And with regard to imputative righteousness, some Christians affirm that the righteousness of Christ, wrought without us, being imputed to believers, they are thereby justified, without any works of righteousness carried on in us, by and through the operation of the grace of God, we yielding thereunto, and co-operating therewith. But the apostle Paul asserts that “the grace of God, that bringeth salvation, hath appeared to all men, teaching us, that denying ungodliness, and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.” Now will any be so inconsistent with truth and righteousness, as to assert, that a man is justified merely by the righteousness that Christ wrought in the outward manifestation, without his coming to know in his own experience, those works of righteousness wrought in him, as above expressed by the apostle; and which he must be a party to and in, or they cannot be wrought. For a mere belief in grace does not do the work of righteousness; but faith in the sufficiency of the grace is the first previous work of the mind of man; but if that belief is not carried into effect, such faith cannot save him; for faith without works is dead, being alone, as a body without the spirit. I think the conclusive arguments of the apostle James are quite sufficient to prove these things to every judicious mind. For although the harlot Rahab had, from what appears, a full belief that Israel’s armies would conquer the land of Canaan, and it is likely many thousands more of the Canaanites had the same belief; yet as none of them added good works to their faith but her, none others were saved. Abraham also believed he was required to sacrifice his son, as the scripture assures us; but had he not gone forward to put it in execution, his faith, instead of being imputed to him for righteousness, would have greatly administered to his condemnation; and instead of becoming the friend of God, he would have been cast out of his favour; so that by his works only was his faith made perfect.