concerning Fáith and IVo¡s. 575 effeas of love ; is neither ufeful nor profitable. Hence the Apoftle infers, v. 17. Even fo Faith, if it hath not Works, is dead being alone. For this was that which he undertook to prove, not that we are not juftified by Faith alone without Works before God, but that the Faith which is alone with- out Works, is dead ufelefs and unprofitable. Having given this firft evidence unto the conclufion which in Thefi hedefigned to prove, he reaflizmes the question and Rates it in Hypothe(i, fo as to give it a more full demonstrati- on, V. 15. Tea a man may fay thou haft Faith, and I have Works, Phew me thy Faith without thy Works, (that is, which is without Works, or by thy Works ) and I will fhero thee my Faith by my Works. It is plain beyond denial, that the Apo file doth here again propofe his main queftion only on a fup- pofition that there is a dead ufelefs Faith which he had pro- ved before. For now all the enquiry remaining is how true Faith, or that which is of the right Gofpel kind, may be (hewed, evidenced or demonstrated, fo, as that their folly may appear, who truft unto any other Faith whatever d`Hebv poor r(w ísry vx, Evidence or demonfiate thy Faith to be true by the only means thereof, which is works. And therefore al- though he fay, thou hall Faith, that is, thou profeffeft and boafteft that thou haft that Faith whereby thou mayeft be faxed, and I have Works, he doth not fay, Phew me thy Faith by thyWorkr, and I will Phew thee my Works by my Faith, which the Antithels would require, but I will Phew thee my Faith by my Works, becaufè the whole queftion was concern- ing the evidencing of Faith and not of Works. That this Faith which cannot be evidenced by Works;. which is not fruitful in them, but confifts only in a bare of -- lent unto the Truth of Divine Revelation, is not the Faith that doth juftifie or will fave us, he further proves in that it: is ho other but what the Devils themfelves have, and no man. can
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=