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of it; And wilt not yield thy felf a Vaffal to it; But when ever thou art carried Captive by it, Thou groaneft under the Bondage; and struggleft to Regain thy Freedom; Thou fhalt be Accepted.

Thy Lord does not look for Unfinning Righteoufnefs now from thee: For if all were fo Right and well with thee; Of what use then would the Saviour be to thee? Hadft thou a full Sufficiency in thy felf; There would be an end then of Leaning by Faith upon him. He expects not, that thou fhouldest punctually answer all that ever the Law demands: But that thou shouldft Approve his Law; and have a Will prefent to do it; and Defire and ftrive still better to Fulfil it. And if thou haft a fincere Love and Refpect to all his Commands; Though thou faileft in the performance of many Particulars, he will Accept thee, and take thy Fulfilling of his Law [xalinear,] with a Gospel Mitigation; and not Exact it [xal angiear,] according to the Legal Rigor.

He would have thee Fruitful in Good works; And to let thy Light Shine before men, that they may fee 'em. Yet he expects not now the Harvest, but the Firft-Fruits of Goodness: And ftands not fo much on the Actions, as the Affections; Not on the Perfection of the Work done; But the Readinefs of Mind, and Alacrity of the Heart, that it comes from.

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The Righteoufnefs Inherent that he calls for, is not an abfolute Freedom from Evil, or a Perfection of Obedience: No, but the Confelling of thy Unrighteousness, and Bewailing thy Sinfulness; and Longing and Labouring more and more to get out of it; and to Rife to a more eminent Height of Newness of Life; And to Fill up all the Wants and Imperfections, by Faith and Affiance in the most Holy Saviour. And then tho' I dare not tell thee, (as fome do,) That Chrift has Merited this for thee, That thou shouldft be Juftified by thy Own doings, and Inherent Righteoufnels; yet I dare Affure thee, That Imperfect Services fhall be taken in Good part from thee; when thou art by Faith Intereffed in the Perfect Mediator and Redeemer. For 'tis thro' his Death, that the God of Heaven Reconciles us; and fo prefents us Holy and Unblameable, and Unreproveable in his fight: (Not upon the impoffible condition, That we never any more do Amifs; But) if we continue in the Faith, Grounded and fettled, and be not moved away from the Hope of the Gofpel. Col. 1. 21, 22, 23.

Put forth thyfelf then,to do as thou canst: And that will give thee a Teftimony of Confcience, which fhall be thy Rejoycing: In Simplicity and godly Sincerity, to have had thy Converfation in the World. 2 Cor. 1. 12. And when thy Heart Condemns thee not, for any

Wickednefs allowed in it: Then fhalt thou have Confidence towards God; and find his Kingdom within thee, to be not only Righteousness, but Peace, and Joy in the Holy Ghost. So that thou mayft take Comfort even in the Perfonal Righteoufnefs; as it is an Evidence of Grace, and of thy Implantation in the Living Vine. And thus proving thy own Work, thou mayst have Rejoycing in thy felf, and not in another. Gal. 6. 4. Unlefs it be in Him, that has made thee to Differ; and Alter'd thee fo much for the Better: Yea in Him, who (according to that New Covenant, which thou art under,) has promis'd to put his Law, not only in thy Mind, (to Think of it;) but in thy Heart; (to Delight in it:) And cause thee to walk in his Statutes, and to keep his Judgments, and do them; Ezek. 36. 27. And (for what thou faileft,) To be Merciful to thy Unrighteoufness and thy Sins; and remember thy Iniquities no more. Heb. 8. 10, 12. Thou haft Encouragement then, to go on chearfully with thy duty; Though it be attended with frailty: And Delight to do the Will of God, according to the proportion of thy ability.

But having done thy Beft, Yet Trust to nothing that thou doft: Nor Miftake thy Way, for thy Journey's End. No, Let thy Saviour alone ftill have the Honour; to be thy Refuge and Fortrefs, thy Tower of Defence, and Rock of Salvation: Where thou

layeft

layeft up all thy Hope; and on which thou haft all thy Dependance. Nor think it enough to imitate them, who make him no other Amends, for fharing his Honour, in Satisfying for themselves; but only to fhut up their Collects, Per Jefum Chriftum Dominum noftrum. (As the Acute Pemble perfringes the Romish Faith:) 'Tis not fuch a Formality, that will pay him his due Glory. But even when thou doft the best Service to him: Yet must thou Repofe all thy Hope and Confidence in him. And as thou must not fo Depend upon his Mercy, as to neglect the Care of thy Duty: So neither have fuch Dependance on any of thy Duties, as to caft away thy Truft in his Mercies. Only give Duty and Obedience their due place and Office, under thy Lord Redeemer : But afcribe not the Work and Glory of Chrift to any the best of thy Works; Set them not in Competition with him; much lefs in Oppofition to him: To make them the Price of Redemption, or Meritorious of thy Salvation. O never think to fet up fuch a Righteousness of Works; as fhall Satisfy the Juftice of Heaven: Without being Beholden to the Satisfaction of Chrift Jefus. But humbly bewailing thy own Unrighteousness, Plead the Righteoufnefs of thy Savicur; as that wherein thou wouldst be Found; And by which thou refolveft ever to Abide.

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For (according to the Belgic Confeffion,) We shall ftrait be Overwhelmed with the Majesty of God; If we prefent our felves before it, Trußing either to our felves, or to any other Creature. And there will be nothing but Doubting and Wavering; And the Confcience always Staggering and in Torment; Without an entire Reliance on the Satisfaction of Jefus Christ.

And fo the Church of Bohemia, Chrift alone is our Perfection and Fulfilling of the Law; Our Life and our Righteousness; And whosoever Receive him by Faith, And. repofe the Truft of their Souls in him; Have all their. Sins wash'd away in his Blood. So that after they need not fear Condemnation.

And the Council of Aufpurg does not Mif-callit, Pharifaick Blindness, to Mif-like the Doctrine of Juftification by Faith; which Extols the Honour of Chrift; Offers Sweet and fure Confolation to Godly minds; Teaches the true Knowledge of God's Mercy: Produces his right Worship and Eternal Life.

And accordingly, have all thofe Proteftant Churches in the World, The Confeffions of whofe Faith I have feen, Signified their Senfe of this Doctrine. A Doctrine that quells our Fears: and Raifes our Souls; from Jealoufy of the Lord's Mercy, to Rejoice in Hope of his Glory; From Groaning under the Body of this Death; To Sing Praife unto God, that gives us the Victory thro' our Lord Jefus Chrift.

But they that fet men to dig Juftification, out of the Mines of their Own Righteoufnefs, Pufh 'em upon an impoffible Task; and Stretch Confcience upon a Tormenting Rack; To Sting and Wound; Without offering any true Eafe and Healing: Propofing such a Method of Juftification, wherein it can never be Effected: And yet Infifting peremptorily upon it; That fo it must be done; Whipping and Spurring poor Creatures, to Carry Mountains; For which, when they fee their utter Infufficiency, Thus their Peace is Ruined; And there they are left in doleful Distress, and Defperate Agony; And fo Frighted from Reliance on the Bleffed Jefus ; That they scarce dare turn their Heads to Look that Way.

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