fidence in him and his wonderful scheme of grace (8), instead of righteousness, and can, not on account of their obedience, but in consequence of their confidence in him [not εκ νομου but εκ πίστεως Rom. 10: 5. Gal. 3: 11, 12], bestow a salvation on them to which those only are entitled (9) who have yielded perfect obedience to their requisitions of his law. In short, confidence in the grace of God and in the merits of Christ, is a state of mind which perfectly accords with the nature and circumstances of justification. By faith [reliance on Christ] we accept an undeserved favour, as such, that is, we accept it as an undeserved favour (10).

ILLUSTRATIONS.

I. Salvation not of works.--Rom. 3: 28. 9: 32. Gal. 2: 16. Eph. 2: 8, 9. (See supra §73). From these and other passages of Scripture, we have proved in the work On the Design of the death of Christ (p. 675), that in all cases in which "the righteousness of faith," dixaloon ng morews, is spoken of "faith," notus is not represented as an act deserving a reward, not as a source of a personal righteousness or internal dignity, but rather as a something which God has resolved to accept in its stead; it is described as directly the opposite of selfdependence, as a reliance on what God has done without our agency.

Paulus, in his Theol. Journal, for 1796, p. 221—227, endeavours to prove that "the righteousness of faith," dexaioovvn Tηs morεws, signifies, uprightness before God and the acceptance of this as being a sincere desire of faith. The arguments against this explanation are found in the work referred to in the last Illustration (comp. § 117. Ill. 7). The same arguments also militate against the explanation of Stoltz, who explains this phrase thus by becoming followers of Jesus, by embracing his

doctrines, and making proper use of them, we are led to the true worship of God."

II. Salvation is by grace.--Rom. 4: 16, therefore it is of faith, that it might be of grace. Eph. 2: 8, for by grace ye are saved, through faith it is the gift of God.

III. Gal. 2: 20, 21, "I enjoy salvation by reliance on the Son of God, (not on my works 3: 12) who delivered me from the punishment which my conduct brought on me. I do not frustrate the grace of God, by the opinion that my own deeds could authorize me to expect to be treated as righteous."2

IV. We are saved for Christ's sake.-Gal. 2: 16, 17. Acts 13: 38 &c. 10: 43.

V. It is a strange remark of Teller, "that soyaČoμevos is used only to designate low and servile works (operis operatis)." This word, on the contrary, is in various passages of the New Testament (such as John 5: 17. 9: 4. Rom. 2:10. Gal. 6: 10. Heb. 11: 33) evidently applied to deeds of moral excellence. But in Rom. 4, εoyasoμevos evidently signifies a person who has done something which merits a reward3 (μodov v. 4), and μη εργαζομενος designates one who has not done that which deserves to be rewarded, but who, on the contrary, is a guilty person, (a delinquent, a debtor,) aσɛßns. Eoyov work, signifies also the reward of an action; and hence also "to work” εoyαεoðαι

26.

1 Erläuterungen des Neuens Test. III Heft. Anmerk. zu Rom. 3: 212 The Design of the death of Jesus, p. 456.

3 The present εργαζομενος is used for εργασαμενος as in Gal. 3: 5, ὁ επιχορηγων is instead of ὁ επιχορηγησας, Eph. 4: 48, ὁ xλɛntov instead of o xλɛyas. see comment. on Heb. 10: 25. Note

4 Rev. 14: 13," their works, εoya, shall follow them." See Schleusner's Lex. N. T. p. 826. No. 9. Kypke, on James 1: 4, proves that εoyov signifies also fruit, profit, wages, as well by passages from Greek authors as from the Old Test. where the word has the same signification.

с

(ποιειν εργον, εργαζεσθαι εργον) means, “ to acquire a reward of one's work." In the same sense also is this word used in John 6: 27. (to work out, elaborate, procure)

1.1

Gen. 13:

VI. Justification by faith, leaves us nothing whereof to glory.-Rom. 4: 2, he (Abraham) had nothing whereof to glory before God. 3: 27, where then is boasting? it is excluded-by the law of faith. Eph. 2: 9, Not of works, lest any man should boast.

VII. Though faith is the condition, it is by no means the meritorious cause of our salvation.-Faith is so clearly distinguished from meritorious obedience to the divine law, or from human merit, in many passages of Scripture (e. g. Gal. 3: 11 &c. Rom. 10: 4 &c. 4: 4-6, 16. comp. 11:6. Eph. 2: 8 &c.), that it cannot be regarded as a meritorious cause of our salvation. Nor, indeed is it possible, however excellent and noble the reliance on the Redeemer sent by God is in itself (§ 119-121), that it should pay the past debt of man. The excellence of this reliance cannot make man cease to be a debtor, aosẞns. Nor has this confidence in the Redeemer so high an intrinsic value, as to entitle us to the great salvation which is promised to believers, as a merited reward. Faith is not really a virtue or righteousness, by which we become worthy of so great a salvation; but it is merely accounted as such (through grace. Rom. 4: 5, 24. § 117. 8), the subject of it is treated as if he had yielded a righteousness which would entitle him to so great a salvation Gal. 5: 5. § 117. Ill. 9). It is, moreover, very evident, that the salvation which we believe we shall obtain, must exist previously to our belief, and therefore cannot be the result of our belief; but that, on the contrary, this faith or

1 Compare Raphelii Annot. ex Herodot. on Matth. 25: 16; and the work on the Design of Christ's death, p. 245.

belief must depend on the reality (the anterior existence) of that in which we do believe. The belief of the pardon of our sins and of a salvation so far transcending all merit, cannot be the belief of a truth, cannot be worthy of notice, if the object of our belief did not previously exist, and had not been derived from some other source, on which other source the promises of this salvation were based. Faith in the promises of God, presupposes the truth of those promises, and does not create it by first believing it.

VIII. The condition of salvation is, that we should believe. Rom. 10: 6-9, if thou wilt confess the Lord Jesus-and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved (not Χριστον αγαγειν εκ του ουρανού-εκ των νεκρων).

IX. Gal. 3: 11, "He who is justified by God on account of his faith (in the unmerited pardon of God), shall be saved" (δικαιος i. q. δικαιωθεις παρα τῷ θεῷ)ὁ δικαιος εκ πίστεως Snoεral. On this passage, see the work sup. cit. § 19, p. 678, where it is remarked, that these words of Habakkuk which, according to Paul's own explanation (Heb. 10: 38), have another meaning, are not adduced in this passage as evidence, but are merely used as a known and convenient expression, to designate an evangelical doctrine.

X. Faith is, therefore, the acceptance of the blessing of justification [pardon] which is offered to all.

BOOK V.

OF A CHANGE OF HEART AND REFORMATION OF LIFE, AND THEIR RELATION TO OUR ATTAINMENT OF SALVATION.

PART II.

OF THE REFORMATION OF LIFE CONNECTED WITH FAITH, AND ITS RELATION TO OUR SALVATION.

$119.

Of the change of heart and reformation of life consequent on faith.

But the wisdom of the prescription of faith or a reliance on the grace of God and merits of Christ as the condition of salvation, is not evident merely from the circumstance that it is reasonable in God to require that we should acknowledge and accept the blessings offered in the Gospel as they are there proposed. There is another reason which evinces the same truth (1). Faith also exerts a highly salutary influence (2) on us, in producing (3) a change of heart and reformation of life (4). There can be no faith without a knowledge (5) of that which we are to believe, and an assent to it (6). A