very obedience which we have been enabled to practise is so imperfect, that it requires itself an atonement, rather than in any measure can supply any part in the atonement offered by our Saviour. Still, however, this is surely a very different and distinct proposition from the positive assertion, that the soul is saved by a faith without works. This, at least, is a very ambiguous expression, liable to mislead and to be perverted, which I think need not be apprehended from the expression, justified without the deeds of the law, or rather independent of them; particularly as the same apostle declares, in the preceding chapter, that not the hearers of the law, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

Another text that seems to sanction this strong expression, without works, is the following: Rom. iv. 4-6: "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness: even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without

works." Now, whatever may be the meaning of this passage, the apostle illustrates his position by a reference to two verses in the 32d Psalm, which are thus literally translated from the Septuagint: "Blessed are those whose transgressions have been forgiven, and whose sins have been hidden: blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin, and in whose mouth is no deceit.". The word mouth is, in our translation of the Bible, spirit; but the whole of this last clause is omitted in the quotation of St. Paul. The person here described, whose transgressions had been forgiven, and whose sins had been concealed, seems to have been an Israelite indeed, in whom there was no guile; and we look therefore in vain for any illustration, in this example, that righteousness was imputed without works. But here, again, there is a marked distinction between the position of the apostle, that to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousnessis imputed to him without works-and the broad and positive assertion, that a man is saved by faith without works. To be pardoned for our

past transgressions through faith by the grace of God without, or prior to, any good works, is a very different thing from saying that we may be saved by faith without works. For what is a faith without works? "As the body," says St. James, “without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." But does this excellent man intend to say that we are saved by a dead

faith? Assuredly not. Why then use so objectionable an expression? The expression is deliberately and designedly made use of, and is meant to be taken in its literal meaning; for he says, "Salvation is wholly of faith, from first to last; " and adds, and adds, “This is the grand discriminating principle between true scriptural, evangelical religion, and all mere imitations and assumptions of that title." But was the inspired apostle, St. James, then, not a competent judge of true scriptural, evangelical religion? and what are his memorable words ?" Seest thou, how in Abraham faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect. Ye see, then, how by works a man is justified, and not by faith only."

With the greatest deference, then, to the su

perior talents, and piety, and experience of this eminent minister of the gospel, may I not be allowed to say, that the first article in his doc trinal, practical, experimental creed, viz. "That the soul is saved by faith, through grace, without works," must be admitted with very considerable and very important qualifications?

The second position is, that "the soul being thus saved without works, obtains, from an assurance or divine communication of its salvation, an inward principle of love which produces good thoughts, words, and works-the fruits, not the root, of our salvation; for if we had not been saved we should not have loved God; and without this love we should have had nothing that could have produced in us good thoughts, good words, good works. The order, we are told, is this we love Him who first loved us;and how is this love manifested to us? manifested to us by his having saved us. love God, then, we must know that we are saved. We must have an assurance of our salvation! "The last time he spoke to me," says his daughter, "on personal religion, he endeavoured to establish, in my mind, the doc

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trine of assurance, or a belief that our C salvation is safe and settled."" This is one of the three grand and leading articles "of his doctrinal, practical, experimental creed-the true, scriptural, evangelical religion; while all others are mere imitations and assumptions of that title." It becomes, then, the paramount duty of every sincere inquirer after truth, carefully to examine, whether this assurance is the doctrine of Scripture. Now, the Saviour of the world has told us, that "even they which receive the word with joy, and for a while believe, do yet, in time of temptation, fall away." Who shall presume then to say, that when even the chosen disciples, after all they had heard and seen-after all their professions to stand by their Master unto death, forsook him and fled,-who shall say that, in the hour of temptation, he himself may not fall away? Does the great apostle of the Gentiles hold out any encouragement to such a confident belief, that our salvation is settled and secured, when he exhorts his converts, his beloved converts, who had always obeyed him, not only in his presence, but much more in his absence; when he exhorts even these