ture evidence-that a faith which no one expects to produce good works, has no 'necessary 'connexion' with them? At least, did any Calvinist suppose any such connexion? His Lordship asks,could St. Paul have described faitle in stronger terms? What faith? The terms deed are strong to describe the faith of miracles; but the following are stronger to indicate justifying or saving faith. "Faith unfeigned." "The faith of God's elect." Faith which is "the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen." "Precious faith." Faith which "overcometh the world." holy faith." That by which a man is justified, by which his heart is purified, and his person sanctified; by which he has access to God, by which he has power, or privilege, to become a son of the Most High; that by which Christ dwells in his heart, by which he offers a sacrifice acceptable to God, and walks with him:- these are superior qualities, and more excellent effects, than those of which St. Paul speaks in the passage above referred to.

"Most

'Men,

3. We are again told, That we may recommend ourselves to God by good words. as they now are, are not capable of perfect ' obedience, but they are capable of endea'vouring to attain it. Such an endeavour is their 'indispensable duty; and although it may not

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in all instances, and on every occasion be

effectual, it is humbly hoped that it may be sufficient to recommend them to the favour of God, forasmuch as what their infirmity lacketh, 'Christ's justice hath supplied.' His Lordship avows, that a minister of the Established Church ought not to be blamed for hoping that his 'congregation will recommend themselves to the 'favour of God by a regular attendance upon 'divine ordinances, and an uniform practice of religious duties-and for urging the neces

'

sity of recommending ourselves to the mercy of God, and rendering ourselves worthy the medi"ation of Jesus Christ by an holiness of living and by an abhorrence of vicc.'

4. That good works are pleasant and acceptable to God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, is language that any Christian may approve, but the phrases above printed in Italics appear inconsistent with the economy of grace, and not a little offensive to Christian humility, especially in the connexion in which they are introduced. How much more suitable and pious the language and sentiment of the patriarch Jacob, "I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant." Or of the Centurion, "I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof."

5. As words acquire different acceptations, according to their connexion, so we find the term worthy" denoting different things. Christians are exhorted, to "walk worthy of their vocation," -"worthy of the Lord,""worthy of God." In such phrases, the obvious meaning is, that they conduct themselves in a manner suitable to their privileges and relations. In this sense we may say, that a man conducts himself worthily in certain circumstances; as Solomon said of Adonijah, "If he will shew himself a worthy man, there shall not a hair of him fall to the earth." Sometimes the term "worthy" denotes deserving; as when a man is said to be "worthy of death," or "worthy of punishment," or, when it is said of God that he is "worthy to be praised;" and of the divine Saviour, that he is "worthy to receive glory and power, &c." Again, when it is said that "the labourer is worthy of his reward;" that the saints" shall walk in white, for they are worthy," it implies not only suitableness but also a kind of desert. Where there is a stipulation, either tacit or expressed; on performance of the condition, the notion of desert is attached to the reward stipulated, however unmeritorious might be the performance independent of promise.

6. But in which of these acceptations, or

in what other, are we to understand the phrase which his Lordship has undertaken to vindicate? Is there any sense in which it can be vindicated, when addressed to a mixed audience, in which it is more than probable there are many unconverted persons, or in a publication addressed to professing Christians promiscuously, the far greater part of whom have little more of Christianity than the name? To urge on the unconverted the necessity of rendering themselves worthy of the mediation of Jesus Christ by ' holiness of living and an abhorrence of vice," has a direct tendency to delude them. It tends to foster pride and presumption. Pride, be cause it leads them to self-sufficiency, rather than to "repentance towards God," and selfabhorrence before him, on account of their multiplied offences. This was not the method our Saviour took in dealing with the unconverted and self-righteous. I said also that such language tends to foster presumption in the unconverted; because it leads them to conclude that they are in a justified state, or converted already. Instead of this they should be alarmed of their danger, until signs of contrition and some unequivocal fruits of repentance are supposed to shew themselves. To urge a profane swearer, a drunkard, a gambler, a fornicator, and the like, many of whom attend public worship, and

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some of them read a book of fashionable divinity, to 'render themselves worthy the me'diation of Jesus Christ by holiness of living, &c.' is an exhortation egregiously misplaced, and calculated to subvert the gospel order. The address would not probably be disliked by the ignorant, the proud, and presumptuous; but for that very reason it is the more likely to delude them, as exciting hopes of success in a way which will never be realized, and which in the common order of the divine procedure, never can be. Even the truly pious, knowing the address to be promiscuous, so as to include the impenitent and pharisaic, would be rather grieved than edified: and the more they knew of themselves, and of the spiritual design of the scriptures, to humble the sinner, to stain the glory of all flesh, to exalt the Saviour "as all in all" in the work of a sinner's acceptance before God, the less could they approve of it in such connexion.

7. The phrase to recommend themselves to the favour' or, to the mercy of God,' in the same promiscuous manner, is equally objectionable, and for the same reasons. They have enough of native pride and of habitual presumption to fancy, that by a few pharisaic endeavours, which to them indeed is a mighty effort, they are sure to obtain the favour of God: Whereas