the favour; how is it then that the continuance of the same cause does not preserve the same effect? A good tree is not equally fruitful in all seasons, and a season may occur when the wonted fruit does not appear; shall we therefore pass the sentence of condemnation upon the tree, and pronounce it to be bad in the root, as well as accidentally bare in the branches? Or, shall we not rather continue to justify it as a good tree, and as such preserve it, notwithstanding its accidental failure, and employ suitable means to assist its fructification. But if a tree be planted in a favourable situation, under whatever promise or persuasion of its producing sweet apples, and it uniformly bears only sour crabs, we condemn it, as being different from the promise and persuasion.

§ 10. It will be said, perhaps, that the contrast to good works, are bad works, rather than no fruit. We will then change the illustration. Christian faith in the human mind, may be compared to a scion of an excellent quality, that in due time bears corresponding fruit. But if any of the other branches remain of the crab stock, these, also may bear fruit of a very different quality. Then the same obserBlessed vations will apply as in the former case. are those trees of righteousness whose good fruits abound to the suppression of the bad. In

another view of the same subject, "our life is hid with Christ in God." From him we derive a quickening influence and fruitfulness. And those who are in him only by profession, without a living union, he taketh away, and casteth into the fire; but the branch that beareth fruit, he pruneth it, that it may bring forth more fruit; and then is our heavenly Father most glorified, when we bring forth most good fruit. In short, we may safely conclude, that whatever procures justification, preserves it; and that good works, or active holy devotedness to the will of God, are the legitimate evidence in both cases. A vital union to Christ is, in the sight of God, the only thing that can render us acceptable. This union is formed, on Christ's part, by his Holy Spirit; and on our part, by the spirit of faith aspiring to its divine object. But the nature of our works, shews the nature of our faith; and their degree, the degree of its prevalence.

11. We do not magnify the importance of Faith at the expence of practice. Every thing should be regarded with reference to its appropriate end. The end of a testimony given is believing it; the end of a command is obeying it; the end of obedience, virtue and piety, is the chief good, which is objectively the infinite, eternal, and blessed God, and subjectively our enjoyment of him as our endless portion. The

whole of divine revelation is of the nature of a testimony from God to mankind; hence the importance of believing it without wavering: and much of this testimony is in the form of authoritative command; whence arises the importance of implicit and unreserved obedience. The end of sanctions is an unhesitating compliance: the end of benefits proposed, is a grateful ,reception, and of those actually conferred, a profitable improvement: the end of threatenings is abstinence from evil, and if slighted, condign sufferings. Hence Calvinistic teachers inculcate the importance both of faith and of practice; the former as the foundation, the latter as the superstructure. Not only the unbeliever, but the offender of whatever class is admonished, warned, and threatened in the name of God and our Saviour, "who will come with flaming fire to take vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." They are in the habit of proclaiming to their hearers that "with God there is no respect of persons," and "whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap;" that "to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." I believe they are not behind any other denomination of Christians, in reproving sinners of every class, and inculcating personal and relative duties. Look at their societies, their families, their tempers, their conversations, their

loyalty, their charitable contributions, their exertions to spread the scriptures, and to instruct the ignorant, to promote the peace of society and the happiness of mankind-view them through an unprejudiced medium, and "by their fruits ye shall know them."

§ 12. His Lordship avows, that faith is the gift of God; but that he does not bestow it arbitrarily. While commenting on the Church Article on Free Will, which states that man "cannot turn and prepare himself by his own natural strength and good works, to faith and calling upon God," he observes respecting true faith, as contradistinguished from a bare 'belief in the divine mission of Christ,' that 'It is indeed the gift of God, for without God's assistance, no man can possess it; but it is a 'gift not bestowed arbitrarily, capriciously, or irrespectively.* That the infinitely wise God should bestow a favour, or do any thing else, capriciously, without reason, or irrespectively, without a wise reference to a worthy end, is out of the question; for his Lordship must be too equitable to impute to Calvinists, a sentiment which they utterly abhor. But they do avow the sentiment that his gifts, as distinguished from rewards, are bestowed arbitrarily, or accord

* Refut. p. 54.

ing to his sovereign pleasure;-and faith among other gifts. "He has mercy on whom he will have mercy." And has he not a right "to do what he will with his own?" Should our eye be evil, because he bestows gifts upon others where there is no ground of claim? Has he not a right to impart "gifts unto men, yea to the rebellious also, that the Lord God may dwell among them?" Is there no ground of reason and wisdom in conferring them, beside the worthiness of the receiver? Distributive justice, indeed, in rewards and punishments, is exercised' respectively.' Its measure of operation is founded on the worthiness or demerit of its object. But it is the prerogative of benevolence, grace, and mercy, to overlook worthiness in their objects; and the measure of their exercise is adequately found in supreme wisdom. If man since the fall "cannot turn and prepare himself by his own natural strength and good works, to faith,”—and if God give him a supernatural principle from whence "faith and calling upon God" arises, though before "dead in trespasses and sins," where is the ground of equitable remonstrance? The receiver, it is selfevident, can have none: nor can the unworthy have any. And as to the Giver, his own good pleasure, directed by a depth of wisdom to us unfathomable, ought to exclude all cavil from his creatures. In short, though he rewards according to the measure of obedience; he gives