Faith absolutely necessary, but not sufficient to salvation without good works. In two sermons, preached at Christ-Church in Philadelphia, April 20, 1740. (2024)

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THE Apostle seems here to introduce, as it were, two Christians; the one he supposes to be Weak and Erroneous, the other Orthodox and well In|structed, and to represent them as warmly engaged in serious Discourse concerning some fundamental points of Religion, particularly the Nature of Justification & the Means of obtaining it: The weak Christian looks upon Faith alone as the only Means, and argues for the Sufficiency of it, tho' he should neglect to do Works answerable and suitable to his Faith: But the better instructed Christian doth not think Faith alone Sufficient, if it be not accompanied with a suitable Life and Conversation.

Both of them no doubt disclaim'd all pretence of Merit either in Faith or Works, and attributed (as we must always do) the whole of our Salvation to the precious Death and meritorious Satisfaction of the holy Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our Faith. Both of them were likewise agreed, that Faith was absolutely necessary to Salvation; but then, as I hinted just now, they differed very much in theirSentiments concerning the Nature and Sufficiency of it; for one thought Faith alone absolutely full, compleat and sufficient; and on that account ima|gin'dPage 2he might safely supersede his concern about maintaining Good Works, and proceeding daily in all holy Conversation and virtuous Actions; where|as the other reasoning more justly, was firmly per|suaded that Faith could not be of a true and saving Nature, could not be manifested in a right Manner, but by Good Works the genuine Fruits and Effects thereof.

This may serve to represent to us the very Case of some zealous Professors of Christianity among ourselves; who, though they readily acknowledge and inculcate the necessity of Faith and that they are under strict Obligations to live and die therein, seem notwith|standing, with the erroneous Christian, to lay too great Stress upon their Faith; thinking, nay boasting, that they will be thereby saved; tho' their Tempers be Uncharitable, and their Behaviour, in many re|spects, Irregular; as if Speculative and bare Per|suasion could save Christians, without obeying the Evangelical Precepts.

Faith and Obedience are firmly joined together, and inseperably connected by a moral efficiency, and have the Sanction from a divine Command; and 'tis therefore presumptuously vain, extremely dangerous for any Man to flatter himself or seduce others into a fond Persuasion, that just, or even inspired Notions of Religion, will avail them in the Sight of God, will justify them according to the Terms of the Gospel; whilst they indulge themselves in vice, arePage 3ungodly, and walk disorderly. Would Men but once strive with a true and holy Zeal, who should be the best Christian, who should keep at the greatest distance from Sin and every appearance of evil, and who should square his Life most exactly according to our blessed Saviour's pure Precepts and holy Exam|ple: There would then be little room left, and less if any Inclination in the Minds of serious Christians, for these needless Controversies and unreasonable Divisions with relation to Faith and Justification, Free-Will and Free-Grace, which prevail too much at present, as they did in the last Century, to the dis|credit of true Religion and disturbance of Society: Such Disputes are too dry and intricate for useful Instruction; their natural tendency is to render Men confident and troublesome, proud and uncharitable; but never to make them either wiser or better.

As Matters therefore stand, we should look di|rectly to the End of Faith, that by it we may be partakers of the Benefits of Christs Death and Imi|tatours of the Virtues of his Life. The best Ser|vice and Credit we can do our holy Religion is to give the World living Proofs of its Truth and Ex|cellency, and to defend and adorn it with a good, peaceable and exemplary Practice; for an inoffensive Demeanour, a Life of true Virtue and unaffected Piety will always have its effects; will in Time stop the Mouths of Gain-sayers and conciliate the Opi|nions and Affections of Men even disaffected: For as the Apostle St. Peter observes, we may by well-doingPage 4put to silnce the Ignorance of foolish Men, shew our Faith by our Works, and secure to ourselves the Blessing of Almighty God, and a good Title to the ample Promises he hath graciously made the Faithful in and through Jesus Christ.

Having premised this in order to explain my Text, I propose in my following Discourse.

I. To shew that Faith is absolutely necessary to Salvation, in all that have heard the Gospel.

II. That Faith alone is not sufficient to Salvation, unless it be accompanied with Good Works.

III. To offer some Instance of those Good Works, by which chiefly Men ought to shew forth and mani|fest their Faith.

I, Then I am to shew, that Faith is absolutely; necessary to Salvation, in all that have heard the glad Tidings of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This may appear very plain, if we only consider, That Faith is the very Foundation of a religious and devout frame of Soul, the first Principle of the Christian Life, and the Master-Spring that excites and guides our spiritual Motions; without which no Man can be truly and sincerely Religious; For with|out Faith, says the Apostle to the Hebrews, 11 Ch. 6 ver. 'tis impossible to please God; he that cometh to God must Believe that he is; and that he is a re|warderPage 5of them that diligently seek him. Now these two Expressions, pleasing God & seeking him, are plain|ly of the same Importance, and both of them signify Religion or the Worship and Service of God; which doth antecedently suppose our firm Belief and Persuasion of those two fundamental Principles of all Religion, whether natural or revealed, viz. that there is a God, and that he will Protect and Reward those that faithfully Serve and Obey him, because without Mens first Believing these, there would be neither Ground nor Encouragement for any such thing as Religion. Hence the Apostle to the Cor. 13. 5. requires us to examine ourselves if we be in the Faith; we must not be careless and indifferent in a Matter of so great Weight and Moment, and that so nearly concerns our eternal Interest and Welfare: For according to our Saviour's express Declaration, Mark 16. 16. He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And John 8. 24. If ye believe not that I am He (viz. the promised Mesiah and Saviour of the World) ye shall die in your Sins. It being the principle Act of this Faith, to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and the Saviour of Mankind; consequently we must esteem his Doctrine to be pure, true and sacred; we must receive it as such, and endeavour by the Assistance of Gods Grace (which he has promised to all them that ask it in Sincerity and Truth) to fulfil his holy Will and obey his Commandments; and he that thus Believeth on the Son of God, hath everlasting Life, and he thatPage 6Believeth not the Son, shall not see Life, but the wrath of God abideth on him, John 3. 18 and 36. And St. Paul tells us (2. Thess. 1. 8.) That God will take Vengeance on them that know him not, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. From hence appears both the Necessity and Nature of Christian Faith, which instructs us not only to be|lieve in Christ, but also obliges us to embrace and obey that pure and undefiled Religion taught and instituted by him in the holy Gospel. Any other Sense of believing in Christ must needs be lame and imperfect, for what can it signify or avail to believe in him, if we flight the Religion of which he is the Author, and disregard those inspir'd and faithful Re|cords of his Life and Rules of this Doctrine? The holy Scriptures were given for our Learning and written for our Instruction; and in the due use of Means, the Spirit of Truth will guide us into the saving knowledge of what God has thought fit to re|veal, what he commands us to do, what he promises to the Obedient and threatens against the Negligent; that thereby we may be induced seriously to deny all ungodliness and worldly Lusts, and to live righteously, soberly and godly in this present World.

This is a true Description of that Faith, which is required by the perfect Revelation of Gods Will, and approves itself to the Reason of Mankind; tho' there are some who labour to render it obscure and unin|telligible. This is the true meaning of coming to Christ, of receiving Christ, of putting on Christ,Page 7which the Scripture requires, and in this Sense we must understand these Phrases, when we apply them to this Matter. This is the Faith which is necessary to Salvation, in all that live under the Sunshine of the Gospel. As to those who have not had it re|veal'd unto them, it would be rash and ill become us to pronounce any thing peremptorily concerning them; we must not affect to be wise above what is written: However we may on the charitable, and therefore the safest side, suppose that God, whose Goodness is over all his Works, may apply his un|covenanted Mercy unto them; and that tho' they do not believe in Christ, of whom they have not heard, he may reckon them excusable; the want of Op|portunity and external Revelation being a good Apo|logy in their behalf. But as to those who have heard the glad Tidings of Salvation, who live where the Gospel is taught in Purity and Truth, where the Evidences of Christianity, and Motives to believe, ly so open to the general Apprehension of Mankind. If any in such Circ*mstances be so obstinate as not to believe in Christ, not to make use of the Means of Grace, not to pray earnestly with the Man in the Gospel, Lord I believe, help thou my unbelief: Such Persons must be without Excuse, and reputed unworthy to be saved through our blessed Saviour's Mediation, and are justly liable and con|signed over to Condemnation: For thus according to our Lords own Words (John 14. 6.) No Man cometh to the Father but by me, and that coming to the Father is only by Faith in Jesus Christ.

Page 8As among Men he, that will not believe a Matter of Fact, upon the positive Testimony of a credible Witness, will be reckon'd to affront and do him an Injury who attests it; so he, who refuses to believe or give his Assent to those saving Doctrines, which God by the Gospel has graciously deliver'd to the World, sins against God and affronts his Truths. 1. John 5. 9. If we receive the Witness of Men, the Witness of God is greater: He that believeth on the Son of God, hath the Witness in himself, he that be|lieveth not God, hath made him a Liar. In this Place the Apostle speaks of those who believed not, but rejected the Gospel, and says that in so doing they made, i.e. accounted God a Liar: Not that they denied Gods Veracity (an attribute of the Divine Nature, which neither Jews nor Heathens disputed) but because, when the Gospel was in Truth reveal'd by God, and they might (had they not been par|tial and willfully negligent) been convinced of its being so; they notwithstanding refused to believe it; and therefore as highly affronted Gods Veracity by unbelief, as they could have done his Authority by Disobedience. Unbelief affronts God by rejecting the Doctrines he has amply confirmed by clear and miraculous Testimonies: ' Tis a manifest Contempt or his infinite Goodness in sending our Saviour into the World; and does what it can to defeat his graci|ous Designs to save Mankind.

Whoever rejects, perverts or corrupts this Faith, may be construed to sap the sure Foundation ofPage 9moral Duties; and to do the greatest Mischief to human Societies, by rooting out of the Minds of Men those powerful Restraints from Injustice, Vi|olence, Sedition, and all kinds of Vice which Chris|tianity has laid them under: The influence of which is a great Security to mutual Benevolence, Peace and Order; and produce Effects publickly and pri|vately beneficial, in many Cases that are without the reach of human Laws. 'Tis Faith that makes us strictly diligent in the coniscientious Practice of social Virtues, and careful to direct them to their true Ends: Nothing can inspire a Man with the true Spirit of Charity, but the Contemplation of the infinite good|ness of God apprehended by Faith, nothing can make us truly humble, but the knowledge of Gods transcendent Power and Perfection manifested by the same efficacious Principle. Nor can any Thing but the Hope or the Divine Favour excite Men to be un|seignedly zealous for religious Virtue in general. Without this Grace, the highest Perfection Men either will or can raise themselves to, is to mortify and avoid one Vice that they may pursue another; for instance to deny their Avarice, in order to gra|tify their Ambition, to shun the folly of Lukewarm|ness, that they may indulge themselves in the mad Freaks of Enthusiasm; and in one Word to do good for their own selfish Ends and private Interest; and to be vicious and corrupt, is not by Principle, at least with less Disgrace and greater Security. Tho' thus now it appears that Faith is absolutely necessary to Sal|vation; yet it will appear, as I proposed to shew in thePage 10Ild Place, That Faith alone is not suffcient, unless it be accompanied with good Works. This might be easily inferred son what has been said on the for|mer Head, and is abundantly plain and evident from the whole Tenour of the New-Testament, which in|structs us in every Branch of our Duty, and furnish|es us with the strongest. Motives and Arguments to a good and exemplary Life, to let our Light so shine be|fore the World, that men may see our good Works—St. Paul 'tis true, faith that a Man is justified by Faith without the Deeds of the Law, Rom. 3 28. Some insist on it, that the Apostle here means no other than the Deeds enjoned by the ancient Law, the Law of Moses the ritual Part thereof, such as Cir|cumcision and the Like; but granting that he af|firms a Man is justified by Faith without the Deeds of the Moral Law; yet he means only perfect Works, or exact, unsinning Obedience required by the tenour of the first Covenant as appears from the preceeding Verses, where he declares, that all Men are concluded under Sin, and therefore unable to do Works that can challange a Reward, that need no Mercy, no repentance; by such Works since the Fall no Man living can be justified: But the Gospel, in tender pity to the weakness of our depraved Nature, abates the rigour and severity of the Law by requiring only sincere, instead of perfect unsinning Obedience, and that too render'd easy and practicable by the Suc|cours of Heaven, by the Grace and Strength of our Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ, who is our Advocate with the Father, and apropitiation for our Sins The Gos|pelPage 11by requiring & accepting Repentance affords Men all the Encouragement in the World to repeat and live well, and Faith in St. Pauls Epistles generally compre|hends Repentance and sincere Obedience: The Faith by which a Man is justified is not, cannot be a son; but must bring forth Fruit, must be attended with good Works: For as the same Apostle tells us, (Gal. 5. 6.) In Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision, but Faith that worketh by Love i.e. such a Faith as moves Men to shew forth their Love to God and their Saviour be doing such good Works, as the Precepts of the Gospel en|join and strictly require.

And here 'tis proper to observe, that there is not so great difficulty in reconciling the two Apostles St. James and St. Paul upon this Head, us some Persons have fondly imagined. For Ist, when St. Paul as|serts that we are justified by Faith, I have already proved he means an active and lively Faith, which approves itself by a ready sincere tho' imperfect O|bedience; and consequently he thereby affirms the same Thing with St James viz that Faith and Works both, a virtuous and upright Life, as well as a sound and right Belief are necessary to our Sal|vation. Or again when St Paul a firms that Minds juftified by Faith without the Works of the Law; if we consider that he is arguing against some Judaisers, who were still for imposing on Christians the Yoke of the mosaick Ordinances, in particular that of Cir|cumcision; as thinking them necessary to their ac|ceptancePage 12with God and their Justification. In Op|position to this, the Apostle shews that such a Faith as is accompanied with Evangelical Obedience, a|dorned with such Virtues and Graces as are the pro|per and genuine Effects of it, is sufficient to Salva|tion in and through the Merits and Mediation of Christ Jesus; without any farther Obligation of Obser|ving the many legal Rites and burdensome Ceremo|nies instituted by the Ministry of Moses. But St James being engaged in a controversy of a different Nature, tho' he spake by the same Spirit and design|ed the same Thing yet he argues after another Man|ner. Among the Christians he wrote to, were many Libertines who denied the necessity of a Godly Life; and maintained that a bare Speculative Faith was enough to save them; and very probably had perverted some difficult Passages in St Pauls Epistles, to countenance & support that their erroneous Doctrine; a Doctrine which St Paul himself decries in many Places, particularly telling the Corinthians (I Ep. 7. 19.) That nothing would avail then, but keeping the Commandments of God; and saving of himself (1 Cor 13. 2.) Tho' I have all Faith—and have not Clarity I am nothing; and a Doctrine that flatly contradicts what our blessed Saviour affirms concern|ing the design of his appearance in the World, (Mat. 5. 17.) viz. That he came not to destroy the Law, (the Moral Law) but to fulfil it; and accord|ingly when One asked him, What he should do to ob|tain eternal Life? his Answer was, if thou wilt enter into Life, keep the Commandments. So that if wePage 13will take the true Scheme and principle Design of Christianity from him who first instituted and best understood it; 'tis a practical not a bare Specula|tive Science, 'tis a strict Institution which, tho' it offers Pardon for what is past, yet requires us to en|deavour after all purity of Heart and holiness of Life for the future. It does not make void but establishes the Law; and is so far from dispensing with Morality, that it has advanced it to the highest improvement, So groundless and absurd was the Opinion of those Licentious Men who esteemed themselves exempted and discharged through Faith, from the Practice of moral Duties. In Opposition to this dangerous and wild Conceit, St James goes on to prove, that Faith when it doth not produce good Works is dead, lifeless and unactive; and by necessary Consequence is in|sufficient to Justification and Salvation. For this purpose he offers three or four plain and undeniable Arguments, in the Chapter of which my Text is a Part; viz. He shews that Faith without Works is a dead Faith; because Ist, such a Faith is useless and and unprofitable: from the 14, to v. 18. Where he compares this kind of Faith to a Man, that fees his Neighbour necessitous and destitute of daily Food; but tho' he is able, yet doth not afford him Things needful for his present relief, putting him off with a few formal good Wishes: In this Case the poor Suppliant would receive no real Relief from his rich Neighbour. Even so the Man that has Faith, and is not careful to maintain good Works, his Faith in the issue can be no more profitable to him, than a fewPage 14good Words from a rich uncharitable Man can be helpful to his poor, famishing Neighbour. For what can it benefit a Man to believe in Christ, unless he lives and behaves himself as every sincere Christian ought to do. The Act of Faith is, no doubt, good in itself; but if the Man possessed of it, does no more good through its Influence than if he had it not; he may be said to have a good Gift, but is ne|ver the better for it: 'Tis like a Treasure which a Man hides in the Earth and there lets it remain, with|out ever useing it; and so the Man reaps no more real good from it, than if he actually had it not. Such a Faith therefore as is not accompanied with good Works is no better than a dead Faith, because it is useless and unprofitable.

The Doctrine of our final Justification by Faith only, and by imputed Righteousness, so grossly explain'd, as to supersede all our own Endeavours to obey Gods Laws, through Christ who strengthens us; however comfortable it may be to such as are resolved to live wickedly, and yet intend to get to Heaven at last, in a shorter and easier Way than the true Gospel-Scheme of Salvation has laid down; yet sure I am, the Hopes of such Hypocrites will perish; for our bles|sed Saviour, who taught all necessary Truth, speaks no such comfort in his Sermons to impenitent Sin|ners; no, on the contrary he severely threatens those who continue in any known Sin, and break the least of his Commandments; that they shall not enter in|to the Kingdom of Heaven, Should the SolifidianPage 15Scheme be embraced with all the absurd Consequen|ces, as 'tis inculcated by Some; it could not fail (ac|cording to its natural tendency) to have a bad Effect upon Men's Manners: It would make them dispa|rage virtuous Actions, and disregard Morality, even Christian Morality, as a mean and low attainment. This must in some Degree obstruct the Propagation of the Gospel: and be an Obstacle to the Conversion of sensible and understanding Men either Jews or Heathens. How could we demonstrate to them the excellency of Christianity, or shew them the advantage of it, or prevail with them to embrace it, if they must renounce their Reason and part with their Mo|rality in the Exchange? This would deservedly re|nder it to the Jews a Stumbling Block, and to the Greeks Foolishness. This is moreover a rejecting the Commands of God (for which our Lord severely re|prov'd the Pharisees, Mark 7. 9.) that Men may keep their own Traditions, i.e. may strictly adhere to the Prejudices and distinguishing however unscrip|tural or unreasonable Tenets of a Party. This is certainly in the most obvious Sense to make void the Law of Faith, which is the Rule and Measure whereby our Lives are to be reform'd and governed; because if good Works are not necessary to our Par|don and justification, for what are they necessary? And if they are not for our acceptance with God, or at all necessary; what reason has any Man to concern or trouble himself about them? St Paul him|self rejects this wild Hypothesis with great and just abhorrence; Rom. 3. 31. Do we then make voidPage 16the Law thro' Faith? God forbid. God forbid in|deed that the Statutes of the Lord, which are right, pure and rejoice the Heart, should be abrogated and made void, and that too by Faith; by the Faith of the glorious Gospel, that noble and excellent Insti|tution for the Promotion of holiness and happiness among Men; that last and most perfect Application of the Divine Physician for the recovery and Resto|ration of a sinful and degenerate World.

Again Ildly St James argues that Faith without Works is but a dead Faith, because it cannot be showen. It has no Proofs, no Evidences, is like a Cause without Effects; and for any thing that ap|pears, is as it were not existent. This much the Apostle intimates in the Words of my Text, Saving shew me thy Faith without thy Works; and I will show thee my Faith by my Works. By which manner or Ex|pression 'tis manifestly implied, that true Faith may be known by good Works, as a good Tree is known by good Fruits, but cannot without them. For in the Name of Goodness, how can he, that doth not practice according to his Profession, make it ap|pear that he believes what he pretends to be perswaded of? Is it not commonly observed that Men act, even in their worldly Affairs, according to their real Persuasions? Thus if any prudent Person firmly believes, that some particular acquaintance of his own will prove a good Friend, an useful Bene|factor to him; he will by all proper Means seek to in|gratiate himself more & more, & to court and securePage 17his Countenance and Favour. Or if one should be really perswaded, that at such a Time and such a Place, he shall reap some considerable Benefit and Advantage, he will be sure to give his punctual at|tendance, for fear of losing so fair an Opportunity; and so it is in many other Cases.

If therefore Men pretend to be Christians, and yet do not live as becomes the Disciples of the meek and holy Jesus. It they profess to believe the holy Scriptures, and yet do not observe what they plain|ly teach and enjoin; if they are ashamed of found religious Principles, because they are run down by Numbers & will not turn to present Account. Why, these are shrew'd, nay certain Signs that they do not truely and really believe what they pretend, so that Faith in this respect also is but a dead Faith; it brings forth no Fruit, has no proper Evidences to prove it; nay the want of good Works rather proves it to be only a false, pretended and hypocritical Faith: For that Faith is only Fancy which thinks to be crown'd without Obedience. If our Principles and Practices be not of a Piece, if they do not mutu|ally support and adorn each other, we are not rai|sed to newness of Life, but are still dead in our Sins.

I shall only add at present, that without all doubt, our Justification in this Life must, proceed by the ve|ry same Measures, that it will do at the last Day, when we shall publickly receive it from the Mouth of our Supreme Judge; who hath before hand toldPage 18us, that the gr••• Question will then be, How we have lived? What good, beneficent and charitable Acti|ons we have done? And as we shaall be able in the Affirmative or Negative to answer these Questions, so shall we be finally justified or condemned. Our Lord and Saviours great Design was to make us happy by making us holy; so St Paul expresly declares, Tit. 2. 14. Christ gave himself for us, that he might re|deem as from all Iniquity, and purify to himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works. And exceeding Strange it is, any Person should think or teach o|therwise, who has with any attention read the holy Scriptures, in which we are commanded to give Di|ligence to make our Calling and Election sure; and to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling.

What remains to be said on this Subject, I shall refer to the Afternoon.

Consider what you have heard at this Time, and God grant you Understanding in all Things necessary to Salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord-; to whom &c.