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Our text combines doctrine and practice, faith and morals, and makes the one the proper foundation of the other. That, being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs. This is a faithful saying — that they which have believed be careful to maintain good works. It is worthy of remark that there are four passages of Scripture in which the expression "a faithful saying" is employed, and each faithful saying is worthy of all acceptation (1 Timothy 1:15; 1 Timothy 4:8, 9; 2 Timothy 11:11-13; Titus 3:8). And they all mark out the connection between faith and obedience — between holiness and happiness — between principle and practice.

I. THAT THE DOCTRINE OF OUR ACCEPTANCE IN CHRIST, WHILE IT FORMS THE ONLY FOUNDATION OF A SINNER'S HOPE, HAS A DIRECT TENDENCY TO PROMOTE EMINENT HOLINESS.

1. The doctrine of justification by faith, through the merits and advocacy of Christ, constitutes the alone basis of our acceptance with God. We are said to be justified by His grace. This doctrine forms the only answer to the question which in every age has baffled the wisdom of the wise, and brought to nought the understanding of the prudent. How shall man be just with God? A cordial reception of Jesus Christ as the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth, entitles the returning offender to life by a merciful appointment, and brings him into a state of personal acceptance with God. This doctrine may well be considered as the cardinal doctrine of Christianity, and as lying at the very foundation of all our hopes for eternity. So deep and aggravated is our guilt, that it is quite evident that if we be not accepted by the merits and righteousness of another we cannot be accepted at all; for it is clear we have no righteousness of our own. This therefore forms, as the text states, a singular exhibition of Divine benignity and grace. Grace provided the Saviour revealed in the gospel — grace accepted His substitution in the sinner's place — grace communicated the principle of piety implanted in the human heart — grace preserves that principle from extinction, amidst all the storms and tumults of this opposing world — and grace crowns the subjects of its influences with glory at last.

2. The doctrine of justification, so far from lessening the obligations to obedience, furnishes the most powerful of all inducements to eminent holiness. The pardoned offender is not rendered lawless; a justified state is not exempted from obligation. We are not without law to God, but under the law to Christ. It is no part of the Divine design to raise up one light in order to extinguish another. What was once truth is always truth; what was once duty is always duty. All the original grounds of moral obligation remain. If God was our Creator before our conversion, He is our Creator still — a faithful Creator. If God was our Judge before, He is our Judge still. Neither does Divine grace destroy or change any of the relations in which we previously stood to each other, nor cancel any of the duties arising out of those relations. Neither does Divine grace alter the nature of sin, nor render it one whir less than before the abominable thing which God hateth. The plague does not cease to be the plague because a remedy has been mercifully provided for it. The gospel has produced no change in our moral relation to God, nor in our relation to our fellow man; and, therefore, all the antecedent obligation to obedience remains unchanged; and they that have believed in God are enjoined carefully to maintain good works. The gospel superadds motives and inducements unknown before to induce conformity to the Divine will. The grace of God, that bringeth salvation, teacheth us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly. All false religions attempt to lower the standard of morals, in order to fall in with the weakness or wickedness of mankind. But Christianity presents us with raised views of the spirituality of the Divine law. It presents us with the most powerful motives to holiness — derived from the love of God — the Cross of Christ — the glories of the coming world, and especially from the great work of redemption.

II. THAT THESE PRINCIPLES, IN THEIR CONNECTION WITH EACH OTHER, ARE TO BE EXPLICITLY ASSERTED AND MAINTAINED. "These things I will that thou affirm constantly." They are to be affirmed in their connection with each other — that is, the doctrine of justification is to be affirmed — and the doctrine of sanctification is to be affirmed too: the one as the cause, the other as the effect; the one as the root, the other as the fruitful branch. And observe to what class of characters the exhortations and commands of the gospel are to be specifically addressed That they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works; plainly proving that the most advanced Christians require to be frequently admonished. Our text says these truths are to be constantly affirmed. These good works are to be expressly enjoined upon those who believe. We are not to leave them to implication and inference, as though we presumed that they would follow as a necessary result from the mere belief of the doctrine of justification, but they are to be plainly stated and enforced. This is to be done in defiance of opposition and contradiction, which supposes objection and denial on the part of some. The reasons why we should thus constantly urge these truths will be perceived at a glance.

1. Because we are always liable to overlook and forget them amidst the active engagements and snares of life. The gospel ministry was instituted for this purpose.

2. Because the personal sanctity of Christians is the final object of the dispensation of mercy. To this everything in the Divine economy tends; in this everything terminates. It is no inferior degree of excellence to which we are taught to aspire; we are not to begin only, but to advance and persevere — we are to maintain good works, and to be careful to maintain them. The marginal rendering is more emphatic still — the force of the Greek word being to go before in good works — to excel, to emulate — to attain eminence in holiness and devotion. Plutarch tells us that it was the aim of Tully, that it was his ambition, to be eminent in all that he undertook. How much more should Christians desire to attain the highest measures of moral and religious excellence.

3. Because advancement in holiness is essential to the enjoyment of all genuine consolation. The state of grace is only evidenced by the sanctities of the Christian character.

4. Because the absence of these good works proves the destitution of Christian principle, and leaves the individual exposed to a fearful disappointment and a final doom.

III. THAT FROM THE FAITHFUL EXHIBITION OF THESE TRUTHS THE HAPPIEST RESULTS ARE TO BE ANTICIPATED TO THE CHURCH AND THE WORLD. THESE THINGS ARE GOOD AND PROFITABLE TO MEN. They are good in themselves, and good in their influence upon the mind. Many things may be good that are not profitable, and some may be thought profitable that are not good; but these are both good and profitable. They are good in the Divine esteem — good as the transcript of His own infinite excellence — good as perfectly accordant with all His revelations to man — good in their origin — good in their progress — good in their end. They come from heaven and lead to it. They are good and profitable, as opposed to those "foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law," which we are told in the next verse to avoid as unprofitable and vain.

(The Evangelist.)

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KJV: But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

WEB: But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love toward mankind appeared,