that faith in God, which animates the breast of a christian, includes the fulness of all happiness; for love which is imparted in connexion with this faith, the believer's love to God and God's love to the believer, must make him happy. But "there is no fear in love," and consequently no "trembling."

But, my friends, what faith is that which produces love and confidence? Only sincere, vital, christian faith. For the more our faith resembles the faith ascribed by the apostle to devils, that is, the more it approaches to a dead recognition, an empty conviction of the understanding, a form of words which is merely lodged in our memory, a system of doctrine to which we adhere without feeling, and almost without understanding; the less will our life be shaped and renovated by our faith. So that, with all the correctness and clearness of our views, still no works of love, no works of God will be performed by us, but only works of devilish evil; and the less shall we be able to find happiness in our faith; but as often as we turn to this side or that, and a sense of our dependence on God is forced upon us, we shall experience that trembling, which is as natural to unregenerated man as to the devil, and our faith, instead of comforting and blessing us, will be destitute of all consolation and saving power.

Finally, my brethren, the only thing that will make us truly blessed, that will give us life, and justify us before God, that will make us the children of God and the heirs of eternal life, is faith in "Jesus Christ,

I

the Lord of glory;" for only in the brightness of his glory will our sins, the great source of our unhappiness, be made to disappear. But since to believe in Jesus

means to accept him as the helper and Saviour, ordained by God, to receive him cordially as the propitiator of sin, and the bearer of salvation, that, in a spiritual sense, he may dwell in our hearts, it is evident that such a faith must produce good works, and be active in love. For the man in whose heart Jesus dwells, possesses his Saviour as a living, effective, holy power, not only subduing all that is sinful, but producing, with increasing fulness and purity, all that is good and acceptable to God. But he who has received Jesus, the living Jesus, the power of God, can he, I will not say, tremble with devils; but can he, in any portion or particle of his being, still wish to serve the kingdom of darkness, or to practise the works of darkness? No! the light must enlighten according to its very nature, or it would not be light. The fire must inflame according to its essential properties, or it would not be fire. So also must faith in Jesus, that enlightening light, that warming fire, produce good works, or it would not be faith in Jesus. O ye dead christians! ye christians in name only! who are only hearers of the word, but not doers of the same; who have only the form of godliness, but deny the power; who say that you know God, but in works deny him; receive the word now preached to you, receive it with meekness, that it may save your Be assured, in the great day of account, your nomi

souls!

nal, your formal christianity will not avail; in that day you will be asked not about inoperative articles of faith, not about the cold convictions of your understanding, but about your works, whether they have been the works of such a love which can be inspired only by living faith in Jesus, and by inward, confidential communion of the heart with him! May such a living faith (this is my prayer, and may it be the prayer of you all,) be produced in you by the power and grace of the Holy Spirit; for " the letter," even of faith, "killeth ;" but "the Spirit giveth life." Amen.

LECTURE X.

JAMES ii. 20-26.

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness and he was called the friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

THE apostle Paul, in his epistle to the Philippians, says, "To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe." On hearing the portion of Scripture which I have just read, the thought may have occurred to you, that, after having spoken so fully in the last lecture of faith and works, and their relation to each other, it would be superfluous to occupy your time with the consideration of a text which, as is seen at a glance, contains the same sentiments, partly expressed in the same words as in the preceding verses. But if the apostle thought it

advisable to dwell upon the same topic, to me it cannot be grievous to preach the same things, nor to you can it be unimportant or useless, if thus you should acquire a more clear and certain conviction of their truth, and while your understandings are enlightened, your hearts should be confirmed in the resolution to obey. In the Holy Scriptures there is an inexhaustible variety; we find the same doctrines presented in various lights, that by their becoming, in this sense, "all things to all men," some may be brought to a knowledge of the truth." And thus the apostle James in our text adopts a new method of instructing his readers in the true relation of faith to works, and of works to faith. He brings forward examples from the Holy Scriptures, from the history of the Jewish nation; he shows that Abraham and Rahab, two individuals who were illustrious for their faith, were also distinguished by their works; that in both "faith by works was made perfect." Let us then contemplate these examples, and endeavour clearly to understand the inferences, relative to christian doctrine, which St. James draws from the history of these two remarkable persons. May the Spirit of God lead us into all truth.

The history of Abraham, and especially the transaction to which the apostle refers in our text, is well known to you all. The progenitor of the Jewish nation received a command from God to offer up, on Mount Moriah, Isaac his son, whose birth had been so long promised and so earnestly desired. Abraham