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and mind and might; and ones Neighbour as ones felf. And what can any Believers under the Gospel do more? How then can I fubfcribe to the Affertion of a Modern Writer, That the Law of Mofes tended to make men no more than Outwardly Righteous: And that the Obligation of it extended no further than to the Outer man? And who will think, fo bafely of God's Pure and Righteous Law, that a man might fulfil it, and yet be a Hypocrite? When the very Best Works that ever we can do, are all required by this Law. And yet they are Excluded from the Honour of Effecting our Juftification before God, Because ftill they are Imperfect: And therefore Short of what the Law requires. And if all our own Works are excluded: Sure it must be understood of our Good Works. For what pretence can be for the Bad? And who would expect to be Juftified, for doing Wickedly? Yea, where St. Paul excludes Works from Justifying the Sinner, How can we fuppofe him to mean Works of the Mofaick Law, as fuch; When the Famous Example, which he produces, to ftrengthen his Doctrine, [Abram,] was Dead above 300 years before that Law was given? And when the Gentiles, whofe Apostle he was, and to whom he writes of this matter, were never Under it, but without it. How much befide the purpose then had it been, to diffuade them

from

from a Conceit of Juftification by that Law, which they could never pretend to?

Nay, in the matter of Juftification, he Difclaims his own Works, done after his Converfion; as well as thofe done before it. I Cor. 4. 4. Gal. 2. 16. and Phil. 3. 9. And the Evangelical Obedience, Is it not ftill Our Righteoufnefs; Because we are Bound to do it: And it is wrought In us; and By us: Though done in Faith, and not without the Influx of God's Grace; Yet it is Our Work; as far as any thing of the Creatures can be called their Own: For in God we Live and Move; And be Works all our Works in us; Even thofe of Nature, as well as of Grace. And upon the very fame account, as fome would make the Works of Believers Meritorious; Our Apoftle fhuts them all out, Eph 2. 10. Even because we are God's Handywork, Created to 'em. And even the Juft Jhall Live, not by their Works, but by their Faith. Gal. 3. 11. Nor for any fuppofed Worthiness that is in them: But by their Believing in Him, who indeed is Worthy. Still he would have all that Renounced, which fuggefts matter of Boafting: As do the works of a Believer; and that more than of another; because his works are Better. And though they be done by God's Gift and Help; yet if we were Justified by 'em, we might Glory in 'em. So did the Pharifee; Luke. 18. 11. Though he Magnified himself; and look'd

with a Supercilious Difdain upon others; and ftands upon Record for a Proud Boafter: yet he fo far own'd the Lord, and afcrib'd all to him; as to cry, God I thank thee, that I am not fo and fo.

And indeed fuch as plead for Works done by the Grace of God, to Juttify them, may as well plead, That all manner of Works, without distinction, (counted good) should Justify them. Because they ule fo to confound Nature and Grace; That, according to them, evena man's Rational Faculty; and his Natural Ability to work at all, is as much of Grace, as any peculiar Qualification wrought by the Holy Spirit. And fo we must leave them, (if they will,) to quarrel the Apoftle, for making any difference at all, between our Own Righteousness, and the Righteoufnels of God.

However, When 'tis the Mercy of God, and the Merit of Christ that Juftifies the Undeferving: Methinks it is no fair Thanking the Lord, for Enabling them to do any Good Works; to go and let those Works in the place of his Grace; and give them the Honour due to that. And I must confefs,. It would be as Difingenuous and Wicked to Arrogate this Glory of Juftification to our Faith; which others confer upon their Works. For though Faith Dignifies us, in Receiving that Righteoufnefs of our Saviour, by which we are Juftified; and by which the Imperfection of our Works is Covered, and our

own

own Righteousness made fignificant, to stand us in any ftead: Yet all this while, It is not Faith, as our Work; No, but only as the Veffel, which God gives us, to Receive the Treafure. And in it felf, what is it, but like an Earthen Pot, fill'd with Gold and Jewels? And then if Faith it felf, by which we are faid to be Juftified; (As it apprehends the Righteousness of Chrift which does it ;) Yet has fo poor a Share in the matter: (though it be all that can be done on our Parts;)O what part or Honour will here be left for Works; which the Apostle utterly excludes: As having nothing to do in the Business of Juftification: But only come after, as the Fruits and Confequents of that Faith, which does the work?

All this I do here fo much Inculcate: Because I know what pains the Self Fufticiaries are at ftill, to bring in fomewhat of their Own, to do the bufinefs: And how much they are aggrieved, to be ftript of all their Own Plumes; that Chrift may be All in All. If they cannot get it one way, they will have it another. If one fort of Self-Righteousness will not do, for their Juftification, another fhall. Thus they go about to fet up fome Righteousness of their Own. And they will not be put off it: But Attempt it over and over. Like one that would (sl) Set upa Dead Carcass, to Stand by itself: But that will not Fadge; It cannot be Accom

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plish'd. However ftill they are Trying at the Unfeasible thing: And this they would fain have to do their business; without any Righteousness of Christ, Imputed to 'em.

And fo [They have not Submitted themselves to the Righteoufness of God.] That which is of his Chufing and Ordaining, they do not Approve, and like well of it: They will not Yield and Subscribe to it; as the Best and Only way of Salvation. No, but they Difpute and Cavil, and are full of their Exceptions against it. They find great Fault with it: And they make but even a mere Mock of it. 'Tis Foolishness to them, To look for Life and Salvation, from another's Death and Paffion. To be fo Beholden to the Son of God, And take all as a Gratuity from Him; This will not down with the Stout Stomachs; So to receive the Kingdom of God, as Little Children; (which our Saviour fays all muft do, that will enter there;) They will not be fuch Babies. No, They think themselves to be more Men; and to know Better things. They will not therefore Vouchsafe to Yield unto God's Way of Juftifying and Saving Sinners; only through the Merits and Righteousness of his Son, apprehended and applied by their Faith.

And thus 'tis exprefs'd here, [Will not Submit,] To fhew, with how much ado the Natural man is brought to Accept of Mercy and Happiness at God's Hands, for Chrift's

fake.

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