Perhaps someone may feel disposed to ask—­whether faith is all that is necessary?  We reply that it is the cause which produces its effect.  Paul answers this question thus—­“We conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law, Do we then make void the law through faith?  God forbid; yea we establish the law.”  Here let the question be asked;—­how do we establish the law by faith?  Answer, “Faith will have its perfect work.”  But what is that perfect work, which faith produces?  Ans.  Faith works love in the soul; and if we love God, we will keep his commandments.  And faith, love and keeping the commandments are the three exercises, that form the christian character.  Faith is the foundation; works are not.  We cannot begin to build on works.  Instead of being the first, they are the last christian grace.  They are the visible effects of an inward, living faith.

Faith and faith only is the seed rooted and grounded in the truth, and (to use a Bible figure) it becometh a tree, and produces all the fruits of the spirit-love, joy, meekness, temperance, long-suffering, forbearance.  This is what the apostle calls the “righteousness of faith” in contradistinction to “the righteousness of the law,” produced by fear.  Paul compares faith to a good olive tree.  “The Jews through unbelief were broken off,” and “thou (the Gentile) standest by faith.”  Jesus says; “if ye have faith as a grain of mustard-seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove.”  Here, in parable, faith is represented as removing mountains of sin.  He further says—­“Thy faith hath made thee whole";—­not thy works.  Paul exclaims, “Faith works by love, purifies the heart and overcomes the world.”  John says, “and this is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith.”

It is a certain fact, that none of these salutary effects are ascribed to human works.  The apostles in no instance say, that works purify the heart, or overcome the world—­or that this is the victory, even your works; The whole is ascribed to faith; because that is the living tree on which the good fruits grow.  Works are, in scripture, called fruits.  “By their fruits ye shall know them”—­that is by their works.  “A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit.”  To carry out this figure, we would remark that, fruit can have no existence till the tree is first produced.  Therefore in a gospel sense, no good works, acceptable to God, can be produced without a true and living faith.  The apostle declares, “without faith it is impossible to please God.”  The gospel being good tidings, or news, are you satisfied that thing necessary?  I presume all denominations will assent to the fact, that faith is the first religious exercise of the creature.  We shall then obey the command of the apostle, and “contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints.”