of his Government: And where we cannot work to Defcrve Heaven; (that we need not do; when he has done it for us :) yet muft we ufe the Means, and take the Way he has Appointed; to that Salvation, which he has Merited. Nor will he that works all our works in us, perform our Duties for us: Nor will God Forgive and Save us; without the Terms on our part fulfilled: However by his Grace it is, that we do Perform 'em ; and to him we must feek ftill, to Enable us for the Performance. And as we must Borrow from Another the Righteoufnefs, which excludes all confidence of Boafting: So we muft have in our felves, the Righteousness which excludes all Boldness in finning.

This then may confound the Prefumption of fuch, as think it enough to hang all upon the Righteoufnefs of Chrift; Tho' they caft behind their backs all the Precepts of Chrift. And fo indeed, they would eftablish, not their Righteousness, but their Wickedness: And make their Faith in the Saviour of the World, their Patent to affront the Holy One of God. Whereas, Chrift's Righteousness is no Afylum, for fuch bold Traytors: But it is a fweet Refort, for all frail Offenders. 'Tis not for those, that will not fet themselves to walk in his Holy Ways: But for fuch as do what they can; yet ftill find they come Short, and Offend in many things. The Pe

nitent Believers, whofe defire, and care and endeavour is to Live Godly in Chrift Jesus ; Tho' ftill they are fo Faulty, they Criminate and condemn themfelves; yet he will Anfwer for 'em; and bring them off. But the Obftinate Sinners, who put themfelves under the Banner of another Commander; and fet their Hearts upon the World, and their Lufts; and make no Confcience of the holy Duties, which the Gofpel gives them in charge; Tho' they be never fo Confident, that Chrift fhall fave'em: He will thake 'em off, and never own 'em; but pafs the Sentence of condemnation upon 'em.

Repentance then, and Righteoufness, and Holiness, and all vertuous and Godly Qualifications, are fo abfolutely needful, that No Good to be done, No Heaven to be had, without 'em. No, 'Tis vain, 'Tis Impudent to look for a Blefjed End, in a Wicked Way, When as the Saviour himself will not fave us, in our Sins; but from them. i. e. Not when we continue Impenitently in 'em: Not unless we contrive and strive to Forfake 'em. Let no man deceive you then with vain words: For because of the Wicked things forbidden, comes the Wrath of God upon the children of Difobedience. Ephef. 5. 6. He has Reveal'd it from Heaven against all Ungodliness, and Unrighteousness of men, that hold the truth in Unrighteousness. Rom. 1. 18. And he that is angry with the Wicked every day; will never

Allow

Allow of Wickedness in any Man. No, The Righteous Lord loveth Righteousness; His Countenance does behold the Upright. Pfal. 11. 7. And he that doth Righteousness, is Righ teous; and is of God. 1 Joh. 3. 7, 10.

'Tis not Talking of it, or Pretending to it, with out Doing it; that will prove you to be poffeffed with it, and owned of the Lord. And if you are not fincerely Righteous, with a Righteoufnels Inherent; you'll never be able to make it out, either to the World, or to your own Confciences, that you are compleatly Righteous, with a Righteousness Imputed: For from this Righteousness, evermore flows the other.

But it may be ask'd, What need this Righteoufnefs of our Own; If we be Juftified by the Righteoufnefs of Another? Nay, if God Juftifies the Ungodly: May not we e'en caft away the care of Piety; and Live at Large, how we pleafe? If we do but Believe in Jelus x Chrift, and perfuade ourselves, That his Righteousness fhall fet us Right with God; and bring us fafe to Heaven? And then is not this a Doctrine, like to make good work, to Reform the World; and turn Sinners apace to the Lord? How could you fit the Humour of Ungodly men better? And do not you thus give even vileft Wretches the Haloo; not only to Run on; but to Abound, in all Iniquity? That they may reap the Abundance of Grace; and make all Even, by the cheap

cheap and easy way of Faith; To Believe that all their Work is done; And they may then take their Eafe, and fear nothing?

I bewail it, That this is the common ufe many do make, of all the rich Grace of the Gofpel. Thus they ftumble at the Corner-ftone; and dafh themselves,to their own Destruction, against the very Rock, upon which is to be built all our Salvation. Thus the Holy One of God fhall be made the Pander to Sin; And Relyance on Chrift, the Warrant to Rebel against the Lord.

Now both to ftop the mouths of fuch as Blaspheme the Righteoufnefs of Faith; and are ready to cry out even of the Chofen Veffel, for running loofe with unfavory Doctrine: And alfo to stop the way against the Beasts of the people, that are Ranging about, to feek any Gap, where they may break Loofe; to Out-run their Duty: I must here give my Pen liberty, to flow down in a measure, beyond the Proportion obferved, in the other Parts of this Difcourfe.

And this Cavillation having more in it of Sophiftry, than Honefty; and ufing to arife rather from that Perverfenefs of Spirit which holds the Truth in Unrighteoufnefs; than from the real want of Understanding, how to make a better ufe of it; and growing not fo much upon a Weak, as Wilful Miftake, of the Defign of our Saviour's coming; and of the Nature of that true Faith,

which gives us the faving Intereft in him: I fhall think I have done enough to rescue the Truth out of ill hands; and to fatisfie all juft Exceptions; In Capitulating with the Objectors, and endeavouring to fet 'em Right, as to thofe Two Points; And to cut off the occafions of Wrefting and Perverting 'cm, to their own Vile and Vicious purposes.

I. Tho' I dare not Limit the Design of our Blessed Saviour's Coming into the World, only to his Preaching Righteousness; and Living and Dying an Example of all Virtue and Piety; In his continual doing Good, and patient Bearing Evil; and Leaving the Rules of Holiness, for us to follow: However Holiness has been well prov'd to be the De-. fign of Chriftianity, in a Noted Book; (which allo fpeaks the pious Defign of the Right Reverend Author:) Yet it feems with good Advice, That [Only] was pinch'd out of the Title of that Book in the latter Edition. For Wo to poor guilty Loft Sinners; If Chrift Jefus had no further End; To Attone for their Guilt, and Deliver 'em from the deferved Curfe; To give himfelf for their Ranfom; To make their Peace with Heaven; and to Purchase them an Eternal Bleffed Inberitance there. This wonderful Kindnefs and Love of God our Saviour, must never be over-lookt and forgotten. Yet, at the fame time, muft we Remember, That he

had