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A. The kingdom of God comes not with Luke 7. obfervation; neither fhall they fay, Lo 20, 21. here, or Lo there; for behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

CHAP. VI.

Concerning Faith, Juftification and Works.
Queft.-WHAT is faith?

A. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not feen. Q. Is faith of abfolute neceffity?

Heb.
II. I.

A. Without faith it is impoffible to please Heb. him, for he that cometh to God muft be- 11. 6. lieve that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently feek him.

Q. Are we juftified by faith?

A. Wherefore the law was our fchool- Gal. mafter to bring us unto Chrift, that we 3. 24. might be justified by faith.

Q. What is the nature of this faith that availeth to juftification?

A. For in Jefus Chrift, neither circum- Gal. cifion availeth any thing, nor uncircumcifion, 5. 6. but faith which worketh by love.

Q. Are works then neceffary to juftification, as well as faith?

A. But wilt thou know, O vain man, Jam. 2. that faith without works is dead.. Was not

Abraham

20 to 24.

Rom. 3.20.

Eph. 2. 8, 9, 10.

Tit.

3.5,

6,7.

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 the fcripture was fulfilled, which faith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteoufness; and he was called the friend of God. Ye fee then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

Q. If then both be equally required in jus tification, what are thefe works which the apostle excludes so much.

A. By the deeds of the law there fhall no fleth be juftified in his fight.

Q. But though we be not juftified by the deeds of the law, is not this to exclude boafting, that the grace of God may be exalied?

A. For by grace are ye faved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, left any man fhould boaft, for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jefus unto good works.

Q. Are even the works which are perform ed by grace excluded? Are we never faid to be faved or juftified by them?

A. Not by works of righteoufnefs which we have done, but according to his mercy he faved us, by the wafhing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghoft, which he fhed on us abundantly, through

Jefus

Jefus Christ our Saviour; that being juftified by his grace, we should be made heirs, according to the hope of eternal life

Q. I perceive then, that to be justified by grace, is to be justified or faved by regeneration, which cannot exclude the works wrought by grace and by the spirit; how doth the apostle add in the next verse, for the maintaining this against thofe that cavil about the law?

A. This is a faithful faying, and thefe Tit. 3. things I will that thou affirm conftantly, 8. 9. that they which have believed in God, might be careful to maintain good works: these things are good and profitable unto men. But avoid foolish queftions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law, for they are unprofitable and vain.

Q. Doth the apostle Paul, that is so much against juftification by the works of the law, Speak any where elfe of being juftified by the Spirit?

I

A. But ye are washed, but ye are fancti- 1 Cor. fied, but ye are juftified in the name of the 6. 11 Lord Jefus, and by the Spirit of our God.

Q. But fince the law gives not power nor ability to obey, and fo falls short of justification; is there no power under the gospel, by which the righteousness of the law comes, to be fulfilled inwardly?

A. For

Rom.

8. 3,

4.

Rom.

8. 13

Acts

3. 19.

Rom.

8. 17.

2 Tim. 2. II, $2. 21.

Rev.

A. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God fending his own Son in the likeness of finful flesh, and for fin, condemned fin in the flesh that the righteoufnefs of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit.

Q. Seeing then there is power in the fpirit, is not works through it a condition upon which life is propofed under the new covenant?

fhall

A. For if ye live after the flesh, ye die; but if ye through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye fhall live.

Q. Do not the apoftles then frequently propofe life to people, upon condition of repentance

and other works?

A. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your fins may be blotted out.

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Chrift; if fo be that we fuffer with him, that we also may be glorified together.

It is a faithful faying: for if we be dead with him, we fhall alfo live with him: if we fuffer, we fhall alfo reign with him. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he fhall be a yeffel unto honour, fanctified and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

Remember therefore from whence thou

2. 5. art fallen, and repent, and do the first

works,

works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

Q. It appears clearly by these paffages, that the apofile excludes only our righteousness, which he elsewhere explains, as being the righteousness of the law, from being necessary to juftification; and not fuch works as the law of the Spirit of life leads to, and are not so much ours as Chrift in us. Are not fuch good works rewarded, though they require no abfolute merit, as being the fruits of free grace; yet doth not God judge according to them, and may they not be faid to have a reward?

18.

5 to 9.

A. But if a man be juft, and do that Ezek. which is lawful and right, and hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Ifrael, neither hath defiled his neighbour's wife, neither hath come near to a menftruous woman; and hath not oppreffed any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered. the naked with a garment; he that hath not given forth upon ufury, neither hath taken any increafe; that hath withdrawn. his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man, hath walked in my ftatutes, and hath kept my

E

judgment

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