The covenant of life opened, or, A treatise of the covenant of grace

Ans. The Apostle spake often of faith [Greek or Hebrew] and believing, v. 14. twice, v. 17. once, v. 18. thrice, v. 19. twice, v. 20. once, v. 22. twice, that is nine times, thereof Emphatically, v. 23. by way of excellency the Scripture was then fulfilled ▪ Abraham [Greek or Hebrew], believed, and it was counted to him for righteousness, as its written, Gen. •5.6. before God and man and to his own conscience, when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar. That was real, visible and conspicuous believing and righteousness, to deny himself so far for God: For James is much for Religion made known to a mans self, and to men, and hath far other Adversaries in the other extremity then Paul had, even the old Gnostics, who, in opposition to the Jews and Pharisees, laid aside the Law, doing of the Law, Jam. 1.22, 23. all works, c. 2.14. all conscience of bridling the tongue, c. 13.1, 2. of peaceable and mortified living, c. 4. c. 5. and thought it godliness to hear the word in the Assemblies, ch. 2.1, 2, 3. without love to the Brethren, and to keep in their head a room, empty faith, and professed fair, and gave good words, but no garments to the naked, v. 14, 15. And James had good cause to treat of a visible and declared faith, but yet not merely declared, but which was real and can save, 14. and of justification such, as that of Abraham and Rachab, as was sensible ⟨p. 172⟩and real and not in a bare profession: For James speaks of a profiting and saving faith, Jam. 2.14. What doth it profit, &c. Can faith save him? Another devise is here alleged, of a formed faith animated with charity and that justifies (say Papists) and an unformed faith void of charity, and that, say they, doth not justify:¹ And the same way, but in other expressions, Arminians and Socinians teach, that to believe and do good works, and to repent and walk in all the Commandments of Jesus Christ, is to believe, or complete formed and Evangelic faith. But we distinguish them as the Scripture. Its true, Rom. 4.9. faith is said to be imputed to Abraham for righteousness, and so v. 3. v. 5. but it is not meant of the act or work of believing, that was counted for Abraham's formal righteousness, there should so no room be left to the satisfaction of Christ, reckoned to be ours: if all the righteousness of God,