Part II implies fome knowlege of the gospel offer of Christ. This is abfolutely neceffary in order to our acceptance of Chrift, It was not enough to fet the manflayer a running to the city of refuge, that he knew there was a city that had gates open, and was fufficient to preferve him; but moreover he muft know, that it was defign'd for that purpofe, that he had warrant to enter in at these open gates, and fo to expect protection. And here there are two things muft of neceffity be known.

(1.) That Chrift and all his benefits are indeed offered in the gofpel to poor finners, and that freely. Hence it is that our Catechifin doth thus qualify the object of faving faith, while it defcribes faith in Chrift to be a faving grace whereby we receive and rest upon him as he is offered to us in the gospel.

(2.) As we must know that he is offered to us, fo we must understand what the terms are wherein he is offered. That he is offered freely, doth not hinder his being offered upon terms. If one offers another a fum of money, if he will re.ceive it; he may be faid to offer it upon terms, and yet to offer it freely; and juft fuch are the Gospel terms upon which the Lord Chrift is. offered; whoever will take him and ufe him, fhall have him. But to be a little more particular, here we may learn what these terms are, from that of the Apostle, Phil. iii. 3. Fór we are the circumcifion which worship God in the fpirit, and rejoice in Christ Jefus, and have no confidence in the flesh. These are the perfons who have an intereft in Christ, who come up to thefe terms: And the knowledge of them is neceffarily implied in believing. We must know that upon these and no other terms may we be faved. (1.) We must

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know that all confidence in the flesh is intirely to be abandoned. There must be no expectation of relief or falvation, from any external privilege, or any performance of duties. We must know. that our own prayers and tears can be of no value in this matter. (2.) We must know that we are only to rejoice in Chrift Jefus. What is here called rejoicing is elsewhere called glorying. That he that glorieth may glory in the Lord. And here 'tis opposed to a having confidence in the flesh; which fays plainly that this rejoicing in Christ Jefus is placing all our confidence and comfort in him alone. (3.) We must worship God in the fpirit. In the ftrength of that fpirit which Chrift did purchase for, and beftows on fuch as do believe on him. We must serve God in the way of his own appointment. Upon these terms is Chrift offered in the gofpel: And these must be known. The knowlege of them is undoubtedly implied in faith, as well as the knowlege of fin and of Chrift formerly infifted upon. This leads me to the

4th Thing implied in believing, and that is, the heart's clofing with the gospel terms juft now mentioned. This is the principal thing, without which there can be no faith, no believing: For, if we fhould speak ftrictly, this is faith, and all the other things mentioned are only pre-requifites; yet they are fuch as are not only pre-fuppofed to the first actings of faith, but muft alfo accompany it, in fome measure, as long as it continues in the foul, that is, as long as believers are on earth. Now this acceptance of Chrift upon the gofpel terms takes in three things.

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(1.) A renunciation of all other things. Hence it is that believers are faid to have no confidence in the flesh, that is, they have no expectation of

relief from any of these things corrupt nature is wont to incline us to rely on. The foul's motion to Jefus Chrift, is a motion from all other things. The foul that rolls the weight of all over upon him, doth not lean to any thing befides him. All the expreffions formerly opened up, do fufficiently intimate to us, that this renunciation of all confidence in other things belongs to the nature of faith, and must go to the conftitution of it; and the fame the Scripture plainly enough declares, when it exprefly enjoins finners this, as a part of their duty, or rather expreffes the whole of this duty by it; Afhur. fball not fave us, we will not ride upon horfes, nor will we fay any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: In vain is falvation looked for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains, fays the returning church, Hof. xiv. 3. and Jer. iii. 23. And these two texts are a good Commentary upon that forecited expreffion of the apoftle, and have no confidence in the flesh. To have no confidence in the flesh, is to expect no falvation from the hills and multitude of mountains, from Afhur, from horfes, or the work of our own hands.

But that I may be a little more particular, faith or believing has in it an exprefs renunciation (1.) Of our own wildom. Carnal Man is exceedingly. inclined to trust to his own fleshly wisdom, which is enmity against God, and to advance this as of ufe to direct him to true happiness. This was that which befool'd the heathen world: They. thought by their own wifdom to reach happiness, to know God. But in the wifdom of God, the world by wifdom knew not God; and the believ-2 er becomes a fool that he may be wife, perfectly renouncing his own wifdom, and fubfcribing himfelf a fool, owning himself, with wife Agur, more

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brutish than any Man. (2.) Believing has in it a renunciation of our own ftrength and power. Man is conceited exceedingly of his own ability. As long as man has a leg of his own to walk upon, he is fure never to look near Chrift Jefus. But no fooner has he a mind for Chrift, but presently he confeffes his own impotency. If the man be able to stand alone, what means he to lean upon another? If he be able to bear his burden, what needs he roll it over upon another? (3.) Believing has in it a renunciation of man's own righteoufnefs. The natural man goes about with the carnal Jews, who were ignorant of the righteoufnefs of God, to establish his own righteoufnefs, not fubmitting to the righteousness of God: But the believer rejects this, and owns with the church, Ifa. lxiv. 6. We are as an unclean thing, and all our righteoufnefs are as filthy rags. The believer fees his righteousness all ragged. He fees, here one duty wanting, and there another entirely a miffing, which makes his righteousness no better than a ragged coat, which is full of holes: And he fees what remains to be all defiled; there is some wanting, and what is not fo is filthy. The best fall fhort of, and are entirely deficient as to the practice of fome duties; and filthinefs adheres and cleaves to what they do perform: Therefore they renounce their own righteoufnefs. (4.) Believing or faith in Chrift renounces all foreign relief, I mean relief from other things besides Chrift. It will not trust to privileges, to faints, to any creature. If any would entice believing finners to follow any other, then faith anfwers the tempter as Peter did our Lord, in an addrefs to Chrift himfelf, To whom shall we go, thou haft the words of eternal life? Now all thefe things are comprehended

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hended in that of the apostle, Having no confidence in the flesh: And therefore we find him rejecting his own wifdom, for the excellency of the knowlege of Chrift Jefus, rejecting his own ftrength, for acquaintance with the power and efficacy of Christ's death, renouncing his own righteousness, that he might be found in Chrift; and counting all the privileges he had as one of Abraham's children, one in covenant with God, one of the ftricteft fect of the Jews, to be but lofs and dung for an intereft in Christ.

(2.) There is in believing on Chrift, a consent of will to the terms of the gospel as good and defireable. And who can refufe this fave fuch as are blind? The Gofpel terms may be reduced, as. has been hinted just now, to three. (1.) Seek not falvation from that which cannot fave you. Have no confidence in the flesh. (2.) Take freely whatever ye need. Need ye righteoufnefs, or need ye ftrength, or need ye wisdom, or redemption? All these ye may have freely in Chrift, who is made of God to all them that believe, wifdom, righteoufnefs, fanctification and redemption; in whom all believers have righteoufness and strength; in whom all the feed of Ifrael by this means, fhall be juftified and glorified. This is to rejoice in Chrift Jefus. (3.) Lay out and improve what ye receive. Ye are not bid fpin a web out of your own bowels; but ye are bid improve what's given to you. Ye are bid worship God in fpirit; ay, but 'tis by the affiftance and direction of the fpirit that's given freely. The wili clofes with thefe terms as good and agreeable: And who could refufe to do fo, were there not in him the carnal mind that's enmity against God? The world can conceive nothing more reafonable, no

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