Private Thoughts About Good Works

A person who believes in the righteousness of Christ, may truly say, “Lord, what love have I unto thy law!” The law is necessary as a rule, and amiable as a free service, and performable in the power of faith: but, as exacting strict obedience under the penalty of death, it is a heavy load upon the conscience; and, in that sense, abolished to make way for a better dispensation.

Rev. Thomas Adam (1701-1784) was a godly divine and student of John Newton, who pastored a congregation in Lincolnshire for 58 years. Like John Newton, he remained within the Anglican Church all his life.

It is well said, that though faith justifies us, yet works must justify our faith.

The doctrine of justification by faith alone, is our fitness, advantage, and encouragement for the practice of good works, and can never be made a handle for sloth or licentiousness, when it is preceded by repentance, as, if received in faith, it necessarily must be. Whoever entertains it as a pretense or excuse for not working, or doing his best, is still impenitent and unbelieving, let him think what he will.

Christ’s cross, truly believed, will have two seemingly different effects: it will put me upon being as good as ever I can, and make me sensible that I am altogether vile.

lustification by sanctification, is man’s way to heaven. Sanctification by justification is Cod’s.

God makes Himself a debtor to man, for His own goodness in man.

The maintainers of imputed righteousness must be content to undergo the mortification of being thought opposers or discouragers of good works though they constantly plead for them, and for their own doctrine, as the best, if not the only sure way of attaining to them; do not come a whit behind their adversaries in the performance of them; and perform them more freely and sincerely, and upon more generous principles of love, gratitude, and obedience, than those who venture all upon their own actions, and make them the ground of their acceptance.

Itrust to Christ for sanctification, and not to sanctification for Christ.

There can be no true religion without love of God, nor love of Cod without the knowledge and love of Christ.

It is the hardest thing in the world not to think our good works better than they are. Doubtless Cod takes care to qualify His faithful servants for the happiness He intends for them; which is, the enjoyment of Himself. And there can be no other possible qualification for this happiness, or a capacity of receiving and enjoying it, but holiness; that is to say, a full bent of soul towards God, and a hearty love and liking of all that He is, does, wills, and ordains. But then we must not pretend to bring this holiness to account, as the ground of our acceptance. A person who is continually receiving favors from another, may as well reckon the last to be the procuring cause of the first, as we make our holiness, whatever it is, to be in any sense the cause or ground of our acceptance with Cod. When we have done all we ever shall do, the very best state we ever shall arrive at, will be so far from meriting a reward, that it will need a pardon.

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