Notes Critical and Practical, on the Book of Genesis. By George Bush [pp. 271-301]

Bush on Genesis.
solid ground for rejecting the Apostolical construction so
plainly apparent. The necessity of adopting it, indeed,
seems obvious, on reference to verses 22-24; where, if we
incorporate the author's version, we shall read, 22. "And
therefore it was counted (imputed) to him for a commendable
act. 23. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it
was imputed to him; 24. But for us also to whom it shall be
imputed as a commendable act, if we believe on him that
raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead."
The great objection opposed in the Notes before us, to the
more obvious rendering of the passage, is drawn from He brews xi. 8, 9, where faith is attributed to the patriarch at a
time previous to this promise. Whence it is concluded that
he must have been already in a justified state, and therefore
that this particular act could in no sense have been in order
to his justification. This, however, is, in our view, a
non sequitur at least. It is no where affirmed that each
instance of faith alluded to in Heb. xi. is to be considered as
saving in its nature, and justifying in its immediate results.
The faith (verse 3) " by which we understand that the worlds
were framed by the word of God," may exist without the
slightest reference to a Saviour.
Fuller, on this passage remarks-" Much has been said as
to the meaning of both Paul and Moses. The truth appears
to be this: it is faith or believing that is counted for righteousness; not, however, as a righteous act, nor on account of
any inherent virtue contained in it, but in respect of Christ,
on whose righteousness it terminates. Whatever other
properties the magnet may possess, it is as pointing invariably
to the North that it guides the mariner. So whatever other
properties faith may possess, it is as pointing to Christ and
bringing us into union with him that it justifies."
Whatever may have been the nature of any prior acts of
faith, on the part of Abraham, this is that particular act
which laid hold on Christ, according as he was divinely promised, and being imputed, or set to his account, secured his
justification.
That the Notes, on the other hand, may explain themselves, we find at the close of the comments on verse 7, the
author's abstract of Paul's argument so far as the patriarch's
ease is concerned. He says, "As Abraham, in the face of
great discouragements and impediments, firmly believed God,
and thereby is said to have had righteousness accounted to
him, much more the believing sinner, who, in spite of all the
18s9.]
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