" man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without " works;" i. e. without a full measure of works, which is exact obedience. Ver. 7, Saying, " Blessed are they " whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are co- " vered." Ver. 8, " Blessed is the man, to whom the " Lord will not impute sin."
This faith, for which God justified Abraham, what was it? It was the believing God, when he engaged his promise in the covenant he made with him. This will be plain to any one, who considers these places toge ther, Gen. xv. 6, " He believed in the Lord,, or be- " lieved the Lord." For that the Hebrew phrase, " believing in," signifies no more but believing, is plain from St. Paul's citation of this place, Rom. iv. 3, where he repeats it thus: " Abraham believed God," 16 The Reasonablesness of Christianity, which he thus explains, ver. 18 — 22, " Who against " hope believed in hope, that he might become the fa- " ther of many nations: according to that which was " spoken, So shall thy seed be. And, being not weak " in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, " when he was about an hundred years old, nor yet the " deadness of Sarah's womb. He staggered not at the " promise of God, through unbelief; but was strong " in faith giving glory to God. And being fully per- " suaded, that what he had promised he was also able to " perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for " righteousness." By which it is clear, that the faith which God counted to Abraham for righteousness, was nothing but a firm belief of what God declared to him; and a steadfast relying on him, for the accomplishment of what he had promised.
" Now this," says St. Paul, ver. 23, 24, * was not " writ for his [Abraham's] sake alone, but for us also;" teaching us, that as Abraham was justified for his faith, so also ours shall be accounted to us for righteousness, if we believe God, as Abraham believed him. Whereby it is plain is meant the firmness of our faith, without staggering, and not the believing the same propositions that Abraham believed; viz. that though he and Sarah were old, and past the time and hopes of children, yet he should have a son by her, and by him become the father of a great people, which should possess the land of Canaan. This was what Abraham believed, and was counted to him for righteousness. But nobody, I think, will say, that any one's believing this now, shall be imputed to him for righteousness. wThe law of faith then, in short, is for every one to believe what God re quires him to believe, as a condition of the covenant he makes with him: and not to doubt of the performance of his promises^ This the apostle intimates in the close here, ver. 24, *7But for us also, to whom it shall be " imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus " our Lord from the dead." We must, therefore, ex amine and see what God requires us to believe now, under the revelation of the gospel; for the belief of as delivered in the Scriptures. 17 invisible, eternal, omnipotent God, maker of heaven and earth, &c. was required before, as well as now.
What we are now required to believe to obtain eter nal life, is plainly set down in the gospel. St. John tells us, John iii. 36, " He that believeth on the Son, " hath eternal life; and he that believeth not the Son, " shall not see life." What this believing on him is, we are also told in the next chapter: " The woman " said unto him, I know that the Messiah cometh: " when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus " saith unto her, I that speak unto thee, am he. The " woman then went into the city, and saith to the men, " come see a man that hath told me all things that " ever I did: is not this the Messiah? and many of the " Samaritans believed on him for the saying of the " woman, who testified, he told me all that ever I did. " So when the Samaritans were come unto him, many " more believed because of his words, and said to the " woman. We believe not any longer, because of thy " saying; for we have heard ourselves, and we know " that this man is truly the Saviour of the world, the "JMessiah." John iv. 25, 26, 29, 39, 40, 41, 42. j_ By which place it is plain, that believing on the Son i!T the believing that Jesus was the Messiah; giving credit to the miracles he did, and the profession he made of himself. / For those who are said to BELIEVE ON HIM, for the laying of the woman, ver. 39, tell the woman that they now believed not any longer, because of her saying: but that having heard him themselves, they knew, i. e. BELIEVED, past doubt, THAT HE WAS THE MESSIAH.
This was the great proposition that was then con troverted, concerning Jesus of Nazareth, " Whether he " was the Messiah or no? " And the assent to that was that which distinguished believers from unbelievers. When many of his disciples had forsaken him, upon his declaring that he was the bread of life, which came down from heaven, " He said to his apostles, Will ye " also go away? " Then Simon Peter answered him, " Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of * eternal life. And we believe, and are sure, that c 18 The Reasonableness of Christianity, " thou art the Messiah, the Son of the living God," John vi. 69. This was the faith which distinguished them from apostates and unbelievers, and was sufficient to continue them in the rank of apostles: and it was upon the same proposition, " That Jesus was the Mes- " siah, the Son of the living God," owned by St. Peter, that our Saviour said, he would build his church, Matt, To convince men of this, he did his miracles: and their assent to, or not assenting to this, made them to be, or not to be, of his church; believers, or not believers: " The jews came round about him, and " said unto him, How long dost thou make us doubt? " If thou be the Messiah, tell us plainly. Jesus an- " swered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the " works that I do in my Father's name, they bear " witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are " not of my sheep," John x. 24 — 26. Conformable hereunto, St. John tells us, that " many deceivers are " entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus, " the Messiah, is come in the flesh. This is a de- " ceiver and an antichrist; whosoever abideth not in " the doctrine of the Messiah, has not God. He that " abideth in the doctrine of the Messiah," i. e. that Jesus is he, " hath both the Father and the Son," % John 7, 9. That this is the meaning of the place, is plain from what he says in his foregoing epistle, " Who- " soever believeth that Jesus is the Messiah, is born " of God," 1 John v. ]. And therefore, drawing to a close of his gospel, and showing the end for which he writ it, he has these words: " Many other signs truly " did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are " not written in this book: but these are written that " ye may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of " God; and that believing, you might have life " through his name/* John xx. 30, 31. Whereby it is plain, that the gospel was writ to induce men into a belief of this proposition, "That Jesus of Nazareth was " the Messiah; " which if they believed, they should have life.
as delivered in the Scriptures. 19 Accordingly the great question among the jews was, whether he were the Messiah or no? and the great point insisted on and promulgated in the gospel, was, that he was the Messiah. The first glad tidings of his birth, brought to the shepherds by an angel, was in these words: " Fear not: for, behold, I bring you " good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all " people: for to you is born this day, in the city of " David, a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord," Luke ii. 11. Our Saviour discoursing with Martha about the means of attaining eternal life, saith to her, John xi. 27, " Whosoever believeth in me, shall never " die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, " Lord, I believe that thou art the Messiah, the Son of " God, which should come into the world." This answer of hers showeth, what it is to believe in Jesus Christ, so as to have eternal life; viz. to believe that he is the Messiah, the son of God, whose coming was foretold by the prophets. And thus Andrew and Philip express it: Andrew says to his brother Simon, " we have " found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the " Christ. Philip saith to Nathanael, we have found " him, of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did " write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph/' John i. 41, 45. According to what the evangelist says in this place, I have, for the clearer understanding of the scripture, all along put Messiah for Christ: Christ be ing but the Greek name for the Hebrew Messiah, and both signifying the Anointed.
And that he Was the Messiah, was the great truth he took pains to convince his disciples and apostles of; appearing to them after his resurrection: as may be seen, Luke xxiv. which we shall more particularly con sider in another place. There we read what gospel our Saviour preached to his disciples and apostles; and that as soon as he was risen from the dead, twice, the very day of his resurrection.
And, if we may gather what was to be believed by all nations from what was preached unto them, we may certainly know what they were commanded, Matt. ult. to teach all nations, by what they actually did teach all 20 The Reasonableness of Christianity, nations. We may observe, that the preaching of the apostles every-where in the Acts, tended to this one point, to prove that Jesus was the Messiah. Indeed, now, after his death, his resurrection was also commonly required to be believed, as a necessary article, and some times solely insisted on: it being a mark and undoubted evidence of his being the Messiah, and necessary now to be believed by those who would receive him as the Messiah. For since the Messiah was to be a Saviour and a king, and to give life and a kingdom to those who received him, as we shall see by and by; there could have been no pretence to have given him out for the Messiah, and to require men to believe him to be so, who thought him under the power of death, and cor ruption of the grave. And therefore those who believed him to be the Messiah, must believe that he was risen from the dead: and those who believed him to be risen from the dead, could not doubt of his being the Messiah. But of this more in another place.
Let us see therefore, how the apostles preached Christ, and what they proposed to their hearers to believe. St. Peter at Jerusalem, Acts ii. by his first sermon, convert ed three thousand souls. What was his word, which, as we are told, ver. 41, "they gladly received, and " thereupon were baptized? " That may be seen from ver. 22 to 36. In short, this; which is the conclusion, drawn from all that he had said, and which he presses on them, as the thing they were to believe, viz. " There- " fore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that " God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have cru- " cified, Lord and Messiah," ver. 36.
To the same purpose was his discourse to the jews, in the temple, Acts iii. the design whereof you have, ver. 18. " But those things that God before had showed, " by the mouth of all his prophets, that the Messiah " should suffer, he hath so fulfilled."
In the next chapter, Acts iv> Peter and John being examined, about the miracle on the lame man, profess it to have been done in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, who was the Messiah, in whom alone there was salva tion, ver. 10 — 12, The same thing they confirm to as delivered in the Scriptures. 21 them again, Acts v. 29 — 32. "And daily in the temple, " and in every house, they ceased not to teach and " preach Jesus the Messiah," ver, 42.
What was Stephen's speech to the council, Acts vii. but a reprehension to them that they were the betrayers and murderers of the Just One? Which is the title, by which he plainly designs the Messiah whose coming was foreshown by the prophets, ver. 51, 52. And that the Messiah was to be without sin, (which is the import of the word Just,) was the opinion of the jews, appears from John ix. ver. 22, compared with 24.
Act viii. Philip carries the gospel to Samaria: " Then " Philip went down to Samaria, and preached to them." What was it he preached? You have an account of it in this one word, " the Messiah," ver. 5. This being that alone which was required of them, to believe that Jesus was the Messiah; which when they believed they were baptized. " And when they believed Philip's " preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and " the name of Jesus the Messiah, they were baptized, " both men and women/' ver. 12.
Philip being sent from thence by a special call of the Spirit, to make an eminent convert; out of Isaiah preaches to him Jesus, ver. 35. And what it was he preached concerning Jesus, we may know by the pro fession of faith the eunuch made, upon which he was admitted to baptism, ver. 37. "I believe that Jesus " Christ is the Son of God: " which is as much as to say, I believe that he, whom you call Jesus Christ, is really and truly the Messiah, that was promised. For, that believing him to be the Son of God, and to be the Messiah, was the same thing, may appear, by compar ing John i. 45, with ver. 49, where Nathanael owns Jesus to be the Messiah, in these terms: " Thou art " the Son of God; thou art the king of Israel." So the jews, Luke xxii. 70, asking Christ, whether he were the Son of God, plainly demanded of him, whether he were the Messiah? Which is evident, by comparing that with the three preceding verses. They ask him, ver. 67, Whether he were the Messiah? He answers, " If I tell you, you will noi believe: " but withal tells 22 The Reasonableness of Christianity, them, that from thenceforth he should be in possession of the kingdom of the Messiah, expressed in these words, ver. 69. " Hereafter shall the Son of Man sit on the " right hand of the power of God: " which made them all cry out, " Art thou then the Son of God? " i. e. Dost thou then own thyself to be the Messiah? To which he replies, " Ye say that I am." That the Son of God was the known title of the Messiah at that time, amongst the jews, we may see also from what the jews say to Pilate, John xix. 7. " We have a law, and by " our law he ought to die, because he made himself " THE SON OF GOD; " i. e. by making himself the Messiah, the prophet which was to come, but falsely; and therefore he deserves to die by the law, Dent, xviii. 20. That this was the common signification of the Son of God, is farther evident, from what the chief priests, mocking him, said, when he was on the cross, Matt, xxvii. 42. " He saved others, himself he cannot " save: if he be the king of Israel, let him now come " down from the cross, and we will believe him. He " trusted in God, let him deliver him now, if he will " have him; for he said, I am the SON OF GOD; " i. e. He said, he was the Messiah: but 'tis plainly false; for, if he were, God would deliver him: for the Messiah is to be king of Israel, the Saviour of others; but this man cannot save himself. The chief priests mention here the two titles, then in use, whereby the jews commonly designed the Messiah, viz. " Son of God, « and king of Israel." That of Son of God was so familiar a compellation of the Messiah, who was then so much expected and talked of, that the Romans, it seems, who lived amongst them, had learned it, as appears from ver. 54. " Now when the centurion and " they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the " earthquake, and those things that were done, they " feared greatly, saying, truly this was the SON OF " GOD; " this was that extraordinary person that was looked for.
Acts ix. St. Paul, exercising the commission to preach the gospel, which he had received in a miraculous way, ver. 20. " Straitway preached Christ in the synagogues, as delivered in the Scriptures. 23 ec that he is the Son of God; " i. e. that Jesus was the Messiah: for Christ, in this place, is evidently a proper name. And that this was it, which Paul preached, appears from ver. 22. " Saul increased the more in " strength, and confounded the jews, who dwelt in " Damascus, proving that this is the very Christ," i. e. the Messiah.
Peter, when he came to Cornelius at Caesarea, who, by a vision, was ordered to send for him, as St. Peter on the other side was by a vision commanded to go to him; what does he teach him? His whole discourse, Acts x. tends to show what, he says, God commanded the apostles, " To preach unto the people, and to " testify, that it is he £ Jesus] which was ordained of " God to be the judge of the quick and the dead. " And that it was to him, that all the prophets give " witness, that, through his name, whosoever believ- " eth in him, shall have remission of sins," ver. 42, 43. " This is the word, which God sent to the children of " Israel; that WORD, which was published throughout " all Judea, and began from Galilee, after the bap- " tism which John preached," ver. 36, 37. And these are the words, which had been promised to Cornelius, Acts xi. 14, " Whereby he and all his house should be " saved: " which words amount only to thus much: that Jesus was the Messiah, the Saviour that was pro mised. Upon their receiving of this, (for this was all was taught them,) the Holy Ghost fell on them, and they were baptized. 'Tis observable here, that the Holy Ghost fell on them, before they were baptized, which, in other places, converts received not till after baptism. The reason whereof seems to be this, that God, by bestowing on them the Holy Ghost, did thus declare from Heaven, that the gentiles, upon believing Jesus to be the Messiah, ought to be admitted into the church by baptism, as well as the jews. Whoever reads St. Peter's defence, Acts xi. when he was accused by those of the circumcision, that he had not kept that distance, which he ought, with the uncircumcised, will be of this opinion; and see by what he says, ver. 15, 16, 17, that this was the ground, and an irresistible autho- 24 The Reasonableness of Christianity, rity to him for doing so strange a thing, as it appeared to the jews, (who alone yet were members of the Chris tian church,) to admit gentiles into their communion, upon their believing. And therefore St. Peter, in the foregoing chapter, Acts x. before he would baptize them, proposes this question, " to those of the circum* " cision, which came with him, and were astonished, " because that on the gentiles also was poured out the " gift of the Holy Ghost: can any one forbid water, that " these should not be baptized, who have received the " Holy Ghost as well as we? " ver. 47. And when some of the sect of the pharisees, who believed, thought it need ful that the converted gentiles should be circumcised and keep the law of Moses, Acts xv. " Peter rose up " and said unto them, men and brethren, you know that " a good while ago God made choice amongst us, that " the gentiles/5 viz. Cornelius, and those here converted with him, " by my mouth should hear the gospel and " believe. And God, who knoweth the hearts, bare u them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as " he did unto us, and put no difference between us and " them, purifying their hearts by faith," v. 7 — 9- So that both jews and gentiles, who believed Jesus to be the Messiah, received thereupon the seal of baptism; where by they were owned to be his, and distinguished from unbelievers. From what is above said, we may observe that this preaching Jesus to be the Messiah is called the Word, and the Word of God: and believing it, receiving the Word of God. Vid. Acts x. 36, 37. and xi. 1, 19, 20. and the word of the gospel, Acts xv. 7. And so likewise in the history of the gospel, what Mark, chap. iv. 14, 15, calls simply the word, St. Luke calls the word of God, Luke viii. 11. And St. Matthew, chap. xiii. 19, the word of the kingdom; which were, it seems, in the gospel-writers synonymous terms, and are so to be understood by us.
But to go on: Acts xiii. Paul preaches in the syna gogue at Antioch, where he makes it his business to convince the jews, that " God, according to his pro- " mise, had of the seed of David raised to Israel a Sa- " viour Jesus.1' v. 24, That he was He of whom the proas delivered in the Scriptures. 25 phets writ, v. 25 — 29, i. e. the Messiah: and that, as a demonstration of his being so, God had raised him from the dead, v. 30. From whence he argues thus, v. 32, 33. We evangelize to you, or bring you this gospel, " how that the promise which was made to our " fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us, in that he " hath raised Jesus again; " as it is also written in the second psalm, " Thou art my Son, this day I have be- " gotten thee." And having gone on to prove him to be the Messiah, by his resurrection from the dead, he makes this conclusion, v. 38, 39. " Be it known unto you, " therefore, men and brethren, that through this man " is preached unto you forgiveness of sins; and by him " all who believe are justified from all things, from " which they could not be justified by the law of Moses." This is in this chapter called " the Word of God," over and over again: compare v. 42, with 44, 46, 48, 49, and chap. xii. v. 24.
Acts xvii. 2 — 4. At Thessalonica, " Paul, as his " manner was, went into the synagogue, and three sab- " bath days reasoned with the jews out of the scriptures; " opening and alleging, that the Messiah must needs " have suffered, and risen again from the dead: and that " this Jesus, whom I preach unto you. is the Messiah. " And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul " and Silas: but the jews which believed not, set the " city in an uproar." Can there be any thing plainer, than that the assenting to this proposition, that Jesus was the Messiah, was that which distinguished the be lievers from the unbelievers? For this was that alone, which, three sabbaths, Paul endeavoured to convince them of, as the text tells us in direct words.
From thence he went to Berrea, and preached the same thing: and the Berreans are commended, v. 11, for searching the scriptures, whether those things, i. e, which he had said, v. 2, 3, concerning Jesus's being the Messiah, were true or no.
The same doctrine we find him preaching at Corinth, Acts xviii. 4 — 6. " And he reasoned in the synagogue " every sabbath, and persuaded the jews and the Greeks. " And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Mace- 26 The Reasonableness of Christianity, " donia, Paul was pressed in spirit, and testified to the " jews, that Jesus was the Messiah. And when they " opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his rai- " ment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your " own heads, I am clean; from henceforth I will go " unto the Greeks."