yields Affent and Submiffion to the Volume Gofpel of Chrift. And this Faith XII. is faid to be imputed to us for Righte oufnefs, Chap. 4. 24. But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised 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 raifing up Chrift from the dead.

St. James tells us most 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 Salvation : 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 Salvation. 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 Gospel; but must include in it Obedience to allthe Commands of the Gofpel: and if it does not, it does no more deserve the name

of

of Faith, than good words to a Man in want, deserve the name of Cha- Sermon rity. Chap. 2. ver. 14, 15, 16, 17. IX. What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man fay he bath Faith, and hath not works? can Faith fave him? If a Brother or Sifter be naked, and deftitute of daily food, and one of you fay unto them, Depart in peace, be you warmed and filled: notwithstanding ye give them not thofe things which are needful to the body: what doth it pro-, fit? 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. Obedience, and good Works, ver. 21, 22. Was not Abraham our Father juftified by works, when he had offered 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 Scripture was fulfilled, which faith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for Righteousness. But if Abraham were juftified by works, viz. by offering up his Son upon the Altar, in Obedience

to God's Command, as he fays beVolume fore, at the 21. verfe, how was the XII. Scripture fulfilled, which faith, that Faith was imputed to him for Righteoufnefs, 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 juftified, and not by Faith only; not by naked Affent to the truth, but by fuch a Faith as includes Obedience; which he farther illuftrates by a fimilitude at the last verfe; 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 those diftinctions which are commonly applied to this Difcourfe of St. James do not clear it, but contradict the express design of it. Some fay that fides que est viva justificat; fed non quâ viva. Faith which is living juftifies; but not as a living Faith. Others fay, (which is much to the fame purpofe) Fides justificat fine operibus; Jed fides fine operibus non juftificat. Faith juftifies without works; but Faith

with

Sermon

without works does not juftifie. But St. James fays exprefly, that we are juftified by works. How then is that IX. true, that Faith juftifies without works? And he fays that Works are the Life of our Faith. How then can any Man fay, that tho' 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 Obedi ence?

There are two other diftinctions whereby men endeavour to elude this plain Text, which I did not mention before; that Faith justifies the Perfon; and Works justifie the Faith, and that this is St. James his meaning, But what ground for this, when the Text speaks exprefly of the Perfon being juftified by works,as well as Faith? Was not Abraham our Father justified by Works? 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 fpeak of the Juftification of the Perfon by works; but of the Faith? Or

what

what neceffity of framing this diftinctiVolume on, but only to ferve an opinion? XII. But at this rate a Man may maintain any thing, tho' it be never fo contrary to Scripture, 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 fenfe can be made of ver. 14. What 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. 2. 16. that A man is not juftified by the works of the Law: but by the Faith of Jefus Christ. For how does this, that we are justified 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

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