and lively faith c: and by them believers manifeft their thankfulness d, ftrengthen their affurance e, edify their brethren f, adorn the profeffion of the gofpel g, ftop the mouths of the adverfaries b, and glorify God i, whofe workhath forgotten that he was purged from his old fins. V. 10. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election fure: for if ye do thefe things, ye fhall never fall.

workmanship they are, created in Chrift Jefus thereunto k; that, having their fruit unto holiness, they may have the end eternal life l.

III. Their ability to do good works is not at all of themselves, but wholly from the Spirit of Chrift m. And that they may be enabled thereunto, befides the graces they have already received, there is required an actual influence of the fame Holy Spirit, to work in them to will and to do of his good pleasure n: yet are they not hereupon to grow negligent, as if they were not bound to perform any duty, unless upon a fpecial motion of the Spirit; but they ought to be diligent in ftirring up the grace of God that is in them o.

verfation honest among the Gentiles:
that whereas they speak against you
as evil-doers, they may by your
good works which they fhall behold,
glorify God in the day of vifitation.
Phil. i. 11. Being filled with the
fruits of righteoufnefs, which are
by Jefus Chrift unto the glory and
praife of God. John xv. 8. Herein
is my Father glorified, that
ye bear
much fruit,fo fhall ye be my difciples.
k Eph. ii. 10. For we are his
workmanship, created in Chrift Je-
fus unto good works, which God
hath before ordained that we should
walk in them.

/ Rom. vi. 22. But now being made free from fin, and become fervants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

V.

5.

I

am

III. m John xv. 4. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine: no more can ye, except ye abide in me, the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the fame bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing, v.6. If a man abide not in me, he is caft forth as a branch, and is wi

M

IV. They

thered; and men gather them, and
caft them into the fire. and they are
burned. Ezek. xxxvi. 26. A new
heart alfo will I give you, and a
new fpirit will I put within you, and
I will take away the ftony heart out
of your flesh, and I will give you an
heart of flesh. v. 27. And I will put
my Spirit within
and cause you
to walk in my statutes, and ye fhall
keep my judgments, and do them.

you,

7 Phil.ii. 13. For it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleafure. Phil. iv. 13. I can do all things through Chrift which ftrengtheneth me. 2 Cor. iii. 5. Not that we are fufficient of ourfelves to think any thing as of ourfelves: but our fufficiency is of God.

o Phil. ii. 12. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my prefence only, but now much more in my abfence; work out your own falvation with fear and trembling. Heb. vi. 11. And we defire that every one of you do fhew the fame diligence, to the full affurance of hope unto the end: V. 12. That ye be not flothful, but followers of them, who through faith and patience inherit the promises. 2 Pet. i. 3. According as his divine

power

IV. They who in their obedience attain to the greatef height which is poffible in this life, are fo far from being able to fupererogate and to do more than God requires, as that they fall fhort of much which in duty they are bound to do p.

V. We cannot, by our best works, merit pardon of fin, or eternal life, at the hand of God, by reafon of the great difproportion that is between them and the glory to come, and the infinite diftance that is between us and God, whom by them we can neither profit, nor fatisfy for the debt of our former fins q; but when we have

power hath given unto us all things "that pertain unto life and godlinefs, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue. v. 5. And befides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge. v. 10. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election fure: for if ye do these things, ye fhall never fall:

V. II.

For fo an entrance fhall be ministered unto you abundantly, into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift If. Ixiv. 7. And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himfelf to take hold of thee: for thou haft hid thy face from us, and haft confumed us because of our iniquities. 2 Tim. i. 6. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance, that thou ftir up the gift of God which is in thee, by the putting on of my hands. Acts xxvi. 6. And now I ftand, and am judged for the hope of the promife made of God unto fathers v. 7. Unto which promife our twelve tribes inftantly ferving God day and night, hope to come; for which hope's fake, king Agrippa, I am accufed of the Jews. Jude 20. But ye, beloved, building up yourfelves on your moft holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghoff,

our

done

v. 21. Keep yourselves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jefus Chrift unto eternal life.

IV.p Luke xvii. 10. So likewife ye, when ye fhall have done all thofe things which are commanded you, fay, We are unprofitable fervants: we have done that which was our duty to do. Neh. xiii. 22. And I commanded the Levites, that they fhould cleanse themselves, and that they fhould come and keep the gates, to fanctify the Sabbath-day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this alfo, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.

Job ix. 2. I know it is fo of a truth: but how fhould man be

juft with God? v. 3. If he will contend with him, he cannot anfwer him one of a thoufand. Gal. v. 17. For the flesh lufteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other; fo that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

V. q. Rom. iii. 20. Therefore by the deeds of the law, there fhall no flesh be juftified in his fight: for by the law is the knowledge of fin. Rom. iv. 2. For if Abraham were juftified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God. v. 4. Now to him that worketh, is

the

Chap. XVI.. done all we can, we have done but our duty, and are unprofitable fervants r; and because, as they are good, they proceed from his Spirit ; and, as they are wrought by us, they are defiled and mixed with fo much weaknefs and imperfection, that they cannot endure the severity of God's judgment t.

VI. Yet notwithstanding, the perfons of believers being accepted through Chrift, their good works also are accepted in him v, not as though they were in this life

the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. v. 6. Even as David alfo defcribeth the bleffedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteoufnefs without works. Eph. ii. 8. For by grace are ye faved, through faith; and that not of yourfelves: it is the gift of God. v. 9. Not of works, left any man should boaft. Tit. iii. 5. Not by works of righteoufnefs, which we have done, but according to his mercy he faved us by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghoft: v. 6. Which he fhed on us abundantly, through Jefus Chrift our Saviour; v. 7. That being juftified by his grace, we should be made heirs, according to the hope of eternal life. Rom. viii. 18. For I reckon, that the fufferings of this prefent time, are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Pfal. xvi. 2. O my foul, thou haft faid unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord : my goodness extendeth not to thee. Job. xxii. 2. Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wife may be profitable unto himself? v. 3. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous ? or is it gain to him, that thou makeft thy ways perfect? Job xxxv. 7. If thou be righteous, what giveft thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand? 7. 8. Thy wickednefs may hurt a

wholly man as thou art, and thy righteoufnefs may profit the fon of man.

r Luke xvii. 10. (See letter p in this chapter).

/ Gal. v. 22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-fuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, v. 23 Meeknefs, temperance: against such there is no law.

t If. lxiv. 6. But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteoufneffes are as filthy rags, and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind have ta ken us away. Gal. v. 17. For the flesh lufteth against the spirit, and the fpirit against the flesh and thefe are contrary the one to the other; fo that ye cannot do the things that ye would. Rom. vii. 15. For that which I do, I allow not for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. v. 18. I know, that in me, (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is prefent with me, but how to perform that which is good, I find not. Pfal. cxliii. 2. And enter not into judgment with thy fervant: for in thy fight fhall no man living be juftified. Pfa. cxxx. 3. If thou, Lord, fhouldft mark iniquities: O Lord, who shall stand ?

v

VI. Eph. i. 6. o the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Belo

ved

wholly unblameable and unreprovable in God's fight w; but that he, looking upon them in his Son, is pleased to accept and reward that which is fincere, although accompanied with many weakneffes and imperfections x.

VII. Works done by unregenerate men, although, for the matter of them, they may be things which God commands, and of good ufe both to themfelves and others y yet, because they proceed not from an heart purified

Ved. 1 Pet. ii. 5. Ye alfo as lively ftones, are built up a fpiritual houfe, an holy priesthood to offer up fpiritual facrifices, acceptable to God by Jefus Chrift. Exod. xxviii. 38. And it fhall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the ini, quity of the holy things, which the toward his name, in that ye have