" cannot be justified, or find righteousness by works of the law. "But I may every man fay) according to the covenant of works am liable to the curse of God, for breaking the law, times and ways " out of number.

"Therefore I cannot be justified, or have righteousness by the " works of the law."

Thus may a man be convinced of righteousness, that is not to be had by his own works, or by the law.

III. For convincing a man of judgment by the law, consider, 2 Theff. i. 7.

THE Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven, with his migh

ty angels: Ver. 8. In flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jefus Chrift: Ver. 9. Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power, Ver. io. When he shall come to be glorified in his faints, and to be admired in all them that believe.

Wherein we are taught, that our Lord Jesus, who now offers to be a Mediator for them who believe in him, shall, at the last day; come armed with flaming fire, to judge, condemn, and destroy all them who have not believed God, have not received the offer of grace made in the gospel, nor obeyed the doctrine thereof; but remain in their natural state, under the law or covenant of works.

Hence let every man reason thus;

"What the righteous Judge hath forewarned me, shall be done at "the last day, I am sure is just judgment.

"But the righteous Judge hath forewarned me, that if I do not " believe God in time, and obey not the doctrine of the gospel, I shall " be secluded from his prefence and his glory, at the last day, and be " tormented in foul and body for ever.

"Therefore I am convinced that this is a just judgment.

"And I have reason to thank God heartily, who hath forewarned " me to flee from the wrath which is to come."

Thus every man may be, by the law or covenant of works, convinced of judgment, if he shall continue under the covenant of works, or shall not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

IV. For convincing a man of fin, righteousness, and judgment, by the gofpel.

S for convincing a man of fin, and righteousness, and judgment,

As by the gospel of covenant of grace, he must understand three

things; 1. That not believing in Jesus Chrift, or refuting of the cove

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nant of grace offered in him, is a greater and more dangerous fin, than all other fins against the law; because the hearers of the gospel, not believing in Chrift, do reject God's mercy in Christ, the only way of freedom from fin and wrath, and will not yield to be reconciled to God. 2. Next, He must understand, that perfect remiffion of fin and true righteousness, is to be had only by faith in Jefus; becausfe God requireth no other conditions but faith; and teftifies from heaven that he is well pleased to justify sinners upon this condition. 3. He must understand, that upon righteousness received by faith; judgment shall follow, on the one hand, to the destroying of the works of the devil in the believer, and to the perfecting of the work of sanctification in him, with power: and that, upon refusing to take righteoufness by faith in Jesus Christ, judgment shall follow, on the other hand, to the condemnation of the misbeliever, and destroying of him with Satan and his fervants for ever.

For this end, let these passages of scripture, among many others, ferve to make the greatness of the fin of not believing in Christ appear; or, to make the greatness of the fin of refusing of the covenant of grace offered to us, in the offering of Christ unto us, let the fair of fer of grace be looked upon as it is made. Ifa. lv. 2. Incline your ear, and come unto me, (faith the Lord) bear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the fure mercies of David. That is, if ye will believe me, and be reconciled to me, I will, by convenant, give unto you Christ, and all saving graces in him: repeated, Acts xiii. 34.

Again, confider, that this general offer in substance is equivalent to a special offer made to every one in particular; as appeareth by the apostles making use of it, Acts xvi. 31. Believe on the Lord Jesus Chrift, and thou shalt be saved and thy house. The reason of which offer is given, John iii. 16. For God so loved the world, that he gave bis only begotten Son that whosoever beheveth in hun, should not perifo, but have everlasting life. Seeing then this great falvation is offered in the Lord Jesus, whosoever believeth not in him, but looks for happiness some other way, what doth he else but obferve lying vanities, and forfake his own mercy, which he might have had in Christ? Jonah ii. 8, 9. What doth he else but blafpheme God in his heart? as it is faid, 1 John v. 10. He that believeth not God hath made him a liar, because ne believeth not the record that God hath given of his Son: and this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in bis Son. And that no fin against the law is like unto this fin. Christ testifies. John xv. 22. If I had not come and spoken to them, they bad not had fin; but now they have no cloak for their fin This may convince a man of the greatness of this in of not believing in Chrift.

For convincing a man of righteousness to be had only by faith in Jesus Chrift, confider how, Rom. x. 3, 4.

*

IT Tis faid, that the Jews, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not fubmitted themselves unto the righteousness of God, (and so they perished) for Chrift is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. And, Atts xiii. 39. By Christ Jesus all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. And, 1 John i. 7. The blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanfeth us from all fin.

For convincing a man of judgment, if a man embrace this righteouf ness: confider, I John iii. 8. For this purpose the Son of God was mani fefted, that he might destroy the works of the devil. And, Heb. ix. 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who, through the eternal Spirit, offered himself without spot to God, purge your confcience from dead works, to serve the living God?

But, if a man embrace not this righteousnels, his doom is pronounced, John iii. 18. He that believeth not is condemned already, because be hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of Goa. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loveth darkness rather than light.

Hence let the penitent, defiring to believe, reason thus;

"What doth fuffice to convince all the elect in the world of the "greatness of the fin of not believing in Chrift, or refusing to " flee to him for relief from fins done against the law, and from " wrath due thereto; and what sufficeth to convince them, that righ" teousness and eternal life is to be had by faith in Jesus Christ, or " by consenting to the covenant of grace in him, and what sufficeth

to convince them of judgment to be exercised by Chrift, for destroying the works of the devil in a man, and sanctifying and saving all "that believe in him, may suffice to convince me also.

"But what the Spirit hath faid, in these or other like scriptures, "sufficeth to convince the elect world of the foresaid fin, and righte" ousness, and judgment.

"Therefore what the spirit hath said, in these and other like so ip "tures, ferveth to convince me thereof also."

Whereupon let the penitent defiring to believe, take with him words, and tay heartily to the Lord, teeing thou fayest, Seek ye my face, my foul anfwereth unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek: I have hearkened unto the offer of an everlasting covenant of all faving mercies to be had in Christ, and I do heartily embrace thy offer. Lord, let it be a bargain; Lord, I believe, help my unbelief: Behold, I give myself to thee, to serve thee in all things for ever; and I hope, thy right hand shall fave me; the Lord will perfect that which concernetli me; thy mercy, O Lord endureth for ever; foriake not the works of thine own hands.

Thus may a man be made an unfeigned believer in Christ.

For ftrengthening the man's faith, who hath agreed unto the covenant of grace.

B Ecause many true believers are weak, and do much doubt if ever they shall be sure of the foundness of their own faith and effectual calling, or made certain of their justification and falvation, when they fee, that many, who profess faith, are found to deceive themselves; let us see how every believer may be made strong in the faith, and fure of his own election and falvation upon folid grounds, by fure warrants, and true evidences of faith. To this end, among many other scriptures, take these following.

1. For laying folid grounds of faith, consider 2 Pet. i. 10. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make fure your calling and election: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall. In which words, the apostle teacheth us these four things, for help and direction, how to be made strong in the faith.

1. That fuch as believe in Christ Jesus, and are fled to him for relief from fin and wrath, albeit they be weak in the faith, yet they are indeed children of the fame Father with the apostles; for fo he ac counteth of them, while he calleth them brethren.

2. That, albeit we be not fure, for the time of our effectual calling and election, yet we may be made sure of both, if we use diligence; for this he presupposeth, saying, Give diligence to make your calling

' and election fure.'

3. That we must not be discouraged, when we see many feeming believers prove rotten branches, and make defection; but we must the ' rather take the better heed to ourselves, Wherefore the rather, bre'thren,' faith he, 'give all diligence.'

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4. That the way to be fure both of our effectual calling and election, is to make fure work of our faith, by laying the grounds of it folidly, and bringing forth the fruits of our faith in new obedience constantly: 'For if ye do these things, saith he, 'ye shall never fall;" understanding, by these things,' what he had faid of found faith, verses 1, 2, 3, 4. and what he had faid of the bringing out of the fruits of faith, verfes 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.

To this fame purpose, confider, Rom. viii. 1. There is therefore • now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not • after the flesh, but after the Spirit' Ver. 2. For the law of the • Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of fin ' and death.' Ver. 3. 'For what the law could not do, in that it was * weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of ' finful flesh, and for fin condemned fin in the flesh.' Ver. 4.

• That • the

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• the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not • after the flesh, but after the Spirit.'

Wherein the apostle teacheth us these four things, for laying of the ground of faith folidly;

1. That every one is a true believer, who, in the sense of his fin, and fear of God's wrath, doth flee for full relief from both unto Jefus Christ alone, as the only Mediator, and all-fufficient Redeemer of men; and, being fled to Christ, doth strive against his own flesh, or corrupt inclination of nature, and studieth to follow the rule of God's Spirit, fet down in his word: for the man, whom the apostle doth here bless as a true believer, is a man in Christ Jesus, ' who doth not walk after • the flesh, but after the Spirit.'

2. That all fuch pertons as are fled to Christ, and do strive againft fin, howsoever they may be possibly exercised under the senie of wrath and fear of condemnation, yet they are in no danger; for, there is

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no condemnation,' faith he, ' to them that are in Christ Jefus, who • walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit.'

3. That, albeit the apost'e himself brought in here for example's caufe, and all other true believers in Christ, be by nature under the law of fin and death, or under the covenant of works (called the law of fin and death, because it bindeth sin and death upon us, till Christ set us free) yet the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, or the covenant of grace, (fo called, because it doth enable and quicken a man to a spi ritual life through Christ) doth set the apoftle, and all true believers, free from the covenant of works, or the law of fin and death; fo that every man may say with him, 'The law of the spirit of life, or the covenant of grace, 'hath made me free from the law of fin and death, or covenant of works.

4. That the fountain and first ground, from whence our freedom from the curte of the law doth flow, is the covenant of redemption, past betwixt God, and God the Son as incarnate, wherein Chrift takes the curse of the law upon him for fin, that the believer, who could not otherwise be delivered from the covenant of works, may be deli vered from it. And this doctrine the apostle holdeth forth in these four branches: (1.) That it was utterly impossible for the law, or the covenant of works, to bring righteouiness and life to a sinner, because it was weak. (2) That this weakness and inability of the law, or covenant of works, is not the fault of the law, but the fault of finful flesh, which is neither able to pay the penalty of fin, nor to give per fect obedience to the law (presuppose bygone fins were forgiven;) • The law was weak,' faith he, 'through the flesh.' (3.) That the righteousness and salvation of sinners, which was impossible to be brought about by the law, is brought to pass by fending God's own Son, Jesus Christ, in the flesh, in whose flesh sin is condemned and punished, for making fatisfaction in the behalf of the elect, that they might be fet free. (4.) That, by his means, the law loseth nothing, Becaus