364 Of the Neceffity of good forks. Vol. II. Ó vain nuin, that faith without worki is dead. And ver. 22. fpeakingof Abraham, Seefi thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made peofed. And ver. 26. For as the body without the f irit is dead, fo faithwithout works is dead al/a. The fum and refult of all which is this, that tho' we be juflified at firft by Faith without Works preceding, yet Faith without good Works following it will not finally juftifie and fave us; nay indeed, that Faith which does not bring forth the Fruits of a good life, was never a true, and living, and perfect Faith ; but pretended, and dead, and imperfect, and therefore can juftifie no Man; and he that hash only fuch a Faith dots but make an empty and ineffectual Profeffion, but is really deftitute of the true Faith of the Gofpel. And this is agreeable to that explicationwhich was given by our firft Reformers here in England, of the nature of juflifying Faith, " That it is not a mere per- " fuafion of the truths of natural and revealed Religion, but fuch a belief as be- " gets a fubmiffion to theWill of God, and hath Hope, Love, and Obedience to " God's Commandments joyned to it. That this is the Faith which in lïaptifm is " profeffed, fromwhich Chriftiansare called thefaithfid; and that in thofe Scrip- " tures, where it is faid, we are ju/lified by Faith, we maynot think that we be ju- " flified by Faith, as it is a feparateVirtue from Hope and Charity, the fear of " God and Repentance; but by it is meant Faith, neither only nor alone, but " with the forefaidVirtues, containing an engagement of obedience to the whole " Doctrine and Religion of Chrift. And that altho' all that are juftified, mutt of ".necefliity have Charity, as well asFaith, yet neither Faith nor Charity are the " worthinefs and merit of our juftification, but that is to be afcribed only to our " Saviour Chrift, who was offered capon the croft for our fins, and rofe again for " our juflification; as may be feen more at large in aTreatife publifh'd at the be- ginning of our Reformation, upon this and force other points. And I do not fee what can be faid upon this point with more clearnefs and weight. All the Application I (hall make of this Difcourfe, 'hall be briefly this That if we be convincedof the neceflity of the Virtues ofa good life toall that profefs them- felves Chriflians, we would ferioufly and in good earneft get about the practice of them: If this be a faithfùl Eying, then I am fore it greatly concerns us to be care- ful of our lives and actions, and that our converfation he as becometh the Gofpel of Chr f ; becaufe if this be-true, there is no pofhble way to reconcile a wicked life, no, nor a wilful negled and violation of any of theDuties and Laws of Chriftiani- ty, with the hopes of Heaven and eternal Life. In this the Scripture is pofttive and peremptory, that every man that bath this hope in him, muft purifie himfelf, even as he is pure: that without holinefe no man 'hallfee the Lord: But if we have our fruit unto holiiaefc, our endfball beeverlafling life. And here I might particularly recommend to your careful pradice, the great Virtues of Chriftianity; thofe which St. Paul tells us are the proper and genuine fruits of the fpirit of Chrift, love, j , peace, longfuffering, gentlenefs, goodnefs, fidelity, mecknefs, temperance. But I have not time to infift particularlyupon them. I 'hall content my felf briefly to mention thofe Duties, which the Apoftle in this Epiftle doth more efpecially prefs upon the feveral conditions and relations of Men. Thofe who' are teachers and inftrudors of others, that they wouldnot only be careful to preach foundDoFlrine, but in all things to thew themfelves patterns of good works. Thofe who are fubjed to others, and under their government, that they would pay all Duty arid Obedience to their fuperiours, as Children to their Parents, Servants to their Mailers, that they may adorn the Dofì'rine of God our Saviour in all things, as the Apoftle fpeaks, Chap. 2. ver. io. And fo likewife thofe who are Szibjecis, that they live in all peaceable and humble Obedience to .Princes andMagifirates. This our Apoftle fpeaks of as a great Duty of Chriftian Religion, And reckons it among good Works, Chap. 3. T. Put them in mind to be fubjed to principalities andpowers, and to obey a4agiflrates, and to be ready to every goodwork. And then thofe who are of an inferior condition, that they labour and be dili- gent in the work of an honeft calling, for this is privately good andprofitableun- L6
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