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3. This alfo fhews that 'tis natural for man to aim at an establishment of his own righteoufnefs, and feek to fave himself by his works; and therefore every natural man's chief idol in religion is his own righteousness. All men who have any hope of being faved, whilft in a state of nature, however profane, vicious, and abominable their lives have been, and still are, yet they meet together, and agree in this matter; it is fome good thing they have done, or at least intended to do, whereon they build their hopes of being faved: this is their opinion, and this is their manner; because they know not GoD, nor the righteousness of faith. But the Scripture teftifieth, this is life eternal, to know the only true God, and Jefus Chrift the righteous: for God is love; and bleffed is the man to whom GOD imputeth righteousness, and will not impute fin.

4. Repentance is more than bare forrow, confef fion of fin, and external reformation: Judas confeffed his fin, and was forry for it; yea he made all the reftitution that was in his power: yet this was not true repentance, for he perifhed in his iniquity.Whofo therefore thinketh that, because he doth these things he truly repenteth, deceiveth himself, for nothing fhort of a change of heart

will

will produce a genuine change of life; and nothing else is repentance towards GOD: But, in believers, who have erred from the truth in principle or practice, a godly forrow worketh repentance unto falvation, not to be repented of.

5. and Lastly, Whofoever repenteth not muft eternally perish for God hath teftified in his word, that, among men, there is none righteous, no not one; for all have finned; neither is there any other name under beaven given among men, whereby we must be faved, but JESUS CHRIST: and whofoever trufteth in him fhall not be afhamed; for his faith is counted to him for righteoufnefs. Therefore, Rea der, thou art not only urged and commanded to repent, because thou art a guilty, perishing sinner, having no ftrength nor righteousness in thyself; but thou art encouraged, perfuaded, and called to repentance, by the glad tidings and grace of the Gospel : Renounce thy own righteousness, come to CHRIST, and GOD will give thee a better; for CHRIST is made of Gop unto us righteousness, whofe blood cleanfeth us from all fin; and whosoever cometh unto him shall never hunger, and whofo believeth on him fhall never thirst To him be glory for ever.

Amen.

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SERMON VI.

ACTS, XX. 21.

Teftifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith towara our Lord Jefus Christ.

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N a former difcourfe upon these words we obferved, that the text contains two general, and important points of doctrine :

First, Repentance toward GOD :-And,

Secondly, Faith toward out LORD JESUS CHRIST.

In the former, which we have already treated of, it was fhewn at large that Scripture repentance is a change, or turning of the mind and heart towards

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GOD, from all felf-conceit, and opinion of a man's own righteousness, or from trusting in himself that he is righteous; at the fame time, not excluding a practical change from all fin, and unrighteousness, as its genuine fruit, and effect. -I proceed,

therefore,

Secondly, To confider what we are to understand by faith toward our LORD JESUS CHRIST.-And this I fhall attempt to do,

1 By fhewing what faith is, in general; and what the faith of the Gofpel is, in particular.

2. By fhewing the ground and object of true justifying faith.

3. Its feat and place in the foul of man.

4. The nature and neceffity of faith in CHRIST.

5. Its Author, efficacy, and end,

6. Point out fome mistakes, and dangerous errors concerning faith.And,

Lastly, Conclude with an application.

FIRST, then, I am to fhew what faith is.

Faith

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