that we fhall be judged by our Works: not to difpute the Point now, thefe Men may be miftaken in their Notion of justifying Faith ; but there can be no difpute made, what the meaning is of being judged according to our Works.

Thus when we are faid to be juftified by Faith, in oppofition to Juftification by Works, it is matter of Controverfie, what is meant by Werks. Some think, that when Works are rejected, as contributing nothing to our Juftification, the Apoftle means only the Works of the Ceremonial Law; fuch as Circumcifion and Sa crifices, Wafhings and Purifications, the Obfervation of New Moons and Sabbaths, &c. for this was the great Difpute St. Paul had with the Jews, whether the Obfervation of the Mofaical Law were neceffary to the Juftification of Chriftians; and in this fenfe the Apostle with good reafon afferts our Juftification by Faith without Works. We are now juftified by the Faith of Chrift, not by the Rites and Ceremonies of the Mofaical Law.

Others, and with very good reafon too, not only reject the Works of the Ceremonial Law, but alfo of the Moral Law, from the Juftification of Sinners; Not as if Sinners could be juftified without good Works; but that they are not juftified by them; that is, that no Man is juftified by the Merit of his own Works, but by the Merit and Expiation of the Death of Chrift. But though no Man is juftified or faved for the Merit of his Works, yet he may be judged according to his Works. Though no Man fhall be faved by the Merit of his good Works,

1

Works, yet no Man fhall be faved without Good Works, and wicked Men fhall be damned for their Evil Works, which leaves room enough for our being judged according to our Works.

So that though we be not juftified by Works, but by Faith, as St. Paul tells us, yet we muft be judged by our Works; wicked Men fhall be condemned for their Wickednefs, and none but good Men fhall be justified and faved by the Merits of Chrift; and who are wicked, and who are righteous, shall at the last Day be judged by their Works.

And indeed, this is plainly confeffed by thofe who contend moft zealously for Juftification by Faith alone, which makes this a very needlefs and impertinent Controverfie; as appears from their way of reconciling St. Paul, and St. James. St. Paul tells us, we are juftified by Faith without the Works of the Law; St. James tells us, That by Works a man is juftified, and not by faith only, 2 Jam. 15. To rereconcile thefe two great Apoftles, they tell us, That the Man is juftified by Faith, and his Faith is juftified by Works: Now whether this be the true way of reconciling St. Paul and St. James, I shall not at prefent difpute, but it grants all that I defire, that notwithstanding our being juftified by Faith, we fhall be judged by our Works; for whether a Man or his Faith be judged and juftified by Works, I think is the fame thing: For if the Man must be juftified by Faith, and his Faith juftified by Works, I doubt the Man cannot be juftified without Works, unless he can be juftified by

an

an unjustified Faith. Before Faith can juftifie the Man, it must be juftified it self, and Faith must be juftified by Works; and what this differs from judging a Believer by his Works, I cannot tell.. So that, as many Difputes as there are about Juftification by Faith, we ought firmly to believe that we fhall be judged by our Works; for most of the Notions of Juftification by Faith, in oppofition to our Juftification by Works, are very reconcilable with this Doctrine of being judged by our Works; and those that are not, are not fo plain and certain, as it is, that we fhall be judged by

our Works.

3. "However, fince this is fo plainly expreffed in Scripture, that there is no avoiding it, nor any other poffible sense to be made of it, whatever our Notions of Juftification be, it is much the safest way, to believe and expect, that we fhall be judged according to our Works; that if we live wickedly, we fhall certainly be condemned at that Day; and though we shall be acquitted and finally abfolved by the Mercies of God, and the Merits of Chrift, yet not without Holiness, not without Good works, not without partaking of the Divine Nature, and being conformed to Christ our Head. To entertain any other hopes will undo us for ever; for we shall be very ill prepared to give an account of our Lives and Actions, when our Lord comes to call us to an Account, if we can poffefs our felves with fuch Notions of Juftification, as deliver us from the Fears of Judgment; if we can perfwade our felves, that we fhall not be

judged

judged according to our Works, but by the Merits of Chrift; that we fhall not receive the things done in the Body, whether good or evil; but fhall receive the purchase of Chrift's Obedience and Righteoufnefs without regard to

our own.

These are the dangerous Conclusions, which fome Men draw from their mistaken Notions. of Juftification; and this is the great danger of fuch mistakes. While Men acknowledge the Grace of God, and the Merits of Chrift in the Juftification of Sinners, and believe that they fhall be judged according to their Works, whatever other Difputes there may be, there is no danger in them; but if Men by fome uncertain Reafonings can perfwade themselves against the exprefs Declarations of Scripture, that they fhall not be judged according to their Works, this will make them careless of a Holy Life; and then when Chrift comes to Judgment, how Orthodox Believers foever they are, he will fay unto them, I know you not, depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

zdly. But whatever Notions we have of Grace, nothing is more plain from the very Nature of Things, than that the Righteousness of the Future Judgment confifts in judging Men according to their Works; and therefore, if God judge the World in Righteousness, he muft judge every Man according to his Works.

For 1. The Righteoufnefs of the Future Judgment confifts in rewarding Good. Men, and punishing the wicked, and in rewarding and punish

punishing none elfe: Now there is no other diftinction between Good and Bad Men, but what their Works make: He is a Good Man, who does good; and he is a wicked Man who does that which is wicked. As St. Johns tells us: Little Children, let no man deceive you, be that doth Righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous; he that committeth Sin is of the Devil, 1 Joh. 3. 7, 8:

The Nature of Righteoufnefs is certain and unchangeable, and cannot alter with Mens Opinions of it. It is our likeness and conformity to God, to be righteous as He is righteous, and therefore is as immutable as the Divine Nature; God may change our Natures, and make a wicked Man holy by the Power of his Grace, but he cannot change the Nature of Vertue and Vice, no more than he can change his own Nature: He can't make a wicked Man to be a Saint, while he lives wickedly; nor a Şaint to be a wicked Man, while he lives in the practice of Holiness and Vertue: The Natuse of Good and Evil. can't be changed, and therefore a good Man cannot be wicked, nor a wicked Man good, without changing their Natures; and God cannot account a wicked Man righteous, nor a righteous Man wicked, without judging contrary to the Nature of Things.

It would be impoffible for wicked Men, did they duely confider this, to flatter themselves, that God will fo impute the Righteousness of Chrift to them, as to account them perfectly righteous without any inherent Righteousness of their own, or without doing righteously,

For