The Merit of Faith is in Respect to Evidence and the Oppofition. (So the Merit of the Faith of Abraham and a Martyr will be in Proportion) to what Evidence Abraham had, and what the Confeffor or Martyr had; to what Oppofition Abraham or the Confeffor had in Respect to the Danger of Lofs or Suffering by Confeffion, Obedience, Acting, or &c. Whether Abraham who offered his Son, or a Confellor who was ready to fubmit to the Torments previous to Death, and offered his own Life (if we fuppofe each had faving Faith before their Trial) merited most, may not be very eafy to determine.

Abraham believed the Promise that the Aleim would redeem Men by one of his Seed, who was to be joined to one of them, by being facrificed, &c. therefore refufed not his only Son. A Confeffor believed that Jefus who was facrificed was that person, and would confefs it to the Peril or Lofs of his Life; each to justify his Faith before God and Man, for the Benefit of himself and other Men.

St. Paul fays pofitively Rom. iv. 5. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that juftifieth the ungodly, his Faith is counted for Righteoufnefs. Great Efforts have been made out of Jam. ii. to contradict this, though they must say the fame; v. 8. he advises them to obferve the old Royal Law, thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thyfelf, puts a Cafe and concludes, v. 17. that Faith by itself without

Love is dead; and doubtlefs without the Effects of Love, if it have Time and Opportunity to act, is dead or at least not justified. But James writ to the twelve Tribes, of whom fome believed, and many had rejected the Aleim and Chrift: He v. 18. puts a Cafe A Man may fay and prefently calls him a vain Man, fo not a Believer thou haft Faith, and I have Works: fhew me thy Faith without (by) thy Works, and I will fhew thee my Faith by my Works, and compares his Faith, thou believeft there is one God; thou doft well: the Devils alfo believe and tremble, but neither they nor fuch a one confeffed the Aleim; fo had no faving Faith; nor that which produced, Love, fo dead; Abraham's Belief is a Reference to Gen. xv. He believed in Jehovah Aleim and that was imputed to him for Righteousness. So Rahab Jof. ii. 11. confeffed Jehovah Aleim.

But though Works have no Hand in faving us, they are of great Confequence to every Believer; the Promife is pofitive that we are to be judged and fentenced according to our Works: Befides Salvation, which is the mere Work of God, and only taken by the mental Actions of Faith, Hope, &c. the Degrees of Happiness are to be determined by our Works, which are the Product of Faith, Hope and Charity; and those Degrees are promised and proposed as a Reward 1 Pet. i. 6, 7. our Faith is tried here by Temptation, and is to be exa

mined at the last Day; fo our Works 1 Cor. iii. 8. Now he that planteth, and he that watereth, are one: and every Man fhall receive his own Reward, according to his own Labour. For we are Labourers together with God: ye are God's Husbandry, ye are God's Building. According to the Grace of God which is given unto me, as a wife Mafter Builder I have laid the Foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every Man take heed how he buildeth thereupon; for other Foundation can no Man lay than that is laid, which is Jefus Chrift. Now if any Man build upon this Foundation, Gold, Silver, precious Stones, Wood, Hay, Stubble: Every Man's Work fhall be made manifeft. For the Day fhall declare it, because it shall be revealed by Fire; and the Fire fhall try every Man's Work, of what Sort it is. If any Man's Work abide which he has built thereupon, he shall receive a Reward. If any Man's Work Shall be burnt, he shall fuffer Lofs: but he himself shall be faved; yet fo as by Fire. The Works are diftinguished by Comparisons, are to be tried as fuch Things are by Fire; If fome or all ftand not the Fire, he loseth the Reward, for all that are not Proof; but himself is able to be faved by the Purification of Christ by Fire.

Nothing can ftand the Fire of Jehovah but Gold royal Metal; Silver ftands a leffer Degree: the bafer Metals are purified by leffer Degrees of Fire, by Salt. So Men, first, by the communicated Trial by Fire with Salt, Hope,

Hope; in Comparison, by Afflictions and Hope. Precious Stones may be tried by a small Degree of Fire, becaufe fuch Degree will melt counterfeit ones. Wood for Timber, will not kindle, fo be confumed with a small Degree of Fire: Hay and Stubble stand no Degree of Fire but are inftantaneously confumed.

All Works which are not the Product of Faith, the Parent of this Hope, or its Product Charity, are Sin: Such as are performed in Hopes of having our Sins forgiven, of being faved by another Sacrifice, another Meffiah; by our own Righteousness; by the Merits of other Men, or any otherwife. Much more, Works which are for Oftentation, to make ourselves acceptable to men; to appear holy, to deceive, to confirm. falfe Doctrine or &c.

That which comes the nearest what has been called Charity, in Relation to the Body, is employing the Poor in Trade, or useful Manufactures; and if even that be done, only in Hope of acquiring Profit or an Estate, it is Sin.

And as Faith is not true, fo though they hope in fome of these Methods, that Species of Hope cannot produce Charity as described above, without which nothing is of any. Value.

What is given by the Sacraments was the Effect of the Oil; and performing or giving them, was the Terms of the Covenant. The Father gave the Son, and agreed to accept of his Righteousness, Submiffion, and Satisfaction. The

Effence

Effence in the Son agreed to take Flesh, and affift, fupport the Humanity with Light, Strength, &c. to perform, fuffer, &c. The Holy Ghoft agreed to furnish the Humanity with what was neceffary, by Revelation and his Affiftance in the Parts of Sanctification, to incline him to separate himself, to perform all Righteousness, to fuffer, hope, &c. The Humanity by Faith and Hope purified himself in Righteousness, Holinefs; became meek and lowly, defpifed the Glory of this World, had not whereon to lay his Head, loved God and his Creatures, which made him undergo what he did for them, performed and fuffered to the Satisfaction of the Father, fo made this effectual for all Men, and was discharged by Resurrection; The Son offers this to all, and communicates it to those who will accept of it by Faith or Hope; The Holy Ghost offers Affiftance by Revelation, and to incline every Man to accept of it by Faith or Hope, and to bring forth Fruit. Christ the King offers every Subject, Light, fpiritual Meat and Drink, Strength to fupport themfelves in this Warfare.

Micah vi. after he had fhewed the Infufficiency of Types, nay of offering their own Firstborn to wipe off Sin, fays v. 8. He has fhewed thee, O Man, what is good; and what doth Jebovab require of thee, but nwy, facere to typify Down (the Object of Judgment in Circumcifion, Purification, the Paffover, Sacrifices, eating of them &c. with Salt,) to love on the merciful