And so to the end of the world, "if any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God." (John vii. 17.) He that is faithful to the little light he hath, shall find it "shine more and more unto the perfect day." Let us beware then of calling any man master. One is our Master, even Christ. (Matt. xxiii. 8.) "Search the scriptures." (John v. 39.) It is his command. Therein is contained all we need to know. We have his promise to assist our humble enquiries. "They shall all be taught of God." (John vi. 45.) Then the salvation by grace, which the words in the text speak of, will be discovered, embraced and delighted in. "Comparing spiritual things with spiritual," we shall have our hearts daily more confirmed "in the truth as it is in Jesus." And if we persist "to follow on to know the Lord," we shall find the salvation by grace to issue shortly in a salvation of glory. The grand dispute that in St. Paul's day rent the church was, "Whether faith or works jus tified the sinner; whether man's desert or God's free grace were the cause of salvation?" He was the strenuous asserter of the sovereignty of grace and the freedom of justification. Yea, he reckons these such essential truths, that he calls the opposite doctrines another gospel. (Gal. i. 6.) Yet those who have agreed to receive his writings as given by the inspiration of God, have nevertheless revived the errors he condemned, and still seek justification by the law, and salvation by works and not by grace. The following plain truths are submitted to every man's consideration, who will be at the pains of comparing them with the fountain from whence to me they appear to be derived. May they be the blessed means of enlightening any heart in the knowl edge of the truth, or of confirming the faith of those who are seeking the salvation by grace revealed in the gospel. I shall endeavour to shew from these words, III. Shew the necessity of its being of faith, that it might be by grace. IV. Make some suitable application. I. The salvation here spoken of, is our final salvation; including all the various steps which lead to it. This is evident from the preceding verses, where St. Paul mentions not only our resurrection together with Christ, but also "our sitting together in heavenly places in Christ Je sus;" (Eph. 2. 6.) that is, by virtue of that union which subsists between the head and the members. His exaltation we are already interested in. Our salvation is as much secured for us in Christ, as it will be at the last day for by grace we are saved." He hath wrought out the salvation for us in all its extent, of par don from the guilt of sin, deliverance from the dominion of sin, and as "our forerunner is for us entered" to take possession of the inheritance he hath purchased by virtue of his obedience unto death, and to bestow it on them who "shall be heirs of salvation." We must take the whole salvation together. We must not separate the links of this chain of grace. Though Christ is the author of eternal salvation, it is only to those who here below know him as their Saviour, freely discharging them from the guilt; and, together with the punishment, by his Spirit delivering them from the power of their sins. II. This Salvation is wholly of grace. The word grace has several meanings in scripture. -But here and in many other places its significa tion is clear from the context. It is the gift or an act of the mere favour of God. And to this the whole of our salvation must be ascribed, whether in the contrivance and execution or communication of it: Salvation is wholly of grace. 1. The contrivance of it was of "The grace. things which are not," as much subsist in the divine mind as if they were. God foresaw the fall of man, and provided a remedy for it ere it came to pass, His own glory is the end of all his actions. In this " he would glorify the riches of his grace." (Ephes. i. 6.) This is the good pleasure of his will: fallen man hath nothing but misery to present. God will therefore have mercy, because he will have mercy : He worketh after the counsel of his own will. "He hath saved us, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." (2 Tim. i. 9.) This is the origin of our salvation from eternity; the mere pleasure and grace of God. Nothing foreseen in us, either done or to be done by us, but the purpose of his own will is the first cause. 2. The execution of this scheme of salvation, planned out in the divine mind from eternity, is wholly of God's grace: That God should not spare his own Son, but freely give him up for us all" (Rom. viii. 32.) That the Son should become man, "for us men and our salvation :" That he should "by one oblation of himself once offered obtain eternal redemption for us;" (Heb. ix. 12.) was what we could no more have conceived than we could deserve: yea it was contrary to all our deserts, and above all our thoughts. The angels themselves could not fathom this abyss of love. This "mystery hid from ages and generations" he hath revealed to us in the gospel. God knew full well what his Son must endure: Christ saw for what end he came into the world; for he was in the divine purpose "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." (Rev. xiii. 8.) The obstinacy of men and their rejection of him was foretold yet he gave himself a propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world." (1 John ii. 2.) It was an act of such astonishing mercy and rich grace as passed all understanding. "God commendeth his love towards us, in that whilst we were yet sinners Christ died for the ungodly." (Rom. v. 6,8.) Every demerit of ours is disregarded, or rather sovereign grace triumphs in giving the greatest gift imaginable to the most undeserving. III. The communication of this salvation to every individual who shall finally partake of it, is purely of grace. Consider it as implying present salvation from guilt and from corruption; or the eternal salvation in heaven. 1. Salvation from guilt is wholly by grace. We are considered in scripture "as enemies, as ungodly, unjust, and dead in trespasses and sins." (Rom. v. 6-10. Eph. ii. 1.) There is nothing in any man, which seems in the most distant manner to give him a claim to the divine mercy. Our case is, as hath been shewn, utterly desperate. God finds nothing in us but sin, and the disposition of the heart continually towards it. Whoever is truly brought to God through Christ, knows this to have been his very case, until "God called him by his grace. The King upon his throne issues the undeserved pardon. "He justifies the ungodly;" (Rom. iv.5.) and this, "according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself." (Eph. i. 9.) He doth not find us just, but makes us so. It is an act of his mere grace and mercy; without the shadow of desert on our part. Yea when we had all the demerit that the enmity of our hearts, the ungodliness of our lives, and our deadly state of trespasses and sins could give us. It is true, it is on account of Christ; "we have redemption through his blood:" (Eph. i. 7.) but the pardon of sin comes not to us as the less a matter of favour, because "he gave himself a ransom for all." (1 Tim. ii. 6.) Christ's death and obedience alter not our state of demerit: besides the very gift of Christ, who purchased this great mercy, is in the highest degree of grace. 2. Salvation from the power of sin is wholly of grace: whilst guilt remained the throne of grace was guarded by a flaming cherub. It is by the removal of this, that God doth return to visit us, and send the Spirit into our hearts.--Without this we must for ever remain the bondsmen of corruption: "They who are in the flesh cannot please God," (Rom. viii. 8.) And in this state we remain until Christ delivers us through faith in his atonement. Then our persons "become accepted in the beloved:" (Eph. i, 6.) He takes possession of us for his own: "He worketh then mightily all our works in us. (Isa. xxvi. 12.) We have nothing we have not received." (1 Cor. iv, 7.) All our sanctification is as much the gift of God, as our justification. We offer him only his own. By the grace of God we are what we are." (1 Cor. xv. 10.) Boasting is utterly excluded. We are not only pardoned as rebels, but of mere bounty fed every day, and the life which is given us is maintained from the King's table. "The life which M 66 |