down our lives for the brethren, 1 John, iii. 16. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. Lastly, think of Christ's righteousness, and then you will do good works. Think of nothing, speak of nothing, love nothing but Christ. Be ravished with his delights at all times. Come nearer to the blood and righteousness of Christ. The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, that is, from one degree of faith to another: Therefore, increase in faith, live nearer to Christ; and the nearer you live to the Saviour, the farther you will be from sin, for the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us, that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works, Tit. ii. 11, 12, 13, 14. But how shall I conclude my discourse without speaking a word to you who do not yet know your interest in the Redeemer's righteousness? And what shall I say unto you? for I would not willingly say a word to discourage you, but do all I can to encourage you to believe in Christ's righteousness. We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead be ye recon- ́ ciled to God. And I beseech you, brethren suffer the word of exhortation. The righteousness of Christ is : free it is free for the chief of sinners, 1 Tim. i. 15. it is free for all who believe; therefore, only believe, and it is yours. Don't stand excusing yourselves, by saying, "We cannot believe." Faith is the gift of God, and no man hath it of himself naturally. St. Polycarp, in his epistle to the Philippians, exhorts them to take heed to the epistle St. Paul wrote them, that, saith he, " ye may be edified in the faith which is given you."* For faith is freely given us of God. Therefore, ask, and ye shall receive. If you do not believe, the fault is your own; therefore, pray do not charge it upon God. God will give you faith, if you ask it: But if you will not ask, you are justly condemned. What signifies making excuses? What signifies inventing quirks and evasions, and making this pretence and the other, to cover the infidelity of your hearts? It is no trifling matter; it is a case of necessity; and you must believe, or be cast into hell for ever. The righteousness which your own hands have wrought, is a bed shorter than that a man can stretch himself upon it, and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it, Isa. xxviii. 20. But the righteousness of the Son of God is a soft and ea-sy bed, and long enough for you to stretch yourselves upon; his active obedience is a covering broad and wide enough for you to wrap yourselves in. Wrap yourselves in this white raiment, that ye may be cloathed, and that the shame of your nakedness do not * Λυνηθήσεσθε οικοδομεῖσθαι ἐἰς τὴν δοθεῖσαν ἡμῖν ἔσιν. Polycarp. ad Philip. appear. God commands you to believe, 1 John iii. 23. This is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ-This command you are absolutely obliged to obey, or else you must perish eternally. What signifies obeying all other commands? If you do not obey this, you may as well obey none. Do not say, we have no power to obey this command; for God who commands us to believe, does also give us power to believe; if, therefore, we do not believe, we are inexcusable. He that believeth not is condemned already, John, iii. 18. It is the easiest thing in the world to believe, when a soul is enabled; and a young christian is often apt to wonder that he did not believe sooner. To believe, is to renounce all that is in us, and to live upon all that is in Christ. A true believer renounces his own merits, and lives upon the merits of Christ: He renounces his own righteousness, and lives upon the righteousness of Christ: He renounces his own sanctification, and lives upon Christ for sanctification: He renounces his own obedience, and lives upon the obedience of Christ. Only renounce all that is yours, and all that Christ hath is free for you. Are you disobedient? Then trust in the obedience of Christ. Are you unrighteous? Then trust in Christ's righteAre you unholy? Then trust in the holiness of Christ. Remember, the Lord Jesus did not die for the godly, but for the ungodly, Rom. v. 6. Christ shed his blood for you, he lived for you, he died for you, he fulfilled all righteousness for you: Do but believe, and you will find it true. Believe, though you see ousness. not. Our Saviour saith, blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believel. Therefore, believe that Christ loves you, believe that he gave himself for you, that he fulfilled the law for you, aud that he hath purchased salvation for you; although you by your natural reason see nothing at all of this. Believe, though you see no reason in yourself for so doing only depend upon the free grace of God, and you will be happy. Sinners, don't stay a moment; come to Christ immediately; cast yourselves upon him just as you are. Only venture upon Christ, and see if he will cast you out: indeed he never will. Did ever any one trust in Christ, and was confounded? Trust in him, hope in him, believe in him, and you will never be disappointed. If ye stay away from Christ longer, ye will be never the better: but the longer you stay away, the worse you will be. Do not look into yourselves for a fitness. All your fitness is in Christ. What you want, is Christ. Believe in him, and he is yours. In him dwells all fulness. Believe in Christ, and all that Christ hath is yours: his blood is yours, his wisdom is yours, his righteousness, his sanctification is yours; yea, Christ Jesus HIMSELF is yours, he is yours in this world, and in the world to come; he is yours in time, and in eternity. Even so, Amen, Lord Jesus, Amen and Amen. REGENERATION. CHAP. V. IT is the office of every minister of the gospel to. declare all the counsel of God; and not to build one evangelical doctrine upon the ruins of another; nor so to preach justification by faith, as to exclude the regeneration of the Spirit. It is good sometimes to be suspicious of our own judgment, and not too hastily to run into any thing. Est modus in rebus--Extremes are dangerous. The best way is, to keep a due medium; and not so to insist upon Christ without us, as to exclude the doctrine of Christ within us ; nor so to affirm what Christ hath done for us, as to deny what Christ does or works in us. That God works in us, is evident beyond all contradiction from Phil. i. 6. God hath begun a GOOD WORK in youfrom Phil. ii. 13. God worketh in you-from Heb. xiii. 21. God worketh in you-from 1 Thess. ii. 13. The word of God worketh effectually in you that believe. 2 Thess. i. 11. We pray that God would fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power, and 1 Cor. xii. 6. God worketh all in all. Our Saviour sets regeneration and justification |