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blames his Countrymen, for going about that Idle, Wretched Defign; To Establish their own Righteousness.

But the Sons of Pride are quite of another Opinion. And what Righteoufnefs (fay they,) fhould a man fet up, but his Own? Would you have him to live upon an Airy Fantaftical thing, that is none of his Own? What Good is that which is Another's like to do him? Though an unclean Leper fhould be Spruc'd up in fine Cleaths; and a Sinful Creature Cover'd with the Mantle of a Redeemer, What the better? Yea what Need has he to Look out Abroad; who is wellprovided at Home? All thefe have I kept from my Youth up; faid that forward Young man, Mat. 19. 20. Thus do many still stand froaking themselves; and Admiring the Lives that they have Liv'd: And feem to entertain this Conceit of themselves, That they can deal with all the Commands of God. And though they cannot, (for open fhame,) but acknowledge fome Faults and Failings in their Obedience; yet where they cannot Stretch out their Righteoufnefs, to hold Measure with the Command, that is exceeding Broad; There they'll Contract the Command; fo as to make it ftand Commenfurate, and even no more than Equal to their Righteoufnels; By their worthy Doctrine of Acceptilation: That Counterfeit Coin, Stampt in the Socinian

Mint, without any Royal Authority of Hea ven: Not upon the foundation of holy Scripture; but their own fond Conjecture: And all on purpose, to Evacuate and Superfede the Merit and Satisfaction of our Lord Jefus Christ. That there may be no Need of this; or any other Compenfation, ever to be made, to the Juftice of Heaven; But only the Sinners own Repentance: Which they take a deal of pains to prove Sufficient; without Faith in the Son of God. But ftill all their Reafonings are without Book; and run only on such a bare Prefumption, as that of the Ninivites; Jon. 3. 9. Who can tell, if God will Turn and Repent; and turn away from bis Anger; that we perish not? q. d. We do not know, but God may Abfolve and Juftify us; upon our bare Repentance: But we have no Aurance, that he will. For to all the plaufible Allegations that raife our Hopes; There are Startling Replications; to frike us down, with Fears: And no Certainty ever to be had, but only from the Divine Revelation: And That, (we are fure,) does require, not only Repentance towards God; but allo Faith towards our Lord Jefus Chrift. A&ts 20. 21. And where-ever Repentance is fingly named; yet Faith must be fuppofed. For no true Repentance, without Godly Sorrow:: And no Godly Sorrow, but what flows from the fenfe of God's Love: And what fenfe of

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his Love, but through Faith in the Beloved of his Soul? For whofe fake alone it is, that the holy Righteous God is Friends with Be lieving Sinners: and not only Kind, but Just, to Juflify the Believers on Jefus. Rom. 3. 26. The Juft Judge of all the earth was not to be Inftructed by thefe Wife men; upon what Terms to take Sinners into Favour. No, He.. has taken that way of Satisfaction; which does not at all like them. Their Mafler, (who declares, He would not Believe a thing, because God fays it; but because his own Rea fon difcerns the Truth of it;) is bold to give out, That though this were exprefly faid, over and over in Scripture, Chrift Jefus Satisfied God for our Sins; He would not Believe it. How then can we expect that they should be Determined, by the Tantamount Terms, of Propitiation, Atonement, Ransom, Redemption through his Blood: (Aúrçov,) The Price given for our Freedom : (Arliλuresv) Undergoing a like Infliction, as was to light on the Delivered: And the Fuft fuffering for the Unjust? But whether they be pleas'd with it, or no; God has better Confulted the Honour of his Law; And taken more Care to keep up the Authority of his Government; By an Inexorable Juftice done upon the Surety, that flood in the Sinners ftead: Though that Surety were no Lefs, than the Dear Son of his Eternal Love.

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And though they that Judge of God's Ways without God's Word, are of Opinion, That there was no need of a Propitiation for their Sins: Yet he has declared himself to be otherwise minded: That without Shedding of Blood there is no Remifion. Heb. 9. 22. Nor is it any manner of Blood, that will ferve the turn neither: For it is not poffible the Blood of Bulls and of Goats fhould take away Sins. Chap. 10. 4. No, nor any fort of Human Blood; (Not the Fruit of our Body, for the Sin of our Soul;) But it must be the Precious Blood of Chrift, as of a Lamb without Blemish, and without. Spot. I Pet. 1. 19. The Blood of Chrift, through the Eternal Spirit, fo Offering himself to God. Heb. 9. 14. And by that Offering, he has Perfected for ever them that are Sanctified. Heb. 10. 14. 'Tis not their own Sanctification; but his Obla tion, that gives them the Perfection. For God is well pleafed in his Holy Son, that never did difplease him; and Pleased with the Offending Children of the Meffiah, only for his fake.

It's true, He does Accept the Willing Mind, according to what they have; where the Power of Performing is wanting. 2 Cor. 8. 12. But then that Acceptance must be understood, to be ever in the Beloved; Thro'. his Merits, and upon his Account. And good is the Advice which S. Cyprian gives to all, (Nec quifquam fic fibi blandiatur, de puro 3 &

immaculato Corde; ut Innocentia fuâ fretus, medicinam non putet effe adhibendam vulneribus.) Let no one entertain fuch a high Conceit, of the Cleanness of his Heart; nor so Value himfelf upon his Integrity; as to imagine, that he has no Need of Cure for his Wounds'; To be Healed with the Stripes of his Saviour. But to this Refuge, the High and Lofty Socinians, and fome of their Affociates, think there's no Neceffity to have Recourfe. No, they expect their own Righteoufnefs fhall do greater Feats for 'em; than all the Righteoufnefs of Chrift. They'll dare to plead their Caufe, and Defend themselves, without Him. As he faid, the Pharifees did Luke 16. 15. Ye are they, which Justify your felves before men. They will have it till, That all's done well enough by them; to make up a Righteousness, fufficient, to do their business. And might not one then expect fome Superexcellent Virtue in their Righteoufnefs, above other mens;. In which they have fuch high Confidence, to do fuch mighty matters? When, alas, it is not a jot Better, for all the Prefumption. Only themselves are ftill much the Worfe fo to Contend and Struggle it out, even with God himself,. in their own Juftification. When thus they fwell their Mole-bills into Mountains; They fhall be Mountains, indeed, Big enough, to ftand in their way, to keep 'em from Chrift.

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