they might be able to practise them. Perverse people will, though instructed to the contrary ten thousand times, repre- sent the duty of faith as having a licentious tendency : but look into the Scriptures, and see how it wrought on the saints of old : or look to the fruits that are uniformly ascribed to it in the Scriptures : Is it not " by faith that we overcome the world ? " Is it not also represented as " working by love " and "purifying the heart?" Perhaps it may be thought to bring us to duties in the first instance, and to set us above them after- wards. But behold its operation in its more advanced state ; and hear what St. Paul says of the Thessalonian Church ; " We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and (what? you are therefore above attending to good works ? No: but) the charity of every one of you all towards each other aboundethm." Know then, that the prejudice which so gene- rally obtains both against the grace and the doctrine of faith, is without any just foundation : and that, though a counterfeit grace will produce only a semblance of fruit, a living faith will uniformly operate to the production of good works.]
3. The folly of calling ourselves believers, whilst we exercise an unforgiving spirit —
[It must be confessed, that many will pretend to faith, who yet indulge very unhallowed dispositions : they are proud, and wrathful, and vindictive ; if not to the same extent as others, yet sufficiently to shew, that they are yet unsanctified and unrenewed. And what shall we say to such persons? Shall we encourage them to think that these tempers are to be regarded only as the infirmities of saints? No, in truth: " they are not the spots of God's children," but the pi*oper character of the devil's. The criterion given of his people is universal and infallible ; " By their fruits ye shall know them : a cor- rupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit, nor a good tree bad fruit:" therefore our Lord repeats the admonition, "By their fruits ye shall know them11." Excuse not then yourselves, ye morose, quarrelsome, fretful, unforgiving people ; for ye are trees that shall be " cut down and cast into the fire0:" ye are " trees, whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots ; for whom is reserved the blackness of dark- ness for ever p." Talk not of grace : for grace, that is not effectual, is no grace ; and faith, that produces not holy tempers, is no better than the faith of devils q. If you complain, that you cannot overcome your tempers ; I would say, Set about it in the right way. You make resolutions perhaps ; and break
m 2 Thess. i. .3. " Matt. vii. 10—20. ° Matt. vii. 16—20.
P Jude, ver. 12, 13. <i Jam, ii. 19, 20. with 1 Cor. xiii. 2.