11A P. 7. Trines z: 14. &C. Cleared and Vindicated. . 493 work of offering up his fon, at a the command of God , Abraham declared, that he was no hypocrite , but a true beleever , and thus was he juflified (as Mr. Baxter will have it , as we heard lately ) from any fuch accufation. But ajuflification from this accufation , is but a j uflification of the truth & fin - ceritte of faith , & fo a confirmation & evidence of juflification ; or juftifi- cation as evidenced & declared ; and not juftification as produced by its cau- .fes. (6) When j awes faith verf. 23. That the Scripture was fulfilled, which faith, Abraham beleeved God if it was imputed to him unto Righteoufnefs, when he was juflified by offering up his fon verj. 2r. this fulfilling of the Scri- ptute- teflimony was , either becaufe'at that time, when he offered up his Son , Righteoufnefs was imputed unto him , & he was juflified , or bean- ie irjwas then manifett,to be a truth , that he was juftified indeed : But the former can not be faid , becaufe.Righteoufnefs was imputed unto him , and he was juftified long before this. Therefore it can be only underflood , as to its manifettation. (7) This is alto clear from what the Lord fpoke at that time, Gen. 22: i2. Now I know , that thou fearefl God , feing thou ha fl not wit-. .held shy Son, thine only Son from me. No word here of imputing Righteou nefs unto him , or of his being brought into a. juftified (late; but only God's folemne declaration , that he was a true fearer of God , & fo one , that had true faith, & was really juftified. (8) nerf.22. he faith Seefl thou how faith wroughtwith his works if by works was faith made perfect.. But how could this follow upon what he had faidverf. 21? Jultifrcation by works (if juftifi- .cation be taken abfolutely here & not for its declaration & manifeftation , ) will not prove faith's working with works. But if juftification be here ta-- ken.for juftification declared & rnanifefled,the fenfe is plaine : for fuch works as do evidence & declare that aperfo is juftified, will manifetily prove ,, that faith is working with thefe works, becaufe juftification prefuppofèth alwayes a true & lively faith , that will work with works of obedience. -(9) 'Far lets could it follow from juftification ( taken abfolutly) by works, that faith was made perfect by works but from fuch a work as will evidence a man to be juftified , it is manifeft to every one, that that work is a clear evi- dence of a true & lively faith , & by it faith is perfected , that is declared, evidenced & demonftrated, to be faith indeed, as the word perfeiled is ufed 2. Cor. 12: 9. for my Oren th is made perfect in tveaknefs, (Io). That other In- ference ver f. 24. ye fee then , how that by works a man is ju fli fled if not by Faith only : will not follow from what went before , if julliftcatton be here taken abfulutely.: for the command to Abraham to offer up his fon was no promì- fe , and to did not call for faith , but for ready obedience , though upon an- other account he beleeved that God was able toraife him up from the dead Heb. I I: 17, iß,,19. But Gen. 15. promifes were made unto .him, & he is :laid to have beleeved , Be upon this Righteoufnefs was imputed unto him. So that Gen. 15. he was juftified by faith only -., as the Apoflle proveth Runs. 4. for thereby he confirmeth his Conclufion fet down Rom. 3: 28:o that a main sr jufli fled by faith without the deeds of the Law. And from that other place Gen. 22..lames could not inferre, that Juttification is by faith :& toge- ,the.r, for then he could not inferre therefrom that the Scripture wasáulfilled, PPP 2 whick
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=