our Faith intitles us, supposing us duly qualified by Repentance: But he that claims upon God's Promises, flees to his Grace, and must be understood as renouncing all Claim from his own Righteousness. This is being justified (χωρίς ἔρδων) without Works, i. e. feparately from, or exclutive of Works, confidered as the Ground or Cause of our Justification. For Just fication is that Act of God, by which we are accounted or ac. cepted as righteous; and this is not at all founded in our Works (which confidered, we are none of us righteous) but in the free Grace of God, for the Sake of Jesus Christ.

But if this be so, it will naturally be asked, What was the Condition of those who lived and died before Chrift came in the Flesh? Was there no Salvation for them, or are there more Ways of Salvation than one? To these Questions the Scripture will answer, That Salvation was to be had before the coming of Chrift, as well as after; and that all who were then faved, were saved, as we are saved, by Faith in God's Promises through Christ the Redeemer; with this Difference only, that their Faith looked forward to the Redeemer as yet to come, whilst ours looks backward upon the fame Redeemer as come already. Of Noah it is said, that he was Heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith, Heb. xi. 7. And of Abraham, that he believed in the Lord, and he counted it to him for Righteousness, Gen. xv. 6. Rom. iv. 3. And this muft needs have been the Cafe, if so be they were at all justified. The Righteousness which is of Works they could not plead, for their Works were not perfect before God.

Furthermore, it is evident that the Faith of the Patriarchs, by which they were justified, had for its Object the Redeemer to come. Your Father Abraham (fays Chrift to the Jews) rejoiced to see my Day, and be saw it. and was glad, John vii. 56. Chrift then was foreshewed to Abraham; and fo fays St. Paul, To Abraham and his Seed were the Promises made and this Seed is Christ, Gal. iii. 16. God's Method of faving

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faving Sinners, therefore, hath in all Ages been one and the fame. Chrift set forth as the Author of Salvation, and Faith in God's Promises through him (which always implies a suitable Obedience) as the Condition of our Acceptance to the Benefits purchased by him. The outward Appointments in Religion were indeed different in different Ages. The earliest of these was Sacrifices, which were coeval with the Fall, and are rightly understood to have been appointed of God, to shadow out that great Sacrifice which was once to be offered up for the Sins of the World. When Abraham's Seed was to be separated from the rest of the World, Circumcifion was appointed as a Mark of Distinction; and in After-times, the Ritual Law came in, which was intended as a Hedge about that People, to keep them from all Intercourse and Communion with the Idolatrous Nations, that they might cleave stedfastly unto the Lord their God, who had brought them out of the Land of Egypt, and by whose mighty Arm they were now to be put in Possession of the promifed Land. But such Appointments, though they altered the Rule of Obedience for the Time that they were given, were properly no Parts of the Covenant of Salvation, which subsisted in full Perfection before these Appointments were made, and would do fo again, when, the Reasons for fuch Appointments ceafing, the Appointments themselves should be at an End. This is the very Argument made use of by St. Paul, to prove that the Gentiles who believed in Christ, were intitled to the Benefits of the Covenant, though they did not submit to be circumcised, and keep the Law of Moses. The Foundation of his Reasoning (1 fay) is this, That Circumcifion and the Law of Mofes were no Parts of the original Covenant, but added afterwards, for special Reasons, which concerned the Times in which they were appointed, and those only. Abraham believed in God, and it was counted to him for Righteousness.-- How was it reckoned? When he was in Circumcifion, or in Uncircumcifion? Not in Circumcifion, but in Uncircumcision. And be received the

the Sign of Circumcifion, a Seal of the Righteousness of the Faith which he had being yet uncircumcised, Rom. iv. 3-11. This is a State of the Fact, as it is recorded in the Old Testament. Now if Abraham's Faith was counted to him for Righteousness whilft he was uncircumcised, i. e. if he was within the Covenant before Circumcifion, and Circumcifion was added afterwards, only as a Sign or Token of the Covenant; it is clear that Circumcifion could be no Part of the Covenant: And the Inference which the Apottle draws from hence, is, That Abraham was the Father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised, that Righteousness may be imputed to them also. The Inference is just and necessary; for if Abraham himfelf was juftified by Faith without Circumcifion, why may not the Gentiles inherit the Blessing of Abraham by Faith, without Circumcifion? The like must be faid of the Law of Moses; for, as the Apostle goes on to argue, The Promise that he should be the Heir of the World, was not to Abraham, or to his Seed through the Law, but through the Righteousness of Faith--10 the end the Promise might be sure to all the Seed; not to that only which is of the Law, but to that also which is of the Faith of Abraham, who is the Father of us all, (ver. 13-16.) The same Point is again purfued, Gal. iii. 16-18. To Abraham and his Seed were the Promises made-And this I say, that the Covenant that was confirmed before of God in Chrift, the Law, which was four hundred and thirty Years after, cannot difannul, that it should make the Promise of none Effect. For if the Inheritance be of the Law, it is no more of Promise; but God gave it to Abraham by Promise. That is; to suppose that the Inheritance depends upon the Law, is to shut out the Promise: And if you allow (what the Scripture shews) that God gave the Inheritance to Abraham by Promise, it will follow, that the Law hath essentially no Relation to the Inheritance. For why? The Law was given above four hundred Years after the Promise was made; and how then could the Blessing of Abraham so hang upon

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upon the Law, that there should be no Salvation without it? If the Covenant originally did fubfift without the Law, it might again suosist without the Law, and naturally would do so, when those Reasons ceased for which the Law was given. And this the Apostle tells us was then the Cafe. The Law (says he) was added because of Transgreffions, till the Seed should come to whom the Promise was made (ver. 19.) And again; The Law was our Schoolmaster to bring us unto Chrift (ver. 24) The Consequence of which is, that Chrift the promised Seed, being come, the Law of Course expired, and Circumcifion with it, which being intended as a Mark of Separation, could be of no farther Ufe, when by the calling in of all Nations to one and the same common Faith, the Jews ceased to be diftinguished from other People.

The Conclufion is, that under the Law Men were saved not by the Law, but by a Covenant of Mercy, clearly diftinct from and antecedent to it; which Covenant is that very Gospel we now profess to be accomplished in Christ, and by which we hope to be faved. Well therefore might the Apostle say, that the Gospel was preached to Abraham; and our Saviour, that Abrabam rejoiced to see his Day, and be faw it, and was glad. The Day he saw afar off, but the Bleffing was present to him; and so it was to all who walked in the Steps of his Faith and Piety; the Efficacy of Christ's Atonement anticipating the Time of his coning. This was true Religion from the Beginning; and this will be true Religion to the End; not the Religion of Nature, but the Religion of Grace. Natore could shew a Law; but Nature provided no Help for Sinners, who were to be purged no otherwife than by the blood of Christ once to be offered up to God as a Lamb without Blemish, and without Spot, 1 Pet i. 19.

How much the Patriarchs understood either of the Nature of that Salvation which was to be brought about by the promised Seed, or of the particular Way and Manner by which it was to be effected, it is neither ealy easy to say, nor is it necessary to the present Argument. For it is very confiftent to suppose, that the Faithful in all Ages were saved by the promised Seed; though it be admitted that all Ages had not the fame Degrees of Light and Knowledge communicated to them concerning these Matters, that we now have. But a Covenant of Reconciliation there must have been so far known and understood, as to afford Ground for a firm and certain Affurance, that on Condition of new Obedience, and Trust in God's Promises, Mankind should be accepted to Mercy and Favour in a better Life. Those who would see this clearly made out, and the great Charter of our Salvation traced down from Adam to the Seed of David, may confult the learned Bishop Sherlock's Use and Intent of Prophecy, to which I refer them.

This Foundation laid, I now proceed to my principal Intention, which is to explain the PRAYER, feveral Parts of the Christian Worship, which rests upon and refers itself to it. We find in the Acts of the Apostles, Chap. ii. ver. 42. that as soon as ever the Gospel begun to be published, and a sufficient Number of Converts came in, a publick Worship was set up. For, speaking of the first Believers, the Historian says, that they continued fledfastly in the Apostles Doctrine, and Fellowship, and in breaking of Bread, and in Proyers. Which Words, perhaps would have beer bettertranflated thus: And they continued fledfastly in the Apostles Doctrine, and in the Communion and breaking of Bread, and in Prayers. The Doctrine, no doubt, means the Gofpel Doctrine, the Forgiveness of Sins by the Redemption through Jesus Christ; and the Worship here mentioned is Prayer, and the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper signified by the Communion and breaking of Bread. These two Appointmen's make up the whole of what may in Strictness of Speech, be termed the Chriftian Worship; and I hope to give fuch an Account of both, as will convince all, who judge without Partiality, that God hath not commanded these Things merely for commanding fake, but to carry on