Romans 4:25

REFLECTIONS

Blessed be God the Holy Ghost for the boundless condescension of his grace, in explaining to the Church the precious doctrine of justification by faith, without the works of the law. And blessed be his name for illustrating the truth yet more abundantly in the instance of the Patriarch Abraham. Now, Lord, through thy blessed teaching we see, wherein the call of God consisted, in taking the great father of the faithful from his country and his kindred, and his father's house, to come unto the land which a covenant God in Christ shewed him. And doth not the same God in covenant now command all the Church to forget her own people, and her father's house, that she may be brought into the King's palace? Oh! precious faith, in a precious, precious Savior! Lord I give all thy redeemed grace, that when called upon by grace, like Abraham, to go out into a place hereafter to be received as an inheritance, they may, like him, by faith go out, in full confidence in thy grace and mercy.

But let thy people learn, O Lord, from this beautiful illustration of the precious doctrine in the instance of Abraham, that the justification of thy Church and people is by Christ's person and righteousness, and not our faith. That which was, and is counted for righteousness, is not our faith in that righteousness, but the righteousness itself imputed to the persons of the faithful, from their union and oneness in Christ. By faith in the Person and Righteousness of Christ, We do indeed enjoy the blessedness of it, but the work of faith, no more than other works in the creature, can give any title to it. And faith itself comes from and is by this righteousness. Oh! for grace from the Lord to have a right apprehension of the important distinction. And do thou, blessed Lord! grant to thy whole family the sweet enjoyment of their vast privileges. Neither the circumcision of the Jew, nor the uncircumcision of the Gentile, are anything, where Christ and his righteousness are imputed; Seeing it is One God which justifies the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through faith. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel, both Jew and Gentile, be justified, and shall glory.