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But fure it can be no part of their goodness to juf tify themselves, and pride it in their own righteoul ness, and remain too sturdy, ever to fubmit to the righteousness of God,' and wriggle themselves out of that meeknefs of faith, which his word makes their duty, as much as the holiness of life. But be it his word never fo plain; yet if they say it is not, but only our interpretation, that fhall be their warrant to reject it all, and cry, it is against reason, and against good life; and therefore they are wifer and better than to hear talk of it. When I thought, it had been good reafon to fubmit to God's righteoufnels,' though it might feem a difparagement to our own, and not set our weak reafon to brisk up itself above his revealed pleasure. And I thought good life hal been in no danger, by accounting his righteoufnef; better, and fitter to be confided in, than our own. But fome would make us think they are of opinion, that the talk of a good life is all, when we can fee as little of it among them, as with other men. And most of their zeal (as far as they commonly make it appear) is fhéwed, to fright men out of their faith, and fubmiffion to the righteoufness of God,' and to ir veigh and rally against the believing in Jefus, though it be to the faving of the foul. But the Lord fortifies his faithful people against all such, If. li. 7, 8. Hearken to me,' (and not to them,) ye that know righteousness, the people in whofe heart is my law: fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings: for the moth thall eat them up like a garment, and the worm fhall eat them lile wool but my rightcoufnefs fhall be for ever, ard my falvation from generation to generation.' And, chap. liv. 17. The righteoufnefs of my fervants is

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of me, faith the Lord:" and if it be of God, it shall furely ftand, whoever go about to difannul it; and if it be according to his word, for certain it is holy, and tends to his glory, whoever fpit their venom to blafpheme it. They take the wrong way to advance their opinion, or their reputation, with the believers on Jefus, when they are for ftifling faith in Chrift, to make mention of their own righteoufnefs. even their own only.

But while others run down faith, to exalt good life, we would not (for reprifals) throw down good life to fet up faith. Therefore,

2. Let none count a righteousness of their own needlefs to be poffeffed of, though they have ftill need of another to trust to. You must throw by your righteoufnefs, as no foundation for you to build upon; but never muft you throw it away, as the garment which you are to be continually cloathed withal. Though your title to heaven must not be laid all upon it, yet there is no good hoping for heaven without it; nor any living upon earth; but you will lofe yourfelves, and expofe the faith of Chrift, by your means, to be evil spoken of. And 'dead flies in the precious ointment, will give it an ill favour, and just offence, to open the blafphemers mouths. Here then must you be exceeding full of care; to walk circumfpectly, as well as to believe affuredly; and to lead a life becom ing your faith; that you may not only have the wit"nels in yourselves,' but may have others also abroad to corroborate the tellimony, when they fee the fruits fpringing out of the root in you; and, from your ight fhining before men, must be contrained to confefs you are illuminated with the beams of the Sun of righteoufnefs."

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I confefs, it is vain to talk of driving fome men out of their own righteoufnets, that which indeed they never had; but-fuch muft rather be taught, that

except they repent, they all perish; and that they must turn or die, as well as believe and live: for faith is the flight of a convinced finner to the holy all-fufficient Saviour; not only to be justified and preferved from damnation, but alfo to be fanctified, and made 'meet for the inheritance of God's faints' in the heavenly glory. And i muft tell you, that your own righteoufnefs and holiness is as neceffary, as your falvation and everlafting bleffednefs; for the un* righteous fhall not inherit the kingdom of God,' I Cor. vi. 9. And without holiness, no feeing the Lord,' Heb. xii. 14. Converfion, and becoming new creatures, and walking after the Spirit, and having the conversation in heaven, thefe are all fuch indifpenfable qualifications, that a man must have a faith againit all the word of God, who can make account to get to heaven without them.

And I fhall little regard the piece of mind that any do arrive at, in an idle, prayerlefs, or licentious way of life; for thus men may fnatch the ftolen goods, which one day they fhall answer and smart for, and find all the fine fecurity turned into the fhadow of death; and, by grace or hell, be awakened into la mentation, and weeping, and wo. They may fo bribe or baffle confcience for a while, even when the 'wrath of God abides upon them.' But though they cry peace, and all well, when they know not, or mind not, what is amifs, he will bring them to another reckoning, and not hold them guiltlefs, that can fo cafily abfolve themselves and if there be not grace and holiness, there will be no peace and happinefs. Though

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upon the right believing depends fo much our holy living here, and our eternal life hereafter; yet, as we muft fecure our falvation in the hands of our Saviour, fo must we justify and adorn our profeffion in the fight of every obferver. However true piety, as well as faith, leans upon Chrift alone, (for he is made unto us fanctification, as well as redemption;) yet where. ever his gospel in power is received by faith, it will produce the fruits of a godly life. So that they are no true believers, but falfe hypocrites, who are wicked livers; nor are they found in the faith, that abound not in its holy fruits: for Chriftians, are not to be distinguished from heathens, only by their orthodox opinion, but alfo by their exemplary conver fon, elfe will they be found in worfe cafe at last, even than thofe that were without Christ.

\To contend for his faith is a duty. True, but it is not all: nay, to cry it up in words, and dash it down in the life; to flatter his. perfon, and trample, his commands, is not to believe in him, but to rebel against him. Believers are created in Chrift Jefus to good works,' Eph ii. 10. and the mystery of faith is to be held in a pure confeience,' Tim. iii. 8. But faith is fpurious, and none of that justifying faith we contend for, if it be not a holy faith, and fuch a principle of holiness as purifies the heart, and works by love, and is fruitful in good works. To Christ indeed, and to him alone, belongs all the honour of our falvation: but then we must keep up the glory of his grace, without overthrowing the authority of his government: and where we cannot work to deferve heaven, (that we need not do, when he has done it for us ;), yet must we use the means, and take the way he has appointed, to that falvation, which

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he has merited. Nor will he that works all our works in us, perform our duties for us; nor will God for give and fave us, without the terms on our part ful-' filled: however, by his grace it is, that we do perform them; and to him we must feek still to enable us for the performance. And as we must borrow from another the righteousness which excludes all confidence of boasting; so we must have in ourselves the rightes .oufnefs which excludes all boldness in finning.

This then may confound the prefumption of fuch as think it enough to hang all upon the righteousness of Chrift, though 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 righteoufnefs is no affylum for fuch bold. traitors; but it is a fweet refort for all frail offenders, It is not for thofe that will not fet themfelves, to walk in his holy ways; but for fuch as do what they can, yet ftill find they come fhort, and offend in many things. The penitent believers, whofe defire and care, and endeavour, is to live godly in Christ Jefus,' though ftill they are fo faulty, the criminate and condemn themselves; yet he will anfwer for them, and bring them off: but the obftinate finners, who put > themselves 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; though they be never fo confident, that Christ shall save them, he will fhake them off, and never own them, but pafs the sentence of condemnation upon them.

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