Christ Crucified, Sermon 53
SERMON LIII.
ISAIAH LIII.XI.
Verſe 11. —By his knowledge ſhall my righteous ſervant juſtifie many, &c.
THere is (as I ſaid lately) nothing of greater Concernment to a Sinner to know; then theſe two, 1. What it is, that ſatisfies Juſtice; and makes a Sinner acceptable before God? 2. To know how that may be attained, or what way it is applyed? And this verſe, ſhortly, but very clearly anſwers both. 1. That which Satisfies Juſtice, is the travel of Chriſts ſoul, or His Sufferings. 2. The way how this is Applyed, Derived, or Communicat, is ſet down in the latter part of the verſe, By his knowledge ſhall my righteous ſervant juſtifie many, for he ſhall bear their iniquities; This is the effect of Chriſt's Sufferings, that many by them ſhall be Abſolved from the Guilt of Sin, and from the Curſe; And this is the way, how theſe many come to be thus Abſolved; It is by believing on Him, for thus His Satisfaction is accounted theirs, as if they themſelves had Satisfied. We propoſed the laſt day, this Doctrine to be ſpoken to from the Words; That there is a way through Faith in Chriſt, and reſting on His Sufferings, by which a Sinner, obnoxious to Gods Curſe, may attain to be Juſtified, and declared free before the Throne of God; This Doctrine implyes theſe Two things in general. 1. That there is ſuch a thing poſſibly attainable by a Guilty Sinner, as Juſtification. 2. That Juſtification is to be attained allanerly by Faith in Chriſt Jeſus, reſting on His Righteouſneſſe. By his knowledge ſhall he justifie many; As there is a neceſſity to be Abſolved, ſo there is a neceſſity to take this way for Abſolution; becauſe this, and this only is holden out to be the way, how Juſtification is attained; It's by Chriſts knowledge, which in ſhort is by Faith in Him.
We diſcourſed ſomewhat of the poſitive part of this Truth the other day; Which is of great Concernment; the underſtanding thereof, being the very hinge of the Goſpel, and that wherein, in a ſpecial manner the Goſpel, and Coven…nt of Grace differs from the Law, and Covenant of Works, and pointing out a way for coming by Righteouſneſſe, and Life through Chriſt; in oppoſition to the Law, as a Covenant of Works, that holds out a way to Righteouſneſſe, and Life, through our own performances.
We touched alſo at ſome Uſes of the Doctrine, for directing of you, to the believing uſe-making of Chriſt, for coming at Peace with God; It would follow now, that we ſhould ſpeak a little to that Uſe of Refutation, that flows natively from this Doctrine; For if this be the way, and the only way of the Juſtification of a Sinner before God, to wit, by, or through Faith in Chriſts Righteouſneſſe: Then all theſe wayes that lead not Sinners to reſting on Chriſt's Righteouſneſs alone, for Juſtification and Peace, muſt be inconſiſtent with the Goſpel, and ſo to be rejected, and abhorred, whether they be in Doctrine, or in Practice; And we chooſe the rather to ſpeak a Word to this, becauſe it will clear the Doctrine of Juſtification by Faith the more; when we come to ſee, and conſider theſe Corruptions, and Errors that are foiſted in by Heterodox Men, in this great Truth of God, to the Perverting, and Corrupting thereof; And it will the more provoke us to thankfulneſſe to God, who hath graciouſly delivered us from theſe Snares, Errors, and Corruptions; An Error and miſtake here, about the Subſtance of this Truth, being ſuch, as though we held all other Truths incorrupted, will ruine us.
There are, we ſuppoſe, Four Sorts of Errors eſpecially, that contradict this grand Truth, an…nt Juſtification, by Faith in Chriſts Righteouſneſſe, to which we ſhal ſpeak a little. The 1. is, That old rooted Error of Papists, who, in this Point, …nervat, and overturn the whole way of the Goſpel; And becauſe this is it that great part of the Chriſtian World hath been deluded with; though it be in thoſe dayes, little thought of by many, and becauſe it is not one ſingle Error, but as it were a Chain of very Momentuous, and Fundamentall Errors, We ſhall inſiſt … little, in laying it out before you; and ye would not ſo much look on it, as a controverſal, or meerly ſpeculative, as a groſly practicall Error, and ſuch as is naturally rooted in all Men; ye would alſo look upon it, with holy fear, and jealouſie over your ſelves, left inadvertantly ye ſlide into it; and withall, ye would look on it, and make uſe of it, as a Motive, to provoke you to love the Truth the more, and to be as I ſaid, the more thankful to God, who hath fred you from that dark, heavy and comfortleſſe way of Juſtification by Works, which is now impoſſible.
It may be that this Error of Papiſts will not be thought much of by ſome; when they hear that they ſpeak of Juſtification by Chriſt, and by His merits, and by Faith, as well as we Proteſtants do; But it's the more dangerous, that they do ſo; And therefore, ere I ſhew you their way of Juſtification; and the inconſiſtancy of it with the Goſpel, I would have you to advert to theſe Three things. 1. That in this matter of Juſtification, though Papiſts acknowledge the name, yet they do not acknowledge the thing it ſelf; and ſo upon the matter, the Controverſie is not ſo much, what Juſtification is, as whether there be ſuch a thing, as Juſtification at all, taking it to be a thing diſtinct from Sanctification, and Regeneration; which they in effect deny; For if the Form Conſtitute Juſtification, and if to them, the Form of Juſtification, be the infuſing of habitual Grace in the Soul, then it's nothing different from Regeneration, and Sanctification, and therefore, when they ſpeak of Juſtification, they ſpeak of it in this ſenſe; For a Juſtified Perſon to them, is a Man renewed, and made Holy, even as to califie, or heat water, is to make that hot which before was cold; ſo Juſtification to them, is to make a ſinful Perſon Juſt, becauſe of inherent Righteouſneſſe in himſelf. 2. When they ſpeak of Juſtification, they make of a two-fold Juſtification. The 1. whereof is, that which they call the Juſtification of a wicked Perſon, or of an unrenewed man, when Grace is at firſt infuſed into him, which they grant a man cannot of himſelf condign…y merit: The 2d. is of a man growing, or increaſing in Grace, when he attains to more Grace, and to more G…ory; Grace and Glory being of the ſame Nature, (wherein they and we do not differ,) And to this Second, Juſtification, they make neceſſary a Mans proper merit of Works; for they ſay, that the firſt Juſtification will not do a mans turn, who is come to age, though to a child it be ſufficient; becauſe their attaining of Glory, who are at Age, is the proper hire of their Works, which ſuppoſes Holineſſe; And therefore, when they ſay, that Chriſts merit procures Juſtification, their meaning is, that it procures the Firſt Juſtification, but not the Second; That is in effect to ſay, that it buyes habitual Grace, as a Stock to a Man, wherewith he may Trade; but when they come to ſpeak of H…aven, and Glory, which is obtained (as they ſay) by the Second Juſtification, that is come at by the Mans own trading with that Stock of habitual Grace; And ſo the Mans Trading, or Tr…ffiquing with his Stock comes in, as that …bich procures, wines, and merits the Prize. 3. Though they uſe the ſame names that we uſe, as of Faith, and Pardone, or Remiſſion of ſin, yet there is very great dif…erence betwixt them and us, as to the thing; for they count nothing to be Faith but Hiſtorical Faith; which the Devils have; and for Remiſſion of Sin; They divide, and diſtinguiſh betwixt the removing, or remiſſion of the blot of Sin, and the removing, or remiſſion of the puniſhment of Sin; And they ſay, that in the Firſt Juſtification, the Blot of Sin is expelled, by the …fuſing of habitual Grace, even as Darkneſs is expelled by the coming in of Light; but as to the Puniſhment of Sin, they leave a Man to ſatisfie in part for himſelf, after his Juſtification.
Now, (as we ſaid) Becauſe there is not one Error, or two here, but a Concatenation, or Chain of many Errors; Therefore, for further clearing of the Truth, and diſcovering of theſe Errors; Ye would conſider, That when the queſtion is propoſed, this is the great ſtate of it; what that is on which a Sinner may ground his Peace before the Tribunal of God Juſtice, as a ſolid Defenc…, to anſwer all the Challenges of the Law, and whereupon he may expect to be Abſolved, and admitted to Heaven? They ſay, that it's inherent Holineſs, wherewith a Mans Soul is Sanctified, Renewed, and made conform to the Image of God, which (ſay they) is o… that nature, that it cannot but make the Perſon acceptable to God; ſo that in coming before Gods Tribunal of Juſtice, he hath in himſelf wherewith to anſwer all his Challenges, or all the Challenges that the Law can bring againſt his inward, and habitual Grace, and Sanctification; It is true, they grant that God works this Grace in them; and that Men are not naturally born with it; And that Chriſts merit procures the beſtowing of this Grace; but yet they ſay, though a Man do not merit this fi…ſt Grace, yet he muſt diſpoſe himſelf for it, by the exerciſe of his Free Will. Faith, Almsdeeds, and the like; and that ſo he makes himſelf congruouſly meet for, and capable of Sanctification, and habitual Gr…ce, without which God does not beſtow it: And, if we look to the Inſtrumental Cauſe, they take in the Sacraments of Baptiſme, Pennance, and extream Unction, as means whereby God works that Grace (and that as they ſay, by the very work wrought) if he be a Man come to Age, and if there be not opportunity of getting the …acrament, he hath it in his Vow, which comes in place of the S…crament; by which m…ans, they have theſe Two effects. The Fi…ſt, is a poſitive bringing in of Gr…ce into the Soul, The Second, is privative, whereby the Blot, or Spot of Sin, as H a… expells Cold, or Light expells D…rkneſs; And this they call Remiſſion of Sin, when Grace ſhuts, and drives it ou…, ſo that the Soul is not polluted with it: And becauſe all this takes in but the guilt of Sin, which they ſay is removed in the First Juſtification; They have a Second Juſtification, whereby they ſay that the puniſhment of Sin is removed, and whereby they merit Glory; And here came in their Dotations, Faſtings, Pilgrimages, Perigrinations, &c. Whereby they make amends to God; and becauſe they cannot win to make a full amends here; They have their Purgatory, and Soul-maſſes; And ſo they have not only God to Satisfie, for the wrongs which they have done to Him, but Heaven to procure by their own merits; for they lay down this a ground, that Glory in it's full being, the proper reward of merit, which, ſay they, is not founded on God's Promiſe, for that were to merit Congruouſly only, and not Condignally; nor is it founded on Chriſt's merit, for that were to reward His merit, which to them is abſurd; though they grant an intrinſick worth to be in both: But it's merit in ſtrict Juſtice on, and by which, they expect Heaven and Glory; and having Heaven (as we ſay) to procure by their own Merit, becauſe they cannot thus Merit it, eſpecially if Mans Nature be looked on as corrupted; they invent two things, or forge, two divices for that. 1. To deny Concupiſcence to be Sin; And 2. To diſtinguiſh betwixt Mortal, and Venial Sins; and Venial Sins they make to be conſiſtent with Merit, in which they take in a world of things, as not deadly; And if a Man have not Merit enough of his own, they have a Treaſure of Merits of many Saints, who have Satisfied for more than their own Guilt amounted to, and have merited more than Heaven to themſelves; And the Pope being by them ſuppoſed to have a right, and power to diſpenſe theſe Merits; he gives to them that want, a right to ſuch and ſuch a Saints Merits: And when all is done, they confeſſe that this way of Juſtification is not certain; that it cannot give Peace; that it may be loſt, and that being loſt, it cannot be recovered, but by a new Grace gotten by the Sacrament of Pennance: the very rehearſing of which things may let you ſee, how unlike their Juſtification is to the Goſpel; and to the way of Juſtification that it layes down; and what ground of thankfulneſs ye have to God, who hath not only contrived, but revealed unto you, a more ſolid and comfortable way of Juſtification: 1. Though their way hath much Pains, Labour and Toil in it; yet ye ſee what it amounts to, and how much Uncertainty, Anxiety, and Horror do accompany it, neither do they ever attain to Juſtification before God by it. And this is the 2d. thing we would ſpeak a Word to, even to ſhew that this way of Juſtification is inconſiſtent with the Goſpel; and that wherein a Soul can neither have ſolid Peace nor Comfort, and we ſhall ſpeak a little to this. 1. In general, and then 2. More particularly: 1. In general, their way of Juſtification, is the very re-eſtabliſhing of the Covenant of Works; For it ſuppoſeth, that God hath conditioned Life to none, but on condition of their Works, which in their value are Meritorious; It is true, they First allow to Chriſt's Merit this much, that He hath thereby procured this Merit to their Works. And 2. that He hath procured to them habitual Grace, to work theſe works; though (as we ſaid before,) they muſt diſpoſe themſelves for that Grace, but that doth not alter the nature of a Covenant of Works, ſeing the terms are ſtill the ſame: For conſider Adam before the fall, he was to expect Life, according to the terms of that Covenant; Do this and live, and here the terms of the Covenant are the ſame, though their uſe be different; and if the Scriptures ſo oppoſes theſe two; That if it be of grace, it is no more works, and contrarly, then ſure this way of Juſtification, that puts a Man to the ſame terms of the Covenant that Adam had to expect Life by, muſt neceſſarily be inconſiſtent with the Goſpel; This will be the more clear, if we conſider, how they themſelves illuſtrat their Meriting by … Works of the Saints, by Adam his Mer…ng of Life while he ſtood; the which Meriting flows from an intrinſick worth in the Works themſelves, without reſpect to Chriſt's Merits; And if the Covenant of Works hath theſe ſame terms, then their Juſtification, no doubt, muſt be a Re-eſtabliſhing of that Covenant. 2. The Scripture ſpeaks of our obtaining of our Juſtification, and Righteouſneſſe alwayes in this ſenſe, to wit, by Gods imputing the Righteouſneſſe of Chriſt to us, not only for coming at the firſt Grace, but for attaining Heaven and Glory; It's that which Paul leans to, when he comes before God, Phil. 3. That I may be found in him, not having mine own righteouſn ſs, which is by the Law, but the righteouſneſs which is through the faith of Chriſt; He layes by the one, and betakes himſelf to the other, as his only defence, and that whereon he doth ground his Plea before God; Now this being the Scripture way of Juſtification; and their way being quite contrare to it; (for if they were aſked, how think ye to anſwer before God? they behoved to ſay, by the merits of our good Works) It muſt needs be inconſiſtent with the Grace of the Goſpel; and that which Paul would by no means hazard his peace upon: We will find nothing more frequently mentioned in Scripture, for the making of our peace with God, then Covenanting with God, the imputation of Chriſt's Righteouſneſs, and Juſtification by Faith; But all …heſe Three are here in their way of Juſtification, ſhut out, and excluded; For they have no ſuch thing as Covenanting, they ſcorn the imputation of Chriſts Righteouſneſſe, as but a putative and imaginary thing, and they cannot endure Juſtification by Faith.
But 2dly, and more particularly, Behold and conſider, how univerſally it corrupts, and even deſtroyes the Doctrine of the Goſpel: 1. It corrupts and deſtroys the nature of Grace; for it hangeth it on mans free will, he muſt diſpoſe himſelf for it, and it gives him liberty to chooſe, or reject it as he pleaſeth; and it makes t…at to flow from man himſelf, that ſatisfies Gods Juſtice, as if Remiſſion of Sins were not free; And in the Second, Juſtification and Admiſſ…on to Heaven and Glory. It utterly excludes Grace, and takes in Merit, and makes Heaven the proper rewa…d of Mans own Merit. 2dly. It enervats the Merit of Chriſt, and His Purchaſe, though it ſeem in words to acknowledge it; Becauſe it neither admits of the Merit of Chriſt, as the Satisfaction to Juſtice, by which the puniſhment is taken away; nor to be that by which Life is procu…ed; but it takes in Works, Satisfaction by Pennance, Whippings, Pilgrimages, &c. And all that it leaveth to Chriſts Death, is the procuring of a new Covenant of Works, and the buying of a Stock of habitual Grace to Man to ſend for himſelf; but it layes not the removing of the puniſhment, on Chriſt as our Cautioner, in our name ſatisfying the Juſtice of God for our Sins, but it leaves it on our ſelves, and on our keeping the Covenant of Works; as that whereto the Promiſe is made. 3dly. It overturns the nature of Gods Covenant, for either it makes no Covenant at all, or it transforms the Covenant of Grace into a Covenant of Works; putting us to expect Life through the Merits of Works; For they will have no Promiſe of Life to be made on condition of Chriſts Merit, laid hold upon by Faith; but on condition of our own Works alone; For though they pretend that it may be called Chriſt's Merit, becauſe, ſay they. He hath procured Grace to work theſe Works; yet in effect their way of Juſtification, is to reſtore us to that Covenant which Adam had, and to ability to keep the ſame terms, though, as we ſaid the riſe be different. 4ly. It's inconſiſtent with our natural State; for it ſuppons Man before Converſion to have a free-will to good, and ability to diſpoſe himſelf to receive Grace, and gives him a hand in turning himſelf to God; as if he were not dead in Sins and Treſpaſſes; and ſo the ſoveraignity of Grace is bounded, and limited to wait on a Man ſo diſpoſed, and ſo diſpoſing himſelf. 5ly. It deſtroyes the nature of Gods Law, as if it were conſiſtent with His holy Law, to have ſuch and ſuch Luſts abounding within, and did not exact a reckoni…g for ſuch branches of it, as they call Venial Sins. 6ly. It overturns the Scripture Doctrine concerning Sin, for it makes many Sins to be in effect no Sins. 7. It corrupts and deſtroyes the nature of the Sacraments; and makes new Sacraments, that God never appointed; and gives them power to work that which God nev…r gave them; as if the very works wrought did confer Grace. 8ly. It is inconſiſtent with the Juſtice of God; as if forſooth, ſuch poor Triffiles, and Toyes as theſe which they invent were ſatisfaction enough to his Juſtice; yea, as if ſome men could more then ſatisfie Juſtice, and could not only merit Heaven to themſelves, but alſo help to merit it to others; and as if God were bound in proper Juſtice to the Creature; and that not only on the account of this Promiſe, but alſo, if not mainly on the account of Merit of Condignity: All theſe things are involved in this Popiſh way of Juſtification, and inconſiſtent with the Truth of the Goſpel; And we have touched on them, to let you ſee, that it is not one Error that is here, but a complication of Errors; And truely, if there be not an abhorrency at Popery, becauſe of this groſs Error in Juſtification, there is but little ground to expect, that Men will keep at ſuitable diſtance from it in other things.
And therefore, from what hath been ſaid, take a few Directions, as your Uſe of it; and if we were tender, it might do us good, now and then to get a little view of ſuch Errors. 1. Then ſee here the neceſſity of being more diſtinct, and clear in Gods way of Juſtification; in the way how peace is made betwixt Him and a Sinner, when we ſee how many Errors follow, and creep in after one Error; and when we conſider, how Popiſh Prieſts, and Jeſuits are moving, and how this ſame Error which hath ſo many Errors with it, is ſtealling in, ye had much need to be well acquainted with the Truth, and to be guarding your ſelves againſt Errors, eſpecially, when ſome lay ſo little weight on it, that they call it a ſtriving about words, which ſayeth, that there is but little abhorrence of the thing; I am apt to think, that the moſt part of them that are called Chriſtians, could not well tell how to expoſe Popery, Armenianiſme, or Antinomianiſme, if they were tempted to imbrace them, or any other Erronious Hereſy; And when withall we conſider, how naturally we are inclined to ſhuffle by the Covenant of Grace; and to cleave to the way of Works, or to turn the Covenant of Grace into a Covenant of Works; we would try well, what we incline to in this point, whether in our Judgement, or in our Practice, leaſt we fall from that which is right, in practice at leaſt, if not in opinion alſo: I intreat you to ſtudy this, as a main point of Chriſtian Religion; even that ye may know, and be clear in your knowledge of the way how God accepts of and juſtifies a Sinner. 2dly. Know that this Error of Popery in particular, is not of ſo little concernment as many think it to be; It's a wonder that Men ſhould think, differences about matters of Religion to be ſo light, and ſo little a matter, as if it were but the change of outward ceremonies, or of Words; Hence it comes to paſſe, that there is ſo little Care and Zeal to prevent the riſe, and ſpreading of Errors: We ſhal only commend to you Three things for guarding you in reference to this Error. 1. Siſt your ſelves often before the Tribunal of Gods Juſtice, till your hearts be brought under ſuitable impreſſions of Gods Holineſſe, and Juſtice; of the ſeverity and ſtrictneſſe of his Law; and of the neceſſity of your anſwering to it in your own Perſons, or in the Perſon of a Cautioner; And then conſider what will be your defence in ſuch a poſture. 2dly. Carry alwayes alongſt with you the impreſſion of your Original Sin, and Natural Corruption; and of the ſinfulneſs of your Practices; This will make you loathſome, and abominable in your own eyes, and Chriſt precious, and ſuch a Soul will not be in ſuch hazard of putting his own merits in the room of Chriſt's. 3. Think upon that which in Gods offer is preſented to you, as the way of making your Peace; Though ye would ſtudy Holineſſe, in order to that end, when ye are ſo ſinful, and when Divine Juſtice is ſo ſevere; It looks not like the way to Peace; But when ye conſider Gods offer in this Goſpel, as it is held forth, Act. 13.38, 39. Be it known unto you men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you forgiveneſs of ſins, and by him, all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be juſtified by the law of Moſes; And the invitation that is given. Iſa. 55. to them that have no money to come and buy freely, without money, and without price; And ſee God tabli…g His call on another ground than your Holineſſe; and putting in your offer Jeſus Chriſt, and His Righteouſneſſe; It's a raiſing and rouſing up of the Soul, to expect Abſolution before the Throne of God, on a more ſolid foundation; that will bear it's weight: We would beware of taking that way of Juſtification, and of making our Peace with God, that ſeems to be moſt rational like to our corrupt nature; for as many ſay, to be ſorry for Sin, to ſtudy to make amends, and to do what they dow, ſeems to be the moſt reaſonable way, and agrees beſt with our corrupt nature; but that is not it which will do your turn, but the way which God hath holden out; and that is, by His knowledge, by Faith in the Righteous Servant. 3dly. See here, how much we are obliged to God, for holding out to us the right way to Life; If ye look to many Nations abroad; the way to Life is holden out to them on this ground, even their own inherent Holineſs, their own Good Works, their giving of conſiderable parts of their Eſtates, their Pennances, &c. Which yet can never quiet the Conſcience nor Satisfie Gods Juſtice; Yea our own Predeceſſours in this Nation were drowned in the ſame Errors; And we were as fooliſhly, and ſenſleſly ſuperſtitious, as the Inhabitants of any other Nations, before the Light of the Goſpel brake up among us; accounting ſuch and ſuch Sins to be do Sins, leaning to their Merits, to the Merits of Saints, to Indulgences, Soul-maſſes, Whippings, and a nu…ber of things of that kind; And now that God hath mercifully fred us of theſe foolries, how much are we obliged to him? Hath ever Scotland been thankfull as it becometh for this mercy? We do, by our unthankfulneſſe, darken and obſcure the freedom of Grace, that by this Goſpel is preached unto us; And there needs no other evidence of it but this; That many are to this day as ignorant of the way of Juſtification of Sinners, and as abſtract from, and as great ſtrangers to the right way of making uſe of Chriſt's Righteouſneſs as if it had never been revealed unto them; or if they know, and can ſpeak any thing of it, all the uſe that they make of it, is to turn the Grace of God into wantonneſs; And, becauſe Holineſs is not the ground of making their Peace with God, to take the more Liberty to Louſneſs: Theſe are not Fruits of the Goſpel, other Fruits muſt be brought forth; or elſe ye will repent it, when ye cannot mend it: Let it therefore affect you, that God is ſo ill requite for His goodneſs; and ſtudy to be more thankfull to Him, that we may ſpeak of theſe Truths, and diſcover their Errors, and that we are not Judicially blinded as many other People and Nations are. 4ly. Pitie them that are lying under darkneſs of their Deluſions and Errors, and pray for them; It's a ſore matter, that the moſt part of the Chriſtian World ſhould have the Name of Chriſtians, and yet ſhould maintain ſuch Doctrine; and lay down, and hold ſuch a way, as keepeth from benefit by Chriſt Jeſus; yea, as denyes on their matter, that He is come; For this is indeed the Spirit of Antichriſt, and of the Man of Sin, that takes Souls off from Chriſt; and yet how few make conſcience to pray for theſe poor people; and that God would purſue the whoore, and brake up, and ſkell that Market ſpoken of, Revel. 18. And would diſcover His Truth, and make His Goſpel to be purely preached to them, that are fitting in the Region of Darkneſs, and in the Shadow of Death; ye would pity bound up, and impriſoned Souls, in this Error and pray for their reclaiming, and that God would keep this Land from it; It's an old ſeated, and rooted Error, and the reſt are but foolries, in compariſon of it; This is the Devils great ingine and arme, others are but vapourers, to ſay ſo, which may tell us that ſpeaking, and hearing of ſuch a buſineſs is not altogether uſeleſſe: What if the day ſhould come, that all our Bibles, and every Engliſh Book that ſerves to hold out Truth, and to diſcover Error ſhould be taken from you, and ordered to be burned, and that Books ſtuffed with their Errors ſhould come in their room? Many of you think little, or nothing now of the Light and Liberty of the Goſpel which ye enjoy, but if Heaven be of ſo much worth, this Goſpel is of much worth to you, and this Truth of it in particular. 5ly. Let not this Goſpel be preached for nought; O! receive not this Grace in vain; that is, this Grace offered to you in the Goſpel, and the clearing of ſuch Truths to you. O! What a challenge, and aggravation of our Guilt will it be, when we come before the Throne? when many other Nations will be condemned, becauſe they leanned to their own Merits, and made not uſe of Chriſt; and many of us ſhall be condemned, becauſe, though we profeſſed an indignation at theſe Errors, yet we made no more uſe of Chriſt, than theſe, who by their Doctrine excluded Him: If our Predeceſſors could ſpeak, what could they ſay? Would it not be this, it is juſt that ye periſh, for ye had Chriſt, and His Righteouſneſs clearly preached to you, which we had not, and yet ye ſlighted Him: Therefore take hold of, and improve the opportunity, God hath clearly revealed this Truth to the Land, and to this Place, walk in the Light while ye have it, elſe your condemnation will be the greater, as it is, John 3.19. 6ly. Seing God hath given us this a ſingular mercy, even the clear Revelation of the way of Juſtification by Chriſts Righteouſneſs, and Merits; Let us not, through our evil converſation, make the Truth of God to be evil ſpoken of, turn not the Grace of God into wantonneſs; It was an evil that ſoon aroſe in the Primitive Church, and which the Apoſtle diſputs againſt, Rom. 2.3, and 6. Becauſe He preached Juſtification by Grace, and not by the Works of the Law, ſome were ready to abuſe that ſweet Doctrine, and to ſay, Let us ſin, that grace may abound, and let us do evil, that good may come of it, whoſe damnation, ſ…yes he, is just; And he follows out theſe Objections, and inſiſts in anſwering of them; And, O! but this is damnable, from the abounding of Gods grace, to take the more liberty to Sin; and yet what other Language have the Lives of m…ny, but this? Becauſe Juſtification and H…ppineſs are not builded on our Works; …herefore we may live as we liſt; diſpitfully and preſu…ptuouſly reflecting on the way of Juſtification by Faith, and on God who hath contrived it; But if any of you will abuſe Gods grace, and Sin the more; God ſhall charge it on your own heads, this Goſpel ſhall never do you good, God will require it of you; your Sins are multiplied, and your Plagues ſhall be multiplied above any that have lived under black Popery: I dar ſay, many of you would probably have had a greater reſtraint on you from Sin, and would have been more Charitable, and Foreward in many external good Works, if ye had been profeſt Papiſts, than now ye are, being profeſt Proteſtants; a judicial ſtroak on you, for the abuſing of Grace; And is this the Fruit of the Goſpel? No certainly, Grace was never preached, that Men ſhould grow cold and indifferent in the practice of good Works; but that through the laying hold on Chriſts Righteouſneſſe, they might have peace with God, and that th…ough the ſtudy of Holineſſe, God might be glorified; Therefore ſtudy the exerciſe of Faith ſo, as ye ſeclude not Holineſs; and ſtudy Holineſs ſo, as ye mar not the freedom o Grace; and put theſe two together, which are the Compend of the Goſpel, when ſuitably practiſed.