For if Abraham were justified by works
That Abraham was not, and could not be justified by works, is
clear from hence, that if this was his case,
he hath whereof to glory;
which will be allowed him before men, on account of his pious
life and conversation:
but not before God;
who saw all the iniquity of his heart, and was privy to all his
failings and infirmities: besides, glorying before God in a man's
own works, is contrary to the scheme and method of God's grace;
is excluded by the doctrine of faith; nor is there any place for
glorying before God but in Christ, and his righteousness: if
therefore Abraham had not that of which he could glory before
God, he could not be justified by works in his sight: but does
not the Apostle James say that he was justified by works, (
James 2:21 ) ?
To this it may be replied, that the two apostles, Paul and James,
are not speaking of the same thing: Paul speaks of justification
before God, James of justification before men; Paul speaks of the
justification of the person, James of the justification of a
man's cause, as the truth of his faith, or the uprightness of his
conduct; Paul speaks of works, as the causes of justification,
James of them as the effects and evidences of faith; Paul had to
do with the self-righteous, who trusted in their own works for
justification, James with Gnostics, who slighted and neglected
the performance of them. These things considered, they will be
found to agree.
