O miferable Comforters! That would drive us out of this Refort! Wretched Chriftians! That fo Derogate from the Merits of Christ, As if they were not fit to be Relied on: Which are indeed the only Stay for a poor Sinful Soul, to take hold of: If ever that Soul would have Peace, and be at Rest. God knows what forry Keepers of the Peace we are; And how ill it is preferved, when lying only upon us: Who are every day Breaking with him, and Flying out against him; after he has been Reconciled to us. 'Tis his Peace alone, that Keeps our Hearts. Phil. 4. 7. And in me ye fhall have Peace; (faith our Lord: Job. 16. laft ver.) Not in all the best that ever you can do your felves. And therefore, 'Tis in Christ Jefus, that we muft Rejoice; and not have any Confidence in the Flefp; Phil. 3. 3. Nor be fo Hardy, as to caft our felves upon a Trial, by that Law; which will for certain Condemn us. For our Sinning against the Law, has not Freed us from it; And where-ever we come Short of Obedience to the whole Law; We are guilty of Sin, and Liable to the Curfe. Nor can we thro' vertue of the Gospel-Covenant, be Juftified by our Perfonal Righteoufnefs: Because there's no Lefs Perfect Righteoufnefs requir'd in the Gospel, than in the Law: The fame holy Rule being ftill in full force. And if we are Juftified by Inherent Righteoufnefs; Then are we ftill under the Covenant of Works: For if it be of Works; it is no more of Grace. Nay, Such as make Obedience and Perfeverance, the Condition of our Juftification, offer that which can never be accomplish'd till our Death. And fo no Juftification, (according to them,) is to be had in this Life. And then, (in the Judgment of our Church,) neither can one Good Work ever be done in this Life. For we are taught, (Art. 12.) That Works are the Fruits of Faith; and follow after Justification. And (Art. 13.) That Works done before Juftification, are fo far from being Good and pleafing to God, that they have the Na-▾ ture of Sin. And if Juftification be only a Reversion; and Sufpended for Term of Life: Where then is the Peace and Joy, which Believers have in it, as a Done

thing, already Paft? For fo the Apostle fpeaks of it; Rom. 5. 1. Being Justified by Faith, we have Peace with God. And if we are Juftified by Faith, in our Saviour's Blood; What Works then are joined with that? For what is Faith in his Blood, but a Depending upon the Meritorious Effufion of that precious Blood, for the Gratuitous Remiffion of our Sins? And if God Impute Righteoufnefs without Works; Rom. 4. 6. Then we may indeed Rejoice and Triumph in the Bleffed Effects of his Grace, already wrought in us: Which is the true Ingenuous Spirit of the Gofpel; Oppofite to that Servile Spirit; which fome are at fo much pains to bring Believers under.

And when God in Mercy, (with regard to our Neceffity, and for the Relief of our Impotency,) hath given out the Subfidiary command, provided for our Lapsed ftate, That we should Believe on the Name of his Son: (And fo Believe unto Righteousness, and to Salvation :) How do they Slight their Souls, as well as their Peace, and throw away their Salvation, together with their Confolation, that make Light of the only Mediator; and Difpute and Cavil themfelves out of their Faith: and make but a Jest of Believing in Chrift, to the Saving of the Soul! O what Madness, to reject the only fure Hold in the World, and ftand off from the only safe Refuge, where Reft is to be found for the Soul?

Men may crack of their Righteoufnefs, Good Confcience, and Innocence: And well if fuch as Boast most of it, had more to fhew for it. We plead as much as ever they can do, for it. And therefore our Doctrine can bring no one under any Danger, for the want of it. But then if it be Charg'd upon us, as our Crime; That we Caution men, from Trusting to it: We are willing to bear that Burden; And with they do not bring a far Heavier upon themfelves; Whofe turn nothing will ferve, But they muft work their own Juftification out of it. One would think their Proud Opinion should need no other Confutation, But to hear Confcience tell them their Own; What they have Done; and What they do Deferve. But if nothing fave the Tribunal of

God

God will Silence them; Thither we must Remit them. And when it comes to the Putting to, For Life and Death Eternal; I doubt not, but the Best then will foon have enough of it; And be glad to betake themfelves to another Plea. All Sophiftical Wrangling for the Merit of Works will be for ever dafh'd, aud ftruck Dead, at that Judgment-Seats Where will be no Trifling or Collufion of Words; but all fhall be Search'd and Tried to the Bottom; Before that Glorious Majeíty, whofe Brightness, (As one of our first Reformers reprefents it,) Darkens the Sun; Whofe Strength melts down the Mountains; Whose Anger Shakes the Earth; Whose Parity makes even the Heavens look Sullied; Whose Wifdom catches the Subtile in their Craftiness; Whofe Fuftice the Angels themselves cannot stand before; Whofe Wrath once kindled, burns to the Lowest Hell, and to the utmost Eternity. O let the Beft men that ever Liv'd, offer their Lives and Actions to be Scann'd, before this moft Worthy, but Dreadful, Judge Eternal, And then tell me, if Eliphaz faid too much; Job 15. 14, 15, 16. What is Man, that he should be Clean? And he that is born of a Woman, that he should be Righteous? Behold he puts no Trust in his Saints: And the Heavens are not Clean in his fight. How much more Abominable and filthy is Man; who drinketh in Iniquity like Water?

Though men may now Cavil it out with their Fellows: yet all the Defences and Confidences, how will they Vanish, at the Prefence of their Glorious Maker, when he comes to Judge the World?. And when the laft Trumpet fhall found; They'll be rouz'd out of the fine Golden Dreams of their own Riches and Righteoufnefs; and be Confounded even at the very Best Worth of their own; upon which they were wont fo much to Value themfelves; and not backward then to make David's Confeffion, Pfal. 119. 120. My Flesh trembles for Fear of Thee; and I am afraid of thy Judgment. And may not this ftain the Pride of all Glorying in any thing that we have done, or can do; And Humble the Lefty Looks, and bring down the Haughtiness of Man; That the Lord alone will be Exalted in that Dreadful

Day;

Day; And to him alone, and not to any man, fhall be all the Glory of the Salvation of every one that is Saved.

Almighty Judge, bow fhall poor Mortals brook

Thy Dreadful Look,
Able a Heart of Iron to Appall;
When thou shalt Gall

For every man's peculiar Book!

What others mean to do, I know not well,
But 1 bear tell,

That fome will turn thee to fome Leaves therein
So void of Sin,

That they in Merit fhall excell.

But I refolve, when thou shalt call for Mine,
That to Decline;

And thrust a Teftament into thy hand;
Let that be Scann'd,

There thou shalt find, my Faults are Thine.

Herb.

And if any ftill think, they can ftand well enough upon their own Legs; And are for Establishing their Own Righteousness: O Chriftians! Do not ye count it a Difparagement, to Imitate the Spouse of Chrift that is Reprefented, Cant. 8. 5. Coming up from the Wildernefs, Leaning upon her Beloved. But as your Weakness makes you all to need the Prop: So will you fhew your Wifdem in making Ufe of it. And take it not for a thing of Indifferency, but your bounden Duty. When this is the Command of God, That you should Believe on the Name of his Son Fefus Chrift. 1 Joh. 3. 23. O Bless his Name That he has given you his Son, to Believe in; And Oblig'd you to that, which is your only fure Support, and everlatting Confolation. And let no Dif. puters or Scorners abroad in the World; Nor any Unworthiness or Failings at home in your felves, ever pluck you from this Faftnefs; Nor Wrench you out of this Fiducial Affiance in the Lord, your Righteousness and your Redeemer. But look to the Bleffed Jesus; And Depend all upon him: And hope for Life, only

from

from his Death: And Truft to his Merits and Righte oufnefs alone, For the Pardon of all your Sins; For the Whole of your Acceptance with God, And all that ever you would have, to do you Good, both here and For

ever.

And thus Submitting to the Righteousness of God, And Repofing your Confidence in the Son of God; your Expectation fhall not perish: You fhall not be Abamed of your Hope: But fhall Believe, to the Quieting of your Minds, and to the Saving of your Souls.

Collect for Fifth Sunday after Epiph. and part of Sexages.

Lord, who Jeeft that we but echt out, to k in thing that we do; We beseech thee, to keep thy Church and Houfhold continually in thy true Religion; That they who do Lean only upon the Hope of thy Hea venly Grace, may evermore be Defended by thy mighty Power, Through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

FINI S.