The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

This therefore he proves by the consideration of the ⟨p. 377⟩Faith of Abraham. ver. 21. Was not Abraham our Father justified by Works, when he had offered Isaac his Son upon the Altar? Some things must be observed to clear the mind of the Apostle herein: As (1) It is certain that Abraham was justified many years before the Work instanced in was performed: For long before was that Testimony given concerning him, he believed in the Lord, and he counted it unto him for Righteousness, and the imputation of Righteousness upon believing is all the Justification we enquire after or will contend about. (2) It is certain that in the Relation of the Story here repeated by the Apostle, there is not any one word spoken of Abraham's being then justified before God, by that or any other Work whatever. But (3) It is plain and evident that in the place related unto, Abraham was declared to be justified by an open attestation unto his Faith and fear of God as sincere, and that they had evidenced themselves so to be, in the sight of God himself, which God condescends to express by an assumption of humane affections, Gen. 22.12. Now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy Son, thine only Son from me. That this is the Justification which the Apostle intends cannot be denied, but out of love to strife. And this was the manifestation and declaration of the Truth and Sincerity of his Faith whereby he was justified before God. And hereby the Apostle directly and undeniably proves what he produceth this instance for; namely, that Faith without Works is dead. (4) It is no less evident that the Apostle had not spoken any thing before, as unto our Justification before God, and the means thereof. And is therefore absurdly imagined here to introduce it in the proof of what he had before asserted, which it doth not prove at all. (5) The only safe rule of interpreting the meaning of the Apostle next unto the scope and design of his present Discourse, ⟨p. 578⟩which he makes manifest in the reiterated proposition of it, and the scope of the places, matter of fact, with its circumstances which he refers unto, and takes his proof from, and they were plainly these and no other. Abraham had been long a justified believer, for there were Thirty years or thereabout, between the Testimony given thereunto,