to procure a meritorious justification, which a perfect obedience would have, if it were possible for us to attain to it.

2. Many theologians overlooking the doctrine of James concerning justification, and attending only to the sound, without considering the sense, of what Paul hath written on the subject; and at the same time forgetting that faith is itself the greatest of all good works, have ascribed to faith some efficacy in justification, which good works have not. This efficacy they represent, by calling faith the hand which layeth hold on the righteousness of Christ, so as to make it the righteousness of the believer, and to render him perfectly righteous in the sight of God. But a doctrine of this kind, which implies an impossibility, and from which many dangerous consequences have been deduced by the Antinomians, ought not to be received; more especially as it hath no foundation in scripture. For none of the inspired writers hath called faith, a hand which layeth hold on the righteousness of Christ. They do not even say, that Christ's righteousness is counted, or imputed to believers; far less that they are made perfectly righteous thereby; which is an impossibility, because no person can be perfectly righteous in the sight of God, but one who hath never sinned. See Rom. iv. 3. note 2.-What Moses hath written concerning the justification of Abraham, is, that his believing in the Lord, and not the righteousness of Christ, was counted to him for righteousness. In like manner, what Paul hath taught, is, that the faith of believers is counted to them for righteousness through Jesus Christ; that is, on account of what Christ hath done to procure that blessing for them. The efficacy, therefore, of faith, doth not depend on its laying hold on the righteousness of Christ, nor on its possessing any inherent merit, but on the good pleasure of God, who from mere favour, counts the believer's faith to him for righteousness, having appointed it as the condition or means of his justification. But the same kind of efficacy is ascribed likewise to good works. And surely it belongeth to God, to appoint what conditions or means of justification seemeth to him good. Now that he hath actually made faith and works, not separately, but jointly, the condition of justification, both Paul and James have declared: the one by assuring us, that nothing availeth to men's justification, but faith working by love; the other by telling us, that Abraham's faith co-operated with the work of lifting up Isaac on the altar, in' procuring him the promise of the blessing of justification. However, neither the one apostle nor the other meant,

that justification is merited by faith or works, either separately or jointly. The meritorious cause of men's justification, is Christ's obedience to death, Gal. iii. 13. Christ hath bought us off from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, that the blessing of Abraham might come on the nations through Jesus Christ: As the reward of his obedience to death, Christ hath procured for mankind the gracious new covenant, in which God, from pure favour, hath promised to bestow pardon and eternal life on all, who by faith and holiness are capable of enjoying these great benefits. In one word, By grace we are saved through faith; but it is a faith which worketh by love.

3. By constituting Abraham the father of all believers, Gen. xvii. 5. God made his justification, the pattern of the justification of believers of all nations, and in all ages of the world; and in him hath shewed, what the dispositions and actions are, which he requireth in those on whom he will bestow justification as a free gift. This both Paul and James have taught us, by founding their doctrine concerning justification, on the justification of Abraham. It is therefore of importance, in the present question, to attend to the character and behaviour of this chief of believers, as described by Moses.-Abraham was a native of Chaldea. But being commanded by God to leave his country and kindred, and to go into a land which he would shew him, Abraham obeyed, not knowing whither he was to go. When he arrived in Canaan, God promised to give that country to him and to his seed; and to make his seed as numerous as the stars of the heaven. This promise Abraham believed, notwithstanding he had all his life gone childless. Nay, he continued to believe it, till the long promised son, by whom his seed was to become as the dust of the earth, was brought forth by Sarah, in the ninetieth year of her age, and when Abraham was an hundred years old. But mark what happened! When this only son was grown, God commanded Abraham to offer him up on an altar as a burnt-offering. This difficult command he obeyed, notwithstanding all the promises which God had made to him and to his seed, were limited to this only son: reasoning with himself, that God was able to raise him even from the dead, after he was burnt to ashes on the altar; and believing that he would actually raise him.-Farther, though the possession of Canaan was promised to him personally, Acts vii. 5. God gave him none inheritance in it, no not so much as to set his foot on; for the cave and field of Machpelah, Abraham bought with his money

ESSAY VI from Ephron the Hittite. Yet when he was dying, he died in the firm persuasion that God would raise him from the dead, to possess the country which he had promised to him. What an admirable example of faith and obedience doth the history of this great believer present to our view! An example which shews, that his faith and obedience did not consist in a single act exert ed on a particular occasion, but extended to all God's declarations and commands without exception, from the time he left Chaldea, to the end of his life. Wherefore, having on every occasion believed in the Lord, and obeyed his commands, he obtained the promise of justification, confirmed by the oath of God, after he had offered up his only son; and was made the father of all believers, to teach us what our dispositions and actions must be, if we expect to be justified as Abraham was; and to make us sensible, that we are not his children and heirs of the promises made to him and to his seed, unless, as our Lord expresseth it, John viii. 39. We do the works of Abraham,

4. It was mentioned in the preceding Essay, page 3, That God said concerning Abraham, Gen. xviii. 19. I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment, that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. And it was observed, that this was a declaration, not only to Abraham himself, but to Abraham's children, that they were to receive the blessings promised in the covenant, and particularly the blessing of faith counted to them for righteousness, only on condition of their keeping the way of the Lord, and their doing justice and judgment. These things merit the reader's notice in this place; because Abraham's justification being the pattern of our justification, if he was not to have the things promised to him, unless he kept the way of the Lord, and did justice and judgment, we cannot expect pardon and salvation, unless we persevere in faith and holiness to the end of our lives, as Abraham did.

5. The defenders of justification by faith alone, ought to consider, that the doctrines of religion both natural and revealed, may be really believed without having any influence on a man's temper and behaviour. So saith James, chap. ii. 18. One may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works; shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19. Thou believest that there is one God; Thou dost well: Even the devils believe this, and tremble. Wherefore, the belief of

the doctrines of the gospel, however firm it may be, and however zealously contended for, even to the giving of one's body to be burned, will have no influence in any man's justification, if it doth not produce good works. 1 Cor. xiii. 3. A faith of this kind is what James calls a dead faith. Like the body without the spirit, it hath no vital operation. In short it is not the faith which at the judgment will be counted to the believer for righteousness; but rather will aggravate his wickedness, and increase his punishment.

SECTION III.

Of the Justification of the Heathens.

To the doctrine of justification by faith, it hath been objected by the opposers of revelation, that it excludes all from the possibility of salvation, who have not the benefit of revelation. This objection, if it were well founded, would, I acknowledge, bring discredit on the doctrine of justification by faith, and even on the gospel itself; because it would represent God as requiring from sinners a condition of salvation, which he himself hath put it out of their power to attain.

But the objection is of no value, as it proceeds on a palpable mistake; namely, that the faith necessary to justification consists in the belief of doctrines knowable only by an external revelation. For whether we consider the scripture account of faith, or whether we examine the particular acts of faith, by which individuals are said in scripture to have been justified, we shall find, that faith doth not consist so much in the belief of any revealed moral or religious truth, as in men's attaching themselves sincerely to God, by a strong inclination to know and to do his will; and in making a right use of their reason in searching after the will of God, as manifested by the light of nature; or if they are favoured with an external revelation, in implicitly directing their religious sentiments and conduct by that revelation, so far as they are capable of understanding it; and in relying with an entire confidence on all the promises of God. Properly speaking, therefore, faith lieth in the heart more than in the head. So the apostle Paul teacheth, Rom. x. 10. With the heart we believe unto righteousness: We believe so as to have righteousness counted to us.-The same apostle represents faith to consist in the strength of one's persuasion of the religious truths which he believes, and in the influence which that

ESSAY VIpersuasion hath on his temper and conduct, rather than in the number and extent of the truths which he believes. 2 Cor. iv. 13. We having the same spirit (Ess. iv. 56.) of faith, according to what is written, I believed, therefore I have spoken, We also believe, and therefore speak.-Heb. xi. 1. Now faith is the confidence (the confident expectation) of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.

From this account of faith, it appears, that persons may have true faith whose religious knowledge is very limited. For to different persons the objects of faith must be more or fewer, according to their different capacities, and their different opportunities of gaining religious knowledge. In particular, the faith of those who are denied the benefit of revelation, can have for its object only the truths concerning God discoverable by the light of nature. Yet they may please God, by acting agreeably to their faith in these truths. So the apostle hath expressly declared, Heb. xi. 6. Without faith it is impossible to please God: For he who cometh to God, must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them who diligently seek him.

The declaration, that they please God who diligently seek him, in consequence of their believing that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them who diligently seek him, is conformable to truth. For, notwithstanding the faith of those to whom God hath not granted an external revelation, may not be as extensive as the faith of those who enjoy that benefit, their faith, that is, their attachment to God, may be as strong, and their inclination to know and to do his will, may be as sincere, and have as great an influence on their conduct, as the faith of those who are favoured with revelation. Nay, their sense of the imperfection of their own works, and their reliance on the mercy of God may be as complete; consequently, on account of the sincerity of their faith and obedience, they may be as acceptable to God as the others who enjoy revelation, and through the merits of Christ may be as readily saved; agreeably to St. Peter's declaration, Acts x. 34. Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons. 35. But in every nation, he who feareth God and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.-Farther, it is to be considered, that even among those who are favoured with a written revelation, there are great differences in respect of their natural capacities, their improvement by education, and their opportunities of attaining the knowledge of the meaning of that revelation by all which, the extent of the knowledge and faith of