This, it was counted unto Him for SER M. Thus St Paul exprefsly

righteousness.

-gi

argues, in the cafe of Abraham's receiv
ing the promise of a Son, Rom. iv. 17.
Before him whom he believed, even God
who quickeneth the dead, and calleth thofe
things which be not, as though they were,
He against Hope believed in Hope,
ving Glory to God, and being fully perfwa-
ded, that what he had promifed, he was
able also to perform; and therefore (faith
he) it was imputed to him for righteousness.
Thus likewife in the cafe of offering up
his Son, the excellency of his Faith con-
fifted in This, that it was founded upon
that Great Principle of Religion, the ex-
pectation of a Refurrection from the
dead. He accounted, faith St Paul, that
God was able to raise him up even from the
dead, from whence alfo be received him in
a Figure, Heb. xi. 19. These last words,
from whence alfo he received him in a Fi-
gure, are by Expofitors understood to fig-
nify, Ifaac's near efcape from Death,
when he was juft upon the point of being
offered. But This being an Event not
foreseen by Abraham before it came
pafs, could not be to him an Argument

to

XI.

SER M. at That Time, to confirm his Faith. And XI. therefore I think the words will bear ano

ther fenfe, much more pertinent to the Apostle's intention. Abraham, faith he; accounted, that God was able to raise him up even from the Dead; and he had the more reason fo to account, because he had already once before received him from the dead in a figure; namely, at the time of his Birth, when he fprang from Parents as good as dead; as the fame Apostle expresses in the very fame chapter. Abraham's Reafoning was This; (and it was very pertinent and strong;) The fame God who could caufe Ifaac to receive life at first from Parents already dead through Age, could as eafily the second time raise him to life again, when he himself fhould be dead.

3dly, THE Faith of Abraham was not a Speculation or mere Credulity, but a Principle of Obedience and true Holinefs. Gen. xviii. 19. I know Abraham, that he will command his children and his boufhold after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he has spoken of him,

Thefe

These words of God himself in the Old SER M. Testament, are fufficiently clear.

But XI. n

because there arose afterwards fome miftakes about this matter; St James, in express decifion of a point of controversy in His time, alleges the very fame example: Ch. ii. 21. Was not Abraham our Father juftified by Works, when he offered Ifaac his Son upon the Altar? Seeft thou how Faith wrought with his Works, and by Works was his Faith made perfect! And the Scripture was fulfilled which faith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for Righteoufnefs. 'Tis very remarkable that thefe laft words, which in the Text are cited by St Paul for the magnifying the efficacy of Faith, are at the fame time cited by St James, to show the equal neceffity of Works of Righteoufnefs. Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for Rightecufness. Abraham was juftified by believing in God; but the Reason why his Faith was fo highly accepted, was because the Effect of it was Righteousness of Life.

4thly and Lastly, THE Faith of Abraham is opposed in Scripture, juft as the Faith of Chriftians is, not to the Works

of

SER M. of Virtue, but to the Rites and Ceremo XI. nies of the Law of Mofes. Gal. iii. 7.

They that are of Faith, faith St Paul, that is, they who believing in Chrift expect Salvation through the real Holinefs of the Gospel, and not by fuch outward Forms and Ceremonies as the Jews obferved; the fame (faith he) are the chil dren of Abraham; ver. 6. Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteoufnefs. And Rom. iv. 13. The Promife was not to Abraham or to his Seed through the Law, but through the righteousness of Faith: To the end the Promife might be fure to all the Seed, not to that only which is of the Law, but to That alfo which is of the Faith of Abraham, who is the Father of us all. His meaning is: The Promifes of God to Abraham, the Promise of giving him a better Country than that which he went out from; the Promife of being his God and his exceeding great Reward; the ProRom. iv. mife of making him Heir of the World; (all which, the reason of the thing shows, and the Apostle in the eleventh to the Hebrews exprefly declares, to be meant of the heavenly Canaan, the new feru

12.

Salem,

falem, whereof the Land of Promise was SER M. but a Type and a Shadow;) These Pro- XI. mises were made to Abraham, not as circumcifed, not as the Father of the Nation of the Jews; but as having that exemplary Faith, that firm Belief in the One true God the Maker of all things, that readiness to obey him in oppofition to the universal corruption of an idolatrous World, and that dependence upon God's being finally a Rewarder of them who diligently ferve him without Any Profpect of temporal Advantage; which made this great man to be deservedly efteemed the Father of all Faithful and Holy Men, who fhould acceptably serve the fame God, in all Ages and in all Nations of the World.

THIS is the Account the Scripture gives us of that Faith of Abraham, which was accounted to him for Righteousness. The right Understanding of which matter, removes at once all the Difficulties concerning the Notion of Faith and Works, which has occafioned fo many vain controverfies in the Chriftian World; and at the fame time may ferve to inAtruct us, (which was the

II. Second