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The Drift of the Apostle don't require that he should be understood in any other Sense: For all that he aims at, as appears by a View of the Context, is to prove that good Works are necessary. The Error of those that he opposed was this, That good Works were not necessary to Salvation; that if they did but believe that there was but one God, and that Christ was the Son of God, and the like; and were baptised; […] they were safe, let them live how they would: which Doctrine greatly tended to Licentiousness. The evincing the contrary of this, is evidently the Apostle's Scope.

The Drift of the Apostle don't require that he should be understood in any other Sense: For all that he aims at, as appears by a View of the Context, is to prove that good Works are necessary. The Error of those that he opposed was this, That good Works were not necessary to Salvation; that if they did but believe that there was but one God, and that Christ was the Son of God, and the like; and were baptised; 〈…〉 they were safe, let them live how they would: which Doctrine greatly tended to Licentiousness. The evincing the contrary of this, is evidently the Apostle's Scope.

And that we should understand the Apostle of Works justifying as an Evidence, and in a a•clarative Judgment, is what a due Consideration of the Context will naturally lead us to For 'tis plain that the Apostle is here insisting on Works in the Quality of a necessary Manifestation and Evidence of Faith, or as what the Truth of Faith is showed or made to appear by: As Verse 18. Show me thy Faith without thy Works, and I will show thee my Faith by my Works. And when he says, Verse 26. As the Body without the Spirit is dead, so Faith without ⟨p. 120⟩Works is dead also. 'Tis much more rational and natural, to understand him as speaking of Works as the proper Signs and Evidences of the Reality, Life and Goodness of Faith. Not that the very Works or Actions done are properly the Life of Faith, as the Spirit in the Body; but 'tis the active, working Nature of Faith, of which the Actions or Works done are the Signs, that is it self the Life and Spirit of Faith. The Sign of a Thing is often in Scripture Language said to be that Thing. As it is in that Comparison by which the Apostle illustrates it. 'Tis not the Actions themselves of a Body, that is properly the Life or Spirit of the Body; but 'tis the active Nature, of which those Actions or Motions are the Signs, that are the Life of the Body. That which makes Men call any Thing alive, is that they observe that it has an active operative Nature in it; which they observe no otherwise than by the Actions or Motions that are the Signs of it. 'Tis plainly the Apostle's Aim to prove that Works are necessary from that, That if Faith hath not Works, 'tis a Sign that 'tis not a good Sort of Faith; which would not have been to his Purpose, if it was his Design to show that it is not by Faith alone, tho' of a ight Sort, that we have Acceptance with God, but that we are accepted on the Account of Obedience as well as Faith. 'Tis evident by the Apostle's Reasoning, that the Necessity of Works that he speaks of, is not as having a parallel Concern in our Salvation with Faith; but he speaks of Works only as related to Faith, and expressive of it; which after all leaves Faith the alone fundamental Condition, without any Thing else having a parallel Concern with it in this Affair, and other Things Conditions, only as several Expressions, and Evidences of it.