be engrafted into Christ by faith, in order that he may live : and with St. James I assert, that he must bring forth fruits of righteousness, to prove that he does Uve. Without being engrafted into the stock, he can have no life : and, if he bring not forth good works, he shews that he has no life. These tvvo positions are perfectly compatible witli each other : and so, when properly understood, are the apparently opposite positions of these two Apostles.]
Hoping now that I have set the whole of this matter
in a clear light, 1 conclude with a few words,
1. Of caution — [Two things in particular I would caution you against: first, Do not separate faith and tuorks ; and next. Do not con" Jmmd them.
Do not separate them, or imagine that you can be saved by either of them apart from the other : for faith, if it be alone, is dead : and works, if they be alone, leave you alto- gether destitute of any interest in Christ. If your faith be strong enough to remove mountains, yet, if it work not by love, it will leave you no better than " sounding brass, or tinkling cymbals." And if your works be ever so perfect, they can never exceed what the law requires of you ; and consequently, can never discharge the debt which you owe to God for your past violations of it : nor indeed can you ever in your present imper- fect state fulfil the law so perfectly as not to come short of it every day you live: and consequently, every day you live, you stand in need of mercy for your daily transgressions, in- stead of purchasing heaven by your super-abounding merits.
On the other hand, Do not confound the two, as though you were to be saved by faith and works united ; or to have a first justification by faith, and a second justification by works. Either the one or the other of these errors will invalidate the whole Gospel ; and will rob Christ of his glory, and you of your salvation. Christ is the only Saviour of sinful man: and his righteousness is that in which alone any Child of man can be accepted before God. If you join any thing with that, you make it void: and, as far as respects you, "Christ will have died in vain^" The true way of salvation is this: Go to Christ as a sinner: and seek salvation altogether through his atoning sacrifice, and his obedience unto death. But, when you have believed in him, be careful to " maintain good works," yea, and to " excel in" good works ^ Then will Christ be honoured in every way: your faith will honour him as the alone Saviour of mankind ; and your works will honour him as your liord and Master. But rcmen\ber to keep each in its place. In l)uilding an edifice, you do not build the super- structure first, (if I may so speak,) and then lay the founda- tion • GjI. v. 2, 4. ' Tit. iii. 8. r^tUocr^cti.