SecT. III. Fat( Signs of Grace. 167 Ut'sofInflrntiion, Upon what a weak prop many lean for ,their everlafting Ylfe, hopes I TheScripture figns and fymptoms ofgrace they have none at; all, onely they pleafe themfelves with falle evidencesoftheir own; and as counterfeit pearls do many times glitter more then true ones, fo falfe figns of grace many times make a greater dazeling then true ones. We are to blelle God that he reftraineth menscorruptions, that men are of honeft, civil, righteous deportment, other- wife Commonwealths would become robberies, and men would be wolves to one another. Only this is not enough for Heaven ; wemay fay even to fuch a man, aswell as to a prophane man, Vnle fe thou beeIl born again, ye cannot enter into the Kingdom o¡ Heaven : And unleffe your righteoufneffe be a better then this, there is no falvation forthee." SERMON XXIX. That a DivineFaithor `PerfnafonoftheTruths in `religion, is not Evidenceforeenough of our being in theflate of Grace. JAMES 2.26. For as the Body without the Spirit is dead ; fo Faith without Works is dead alto. Owfoever the Apoftle his fcope in this Chapter be much controverted, yet verf.r4. dothmanifeftly evidence hispurpofe, which is to take off Titular Believers, who glory in theName and Profefïion of Faith from all theirconfident boafting, iftheir Faithbe not accompanied with an holy and godly life. Some think this dangerous miftake grew from a mifunderftandingof many places inPawls Epiftles, where he feemeth only to letupFaith, and makes nomatter of Sanctification. Whereupon the reconciliationof Paul and lames, thefe two, great Apoftles, bath to all feemed verydifficult; toothers impoftible, who therefore have expunged this Epiftle out of theCanon. I will not trouble you with the feverai waies of Reconciliation endeavoured by the learned ; That which I (hall pitch upon is this, That Paul (peaks of Faith in it's relation to Juftification, conlìdering it only in that alt, fhewing that Faith onely, and no other grace juflifieth. fames demonftrateth what kinde of Faith this is, viz, anaétual operative one, whichputs a man upon all holy duties. Paul proveth that Feith alone juftifieth,and james,that this Faith which doth only ju- ftifie, is not alone, but accompanied with other graces. Paul argueth againft a Pharifee that letsup his own works againft Faith, lames argueth againft a carnal Gofpeller orPublican,that thinketha bare profef ionwill fave.Nor is it anywon- der that Pochan errour fpread, That a man by his Faithonly fhould inherit hea- ven, feeingeven in Augefliees time it was a general opinion , which that Fa- ther did with much fear and modefty gain-fay, That every Chriflian, in that he Was a Chriflian, though a drun?ard, Whoremonger, &c. Would be laved? '1 he Apoftle ufeth leverai weighty arguments to overthrow filch a vain confidence
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