Thus I have fhew'd, How for Pride it is, That men stand off from Submitting themselves to the Righteousness of God.

And now I would Admonish all who I can prevail with,

1. Not to have these men fo in Admiration; as to Efpouse their Opinion for the Way of Righteousness.

II. Not to count a Righteoufnefs of your Own Needlefs, to be Poffefs'd of; Because you have Need of another to Trust in.

Yet after you have done your beft, III. Submit to the Righteousness of God; as ever you would have Peace with God.

I. Admire not the Exalters of their Own Righteousness; as likelieft to lead you into the Way of Righteousness. As if true Goodnefs lay all on their fide; and you muft needs be with them, to find it. For there peradventure, you may fooner find Snakes in the Grafs Yea and Infidels in the Dark; Transforming themfelves into Angels of Light. But there you may be miferably disappointed of that Real Righteoufnefs, whereof they would be thought the Sole Poffeffors. For 'tis not mens much Talking of it, that prefent Entitles them to it. But it may be proper to Enquire, How they came by it; before we think our felves obligd, to acknowledge

knowledge them Endu'd with it. For how can the Corrupt Tree bring forth good Fruit ? And Trees of Righteoufnefs do not use to grow in Nature's Garden. No, They must be Transplanted, and altered by Grace; before they can bear any thing pleafing to God. O what then fhall we think of their Righteoufnefs and Goodness, that make even as light as nothing of that Transplantation, and Change, made by Converfion? And carry, as if they had been fuch as they ought, even all along from the Beginning: And ftand Carefing themselves, and Applauding the Good that they ftill have done? So that to talk to them of Converfion, is an impertinent Lofs of your Labour. For they feem to understand no Converfion at all, but of Hea thens, Infidels; or fome very Notorious Sinners. Whenas in truth, Converfion is not only Changing Names and Profeffions, but Hearts and Converfations. 'Tis to be Regenerate and made New-Creatures; To pass from Death to Life: And not only be Civilized, as to the external Carriage; but Renewed in the very Spirit of our Mind; and Saved from our Worldly Loves, and Carnal Minds ; as well as from crying Sins, and Scandalous ways. And fuch a Change, O how many that Name the Name of Christ, yet ftand in as much Need of, as any that lye without the Borders of Christendom?

But

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But when I hear men, that are for fhort Cuts to Heaven, and for Widening the Way, which our Saviour calls Narrow, Crying, It is but fo and so: And feem as Confident, as if all were their own already: Though still their Praying is at as Low an Ebb, as their Believ ing: And World and Flefh feem to have them as much under, as any other men: And to the Means of Grace, that fhould help us God and Heaven-ward, (as Scriptures and Sermons, and Sacraments, and Sabboths, and the daily Exercises of Piety and Devotion;) They seem very Cold and Indifferent; and are readier to Difpute them away; than to fhew any Zeal for 'em: I am ready to think with my felf, If the Religion of thefe men would ferve the turn; As Low as it is with me, I durft venture, with ease, to fetch out fuch a Copy. And yet though I wrote Fairer, and reach'd Further, than fo: I fhould be afraid to Truft my Everlasting Salvation upon it. Nay I fhould fufpect all my Faith in Chrift, by which I hope to be Juftified and Saved; If it did not excite and enable me to do Better, than fome, that think they have done enough, and are Good enough; when yet they lie far Short of thofe Believers in Jefus, against whom they have fo many Articles for their Loofe Opinions, deftructive of all good Converfation.

Alas, Who ufe to throw the Righteousness further from 'em, with their Hands; than

some that ftiffliest Plead for it, with their Tongues! Shewing much more concerned for Others Holinefs, than for their own. And we should be very forrily Taught; If we had no better Patterns, to Learn it from. When even the Inherent Righteousness, upon which they hang all the weight of their Salvation, Yet fuch an Ordinary Attainment do they make of it; that a Heathen man, or an Unregenerate Sinner, might undertake to reach and accomplish as good a Righteousness. For Regeneration, they treat as a Child of the Ima gination: And only for the Sport that it gives em, they might país it over in deep Silence. Belike they may not think themselves concern'd in cur Lord's Determination; Matt. 18. 3. Except ye be Converted, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. And John 3. 3. Except a man be Born again, he cannot fee the Kingdom of God. Yea for (that which is their Pride,) the very Morality; Yet I know the cafe, wherein they can make it a Difpenfible Quality. For I have heard fome of 'em,fetch off an Egregious Swearer,Drunkard,or Scandalous Liver, for a very Good Honeft man; of whose Happiness they feem'd not to make any doubt : Because they were perfuaded he meant no Hurt; but only had fuch Failings. And at that rate, as Loofe as they count our Doctrine of Faith in Chrift; We may fay of their SelfRighteousness, Wide is the Gate; and Broad is the way: Who almost, can mifs it? They are

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indeed the quickest Operators to relieve a Troubled Confcience. And if what they lay down, would but serve the turn; 'Twere the easiest matter in the World, to do that, which Elihu, Job 35. 23. took for the work of an Interpretor, one among a Thoufand; To shew unto a man his Uprightness; To point out that, which will be a Convincing Evidence of ones Title to the Kingdom of Heaven.

But however the Righteoufnefs of Faith, may be Charged, as Deftructive of Good Life; (and let others take their Liberty to Judge as they find;) As far as my own Experience reaches, I muft needs Teftify, That I know no fuch Holy, Humble, Charitable, Heavenly, Livers, as thefe cenfured Believers. And ma ny that Live and Lean by Faith on the Son of God, have much more of the Goodness to fhew in their Conversations; than others that would Engrofs it all to themselves, in their Difputations. Nor can I fo admire any, even the best, of the Socinians; As to think, they do Exceed, or come near to Equal our holy Reformers: Who yet were the known Main tainers of this Doctrine of Faith: And even Built the Reformation upon it. And as they Lived great Examples, to Honour it: So they Died faithful Martyrs, to Affert it. And they that cry, It is no thanks to the Doctrine, if some mens Converfation under it, be as be-' comes the Gofpel; Talk like thofe that do not know the Truth, as it is in Jefus; Nor what