" by faith in Christ Jesus." There is no other way : it is simply and solely by faith : there is no mixture of works : works, so far from augmenting our title to these things, or contributing to the acquisition of them, will, if wrought for this end, cut us off from all hope of ever coming to the possession of them. So inconsistent with each other are the covenants of grace and of works, that the smallest portion of works utterly excludes graceq; and the slightest imaginable depend- ence on them invalidates all that Christ has done and suffered for us. The instant we blend any thing with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we make " the promise of no effect," and " Christ," with respect to us, " has died in vain1."]
And now, in conclusion, let us inquire,
1. Whence is it that there is so much occasion to
insist on these truths ?
[Is it that there is any difficulty in them? No; in all personal matters we find it easy enough to distinguish between a gift and a debt. We are at no loss to make this distinction, if a man, who has never done one thing for us in all his life, claim a reward at our hands. It is to little purpose that he compliments us with an appeal to our generosity : the single circumstance of his founding his hope, though in a small degree, on services which he professes to have rendered us, especially if, instead of having done us any service, he has all his days been adverse to our will and hostile to our inte- rests, is quite sufficient to cut him off from all hope of receiving the benefits he expects. And much more may this be the case when a sinner presumes to prefer a claim of merit before his God. For what is this but the most abominable pride ? Take an illustration, which will serve to place the matter in its true point of view. A prince offers pardon to his rebel- lious subjects, provided they will sue for it through the mediation of his son, to whom he has committed the whole government of his kingdom. Some apply in the appointed way, and are pardoned : but others say, ' We will not accept of pardon on the terms he offers it : if the king will levy a fine upon us, we will pay it ; or, if he will appoint us a service, be it never so difficult, we will perform it : but to stoop to the method which he has prescribed, namely, that of asking pardon through the mediation of his son, is a humiliation to which we will not submit.' Who does not see, that pride is the principle by which these persons are actuated; and that, if they perish as rebels, it is altogether through their own fault? Know then, that it is pride, and pride alone, that keeps any
i Rom. xi. 6. r Gal. ii. 21. and v. 2 — 4.