faved altogether by grace without works; because by nature we are guilty creatures, dead in fin, and can merit nothing, nor do any thing to help ourfelves. * READER, dost thou believe, then, and cordially embrace thefe doctrines as the true sayings of GOD? If not, what ground haft thou to call thy felf a Chriftian? For the falvation of CHRIST evidently fuppofes, and is built upon them: nor can't thou be a member of the English proteftant church without believing them, for thefe, as hath been already declared, are her avowed doctrines. The carnal Jews boafted that they were Abraham's feed, but faith the Son of GOD, if ye were Abraham's feed, ye would believe as he believed, and walk as he walked, it behoves us then not to follow any modern proteftants, who have the name only; but the antient ones, who were fo in reality: for he is not a Few or a Chriftian who is one outwardly, (i. e.) in appearance or profeffion only; but he is a few or a.. Christian who is one inwardly; and circumcifion or regeneration is that of the heart, in the fpirit, and not in the letter; whefe praife is not of men, but of GOD.Laftly, I fhall close the difcourfe with a few fuitable inferences. 1. How great glory is, in one moment, by one tranfgreffion, come to ruin!What a glorious fabric was man when he came pure out of the hand of of his GOD, polifbed as a fair palace, for a habitation of the Moft High! Behold, it is now utterly defaced, overthrown, and lying in the duft: It is even become an babitation of devils; every unclean, and hateful bird, every foolish and hurtful luft, it.SINhave taken up their lodging in it. NER, ftop a moment, and confider thy ruined ftate; fee what thou haft done, and what thou haft loft for all bave finned, and come short of the glory of GOD.- -Can't thou refrain thy voice ། from weeping, and thine eyes from tears & Was thy house set on fire, or thy country made a defolate wilderness, thou would'ft have cause to mourn; but how much more when it is thy very body and foul: the fire of GOD is gone out, and the fire of hell is kindled within thee. See thy firft father fallen : Not as à ftar from heaven; but as the fun from the firmament; and all the stars have loft their fhining: when he fell himself, he drew his whole posterity along with him. 2. The condition of man by the fall is fuch that he cannot be justified (before GoD) except another's righteoufnefs be imputed to him: work out a righteousness for himself he cannot, he will not; for his corrupt nature is utterly averfe to the practice of GOD's law, whofe curfe lieth on him for the breach of it.The Divine order alfo requires that we G 3. fhould • Rom. iii. 23. fhould be justified, and live by an imputed righte oufnefs; because we are condemned and flain by an imputed offence: which the Text plainly fhews; as by one man's difobedience many were made finners, fo by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous 2. that is; we are not made finners by any perfonal act of cur own, but by the difobedience of Adam: and on the other hand; we are not made righteous by any perfonal act, or deed of our's; but by the obedience of CHRIST: notwithstanding, God will render to every man according to his works that he hath perfonally acted or done, whether they be good or bad. 3. EVERY actual fin, or inclination to evil, fhould lead us seriously to confider, and lament the hidden fource from whence it fprings: a corrupt heart, a finful nature is the origin of all. Ir by the effects we fearch out the caufe, we may well become loathfome and vile in our own fight, and then shall we defpair alfo of healing the plague of our infected natures, by any human power, art, or medicine, whatever: cutting off the branches, will not change its nature, nor prevent its growth, while the root remains: the fountain may be ftopped for a time, but the quality of its waters will not be altered by it.Man cannot exift but he muft think, and speak, and act, in fome shape or other; other; and, as long as he remains in his natural ftate, he thinks, and fpeaks, and acts amifs; all is evil, and that continually for a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit*; nor a bitter fountain fend forth fweet waters. READER, believeft thou this? Whether thou believe it or not, thou art the man; unless thou art born from above, and haft the spirit of CHRIST abiding in thee: for it is written, they that are in the flefb cannot pleafe GOD; but ye are not in the flesh, but in the spirit; if fo be, the fpirit of GOD dwell in yout. I was born, faith David, in iniquity, and in fin did my mother conceive me; but thou (O GOD) requireft truth in the inward parts.-Therefore, no outward working or changes whatsoever can effectually cleanfe, or make any man free from the guilt, or dominion of fin. 4. HENCE appears the neceffity of our regene ration, or being made new creatures : That God who made us at firft, must new make us, else we can neither love him, nor his law; much lefs can we do him hearty and acceptable fervice. It is impoffible that we fhould do this work for ourfelves, because it is the removal of that corruption which is interwoven with our very nature, and born G 4 Luke. vi. 43: + Rom. viii, 8, 9. in 1 Pfal. li. 6. in us every part and faculty, both of the foul and body, is full of it; and the whole heart is defiled by it. Therefore every purpose of a man's heart, favingly to renew, and alter himself, arifes from his natural ignorance, pride, and vanity, which are branches of original fin. Despair then for ever of helping thyself out of this horrible pit of fin and impotence into which thou art fallen; neither feek to any other man for affiftance, for, as he cannot fave his own foul, fo neither can he give thineany effectual relief: herein especially is that faying true, vain is the help of man; for who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean, but GOD only? All therefore thou can't do in this thy guilty and loft condition, is to know, which the fcriptures abundantly teftific, that there is no help in man, and that GOD only can deliver thy foul: hear then, and fearch his word, which will tell thee all that is in thine heart, and fet the way of life and peace plainly before thee, for they are able to make us wife unto falvation thro' faith in CHRIST JESUS. There is forgiveness with GoD†, and be will abundantly pardon§; for his own arm hath brought falvation unto bim‡; and he is rich in mercy unto all them that call upon bim. Thou, it is true, haft destroyed thyself; but, faith GOD, in me is thy help§: believe what he faith, and take courage. He hath alfo promifed to give 4 |