dence and disobedient profession to the honest but absurd exclamation will make way for the awful fall of of an ancient zealot, "Credo quia their fair but baseless edifice, in the impossibile est" (I believe, because great decisive day; and unutterable it is impossible): and, whatever astonishment, anguish, and despair, favourable opinion we may form of will seize upon them, when the his heart, we must again affirm that frowning Judge shall leave them it is impossible for him to "give a speechless, while, with an awful reason of the hope that is in him.” frown, he will say, "I never knew But if any one, allowing in general you: depart from me, all ye workers the truth of those things that have of iniquity." been stated concerning saving faith, Whether, therefore, we consider should yet feel some hesitation the author and origin of saving faith, about the use of the word holy in its invariable attendants, its essen- this connexion: the author will hold tial nature, or its distinguishing no controversy with him on this effects, we find unanswerable proof point. Provided the essential and that it is a holy exercise of the ra- unspeakably important distinction tional soul; that it has its especial between living and dead faith were seat in the heart; that it receives unreservedly allowed, and given its the light of heavenly truth in holy due prominence in the views and love; and it employs that light to discourses of Christians and miinvigorate and call forth into action nisters; the rest would be in great all spiritual affections, and to render measure a verbal controversy, from the believer "holy in all manner of which every wise man would turn conversation." But if each view of to more pleasant and profitable emsaving faith, considered separately, ployments. demonstrate its holy nature: how powerful and overbearing is the evidence, when we collect all these converging rays into one focus, and

SECTION VI.

estimate the force of these several Some Reasons assigned for insisting on the Holy Nature of Saving arguments united together! If this Faith. do not convince the reader; but he will yet contend that justifying faith Ir may probably be inquired by the is the mere assent of the under-reader, why we bestow so much standing partially enlightened, and pains to prove the holy nature of the reluctant consent of an unhum-saving faith; seeing we allow that bled unholy heart, as terrified by the sinner makes no use of this hothe report of vengeance, to sue for liness as an encouragement, and mercy of which it feels no real need; indeed seldom notices it, in his first and yet that this selfish unholy faith applications to Christ for salvation? sanctifies the soul, and produces To this question I would answer: most excellent fruit in the life! Or I. It is in order to induce Christhat true faith is neither the one nor tians, and especially ministers, to the other of these, but something use the scriptural method of prebetween that can neither be defined venting men from deceiving themnor described; he must retain his selves. It will be found at the opinion, and be left as inaccessible great decisive day, that nothing has to argument. Some may indeed more conduced to quiet nominal question whether he do not verge Christians in impenitence and un

belief, than a groundless persuasion the heart, the wiles of the tempter, that they do indeed repent and be- and the fascinations of the world, lieve. The laboured arguments, will influence many to "speak peace therefore, of the preceding pages to themselves, when there is no are not so much intended for the peace:" but "while the servants use of newly awakened persons, as slept the enemy sowed the tares," for more established Christians; and all their subsequent vigilance and especially for those who, by could not eradicate them; for these office or in charity, instruct and " children of the wicked one" must converse frequently with persons be left intermixed with true bethus circumstanced. Indeed dis-lievers till the harvest. Some good cussions on such topics cannot be men indeed, in their earnestness to fully understood, except by those gather up the tares, have endan"who by reason of use have their gered the wheat, and "offended senses exercised to discern good against the generation of God's and evil:" and of course they are children:" but may not vigilance generally improper for the new-born and caution be used by way of prebabe. But the instructions pubvention, without the least danger licly or privately given to inquirers, of that kind?

will accord to the sentiments and If we do not, in the most careful judgment of real Christians, and and explicit manner, explain what especially those of the pastors of we mean by salvation and by faith, the Lord's flock: whatever there-Satan will prevail with men to catch fore tends to a sound understanding at peace and comfort prematurely, of Scripture, among those who al- and to use our words for this purready believe the gospel, will con- pose: and thus we shall incur the duce to prevent self-deception in charge of "healing their hurt deceitothers, when first entering on a re-fully," by "speaking peace when ligious profession. And prevention there is no peace." Men are exis almost our only hope: for the ceedingly apt to conclude, even most able and experienced minis- when the utmost caution is used in ters have agreed, that the unde- stating the doctrines of the gospel, ceiving of one, whom Satan has that exemption from punishment soothed into a false peace by an and a title to future happiness conunsound profession of the gospel, is stitute the whole of salvation, and a thing which very seldom occurs. that confidence in Christ to save It is commonly indeed answered, them from wrath and bring them to that many will deceive them- heaven, though they do not concur selves, however we may state and in other respects with the design explain the doctrine of faith:" but of his incarnation and mediation, is surely we should dread, as the most faith in him. And if they once get awful calamity, being in any degree so thoroughly possessed of these accessory to the destructive delu- notions, through our inaccuracy and sion! And if we do not dread it on incautious language, as to quiet their their account, we have proportion-consciences by them; whenever we able need to be alarmed on our own, afterwards insist on the fruits of lest "their blood should be required faith, and its sanctifying effects in at our hands." Even when the good holy tempers and good works, they seed, unmingled with tares, is sown ; will (not altogether without reason) the deceitfulness and wickedness of charge us with inconsistency; and

meet with numbers to encourage of the tendency of the doctrine, and them in exclaiming against all these are not at all required to decide on exhortations, as legal, as tending to the intention of the teacher. bring them into bondage.-So that Shrewd men of corrupt minds, while it is allowed that many, who such" as privily bring in damnable give a very different description of heresies,"" teaching things which faith from that which is here main-they ought not, for filthy lucre's tained, bestow much pains to guard sake," or from ambition and love their doctrine from abuse, and of popularity, will avail themselves clearly show that true faith always of every expression in the works of produces holiness: it is also assert-respectable writers, which can be ed that in these attempts they de- made to serve their pernicious purviate from their own previous defi- poses. They will detach them from nition of faith, and substitute another their connexion, explain them in idea in its place. True believers their own way, and draw such inare doubtless holy in proportion to ferences from them, as the authors the degree of their faith: and if of them most heartily abhorred; their hope be scriptural, the more and this especially after they are assured it is, the more "steadfast, dead, and cannot explain themunmoveable, and earnestly abound-selves. And superficial readers or ing in the work of the Lord," they hearers, who want a cheap opiate will certainly be found. But we in- to quiet conscience, will be emboldquire, whether many do not " think ened, by a name of established rethemselves something when they putation, to drink the fatal poison. are nothing, and so deceive them- The book whence the passage is selves?" Whether many, who dis-quoted, and which, if fairly conclaim good works, do not satisfy sulted, would furnish an antidote, their minds with visionary impulses, is meanwhile neglected; and thus enthusiastical raptures, and a change "Satan, transformed into an angel of creed, though strangers to that of light," deceives the soul of the holy calling of which the apostle unwary. spoke? 2 Tim. i. 9. Whether there Even while the apostles were yet be not a dead faith as well as a living alive, it was needful to guard profaith? Whether the former be not fessed Christians, against being "deoften more confident than the latter? ceived by vain words:" nay," men Whether there be not a groundless of perverse minds" distorted the presumption, as well as "a hope very language of inspiration to bring that maketh not ashamed?" And on others and "on themselves, swift whether an unholy faith and confi- destruction." We ought therefore dence can be sanctifying? It is true to be extremely circumspect, not that several of the persons to whom" to give occasion to those that these questions are proposed, are seek occasion:" and we are excompletely exculpated from all in-pressly commanded to " gather up tention to loosen the believer's ob- the stumbling-blocks out of the ligation to obedience: but good men way" of those who inquire after may endorse and give currency to salvation. The enemy will if posbad bills, and thus incautiously aid sible sow tares; he will do it while the dishonest to defraud their un- we sleep, by his own servants: but suspecting neighbours. Nor let it his triumph is in this respect combe forgotten, that we can only judge plete, when he can prevail with the

ministers of Christ to mix tares grace, through faith alone, by the imwith the wheat, which they sow in putation of the righteousness of Christ, their Master's field. and an interest in his atonement, and

If it has then been proved that not in any sense by our own works, is saving faith is a holy exercise of sufficiently offensive to the pride the soul, it is certainly of the great-and carnal enmity of man's heart, est importance that this should be and entirely contrary to all his vain clearly understood; and that the reasonings and imaginations. This servants of the Lord should be fully cannot be avoided; and we ought aware of the consequences which not to keep back or modify any part result from a contrary representa- of the truth, to render it more pation, and even from incautious and latable. But it must tend exceedunguarded expressions on the sub-ingly to increase the prejudices of ject. Without embarrassing in- carnal men against the gospel, quirers by distinctions which they (especially those of the more moral, cannot possibly understand, if a sensible, and respectable among holy faith were constantly described them), if we maintain that saving in its nature and effects, and a holy faith is not holy in its nature; that salvation uniformly set before our it precedes repentance, and completely auditories; and if men were earn-justifies the man, who to that moment estly cautioned to beware of coun- has been destitute of godly sorrow for terfeits, awakened persons would sin, and every degree of a disposition be far less liable to be deceived by to amend his life; and that he is a dead faith into vain confidence than actually reconciled to God, as parthey are when such precautions are doned, accepted, and received to full neglected. Without directly ad-favour, before he begins to repent or verting to their own case, they to do works meet for repentance! would thus be imperceptibly formed Yet all this and much more to the to an habitual conviction, that sal- same purpose may be collected from vation from wrath is inseparably the scattered passages, contained connected with salvation from sin; in the writings of those who have and that true faith receives Christ espoused this cause; and not merely in his whole character, and in all inferred from their principles! his offices, with cordial approbation Worldly men will not annex our and gratitude; and is in these re-appropriate ideas to the expresspects widely different from a mere sions we use: but they will geneassent of the understanding to the doctrines of the gospel.

rally put the least favourable construction on them of which they II. We insist on this subject thus are capable, and then draw their earnestly, for the sake of such as own conclusions. Indeed facts deare without. If men take offence monstrate that numbers, viewing at the real gospel of Christ, they Christianity only at a distance, are alone are answerable for it: but if set against the gospel by those diswe state things unscripturally, and torted representations of it, for so needlessly stumble and prejudice which some pious men zealously them, we become accessory to their contend! Many know enough of destruction. Now, they that are the Scriptures to perceive, that the without are liable to be stumbled in doctrines of Christianity are there various ways by the subject before stated very differently, from what us. The doctrine of salvation of free they hear or read in the discourses

of several among those, who almost us. In conversation one with anexclusively assume the title of evan-other, we speak of the reception gelical. And being satisfied that which our sentiments meet with some of their sentiments are un-among our friends and favourers, scriptural, their dislike to the whole and the good supposed to be done: plan of the gospel shelters itself but do not enough consider what under that conviction: and sup-impression is made on occasional posing that they are only averse to hearers, or readers, who are strangers the errors of the system, which in to our system, or prejudiced against all respects they really dislike, they it. Perhaps, in some instances, adhere to their own forms and no-thousands are rendered more detertions with more decided self-con- mined in their aversion to the gosgratulation. Others, on the con- pel, by the reverberated and enhanced trary, perceiving that the doctrines report of some crude and unscripjustly called evangelical, are cer-tural tenet, or some light and luditainly contained in the Scriptures, crous expression, which injudicious and hearing such exceptionable in- friends most extravagantly applaudferences drawn from them, hastily ed, and fancied very useful. conclude, according to the dictates It has been above observed that of a proud and carnal heart that when respectable persons adopt unChristianity is chargeable with the scriptural sentiments, or use terms whole, and that such a religion can- fairly capable of an ill construction, not be from God! Thus they are men of another character will go prepared to hearken to the insinua-still further. They will leave the tions of infidels, who are more in-general doctrine unexplained and debted for their success to the follies unguarded, or explain it in the and vices of professed Christians, worst sense: they will draw their than to the strength of their own own conclusions, and make their arguments, or even zealous efforts own use of it; and thus propagate to promote the desperate cause. a spurious gospel, by the authority Some individuals who now preach of reputable names. In the mean the gospel, have declared, that after time sensible and discerning men, they had received serious impres-who dislike the doctrines of grace, sions, they were long prejudiced by but take merely a distant and extethese things, and could not receive rior view of the heterogeneous multhe doctrines of grace exactly as titude, which, in one form or other, proposed, even by those of reputa-profess them, have their prejudices tion among the evangelical people exceedingly increased, and even with whom they were acquainted. justified to their own consciences, This has occasioned many doubts by the wild and extravagant sentiand delays, and exposed them to di-ments thus disseminated in the vers temptations; till a nearer view church. And, as if this were only of the subject convinced them, that a small matter, too many, alas! both the opinions to which they objected of teachers and disciples, fairly rehad no foundation in Scripture, and duce their principles to practice! were not in reality connected with In domestic life, or in the interthe doctrines in question. course of society, individuals of this It would probably be found, upon sort disgust numbers by their re careful inquiry, that this considera-ligious cant, their extravagant notion has not its due weight among tions, and their palpable violation