These Sections teach —

1st. That works of supererogation are so far from being possible, even for the most eminent saint, that in this life it is not possible for the most thoroughly sanctified one fully to discharge all his positive obligations.

2d. That, for several reasons assigned, the best works of believers, so far from meriting either the pardon of sin or eternal life at the hands of God, cannot even endure the scrutiny of his holy judgment.

3d. That, nevertheless, the works of sincere believers are, like their persons, in spite of their imperfections, accepted because of their union with Christ Jesus, and rewarded for his sake.

1st. The phrase "supererogation" means "more than is demanded." Works of supererogation are in their own nature impossible under the moral law of God. In man's present state even the most eminent saint is incapable of fully discharging all his obligations — much more, of course, of surpassing them. The Komish Church teaches the ordinary Arminian theory of perfectionism. In addition to this error, it teaches (a) that good works subsequent to baptism merit increase of grace and eternal felicity;* and (6) it distinguishes between the commands and counsels of Christ. The former are binding upon all classes of the people, and their observance necessary in order to salvation. The latter, consisting of advice, not of commands — such as celibacy, voluntary poverty, obedience to monastic rule, etc. — are binding only on those who voluntarily assume them, seeking a higher degree of perfection and a more exalted reward.

We have already, under Chapter xiii., seen that a state of sinless perfection is never attained by Christians in this life, and it of course follows that much less is it possible for any to do more than is commanded.

That works of supererogation are always and essen-

* Council of Trent, Sess. vi ch. xvi., Canon 24, 32. 26*

306 CONFESSION OF FAIIH.

tially impossible to all creatures in all worlds is also evident — (1.) From the very nature of the moral law. That which is right under any relation is intrinsically obligatory upon the moral agent standing in that relation. If it be moral it is obligatory. If it be not obligatory, it is not moral. If it is not moral, it is, of course, of no moral value or merit. If it is obligatory, it is not supererogatory. When men do what it is their duty to do they are to claim nothing for it. Luke xvii. 10. (2.) The doing of that which God has not made it men's duty to do — all manner of will-worship and commandments of men — God declares is an abomination to him. Col. ii. 18-22; 1 Tim. iv. 3; Matt. xv. 9. (3.) Christ has given no "counsels," as distinct from his commands. His absolute and universal command to love God with the whole soul, and our neighbour as ourselves, covers the whole ground of possible ability or opportunity on earth or in heaven. Matt. xxii. 37-40. (4.) Increase of grace and eternal felicity, and all else which the believer needs or is capable of, are secured for him by the purchase of Christ's blood, and either given freely now without price, or reserved for him in that eternal inheritance which he is to receive as a joint heir with Christ. (5.) The working of the Romish system of celibacy, voluntary poverty and monastic vows, has produced such fruits that prove the principle on which they rest radically immoral and false.

2d. The best works of believers, instead of meriting pardon of sit^,and eternal life, cannot endure the scrutiny of his holy judgment. The reasons for this assertion are — (1.) As above shown, from the nature of the moral law. What is not obligatory is not m ral, and what is

not moral can have no moral desert. (2.) The best works possible for man are infinitely unworthy to be compared in value with God's favour, and the rewards which men who trust to works seek to obtain through them. (3.) God's infinite superiority to us, his absolute proprietorship in us as our Maker, and sovereignty over us as our moral Governor, necessarily exclude the possibility of our actions deserving any reward at his hand. No action of ours can profit God or lay him under obligation to us. All that is possible to us is already a debt we owe him as our Creator and Preserver. When we have done our utmost we are only unprofitable servants. Much less, then, can any possible obedience at one moment atone for any disobedience in another moment. (4.) As already proved under Chapter xiii., on Sanctification, our works, which could merit nothing even if perfect, are in this life, because of remaining imperfections, most imperfect. They therefore, the best of them, need to be atoned for by the blood, and presented through the mediation, of Christ, before they can find acceptance with the Father.

3d. Nevertheless, the good works of sincere believers are, like their persons, in spite of their imperfections, iccepted, because of their union with Christ Jesus, and rewarded for his sake. All our approaches to God are made through Christ. It is only through him that we have access to the Father by the Spirit. Eph. ii. 18. " Whatever we do, in word or deed," Ave are commanded to "do all in the name of the Lord Jesus." Col. iii. 17.

As to the relation of good works to rewards, it may be observed — (1.) The word merit, in the strict sense

308 CONFESSION »F FAITH.

of the term, means that common quality of all actions or services to which a reward is due in strict justice on account of their intrinsic value or worthiness. It is evident that, in this strict sense, no work of any creature can in itself merit any reward from God, because (a) all the faculties he possesses were originally granted and are continuously sustained by God, so that he is already so far in debt to God that he can never bring God in debt to him. (6.) Nothing the creature can do can be a just equivalent for the incomparable favour of God and its consequences.

There is another sense of the word, however, in which it may be affirmed that if Adam had in his original probation yielded the obedience required, he would have " merited" the reward conditioned upon it, not because of the intrinsic value of that obedience, but because of the terms of the covenant which God had graciously condescended to form with him. By nature, the creature owed the Creator obedience, while the Creator owed the creature nothing. But by covenant the Creator voluntarily bound himself to owe the creature eternal life, upon the condition of perfect obedience.

It is evident that in this life the works of God's people can have no merit in either of the senses above noticed. They can have no merit intrinsically, because they are all imperfect, and therefore themselves worthy of punishment rather than of reward. They can have no merit by covenant concession on God's part, because we are not now standing in God's sight in the covenant of works, but of grace, and the righteousness of Christ, received by faith alone, constitutes the sole meritorious ground upon which our salvation, in all of its stages, rests. See Chapter xi., on Justification.

In the dispensation of the gospel, the gracious work of the believer and the gracious reward he receives from God are branches from the same gracious root. The same covenant of grace provides at once for the infusion of grace in the heart, the exercise of grace in the life and the reward of the grace so exercised. It is all of grace — a grace called a reward added to a grace called a work. The one grace is set opposite to the other grace as a reward, for these reasons : (a.) To act upon us as a suitable stimulus to duty. God promises to reward the Christian just as a father promises to reward his child for doing what is its duty, and what is for its own benefit alone. (6.) Because a certain gracious proportion has been established between the grace given in the reward and the grace given in the holy exercises of the heart and life, but both are alike given for Christ's saJse. This proportion has been established — the more grace of obedience, the more grace of reward ; the more grace on earth, the more glory in heaven — because God so wills it, and because the grace given and exercised in obedience prepares the soul for the reception of the further grace given in the reward. Matt. xvi. 27 ; 1 Cor. iii. 8 ; 2 Cor. iv. 17.

This section is again levelled against the errors of the Church of Rome. The writers of that Church hold that the actions of men in an unregenerate state can be so pure as to be free from all sin, and to merit at God's hand by what they call the merit of congruity. We have formerly made a distinction respecting good works, which claims attention here. An action may be materially, and yet not formally, good. Prayer, reading and hearing the Word of God, distributing to the poor, are actions materially good ; but unless these actions are done by persons who are " accepted in the Beloved," and " created anew in Christ Jesus" — unless they flow from a right principle, are performed in a right manner, and directed to a right end, they are not formally good. Now, unregenerate men may do many things that are good, for the matter of them, because they are things which God commands, and of good use to themselves and others ; but, as performed by them, they are destitute of everything that can render an action " good and acceptable in the sight of God." Explicit is the declaration of the Apostle Paul : " They that are in the flesh cannot please God." — Rom. viii. 8. To be in the flesh is to be in a natural, corrupt, depraved state ; and, as a polluted fountain cannot send forth pure streams, nor a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit, so they that are in the flesh cannot perform any work that is spiritually good and acceptable to God. Instead of pleasing God, and making them meet to receive grace from him, all the works of unregenerate men are sinful, and therefore deserve the wrath and curse of God. " All unconverted persons are said in Scripture to be sinners, or workers of iniquity (Ps. liii. 4) ; and their works, how advantageous soever many of them may be to themselves or others, are all, notwithstanding, represented as sins, in the account of an infinitely holy God (Pro v. xxi. 4) ; for although many of them may be materially good, yet all of them are formally evil, and therefore they are an abomination to him." — Prov. xv. 8. * It must not, however, be inferred, that unregenerate men may live in the neglect of any duty which God has com- * Colquhoun's Treatise on the Law and the Gospel, p. 333.

manded. Though their prayers, for example, cannot be acceptable to God, yet their neglect of prayer would be more sinful and displeasing to him. This neglect is always represented in Scripture as highly criminal : " The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God." — Ps. x.4. And as this is their sin, so the wrath of God is denounced against them : " Pour out thy fury upon the heathen, that know thee not, and upon the families that call not upon thy name." — Jer. x. 25.

In concluding this chapter, we would impress upon the reader, that the gospel is " a doctrine according to godliness." " The grace of God, that bringeth salvation, hath appeared to all men ; teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world." Nothing but the most deplorable ignorance, or the most determined enmity against the truth, could ever have led men to set the gospel and morality in opposition to each other, or to allege that the doctrine of grace tends to licentiousness. Such men know not Avhat they say, nor whereof they affirm. It is by inculcating morality upon gospel principles that we establish it upon the firmest basis. " Do we make void the law through faith ? God forbid : yea, we establish the law." Though good works are excluded from having any meritorious influence in the matter of salvation, yet, as we have seen, they are of indispensable necessity, and serve many valuable purposes. Let it, therefore, be the study of all who " name the name of Christ" to be " fruitful in good works," that so they may silence the adversaries of the truth, recommend religion to all within the sphere of their influence, glorifj^ their Father who is in heaven, and promote their own comfort and happiness.