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 Honey, is but Hypocrify. Yea I will render to God, as well as to man, the things that are his; and, as far as I am able, Seek and Keep that Comprehenfive Righteoufness, 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: Such a Habit and Courfe of Well-doing, as fhall denominate me an Ifraelite indeed, without any allowed Guile, or Iniquity Regarded in my Heart. This Í 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 defpifed Moral man. And whom the World finds Unrighteous, They will, (and may,) be bold to conclude 'em Ungodly: Becaufe God commands all men, to do Juftly, and Love Mercy, as well as to walk Humbly with him. And a Religion confin'd to the First Table, is quite contrary to that of the Apostle, Jam. 1. laft ver. Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To vifit the Fatherless and Widows in their

Affliction;

Affliction; and to keep himself unspotted from the World.

Do we then make Void the Law through Faith? Rom. 3. laft Ver. No fuch matter: We Eftablish 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 Antinomianifm, and carnal Liberty: Or to throw out Repentance, Good Works, and Holiness of. Life. However it may be Afpers'd; and corrupt men do often Abufe this, and indeed all the Grace of God; turning it to Licentioufnefs: And though fuch as are themselves Deftitute of the Spiritual Life, do not know, how Righteoufnefs Imputed, does work Obedience to God, and all Holy Living: And for they Traduce, what themfelves never underftood: Yet in all true Believers, this Righteoufnels 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 seems to be charged, for Evacuating the Law by Faith; does not Vindicate himself, by making Works and Perfonal Holinefs the main things needful to our Juftification in the Sight of God; (As is the way of fome Teachers fince; who think they have learnt to be

more

more Wary than he was;) No, but he urges fuch Gofpel-Motives to Holiness; as are the moft Powerful with all Believers; Who, after Faith received, will not be Less Holy, but more. Because then they have in 'em the Forcible Spring of Holy Works, which be fore they had not. Therefore the Apostle tells them, Rom. 6. 14. Sin shall not have Dominion over you: For you are not under the Law, but under Grace. A fort of Reasoning, which fome of our Mafters of Reason 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 are Lawlefs; And they may e'en Live as they Lift? For what fhould hinder 'em? Where there's no Law, there's no Tranfgreffion. And however they fly out; Still all's Well: And who fhall find fault with 'em? And this is fine Comfortable Doctrine to fuch, as Love their Sins, better than they do their Saviour.

Thus the Unexperienc'd may think they have cover'd 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 Holiness; as the Grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift. For by the Law is the Knowledge

of

of Sin; Not the Cure. No; It does but Discover Sin; and Irritate, and Provoke it: As a Dam caft a-cross the Stream, makes it Swell, 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 Chrift; Who can take thefe for the Encouragements of Wickedness; than which there are not in the World,more Prevailing Restraints from it. And however (the "you Tis amuletas,) The Sons of Unbelief, can make Nothing of thefe Inducements : Yet no fuch ingenuous and Mighty Arguments, to gain upon the Children of Promife; to make 'em Holy; as he that has Call'd and Oblig'd 'em, is Holy.

The Establishing of our Own Righteoufnefs then, here under Cenfure, mult never give any Check to our Endeavours,. for the

Perfecting

Perfecting Holiness in the Fear of God. No, Every one that Names the Name of Chrift, must depart from Iniquity; and ftrive fill more and more to Conform, as a Purified Member, to the Holy Head of that Body, to which he belongs.

And therefore Some might fpare the Task which they give themselves, to prove, with much Solemnity, (what I know no one who denies,) That we are ftill Oblig'd by the Moral Law, as our Rule of Life. Though fure they do not mean, That we are Debtors to keep the whole Law; Gal. 5. 3. So as to work our fuftification out of it. For then, to what end ferves the Faith of Chrift? If ftill. we be under the Lafb, as Slaves; to Obey Perfectly, or Perith everlastingly? Why, Bellarmine will tell us, That the GoSpel is, the Grace of the Spirit, given in the New Teftament, making us Able to Fulfil the Law. And fo far he fays true, That all Grace is thus Given us: But yet not given us to this End; That we fhould fulfil the Law; fo as to be thereby Juftified. For we have the Grace, only to fulfil it in Sincerity; but not to Perfection. And yet if it be not to Perfection, It cannot be to Juftification.

And should any question, How it can be to Salvation, if not to Juftification? Becaufe we cannot be Glorified, till we are Justified. And that which will ferve the turn to Save

us: