED.

OF

Here let us stop a moment, to deplore the condition of human blindness, always running into oppofite extremes. While one fort of Believers (as we have observed) can fee no more in the Gospel than a Republication of the Religion of Nature; and another are so far from owning, that Natural Religion is the foundation of the Revealed, that they are ready to deny that Natural Religion.

These, indeed, are portentous opinions; yet less so than that of our RATIONALISTS, who deny what Scripture has, in fo many words, so often repeated, SALVATION, or JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ALONE.

But they had mistaken the Gofpel-doctrine of falvation and juftification for no

more than God's favour indefinitely, as taught by Natural Religion; whereas the words fignify ETERNAL LIFE, brought to light and defined by the Gospel. What occafioned their confounding two things fo different was, an unfufpected error, full as grofs, namely, that Natural Religion, in teaching a reward for well-doing, taught an eternal Reward. An error into which · these men could scarce have fallen, had they diftinguished the Religion of Nature, to which Adam became fubject on his creation, from that Religion which was revealed unto him when he entered Paradife.

This hath been rectified at large towards the beginning of this Difcourfe; and to what important purposes, the Reader may now understand.

Indeed, had Natural Religion promised life and immortality for well-doing, then would God's two Difpenfations have contradicted one another; as giving immortality to WORKS by Natural Religion, and immortality to FAITH by the Revealed.

But there are no contradictions in the Oeconomy of God's moral Government. All fuch are the fpawn of human Systems, the misshapen iffue of artificial Theology. And if one thing, in facred Scripture, seems to look thus afquint upon another, we may be affured it arifes from the vitiated. Organs of the Obferver.

To inftance, in the famous cafe (so appofite to our present purpose) of the Apoftles, PAUL and JAMES; whom ignorant Interpreters have fet at variance.

St. PAUL fays*,-THEREFORE WE CONCLUDE that a man Is JUSTIFIED BY FAITH WITHOUT THE DEEDS OF THE LAW.

But St. James feems to speak another language+-You SEE THEN, how that by WORKS a man is JUSTIFIED, AND NOT BY FAITH ONLY.

The affertion of each Apostle is (we fee) a CONCLUSION from fome preceding PREMISES. These are, first of all, to be confidered, ere we can determine concerning the fenfe of either conclufion, where the

Rom. iii. 28.

His General Epiftle, chap. ii. 24.
P3

fame

fame capital word is employed by both Writers, in common.

St. Paul having explained (for that is his fubject) the nature of the GOSPEL COVENANT, whereby we are restored to the Inheritance which we loft by Adam's tranfgreffion, namely, life and immortality, ends his argument in this manner-Therefore we conclude, that a man is JUSTIFIED BY FAITH [. e. entitled to this recovered benefit by virtue of Faith] WITHOUT THE DEEDS OF THE LAW [which are Works]. We have fhewn how true this pofition is; WORKS being what juftifies or entitles us to the favour of God, as taught by Natural Religion; the foundation, indeed, of the Gospel-Covenant; which promifeth life and immortality to FAITH ALONE.

But St. James, where he seems to talk fo differently from Paul, was enforcing a very different thing, namely, the obligation of MORAL DUTY, as taught by Natural Religion, though not exclufive of the Revealed; for he exemplifies it by the precepts of the DECALOGUE; which, though a moral part of the LAW, is fupported equally on