concerning Faith and Works 5 79 for it will be eafie for him to fay, that as no fuch Work was ever performed by him, fo none fuch was ever required of him. But ( 3 ) upon Abrahams compliance with the com- mand of God given him in the way of Trial, God himfelf xygQu,,,,u9 s declares the fincerityof his Faith and his Juflifica- tion thereon, or his gracious acceptance of him. This is the whole defign Of the place which the Apoflle traduceth unto his purpófe ; And it contains the whole of what he was to prove and no more. Plainly it is granted in it that we are not juftified by our Works before God, Peeing he inftances only in a Work performed by a juftified believer many years after he was abfolutely juftified before God. But this is evil dently proved hereby ; namely, that Faith without Works is dead; Peeing jufliifying Faith as is evident in the cafe of Abraham is that, and that alone which brings forth Works of Obedience ; For on fuch a Faith alone, is a man evidenced declared and pronounced to be juftified or accepted with God. Abraham was not then firft juftified ; He was not then Paid to be juflified, he was declared to be juftified, and that by and upon his Works, which contains the whole of what the Apoflle intends to prove. There is therefore no appearance of the leafl contradi &i - on between this Apoflle and Paul who profeffedly afferts , that Abraham was net juftified before God by Works. For James only declares that by the Works which he performed after he was juftified, he was manifefled and declared fo to be. And that this was the whole of his defign, he manifefts in the next verfes, where he declares what he had proved by this inflance, ver. 22. Seefi thou how Faith wrought with his Works, and by Works was Faith made perfect. Two things he inforceth as proved unto theconviilion of him, with whom he had to do. ( ) That true Faith will operate by Works, fo did Abrahams, it was effe&ive in Obedience. ( 2) That Eeec 2 it
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