make ourselves, if we would possess the same living faith, and the same undying hope."

"Am I then to understand," said Mr. Stately, with a tone and look of anxious inquiry,-still inclined to justify himself on the pharisaical principle of personal righteousness,—“ that good works go for nothing; that they are not to be considered; that the deeds of the law, the fulfilment of the commandments, are a matter of no importance; and that, if we have only faith in Christ, our salvation is secure?"

"By no means," rejoined his christian friend. "'Faith without works is dead;' simply because, for one reason, in the absence of the latter, there is no evidence whatever, neither can there be any existence, of a saving faith. But though the fulfilment of every particle of the law contains not a grain of human merit, in the eyes of the Supreme Being, yet are good works absolutely necessary, as a test that our faith is sound, and grounded in the heart. They are required as the best proof that we do, indeed, lay hold of the righteousness of the Saviour, on account of which alone we are accepted and justified before God. Besides being a test of faith, works are required as a test of obedience also; for He that enjoined faith to be cherished in the soul, as a principle of life, hath said also, 'Keep the commandments;'-hath likewise said, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind;' and, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.’*

"The devils, we are told, 'believe and tremble,' but they neither fear God nor man; neither can they keep His commandments; and we know that without holiness no man shall see the Lord.' While, therefore, St. Paul declares that by 'the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight,' he also adds-'Do we then make void the law through ↑ Heb. xii. 14.

Matt. xxii. 37, 39.

faith? God forbid : yea, we establish_the_law.'*

For what says the apostle in his Epistle to Titus-This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. +

"Justification by faith," continued our friend, "is the great, and saving doctrine of the Bible. Like a golden thread it runs through every page of the New Testament. But as I have already remarked, the apostle meant a living not a dead faith. Hear again what St. Paul says, in his Epistle to the Galatians

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Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ; even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.'

"Farther on, in the same chapter, the apostle declares―

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

"I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.'‡

Turning to the Epistle to the Romans, we find the same apostle still enforcing this evangelical scriptural doctrine, where he says The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.' § This sublime truth is, indeed, the all-absorbing universal theme of his meditations. It embodies the strength of his deep and devout convictions, and directs the spirit of his instructions to all his converts throughout the whole of his writings."

Rom. iii. 20, 31.

Gal. ii. 16-21.

+ Titus iii. 8.

§ Rom. vi. 23.

"These are, doubtless, powerful and convincing illustrations of the great principle you so zealously advocate," exclaimed the sick man; " and I feel the deepest gratitude towards you for your truly Christian kindness in bringing them so forcibly to my notice, under my present solemn circumstances, when I require all the consolation that a benevolent mind can offer to me. I can only account for the fact of such strong passages never having struck my mind before, from the consideration of the worldly and carnal life I have been living; so full of danger, as it has been, to my soul, and especially in closing my eyes to the great truths of the Gospel. Nevertheless, well do I remember," he continued, "one solemn text of Scripture, and with striking vividness of recollection at the present moment, which I heard proposed as the subject of discourse, some years ago, in London, at the Temple Church. The words are of most solemn import; the warning voice which uttered them is that of our blessed Lord; and the awful announcement, contained in the last six words, thrilling to the hearts of all that hear or read them.

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

"Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.'*

"Oh my friend!" ejaculated Mr. Stately, with tears in his eyes, "how does my conscience now upbraid, and condemn me, for the stifled convictions of my mind on that occasion. The impression, for the moment, was deep, although more of alarm than of obedient faith. It weighed on my spirits during the remainder of the day, but on the following morning I was as cold, as worldly, and as heartless as ever. Oh, Mr. Gracelove," he added, "if there be, indeed, but few' that be saved, how Matt. vii. 13, 14.

ought we to redouble our exertions-nay, increase them a hundred-fold, that we and those whom we love may be found, at last, among that unspeakably happy 'few' who have 'washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb,'* and who shall stand at the last Great Day, 'with palms in their hands,' around the Redeemer's throne in the kingdom of God.

"May the Almighty, in his boundless compassion, grant that it be so with all of us," said the sick man, with uplifted hands and with profound emotion.

"Most fervently from my heart do I say ' Amen,'" replied Mr. Gracelove, "to a prayer so comprehensive of immeasurable blessings to our immortal souls. Let us be 'zealous, therefore, and repent;' remembering who it is that hath said,—' As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.'

"Were I not afraid," resumed the sick man's comforter, "of wearying you in your present weak state, I should feel inclined to extend this most interesting and, I would hope, profitable subject, to a few additional illustrations."

Pray do, my valued friend," replied Mr. Stately, "for I feel the comfort of your presence more than I can express, and an edification in your scriptural expositions which I never felt before. Though I could not have believed, in the early part of this morning, before your arrival, that I could possibly have borne the fatigue, in my present weak and wretched condition, of listening so long to the conversation of any one; yet I feel my mind relieved, in some degree, of the oppressive burden which lies upon it, while attending to your reasoning, and the sufferings of my body alleviated in proportion. Pray proceed.

"I rejoice greatly to hear it," answered his kind adviser, "and shall proceed, with increased satisfaction, to make the

* Rev. vii. 14.

few remaining observations and biblical references, which I think it desirable to present to your mind."

"I have given you ample testimony, my dear friend,” he continued, "from St. Paul's Epistles, of the necessity of justification by the faith of Christ, and I will now refer you to what St. John says, in confirmation of the same holy doctrine, in the 5th chapter of his first Epistle- Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God."

"Here," observed Mr. Gracelove, "is the righteousness of faith by which we are justified. But the evangelist goes on to answer the question you proposed to me respecting works, and to prove the inseparable connexion between them, in order to evidence a living faith-not as a matter of merit, but as setting forth that only true faith which works by love.' In the following verses the apostle declares

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By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

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For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not grievous.

"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

"Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

"He that believeth on the Son of God, hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God, hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.'

"In the Acts of the Apostles, it is also emphatically de