Abraham was justified, when he believed, and obeyed, and left, at God's command, his country and his father's house: but this was not declared, as far as we know, till a considerable time afterwards; when "he believed "in the LORD, and it was imputed to him for righteous"ness."* His faith was afterwards especially evidenced, when he obeyed the hard command of offering Isaac as a burnt-offering. But it is not said in the history, that he was then justified. His faith was, however, the spring and motive of his obedience, and was most illustriously displayed. He had before been justified, in the sight of God; and by this triumphant work of faith and labour of love, his justification was evidenced, and declaratively recognized, and published to mankind, for the instruction of all future generations. P. cxxi. last line. God foreseeing, &c.'t “God Gen. xv. 6. Rom. iv. 3. 9. Jam. ii. 23. 'God, foreseeing that the faith of Abraham was of that true and lively * nature, which would produce obedience, whenever an opportunity offered, 'imputed it to him for righteousness; and accordingly he did obey upon the ' very trying occasion of God's commanding him to "offer Isaac his son upon “the altar:” his “Faith wrought with his works;" that is, his faith produced *this act of obedience; by it his "Faith was made perfect;" and it was pro. ved, that he possessed the genuine principle of human conduct, a confor'mity to the will of God; he was therefore "justified by works," for if he 'had not done this work, or at least expressed a sincere readiness to do it, he ⚫ would not have been justified, disobedience to the commands of God being 'incompatible with a state of justification. Hence it follows that faith, which 'produced works, was the faith which justified Abraham, and consequently, * the faith which St. Paul meant, when, in arguing upon justification by faith, 'he appealed to the justification of Abraham. St. Paul's assertion, therefore, ' is this; Abraham was justified by faith which produced works: St. James's is, Abraham was justified by works, which proceeded from faith. These as'sertions are in substance the saine, and St. James, in pointing out the true nature of Abraham's faith, only intended to correct the error of those, who had misinterpreted the doctrine of St. Paul. This instance of Abraham's 'justification; the still earlier examples of Noah, Enoch, and Abel; and the more recent ones of Gideon, David, and the prophets under the Mosaic 'economy, mentioned by St. Paul upon another occasion, mark the uniformity of God's dealings with mankind in every period of the world, and estab "who knoweth the hearts," not only foresaw, but saw at the time, that the faith of Abraham was of that true ' and lively nature, which would produce obedience, 'whenever an opportunity offered. Upon the trying 'occasion of God's commanding him to "offer Isaac "his son upon the altar," his "faith wrought with his "works;" that is, his faith produced obedience, by it "his "faith was made perfect," and it was proved, &c.' All this, for substance, is the view, that Calvinists in general would give of this passage. Disobedience to 'the commands of God being incompatible with a state ' of justification.' No doubt, deliberate habitual disobedience is here meant: for "in many things we offend "all." Abraham's conduct, in denying his wife, and saying "my soul shall live because of thee,"* implied no small degree of unblief and distrust, and reliance on a creature; and was not conformity to the will of God. In other respects the statement in these pages, as reconciling the doctrine of the two apostles, is to me satisfactory. The language, produce, produced, (not contains,) should not pass unnoticed. P. cxxiii. 1. 14. It is, &c.'t Nothing can be a more gross perversion of any doctrine, than to maintain, that a dead and barren faith is sufficient to justification and salvation; because the Scripture teaches us that we are justified and saved by a living, operative, and fruit 'lish these fundamental and universal principles of the divine dispensations, "that "without faith it is impossible to please God;" and that "faith with"out works is dead." • Gen. xii. 13. It is scarcely possible to imagine a more gross perversion of any doc. trine, than that which we have been now considering. St. Paul meant, that ' ceremonial works were not necessary before justification; whereas these men 'pretended St. Paul's authority for maintaining that moral works were not necessary after justification. Ceremonial works are not necessary to obtain 'justification in this world; therefore, say they, moral works are not neces'sary to obtain justification or salvation in the world to come.' ful faith: but how far the statement here given is scriptural, or agrees with the authorized writings of our church, may be questioned. Did St. Paul mean, that moral works were needful before justification, thoughceremonial works were not? And needful, in order to justification? for that is the question. If so, where were the moral works of the Corinthians to whom St. Paul preached the gospel? "Such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit "of our God."*"To him that worketh not, but be"lieveth in him, that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is "counted for righteousness. Even as David also de"scribeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God "imputeth righteousness without works."f "What "shall we say then? that the Gentiles, which followed "not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, “even the righteousness of faith. But Israel, which "followed after the law of righteousness, hath not at"tained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Be"cause they sought it not by faith, but as it were by "the works of the law: for they stumbled at that stumbling-stone." Was any true believer ever excluded from justification, because he had not previously done moral works? And whatt are moral works? Doubtless acts of obedience to the moral law of God. But "the "carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not sub"ject to the law of God, nor indeed can be."§ And therefore all works which spring not from faith in Christ, we doubt not have the nature of sin.' Again, did St. Paul teach that ceremonial works were. needful after justification? for this the distinction scems 1 Cor. vi. 9-11. † Rom. iv. 3-5. VOL. I. Rom. ix. 30-32. I i . to imply. Therefore say they, moral works are not ' necessary to obtain justification, or salvation in the 'world to come.' Justification has before been shown by his Lordship to belong to this life, and is distinguish. ed from salvation.'* That good works are not neces sary to justification, has been shown; for they spring from justifying faith, and are "the fruits of the Spirit:" but they are needful for "salvation in the life to come:" not as in any sense meriting that blessedness; but as evidencing our faith to be living and justifying; and for various other important purposes: as it will be shown thereafter, P. cxxiii. 1. 25. Faith, &c. 't 'Faith, &c.'t His Lordship hath fully shown, that such a faith as is here described, cannot justify. But how could they be kept in a state of justification, who, having only a dead faith, never were justified? Dead faith is no better than direct unbelief; and, "he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, "but the wrath of God abideth on him;"; and in this state he must abide, unless he believe with a true and living faith. P. cxxiv. 1. 11. If they disobey, the pardon is cancelled.' Habitual disobedience proves a professed believer's faith to be dead and worthless. If he never had any other faith, he never was pardoned; and therefore his pardon cannot be cancelled. It needs not here be argued, whether living faith ever fails, or degenerates into dead faith: but the language of Scripture is very expressive, respecting forgiveness of sins. "As far as * Page 100-102, Refutation. Faith alone is sufficient; meaning, instead of a true and lively faith pro⚫ductive of obedience, a bare assent to the truth of the gospel, without any practical regard to its precepts. They vainly hoped that this spurious faith would keep them in a state of justification in this life, and finally procure them salvation in the next.' + Pages 104, 105, Refutation, § John iii. 36. "the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us."* "I will forgive their ini"quity, and I will remember their sin no more."† "The iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there "shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall "not be found: for I will pardon them whom I re"serve."‡ "Thou hast cast all my sins behind thy "back." "He will subdue our iniquities, and thou "wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea."¶ What is sunk in shallow water, may be got up again; but that which sinks to the bottom, in the depths of the sea, will never more be brought forth. "There is no "condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who "walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit." "They "shall not come into condemnation; but are passed "from death unto life."** They, who "in time of "temptation fell away," had "no root in themselves:" "the foolish virgins had no oil in their vessels;" and the intruder, at the marriage-feast, had not the weddinggarment. Indeed the servant, whose debt was forgiven by his Lord, but who afterwards refused to forgive his fellow-servant, was severely rebuked, and de'livered to the tormentors to suffer punishment, for that very debt which had been forgiven.'tt And how far this single instance of a cancelled forgiveness, so much as intimated in Scripture, is to preponderate against all the texts before quoted, the reader must determine. Expositors in general think, that circumstances in parables are to be explained according to the clear import of other Scriptures; and not used to decide controverted points of doctrine. The language of him, who owed • Ps. ciii. 12. Is. xxxviii. 17. †† Refutation. † Jer. xxxi. 34. Heb. viii. 12. x. 17. !! Rom. viii, 1. # Jer. 1. 20. ** John v. 24. |