Of f unifying Faith. Vol. H. afterward be revealed; and what is the Faith that shouldafterward k revealed, but the Gofpel ? which in the fulness of time was to be revealed to the World, till which time wewere held under the difpenfation of the Law : and ver. 24. Where. fore the Law was our Schoolmaster to bring us unto Chrifl, that we might be ju/lifred by Faith; that is, the Law was a Difcipline preparatory for the Gofpel, that when that came, we might be justified by it : and ver. zq. But after that Faith is come, we are no longer under a Schoolmafler, that is, after the Gofpel was revealed, we were set free from the fevers ind harsh Difpenfation of the Law ; and our Affent and Submiffton to that Revelation, is that whereby weare said o be Justified. Roma 3. 23. Even the righteoufnefs ofGod, which is by the.faith of Jesus Chrift, that is, by the Gofpel, unto all, andupon all them that believe. And ver. 26. That he might. be past, and the luflifier of himwhich believeth in yefus; t j Ca IIZ EWS'I4A, the Yu. llikr of him that yieldsAffent and Submiffïon to theGofpel of Chrift. And this Faith is Paid to be imputed to us for Righteoufnefs, Chap. 4. 24. But for us alfo, to Whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raifedup yefus our Lord from the dead ; that is, if we affent and fubmit to the Revelation of the Gofpel, which' God bath confirmed by that eminent Miracle of railing up Chrill from the Dead. St. lames tells us moft exprefly, that the Faith which Jul ifies cloth contain Obedience in it : and if it do not, it is Dead, and False, and IneffQual to all purpofes of Pardon and Salvation : and that it any Man pretend to Faith, and that Faith be deftitute of the proper and genuine EfieCts of true Faith, it will be un- profitable to him, and not at all avail to his Justification andSalvation. The fern of his Difcourfe is, that theFaith which Justifies and Saves us, muff hot only be a bare Affent of the Underftanding to the Truths of the Gofpel ; but must include in it Obedience to all the Commands of the Gofpel : and if it does nor, it does no more deferve the name of Faith, than good words to a Man in want, deferve the name of Charity. Chap. z. ver. 14, r s, 16, it 7, rÿhat dot'h it profit, rey brethren, though aMan fay he loath Faith, and hath not Works ? can Faith fave him le Ifa Bro- ther or Ser.be naked, and deflitute of daily Food, and one ofyou fay unto them, De- part in peace, be you warmed andfilled; notwithfianding yegive them not thofè things which are needful to the body : what cloth it profit ? Even fo Faith, if it hath not iVorlty is dead, king alone. And to this purpofe he inftanceth in Abraham, and Rahab, and thews that the Faith which ,juftified them, did include in it the EffeQs of Faith, viz. Obedience, and good Works, ver. z r, 2z. Was not Abraham our Fa- ther juflified by works, when he had offered Ifaac bis Son upon the Altar? Seefi thou how Faith wrought with his Works, and by Works was Faith made perfeli? And ver. 2 ;. And the Scripture was fulfilled, which faith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for Righteoufnefs. But if Abraham were juflified by Works, viz. by offering up his Son upon the Altar, in Obedience to God's Command, as he lays before, at the zt, verfe, howwas the Scripture fulfilled, whichfaith, that Faith was imputed to him for Righteonfnefs,that is, He was juftified by Faith ; unlefs Faith rake in the works of Obedience? Fromwhence he concludes, that by Works a Man is juflified, and not by Faith only ; not by naked Affent to the truth, but by fuels a Faith as includes Obedience ; which he farther illultrates by a Similitude at the Taft verfe ; As the Body without the Spirit is dead, fo Faith without Works is dead alfo. A living Faith loth as truly contain Obedience in it, as a living Body contains a Spirit. And thofeDiftinftions which are commonly applied tothis Difcourfe of Sc. pines donot clear ir, but contradict the exprefs defign of it. Some fay that fides,qua e/t viva jufliftcat ; fed nonqua viva. Faith which is living, juflifies ; but not as a living Faith. Others fay, (which is much to the fame purpofe) Fides jufliftcat fine ope- ribus ; fedfides fine operibus non jujlìficat. Faith Miles without works ; but Faith trithoat Works does not jufli fie. But St. lames lays exprefly, that we are 3 rfied by Ei'orks. How then is that true, that Faith junifies without Works? And he fays that Works are theLife of our Faith: How then can any Man fay, that tho' Faith justifies; yet not as it is a living Faith, when we are juftified by that which is the very Life of our Faith, and that is Obedience ? There
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