concerning Faith and Vlor &.r. 571 before God ( the reafons and caufes whereof, he therefore confidereth not) long before that Juftification which he afcribes unto his Works, which therefore can be nothing but the evidencing proving and manifeftation of it : whence al- to it appears of what nature that Faith is whereby we are juftified, theDeclaration whereof is the principal defign of the Apoftle. In brief the Scripture alledged that Abraham believed and it was imputed unto him for Righteoufnefs, was fulfilled when he was juftified by Works on the offering of his Soh on the Altar, either by the Imputation of Righte- oufnefs unto him, or by a real efficiency or working Righteouf- nefs in him, or by the manifefiation and evidence of his for- mer Juftification, or Tome other way mutt be found out. (r) That it was not by Imputation, or that Righteoufnefs unto the Juftification of life, was not then firft imputed unto him is plain in the Text, for it was fo imputed unto him long before, and that in fuch a way as the Apoftle proves there- by, that Righteoufnefs is imputed without Works. (2) That he was not juftified by a real efficiency of an habit of Righte- oufnefs in him, or by any way of making him inherently Righteous, who was before unrighteous is plain alto, becaufe he was Righteous in that fenfe long before, and had abounded in the Works of Righteoufnefs unto the praife of God. It remains therefore that then, and by the Work mentioned, he was juftified as unto the evidencing and manifeftation of his Faith and Juftification thereon. His other inftance is of Rahab concerning whom he afferts that the was juftifl d by Works when (he had received the Meffengers and tent them away. But the received the spies by Faith, as the Holy Ghoft witneffeth, Heb. t r. 3 i. And therefore had true Faith before their coming ; and if fo, was really juftifie d. For that any one fhould be a true believer, and yet not be jufti- fied is dettruEtive unto the foundation of the Gofpel. In D d d d 2 this
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