ly representation of the love of God, in the redemption of the world, that was ever exhibited. Through faith and love of God, Abraham gave up his only, his beloved son, in sacrifice to him; and consented to take away his life and reduce his body to ashes, because he commanded. The merk and humble submission of Isaac demands also our attention. Though able, he made no resistance; nor did opposition proceed from his mouth. Abraham, through faith, submitted to make the required offering; and Isaac, through faith, submitted to become the offering which God demanded, and thereby shewed himself an eminent type of the Saviour of the world. And behold the reward from the goodness of God! Abraham withheld not his son from God; and God gave up his Son for Abraham, and all the families of the earth. Isaac refused not to become a sacrifice when God required; and the Son of God refused not to be made a sacrifice for Isaac, and for all who were to be blessed through the promised seed.

But to form a true estimate of Abraham's faith and submission, it is necessary to take one circumstance more into the account-the tender scene which passed between the father and son, as they walked together to the place of sacrifice. Isaac, loaded with the wood, seeing the knife and fire in his father's hands, said, "Behold, my father, the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering?" "God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt-offering," replied the heart-rent father. So much. has Moses recorded-The scene he has not described. Feel it every parent must; but what imagination can do justice to the emotions of nature, the agonies of piety, the rendings of affection, which tore the heart of Abraham while he informed his son, that he himself was the lamb which God had provided for a burnt-offering? We may figure the scene to ourselves, but it cannot be described.

Equally beyond the power of description must have been the feelings of Isaac's heart, on that occasion. He knew himself to be the heir of the promise made to his father. Yet, just when he was come to man's estate, he

consented to be cut off by a violent death-a death, too, inflicted by a tender parent-and in obedience to the command of God who had made the promise. Nothing but a firm belief in the power, and truth, and goodness of God, that he would raise Isaac to life, and in him fulfil his promises, though his blood should be poured out and his body reduced to ashes, could have supported either father or son, in so great a conflict between faith and sense, grace and nature. They both knew, that through Isaac, the promised seed, the blessing of all nations, was to come: And they firmly believed, that under the direction of God, by ways and means they could not account for, and which to human reason appeared dark and intricate, they were contributing to the grand event.

Let any one now draw the conclusion, and I trust he will determine with me, that the meaning of the phrase, "Abraham believed God," is, that he had so firm and undoubting a belief of the promises of God, as produced the most willing and absolute obedience to every thing he commanded, even against the workings of nature, the dictates of reason, and the suggestions of sense.

II. The second thing promised from the text was, to inquire into the meaning of the declaration, that Abraham's faith was "accounted to him for righteousness."

The works of every man proceed from his faith; and such as his faith is, such will his life be. If he believe that his happiness is to proceed from the riches, honours, or pleasures of the world, it will be the endeavour of his life to obtain them. If his faith be in the world to come, and he should believe that the favour of God is that alone which can give him peace of conscience in this world, and happiness in the next, his life will be according to his faith; it will be passed in obedience to God, that he may obtain his favour. Works, then, are the fruit of faith, the effects which it produceth, and cannot be necessary for the information of God, who knoweth the state of our hearts without them, and will accept us as our heart is towards him. But they are necessary for us and for the world. They increase and strengthen our faith and patience by

exercise; they give us comfort in ourselves, and confidence in the grace and protection of our heavenly Father; and they are examples of faith and holy living to the world, as well as evidences of the truth and reality of the divine power and goodness.

There is, therefore, no absurdity in supposing, that it is the state of the heart which God principally regards; and that where he sees that to be stedfastly fixed in firm faith and trust in him, he accepts the person as righteous and upright before him, without waiting for those works of holiness which are necessary evidences to the world; because he knows his faith, when tried, will produce them.

God promised Abraham a son in his old age, and that his seed should be innumerable like the stars of heaven:* Abraham believed God without hesitation or doubt, and God esteemed it a righteous act, and him a righteous man on account of it. But it will not follow from hence, that no works were after this expected of Abraham; no acts of obedience, and patience, and self-denial. His history shews that they were required, and that God commanded particular instances of them. Nor will it follow, that they had no effect in his justification, that is, in procuring remission of his sins. St. James affirms expressly, that "faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone;" and saith, that "Abraham our father was justified by works, when he offered Isaac his son on the altar;" that his "faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect;" and that thereby "the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness." He then draweth this general conclusion, "that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only;" and that," as the body without the soul is dead, so faith without works is dead also."+ Abraham's faith was, therefore, accounted to him for righteousness, because he implicitly believed every promise which God made, humbly obeyed every command he gave, and patiently endured every trial he laid on him. Now, this is

Gen. xv. 5. 6.

† Jam. ii. 17, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26.

righteousness itself-the very state in which all created beings ought to live.

I have hitherto considered this matter on general principles; but there is another sense in which the text ought to be regarded, and which, I suppose, St. Paul principally intended, when he wrote it.

From his Epistle to the Galatians it appears, that at least some of those who had been converted from Gentilism, had been beguiled by judaising teachers, to submit to the law of Moses; esteeming circumcision and the observance of the law of the Jews necessary to obtain justification, or remission of sins, under the Gospel. Against this error St. Paul contended; and, from it endeavoured to rescue the Galatians, by his Epistle. Among other arguments, he reasons from the instance of Abraham, who was not justified either by circumcision, or the law of Moses; neither of which were instituted, when his faith was accounted to him for righteousness; but on account of his faith in the promises of God, among which, that of the Mediator, or seed in whom all the families of the earth were to be blessed, was a principal one. The consequence is evident, that as Abraham was justified, without circumcision or the law of Moses, by his faith looking forward to the fulfilling of the promises of God; so Christians were to expect justification, not by submitting to circumcision and the Mosaic law; but by faith in the promises of God, particularly the great promise of a Mediator, which God had fulfilled to them in the person of Jesus.

St. Paul, therefore, hath said nothing against the good works of Christians, which spring from faith in Christ, that is, a firm belief of the Gospel. He argues merely from the inefficacy of the law of Moses, called the law of works, to obtain justification with God; shews that Abraham was not justified by it; and that, therefore, it would be idle and wicked in the Galatians to renounce their dependence on the Gospel of Christ, and seek for justification by circumcision and the law of Moses, by which even Abrahan himself did not obtain his justification, or the honourable titles of the Friend of God, and,.

the Father of those who believe. To this let it be added, · that St. Paul as strongly recommends Christian works, as he discountenances those of Judaism; and as forcibly insists on the necessity of obedience to the Gospel, as he rejects the necessity of obedience to the law of Moses.

III. Let us now attend to the third particular, the meaning of the expression, "they which are of faith."

To be of faith, as Abraham was of faith, means, undoubtedly, to believe God as Abraham believed him. He believed God to be true and faithful, and that his promises were sure and certain-that he was infinite in power, and therefore able to fulfil all that he engaged, even when it appeared incongruous to reason, and against the course of natural events-that he was the Creator, and consequently the Proprietor of all things; and therefore had at right to dispose of them, and order them all as he saw best-that every creature was bound to obey him, who, as he was just and holy, would command nothing evil; as he was good and gracious, nothing cruel or unnecessarythat the obedience of his creatures ought, therefore, to be unreserved and unlimited, extending to all circumstances and degrees.

He believed moreover, for he found himself to be a weak, helpless creature, who wanted the favour and direction of his Almighty Creator; a sinful, erring creature, who needed his mercy and forgiveness. He therefore willingly obeyed what God commanded, that he might enjoy his favour and protection. He embraced thankfully and eagerly that mediation and atonement which God pointed out to him; and cheerfully submitted to all the institutions of that religion which God thought best for him, that he might, by the mercy of God, obtain, in the use of them, that remission of sins which he so much needed.

This appears to me to be a summary of the properties of Abraham's faith: and to be "of faith" as Abraham was, we must have the same faith which he had-Believe, that as God is the Creator, so he is the supreme Governor of all things; that therefore it is the duty of man to obey

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