righteousness, and seeking to be saved by grace alone, we shall never have so much as one of them fulfilled to us^
Nor is the legal Christian in reality building on any better foundation than the self-righteous formalist : for, though he does not profess to found his hopes on his ovs^n righteousness, yet he looks to his own attainments as his warrant for relying on the promises of his God. He thinks it would be pre- sumptuous in him to rely on the promises, because he cannot find in himself that measure of holiness which he considers as necessary to qualify him for an interest in them. But this is the very same error which the self-righteous formalist runs into : and the same answer, in a measure, must be given to it : only, whilst to the formalist I say, You must rely upon the promises ; to the legal character I say. You may. They are all given as freely as the air you breathe : and precisely as the converts on the day of Pentecost apprehended them, so may you apprehend them freely, without money and without price : and as the jailor was justified by his faith the very instant he believed, so shall you be.
Nor need we be afraid of this doctrine as having a licentious tendency ; for what was the effect of it in the apostolic age ? the same shall it be in this and every age ; the promises of God will always, when duly received, operate to the produc- tion of holiness ; and every one who embraces them aright, will proceed to cleanse himself from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and to perfect holiness in the fear of God.]
2. Those who rest in the promises without regard- ing the end to be produced by them —
[Such persons there are, and ever have been, in the Church of God ; persons, who think it legal to exhort men to holiness, and who make no other use of the promises, than to cherish in themselves an assurance of their own acceptance with God. These persons would correct the Apostle as an ignorant and ill-instructed teacher. They would say, " Having these promises, let us be full of confidence and joy :" but they would never deign to say, " Having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves :" this, forsooth, is legal. But whether they be right, or the Apostle, ]Vidi^e ye. Let such self-deceiving and conceited professors imagine as they will, God does not make so light of holiness : on the contrary, he tells us, that by our works we shall be judged in the last day, and by our works we are to be judged even now. Yes, by their fruits shall the followers of Christ be known : and if we slight them, we shall find all our pretended faith to be of no effect. "In vain shall we say. Lord, Lord, if we do not the things which he says."
= Phil. iii. 9. Rom. iii. 24. Eph. ii. 8, 9. VOL. XVI. o o