Next to your care about admitting others, I think it highly concerns you, whenever you assemble, to _remember the end_ of meeting, yourselves; and then (to use the words of the wise son of _Sirach_ on another occasion) “you will never do amiss.” Now, the end of your meeting, brethren, is not that you may think yourselves more holy than your neighbours, much less to form a sect or party, or promote a schism or sedition in the church or state. No: such thoughts, I trust, are far from you: for they are earthly, sensual, devilish. And, if ever such designs should be set on foot, I earnestly pray GOD the abettors of them may be detected, and all their schemes, though never so plausibly concerted, fall to the ground. The only end which, I hope, you all propose by your assembling yourselves together, is the same for which you were redeemed, “The renewing of your depraved natures, and promoting the hidden life of JESUS CHRIST in your souls.” These terms, however foolishness to others, I trust, my brethren, are not so to you. I take it for granted, you are not only desirous of, but already in some measure blessed with, a saving experimental knowledge of JESUS CHRIST in your hearts: for unless a man be born again from above, and made a partaker of the divine nature by the indwelling of GOD’s Holy Spirit, he can in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whoever denies this to be true in the most literal, real, and absolute sense of the words, knows nothing yet as he ought to know: for it is grounded on a self-evident truth, that we are fallen from GOD in _Adam_, and must be renewed in the spirit of our minds, ere we can be restored to that blissful communion with him, which is the free gift of GOD and eternal life.
The only way to this, is faith in JESUS CHRIST; faith in contradistinction to, though necessarily productive of, good works. “I am the way, the truth, and the life: whosoever believeth on me, though he were dead, yet shall he live,” says CHRIST himself. And I think it my bounden duty, to exhort you at this time, to contend earnestly for the doctrine of _Justification by faith only_, because so many blind guides are lately gone out into the world. My brethren, it is much to be feared that many of our present preachers are no better than doctrinal papists. And however this, to those who having eyes see not, may be judged an uncharitable censure; yet surely they cannot justly blame me for want of candour, who consider, that one of the most reputed orthodox prelates in the kingdom, in a late pastoral letter advises his clergy, “So to explain the doctrine of justification in the sight of GOD by faith only, as to make good works a necessary condition.” Such advice from a _Roman_ cardinal would be no more than we might expect; but, coming from a bishop of the Church of _England_, is surprising, and much to be lamented.
GOD forbid, my brethren, that you should so learn CHRIST! If the scriptures are true, such a doctrine is absolutely false. The lively oracles no where declare good works to be a necessary condition of our justification in the sight of GOD; on the contrary, they every where affirm, that “Salvation is the free gift of GOD, through JESUS CHRIST our LORD: that we are saved by grace through faith; and that it is not of works, lest any man should boast.” No, my brethren, in the great mystery of man’s redemption by JESUS CHRIST, boasting is entirely excluded.