that by faith is meant the difpenfation of the gospel, and by the law the Mofaical administration; and the refult of all thofe discourses is, that men are not justified by performing the works which the legal difpenfation required; but by affenting and fubmitting to the revelation of the gospel. And this is agreeable to what he fays, Acts xiii. 38. 39. Through this man is preached unto you forgiveness of fins; and by him, all that believe are juftified from all things, from which ye could not be juftified by the law of Mafes.

It is true likewife, that the Apostle, in the epiftle to the Romans, doth not only difpute against those who fimply contended for juftification by the legal difpenfation; but were fallen alfo into the grofs error and mistake, that they did merit juftification and pardon at God's hand, which is impoffible: for pardon is free, and of grace, or elfe it is not pardon. Therefore the Apostle afferts, that we are fo juftified by faith, that neither our affent to the gofpel, nor our obedience to the commands of it, do merit this at God's hands; for this would directly contradict justification by the faith of the gofpel. For how can any man poffibly think, that he merits pardon by his believing and obeying the gospel, when this is part of the gofpel which we believe, that Chrift died for our fins, and purchased our pardon at fo dear a rate which had been very unjust, if we ourfelves could have done any thing to have merited it.

And that faith is taken for the revelation of the gofpel, in oppofition to the legal adminiftrations, will appear by confidering these texts, Gal. iii. 23. But before faith came, we were kept under the law; by which the Apoftle plainly means this, that before the revelation of the gospel to the world, we were under the legal adıniniftration: for he adds afterwards, We were fhut up unto the faith that should afterwards be revealed; and what is the faith that should afterwards be revealed, but the gofpel which in the fulness of time was to be revealed to the world, 'till which time we were held under the dif penfation of the law and ver 24. Wherefore the law was our fchool-mafter to bring us unto Christ, that we might be juftified by faith; that is, the law was a difcipline preparatory for the gofpel, that when that came, we

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might be juftified by it: and ver. 25. But after that Faith is come, we are no longer under a fchool-mafter, that is, after the gofpel was revealed, we were fet free from the fevere and harsh difpenfation of the law; and our affent and fubmiffion to that revelation, is that whereby we are faid to be juftified. Rom. iii. 23. Even the righteoufnefs of God, which is by the faith of Jefus Chrift, that is, by the gofpel, un to all, and upon all them that believe. And ver. 26. That he might be just, and the juftifier of him which believeth in Jesus; Tèv en wisews 'Inox, the juftifier of him that yields affent and fubmiffion to the gofpel of Chrift. And this faith is faid to be imputed to us for righteoufnefs, Chap. iv. 24. But for us alfo, to whom it fhall be imputed, if we believe on him that raifed up Jefus our Lord from the dead; that is, if we affent and fubmit to the revelation of the gofpel, which God hath confirmed by that eminent miracle of raising up Chrift from the dead.

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St. James tells us moft exprefly, that the faith which juftifies doth contain obedience in it: and if it do not, it is dead, and falfe, and ineffectual to all purposes of pardon and falvation and that if any man pretend to faith, and that faith be deftitute of the proper and genuine effects of true faith, it will be unprofitable to him, and not at all avail to his juftification and falvation. The fum of his difcourfe is, that the faith which juftifies and faves us, muft not only be a bare affent of the understanding to the truths of the gofpel; but muft include in it obedience to all the commands of the gospel and if it does not, it does no more deferve the name of faith, than good words to a man in want,, deferve the name of charity. Chap. ii. ver. 14. 15. 16. 17. What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man fay he hath faith, and hath not works? can faith fave him? If a brother or fifter be naked, and deftitute of daily food, and one of you fay unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not thofe things which are needful to the body: what doth it profit? Even fo faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. And to this purpose he inftanceth in Abraham, and Rahab, and fhews that the faith which juftified them, did include in it the effects of faith, viz.

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obedience and good works, ver, 21. 22. Was not Abrabam our Father juftified by works, when he had offeret Ifaac his fon upon the altar? Seeft thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And ver. 23. And the fcripture was fulfilled, which faith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteoufnefs. But if Abraham were juftified by works, viz. by offering up his fon upon the altar, in obedience to God's command, as he fays before, at the 21ft verfe, how was the fcripture fulfilled, which faith, that faith was imputed to him for righteousness, that is, he was juftified by faith; unless faith take in the works of obedience? From whence he concludes, that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only; not by a naked affent to the truth, but by fuch a faith as includes obedience; which he farther illuftrates by a fimilitude at the last verse; As the body without the Spirit is dead, fo faith without works is dead alfo. A living faith doth as truly contain obedience in it, as a living body contains a spirit.

And thofe diftinctions which are commonly applied to this difcourfe of St. James do not clear it, but con tradict the express defign of it. Some fay that fides que eft viva juftificat; fed non qua viva : "Faith which is living juftifies; but not as a living faith." Others fay, which is much to the fame purpose, fides juftificat fine operibus; fed fides fine operibus non juftificat: "Faith juftifies without works; but faith without works does not juftify." But St. James fays exprefly, that we are juftified by works. How then is that true, that faith juftifies without works? And he fays that works are the life of our faith. How then can any man fay, that though faith juftifies, yet not as it is a living faith; when we are juftified by that which is the very life of our faith, and that is obedience?

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There are two other diftinctions whereby men en deavour to elude this plain text, which I did not men tion before; that faith juftifies the perfon; and works justify the faith, and that this is St. James his meaning. But what ground for this, when the text fpeaks exprefly of the perfon being juftified by works, as well as faith? Was not Abraham our father juftified by works? VOL. IX.

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Ver. 21. You fee then that by works a man is justified; and not by faith only. Ver. 24. Likewife alfo was not Rahab the harlot justified by works? What colour is here for any man to fay, that St. James does not speak of the juftification of the perfon by works, but of the faith? Or what neceffity of framing this diftinétion, but only to ferve an opinion? But at this rate a man may maintain any thing, though it be never fo contrary to fcripture, and elude the clearest text in the bible.

The other diftinction, which is much to the fame fenfe, is, that the Apostle doth not here speak of a real juftification before God; but a declarative juftification before men.. But according to this, what fense can be made of verse 14. IVhat doth it profit, my brethren, if a man fay, I have faith, and have not works? Can faith fave him? That is, according to this explication, can faith without works fave him before men?

And this doth not contradict St. Paul, who faith, Gal. ii. 16. that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jefus Chrift. For how does this, that we are juftified, not by the legal difpenfation, but by the faith of the gofpel, which includes obedience and good works, contradict what St. James fays, that we are not juftified by a bare affent to the truth of the gofpel, but by obedience to the commands of it? And I do not fee that upon the contrary fuppofition, viz. that the faith of the gospel doth not include obedience in it, it is poffible to reconcile these two Apostles. Suppofe this was St. Paul's meaning, that we are juftified by faith, as the only condition and inftrument, call it what they will, of our juftification; but not by obedience or good works, as a condition of our juftificati on; by what kind of comment can St. James his words be brought to this sense? What man would allow that those words at the 21ft ver. Was not Abraham our father juftified by works, when he offered Ifaac his fon upon the altar, fhould be explained by this fenfe? Was not Abraham, when, in obedience to God's command, he had offered his fon upon the altar, and upon this act of obedience was juftified, was not he juftified by faith only, and not by any work or act of obedience? Or

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that those words at the 24th ver. Ye fee then that by works a man is juftified, and not by faith only, fhould be interpreted, Ye fee then that by faith only a man is juftified, and not by works? and unless they be thus interpreted, they are not to be reconciled with the fenfe of St. Paul's words, which many falten upon them: but if St. Paul's words be taken in the most plain and obvious fenfe they are capable of, viz. that we are not juftified by the works of the law, that is, by performing the works required by the legal difpenfation; but by the faith of Jefus Chrift, that is, by affenting and fubmitting to the revelation of the gofpel; we do not strain St. James his words, to reconcile him with St. Paul.

And thus I have fhewn, that where the fcripture fpeaks of juftification by faith, it fpeaks of this faith which I have defcribed. I add, and of no other not of a bare appropriation of the grace and mercy of the gofpel; that is, in plain English, this is not juftifying faith, to believe that I am pardoned and juftified, nor to have a firm affurance of this. For if we be juftified by faith, we muft believe before we can be juftified; but if this be juftifying faith, to believe, or be affured we are juftified, we must be juftified before we believe; or elfe when we believe that we are juftified, we must believe that which is not true. Nor is this juftifying faith, to lay hold of the righteoufness and merits of Chrift for the pardon of our fins; that is, to trust and confide only in that, as the meritorious caufe of our pardon. For though this be part of the notion of justifying faith, it is not all; though this be one of the terms or conditions upon which we are juftified; yet it is not the whole and entire condition; which, befides this, takes in an affent to the whole gofpel, repentance from dead works, and obedience to all the precepts of the gospel. And if any man can produce any one text which faith, that the faith which juftifies, confifts only in a truft and confidence in the merits of Chrift, for the pardon of fin, or any thing to this effect, I will be molt ready publickly to acknowledge my error: but if no body can do this, I shall beg their pardon if I do continue ftill of the fame mind I was.