200 Of Believing in fefus Chrif. . S E x M. fiftent and uniform ; and the apoftles St. Paul VII. and St. fames teach us in effect the fame " "j thing, when the one faith, that we are juftified by faith without the works of the law ; the other, that a man is juftified not by faith only, but by works alto. The former meaneth, that the obfervance of the ceremonial law will not render fanners acceptable to God ; to this pur- pofe circumcifion availeth no more than un- circumcifion ; facrifices, abflinence from cer- tain meats, and the obfervation of days, will never make any compenfation to the Deity for difobedience to his moral precepts, never make men worthy of his favour; not only fo, in this ftate of imperfection when all have finned and fallen fhort of the glory of God, we cannot be accepted upon the terms of a finle conformity to his law, but upon the condition of believing, that is, obeying the gofpel fincerely. Thus it is that faith and works ftand in dire oppo- fition. But St. fames joineth them together in another fenfe ; that is, the works which are its genuine fruits, and which elfewhere in fcripture are included in faith itfelf. Having thus explained to you the duty of believing, or the commandment of God, that we believe on the name of his Son jefus Chr, we may from thence learn the nature and the guilt of that fin, which is called un- belief
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