of the Jews, and thus, as long at least as the general aspects of their law were preserved and publicly obeyed, to make them the actual possessors of the earthly advantages promised them; and at the same time, to lead the more reflecting Israelites to a knowledge of their sinfulness (Rom. 3:20), to excite in their breasts a stronger desire for the grace of God, and to serve as a standard at which their exertions for the attainment of moral excellence should aim. The necessity of divine grace must certainly have appeared more evident to the reflecting Israelite, as the promises and threats of the Mosaic laws taught him, that if God suspended even the temporal prosperity of his people on obedience to his commands, much more would their eternal salvation depend on a still more rigid observance of all his precepts, and as he was convinced of the truth, that the ceremonial sacrifices were insufficient to prepare him for the future world.1 $ 120. Ill. 3. But as the Jews in general, regardless of their depravity (Luke 18: 11), and relying on the observance of the ceremonial laws, vainly hoped to be able, by obedience to the laws of Moses, both to escape punishment and to obtain future salvation, and as they were induced by this false belief, to reject the instructions of God relative to the salvation offered through Christ, and to the divine command that we should rely on his merits (Rom. 10:3. §120. Ill. 3); the apostle Paul deemed it necessary to declare that it is impossible for fallen man, by observance of the law, to merit exemption from punishment, or future salvation. Hence, he informs them, that Christ has opened another and a better way to salvation, a way of justification, not by our own merits, but by [faith] reliance on the merits of another; and that he had annulled the former way, which, in itself considered, is indeed good, but is impracticable for sinful man. Rom. 10:4 &c. Whatever be the way in which we become acquainted with the moral law, whether it be through the instrumentality of the Mosaic institution, or of reason, or of the christian doctrines, if we consider the observance of that law as the only condition and the meritorious cause of the christian's exemption from punishment and attainment of happiness, thus considered, the moral law has nothing to do with the Christian (§ 24). But in another aspect of the moral law, it does of course refer to the Christian. It is through the aid of this law, that we are to learn to see our depravity, our imperfection, and our need of divine grace. We are, moreover, to make it the rule of our life, the standard by which all our efforts for the attainment of moral perfection are to be regulated. For, upon this depends, not only our attainment of salvation in general, but also the particular degree in which it shall be bestowed upon us; although the salvation itself is a gracious one, and far transcends our deserts.1

Relation between our reformation and the attainment of salvation.

From the preceding discussions, it is evident, that that faith which, to all those who have heard the Gospel, is the condition on which an unmerited salvation is bestowed on them, cannot even exist except in connexion with a true reformation of life

1973. Ill. 1. See also Storr on the Design of Christ's death, 16, 19.

(§ 119-121). Hence, it is not an objectionable phraseology, to say, that our salvation depends on our change of heart and reformation of life (1), or (2) that salvation is bestowed on man in consequence of his change of mind and reformation of life (3), or, that it is the reward of his reformation (4). § 73. But faith, and the reformation of life necessarily connected with it, which is certainly the condition on which an undeserved salvation is graciously bestowed on man, must by no means be regarded as the meritorious cause of this salvation. Such a view of the subject would be no less unfounded (5) than injurious. § 73. III. 3.

ILLUSTRATIONS.

I. The phraseology above referred to, is found in the following passages: Luke 24:47. Acts 3:19. 26: 18. Is. 55: 7. Ezek. 18:20 &c. Matth. 7:21. John 5:29. Gal. 6:7-9. Heb. 12:14. See the work on the Design of the death of Christ, p. 378 &c, 677 &c.

II. So certainly may our salvation be said to depend on our repentance and reformation, that no sooner does any individual deviate from the condition which he had begun to fulfil, or begin again to pollute his heart by sin, than he forfeits that hope of salvation which he had previously enjoyed 1 (1 Tim. 1: 19. Gal. 3: 3, 4. 4:11. 5:4, 7. 1 Cor. 10:12. 15: 2. Luke 22:32. Heb. 10:26. 2 Pet. 2:20 &c. 1:92), unless he repents of his relapse, which is indeed difficult, but not impossible. In Heb. 6:4, 6, Paul says, αδυνατον, τους άπαξ φωτισθεντες-παραπεσοντας παλιν ανακαινιζειν, i. e. “It is extremely

difficult, if one who has been instructed in christianity falls away, to bring him again to a change of mind."1

III. By the phrase, "that salvation depends on a change of heart," is meant, that a man is saved because he fulfils the condition on which salvation is graciously bestowed on him without any consideration of his own merit. St. James says (ch. 2: 24), "A man is justified by works, and not by faith only." In the Dissert. de Epistol. cathol. occasione &c. (Note 38), we have made the observation, that this passage refers to a righteousness which proceeds from faith, to works, εργοις, which are connected with faith, and that a justifying or saving power is denied only to that faith which has no influence on the heart and life [fidei solitariae ήτις εργα ουκ εχει ν. 14, 17, 20, 26], to a cold, inefficient assent, which Paul also pronounces not to be a genuine justifying faith (Rom. 3:22-5:16. See§119, 129). It follows, therefore, that the declarations of James are in perfect accordance with the doctrines of Paul.

IV. In the phrase "salvation is the reward of the chris-
For, it is

tian," an unmerited, a gracious reward is intended.
an act of the free grace of God (Rom. 6: 23), that an unmerit-
ed salvation is promised to guilty and imperfect man, as the re-
ward of his endeavours to yield obedience to the divine laws.
$73. III. 7..

V. The proof, that justification by works, is a doctrine unfounded in Scripture, may be seen in § 118, and particularly in Ill. 7; and $ 73, especially III. 3.

CONCLUSION.

§ 123.

Connexion between Doctrinal and Practical Theology.

Such is the intimate connexion which subsists between a change of mind and reformation of life, and the attainment of salvation. The discussion of the means by which this necessary and salutary change is to be effected, as well as of the specific prescriptions of the christian law, with which our thoughts and actions ought daily to be brought into greater harmony, properly falls within the limits of Practical Theology. Hence, these subjects, as well as some others which were formerly discussed in Doctrinal Theology, are not comprehended within the limits of this Elementary Work.