tism would not only wash away the guilt of all his former sins, both original and actual, and procure to him acceptance with God, but it would also communicate a portion of divine grace, to counteract the depravity of his nature, and to strengthen his good resolutions. Faith therefore including repentance for former offences, was, as far as the person himself was concerned, the sole requisite for Justification. No previous work was enjoined; but baptism was invariably the instrument, or external form, by which Justification was conveyed. St. Paul himself, soon after his miraculous conversion, and before he entered upon his ministry," was baptized," that "his sins might be washed away (z)." The Ethiopian Eunuch, after hearing "Jesus preached" by Philip, and confessing that he believed "Jesus Christ to be the son of God," was immediately baptized (a); and on the day of Pentecost no fewer than 3,000 persons, who were converted by the first sermon of St. Peter, were instantly baptized, under the promise of receiving "remission of their sins (b)." It is plain that these men were justified by Faith, and by Faith only. Here arises the important question, whether a person thus converted, baptized, and justified, must necessarily continue in a state of Justification? Cer

tainly

(x) Acts, c. 9. v. 18. and c. 22. v. 16. (a) Acts, c. 8. v. 37, 38. (b) Acts, c. 2. v. 38, & 41.

tainly not. Upon what then did his continuance depend? Upon his belief of the doctrines, and obedience to the precepts of the Gospel, that is, upon the performance of the conditions of the covenant into which he had entered by the holy rite of baptism, and which he had engaged to observe (c). If he really performed these conditions, he continued in a state of Justification;

and

(c) Hinc factum est, ut jam inde a primis ecclesiæ primordiis nemo sanguine Christi per baptismum aspersus fuerit, nisi obedientiam divinorum mandatorum prius pollicitus. Bull Ex Cens. p. 19. Jus ad regnum, quod in prima Justificatione homini conceditur, est, ut sæpe diximus, jus pendens a conditione in futurum, si Deus vitam concesserit, præstandâ; proinde revocabile. Hæc est manifesta doctrina sacrosanctæ ecclesiæ catholicæ, adeoque nostræ. Cujus rei luculentam rationem adjiciam: Nemo ad primæ Justificationis gratiam admittitur, qui non voto saltem ac sincero proposito ad obsequium Deo in posterum secundum præscriptum Evangelii præstandum se obstrinxerit. Jam quis non videt obedientiam, quæ voto necessario suscipienda erat ad gratiam Justificationis obtinendam, non minus necessario ad acceptum beneficium retinendum, si Deus opportunitatem dederit, opere ipso præstandam esse? Bull, p. 63.-" It seemeth necessary," says Dr. Whitby," from the nature of the thing and the state and condition of the persons to whom the Gospel was first preached, that they should be justified or absolved from the guilt of their past sins, without new obedience, or without actual obedience to all the commandments of Christ; though not without that Faith which did engage them to it, and was sufficient

to

and if he persevered to the end of his life, his Salvation was secured. But if he did not perform

these

to produce it. For this was all that could be done by the convinced Jews or Gentiles, who at one sermon or discourse believed and were baptized for the remission. of sins. It is manifest they then knew but little of the commandments of Christ, and so could not be doers of them. Either then they were not justified, and then Faith is not imputed to them for righteousness, nor did baptism consign to them remission of sins; or they were justified by that Faith which did not include actual obedience to all the commandments of Christ, as the condition of that Justification. And seeing perseverance to the end, and being faithful to the death, are by our Lord himself made the conditions of Salvation, and of receiving from his hands the crown of life; if these be also the conditions of Justification promised to Faith in Christ, no person is or can be justified by Faith till he dies. This Faith therefore in Jew and Gentile, thus converted, could only import three things, First, By way of preparation for it, and owning the true God who gave this testimony to his Son, and so a turning from dumb idols to serve the living God, and a sorrow for their sins committed against him in the time of their ignorance; and in the Jews, a sorrow for their past sins, and in particular for having crucified the Lord of Life; and in this sense repentance goes before Faith. And Christ's Apostles preached to the Jews, repentance for the remission of sins through Faith in his name, Acts, c. 2. v. 38. and to the Gentiles, to turn from these vain things to the living God who made heaven and earth; and to both, repentance towards God, and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, Acts, c. 20. v. 21. Secondly,

these conditions, he was no longer in a state of Justification, but again became liable to God's wrath; and if he died in his sins, his apostasy from the truth would be an aggravation of his guilt and punishment: "For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome; the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them (d)." St. Paul tells the Romans and Galatians, that they have been justified;

and

as a means to obtain this remission of sins, Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Thirdly, an engagement for the future to cease from sin, and to give up themselves to the service of God, according to the rules and precepts delivered to them by his Son. Now this engagement was virtually contained in their repentance, and their Faith in Christ, and was solemnly made by them at their baptism. Now this being all that they could then do, it must be all they were obliged to do, in order to their Justification; and yet it is certain that a promise of obedience is not obedience; and that even the new Covenant requires, in order to Salvation, a sincere and constant performance of the obedience thus promised. So that the conditions of Salvation, and of Justification from our past offences, can never be the same." Pref. to the Ep. to the Gal.

(d) 2 Pet. c. 2. v. 20 & 21.

and yet he gives them rules for their conduct, the observance of which he represents as essential to their Salvation. But had he considered their Justification as necessarily continuing; had he conceived Salvation in the next world as inevitably following Justification in this, all advice would have been superfluous; nor could he have felt or expressed any anxiety for the future welfare of the converts (d). Nay, he speaks of "some, who having put away a good conscience, concerning Faith had made shipwreck (e)." These men must have lost that state of Justification which they once had, and have failed of Salvation. Surely then the distinction between Justification and Salvation is as clear as it is important. There were, however, even in the days of the Apostles, as has been observed, those who confounded these two very different things-there were Christians who taught that Faith alone was sufficient for Salvation as well as for Justification; that men had only to believe the truth of the Gospel, and they would infallibly inherit eternal life (f). The Jewish Christians,

(d) St. Paul in his Epistle to the Galatians speaks highly of their former Faith, but when he wrote to them, "afraid, lest he should have bestowed upon them labour in vain." Gal. c. 4. v. II.

he was

(e) 1 Tim. c. I. v. 19.

(f) This is acknowledged by Dr. Doddridge :"Several of the Jewish Christians discovered a dispo