nor getting in again with the offended Majesty of Heaven, yet that to him who worketh not, but believeth on bim that juflifies the Ungodly, his Faith fhould be counted for Righteoufnefs, Rom. iv. 5. This is a Favour to the poor Sinner, fuch as might be thought, indeed, too great to be believed; but whenever offered, one would think it fhould with both Hands moft readily be received; and that there should little Oratory be wanting, to pray Sinners, in CHRIST's Stead, (upon fuch sweet and happy Terms) to be reconciled unto GOD. You are wifer than to refuse any Advantages of the World, when fo eafily you may have them: O do not then imitate the Perverseness of those who reject the Tenders of Pardon and Life eternal; and will not accept all the most bleffed Benefits, to be enjoyed for ever in the World to come, when the FATHER of Mercies offers them freely, but upon believing in the Name of his SON; and has affured you, that your Faith fhall be imputed to you for Righteoufnefs, as Abraham believed GOD, and that was counted to him for Righteousness, Rom. iv. 3, 24. O leave not the SAVIOUR any cause then to complain of you, as of thofe, John v. 40. Ye will not come to me, that ye might have Life. But feeing all your Intereft and Felicity treasured up in him, devolve and caft yourselves upon him. And let the LORD JESUS be your only Hope, and look for all your Remiffion, and all your Salvation, at his Hands; not for any Thing that you have done yourfelves, but for the Sake of what he has done on your Account. And thus

will you do the best Thing that ever you can do for your own dear Souls, and fhew your good Understanding in the Way of Salvation, that you are not ignorant of GOD's Righteoufnefs, but have been taught, and heard, and learned of the FATHER to come unto his CHRIST, John vi. 29. and are better inftructed than to fet up a Righteousness of your own, wherein to place your Confidence.

And fo I pass to the fecond Obfervation,

How abfurd is the Attempt to engage in fuch a Defign; [going about to establish their own Righteoufnefs.]

And what is that? Is it walking uprightly and working Righteousness? Is it hungering and thirsting after an inherent, as well as an imputed Righteoufnefs? No; for this is an eternal, indifpenfible Duty, incumbent ftill upon all. And no Believers are exempted from it, but rather more than any elfe obliged to it, even to live foberly, righteously, and godly. And (to allude to that of the Apostle, 2 Cor. v. 3.) being cloathed with CHRIST's Righteoufnefs, they must not be found naked of their own, but refolve with Job, Chap. xxvii. 6. My Righteousness I hold faft, and will not let it go: My Heart fhall not reproach me fo long as I live. But I will render to all their Dues, and be punctual in my Dealings with every one; for all Piety, without Honefty, is but Hypocrify. Yea, I will render to GOD, as well as to C 5 Man,

Man, the Things that are his; and, as far as I am able, feek and keep that comprehenfive Righteoufnefs which is the Conftellation of all Virtues and Graces, the universal Conformity to the Rule of GOD's holy Word, the Whole of my Duty; fuch a Habit and Course of well-doing, as fhall denominate me an Ifraelite indeed, without any allowed Guile, or Iniquity regarded in my Heart. This I will ever take care of, and with all my Might endeavour to make good.

However contemptuoufly fome can talk of moral Accomplishments, they that would have a Religion without Morality, are further from the Kingdom of GOD than their despised moral Man. And whom the World finds unrighteous, they will (and may) be bold to conclude them ungodly; becaufe GoD commands all Men to do justly, and love Mercy, as well as to walk humbly with him. And a Religion confined to the firft Table is quite contrary to that of the Apostle, James i. 27. Pure Religion, and undefiled before GoD, and the FATHER, is this, To vifit the Fatherlefs and Widows in their Affliction; and to keep himself unfpotted from the World.

Do we then make void the Law through Faith? Rom. iii. 31. No fuch Matter; we establish it, and provide better for the fulfilling of it,by this Doctrine of Faith, than ever else it could be fulfilled. The Doctrine has no Tendency at all to Antinomianism, and carnal Liberty; or to throw out Repentance, good Works, and Holiness of Life, however it may be afperfed

and

and corrupt Men do often abufe this, and indeed all the Grace of GoD, turning it to Licentiousness : And though fuch as are themfelves deftitute of the fpiritual Life, do not know how Righteousness, imputed, does work Obedience to GOD, and all holy Living; and fo they traduce what themfelves never understood; yet, in all true Believers this Righteousnefs, imputed, does, and ever will, produce the Fruits of Righteoufnefs inherent. And notwithstanding Faith is alone, as to Juftification, yet it is never alone as to the individual Confequence of a godly Converfation.

Indeed, St. Paul, when he feems to be charged for evacuating the Law by Faith, does not vindicate himself, by making Works and perfonal Holiness the main Things needful to ou Juftification in the Sight of GOD; (as in the Way of fome Teachers fince, who think they have learnt to be more wary than he was) no, but he urges fuch Gofpel-Motives to Holinefs, as are the most powerful with all Believers; who, after Faith received, will not be lefs holy, but more; because then they have in them the forcible Spring of holy Works, which before they had not. Therefore the Apostle tells them, Rom. vi. 14. Sin fhall not have Dominion over you; for ye are not under the Law, but under Grace. A Sort of Reasoning which fome of our Mafters of Reafon would count very unreasonable, if they heard any of us ufe it. What, fay they, do you teach that Believers are not under the Law? And is not that as much as to fay,

they

they are lawless; and they may even live as they lift? For what fhould hinder them? Where there is no Law there is no Tranfgreffion. And however they fly out, ftill all is well; and who shall find Fault with them? And this is fine comfortable Doctrine to fuch as love their Sins better than they do their SAVIOur.

Thus the Unexperienced may think they have covered our Doctrine with Confufion, and ftruck it quite dead. But he that was better acquainted with the Workings of God's Grace, knew the contrary to what they would infer; that the Law was never fo deadly to kill Sin, and fo fruitful to produce Holinefs, as the Grace of our Lord JESUS CHRIST. For by the Law is the Knowledge of Sin; not the Cure. No; it does but difcover Sin, and irritate and provoke it, as a Dam caft a-cross the Stream makes it fwell, and rage, and rife the higher, till at laft it gets up to burst thorough, or break over the Bounds. It gives no Power at all to beat down the Sin and Wickedness of which it convinces. Whereas the Grace of our LORD is a vital Principle of Holiness in the Heart; the Seed of GOD, that there ferments, and works to throw off Sin, and will never fuffer it to reign, however it ftill dwells in the mortal Body. Therefore they that are under Grace, fhall not be under the Power of Sin; and they are indeed Strangers to the Nature of Faith, and to the Genius of the new Creature, and to the conftraining Efficacy of the Grace of GoD, and the Love of CHRIST, who can take thefe for the Encouragements of Wickedness,

than