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honour-the good opinion of his comrades-all forbid it; and this same feeling of honour and character, and regard for the opinion of those we live with, has a great power over us all. Often there is much good arising from this feeling, but often much that is bad. We may rely upon it, that this very same feeling is in the dens of robbers, and in the wretched alleys where thieves and plunderers are the sole inhabitants.

What must we do then ?—We must educate the children of the poor-we must teach them Christianity-we must endeavour to watch them, to befriend them, and to advise them-when their school education is over, we must encourage them to seek, for their society among the industrious, the honest, and the pious. We must endeavour to give them a respect for religious worship-a delight in religious studies and a regard for religious persons. The first step to ruin, in a young man, is the encouragement of a spirit of levity on religious subjects. This habit first appears in ridiculing religious persons, because their manners, or. dress, or expressions, may be different from what we have been accustomed to; and, when once a carelessness on such subjects has got into the mind, it generally goes on to the utter destruction of all religion whatever. Let all who wish to see the practice of crime diminish, make it their aim that the influence of religion may increase. Let all who know what the religion of Christ means, seek to extend its power to all within their reach. And let this be done not only with a view to add to the present good of our fellow-creatures, but from an assurance that the religion of Christ offers the only hope of happiness in the world to come; and that a life led according to our holy religion here, is the right preparation for eternal happiness hereafter.

The following extract from the Quarterly Review may not be out of place here. It relates to the

Faith and Works.

531

Negroes who have been rescued from slave ships, and placed in our settlement at Sierra Leone.

In August, 1822, the population of Sierra Leone was nearly seventy thousand, of whom more than eleven thousand were Negroes, rescued by our cruisers from slavery. . . . They are settled in villages, under the superintendence of missionaries, or schoolmasters, sent out from this country, and of native teachers and assistants, whom the settlement now begins to supply. The effect of this training has been such, that though, when the population of the colony was only four thousand, there had been forty cases in the calendar for trial; ten years afterwards, when the population had increased to upwards of sixteen thousand, there were only six; and not a single case from any of the villages under the management of a missionary, or schoolmaster." It is affirmed, that "the authority of the word of God, in connection with Christian discipline, does away almost all necessity for human laws." "Most of those with whom I live," says an eye-witness, "I have seen brought from the holds of slave ships. I have seen them become industrious men and women, pious Christians, affectionate husbands and wives, tender fathers and mothers, and peaceful neighbours."

V.

FAITH AND WORKS.

WE sometimes hear disputes about faith and works. -But, as our plan is to avoid controversy, we are not anxious to discuss the different opinions which have been given on this subject. The difference, however, between good men, on either side of this controversy, is, we believe, far less than is generally supposed. When a Christian writer insists on the

importance of good works, we are not to suppose that he means to deny the importance of faith, or to oppose the doctrine of Scripture and of our Church, that "we are accounted righteous before God, only for the merits of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."

On the other hand, when another Christian writer asserts that we are "justified by faith," and declares that this is the doctrine of Scripture, and of our Church, we are not to suppose that he means thereby to deny the importance of 'good works, of holiness and obedience towards God, of kindness and charity to our fellow-creatures. The doctrine of "justification by faith" does not mean that a man will be saved who only believes that the Bible is true, without ever seeking to live according to its rules. Some persons may have been glad to have it so understood as an excuse for their sins; but this is a complete perversion of the doctrine. There was this perversion soon after the doctrine was preached by St. Paul: and St. James writes against this error, by shewing that the faith of a Christian is to be a living faith, bringing forth fruit; not a dead one, which brings forth nothing. Those who profess to expect salvation by faith, and to give up the law, are called Antinomians. Those persons have perverted the scriptural doctrine of justification. We must not, however, give up a true doctrine because some have misrepresented

it.

On the other hand, those who depend on their own works for salvation will soon find that they rest on a broken reed. We are not, however, to suppose that good works are of no consequence; for the holy Scriptures, from beginning to end, teach and enforce the importance of them. But we know

XIth Article.

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that the law requires a man's works to be perfect; and no man's works are such. It is upon that plea that St. Paul shews to all, both to Jew and to Gentile, that none of their works were, either ceremonial or moral, sufficient to save them; that, therefore, by the law, they were condemned and upon that argument he shews them the need they all had of the Gospel. Whilst, therefore, we exert ourselves in the exercise of all good works, as if we most deeply felt their importance, let us beware of any feeling of dependence on our works, or of any pride in them. For this seems like rejecting the Gospel method of salvation, which teaches us to humble ourselves, and to accept salvation as not due to our performances, but purchased for us by the sufferings of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

No man's works, indeed, ever were such as to purchase heaven for him; his right and his title then must come from Christ; but a Christian's work, on earth, is to prepare for the enjoyment of that happiness in heaven which Christ hath purchased for him. But in this his work, the faithful Christian is not left without help. If he be earnest in his prayers and his exertions to work out his sal vation, he is assured that his efforts shall be successful, for the power of God is working with him, and he shall not fail: “it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. It has been well said, "Work as if every thing depended on your works; but think of your works as if nothing depended on them.”

V.

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'JUSTIFICATION.

WE must be justified before we can be saved. But to be "justified" means to be considered just and

righteous, and to be treated as if we never had offended. For such justification, such pardon, we are to depend wholly on Christ. This is the doctrine of "Justification by faith," so fully set forth in the Scripture, and in the services of our Church. But this is not to lessen our endeavours after good works, for every page of Scripture teaches us how needful it is that we should practise them; and we there read, that we shall be hereafter judged according to our works. A faithful believer, who trusts wholly to Christ's merits for his salvation, is to try to shew his thankfulness for all that has been done for him, by his desire to do all that is commanded him. We can hardly suppose a man really to believe that Christ suffered to procure pardon for his sins, if he makes no attempt to shew his gratitude for such a wonderful instance of favour and compassion: so that, though a Christian will not say that he is justified by his works, he will still see that they are needful to prove his faith, to adorn the doctrine he professes, and to fit him for his abode in heaven. À man may, indeed, be brought to the true faith of Christ, and to a real desire to serve him; and such a one may be cut off, before he has had an opportunity of proving, in the sight of men, the sincerity of his repentance and his faith. In such a case we can only say, that God, who searcheth the heart, "knoweth them that are his;" that he knows whether the repentance has been sincere, though the sinner has not lived to "do works meet for repentance." But such cases afford no excuse for us who are still spared. Those who live, must live to God now; they must seek to do his will now; they must study to prove that their faith is right by the fruits which it produces; they must seek to prepare for heaven by the practice of such works, and the exercise of such dispositions, as God approves, and commands, and inspires. If this be not their aim, they are not in a

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