ficiency of Faith, but through our own Folly and Mifconduct in neglecting to make a right Use of fo excellent and effectual a Means.—Be that as it may, Faith without Works is exprefily declared to be infignificant: and therefore cannot be efteemed jufficient in any other Senfe, than as it naturally and generally tends to our Growth and Improvement in true Goodness. But as it is probable that among the first Converts to the Gospel, it feldom failed of producing this Effect; it is the lefs to be wondered that St. Paul confiders it as including in itself all the Virtues of Christianity, and giving a Title to the Rewards of the Gofpel.

The

I AM fenfible the Generality of Chriftians have fuppofed a Connection between Faith and Salvation of a very different Kind from what has been here explained. To which they have been led by the feeming Oppofition, which every where where appears in St. Paul's Writings between Faith and Good Works. Apostle discovers on all Occafions a particular Zeal on this Head. He does not say that Faith faves us by making us righteous, which is the Doctrine here maintained: but that our Faith fhall be imputed to us for Righteousness. He feems, in very many Places, to afcribe our Salvation wholly to the former: in others he evidently confiders it as a Sort of Equivalent for our Defects in the latter.This is a real and

and

great Difficulty. But I apprehend nothing can be inferred from it, except this, that St. Paul is not yet perfectly underflood. Whatever be his Meaning, of this we are very fure, that he could not mean what has been often imagined. He could not mean that the Governor of the World would deal unjustly with his Creatures; or that Juftice would allow him to diftribute Happiness, without Regard to the Merit of the Recipients; or laftly, that Faith only was meritorious, and Good Works of no Value at all. This, I fay, he could not mean: because it is contrary to Right Reafon; because it is contrary to the Declarations of St. James; because it is contrary to his own Declarations. On Suppofition therefore that the Difficulty alleged were really unanfwerable, it proves nothing but our own Ignorance; nothing but, what every one allows, the Difficulty of interpreting St. Paul's Epiftles.

BUT after all, perhaps thefe Paffages are less obfcure than has been fuppofed-It has been justly observed by thofe Writers who attempt to reconcile the two Apoftles, that in numberlefs Places the Works fpoken of by St. Paul were nothing elfe but the Performance of the Ceremonial Law: whereas Faith draws after it, by natural Confequence, a Train of Moral and Chriftian Virtues. In this Senfe therefore it is in no Degree furprizing, that Salvation

is

is afcribed to Faith rather than Works. Nay it is perfectly agreeable to the Scheme here laid down. And this Confideration alone will greatly diminish the Number of those Pasfages which may be alleged against us. — But ftill, it must be owned, there are Paffages, in which Moral Virtues seem to be excluded from any Share in effecting our Salvation and the whole of it afcribed to Faith only. Concerning this Point I would affirm nothing rafhly; not, I mean, as to the Senfe of the Apostle. But the following Account I judge moft agreeable to Reafon, and to other Parts of the Sacred Writings. And it seems to me that the Paffages in Question will fairly and naturally allow us to interpret them in Conformity thereto.

THOUGH the Happiness prepared for us in a Future State will be exactly proportioned to our Good Deferts, as Reafon and Equity require; yet thefe Deserts, confidered in themfelves, give us no Claim or Title to Happiness. The Bleffings we enjoy, even in this Life, are ftrictly and properly the Gift of God; and indeed, fetting afide the Performance of Promifes, Expletory Juftice can have no Place at all in his Benefits to his Creatures. Were any Man fuffered to país all his Days upon Earth, without once tafting of Grief or Pain; to fuch a Perfon, however innocent, however dutiful to his Maker, it could furely be esteemed no

Injury,

Injury, fhould God deprive him of his Life and his Being together. How fuch a Proceeding might confift with Wisdom and Goodnefs is indeed another Question; but in regard to Justice the Cafe is quite clear.-And if Creatures of a mixed and irregular Characler have a fuitable Mixture of Bliss and Woe, the Cafe is ftill the fame; here is evidently no Room for Complaint or Murmuring: I mean, when we confider Individual Perfons, without reflecting on their Comparative Goodness. If indeed we do this, diftributive Juftice will require a more regular State of Things, where every may be happy or miferable in proportion as he has been virtuous or vicious

Man

But there is no Occafion for fuch a State to be much fuperior to this, either in Degree or Duration. Nothing further is requifite, but that Goods and Evils may be more equably difpofed that, when all Accounts come to be fairly ballanced, no Man may appear to have been a Gainer by his Vice, or a Lofer by his Virtue; but, on the contrary, the best Men to have been the most favoured by the Governor of the World. So far will Justice require; and no farther. Whatever Profpect we have beyond this, it is the Gift of God through Jefus Chrift. It is entirely owing to God's free Bounty, that our Future Happiness will be immensely great, and infinitely durable. It is more especially owing to his Mercy, F through

through Chrift, that our weak and imperfect Obedience, frequently interrupted by wilful Tranfgreffions, and seldom free from lamentable Infirmities, fhall yet be accepted in the fame Manner, as if it was intire and perfect; all Offences being cancelled, upon our fincere Repentance, and all Penalties beyond the Grave being effectually, and for ever removed. This being the Cafe; the Apoftle might furely affirm, that we are not justified by our own Righteoufness. He might affirm this, because he was ready to fupport it with this inconteftable Proof; that we have all finned, and come short of the Glory of God. Had our Righteousness been free from all Defects; it might have been thought fufficient for our Juftification: I mean, our Exemption from future Sufferings. But as we are all guilty before God, our Title to Salvation must be derived from a quite different Source. And this Source is evidently no other, than the all-fufficient Merits of our Redeemer; through whom we have received Remiffion of Sins, and are made Heirs of Everlasting Life.

BUT if Good Works be not the Caufe of our Salvation, yet are they not the proper, the neceffary Qualification ?—If they are, no Man can be faved. For no Man can pretend to be fo qualified: because, as I have already obferved, no Man can plead Univerfal Righteoufnefs. And this it is, which St. Paul means

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