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fied by works, he bath whereof to glory, but not before God. The argument may be conceived thus: Whoever is juftified by works, hath ground of boafting and glorying before God, as giving fomething of his own, deferving a reward in juftice: But Abraham hath no ground of boasting and glorying before God; Therefore, &c. And this argument he fo propofeth as thereby anfwering an objection which might be moved in their mind at that which he faid, verfe 1. They might fay, did Abraham acquire nothing by his holy life and converfation? Did he not acquire the praife and commendation of men? Yes, fays the apostle, he hath whereof to glory, after that kind; his works made him honourable with men, who look only to the outward face of actions, but he hath no ground of glorying before God; for before him all boafting was excluded, as we heard before, in the last chapter, verfe 27.

OBSERVATIONS.

ed, and no man once dreamed of meaning the judicial law, he muft, the law muft, be taken as comprehending the moral, no lefs than the ceremonial. 3dly, That in this difpute he means not only the works. of the moral law, done by the light of nature, or by unregenerate perfons without grace; for he brings in Abraham's inftance, as he was a believer, and the father of the faithful; and fo, queflionlefs, one who was regenerated, and did many a good work, as Gen. xxii. and yet he denies that he was juftified by his works. 4thly, But taketh in the confideration of the works of regenerate perfons, for fuch an one was Abraham, and excludeth all fuch works from being the meritorious caufe of juftification, either in whole, or in part.

II. However under the Old Teftament the covenant of grace was administered in another manner than under the New, and Chrift was not then exhibited, but only held forth as one to come, by promifes, prophecies, facrifices, facraments, types, and other ceremonies: yet there was but one way of juftification, then and now; Chrift, the meritorious caufe of juftification, being the Lamb flain from the begining of the world, and his righteoufnels being only that which must cloath us, and faith being then the way of applying this righteouf nefs, as not therefore doth he make ufe of Abraham's inftance to prove the manner of our juftification now, which could not be, if the way were not the fame both under the Old Teftament, and under the New.

I. In that the apoftle maketh ufe of the inftance of Abraham, to prove juftification by faith, without the works of the law, it teacheth us thefe four things: 1/t, That in this difpute against Juftitiaries, who were enemies to the truth, in the point of juftification, he doth not only fpeak of the ceremonial law, and of works done according to it, fo as his meaning fhould be, when he fays, we are not juftified by the works or deeds of the law, that we are not juftified by thefe works enjoined by the ceremonial law; for Abraham was long before the ceremonial law III. Juftification, and the right way had any being, and fo had not been a fit thereof, being a matter of great neceflity inftance to have proved no juftification by to be known, and a truth which Saran works; befides, that it can hardly be, upon hath early and late bent his ftrength againft, good grounds, thought, that thofe Jufti- a great neceffity lieth upon all to be thotiaries did mean only the works of the ce- roughly clear in this matter; and minifters remonial law, excluding all other. 2dly, fhould labour to explain it fully unto peo That in this difpute he takes in the works, and take pains. and ufe all means to of the moral law; for feeing he must not make plain the way, and to confirm them mean only the ceremonial law, as we thew-in the truth thereof: therefore after the

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apofile

apoftle had ufed arguments he now

cometh to clear it from the example of

Abraham, for their farther fatisfaction. IV. Old Teftament fcriptures, are yet in force to us under the gofpel, and may fafely be made ufe of to confirm or illuftrate truths; for the apoftle bringeth in here an Old Teftament example, to confirm and clear a gospel truth.

V. Whatever excellencies or endow ments any have whereby they excel others, yet in the matter of juftification, all thefe being but drofs and dung, yea even their righteoufnefs being but rotten rags, Ifa. Ixiv. 6. they have no pre-eminence beyond others, but being plunged into the fame gulph of fin, must be beholden to another no less than any, for their delivery: and this may abundantly convince fuch as are far fhort of thefe, in parts, moral virtues, and Chriftian walk, of a neceflity of fleeing out of themfelves for a righteoufnefs, whereby they may be juftified before God: for Paul, as an argument proving no justification by works, brings in Abraham's inftance, faying, What shall sve fay then, that Abraham our father bath attained? &c..

VI. Whatever praife and commendation men may acquire to themfelves from men like themselves, for fome heroic acts and notable exploits; yet in point of acceptance with God, all thefe being but pieces of their duty, fo as ftill they muft ftile themselves, unprofitable fervants, Luke xvii. 1o. they have no ground of boafting notwithstanding of all thefe; for if Abraham were juftified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God.

VERSES 3. 4. 5. For what faith the fcripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh, is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believe

on him that juftifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteoufnefs,

Ere is another argument proving,

H that Abraham was juftified by faith,

without the works of the law, whereby alfo the former reafon is confirmed. It may fhortly be taken up thus: The fcripture faith that Abrahan was not justified by faith, because the fcripture faith, that Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteoufnefs, Gen. xv. 6. therefore he was not justified by works. The confequence he confirmeth in the following verfe, thus: To have faith imputed for righteoufnefs makes the reward of grace, and not of debt; but to have works imputed for righteousness makes the reward of debt, and not of grace: therefore whoever is juftified by faith, or by having faith imputed for righteoufnefs, is not juftified by works; this is fet down ver. 4. and the ground of all is laid down ver. 5. faith is counted for righteousness, not to him that worketh; that is, trusteth and relieth upon his works: but to him that believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly. So then, in fhort, there is, 1. The fcripture proof laid down, that Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness. 2. A deduction or inference from this, applying it to the purpose: if it was counted to him for righteoufnefs in that he believed, then not as he was a worker. And, 3. a reafon of this, becaufe what is counted to folk as works, is a reward of debt, and not of grace; but this is of grace, for it was counted to him for righteousness.

Because there is fome difficulty in the words, we fhall a little farther explain them, that our way may be facilitated in raifing points, and for that caufe lay down fome confiderations.

ift, The words here cited are taken out of Gen. xv. 6. where the Lord is renewing his promife which he had made with Abraham before, chapter xii. and thereby ftrengthening Abraham's faith, who was doubting ever to fee his own iffue. Now, it is faid, Abraham believed

in God, and here it is, Abraham believed God, according to the Seventy, whofe verfion the apoftle followeth punctually; but all is one, faith being both a trutting of God, a giving of him credit in all he fpeaks, and alfo a fiducial recumbence and refting upon him; it is a puting of our truft and confidence in him, to adhere and cleave to him, as faithful and true.

believing that particular promife mentioned immediately before. 1. Because that this faith of his was a juftifying faith, or a faith whereby remiffion of fins was had, feeing the apostle makes ufe of it here in the matter of juftification, as an argument to prove juftification by faith; and fo Abraham's faith must be such a faith as may agree to more than himself alone, but a faith in fuch a particular promife cannot be required of all, feeing fuch a promife is not made to all. 2. Befide, that Abraham was juftified before now, and was a believer alfo, and is faid to believe now, becaufe his faith got up its head, and got from under the difficulty with which it was wrestling before, and fo was confirmed from the promise renewed. So then this faith of Abraham's was a juftifying faith, and fo of the fame ef-fence and nature with the faith required of us under the gofpel, and therefore it looked to Chrift the promised Meffiah, who was the main piece of his feed fomuch fpoken of, as the apostle expounds Gal. iii. 16. and Abraham faw his day, John viii. 56.

2dly, Abraham's believing here doth not relate unto that promife which God made with him, viz. of making his feed as the fars of heaven for multitude, verfe 5. allenarly, and to nothing elfe; but it refpecteth the covenant whereof that was but a particular promife. This covenant being a covenant of grace, all the promifes thereof flowed from grace, many whereof were temporal, which were given as types of fpiritual bleflings; but the main promifes were, that in him all the families of the earth fhould be bleffed, Gen. xii. 3. xviii. 18. and xxii. 18. and that the Lord would be his God, and the God of his feed, Gen. xvii. 7. 8. And thus God promifed to be his father, portion, protector, ftrong refuge, and all; and for this cause he held forth himfelf to be God, almighty and all- 3dly, That the following words, and it fufficient and to thefe main bleffings was was imputed to him for righteousness, may the promife of temporal good things an- be fomewhat cleared, take notice of thefe nexed; as protection, Gen. xv. 1. multi- particulars: 1. That in the original it may plicity of feed, and the land of Canaan. be taken up thus: And he imputed righte So then Abraham clofed with the cove- oufnefs to him, or (taking the verb impernant by faith; and efpecially his faith re-fonaliter, as almost all do) righteoufness was fpected Chrift the promifed feed, in whom all the nations should be bleffed, and in whom all the promises are yea, and amen; and who was wraped up in all thefe promifes: as, for example, in that, that his feed fhould multiply fo, and that he fhould be the heir of the world, for that promife is not meant of his carnal feed, or feed through the law, as the apoftle fays, in this fane chapter, verfe 13. and fo muft be meant of his fpiritual feed, who are brought in under Chrift's kingdom, according to Palm ii. 8. So that his believmg God, must not be meant only of his

imputed to him. The verb hath an affix of the feminine gender annexed, which fays, it must look back to fome noun of the feminine gender; and is it not better to take the noun rendered righteousness, which is of the feminine gender, than to go and pick it out of the verb, he believed? And if we take the words thus, all will be clear; thus, Abraham believed God, and God imputed righteousness to him; that is, Abraham believed God, or in God, and thereby was clothed with the righteousness of another, viz. Chrift, through. God's imputation. 2. The caufe why the apoffle

has

has the words otherways rendered, is, becaufe he followeth the Seventy, their version being at that time moft in ufe, and doth not alter one letter, feeing that the fame version made abundantly for his purpofe, and was no way contrary to the text, but confonant enough thereto. So then, 3. the apofile hereby meaneth, that his faith was imputed to him for righteoufnefs, for fo be faith, verfes 5. 9. But, 4. By faith the apoftle doth not understand the act of faith, fimply fo underftood, without refpect unto Chrift the object thereof: not as if I thought true juftifying faith could be taken up without refped to Chrift, that were a contradiction, to understand that faith, the nature whereof looks to Chrift, could be confidered without looking to Chrift; but my meaning is, that the apoftle being about to clear the way of our juftification not to be by works, as the meritorious cause thereof, and the way of obtaining the fame; but by Chrift's merits, as the meritorious caufe, apprehended and laid hold on by faith; or by faith looking only to Chrift's death and merits, as the meritorious caufe: faith, properly taken, cannot be accounted to us as our righteoufnefs, as if we were clothed with no other righteoufuefs befide that; but faith tropically taken, that is, for Chrift, who is fometimes called our righ teousness, 1 Cor. i. 30. Jer. xxiii. 6. as hope is fometimes taken for the thing hoped for, Gal. v. 5. Col. i. 5. 27. 1 Tim. i. 1. Tit. ii. 13. And that, (1.) because if faith were taken properly here, it were impertinent to the apoftle's purpose to alledge this teftimony for his main difpute is about the meritorious caufe of our juftification, and not about the mean, or condition, or inftrumental caufe thereof, except by the bye, and ftill oppofeth faith to works; and fo whatever way he excludes works, he must take in faith: and if he be treating mainly of the condition of juftification, and faith be imputed to us as our rightcoufnefs on that account, then works

must be wholly excluded from being the condition, principally, or lefs principally, of our juftification; and if he be excluding works from being the meritorious caufe, then faith must be taken in upon that fcore, and not properly taken, for fo it is a work, but as looking to its object: Or rather it is taken for its object, Christ, viz. griped and laid hold on by faith and thus faith, with its object, anfwereth the place which works had in the old covenant, viz. both the meritorious caufe, and the applicatory medium; for works in the old covenant did merit life, (not strictly, for we can merit nothing from God fo, but fo as life fhould have become a due debt, by virtue of a paction) and was the way or mean of applying this; fo in the new covenant, faith taken for its object, Chrift, is the meritorious caufe; and faith, properly taken, as our act, is the medium; one thing cannot be both, now as before. It is true, faith may be called our righteousnefs, as being the performance of a duty required, and we affirm that it is neceffa ry as the condition of our juftification, but we cannot think, that it can be faid to be imputed to us for righteoufnefs here, I mean, faith properly taken, for the reafon formerly alledged. And farther, becaufe, (2.) in the original, as I fhewed before, it may read thus: He imputed righteaufnefs to him, or, righteousness was im puted to him; and fo Paul's faying, faith was imputed for righteoutnefs, therein fol lowing the Seventy, muft bear a fenfe cor refponding with the Hebrew. (3.) More over, if faith were imputed to us for righteoufnefs, taking faith only as our ac fo as the meaning fhould not be, Chri received by faith is our righteoufnef but the act of faith is our righteoufnef then faith fhould not be imputed to us b grace, but as a due debt; God's impura tion fhould not be an act of grace, but a act of justice, and a due debt, which wer alfo contrary to the apoftle's fcope: why fo? because faith is granted to be a pa

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of our inherent righteoufnefs, and fo it is ours before, in a manner, and doth not become ours by imputation; as when guilt is imputed to the guilty man, it is but accounting of him guilty who was fo before; fo this thould be only God's accounting of us righteous who were fo before; and this will not make the reward of grace, but of debt; for what is accounted by grace is not in the fubject, or is not that really in the room whereof it is accounted; but faith, according to this expofition, is in the fubject, and is really that in the room where of it is accounted. (4.) Befide, if we took the apoftle's meaning to be thus, we could fee no confequence in his arguing; for he is here proving that Abraham was not juftified by works, but by faith; and what is his argument? it is this; The fcripture faith, that his faith was counted to him for righteoufnefs; therefore he was not juftified by works. Now let us put in their expofition, and fee how it will run: The fcripture faith, that his work of faith was counted to him for righteoufnefs; therefore he was not justified by works: Would this be a clear demonftration? he was juftified by one work, therefore not by works! Or thus, One work was in puted to him for righteoufnefs, therefore works was not imputed: any body may perceive the vanity of this arguing. If it be replied, that faith is only accounted for our evangelic righteoufnefs, in fubordination to Chrift's righteoufnefs, which only is the meritorious caufe, and is ftill fet in oppofition to works, that have no fhare here: I answer, 1. It is granted, that faith may be called fo, taking the meaning to be only this, Faith is that mean appointed of God, whereby we apply Chrift's righteoufnefs, to our juftification; but the apoftle's arguing neceffitates us to take faith and works as diametrically oppofite, and as ad idem: fo that upon whatever fcore works be excluded, upon the fame fcore faith is included; fo that if works be excluded as the meritorious caufe, faith

must be looked on as the meritorious caufe, and therefore faith muft not be taken properly, otherways faith, as a work, should be the meritorious caufe; and why then fhould Paul exclude all works? 2. It were loofe arguing to fay, Abraham was not justified by works, but by faith; that is, Ábraham was not juftified by works as the meritorious caufe, making the reward of debt, because the fcripture faith, faith was the condition of juftification, and up-on that score was imputed to him as his righteoufnefs. Now, where is the reafon of the connection here? Sure there is none; unless you fay, that faith being impured as a condition, doth lay down for granted, and prefuppofe Chrift's righteoufnefs as the meritorious caufe; for faith that doth not this, is not faith. That is true, that faith prefuppofeth that, but then it is Chrift's merits properly that stand in oppofition to works; and the main ftrength of the apoftle's argument is here, viz. in Chrift's righteoufnefs, laid hold on by. faith, and this is it which is imputed for righteoufnefs; and this is that which we fay. (5.) This will be farther clear, if we confider how the apoftle fays afterward, that righteousness is imputed, fee verfes 6. II. and here either the meaning must be, that faith is imputed, and fo faith and righteoufnefs fhall be all one; or the apofile is fpeaking of the impuration of a double righteoufnefs, both of Christ's righteoufnefs (which must be that other righteoufnefs diftinct from faith, and will be readily granted) and of faith. The: first, I hope, will not be affirmed, and this laft cannot be faid, becaufe (not as if I affirmed that the apoftle were not both fpeaking of Chrift's righteoufnefs, as imputed to us, and of faith, as the way how, or condition upon which it is imputed; for this I grant; only I fay, that the meaning of thefe words, faith is imputed for righteoufness, is not, that faith, as our act, is accounted our righteoufnefs, and properly imputed to us) then the apoftle's ar

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