n This illuſtrious inſtance of 4braham's Obedience did fo clearly e- vicence the Sincerity of his Faith, that it did moſt plainly appear, that what the Scripture ſaid of him, it ſpoke moſt truly, vzz. that he did indeed believe Gad, and it was counted to him for Righteouſ- neſs. Things are ſaid to be fulfilled when they are moſt clearly ma- nifeſted. As thoſe words, Pſalm 2. 7. This day have I begotten thee, are ſaid to be fulfilled: at Chriſt's Reſurrettion, 4s 13. 32, 33. not that he was then firſt begotten of the Father, but that he was then 10 a glorious manner declared to be the Son of God by: the Reſur- re&ion from the dead, Rom. 1. 4. So here Abraham's offering up his Son being the evident Diſcovery of his Faith, it did by that ap- pear, that the Scripture-report of him was true, that he belzeved God, &c, he did believe before, and his Faith was imputed to him betore, but it was never fo fully made known, as by this ſo high an at of Obedience. o Viz. as apprehending Chriſt in the Promiſe , Faith is ſaid to be imputed for Rightcoutneſs, Rom. 4. 3, 5, 6 4s being the Inſtrument or means of applying Chriſt's Righteouſneſs, by which elſewhere weare faid to be juſtified, Rom. 3. 24, 25. and 5. 19. 2 Cor. 5. 21. Phil. 3. 9. p Either he was the Friend of God ; to be called, ſometimes implies as much as to be, T/a. 48. 8. or proper- ly he was called, 2 Chron. 20. 7. Iſa. 41. 8. and that not only on the account of God's frequent Appearances to him, converſing with him, revealing Secrets to him, Gen. 18. 17, 18. John 15. 15. and entring into Covenant with him, but eſpecially his renewing the Covenant with him, upon the ſacrificing of his Son, and confirming it by Oath, and thereby, as it were admitting him into a nearer de- gree of Friendſhip, Gen. 22. 16. &Cc. bs
24 Ye ſce then g how that by works 7 a Manis
juſtified s, and not by faith only z.
" q An Inference either from the Inſtance of Abraham, or from the whole preceding Diſcourſe. r Works of new Obedience. s De- clared to be righteous, or approved as ſuch, and acquitted from the Guilt of Hypocriſie. # Not by a meer Profeſſion of Faith, or a bare aſſent to the Truth, without the Fruit of good Works. Queſt. How doth this general Conclution follow from the particular Caſe of Abraham's? Anſ. Abraham's Faith and Juſtification both before God, and the World are ſet forth as the Exemplars of ours, to which the Faith and Juſtifi- cation of all Believers, both Fews and Gentiles,is to be conformed, Rom. 4. 11, 12, 23, 24. 2. Doth not James here contradi& Paul's Dodrine in the matter of Juſtification, Rom. 4? Anſ. The contradition 1s but ſeeming, not real, as will appear,if four things be conſidered : 1. The occaſion of theſe Apoſtles Writing,and their ſcope in it: Having to do with different ſorts of Perſons,they had likewiſe different Deſigns. As Chriſt ſpeaks one way when he dealt with proud Phariſees, whom he would humble ; another way, when with humble Hearers whom he would encourage : And Paul carried it one: way when among weak Brethren, in Condeſcention to whoſe Infirmities he circumci- fed Timothy, Ads 16. 2, 3. and another, when he was among falſe Brethren, and Men of Contention, who oppoſed Chriſtian Liberty, ſecking to bring Believers into Bondage, and then would not ſuffer Titizs to be circumciſed, Gal. 2. 3,4, 5. So in the preſent Affair, Paul's Buſineſs lay with falſe Apoſtles and Judaizing Chriſtians, ſuch as did in the matter of Juſtification, either ſubſtitute a Selt-righte- ouſneſs inſtead of Geds Grace, or ſet it up in {Conjun&ion with it ; and therefore his Scope is (eſpecully in his Epiſtles to the Rowans and Galatians) to ſhew the true cauſe and manner of Juſtification , and vindicate the freeneſs of Grace in it, by the Excluſion of Man's Works of what kind foever, to which purpoſe he propounds the Examples of Abraham and David, in their. Juſtification, Rome. 4. Whereas Zames having to do with carnal Profeſſors, and ſuch as abu- ſed the Dofrine of Grace to encourage themſelves in Sin, and thought it ſufficient that they had Faith, (ſuch as it was) tho they did not live like Believers, reſting in an empty Profeffion, with the negleft of Holineſs ; his Defign plainly is to ſhew the EffeRs and Fruits of Juſtification, viz. Holineſs and good Works ; there- by to check the Vanity and Folly of them, who did thus divorce Faith from an holy Life, (which God hath joyned to it) and fan- fied themſelves ſafe in the Profeſſion of the one, without any re- ſpe to, or care of the other, as appears in this Chapter, v. 14, 17, 26. And becauſe they might bear themſelves high in this falſe Con- fidence, by the Example of Abraham their Father accord- ing to the Fleſh, and whom Paul had ſet forth, Rom. 4. as juſtifi- ed by Faith, without the concurrence of Works to his Juſtification ; Zames makes uſe of the ſame Example of Abraham, as one eminent tor Holineſs, as well as Faith; and who made his Faith famous by the higheſt A& of Obedience that ever a Saint did, to ſhew, that Faith and Holineſs ought not to be ſeparateg; 4raham's Faith being ſo hizhly commended, eſpecially as produftive of -it. To the ſame purpoſe he makes uſe of the Inſtance of Rahab, who tho a young Saint, and newly come to the Knowledge of God; yet ſhewed the
truth of her Faith by fo confiderab!2 an Exerciſe of her Loye and
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