of the Levitical difpenfation and conftitution, expected juftification by their conformity to it.Of these forts of profeffors the Apoftle obferves, that they were foon removed from him that called them into the grace of Chrift, unto another gospel, Gal. i. 6. And that being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, they had not fubmitted themfelves unto the righteoufness of God, Rom. x. 3. His concern was therefore to discover their dangerous and deftructive mistake; and to represent to them the way, the true and only way, in which they might hope for juftification in the fight of God. That it is not by works of righte oufnefs which they had done, but of God's mercy, they must be saved; that they must be justified freely by God's grace, through the redemption which is in Chrift Fefus; and that in the juftification of a finner, righteousness is imputed without works, and received by faith only.

On the contrary, James being concerned with carnal profeffors of Christianity, who perverted the doctrines of grace to encourage themselves in a carelefs licentious life, does at large convince them of the neceffity of holiness, as the fruit and evidence of a true and faving faith, and the means to qualify them for the kingdom of heaven.-He therefore puts them upon examining into the truth of their faith, and foundation of their hope, and fhews them, by the arguments already confidered, what alone. will justify their profeffion of faith, and give them good grounds to conclude the safety of their state.

They therefore who over-magnify works, and depend upon them as the condition of their juftification before God, are admonished by the Apostle Paul to confider, that they are building upon the fand, and that they must renounce their false confidence, or perish. For by the works of the law fhalt Cc 2

no flesh be justified: And if righteousness come by the law, then Chrift is dead in vain, Gal. ii. 16. 27. This folemn truth does indeed, Sir, call for your earnest attention.

On the other hand, they who depretiate good works, and neglect them as of no confequence to eternal falvation, are called upon by the Apostle James to confider, how empty their profeffion, how dead their faith, and how vain their hope of falvation is. For if men may go to heaven without bolinefs, why may not the devils go there too, who have faith (fuch as it is) as well as they? We must have a living faith, or a dead hope. Our faith muft purify our hearts, and renew our converfations; or leave us among the impure and ungodly for ever. It concerns every one therefore, fo to speak, and so to do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty, Jam. ii. 12.

Upon the whole then, as you are taught by the one Apostle, how dangerous it is to build upon any other foundation than Chrift only; for Christ Jefus is our hope, and other foundation can no man lay, than that is laid, which is Chrift Jefus; fo are you admonished by the other Apoftle, that you can have no intereft in Chrift, nor title to his falvation, but by a faith, which purifies the heart, works by love, and is juftified by a fubfequent life of holiness and new obedience.

The extremes on both fides of the queftion are equally dangerous. He that joins good works with faith, as equally the terms of juftification before God, virtually rejects the Saviour's fufficiency; fubftitutes his own righteousness in the room of the righteousness of God; and confequently his expectations must perish.-He that feparates good works from faith, in his life and converfation, as though they were not requifite to falvation, will be found

very unfit for the heavenly world, when the decree brings forth, He that is filthy, let him be filthy Still.

Suffer me then to conclude, Sir, with an earnest intreaty, that, as you love your foul, you would leave off unprofitable difputes; and not diftract your mind, and carry away your thoughts from practical godliness, by fuch an earnest application to these controverted points; but fee to it, that you come to the footftool of divine grace, as a loft unworthy perithing finner; that you depend only upon the riches of God's free fovereign grace, to draw you to Chrift, and give you an intereft in him; that you look to Chrift Jefus alone for righteoufness and ftrength; and cheerfully truft in him as a fafe foundation of confidence and hope.-See to it, that the life which you live in the flesh be by the faith of the Son of God; and as you look to his righteoufnefs only for the fafety of your state, fo likewise repair by faith to his fulness for all fupplies of grace, whereby you may make a progrefs in holinefs.-See to it, that you do not quiet your confcience with a dead faith; but always remember, that he who hath this hope in Chrift, purifies himfelf even as he is pure; and that as your perfon cannot be justified but by faith in Chrift, fo your faith cannot be justified but by a careful diligence in maintaining good works. Having therefore with the heart believed unto righteoufnefs, be you in an humble dependence upon Chrift, ftedfaft and unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; and your labour will not be in vain in the Lord.

That ye may be kept by the power of God through faith, and receive the end of your faith, the falvation of your foul, is the prayer of,

Sir, Your, &c.

LETTER XVI. Wherein is confidered in what Respects good Works are neceffary; and our Obligations to them reprefented and urged.

SIR,

Yo

OUR obfervation is just, that “it would be "unfuitable and unfeafonable to make apologies for this further trouble [as you are pleafed to "call it] after I have given you so many affurances "of my cheerful readiness, to contribute all in my power to your beft intereft."-Indeed, Sir, I have found nothing troublesome in the whole progrefs of our correfpondence, excepting fome dark apprehenfions of late, left you would fruftrate the grace of God, in feeking righteousness, not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. But it now greatly animates my endeavours to ferve you, to find thofe fears on my part fo happily removed, by finding," the difficulties on your part obviated, in "that important point, and you fatisfied with re

fpect to the foundation of your hope." I am fenfible, that the principles which I have been pleading for, are "commonly loaded with oppro"brious invectives, as being destructive of an holy "life, and fubverfive of morality and godliness." But I think I have already given you fufficient evidence, that all these infinuations are mere calumnies; and that there is no other poffible foundation, than what I have reprefented to you, for a life of true holiness and piety. I appeal to your own obfervation and experience, whether in general there be any that live more holy lives, and more honour their profeffion, than they who muft ftrictly adhere to the doctrines of fpecial grace, and depend

upon

upon Chrift alone for righteoufnefs and ftrength; and whether they, on the contrary, who depend upon their good works for a title to the divine favour, do not too commonly fhew the weakness of their foundation, by the careleffness and unfruitfulness of their lives.

The question which you propose, is however worthy of a diftinct confideration." How far, and "in what respects are our good works neceffary to "falvation?"

In order to give you a proper view of this cafe, it will be needful to anfwer this question both negatively and pofitively; or to fhew you wherein our good works ought to have no place, nor be at all looked to or depended upon; and then to fhew you wherein good works ought to have place, and in what refpect they are neceffary to every Chriftian indeed, that would entertain a well grounded hope of eternal life.

In my negative anfwer to this question, I must first observe, that we are not to do good works in order to change God's purposes and defigns towards us, or to excite his benevolence and compaffion to us. -I fufpect, it is too common a cafe for men to depend upon their penitent frames, their duties, their reformations, their works of charity, or other reli gious exercises, as what will excite affections, paf fions, or compaffions in the glorious God, correfpondent to what they find in themselves. And thence, when confcience upbraids the finner for his paft provocations to God, he hopes to appease his displeasure by his remorfe, by his duties, or by his more careful future conduct: And now he is delivered to do all these abominations; his account is ba lanced, and he begins upon a new fcore. Thence it is that his hopes and fears bear proportion to his frames and carriages. Every serious pang, every religious