Rites and Ceremonies, and fuch things Indifferent, as ftrike not at the Faith of the Gospel,) we must not be Stiff and Pugnacious: but bear one another's Burdens, and Forbear one another in Love: Tet when the Foundations are Undermin'd, on which the Church it felf, and all our Hopes and Happiness are built, We cannot think fit then to be seeking the Commendation of Mild and Gentle; For giving up to fuch Supplanters of the Gospel, that which should be Dearer to us all than our Lives. For Eafinefs here will not Become us; where Faithfulness infinitely Behoves us. No, We must not, for what they call good Humour, Nor out of Complement to every Pretender, Renounce the Faith of Chrift, nor Dye in our Sins. For if we lose the Faith; it's doubt we fhall Lofe fomewhat elfe along with it: and Good Confcience will go after it. Nay, the Apoftle tells us, 1 Tim. 1. 19. This is thrown Overboard, before the other is Shipwrack'd.

And 'twere well, If they that exclaim fo much of others Loofe Tenents, had a little more Humility and Patience, to Examine their own. For they are not ever accounted most Honest, that call by the Hard Name first. Nor are the violent Plea ders for Holiness, always found the most Holy Perfons. They do indeed, but the more Awaken Sufpicion; when their own Mouths fo much Extol themfelves. But for all their boafted Ingenuity and Probity; Let them be never fo Righteous and Good; ( Instead of Envying, we wish they were still more fo:) Tet are we not to be Awed by the Learning of one, nor by the Confidence of another, no, nor by the

(az)

feem

Seeming Honefly of a Third: When in the great matters of Salvation, We fee, how Learned men · may be in the Dark; And Confident men shamefully out; yea and Good men under foul Mistakes: But we are fure, That God's Word can never Mifguide us. And if we come there but Honestly and Humbly, To learn his Will, and our Duty: We may reft affur'd, That we shall not Err in any Needful point, to our Undoing. And though we must not expect now to be above all Ignorance and Mifapprehenfions: yet thus fhall we be Secure from all Damning Errors, and Destroying Delufions. And that is a Satisfaction, as much as we can hope to attain in this Life: Wherein alfa we may Acquiefce, as Sufficient for our prefent State: and not covet to be wife, above what's written; Nor think to be Righteous Overmuch; or to be Juftified by a Righteousness, beyond what the Holy Scripture declares Neceffary to our Justification: i. e. The Righteoufness of our Lord Jefus Chrift, apprehended and Applied by our Faith. Which I think, I have reafon to call a Better Righteousness than our Own. And they that do not fee any Reafon or Need that they have to Look after it, and Rely upon it, I am forry for 'em: And (in a way further than themJelves feem to defire,) I pray the Lord to have Mercy upon 'em.

The

The CONTENTS.

A

N Enquiry after the Righteoufnels that will Jufti

fy us.

The Coherence of this Scripture.

Page 1.

3.

The concern to be fhew'd for Friends end Neighbours under Damnable Errors.

4:

An Explanation of the Words; fhewing what's meant bere by God's Righteousness: What by our Own Righteousness

9.

IO.

Not only Ceremonial, Hypocritical, Legal works; or thofe done by a man's Natural Ability.

II.

What is the Non-Submiffion to God's Righteousness: Shewing the Difficulty of a Natural Man's Accepting Grace; And what Humility bere is Needful, to make a Difciple of Christ.

15. How Dark-fighted even the Wifeft by Nature are, in God's way of Fustifying and Saving Sinners, Ignorant of the Defign of God's Law:

Ignorant of its Latitude and Purity:

Ignorant of their ill case under it.

Ignorant of the Neceffity of God's Righteousness:
And Ignorant of its Excellency.

17. 20.

24.

25.

28.

30.

Eftablishing our Own Righteousness, is not Working Righteoufnefs.

34.

This Righteousness is Needful to Save, Tho Infufficient to Juftify, us.

To Establish it, is to Depend upon it, for our Juftification in the fight of God.

S. James treats not of this Juftification.

39.

40.

42.

The

The Juftification by Works is against the Senfe of all Be

lievers.

Yet this is till attempted by many.

'Tis a moft Silly Attempt:

And Wicked:

And Dangerous.

A Diffuafive from it.

45.

48.

53.

56..

58.

60.

Pride binders mens Submission to God's Righteousness: 65. 1. Because they will not be fo Beholden to Another:

68.

2. Because they have fuch a high Conceit of their Own Righteousness,

73.

To think there's no need of Chrift's Satisfaction: 75. Though God has declar'd the contrary;

And all their Self-Righteousness is Infufficient.

77.

80.

3. Because they want the humble Sense of their oïve Unrighteoufnefs, and Sinful Wretchedness; 84. Extenuating Man's doleful Apoftacy;

85. And not being convinced by the Spirit of God; to make 'em know Themselves.

90.

An Admonition, Not to Admire the Exalters of their Own Righteousness.

95.

96.

Such produce fo little to Justify their Pretences.
The Cenfured Righteousness of Faith does greater matters.

.99.

The Neceffity of Inherent, Perfonal Righteousness. 104. Obj. What Need of our Own Righteousness; If we are Fuftified by the Righteousness of another?

109.

Anfw. 1. The Defign of our Saviour's Coming, was not only to Juftify, but to Sanctify us.

This Sanctification Needful to our Salvation.

III.

114.

117.

We shall be Fudged by our Works, as the Proofs of our
Faith.
Anfw. 2. The Faith that Saves us, must produce the
Fruits of Holiness.

121.

The

The Vanity and Villany of pretending to Faith in Chrifts

without Good Works.

Faith must be Approved by Purity:

By Fertility:

By a Heavenly Mind and Life:

By

the Love of God's Saints.

123.

129.

130.

131.

Ibid.

We must Give our felves to Good Works; though not De

pend upon 'em.

134.

What Need there is of 'em; Though we are not Juftified

by 'em.

136.

True Grace will not make us Less, but more, Careful to
Maintain 'em.

137.

An Appeal, for this, to all that have Tafted That the
Lord is Gracious.

Grace is the only Root to bear thefe Fruits.

140.

143.

No Peace with God, without Submitting to the Righte oufness of God.

145.

The Beft of men have the Meaneft Thoughts of Them-
Selves.

No Hope, or Rejoicing but in Chrift Fefus.
All will be glad to fly to this Refuge, at Laft.
Here Believers are now to Solace themselves.

152.

154.

155.

156.

A Vindication of the Trufting part of Faith, (against fome Calumniators,) from the exprefs Doctrine of our Church.

158. An Encouragement of the Faithful against such Contradi163.

Etions.

What God Requires, and will Accept of Believers. 172.
There must be Well-doing, to Feed the Root of Belie-

174.

ving. But when they have done their Beft, They must Truft to nothing done.

176.

They that Spur on to Juftification by Self-Righteousness, are miferable Comforters of others:

And will once be at a fad Lofs themselves.

178.
181.

Maugre