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and what Righteoufnefs that is which he defires to be poffeffed of, you will certainly be convinced that he is fo far from oppofing our Doctrine, that he earneftly pleads for that Righteousness we are all this while contending for.

Let us look a little back into the Occafion and Scope of thefe Words. His Defign is, in this Chapter, to fet forth the Excellency of the Chriftian Religion above the Jewish, and to fhew how mean, nay, how altogether infignificant all those Things the Jews fo much gloried in, were, in Comparison of Chriftianity. And he here reckons up all the magnificent Things they boasted of, and wherein they placed their Righteousness, and tells us, that upon thofe Accounts he had as much Reafon to be confident of his own Eftate towards God, as any of them had. If any other Man (faith he in the 4th Verfe) thinketh he hath wherein he might truft in the Flefh, I have more. I was circumcifed the eighth Day, of the Stock of Ifrael, of the Tribe of Benjamin. As touching the Law I was a Pharifee (which was the ftricteft Sect among the Fews) and as for my Zeal in the Law, I was a Perfecutor of the Church (than which nothing could be more meritorious among the Jews); and as for the Righteousness which is by the Law, I was blameless: There was no Man could fay but that I X 2

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lived up to the Precepts of the Law of Mofes, and was blameless in my Converfation, as far as the Letter of it required. But what, after all this, fhould I plead my Confidence in any of thefe Things? No, verily, (as he goes on in the 7th Verfe) but thofe Things which were Gain to me, I accounted Lofs for Chrift: That is to say, All thefe Prerogatives, my Birth, my ProfefLion, my Sect, my Reputation, my ftri& Way of Living, which might be thought to be of great Advantage to me; now that I am come to the Knowledge of Chrift, I abandon them all; I fee that they are nothing worth; nay, I account them as a Lofs, as Things like to be rather a Hindrance to me, than a Gain. Yea, doubtless, (as he goes on in the next Verfe) I account all Things but Lofs for the Excellency of the Knowledge of Chrift my Lord, for whom I have fuffered the Lofs of all Things, and I account them but Dung that I may win Chrift. And then comes in the Verse that I am now concerned with, That I might be found in him, not having my own Righteoulnefs, which is of the Law, but that which is by the Faith of Jefus Chrift, the Righteousnefs which is of God by Faith.

This is the Paffage that is brought to establish the Doctrine of imputed Righteoufnefs. This is the Text that doth fo utterly blaft all Righteousness of our own.

I pray mind what fort of Righteousness of our own that is which St. Paul here would not be found in. Is it not the Legal Pharifaical Righteoufnefs? Is it not the Righteoufnefs which is by the Law? Are not these his very Words?

I pray mind what Righteoufnefs that is that he would be found in. Is it not that Righteousness which is by the Faith of Jefus Chrift? He doth not say the Righteoufnefs of Jefus Chrift: It is not that that he would be found in; (if he had faid fo, that indeed had been to the Purpose) but that Righteousness which is by the Faith of Jefus Chrift, that is to fay, that Righteousness which is to be obtained by believing in Jefus Chrift, by becoming a Chriftian. Certain it is, that St. Paul doth not here oppose an inherent Righteousness to an imputed one; but an outward natural Righteousness, to that which is inward and wrought in a Man by the Spirit of God. The Righteoufness that he would be found in, is not the Righteousness of Christ, made his, or imputed to him; but it is a righteous, holy State of Soul, wrought in him by the Spirit of God thro' the Faith of Jefus Chrift.

The clear Senfe then of thefe Words is this; That, which above all Things I defire, is, to be found in Chrift; that is, to be a true Difciple of Jefus Chrift: Not

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having my own Righteoufnefs, which is by the Law; that is to fay, Not being content with those outward Privileges, and that outward Obedience which by my own natural Strength I am able to yield to the Precepts of the Law; (which is that Righteousness in which the Jews place all their Confidence, and by which they expect to be juftified before God) but that which is by the Faith of Jesus Christ: that is, The Righteoufnefs which I defire, and in which only I fhall have the Confidence to appear before God, is, that inward fpiritual Obedience to his Laws, which he doth require as the Terms and Conditions of his Favour and Acceptance, and which I can never attain to, but by the Faith of Chrift, by becoming a Chriftian. This is none of my own Righteousness, but the Righteoufnefs of God, as being revealed from Heaven by Jefus Chrift, and wrought in me by God's Spirit accompanying the Preaching of the Gofpel. And as it is his Gift, fo he will own it, and reward it at the laft Day. I will appeal to any Man that will carefully read this whole Paffage, whether he must not in his Confcience believe that this Account I have given is the true Senfe and Importance of the Apoftle's Words. And now, whether they make any thing against our being righteous and holy, as well as Chrift was righteous and holy; against the

Neceffity

Neceffity of walking, as Chrift walked, do ye judge.

But I am fenfible I have made too long a Digreffion upon these two Texts. But I thought it worth the while to give a plain Account of them. I now return to my Argument: And that which I have further to say upon it, fhall be dispatch'd in a few Words.

My Business is to prefs upon you the Obligation and Neceffity of following Chrift's Example, if we would approve our felves Chriftians: And in order thereunto, befides what I have before faid, I would 4 defire you to take into your Confideration these two or three Things.

First, I beseech you, confider how foi lemnly our Saviour and his Apostles call upon you to the Practice of this. As for our Saviour, I might quote many Paffages in his Difcourfes to this Purpofe; but I will only take notice of two, because I faid I would be fhort. And I mention one of them the rather, because the Beginning of it feems to favour the Pretences of thofe $ Men we have been now talking of.

The Text is in the 11th of St. Matt. v. 28, 29. There our Saviour makes a general and folemn Invitation to all' Sinners to come to him. Come unto me, faith he, all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you Reft. What Words can be sweeter

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