There is another great objection which many are ready to offer upon hearing fuch wonderful ef fects attributed to charity alone; if it is fo, fay they, that alms-giving, and mercy towards the poor, have power to cleanse away our fins, and to reconcile us to God, to preserve us from future punishment, and to help us to become heirs of the kingdom of heaven, then are Chrift's merits lowered, and his blood was fhed in vain,-then may we be faid to be juftified by works, and by our own deeds to merit heaven. On fuch foundation it is needless to believe that Chrift came into the world, and died to put away our fins; and unneceffarily then did he rife for our juftification, as we are taught to believe by the doctrine of St. Paul. Not fo: nothing of the kind is implied, in what has been advanced on this fubject: and for fear of encouraging fo grofs an error, it will be expedient to convince you, that neither the paffages of scripture we have produced in praife of mercy, nor the doctrine of the holy Martyr (Cyprian,) nor the opinion of any other learned and pious perfon, (however highly they may extol the excellence and choice effects of it,) do any where affert, that such charitable deeds are the original cause of our acceptance with God, or that by any pofitive virtue thereof our fins are done away or pardoned, and no further fpots of our iniquities remain. This they no where affirm; for this, indeed, would be to do away Chrift's merits completely, and to wrong our Bleffed Redeemer of his tranfcendant glory. When therefore they talk of mercy washing away our fins, and preparing us for God's favor, they mean that the conftant exercife of this quality, and due reflection on its purifying nature, may help us to correct and reform our vices; for it is certain, that in whomfoever this virtue is permitted to gain ground, and govern, thofe fins of commiffion or omiffion that are in any degree injurious to our neighbor, can never long : long exift. Sordidness is the fource of every fpecies of inhumanity: Benevolence is the very oppofite to that temper and charity, doubtless, must contain fome prodigious value, when it is fo highly extolled, and univerfally recommended throughout the infpired word of God. Not that it is confidered as an ATONEMENT for what is paft, but only as a principle calculated by its peculiar influence, to remove the very motive to many trefpaffes which naturally flow from an unfeeling heart and in this fenfe it may be faid to wash them away, or prevent their gaining power. In short, pure mercy in man, is an emblem of the darling attribute of the Deity; an emanation of that infinite mercy which moved Him to provide the all-fufficient atonement which reconciled the Great Creator to hisfallen helpless creature, and is only another name for LOVE. This then is all we are to understand by fayings of this defcription, (which without fufficient explanation might be exceptionable) viz. that God, out of his abundant goodnefs to them, whom he hath called to everlasting life, hath fo offered his fpecial grace, which hath been profitably received by them, that although on account of their former finful lives, they once feemed to have been the children of wrath, yet now, by the spirit of God working powerfully in them, and enabling them to keep his commandments, they do manifeft by their present outward actions, and the display of chriftian charity, (which as a religious fruit can only be produced through the power of God's grace) that they are truly the children of their heavenly Father, preparing for eternal glory. And as in time paft they deferved that character, which by the judgment of the world is given to barefaced wickedness, and were esteemed as reprobates, fo now, by their regular obedience to God's laws, and by the merciful difpofition of their fouls, which likens them to the fountain of all good, they as openly declare to all mankind that they are the fons of God, and elect of him unto falvation *. And we may fafely offer another illustration of this matter, in order to fhew that we do not afcribe any undue merit to good works, beyond the ftrictest evangelical authority. As then good fruit is not the caufe that the tree is good, but the tree muft first be good, before it can produce good fruit; fo the good actions of men are not the caufe that maketh. men good, but they are first made good by the gift of the fpirit of God's grace which effectually worketh in them; and then they bring forth the fruits of mercy and every other virtue: but ftill in like manner as excellent fruit doth prove the goodnefs of the tree, fo doth pure beneficence in men moft furely prove the worthinefs of the actor, which Chrift confirms himself in these plain words : By their fruits ye shall know them; and fhould any one further object that men, wicked in other refpects, may fometimes appear by particular actions, to be virtuous and godly, we may reply to this by another plain comparison that the crab and wild pear do often appear outwardly to have as tempting a mell and colour as the fruit that is really good; but we foon difcover by tafting, the deceitfulness of the one, and the excellence of the other. In order to pafs found judgment on the intrinfic worth of men's actions, we must always look to the principle or motive that excites them; it is that alone which renders them acceptable to God, or profitable to themfelves. And as the true chriftian fheweth the pure fruit of Not unconditionally elect, as is evident by their change, for the words of the Homily are, That the grace of God was offered, and received by them fruitfully, or effectually, which argues choice andpower to reject the offer. That we can do nothing strictly good, without God's help, is moft certain; but that we are compelled to receive his grace, is a different matter; the very offer of it is more than we have any title to expect. But Chrift died for the fins of the whole world, that is, for thofe who repent and call upon Him, and afk for thegrace of God that is freely offered to all through his merits. VOL. II. his faith by obedience to God in acts of mercy, through gratitude of heart for the redemption of his foul by the death of Chrift, fo the man who is not governed by this chriftian principle, dealeth merely as a merchant with his God, bartering his actions and doing every thing for his own gain. He does not perform his charity from fincere love of God, from a deep fenfe of duty, from confideration that it is God's creature that he is relieving, but all the virtue tends to selfish purpose, he hopes to win heaven by the merit of his own works; not attributing the power of doing good to the influence of God's grace, and thereby lowering and making void the price of Chrift's blood, who alone hath obtained remiffion of our fins, and the power of purifying to himself a people zealous of good works. The true fenfe therefore, of all fuch expreffions as these we are defending, whether found in fcripture, or the writings of holy men, viz. that alms do wash away our fins, and mercy to the poor doth blot out our offences, is fimply this, that by doing these things according to God's will and our bounden duty to Him, we have our fins indeed forgiven by Him, not for the effential worth of our actions, but by the grace or favor of God, which worketh all in all; and that pardon is alfo in confequence of his promife made to all who are obedien to his word, in order that He who is the truth itself, might be juftified in performing what is due to his facred promife. Charity, or chriftian-love, doth truly lighten our fins, because God doth condefcend to allow it as a mark of our purity, when uniformly exercised for his fake, and in honor of his name; though it contains no actual power in itself to merit, or obtain the bleffing. It may happen, that many who are too apt to build upon the worth of their good works, will not be fatisfied with this reply. Nor is it at all furprifing, for no anfwer will be able to fatisfy fuch We must therefore leave them to their own men. wilful notions, and appeal to the fenfe of our more christian hearers; who, as they must be well affured, that every degree of goodness, perfectnefs, and mercy; that all bleffings, pardon of fin efpecially, and whatever can be ftrictly termed virtuous or profitable to either foul or body, proceed alone from God's infinite mercy and free grace, and not from any independent excellence in themfelves; fo all fuch, though they do ever so many virtuous actions, are never puffed up with any vain reliance on them. Though they hear and read in God's word what praise is due to truly pious and charitable exertions, and how frequently they are mentioned as blotting out our fins, yet they by no means arrogantly boaft of them or truft in them like the haughty Pharifee in the gofpel, but rather with the lowly publican, confefs their finful natures; their great unworthinefs of any favor; and hardly daring to look up to heaven, continue begging mercy, that with the humble publican they may be juftified by Chrift. All who have a pure fenfe of godlinefs, when the fcripture fpeaketh of good works reconeiling us to God's favor, do understand thereby that we are instructed what Chrift by his mediation and interceffion hath obtained for us from the Father, when we prove obedient to his will, viz. bis grace to work out our falvation. Such expreffions, inftead of puffing up, or leading into error, afford them comfortable affurance of God's great love towards them by enabling them fo to act, not attributing that to his unworthy creatures, which He, by his good fpirit, worketh in them, and by his grace procureth for them. But yet the very best are ready to cry out with St. Paul, from inward fenfe of natural depravity and weakness, O wretched creatures that we are!-They are ready to acknowledge, (as their master teaches) that when they have done all, they are unprofitable fervants; and when they further confider the juft judgments of an all-perfect G 2 Being, |