Thus ftands the controverfy between those, who push their respective opinions to the utmost lengths; and if we must needs join ourfelves to the fide of one of these parties, we must either affert, that man ought to fit idle, while God's holy spirit does the whole work for him; or must reject the offer made us in the Scriptures of God's grace, and depend entirely upon his own merit for falvation: neither of which opinions, I hope, any here present would be willing to subscribe to.

What shall we do then in this cafe? Let us diligently fearch the fcriptures; for they alone have the words of eternal life. And I am perfuaded, that any one, who reads the writings of the Apostles with due attention, and a fincere defire of coming at the truth, who will be at the pains of comparing together the feveral things advanced by them upon thefe heads, will find them perfectly confiftent with themselves and with each other. And it is principally to the want of such a due attention and comparison that the continuance of this difpute among us is in a great meafure owing: for each party studiously felect fuch parts of the fcripture as

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they think make for their caufe, and as studiously avoid and pafs over fuch as feem to make against them. And indeed thus it must ever be, whilft men are more defirous of carrying their cause, and manifesting their superiority over their adverfaries, than of finding the key of knowledge, and attaining to the real truth.

Let us hear then what St. Paul fays to the church of Ephesus in my text: σε By grace 66 are ye faved through faith; and that not "of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not "of works, left any man fhould boaft:" that is, it is through God's kindness that we have eternal life and happiness promised to us by the means of faith in Christ: but even of thefe means fo proffered, we could not of ourselves make a proper use, unless he had at the fame time given us his holy spirit to make our faith perfect for our works cannot fave us; fo that all boafting of our own merit is abfolutely excluded.

The Apostle's doctrine in the text being thus explained, I fhall firft fhew, that faith in Chrift is the only means through which

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we can hope for falvation: and fecondly, that true Chriftian faith cannot be attained without the affistance of God's holy fpirit: and thirdly, that our works have no merit in themfelves, and confequently all confidence in them, abfolutely confidered, is vain and prefumptuous.

ift. I propose to fhew, that faith in Chrift is the only means, through which we can hope for falvation.

In order to make this appear, let us take a view of the state of man from his firft origin. In the beginning God created man in his own image, after his own likeness, placed him in a ftate of perfect innocence, and furnished him with fufficient abilities to retain that innocence intire and spotless." He saw all "that he had made," and man among and above the reft," and behold it was very "good." In this fituation then, it is plain, Adam could have no need of faith in Christ : it would have been abfurd to have taught him to trust in a Redeemer: for from what was he to be redeemed, who had done nothing worthy of bondage? The terms on which

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the Almighty had assured him of happiness, were clear and exprefs; and fo long as he performed those terms, how could he dread punishment or ftand in need of a Saviour? But, in fpite of all the great advantages afforded him, man fell, and by his fall forfeited all right and claim to these advantages, and entailed a curfe upon his wretched pofterity. The cafe then was now greatly altered: fin entered into the world, and death by fin: a deluge of iniquities overspread the face of the whole earth, and fo defaced the image and impaired the likeness of God, as to leave fcarce one trace or feature of the divine

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rity remaining. At this univerfal depravity and corruption of human nature, God had great reason to be highly offended, and as he is perfectly just, could not but require fatiffaction from man for fo grofs an abuse and perverfion of the talents with which he had intrufted him. And what fatisfaction had man to offer, to appease his majesty so justly provoked? Should he confefs himself to God and profess amendment for the future? His amendment must still be imperfect: nay, fuppofing it perfect, yet this would be no reparation for the fins he had already commit

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ted and though it fhould be admitted, (of which, however, though the light of nature may give us hopes, yet it can give us no affurance) fhould it, I fay, be admitted, that God's infinite mercy will pardon finners upon their fincere repentance and renewed obedience, yet could we, after fo many and fo great crimes as the very best of us commit, hope for a reward too, and that no lefs a reward than eternal falvation? And yet, unless this be added to our pardon, nature must for ever remain unfatisfied: fhe feels in herself fomething that grafps for everlasting blifs with groanings which cannot be uttered, and without this farther hope, the path that leads to the grave must appear all dark, dreary, and uncomfortable.

Should he then, by way of fatisfaction, offer unto God a bullock out of his house, or an he-goat out of his fold? Can he think, that God will eat bull's flesh or drink the blood of goats? And if indeed he were so disposed, all the beafts of the foreft are his, and fo are the cattle upon a thousand hills; the whole world is his and all that is therein: in him even man himself both lives, and moves, and