God? Was he, therefore, justified by a fruitless faith? Or by a faith which produced works? "Seest thou not how his faith wrought by his works," constraining him to produce them; and that thus his faith was completed, was rendered perfect, by his works' Thus the Scripture was fulfilled which said, "Abraham believed in God, and his faith was imputed to him for righteousness;" and thus, on account of his faith, so manifested by works, he was called the friend of God.

The Apostle then adds, "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." This is the conclusion from the case of Abraham, and can therefore mean no more than is warranted by that case. Suppose it to mean, as the words detached from the context would seem to mean, that it is not faith by which a man is justified, but works. In this case the example of Abraham, and the quotation from Genesis,are both foreign to the purpose. In this case there could be no occasion to particularize the kind of faith by the adverb only, or alone. But on the contrary, suppose the Apostle to have the same object in view throughout; viz. to convince a false professor of the worthlessness of an empty faith; and that he quotes the Book of Genesis, which says that Abraham's faith saved him, in order to strengthen his argument, and concludes from it merely what is necessary to his main object: then, we shall also interpret the last verse in conformity with the general scope of the passage. We shall conclude that the Apostle intends merely to prove, that a barren faith will not justify; that a man is justified by works, i.e. by a faith productive of works, instead of a faith which is without works or alone.

In like manner must the example of Rahab be understood. St. Paul asserts her works also to have been done by faith. And St. James maintains, that her faith was evidenced or illustrated by the acts of receiving the messengers and sending them another way.

Thus also, in consistency with the general scope of the subject, must the remaining verse be understood

"As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." The expression is equivalent to that which the Apostle had previously employed with respect to faith. Faith can no more subsist without works than the body can when the spirit is fled; than the principle of Christian love can prevail in the heart without prompting it to deeds of benevolence and affection.

Such appears to be the general meaning and object of this important passage, and such the harmony between the two Apostles.-I shall conclude with a single observation. Whatever be the difficulties discovered in this passage, one truth it most obviously teaches, that faith, to be genuine, must produce good works. It must be a principle from which they spring, as the effect from its proper cause. Hence, then, we should surely be led to inquire into the influence which our principles have upon our conduct. What effects do they produce in us? Wherein are we more excellent than others who have no faith? What is the benefit of barren and speculative opinions? They may be just in themselves; but so is the faith of devils; that faith which serves only to plunge them in deeper perdition. Nor is this admonition of small importance. Many are more solicitous to form their creed than to purify the heart. As if the essence of religion consisted in correct opinions; as if their salvation were suspended exclusively upon a barren belief; they rest there. For this purpose they read, they listen to the Minister of the Gospel, they inquire with eager curiosity into the various sects in religion; as if some tenet were thus to be discovered, the reception of which would operate as a charm, and at once recommend them to God.-Far, indeed, is this from the true genius of Christianity. True faith is the cordial reception of the Gospel of Christ. It is inherent in the very nature of the Gospel, that whosoever really believes it will do what is right in the sight of God. The various objects of a Christian's faith will each excite its corresponding virtues. Belief in the ho

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liness of God will create a devout fear. A belief in the love of Christ will produce a reciprocal love to him. The reception of the Son of God as our Saviour will lead us to keep his commandments; and faith in his atonement will not only fill our souls with peace, but will lead us to adorn the Gospel, and to exalt that Saviour who is the source of all our hope and joy. Such is the power of faith as a principle of action. It moulds us into a state of conformity with the whole will of God. It works by love: it purifies the heart: it teaches us to live to him who died for us; to "glorify Christ with our bodies and souls, which are his.'

SERMON V.

THE PRAYER OF ST. PAUL FOR THE EPHESIANS

Ephesians iii. 14—19.

For this cause I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth and length and depth and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

WHEN St. Paul wrote these words he was a prisoner at Rome, and expected soon to suffer death. His sufferings and bonds were the consequences of his preaching the Gospel. Had he remained a Jew, he might have continued to live in ease, and to enjoy the respect of the world. But no painful reflections on account of his sufferings appear to have haunted his

mind.

On the contrary, it is remarkable, that in none of his Epistles do we find higher commendations of the Gospel, nobler descriptions of its privileges, and stronger evidence of his "glorying" in it, than in those which were written during his imprisonment at Rome. In the Epistle, for instance, from which my text is taken; we find one of his most animated descriptions of the happiness of true Christians; and then, with his heart enlarged by the contemplation of that heavenly inheritance and those Divine blessings of which they were partakers, he suddenly adverts to his own situation as a prisoner. With a noble disdain of his personal sufferings, he exhorts the Ephesians not to be distressed by them: "I desire," says he, "that ye faint not at my tribulation for you, which is your glory." And that they might still further be strengthened to regard all sufferings whatever as unworthy to be compared with the glorious privileges of the Gospel, he pours forth the fervent aspirations of his soul to God in their behalf, in the interesting words which I have chosen as my text.

"For this cause," says he, "I bow my knees:" for this cause, namely, that the disciples might not "faint," at his or their own "tribulations;" that they "might take joyfully the spoiling of their goods;" that they might rejoice "they were counted worthy to suffer for Christ's sake;" that they might gladly "suffer the loss of all things for Christ, and count them but as dung, or dross, for the excellency of the knowledge of him."

We are all, my brethren, "born to trouble as the sparks fly upward." If even we do not suffer from the persecution or oppression of wicked men, still we must suffer from other causes: and is not that man blessed. who possesses a sure resource under every trial; who is lifted above it, by an elevation of soul arising from the contemplation of privileges and happiness in comparison of which all that mortals can endure here is a mere trifle? Such a superiority to the trials of life is to be attained through faith in Christ and the knowledge of