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 "JUSTlFiCATKiN BY FAITH;' 
 
 ' ■W'^.**^*, '%y- N. - 
 
 A SERMON 
 
 rBKACHRD 
 
 ON SUNDAY MORNING, JAN., THE a^TH, 1864, 
 
 ta 
 
 ST. PAUL'S C ATHEDEAL, LOKDON, aW. 
 
 •t 
 
 THE VEN. I. HELLMUTH, ni)., 
 
 Arehdcacon of Huron, Assistant Minister 
 
 ef 
 
 ST. I»ATJt4*a CATHKDRAI*, 
 
 PRINCIPAL AND DIVINITY PKOKE880R 
 
 or 
 
 HURON COLLEOK. 
 
 
 PUBZ.ISI£Er> BY REQUmST. 
 
 LONDON, 0. \V. : 
 
 DAW§ON 4c BRO., BOOK AND JOB PRINTERS, RTCIIMOND-ST. 
 
 1864. 
 
T«i VlMRABLR AUOJIDKACON llEttUVm, i), D, 
 
 Vkh. Sir ; "Wo tlic* undorsignetl, rogurding the Sermoil 
 preticheilby you in SL. I'aul'H Cathedral, on Sunday Jast, a» 
 peculiarly seasonable in the present times, und highly valuable 
 for ite sound Scriptural teaching, respectfully request you to 
 allow the same to be published. 
 
 BENJ. BAYLY, 
 J. SHANLY, 
 W. WATSON, 
 H. C. R. BECHER, 
 CHA8. MONSARBAT. 
 H. CHISHOLM, 
 A. H. VENNOR. 
 J. HAMILTON, 
 J. L. DAMPIER, 
 FRED. ROWLAND, 
 THOS. PHILIPS, 
 &c., &c., &c. 
 
 ■:o:- 
 
 GSNTI,£M£K : 
 
 Huron Collegs, Jan. 27th, 1864. 
 
 I hardly feel myself at liberty to decline com- 
 pliance with your request to allow the sermon I preached on 
 Sunday last in St. Paul's Cathedral to be published. I am 
 conscious of its very many defects, and I can only pray that this 
 feeble effort in advocating what I believe to be God's truth, 
 may be abundantly blessed to the good of souls. 
 I am gentlemen, 
 
 Yours very faithfully, 
 
 ,n, X, « ^ !• HELLMUTH. 
 
 The Rev. B. Bayly, B. A. 
 
 J. Shanly, Esq. 
 
 W. Watson, Esq. 
 
 &c., »&c., &c. 
 
 -^ 
 
 
^' 
 
 A 
 
 ■■JUSTIHCATIOS m FAITH ONLY. 
 
 n 
 
 -:oj- 
 
 ( 
 
 ST. JAMES n. 24* 
 
 •• ¥e gee ghat toy Woiti« » nan Is jrii«tmed and not toy 
 
 FaltiB Only,** 
 
 ■;o;- 
 
 The words just read to you are frequently quoted by thost' 
 who are opposed to the doctrine of free grace^ for the purpose of 
 neutrali;^ing, and someHmcs for the purpose, of ridicuh'ng the 
 doctrine of ^'justijimtion hj faith only;' which the XI. Article of 
 our Church declares to be " a most wholesome doctrine and very 
 full of comfort." 
 
 I have selected the text witn a simple view of showing the 
 perfect harmony that subsists between the teaching of 8t. Paul 
 and that of St. James, on the doctrine of a sinner's justification 
 before God. 
 
 But before I touch upon the apparent difference, between tho 
 
.II'STIKIC Al'fiiS nr KAITlf. 
 
 -V, 
 
 toiUlhillt;- ( f tllL'Si' AjKiSllcs. I i|,'>ilT to Illllkr ;i few JlITlilllilian 
 
 rtMuarkH, aiul to iJiri'cl vour ciirncsl alU'iilio/i to a few jkis^^uucs 
 of Scripture, which r«veul in tlistinct huiguiige liic \v,i\ liywhict' 
 a sinner becomes justified in the sight of (lOti. And umy the tSpini 
 of truth be present with us, that w« may receive the truth ID 
 the love of it, for Christ'3 sake. Amen. 
 
 The doctrine of "justification by faith only," without workft,-— 
 oa account of what Christ has done and sufl'ered in our stead, — in 
 tt fundamental truth, clearly and distinctly revealed in the Word 
 of God ; it carries in its train the tloctrines of the entire corrup- 
 tion and depravity of man by the fall, and regeneration and 
 eanctification by the special operation of the Holy Spirit. And 
 yet no doctrine of the Christian system has been involved ia 
 greater controversy, or more diversely propounded than this 
 fundamental truth of the Gospel. 
 
 Vou will readily admit, that it is a subject of vital importance, 
 which most deeply concerns us all, and upon the decision of 
 which depends the answer to one of the most momentous ques- 
 tions, " How can a man bo just with God ?" Can he by good 
 works earn the favor of God? Or, can he by a mtion of faith 
 and ^ooe?i^or/;«, secure his salvation? 
 
 Man is corrupt; a sinner, and in open rebellion against God| 
 and at enmity with Him, ard when convinced of this, he naturally 
 enquires with anxious solicitude: "What must I do to be 
 saved ?" Taught by the Spirit of God, that neither tears nor 
 repentance, nor good works can atone for his sins, nor can future 
 obedience remove the curse which hangs suspended over every 
 one that " continueth not in all things that are written in the 
 book of the law to do them," Oh, how gratefully and eagerly 
 does he receive the Apostolic announcement : f* Believe in the 
 Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved ;" " Christ is the end 
 of the law for righteousness to every one that helievethy 
 
 Conscious that ho is *' unclcan,"and that all his righteousness,— 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^' 
 
^ 
 
 mWtntCMXlOH UV ICAIIU. 
 
 
 * ; • 
 
 • I V 
 
 intlte words of the Prophel Isaiah,— m **w filthy rngs. nwl 
 
 ilh-ivtoiv iiiialilc Lu cnduro tho scrutiniziuf? cya of Him, wlio 
 caiiiiot Ixiliuld iniquity^ ancj "who shurgcth even his own aiigeb 
 with folly 1^'' most gh\dly iioes h© pubmit to, and tJinbraco "the 
 fighteou«n«8» which is of God hy faith, eveu through the /fuVA uf 
 Christ." 
 
 There are some, who trust to gain the favor of God uud ubtuio 
 everlasting life, in virtue of their good works only. 
 
 There is another class^ by no means an insignificant cue, in 
 point of numbers, (indeed, a very huge portion of nominal Chris- 
 tians,) wl.o rest, most unscripturally, their hoj>c8 for acceptance 
 with God> upon good works ai.d faith united. 
 
 And there is a third class, v.-ho, conscious of their innali 
 corruption, and of their utter inability, to obtain ealvatioo by 
 anything they can do, or, are able to perform, rest thuir hopes fcr 
 eternal life, upon simple faith^ in the atonement of Christ, and 
 upon that alone. 
 
 It is more to the second class,— the nominal Christian,— -thai t 
 would address myself this morning, as we are persuaded, that 
 there is hardly one in this congregation who would presunie for 
 one moment, to build his eternal hopes for acceptan^-c with God, 
 on the merits of his own works. And, yet, in our age, when 
 talent and learning, in, and out of the Church, unblushingly stand 
 forward, and in the face of God's word, endeavor to gainsay 
 the divine plan of salvation through faith in Christ ; when faith 
 in the Atonement is excluded from the system of those, who have 
 been driven to deny the inspiration of the Scriptures, or driven to 
 pervert the Oracles of God, it is not out of place, should there 
 be here, even one single soul that has been inocculated with this 
 insiduous, growing, and deadly poison, that we should solemnly 
 and aft'ectionately entreat such an one, to consider his dangerous 
 vendition, if happily the Lord may be gracious to him, and lead 
 him in the way everlasting. 
 
.11 -T! 
 
 ■' \""N HV VAlfM. 
 
 „ . , , niai it w jttsj a. erroneoun am! fata), to 
 
 i^i^^rn., as U »«, tt.at u . .an 1... J^.tified by worh on^ 
 
 I" tl- 'v.-v!es« and wof]dlj.M,i„dtH] suchu dn.-t,;,,. :, . 
 
 -'' - 'i-hU.. 3 pIausiUenttn.tio«; but to suchwho't:!: 
 1- NN ..nl of God for their . aide, ie i. at once discovered to be i„ 
 
 •t ^^' ;d.lorha«aI.v,n.i,nK,lan,ntio»«f.nanWo%,.^^^^^^^ 
 UMbchd, ..> lorin; as it i« written in God'H Word: -If bv cr.ce 
 ton ,t i, no more of works : otherwise grace is no .ore gC 
 But ,f . bo or won., then it i« „o .ore of .race: ot J-I. 
 work ts no more ^vork."* 
 
 Oh how ,l,,,„kru, ought w. to t«, ™y l„,,,,«„, «,at U» Snored 
 Wntc.« uve «.,th .„ch rcnarlabb clo.rnos., set forth ,h„ .,„,fc 
 «« th. all .mport^nt topic. Tho confusic. „r ,„i.,..«prese„t„,i„ 
 «fth»<Joctn„o,„ „„e,tio,, is but «„ illustration „f ,vhal ,h. 
 Sp,r,t of 00 ha, .„ia i„ rcp.t to th. hli„d„„. „ahe „.t„ J 
 »«»• Nether can ho know then, (i. «. .he thing, „f <,„<,, U- 
 cause they are spiritually discerned." 
 Where the doctrine of <■ justification by faith" i, «„„,„,„, 
 
 7''- """."7" ^ -»-'. ther. .eligion beco.e. „X" 2 
 
 '■V.US pnucple ; «hibiti„g itself, i„ all that will ..romot' 
 
 J^. .he first ,.h,npter of R„„, ,« ,„ «, p^,„, ^ ^ 
 
 » > he ,s „o asha„,ed of the «„.pel „f Christ, he says ■ T^ 
 tne power nf tinA ..^t^ , . •'•»/»» ii w 
 
 * "^r i)j Tjoa unto fJ.'lIvat iin " K»» * t 
 
 '•""' '"' •"» justification P Nay : the 
 
>« 
 
 iliraiUMAUOS IIV KAIVK. 
 
 » f 
 
 Apostld in the «ain» versa Wlfo us : "to ev«iy 0119 thai Mmelh." 
 
 Ami th J this is not a tiowly mvent«d (lootrine»— as atneaiito 
 
 s;iiv,iiinii, -liut Oml'noto'nKil }il;ui "f -Jiuvi!), if sj!ifior»| tb* Apostle 
 :m1i!.s •■;!> i! i~ \vrkt«m" b.v llic i'rij|.h.:L ilahukkuk: "tt*Ji»fl«Mf 
 Use bijfaith,^'' 
 
 While in th.: iJd ( ]hap, of the same Bpfotle it it dtltfoctljr ^ 
 chircd that " by ttic deous of the law no floth .sliiill he Ju^lifRMl ii» 
 his Ki<,rht,'* to our comfort it is added that - the riLrhteoiisn' • of 
 God without the hiw is mnnifestcd; even the rii^htco''^. .s.^ df 
 God by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them llmt 
 believtf and again, the sinner is "justified //-^(^/y by his grace 
 through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus : whom God hath 
 eet forth to bo a propitiation through faith in his blood — that ho 
 might be just and the justitier of him that believeth in Jesus/* 
 The Apostle then asks : " Where is boasting then ? Tt is o?:- 
 claded. By what law ? Of works ? Nay : but by the law of 
 faith. Therefore, we conclude that a man m justified by faith 
 without the deeds of the Jaw." 
 
 This " wholesome doctrine and full of comfort," is further il. 
 lustrated by the Apostle in a sti iking example of the Patriarch 
 Abraham r " If Abraham," he says, " were justified by works, ho 
 hath whereof to glory, but not before God," and to establish 
 this truth more firmly, he appeals to the Scriptures of God : 
 What saith the Scripture ?" Yes, what does it say ?— •* To the 
 law and to the testimony, if they ^neak not according to this 
 word, it is because there is no light in them." — To the Scriptures 
 then, not, what does this or that man say, not, what does this or 
 that Church teach, and maintain on this or any other doctrine 
 of the Bible, but what does the inf\illible Word of God reveal ? 
 Let the Scriptures speak : '* Abraham, as it is written, (in Gen. 
 XV. 6.) believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteous- 
 ocas/' and hence the Apostle argues ; ^' Now to hitn thai 
 worketh" (i. ©. that worketh for his justification in the sight of 
 
 I 
 
JUSTIflCATTOX nV FAITIf. 
 
 God) " is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of deU ; hxit to 
 him that worketh nof, but helieveth on him that justifieth th© 
 ungodly (mark, that justifieth the ungodly), his faith is counted for 
 righteousness." Rom. iv. 4, and 5., 
 
 Further, to illustrate fhis, the Apostle quotes another example : 
 " Even as David also describeth t,he blessedness of the man unto» 
 whom God impiiteth righteousness without works, saying: 
 blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins 
 are covered. Blessed is tlio man to whom the Lord will not 
 impute &\ny 
 
 What striking illustrations of the doctrine of " just >yic,d ion hj 
 faith only,^^ are here exhibited by the Apostle ! Abraham, " the 
 friend of God," and David, " the man after God's own heart," 
 are both justified, not by works but by faith. 
 
 Having such scriptural examples before us, let us beware of 
 seeking to be justified before God by any other way. Our eter- 
 nal happiness hinges and depends upon our adopting this plan 
 of salvation, which God in His infinite love has made known unto 
 us in his revealed Word. 
 
 There can be no compromise between good works and faith, 
 as unitedly constituting a sinner's justification before God. Hap- 
 py for us that the Word of God is so plain on this important and 
 vital question. If snlvation from first to last were not wholly 
 and altogether indepmdent of man's righteousness, works, and 
 merits, I ask what hope is there for fallen and corrupt man ? 
 
 We have only to look into our own hearts and see the plague- 
 spots within us, and we shall be constrained to cry out : " Un- 
 clean, unclean ;" " that in us, that is to say in our flesh, there 
 dwelleth no good thing." With such a knowledge of self, man 
 might well despair of obtaining salvation by anything he can do, 
 or is able to perform. 
 
 No wonder that our Church authoritatively declares : '• We 
 are accounted righteous before God, only for the merits of our 
 
 I 
 
 f 
 
JUSTIFICATION BV FAITH. 
 
 3 sins 
 
 11 not 
 
 I 
 f 
 
 -i 
 
 tsrd and Saviour Jestis Christ hy faith, and not for our oxen worh 
 
 or deservings ; wherefore that xve are justified by faith only, is a most 
 
 wholesome doctrine andjull of comfort, as more largely expressed in th9 
 
 Bomily of Justification,* 
 
 Let us now proceed, to consider the words of our text, in 
 
 which we find St. James apparently ditfering from his brother 
 Paul. 
 
 *' Ye see then," says St. James, « how that by works a man 
 is justified and not by faith only." 
 
 We shall endeavor to show, though briefly, yet I trust clearly 
 
 and satisfactorily, that there is a sense in which this is true also, 
 
 and at the same time in perfect h?-;mony with the teachino- of St' 
 Paul. ^ 
 
 The Student of the Bible, whenever he finds a statement ap. 
 parently contradicting some other portion of the word of God, 
 is bound with scrutiny and assiduity critically to examine the' 
 context, that he may discover where the supposed discrepancy 
 lies, and thus be enabled to show the harmony of the doctrines 
 contained in God's AVord. In the instance before us, instead of 
 their being a contradiction, there is rather a confirmation of the 
 doctrine of St. Paul. 
 
 St. James alluding to the faith of Abraham says, in the verse 
 preceding our text: "Abraham's >VA was imputed unto him 
 for righteousness." In this you see both are agreed. 
 
 The supposed difference embodied in the text lies in this : St. 
 Paul is speaking oi faith as in the sight of God-a^ a mean of a 
 sinner's acceptance with God. While St. James is speaking of 
 the effects or evidence of faith in the sight of man. St. Pau^l is 
 speaking of the cause of a sinner's justification ; St. James of the 
 effect of justification. This is still more clear from the 14th 
 verse, f o the end of the chapter, from which my text is taken • 
 where St. James demonstrates the emptiness of a mere profession 
 of faith, not evidenced bycorrespondingfruit, and he distinguishes 
 
 * XI. Article "of the JusUficatiou of man." 
 
 ^ \ 
 
10 
 
 JUSTIFICATION BV FAITH. 
 
 m 
 
 here a savinj faith from a fake one, by the following illustrution : 
 " Wluvt doth it profit my brethren, though a man say he hath 
 faith, and have not works ? Mark the word say, for much of 
 force lies in the word sat/ : " If a man sai/ ho hath faith " can 
 faith" [the original has the article before fiiith] such faith, as he 
 only says he has, can that save him ? Is that a savi)}^ faith ? 
 Surely the mere saying^ a man hath faith cannot save him ; that 
 kind of professional faith will not avail. Hence St. James saj^s, 
 the devils have faith — " they believe and tremble." He that is 
 m possession of a saving faith in Christ, will manifest in his whole 
 deportment that he " is passed from death unto life ;" that he " is 
 a new creature," and is delivered from condsmnation. "Being 
 justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord 
 Jesus Christ." " There is therefore now no condemnation to 
 them which are in Christ Jesus." What, to them who simply 
 »ay they believe ? Surely not so. The Apostles perfectly agree 
 in the matter oi faith and its fruits— to them is " no condemnation 
 in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the 
 Spirit,''^ in other words, who manifest in their lis^es, that their 
 faith is not a mere empty profession, but a " faith which worketh 
 
 by love." 
 
 The whole of this is made still more clear, if we take into 
 
 consideration the respective parties which the Apostles ad- 
 dressed : St. Paul was speaking to those who had " confidence 
 in the flesh," who trusted in the works of the law for their justi- 
 fication. St. James addressed those who had a barren faith — 
 who had the faith of the devils -in which they trusted neverthe- 
 less, for their acceptance with God, while they were strangers to 
 the characteristics of a living faith in Christ. 
 
 The justifying faith of which we speak, and for which we 
 contend, " is the gift of God," which exhibits itself in a holy, living, 
 and active principle. 
 
 We trust, this simple explanation of the supposed difl'erence 
 
JUSTtFICATION BY FAITH. 
 
 II 
 
 between the two Apostles is clear, and commends itself to tho 
 judgment of all present. 
 
 As to works in the scheme of Gospel redemption, our Church 
 in her Vlth Article is equally clear. She teaches . " Good works 
 follow after justification," i. e., a justifying faith produces good 
 works. The fruit does not render the tree productive, but tho 
 tree heinj prodHctive, causes the fruit. May the Spirit of God 
 teach us to understand the phce and use of good works. 
 
 Good works will never bringus to Christ. But having aliving 
 faith in Christ, cannot but produce good works to the praise and 
 glory of God. Hence the Apostle Paul says : " As then, yo 
 have received of us how ye ought to walk and please God, so we 
 beseech you that yo would abound yet more and more." " For 
 we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto ffood tvorhy 
 which God had before ordained that we should walk in tliem." 
 
 AVhile the doctrine of justification by faith is most honoring to 
 God, you will readily admit, that it is not only the most comfort- 
 ing, but the most scriptural, and therciore, the onJt/ safe way of 
 " being accepted in the beloved." 
 
 It is reported that even Cardinal Bellarmine — that great ad- 
 vocate for justification by works— had said : " On account of tho 
 uncertainty of the present life, it is most safe to rely on Christ 
 alone." 
 
 Bishop Burnet says : '* Justification is the admission of a man 
 into tho favour of God by a mere act of grace, or upon somo 
 consideration not founti . d on the holiness or merit of the person 
 himself." The learned Bishop Horsley well observes: **Justi« 
 fication by faith, ia the very corner-stone of th© whole system of 
 redemption." * 
 
 The great and excellent Archbishop tlsher says : " We may 
 *' take notice, that there is no comfort to a Christian soul, like that 
 " which floweth from this well of salvation, this sweet doctrine of 
 
 • Bl»hop ll()f«lcj''.» Charge, 1790. 
 
 ♦ 
 
 1 
 
JUSTIFICATION BV lAITI!. 
 
 / • 
 
 'm 
 
 '•justification. Here we have assurance of the sufficiency of our 
 *' redemption. That soul must be thoroughly acquitted, that is 
 "interested in su«h a righteousness ; that debt must be fully dis- 
 •' charged, that hath such a price laid down for it. * * * • 
 " The righteousness of Christ is complete and perfect, that is our 
 " main joy and crown of rejoicing— to be found in Christ, not 
 «' having our own righteousness, but that which is in him, and 
 " made ours by God's gracious account." 
 
 That this was the doctrine and belief of our Keformers, and is 
 so still of our most eminent divines, no one who is at all ac- 
 quainted with their writings can doubt. Bishop Horsley says: 
 "That man is justified by faith, without the works of the law, 
 " was the uniform doctrine of the first Reformers. It was a far more 
 " ancient doctrine, it was the doctrine of the whole College of the 
 "Apostles; it is more ancient still ; it was the doctrine of the 
 «' Prophets ; it is older than the Prophets it was the religion of the 
 " Patriarchs." That doctrine, as has been well observed is, " th@ 
 Jewel of the Reformation," in defence of which men of God were 
 martyred, and for the truth of which they bled and burnt. 
 
 The great German Reformer, Martin Luther said : " If this 
 "article of justification be lost, then is all true Christian doctrine 
 " lost with it." And he makes " this Article of faith the test of 
 "a standing or falling Church.'* The following memoraWo 
 words of this noble and bold Reformer are not less strikin^j; 
 " I Martin Luther, an unworthy preacher of the Gospel of our 
 " Lord Jesus Christ, thus profess and thus believe, that tbii 
 " Article, that faith alone., without works, can justify before God, 
 " shall never be overthrown, neither by the Emperor, nor by the 
 *' Turk, nor Tartar, nor Persian, nor Pope, with all his Cardinal*, 
 " Bishops, Sacrificers, Monks, Nuns, Kings, Princes, powers of 
 " the world, nor yet by all the Divils in Hell. This article shall 
 " stand fast, whether they wi!! or no. This is the true Gospel : 
 " Jesus Christ redeemed us from our sin», and \u only. This 
 
/ « 
 
 JUSTIVIOATION BY VAITU. 
 
 it 
 
 1 
 
 " most firm and certain truth, ia tho voice of Scripture — though 
 " tho world and tho dovil may rago against it. If Christ alono 
 " take away our sins, we cannot do this with our works ; and as 
 " it is impossibe to embrace Christ, but by faith, it is therefore 
 " equally impossible to apprehend him (lay hold on) by works. 
 " If then failh alone must apprehend Christ, before works can 
 " follow, the conclusion is irrefragable, that faith alom apprehends 
 " him before, and without the consideration of works. And this 
 " is our justification and deliverance from sin. Then, and not 
 " till then, good works follow faith, as its necessary and insep- 
 " arable fruit. This is the doctrine I teach ; and this the Holy 
 " Spirit and Church of the faithful have delivered. In this i will 
 " abide. Amen." * 
 
 Such, my Brethren, is the definition ot justification hy faith only, 
 of the great German Reformer, and no less than this is the doc- 
 trine of our Church as embodied in her Articles and Homilies. 
 I quote the following from " the Homily of Salvation," because 
 our XL Article directs us to that for a fuller explanation : 
 ** Justification is not the office of man, but of God ; for man can- 
 "not make himself righteous by his own woiks, neither in part, 
 '•nor in the whole; for that were the greatest arrogancy md 
 " presumption of man, that Anti-Christ would set up against 
 * God, to affirm that a man might by his own works take away 
 ** and purge his own sins, and so justify himself. But justification 
 •* is tho office of God only, and is not a thing which we rendeif 
 **iinto him, but which we receive of him ; not which we give to 
 "him, but what we take of him of his free mercy, and by tha 
 "only merits of his most dearly beloved Son, our only Redeemer, 
 "Saviour, and Justifier Jesus Christ ; so that the true understand* 
 ** ing of this doctrine, we be justified freely by faith without works, 
 "or that we bo justified by faith in Christ only, is not that this 
 " our own act to believe in Christ,or this our faith in Christ, which 
 
 • See hi« Life hy Miudloton. 
 
14 
 
 JUSTIFICATION BY PAITII. 
 
 " 18 Within us, doth justify us, and deserve our justification unto 
 " us; (for that were to count ourselves to be justified by some 
 " act or virtue that is within ourselves ;) but the true under- 
 " standing thereof is, that although we hear God's word and 
 "beheveit; although we have faith, hope, chanty, repentance, 
 dread and fear of God within us, and do never so many works 
 ''thereunto; yet we must renounce the merit of all our said 
 "virtues of faith, hope, charity, and all other virtues and -ood 
 " deeds, which we either have done, shall do, or can do, as tLgs 
 " that be far to weak, and insignificant and imperfect, to deserve 
 "remission of our sins, and our justification ; and therefore wo 
 " must trust only in God's mercy, and in that sacrifice which our 
 " High-Priest and Saviour Christ Jesus, the 8on of God once 
 " oflfered for us upon the cross, to obtain thereby God's grace 
 " und remission, as well of our original sin in baptism, as well as 
 " of all actual sin committed by us after our b^^ptism. * * * 
 "This faith the Holy Scripture teacheth, this is the stronc. rock 
 "and foundation of Christian religion ; this doctrine all a'^ncient 
 ' doctors of Christ's Church do approve ; this doctrine advanceth 
 " and setteth forth the true glory of Christ, and beateth down 
 " the vam-glory of man ; this whosoever denieth is not to be ac 
 " counted for a Christian man." • 
 
 One is not much surprised that the sophist should reject and 
 dcndethis doctrine, for it is not of the world, nor can it be 
 understood by the wisdom of this world. The self-righteous 
 Bhnnk from it, and have a repugnance to it, because it humblps 
 their pr.de, it exposes their corruption, and their utter inability 
 to procure the favour of God by their own good works and 
 deservmgs. The modern Philosopher rejects and ridicules it. 
 because it upsets his exalted ideas of himself, his reasoning 
 powers, his " vain philosophy" and science "falsely «o called," 
 
JUSTIFICATION BY FAITU. 
 
 IS 
 
 « 
 
 with which he trios to inocculate all around him, and he will try 
 to employ all his energies to corrupt, if he cannot overthrow, 
 this " faith as once delivered unto the saints." 
 
 Let me in conclusion say again, that the justifying faith of 
 which we speak, is a living principle, and which in God's people 
 gives expression in deep-seated piety ; in energetic activity for 
 the spread of the Gospel, and in philanthropic works of every 
 description, that will in any way tend to promote God's glory 
 and the good of mankind. Nay, this is the touchstone by which 
 we may know ourselves, and be known to others " whether we 
 are in the faith ;" whether wo are in possession of this " gift of 
 God," — this living principle — by which faith also, we overcome 
 the world. 
 
 Permit me affectionately to enquire : Does your faith answer 
 to this description ? actually subordinating earthly things to 
 heavenly ? Does it give you the victory over the world ? 
 enabling you, in some measure at least, to subdue " the lust of 
 the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life ?" Does it 
 inspire you with a holy energy, that is not intimidated before any 
 kind or amount of opposition, in the prosecution of the work of 
 God committed to you ? We need hardly say that the posses- 
 8ion of a scriptural faith is a cardinal necessity, and was never 
 more needful than at the present moment. Satan is still tha 
 Christian's adversary ; he is as artful and malignant as ever, and 
 the same "foar of man which bringeth a snare," exercises its 
 baneful influence even upon those, whom we cannot but re* 
 gard as Christian men. Oh that the Spirit of God would bo 
 poured out upon us, and endow us all with a living, scriptural 
 
 faith. 
 
 But let me warn you that you do not make a merit of faith, as if 
 on that account you have a claim upon God ; rememberit is only a 
 mean not a c^ew^,— as Bishop Horsley pointedly remarks : " That 
 " we are justified by faith, is not oa account of any merit ia our 
 
18 
 
 JU8TIF1CATI0N BV FAITn. 
 
 fu th, b„ beca,,sc fauh i, „,„ first pH„ei,,lo „f tl at communion 
 between tl,o bcl.evo,-, «oul nnd ,„„ divine Spint, on wl.ieh the 
 who o of our.s,,n-,tual life dcren<I»." • And .s „l«o ",l,e Judie- 
 ou. Hooker" on this point observes : " (;„d jns.ilieslhe telievin, 
 man, no for the worthiness of his W,'^, Ul for the worthines: 
 ol Jlim which IS behoved." t (i. e. Christ.) 
 
 You see my brethren, how God is graciously influenced in 
 h.8 Iove,-to pardon a sinner, and receive him into his favor- 
 mt,rel,^ independent of anything in the creature. Sovereign grice 
 and mercy is the only source fron, whence we derivealfour 
 temporal and spiritual blessings. 
 
 No wondc. then, that the Gospel which reveals this blessed 
 ruth shoulu be called : " The Gospel of the grace of God ; the 
 (.o.pe of salvat,„„; the glorious Gospel, and the Gospel of 
 peace!" ^ 
 
 If there be a single soul here, laboring under a mis- 
 apprehens,on, as to how a sinner can be just with God ; or a 
 s.ngle sou. heavy-laden with the oppression „f sin, and not ele.^r. 
 ly understand how to be relieved fron, this burden-we would di- 
 reot sue,, ^o the Apostolic declaration : " By Jesus Christ aU 
 »A»W,«., are justified from all things, from which they could not 
 be justified by the Law of Moses." (Acts .xiii. 39) 
 
 And you my brethren, who profess to be in pos.,ession of thi, 
 .cnptural fa.th, be entreated to seek by fcrventprayer, the larger 
 aequ.s,t,o„ of such a faith ; bring it into daily e.Jrci e; cherish 
 ■ta fuller development, and constantly resort to the foct of he 
 C,.ss^w.th the fervent supplication : LOKD INCEEAS; M Y 
 
 "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falhu-. and 
 o present you faultless before the presence of his glory"; h 
 o-dmg joy. To the only wise God our Saviour'be glo™ 
 «nd m.^esty, domnnon and power, both now and ever. AMEN 
 
 
♦• 
 
 ■te* 
 
 
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