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 PRINCETON, N. J. 
 
 i 
 
 e. i 
 
 Collection 
 
 of Puritan Literatur 
 
 Division 
 
 Section 
 
 Number 
 
 
 
a^ 
 
V 
 
THE MARROW OF THE CHURCH. 
 THE 
 
 D O C T R I K E S 
 
 © F 
 
 ORIGINAL SIN, 
 JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH, 
 
 AND THE AGENCY OF 
 
 THE HOLY SPIRIT, 
 
 Fairly Stated and Clearly Demonftrated 
 
 i^ o M 
 
 THE HOMILIES, ARTICLES, AND LITURGIES 
 
 O F 
 
 THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 Confirmed by appofite Texts of Scripture, with proper 
 
 Refleftions, Inferences, and iDllruftions annexed to each 
 
 Head. 
 
 Being the SuWlance of feveral DISCOURSES 
 
 PREACHED IN.' CAMBRIDGE. 
 
 Z 
 
 By WILLIAM HAMMOND^ A. B. 
 
 Late of St, John's College in Cambridge. 
 
 THE THIRD EDITION, carefully Correfted. 
 With a Recommendatory Preface, by W. MASON' 
 Author of the Morning and Evening Meditations, &c. 
 
 Speak thou the things <iuhich become found do^rinet Tit. ii. i. 
 — — — -_ ~ ___ 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed and Sold by H. T r a p r. Son -in -Law and Succeflbtv 
 
 to M. L B w I s, N" I, Paternofter-Rovv, 
 
 M.DCC.LX'XIX7" 
 
RECOMMENDATORY 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 1 
 
 "^ H E dodlrines of the Church are her 
 ornament and glory, as well as the life, 
 fpirit, and joy of all her true members : 
 Becaufe they teftify of, lead to, and center in the 
 beloved Saviour, who is the head of the church ; 
 therefore will ever be held dear and facred by them . 
 For, they are not impofed on us, as fome aflert, 
 by human power, but by the divine, uncon- 
 trolable authority of God in his holy fcriptures. 
 Hence, we cordially receive, heartily embrace, 
 and com.fortably live under the experience and 
 influence of them by humble faith. And it is 
 a pleafing refledtion to the faithful in Chrifl, 
 that ever fince the articles of our Church were 
 compofed, by our godly, venerable, and pro- 
 teftant Reformers, and eftablifhed by the autho- 
 rity of the land, that all real chriilians, all found 
 proteftants (however differing in fmaller mat- 
 ters) have readily fubfcribed thofe dodtrinal Ar- 
 ticles, ex animo. But, it is no part of the glory 
 
 A of 
 
ii PREFACE. 
 
 of the prefcnt day, that faflious, licentious fpi- 
 rits abound among us j and that men of corrupt 
 iniiids, deflitute of the truth, have aflembkd in 
 troops to oppofe, and have lliot out their arrows, 
 €ven bitter words, againft thefe fcripture bul- 
 warks of our Zion -, and by every means in their 
 power have ilrove to Itrip our Church of her 
 richeft ornament, and greatefl: glory, the truth. 
 But is it any marvel, that thofe who dare to at- 
 tack Chrifl the head of the church, fo as to call 
 in qutHion, yea, deny his proper, and eflential 
 Deity — his vicarious facrifice — his imputed 
 rio-hteoufnefs — the asency and influence of his 
 Holy Spirit — and totally rejed the doflrine of 
 the holy, bleiTed,artd glorious Trinity, — Ihould, 
 through thtir pride, unbelief, and felf-righte- 
 oufnefs, marKJ-n and traduce the Church for 
 maintaining thefe facred, fcripture truths ? 
 
 However, the Articles of our Church anfwer 
 one grand end for which they were eflablifhed, 
 namely, as a tell, or touchflone to try the fpi- 
 rits, that they who are approved, might be made 
 manifeft, that they are of ibe Iruthy know, love, 
 and abide in ihe tnuh% and are not afhamed 
 openly to avow and declare their belief of the 
 truth. And that the open and avowed enemies 
 
 to 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 lii 
 
 to our moil holy faith, fuch as Deiils, Avians, 
 Socinians, &c. Ihould alfo be made known unto 
 all men, what manner of fpirit they are of. This 
 has been fufficiently manifed. For, never fince 
 the Articles were eftabliflied, have they ever 
 met with fuch open, daring, ftrong oppofuion 
 as in our day. A full proof of this — of what ? 
 Truly, that we live in a more enlighcned, re- 
 fined age, the oppofers affeft to tell us ! But, we 
 rather believe the true reafon is, what the voice 
 of infpiration proclaims, that we live in *' the 
 lall days, in which fcoffers, at the divine truths, 
 and fcripture myfteries of our moft holy reli- 
 gion, are come, walking after their own lufts — 
 Profeffing themfelves to be wife, they become 
 fools.'* 
 
 Seeing this is the cafe, this New Edition, of 
 the following excellent work, comes forth at a 
 moft feafonable period. Herein, the great and 
 fundamental doflrines of our Church, Original 
 Sin, Juftification by Faith in our Lord Jefus 
 Chrift, and the Agency of the Holy Spirit, &c. 
 are fairly ftated, clearly demonftrated, and fully 
 confirmed, both by the voice of infpiration, and 
 the teft of chriftian experience. There is a fa- 
 cred undion of divine truth runs through this 
 
 A 2 whole 
 
Tv PREFACE. 
 
 whole work, and enlivens every part of it. 
 While the Author aims, rationally and fcriptu- 
 rally, to convince the underftanding, and eftablifh 
 the judgment, he purfues the happy art of en- 
 livening the paffions, engaging the affeftions, 
 and comforting the heart, with divine grace, 
 and heavenly truth. And, all this, to thefe 
 blefled ends, that Chrift the Saviour may be ex- 
 alted — the holy Trinity known, loved, adored, 
 glorified and rejoiced in, that the man of God 
 may be perfeft, throughly furnilhed unto all 
 good works. So that living by holy faith, 
 walking in heavenly love, enjoying fweet peace, 
 and abounding in comfortable hope, chriftians 
 may be devoted in heart and life, in all chearful 
 obedience to the commands of their heavenly 
 Father. 
 
 Having tafted the fvveetnefs, and felt the com- 
 fort of thofe precious truths herein treated of, 
 I could not deny the requeft of recommending 
 this excellent, becaufe fcriptural treatife, to my 
 fellow chriftians, wiOiing them every bleffing 
 from the God of all grace, in the perufal of it. 
 
 May 16. W. MASON. 
 
 1779. 
 
 THE 
 
[ V ] 
 
 THE AUTHOR'S 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 H E N I was firft convinced of the 
 Truths contanied in thefe papers, 
 and law them lb generally oppofed 
 by thofe of the Eftablilhed Communion, I 
 was induced to fearch more narrowly into the 
 conftitution of our Church ; whereupon I 
 carefully perufed her Articles and Homilies, 
 and foon perceived the judgment of our re- 
 formers as to thefe important heads of chrif- 
 tian divinity ; and the frequent mention and 
 ftrenuous vindication of thefe evangelical 
 truths gave me an equal degree of pleafure 
 and furprize. The preaching of this or that 
 particular peiibn is not the rule whereby we 
 are to judge of our Church, but her profefled 
 Articles and Homilies are the ftandard ; and 
 lince thefe doctrines are therein contained, 
 they may truly and properly be called the 
 Do6lrines of the Churcli of England. 
 
 A3 'it 
 
vi PREFACE. 
 
 It is a rule in philofophy, that a fountain 
 can rife no higher than its fource. It is a rule 
 in divinity, that a preacher can preach no 
 more of Chrifl than he hath experienced in 
 his heart. Hence we find fo many preachers 
 mentioning nothing of the corruption of the 
 heart, becaufe they feci it not : They feldom 
 Ipsak of the do6trine of juftification, unlefs it 
 be to expofe or deprave it : And as for the 
 effufion of the Holy Spirit, this with them is 
 madnefs and enthiifiafm. Father, forgive 
 them, for they hiow fiot ivhat they do. When 
 a preacher is influenced by the Holy Ghofl:, 
 he fpeaks as the Spirit gives him utterance, 
 and he feels every word he fpeaks : his every 
 w^ord is light, life, power and demonftration. 
 He is never at a lofs for quicknefs of appre- 
 henfion, accuracy of exprellion, or affluence 
 of elocution. He can fpeak with equal fa- 
 cility upon any evangelical fubje6l what- 
 foever. 
 
 I know this performance will gain me no 
 credit or repute with fome fort of people.: I 
 fhall pafs with them (as I already do) for a 
 phllofophic divine, a perfon of clear notions, 
 a fpecuiative preaciier, that hath a conliilient 
 fcheme of doctrines in the head, but little or 
 no fund of grace in the heart. This is a fe- 
 vere ccnfure ; ytt I freely forgive thofe who 
 pafs it upon me. With me it is a very fmall 
 matter to be judged of 7na?is d'jy. Kw^S. 
 whatfoever thoughts fuch perfon s may enter- 
 tain 
 
PREFACE. vli 
 
 tain of me, ftill I lave them, and hope the 
 beft of them ; and this I deiire, even the ial- 
 vaton of their fouls. 
 
 • Others perhaps may carry the matter fur- 
 ther, and be ready to efteeni me a- madman, 
 a fool, an enthuliafl:, or an Antinomian. As 
 to the two tirft of tliefe, I have no reafon to 
 be offended, becaufe greater perlbnages * than 
 1 have been branded vv^lth them : yea, Jefus 
 Chrlft, my Lord and Malfer, was called by 
 a name as bad, or worfe than any or all thefc 
 put together, Mark iii. 22. As for enthu- 
 iiafm, if it be counted enthufiafm to have a 
 polleliion of the Spirit of God, and a fenhblc 
 enjoyment of his comforts, then let me live 
 and die an enthuiiart ; and I wifh my enemies " 
 no worfe evil than that they. may do fo too. 
 Our Church faitli of true chrifliians, " Thev 
 " dv\^ell in Chrift, and Clirifl: in them ; they 
 *' are one with Chrift, and Chrifl: with 
 " them -t." But if by enthufiafm you meari 
 a falfe pretence to the Spirit (as I fuppoic 
 you do), then how will you know a man to 
 be an enthufiaft, if he be orthodox in faitli 
 and blamelefs in conveVfation ? Flence there" 
 tore learn not too haftily to brand any mari 
 with this odious appellation. As to the charge; 
 of Antinomianifm, I have carefully avoided 
 this error, by infifting upon the nccellity of 
 
 • See 2 Kings ix^ ii. Jer. xxix. z6, 27. John x. 20. 
 Atfts xxvi. 24. 
 
 t Communion Servke. 
 
 A 4 ^ rood 
 
VIU 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 good works, as the proper produce and ge- 
 auine effeds of juftifying faith. 
 
 I know there is hi man a natural enmity to 
 thefe Ipiritual truths, which will always ex- 
 ert itfelf in a manner fuitahle to its nature 
 and quality. Hence the oppofition of fome 
 men to thefe chriftian principles ; and their 
 way of manifefting that oppofition does but 
 confirm me in the truth of them. 1 remem- 
 ber once when I was in great doubt and con- 
 cern about the Trinity, I met with thefe 
 words of Lai cian ; " The Mo ft High God, 
 " Great, Immortal, Heavenly, the Son of 
 " the Father, One of Three, and Three of 
 " One ■*." This fcurrilous paffage of the 
 Pa2:an fcoffer Avas a means of removing my 
 doubt, and confirmed me in the doctrine of 
 the Holy Trinity. Juft fo, in the prefent 
 cafe, the rage and raillery, the ridicule and 
 drollery, the madnefs and blafphemy where- 
 with fome oppofe the do6lrines now under 
 confidcration, juft ferves to convince me of 
 the truth of them, and withal fliews me the 
 badnefs of the adverfaries caufe, which re- 
 quires fo much fin, folly, and extravagance 
 to fupport it. 
 
 I am fenfible, that many objeftions are 
 levelled againfl: thefe dodrines :. but I pur- 
 
 pofely 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 IX 
 
 pofely decline burdening the reader with 
 them, for two realbns ; Firft, Becaufe I delign 
 to make this work as httle controveriial as 
 poffible. Secondly, Thefe objections are 
 chiefly borrowed from the Papifts, and have 
 been Iblidly confuted by judicious Proteftant 
 divines, both domeflic and foreign. 
 
 I have taken care, in the enfuing pages, to 
 cite fome of the moft learned divines of the- 
 laft age, and the beginning of this ; luch as 
 archbilhop Ufher, bilhop Hall, bifhop Rey- 
 nolds, bifhop Sanderfon, bithop Wilkins, 
 bifhop Burnet, bifhop Beveridge, and Dr, 
 Edwards, in order to fhev/ the reader what 
 learned men have embraced thefe principles, 
 and with what good authority they are 
 backed. And if our modern preachers and 
 minlflers will not hear them, whom will 
 they hear ? Efpecialiy if we add, that thefe 
 learned bifhops fpsak none other things than 
 whaX Chrifl and iiis apoftles fpoke and taught 
 before them. 
 
 Mv dcfiffn in infiftinp- on fome particular 
 truths is not to exclude others, fuch as 
 ChriiVs incarnation, fatisiaclion, refurreClion, 
 &c. &c. which are generally neceffary to be 
 known in order to our obtaining eternal life : 
 But the profound ignorance of fome, and the 
 virulent oppoiition of others againfl thefe 
 gofpel-truths, makes it needful to vindicate 
 and eftablifh thcni at this time. Indeed I 
 
 wifh 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 wifli this work had been done by feme abler 
 hand. But I fav, as Peter in another cafe. 
 Such as I have^ give I thee. And how un- 
 grateful foever this undertaking may be to 
 fome pharifaical chriflians and heterodox 
 preachers, yet I am wiUing to hope it will 
 find a favourable reception with all thofe 
 who have a hearty concern for the honour 
 of Chrift, and an inward experience of tiie 
 gofpel-falvation. 
 
 eg;<®oQ)^?b 
 
 
 PRE- 
 
THE 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 OF ORIGINAL SIN. 
 
 I. ^ ■ ^ H E Imputation of Adam's fin to all his 
 
 I pofterity, proved fro7n the Homily on the Mifery 
 
 of Mat:., and from that on the Nativity of Chriji, 
 
 The fame truth evinced from Rom. v. 12. ivhere it is 
 
 Jhevjn from AUingius, that if tve Jhoidd allow the Sa- 
 
 mofatcnians^ ^<j tranflaie h<p u by for that, that very 
 
 tranfation would confirm our dodrine. The apo/ile pro- 
 
 fecutes this arguynent^ ver, 13 — ig. The fame Jhewed 
 
 from 1 Cor. xv. 22. Archbifhop Ufher'j account of 
 
 this matter. Some rejeSi this docirine. The reafonakle- 
 
 nefs and equity of it Jhcvjn. Firjiy All men tuere in 
 
 Adam'j loins. Secondly^ Adam was our covenant- head. 
 
 Gen. ii. 16, 17. Bifliop Reynolds quoted. Thirdly y 
 
 God the fovereign Creator of mankjnd, had a 7'ight to fix 
 
 their happincfs upon tvhat terms he pkafcd. God could 
 
 have prevented the fall oy Adam j hut he permitted it, be- 
 
 caufe he faiv the divine glory and human happincfs would 
 
 upon the whole be niofl promoted thereby. Three reafons 
 
 vjhy preachers fiiould preaeh this doSirine. 
 
 II. All 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 II. All men derive an inward pollution and depravation 
 of nature from Adam. This proved from the Homilies, 
 Ninth Article, and Liturgies. The fame proved from 
 Gen. V. 3 Pfal. li. 5. — Iviii. 3. Rom. iii, 10, 11, 
 12. — vii. 8, 18. James i. 14. The importance of this 
 doctrine briefly afferted. The evidences of it clear and 
 copious. Inferences, Firfl, Acknowledge it. Secondly, 
 The vanity of glory mg in our pedigree. Thirdly, Trace 
 hack your aciual fns to your original corruption, Bifhop 
 Wilkins quoted. Fourthly, All are equally corrupted hy 
 nature. Fifthly, The necejfity of regeneration. Sixthly, 
 Give God the glory of all he hath wrought in you, 
 
 III. All men are juftly liable to the torments of hell for 
 ever, as the confequence of Original Sin. Some think 
 men will not be condemned at the day of judgment for 
 Original Sin. Some divines fuppofe we otily loji our im- 
 mortality in Adam. Our third propofttion proved from 
 the Homily on the Mifery of Mankind, that on the Pajfion, 
 and that on the Nativity of fefus Chrifl. The fame 
 evinced from Rom. v. 18,21. St. Auguftine quoted. 
 Rom. viii 7. £ph. ii. 3. explained and largely vindi- 
 cated. The experience of St. Paul, Rom. vii. 21. of 
 Solomon, Prov. xxx. 2. The ie/limonies of Archh'iihop 
 Uftier, and Bifhop Wilkins. Some men cannot hear 
 this do'ilrine. Hence %ue learn, i. To difclaim all pre- 
 tenfion to merit. 2. What a parallel there is between our 
 opoflafy /w.Adam, and our refloration hy Chriil, 
 
 CHAP. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. 
 
 I. TV yT"EN can do no good works acceptable to God 
 xVJL before Faith and Juftification, proved from the 
 Homily on Good Works ^ and thirteenth Article. Bifhop 
 'Siin^tx^ovi^s judgment. This do£2rine evinced from Pro v. 
 XV. 8. An abufe of that text correSied. The fame is 
 Jhetved from John xiv. 6. Rom. viii. 8. xiv, 23. Heb, 
 xi. 6. Inferences. FirJ?^ The necejjity of faith in 
 Chrifi. The reafonablenefs of exhorting chriftians to 
 believe in Chrift, demonjircited. Secondj, The impcjftbilty 
 of jujlificaticn by tvorh. Bifliop Beveridge quoted* 
 Our adverfaries various d'i/lln£iions of jiijiificationy 
 proved to be groundlefs. 
 
 II. Juftifying faith is the gift of God, Heb. xi. r. 
 briefly explained. Faith defcrihed by coming, leaning, 
 refting, flaying, rolling, and receiving Chrift. Tloe 
 hefi way to know what faith is, is to believe. Faith is 
 the gift of God, proved from the Homily on Prayer, that 
 on the Mifery of Man, i^c. and Liturgies. The fa7ne 
 proved from Matt. xvi. 17. John vi. 44. i Cor. xii. g. 
 John iii. 27. Phil. i. 29. Eph. ii. 8. An appeal to ex- 
 perience, ^tiery. Have you received this gift of faith ? 
 If you have, i. Give God all the glory. 2. Evidence it 
 by your good Works. 3. Look to God for the increafe of 
 faith. 4- Faith will foon be turned into fight.. The 
 complaint of a weak chrifi ian attended to. 
 
 III. Juftification is by faith only. The grand privilege 
 of juftification defcrihed at lar/e : As confifling, i . In 
 the remifiion of our fins. 2. In the accounting of us 
 
 rizhtsous ; 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 righteous ; the di/Un^ion between remtjjion cf p.ns and 
 jufiificatioti cleared J from the fcripture : And, i. In our re- 
 ceiving a right and title to eternal life. Bifhop Dow- 
 name quoted. God the author or effcient^ a7id faith the 
 inflrumental caufe of our jufllfication. Juftifxation by 
 faith only proved frotn the Homily on Salvation, and the 
 eleventh Article. The fame 7nade evident from John iii. 
 16. V. 24. Rom. iii. 20, 28. Gal. iii. 11. Clement 
 of Rome is cited, Rom. v. i. ix. 33. x. 10. Gal. 
 ii. 15, 16. 
 
 IV. Works have no part in our juftification. This 
 demonjlrated from the Homily on the Salvation of Man- 
 kind^ from the Homily on the Mifery of Man^ and from 
 the Liturgies. The fame evinced from Rom. iv. 4. 
 iv. 16. and xi. 6. Gal. v. 3. Eph. ii. 8, 9. Some 
 make good works a part of juflifying faith. Faith is not 
 the meritorious, but only the inflrumental caufe or means 
 (f our jufiification. A few words to unjufiified fimiers. 
 An addrefs to jufiified faints. 
 
 V. Juftifying faith produces good works after juftifica- 
 tion. This Jhewed from the Homily of Salvation, from 
 the Homily on faith, from that on faflir.g, and from that 
 on good works. The fa?ne declared in the ttvelfth Article. 
 The fcriptures evidence this, efpecially Matt. vii. 21. 
 Luke vi: 46. St. Paul inffis upon good works. Mat- 
 ter of fa£l every way anfwers our purpoje. An exhor-m 
 tation to good works, enforced h^ a paffagc from Clement 
 of Rome. Thofe who profefs to believe in Chrift, and 
 yet live infm, juflly reproved. 
 
 CHAP. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 
 
 T. rrr H E Holy Ghoft dwells in the hearts of all true 
 JL believers. The do^rine of the InCphzt'ion of the 
 Spirit ajferted and maintained fro7n the Homily on Roga- 
 tion Week^ the thirteenth Article^ and from the Liturgies. 
 Thofe exprejjiom full of God, and full of the Holy 
 Ghoft, vindicated from the Liturgies, Scriptures, Ig- 
 natius, and Clement of Rome. The Indwelling of the 
 Spirit proved from Matt. iii. ii. John vii. 38. Gal, 
 iv. 6. I Cor. iii. 16. &c. &c. St. Paul'i qucjiion^ 
 A6ls xix. 2. propounded. 
 
 II. The Illumination of the Spirit is neceflary to a right 
 and faving knowledge of the Holy Scriptures : Men 
 
 may have a notional acquaintance with the fcriptiires^ and 
 yet not be in a fate of falvalion. An outward and in- 
 ward meaning of fcripture, ajferted in the Homily of the 
 Information of certain Places of Scripture. The gofpel 
 cannot he truly preached, nor truly received, without the 
 mighty power of the Holy Ghofl, ajferted in the Hsmih 
 for Whitjunday. The Homily of Reading the Holy 
 Scripture, mentions the Infpiration of the Holy Ghoft 
 as necejfary to a right underflanding thereof : Tins do£irine 
 proved from Pfal. cxix. 18. Luke xxiv. 45. Eph- i. 
 18. &c. Tlie application. 
 
 III. The comfortable influences of the Holy Ghoft are 
 really felt by thofe fouls to v/hom they are com- 
 municated. The Homily of Faith Jpeaks of feeling 
 
 faith . 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 faith. Homily for Rogation Week mentions feel in or 
 our confciences at peace tcith God. Homily of Repen- 
 tance J'peaks of feeling the ears of the Lord wick open to 
 our prayers. Bifliop Wilkins quoted. The quefion at 
 the 07-dination of Deacons confideredy Bifliop Burnet be- 
 ing interpreter. The prnpofttion proved frorn the Litur^ 
 giesy and feventeenth Article. The fame proved from 
 Rom. XV, 13. I Thefl. i. 6. Pfal. cxix. 32. 2 Cor, 
 vi. II. Phil. i. 9. A6ls xvii. 27. &c. &:c. An appeal 
 to experience. All profffors of chrifiianity exhorted to 
 feek after thefe fcnfihle communications of the Holy Gho/l. 
 
 
 OF 
 
O F 
 
 ORIGINAL SIN. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 ORIGINAL SIN, fo called,- bec^lufe 
 it is the lin of Adam, who was our 
 head and orig'.ii ; and from him it is 
 derived to us. This fm, confidered 
 in relation to Adam, confifts of two things ; 
 I. His a£lual tranfgrellion, in eating the for- 
 bidden fruit : 2. The corruption of his nature 
 confequent thereupon. Accordingly, original 
 lin, fo far as it affefts us, confifts, ift^ In the 
 imputation of Adam's aftual fin to us : adly. 
 In the inherent pollution of our natures : 
 upon both which accounts we fall under the 
 curfe of God, and become the objeds of his 
 eternal difpleafure. This therefore I fhall 
 demonftrate at large : And that I may render 
 what I have to fay upon this liibjevfl more eafy 
 and intelligible, I fhall divide my matter into 
 the three following propolitibns ; and Ihew, 
 
 B h That 
 
0/ORIGIN AL Sx.N. 
 
 *%. That Adam's fin is imputed to all his 
 pofterlty. 
 
 II. That all men derive an inward pollu- 
 tion or depravation of nature from him : 
 And therefore, 
 
 III. Are juftly liable to the torments of 
 hell for ever. 
 
 I. I am in the firft place to prove, that 
 Adam's fin is imputed to all his pofterity. 
 
 The Homily on the Mifery of Man hath 
 thefe exprefs words, " In ourfelves (as of our- 
 *' felves) we find nothing whereby we may 
 '*^ be delivered from this miferable captivity,' 
 *' into the which we are cafl: through the 
 " envy of the devil, fy breaking ofGoas com' 
 " mandment In our frji parent Adam^ This 
 paflage is plain and clear to our purpofe ; and 
 if I was to alledge no more, this is fufficient 
 to fhew the judgment of our reformers in this 
 point. Here is exprefs mention made of our 
 breaking God's commandment in Adam, which 
 can no better be underflood than of our land- 
 ing in Adam as our common head and repre- 
 fsntative ; and fo, confe^uently, when he broke 
 God's commandment, we are faid to have broken 
 it in him, hecaufe liis breach or violation of the 
 divine command is imputed unto us. This, 
 I think, is a clear explication of the words ; 
 and no unprejudiced mind can deny it. 
 
 The Homily on the Nativity of Chriil: 
 f peaks the fame language, and affords us 
 another evident proof of our prefent propo- 
 
 f:tion. 
 
0/ORIGlNAL SIN. 3 
 
 fition. Thus it is faid, " As in Adam all 
 *' vnQnJinned univerfally, (o in Adam all men 
 -*' univerfally received the reward of fin." 
 Here we are informed, that all men without 
 exception finned in Adam, which could be no 
 otherwife than as he was their head in cove- 
 nant, and fo his fin was charged upon them all. 
 And left, hj finned in this place, fome fhould 
 underfitand our fuffering death, which was a 
 confequence of Adam's fin (as is the common 
 way of our Pelagian and Socinian adverfaries) 
 it is very feafonably added, " In Adam all 
 " men univerfally received the reward offing 
 Where we fee there is a plain difference made 
 between finning and receiving the penalty of 
 lin : the former denotes the imputation of 
 Adam's crime to all his natural defcendants, 
 the latter the punifhment due to us thereupon. 
 And a little afterwards the church laments 
 the mifery of our fallen ftate in thefe words % 
 " Oh ! what a miferable and woful ftate wag 
 " this, that the fin of one man fhould defi:roy 
 *' and condemn all men.*' — But how could the 
 fin of one man deftroy and condemn all men, 
 unlefs it was imputed to them all ? Befides, 
 obferve the word condemn implies and pre- 
 fuppofes a crime for w^iich we are condemned: 
 guilt and conde7nnation go together ; this latter 
 paffes upon all men, all therefore are guilty ; 
 and in what inftance r We are here informed, 
 in the fin of. one man. This therefore is a 
 clear demonftration , that the guilt of that 
 one man 5 fin, viz. Adam's, is transferred to 
 all men. 
 
 B 2 We 
 
4 0/ O R I G I N A L S I N. 
 
 We fee then the judgment of the Church 
 of England upon this head. Let us now m- 
 quire into the fcripture-account of this mat- 
 ter. The apoftle Paul largely and delignedly 
 treats of this dodlrine in Rom. v. he begins 
 at the 1 2th verfe, faying, Wherefore as by one 
 man Jin entered into the worlds and death by 
 Jin ; and Jo death pqffed upon all men, for that 
 all have fiined, Sin entered into the world 
 firft, and death followed after ; both thefe 
 came in by one man^ viz. Adam : but then 
 death did not terminate upon him only, but 
 infected and flew the whole race of mankind, 
 who were included in him, £?>' S, j^i whom (as 
 it fhould be tranftated, and as we find it ren- 
 dered in the margin) all have fmned. All 
 men were included in Adam, as the plant is 
 contained in the feed, or the branches in the 
 root : their wills were included in his will, 
 their a6l: in his ad ; hence his lin becomes 
 their fin ; they ftand convided of it, they are 
 condemned for it, and futfer death as a punifh- 
 . ment thereof. This feemxS to me the genuine 
 meaning and purport of the facred text, tho' 
 I know fome endeavour to underftand it 
 otlK^rwjfe, The followers of Samofatenus 
 fay, That that expreffion, £?>'?, which the 
 apoftle ufes, does not fignify in whom, but, 
 for that, or, forafmuch as ; which is fo far 
 from weakening, that it even confirms our 
 opinion. For thus the reafon is affigned why 
 death pafTed upon all men, yea, upon infants 
 themfelves, ver. 14. to wit, becaufe all finned, 
 namely, in that fui which entered into the 
 
 woild 
 
0/ORIGINALSIN, 5 
 
 world by one man. Now they did not fin 
 that fin in their own perfon, becaufe they did 
 not exifl ; therefore they finned it in Adam*. 
 The apoflle profeciites this argument thro' 
 ver. 14. Neverthelefs death reigned from 
 Adam to Mofes^ even over thetn that had not 
 Jinned after the fimiUtude ofAdanis tranfgrejfion. 
 — Death reigned over infants, who had never 
 committed any actual fin, they therefore died 
 upon account of original fin. — The apoftle 
 adjoins, who is the figure, or type, of him that 
 was to come. Adam was a common head and 
 reprefentative of all mankind ; he perfonared 
 all his feed natural; and in this refpe<5t he 
 was a type of Chrift, who took human nature 
 upon him, and reprefented all his feed fpiri- 
 tual, Agreeably to this Adam the protoplaft 
 is called the firjl Adam^ and Chrift the hijl 
 Adam', the one is called the firjl man ^ the 
 other the fcond man^ i Cor. xv. 45, 47. for 
 which no other reafon can be alfigned but this, 
 Adam and Chrifl were both public pcrfons 
 iind reprefentatives ; the one reprefented ajl 
 mankind univerfally, the other was the re- 
 prefentative of all true believers. Adam is 
 the head, we are the members: Now what the 
 head does, the members are fuppofed to do ; 
 the fin therefore which Adam coinmitted, all 
 
 • Samofateniani quidem illud s:p' Z quo utitur Apoftolus, fig- 
 nilicaie aiunt non in quo, fed eo quod., vel quatennv5\ verum id 
 fententiam noftram adeo non debilitat, utetiam c nfi met. Nam 
 fic caula redditur, cur mors in omnes homines, ip os etiam in- 
 fantes, ver. 14. pervaferit, nisnirum, quia omncs pcccarunt, 
 percriio fc. illo quod per unum hominem, int^oiit in munduiii. 
 jam non peccarunt peccato illo in iuaperfona, quia non extite- 
 jrijnt. Krgo peccarunt in Adrimo. Mtingius, 
 
 B 3 men 
 
6 0/ORIGINAL SIN, 
 
 men are looked upon as having committed! 
 So in the cafe of a reprefentative, his actions 
 are accounted theirs in whofe ftead he is con-j 
 ftituted. Adam was our reprefentative when 
 he finned againfl God ; we therefore finned in 
 him, and fell with him in his firfl tranfgreffion. 
 Pis fin becomes ours by imputation, becaufe 
 God imputes Adam's a£lual difobedience to all 
 his natural pofferity : I fay, imputes, becaufe 
 the 2.di itfelf was a tranfient thing, nor did it 
 cleave to us as it did to Adam : but it is moft 
 jnftly imputed to us, becaufe Vv'e all finned in 
 him as our head and root.. This the infpired 
 writer declares Jigain and again, in terms as 
 clear as the light ; fo that one would wonder 
 
 "how any can avoid feeing it, unlefs they are 
 wilfully blind. If through the offence of one 
 many be dead, — the judgment was hy one to 
 condemnation.' — By one mans offence^ death 
 reigned by- ofie. — By the offence of one, judgment 
 came upon all men to condemnation. And hy one 
 man s difobedience many were made fnners, 
 ver. 15, 16, i7j 18, 19. They were conflituted 
 
 Jinners*, viz. in tne divine order and appoint- 
 ment ; for God was pleafed to conflitute Adan^ 
 a head of the whole human race, and fo upon 
 his default charged all his pofterity with the 
 guilt of his fin. This chapter therefore is a 
 fufficient proof that Adam's iirft fin is reputed 
 the common fin of ail mankind. 
 
 This truth vv^e have again delivered in i Cor. 
 XV. 22. j4s in Adam all die. — Byt how could 
 
 all 
 
0/ ORIGINAL SIN. 7 
 
 all die in Adam, unlefs all had finned in him ? 
 To evade this, fome perfons of a Pelagian 
 dye are pleafed to fay, that death was a punlfh- 
 ment to Adam for his fin, but that it befals 
 his pofterity only as an accidental evil or ca- 
 lamity. But what faith the apoftle ? The 
 Wages of Jin is deaths Rom. vl. 23. Death is 
 the o'^anx^ the due defert, the exa6t ftlpend, 
 or jufi: wages of fin. By this he informs us, 
 that death is the proper punifhment of fin. It 
 paffeth upon none but finners, and for no- 
 thing but fin. Now punifhment implies and 
 prefuppofes fin : ail die (faith the apoflle), 
 /. e. fuffer the punilhment of death, and that 
 in Adam ; this therefore implies that all finned 
 in Adam, for elfe they could not confiftently 
 with the divine Jaftlce die in him. And when 
 the divine writer fays all^ he includes Infants 
 and adults ; men, women, and children ; 
 all univerfally and unexceptionably : they 
 all have the guilt of their forefather's fin 
 upon their heads. And fince they had no 
 perlbnal exlftence at that time he committed 
 the offence, how could they fin in him itny 
 otherwlfe than as they have his fin imputed 
 unto them ? Thus archbliliop Uiher explains 
 this matter. " Q^ What is Jin imputed? A, 
 " Our fin in Adam, in whom as we lived, 
 " fo alfo we finned : for, in our firfl parents, 
 "" every one of us did commit that firfl fiii 
 *' which was the caufe of all other ; and fo 
 " we all are become fubje<5t to the Imputation 
 " of Adam's fall, both for the tranfgreiHon 
 B 4 " and 
 
S 0/ORIGINALSIN. 
 
 " andguiltinefs*.'* This therefore may fully, 
 fatisfy us, that all the fons and daughters of 
 Adam are partners with their great predeceffor 
 in his apoilacy, as well as in the penal efFedlsi 
 and confequences of his rebellion againfl God, 
 
 I know the mouths of natural men are wide 
 open againfl: this doclrine : they think it an 
 bard faying, and cannot fee how it is confident 
 with the divine Juflice or Goodnefs to charge 
 the fui of one man upon all men. This 
 puzzles their natural reafon, and therefore 
 original fin is a difficult pill (as one calls it) 
 for them to fwallow ; and feme of them ab- 
 folutely rejedl it. But now to remove this 
 fcruple, and to fliew in fome n:\eaiiire the 
 reafonablenefs and equity of God's imputing 
 Adam's lin to all his natural offspring, it may 
 be conlidered, 
 
 Firil, All men were in the loins of Adarri- 
 at the time of his fall, and fo all fell in him, 
 and are juftly accountable for his fm. Levi is 
 faid to have paid tithes in Abraham, becaufe 
 he was in Abraham's loins when Abraham 
 paid tithes to jNIelchifedec, Heb. vii. 9, 10. In 
 like manner all men may be laid to have finned 
 in Adam, becnufc they v\'ere in tlie loins of 
 Aclam wh.en he iinned agaii.O: God, Tliis is 
 clear. And this is the arguing of the Holy 
 Spirit in the former cafe, and feems to me 
 equally applicable in the latter. Accordingly 
 this argument hath been trequently made ufe 
 pf for this purpofc, by ma:iy orthodox di- 
 
 f Subflance of the Chriiiiart Religion. 
 
 vines 
 
0/ ORIGINAL SIN. 9 
 
 vines, and theological writers. But I am. 
 aware this obje£lion may be ftarted : " If the 
 lin of Adam is imputed to us, becaufe we 
 were in his loins at the time of his difobe- 
 dience ; then why are not the fins of our 
 immediate parents reckoned ours, feeing 
 we were in their loins before our birth, and 
 while they committed many lins ? But the 
 fins of our immediate progenitors are not 
 placed to our account * ; therefore why 
 Ihould Adam's ? " In anfwer to this objec- 
 tion we rejoin, 
 
 Secondly, that Adam was our covenant head, 
 and therefore his fin is imputed to us; but our 
 immediate parents are not covenant heads, and 
 therefore their fins are not charged upon us. 
 *The Lord God commanded the man^ fay'^^St 9f 
 every tree of the garden thou in ay eft freely eaty 
 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil 
 thoufhalt not eat of it ; for in the day that thou 
 eatejt thereof thou foalt fur ely die. Gen. ii. 16, 
 1 7. Thefe words have thenatureof acovenant; 
 for here God gives man a command, and an- 
 nexes a threatning to the violation of it, which 
 implies that a promife was added to the obfcr- 
 vation thereof. Adam actually con fented to this 
 covenant ; he accepted the terms and condi- 
 tions of it, and entered into it, not only for him- 
 lelf, but alfo for his natural progeny. Con- 
 fequently if Adam had fulfilled the conditions^ 
 of this covenant, all his children would haveen- 
 joyed the benefits of it ; but fince he broke the 
 
 • Ezek. xviii. 20. 
 
 law 
 
10 0/ O R I G I N A L S I N. 
 
 law God gave him, he envolved not only 
 himfelf, but all his offspring in eternal mifery 
 anddeflruftion, /. e. rendered them juftly ob- 
 noxious thereunto. We were all one in A- 
 dam and with him ; in him legally in regard of 
 the ftipulation and covenant between God and 
 him, we were in him parties in that covenant, 
 had intereft in the mercy, and were liable to the 
 curfe which belonged to the breach of that 
 covenant f. And herein appears the juftice of 
 God ; for as on the one hand, if Adam had 
 fiood, all men would have fhared in the blef- 
 lings of the covenant ; fo on the other, f nee he 
 fell, it cannot be thought hard or unjuft, that 
 they all fhould be partakers of the curfe and pe- 
 nalty thereof. If i\dam had kept the covenant, 
 men would have liked well enough to have 
 been his companions in happinefs ; why then 
 lince he broke it, fliould they murmur or re- 
 pine at their being followers of him in his mi- 
 fery ? Does it not argue too much partiality to 
 make a diftinftion here ? If m.en admit one of 
 thefe, why iliould they not admit the other ? 
 Are not thefe terms very fair and equitable ? 
 but then proud nature is ready to afk, how 
 covild God make Adam our head in covenant 
 with our confent ? or how can we juftly 
 fhare in the penalties of a covenant to which we 
 re/er confented ? To folve this difEculty, let 
 it be obferved, that acSlual confent cannot be 
 had in perfons vv^ho do not exift. It may be 
 alked then, could they be obliged without 
 
 t Sinfulnefs of fm by biftiop Reynolds. 
 
 their 
 
0/ORIGIN AL SIN. ii 
 
 tTieir confent ? the anfvver is, Adam was tho 
 reprefeiitative of all men, he confented, andfb 
 they are looked upon as confenting in him. 
 There confent therefore was included in his, and 
 his a<9: is imputed to them. Hence they fufFer 
 fhe penal effects of his firft tranfgreffion. 
 
 Thirdly, God is fovereign of all : he crea- 
 ted man at firil:, and he was at liberty to fix 
 his happinefs upon what terms and condi- 
 tions he pleafed. Since therefore oural mighty 
 Creator chofe to appoint Adam to be a foede- 
 ral head for all the human race, fo that if 
 he flood, they fliould ftand in him ; if he fell, 
 they fhould fall with him ; we ought to fiib- 
 mit our wifdom to the wifdom of God, and 
 bow our wills to the fovereignty of his will. 
 God was under no obligation to create man 
 at all ; and when he did create him, he placed 
 him in what circumftances he thought beft : 
 and it does not become fuch mortals, and 
 withal fuch linners as we to cav^il or find fault 
 with the difpenfations of our Maker. Yea, I 
 believe, had it been poffible for the whole 
 bulk of mankind to have been confulted up- 
 on this important affair, they would infinitely 
 fooner have chofe to have been created upon 
 thefe conditions than not to have exifled 
 ^t all. 
 
 Indeed God could (if he had pleasM) have 
 prevented the fdl of Adam ; but his infinite 
 wifdom did not think fit. The Lord knew 
 upon the whole, that by the fall of Adam, 
 |;he divine glory and human happinefs would 
 be moft promoted. The Lord brings light 
 
 out 
 
12 (yORIGINALSIN. 
 
 .out of darknefs, good out of evil. Accord- 
 ingly by means of the lapfe of our great an- 
 ceftor an effedlual door is opened for the dif- 
 play of God's vindictive juflice, and of his 
 infinite mercy : The one upon thofe to whom 
 the gofpel is the favour of death unto death, 
 the other upon thofe to whom it is the favour 
 of life unto life. 'Tis true, if we had ftood 
 in Adam, our happinefs would have been 
 great. But as we ftand in Chrifl, our hap- 
 pinefs is infinitely greater. We have no reafon 
 therefore to quarrel with God, for imputing 
 Adam's fin unto us, but we ought to blels 
 him for providing a Redeemer for us. The 
 redemption of Chrift muft needs lilence all 
 our complaints, and fwallow up all our cavils 
 and objections at once. 
 
 Many preachers fpeak much of the corrup- 
 tion of human nature, and inhft frequently 
 and earneflly upon that topic ; tiiey fet forth 
 the natural depravation of the foul, and our 
 obnoxioufnels to God's wrath upon that ac- 
 count. But then they feldom mention the im-> 
 putation of Adam's lin to his polterity. Per-? 
 haps then it may be afked of what ufe is this 
 doctrine ? it hath feveral ules : Firfl, it fhews 
 the extreme mifery and deplorable conditior^ 
 of man by nature, and fo is a proper motive 
 to humiliation and felf-abafement, This will 
 efpecially appear, if we coniider how exa£lly 
 we tread in the Heps, and imitate the rebel- 
 lion of our firft parents. How often do we 
 believe the devil before God ? How often do 
 we doubt of the truth of God's promifes, and 
 
 the 
 
0/ d R I G I N A L S I N. 13 
 
 the execution of his threatnings ! How bafely 
 are weenflaved by ourlenfual appetites ? efpe- 
 cially how frequently are we drawn away by 
 the luft of the eye * to covet forbidden 
 fruit ? and how common is it for men to de- 
 flroy themfelves by an inordinate fondnefs for 
 njolfdom f and how ready are we all to defire a 
 thing, if for no other reafon, yet for this, 
 becaufe it is forbidden us ? Lall:ly,howgreedily 
 do men commit fuch fins as ruin not only 
 themfelves, but alfo hurt and deftroy their 
 pofterity ? All thefe are footfteps and traces of 
 our forefather' sapoftacy. And minifters fhould 
 perpetually fhew how Adam and his children 
 refemble each other ia wickednefs. Secondly, 
 preachers are to declare this doctrine becaufe it 
 greatly enhances the value of the golpel lai- 
 vation, for the greater our mifery, and the 
 deeper our diftrefs, the greater is the mercy of 
 the Son of God manifefted in delivering us. 
 Thirdly, The imputation of Adam's (in and 
 Chrifi's righteouthefs run parallel each to 
 the other (as we fhall fhew more at large after- 
 ward) and in proportion as we'are convinced of 
 the reality of the former, we fliall fee the ex- 
 cellency and neceflity of the latter. Contraries 
 mutually illuft rate and fet off each other. Win- 
 ter makes the fummei appear more pleafant ; 
 and the night makes the day more agreeable 
 and delightful. Therefore the apoftle fpeaks 
 of the imputation of the iinofthe firft Adam, 
 and the imputation of tlie righteoufnefs of the 
 
 *> Gen. iii. 6. 
 
 fecond 
 
14 0/ O R I G I N A L S I N. 
 
 fecond Adam both together : he oppofes the 
 one to the other, and draws a long, but agree- 
 able parallel between them. Rom. v. 15 — 21* 
 He choofes to fpeak much of Adam's fin im- 
 puted to all 7nen for condemnatloriy that he 
 may thence take occafion tp magnify and ex- 
 tol the abundant grace of God, in imputing 
 the righteoufnefs of his Son Chrift to all mm 
 for jujilfication of life, ver. 18. 
 
 JI. I come now. Secondly, to fhew that all 
 men derive an inward pollution and depravgt- 
 tion of nature from Adam. We have before 
 cleared up the dodlrine of original fin, as 
 confiding in our having Adam's fin imputed 
 to us. Now therefore we are to fpeak of 
 another part of original fin, viz. that innate 
 defilement of the foul, which is derived from 
 Adam to all his fons and daughters, in fuc- 
 ceeding generations. Of this the Homily of 
 the Mifery of Mankind fpeaks thus, " We 
 *' cannot think a good thought of ourfelves, 
 " much lefs can we fay well, or do well of 
 *' ourfelves." And can we neither think, 
 fpeak, nor do well of ourfelves ? Is this the 
 prefent condition of man ? And did God 
 create him in fuch a weak and imperfedl ftate ? 
 the fcriptures forbid us thus to think ; they ac- 
 quaint us that God created man in his own 
 image. Gen. i. 27. /. e. Upright as the wifefl 
 man tells us, Eccl. vii. 29. If man was thus 
 created at firft, how comes it to pafs, that he 
 is now fo impotent and helplefs, as to be una- 
 ble to think a good thought : this therefore 
 
 Ihews 
 
0/ORIGINAL SIN. 15 
 
 fhevvs that man's nature is fpoiled, that his 
 original righteoufnefs is loft, and all the 
 powers and faculties of his foul weakened and 
 debafed. 
 
 In the next page of the fame homily, it is 
 faid, " Wherefore he (/. e. David) faith, 
 *' Mark and behoM I was conceived in fins ; 
 " he faith not fin, but in the plural num- 
 " her, fins ; forafmuch as out of one as a 
 " fountain fpring all the reft." The one here 
 fpoken of as a fountain, is before called the 
 original root and fpring head, and fo juftly 
 points out to us that inbred corruption of the 
 heart, from whence all outward iniquities 
 have their rife. Of this our Lord himfelf 
 fpeaks, faying. From within out of the heart 
 of men proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, forni-' 
 cations, murders, thefts, covetoufnefs, wicked- 
 nefs, deceit, lafcivioufnefs, an evil eye, blaf- 
 phemy, pride, foolifonefs : all thefe evil thmgs 
 come from within, and defile the man, Mark 
 vii. 21, 22, 23. This ihews the wicked- 
 nefs of man's heart, and informs us, that 
 there is no fort of fin which men commit, but 
 what was firft conceived in that womb of 
 iniquity. A learned divine *" fpeaking of 
 this depravity of the heart, calls it " The 
 root and fountain of all other fin, from 
 whence every a6lual abomination does pro- 
 ceed. Atheifm, and pride, and bafenefs, 
 and cruelty, and profanenefs, and every 
 other vice which tlie moft wicked wretch 
 
 * Bifhop Wilkins's gift orpray<;r, Cliao. vii. 
 
 *' in 
 
 (( 
 
i6 0/OklGlNAL SlJSr, 
 
 ** in the world is guilty of, doth J)roceed from 
 *' hence. Hell itfelf, which is the proper 
 *' place of {in, is not more full of lin, for the 
 *' kind of it, then our natures are." 
 
 In the fecond part of the fame homily we 
 have thefe words ; " Of ourfelves, and by 
 *' ourfejves, we have no goodnefs, help, or 
 *' falvation, but, contrariways, lin, damna- 
 *' tion, and death everlafting." And again, 
 *' hitherto we have heard what we are of our- 
 " felves, very iinful, wretched and damnable, 
 *' — lb that we can find in ourfelves no hope 
 *' of falvation, but rather whatfoever maketh 
 *' unto our deflruftion.** We have here the 
 iinfulnefs and weaknefs of human nature 
 plainly fet before us, and damnation mention- 
 ed as the juil: confequsnce thereof. One 
 would think fuch paflagesas thefe Ihould flrike 
 with fome degree of evidence and convi6lion 
 upon the minds of all who read thefe homilies; 
 and one might juftly wonder, that any who 
 fet their hands to them, fhould either deny 
 man's natural depravity, or palliate it in the 
 leaft ; feeing it is fo plainly profefled and ex- 
 hibited by that church, of which they would 
 be thought fons and miniflers ; yea, and for 
 which they pretend to have fo great a zeal 
 and affedlion. 
 
 I fhall add one paffage more from from the 
 homily on Chrifl's nativity, which is fo clear 
 and full to the purpofe, that it may juftly put 
 the matter beyond all doubt. " As before, 
 *' he (viz. Adam) was moll: beautiful and pre- 
 *' cious ; fo iiowLe was moll vile and wretched 
 
 in 
 
0/ ORIGIN AL SIN. if 
 
 *' in the fight of his Lord and Maker. • In 
 *' ftead of the image of God, he was now be- 
 *' come the image of the devil, inilead of the 
 *' citizen of heaven, he was now become the 
 " bondjlave of hell, having in himfelf no one 
 " part of his former purity and cleanefs, 
 " but being altogether fpotted and defiled, in- 
 " fomuch that he now feemed to be nothing 
 *' elfe but a lump of Jin, and therefore, by the 
 " juft judgment of God, was condemned to 
 " everlaftieg death.'* This is a true, but at 
 the fame time a very awful defcription of 
 man fmce the fall. Obferve by what names 
 he is here called, a bondjlave of hell, the image 
 of the devil, a lump of fin ; and yet fom.e 
 people are apt to think we delineate human na- 
 ture in too black characters, and make man a 
 much worfe creature than he is. But do thefe 
 names juftly fuit man, or do they not ? if thefe 
 charaders are juftly affixed onman, in his fallen 
 ftate, what names can be too bad for him ? Or 
 how is it poflible to reprefent man worfe than 
 he is ? Let the preachers therefore of the efla- 
 blifhed church take care to fpeak the fame lan- 
 guage, and give the fame defcription of man 
 in their fermons, as ishere givenin thishomily. 
 And leail: any Ihould think this was the cafe of 
 Adamyhut not of his pofterity, the follovv-ing 
 words are worth our notice. " This fo great 
 " andmiferable 2, plague, if it had onlyrefted 
 on Adam who firfl offended, it had been 
 much eaiier, and might the better have beeii 
 borne. But it fell not only on him, but aifo 
 on his pofteritv and children for ever; fo 
 C '' that 
 
 a 
 
ra 0/ R I G I N A L S I N. 
 
 *' that the whole brood o/' Adam's race fhonla 
 *' I'uftain the, felf-fa?7ie fall and punijhment^ 
 " which then- forefather by his offence moft 
 ^' iuftly had defer ved." Here we fee the 
 plague i. e. the hifedlion of iin defends to the 
 ivhole brood of AAd.-iXi^ and they all fuftain the 
 felffame fall and pumjlmient with himfelf. 
 . It is now time to alledge the teftimony of 
 the ninth article, entitled, 
 
 0/ ORIGINAL SIN. 
 
 *' Original fin ftandeth not in the following 
 ** of Adam (as the Pelagians do vainly talk) 
 •' but it is the fault and corruption of the na- 
 *' ture of every man, that naturally is engen- 
 *' dered of the offspring of Adam, whereby 
 *' man is very far gone from original righ- 
 ** teoufnefs, and is of his own nature inclined 
 " to evil, fo that the flelh lufteth always 
 *■'' contrary to the fpirit.'*' — This is an accu- 
 rate account of the innate corruption of the 
 foul, which Adam contrafted in his fall ; 
 which was in him originally, and is in all his 
 natural offspring derivatively. The terms 
 here ufed to exprefs this are clear and explicit ; 
 they need no glofs or commentary to render 
 them plainer ; let them but fland before an 
 impartial judge in their native fimplicity, and 
 he will prefently fee they carry in them the 
 true notion of original iin, and are the ge- 
 nuine language of thofe who hold that doc- 
 trine. As fbr thofe who fwfeat and toil, to 
 give this article a different turn, and endea- 
 vour to make it fpeak two or three languages, 
 
 they 
 
O/ORIGIN AL SIN. 19 
 
 they feeir. nearly related to the Pelagians * 
 who are, condemned in the front of it. In the 
 conclufion of this article, the doctrine of in- 
 herent linlefs perfection is exprefsly contra- 
 dialed ; ^' 'This i?ifedtion of nature doth remain^ 
 ^' yea in them that are regenerated, where- 
 " by the luft of the flefh, called in Greek 
 ** (ppot>nyt.» (Ta^Kog which fomc do expound the 
 •*' wifdom,fomefenfuality, fome the afFe6lion, 
 '^ fome the delire of the flefh, is not fubjedl to 
 " the law of God." 
 
 * It was the doftrine of the Pelagians in primitive time% 
 that man's nature was not corrupted by the fall of Adam ; that 
 his lin was not any ground to his pollerity, either of death, or 
 of the merit of death; that fin comes from Adam by imitation, 
 not by propagation ; that baptifm doth not ferve in infants for ' 
 remiifion of fin, but only foi- adoption and admiffion into hea. 
 venj that as Chrift's righteoufnefs doth not profit thofe who be- 
 lieve not, fo Adam's fin doth not prejudice nor injure thofe that 
 aftuallyfin not ; that as a righteous man doth not beget a righ- 
 teous child ; fo neither doth a finner beget a child guilty < f 
 fin ; that all fin is voluntary, and therefore not nacural ; that 
 marriage is God's ordinance, and therefore no inllrument of 
 tranfmitting guilt ; that concupilcence being the puniihmentof 
 fin, cannot be fin likewife. Thefe and the like Ancithefes unto 
 orthodox doctrine, did the Pelaginns of old maintain : And (as 
 it is the policy of fat^n, to keep alive thofe herefies, which 
 may feem to have molt relief from proud and corrupted reafon, 
 and do principally tend to keep men from that due humiliation, 
 and through conviction of fin, which (hould drive them to 
 Chrill, and magnify the riches of Chnll's grace to t>;m) 
 there are not wanting at this day a brood of finful men, who 
 notwithftandin^ the evidence of fcripiure, and confe t of Anti-. 
 quity, do in this point concur with thofe wiched heretics, and 
 deny the original corruption of our nature to be any fin at all ; 
 bat CO be the work ot God's own hand in paradife, nay, deny 
 farther the very imputation of Adam's fin to any of his poflerity 
 for fin. Thui far bijhop Reynolds. And this brief fchedule of 
 the Pelagian Tenets I fet before the reader, in order to caution 
 himaeinll them. 
 
 C % This 
 
20 0/ O R I G I N A L S I N 
 
 This doflrlne fp reads itfelf through th» 
 whole Uturgy, as the followng petitions and 
 confeffions may fatisfy us ; there is no health 
 in us ^"We be tied and bound with the chain of 
 our fins -t — Through our fins and wickednefs we 
 are fore let and hindred in running the race that 
 isfet before us ||- — May it pleafe thee that by 
 the wholfome medicines of the doElrine delivered 
 by him, all the difeafes of our fouls may be 
 healed X—'^l^^ough the weabtefs of our mortal 
 nature we can do no good thing without thee^ 
 --JVithout thee we are not able to pleafe thee 4-» 
 All thefe paffages, and many more that might 
 be extra£ted from the book of common prayer, 
 plainly declare the original corruption of 
 inan*s nature, and the infufficiency of his 
 'natural wilt. 
 
 There are two places in the liturgy which 
 deferve a particular confideration : the firft is. 
 Dearly beloved, for as much as all men are con- 
 ceived and born in fin.-— Here the do61:rine of 
 original lin is clearly afferted, and it is faid to 
 be conveyed to us in our conception and birth. 
 And this is advifedly placed at the beginning of 
 the baptifmal office ; becaufe the inherent pol- 
 lution of our nature is one valid argument for 
 the ufe of baptifm. Baptifm (faith our xxvii. 
 article) is a fign of our regeneration or new 
 
 • Order for morning prpyer. 
 -f- Prayers upon ieveral occafions. 
 H Fonny^/une/ay in ad'-jejit. 
 % Collea for 8t. Lukes Day. 
 § Firft Sunday after Trinity. 
 4 Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity 
 
 birth . 
 
0/ORIGINAL SIN. tx 
 
 fclrth. Now iinlefs we were born in fin, W4 
 ihould have no need of a regeneration, or 
 fecond birth ? much lefs fhould we ftand in 
 need of water-baptifm (which is only a type 
 or figure of the baptifm of the Spirit) unlels 
 we were originally depraved and corrupted. 
 Therefore the do6lrine of baptifm and of ori- 
 ginal fin, ftand or fall together, and thofe who 
 deny the latter, evacuate the neceffity of the 
 former, and fo condemn the ufage of the pre- 
 fent as well as the primitive chriftian church. 
 The other place is in the catecliifm, where 
 the queftion is propofed, "What is the in- 
 *' ward and fpiritual grace ? " the anfwer is 
 -return'd, " A death unto fin, a new birth 
 *' unto righteoufnefs ; for being fy nature 
 >' born injin^ and the children of wrath, we 
 " are hereby made the children of grace." 
 Here we have a brief account of the regene- 
 ration of the Spirit, which is typically repre- 
 fented by the external wafhing of water in 
 baptifm. When we are faid to be by nature 
 born in Jin^ what words can be plainer to ex- 
 prefs our birth-fin, or the innate corruption 
 of the heart ? I know fbme by the term «p-j(rf» 
 Eph^ ii. 3. are willing to underftand ftrong and 
 inveterate habits of vice contrafted by long 
 cuftom of finning ; for, fay they, habit and 
 cuftom are fecond nature, and therefore may 
 fitly be expreiied by that term. But the word 
 cannot be fo taken here, becaufe it is joined 
 with being born^ unlafs our Pelagian oppo- 
 nents will lay, that men are born With, invete- 
 rate habits of vice, acquired by long cuftom 
 
 C 3 and- 
 
22 0/0 R I GIN AL SIN. 
 
 ^nd pradlce, which feems too prepofterous for 
 any reafonable man to affirm. Therefore our 
 Being by nature born in Jin, muft mean our 
 bemg born of finful parents, and deriving a vi-* 
 mted nature from them. 
 
 The fcriptures atteft this truth in innume-t 
 rable places. Thus Gen .v. 3. Adam begat a 
 Jon in his own likenefs, after his image. Like 
 begets hke : Adam, in his corrupted flate, be- 
 gat a fon, and therefore his fon was as corrupt 
 as himfelf. So Job xiv. 4. JVho can bring a 
 clean thing out of an unclean? And, xv. 14, 
 What is man that fiould he be clean f and he 
 which is born of a woman that he fiould be 
 righteous ? The argument is plainly this, as ia 
 the caufe, fnch will be the efFedl: ; as parents 
 are fuch will their offspring be ; but parents 
 are unclean, men and women are unrighteous, 
 and fo their children derive an innate unrighte- 
 oufnefs, a fpi ritual uncleanefs from them. Our 
 bleffed Lord declares the fame truth, John iii, 
 6. 'That which is born ofthefefo is fief . — Lions 
 do not beget lambs, nor wolves fheep ; no 
 more do fiefhly parents beget fpiritual children ; 
 but as ferpents produce ferpents, and vipers 
 beget vipers, and all manner of wild and ve- 
 nomous creatures bring forth creatures as wild 
 and venomous as themfelues, fo carnal and im- 
 pure parents beget children as carnal and impure 
 as themfelves. This followsupon theeftablifhed 
 laws of generation. As to the Modus *, how 
 
 this 
 
 • Many divines have loft themfelves here. Since the foul is 
 not tx traduce, ipinc Jiave fuppofed it is created pure and holy 
 
 by 
 
0/ OR I GIN A LSI N. 2j 
 
 this fpiritual contagion is conveyed to us, I do 
 not pretend to determine it : That we are pol^ 
 luted creatures from the womb is plain ; the 
 fa£t is too vilible to be denied. We are not 
 therefore fo much concerned to know how we 
 came by the difeafe, as how or where we may 
 procure a remedy. 
 
 The pfalmift David had a deep experience 
 of this finful infe£lion, this native ftain of the 
 foul : wherefore he cries out, Behold, I ivas 
 Jhapen in iniquity ; and in fin did fjiy mother 
 conceive me, Pial. li. 5. The Spirit of God 
 generally convinceth linners firftof theira£lual 
 iins, and then of their original depravation. 
 As we trace back the ftreams to the fountain, 
 fo we trace back our a£lual trangreffions to 
 the innate corruption of the heart, which is 
 the root and iburce of all outward iins. Ac- 
 cordingly David having confefled his -actual 
 offence in the matter of Uriah, ver, 4. he pro- 
 ceeds to lament that vitiofity of nature which 
 he brought into the world with him ; Beholdy 
 faith he, / was fijapen in iniquity, and in fin 
 did my mother conceive me. He introduce th 
 his lamentation with a note of attention, be- 
 hold, in order to make us take more notice of 
 it. In acknowledging himfelf to be ro^c^/TV^ 
 infin, zndifijapcn in iniquity, he plainly owns-, 
 
 by God, but becomes deprax'ed by virtue of its union with the 
 body, as pure liquor is tainted by being put into an imjirevef- 
 fel. Others have ventured to affirm, that God iudicially creates 
 men's fouls without original riphttoufnefs and holinefs. Many 
 pious divines have unvarily fell into this latter opinion, although 
 it is fo contrary to the divine attributes, and hath neither fcrip- 
 ture nof reafon to fupport it. 
 
 C 4 that 
 
14 0/ ORIGINAL SIN. 
 
 that lie was tainted with that hereditary pollur 
 tion of nature we are fpeaking of, and fo bears 
 ample teftimony to the dodlrine of original 
 fin. I know indeed fome endeavour to dilute 
 thefe words by an hyperbola, and fay, that 
 David therebyonly Intends an aggravation of his 
 actual offence : butthis isallan evafion. There 
 can be no hyperbola here, becaufe the Infpired 
 writer fpeaks neither more nor lefs than the 
 exa^t truth. *' Thefe words (faith a learned 
 divine) are not an hyperbolical aggravation of 
 David's actual lins, as the Pelagians of old, the 
 Socinlans, and fome others of this day vainly 
 pretend, only to make them confiftant with 
 their fcheme of religion ; for they fet forth a 
 ■fin of quite another kind ; a fm in our very 
 frame and conftitution, and are a plain and 
 poiitive affertion of the catholic doctrine of 
 original fm. Now, if there be no fuch fin, 
 rhefe words are fofar from being an hyperbola, 
 that they contain a mere fiction ; they do not 
 aggravate what is, bnt acknowledge what 
 has no reality at all '^, When .men feel that 
 preiTure and burden of fin which the pfalmlft 
 felt when he penned thefe words, they will not 
 refolve them into an hyperbola, or any figure 
 offpeech, but into a fenfation of the heart ; 
 and they themfelves will m.ake the fame con- 
 feffion, and become advocates for the fame 
 truth. So long as men continue Ignorant of 
 that mafs of corruption, that woridof iniquity 
 that is within them, it is no wonder they op- 
 
 ■* Dr. DeUune's feraion on Ffal. ]i, 5. 
 
 pofe 
 
0/ O R I G I N A L S I N. 25 
 
 pofe this (lo£lniie, though at the fame time 
 their blindnefs and obflinacy, in reje6ling fo 
 lelf-evident a truth, are but too vlfible efFe£ls 
 of that apoflacy which they contradict, and 
 labour to difprove. If men did but truly 
 know and deeply feel the ftate of their own 
 hearts, they would find this docftrine written 
 there with a pen of iron, and with a point of a 
 diamond; or, as holy Job exprelles it, graven 
 with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever* 
 'Bheir inward experience would then convince 
 them, that every thought^ every imagination of 
 man's heart is evil^ only evil, continually tviiy 
 Gen. vi. 5. viii. 21. 
 
 The infpired Pfalmifl: delivers the fame 
 truth, Pfal. lyiii. 3. 'The ivicked are efiranged 
 from, the womh. — This alienation or eflrange- 
 ment of the creature, man from his Creator, 
 IS from the womb, ov from his youth. Gen. viii. 
 2 1 . which implies that it is born with him, 
 and in hipi ; he derives it from his parents in a 
 way of natural generation. The Pfalmift 
 adds. They go efiray as foon as they be born^ 
 fpeakitig lies. Children are inclined to all 
 vice in general, but to lying in particular: 
 you may catch them in this fin as foon as they 
 are able to fpeak : and this fin makes them the 
 children of the devil, if you will believe our 
 Saviour, John viii. 44. Te are of your father 
 the devil, and the liifis of your father ye will 
 do. — When hefpeakeih a lye, hefpeaketh of his 
 own ; for he is a Iyer, and the father of it. 
 You fee then how nearly children in their na- 
 tural ftate are related to the devil. Hence 
 
 Solomon 
 
b6 0/ O R I G I >J a L S I N. 
 
 Solomon faith, fooUJhnefs is bound in the heart 
 •^f a child^ Prov. xxii. 15. ^y fooli/Imefs, the 
 wife man means fm, and efpecially the lin of 
 our nature : and when he faith bound, he lets 
 us know how intimately it adhers to the child; 
 it is wrapt up in his heart, it is interwoven 
 with his very nature and conftitution. Ac* 
 cordingly we find God himfelf thus addreffing 
 his people ;. IJinew that thou ivouldjl deal very 
 ireacheroujly, and wafi called a trafifgrejfor 
 from the womb, Ifi. xlviii. 8. God does not 
 give things empty and iniignificant names ; if 
 therefore he calls his people tranfgrejfors, it is 
 becaufe they really are fuch ; and from the 
 *womb, denotes as much as from their birth 
 and conception ; and fo informs us, that in 
 their very rife and original, they were defiled 
 with this in-bred depravity. What then be- 
 comes of the Pelegian hypothefis, which fup- 
 pofes that children are born innocent and free 
 from fin, and are only corrupted by the ill ex- 
 ample of others ? Thefe texts teach us ano- 
 ther leflbn ; they tell us, that the w/V^W(and 
 fiich we are all by nature) are ejlranged from 
 the ivomb ; that the people of God, as well as 
 others, are tranfgrejfors from the womb ; and 
 thrit foolifnefs, or fm, which fo early appears 
 in children, is not baiely owing to the enflu- 
 ence of the bad example of others, but is 
 hound v."^ in their little degenerate hearts. And 
 all this is confirmed by daily experience, for 
 we fee children running into wickednefs as 
 greedily as to their natural food ; they drink 
 iiiiquity like water^ and never better pleafed 
 
 than 
 
0/ORIGINAL SIN. 17 
 
 than when they are committing fin. Theit 
 wills are bent upon evil, and they delight in 
 doing michief. And although wholfom in- 
 ftru6lions are adminiftred unto them, and ex- 
 amples of piety and virtue fet before them, yet 
 you will find they take infinitely more pleafure 
 in vice than in virtue : their natures are wild 
 and ungovernable : they are fuUen, felf- willed 
 unruly creatures ; and they will do what they 
 pleafe in fpite of all arguments and perfuafions 
 to the contrary. Matt is born (the note of 
 fimilitude is not inferted in the original He- 
 brew) a wild afs* s colt^ i. e. a wanton, ikittifh, 
 favage, untra6table creature ; and the granda- 
 tion of the words is obfervable (faith Dr. Ed- 
 wards) man is a colt^ an ^fs's colt, a wild 
 afs*5 colt. Job xi. 12. 
 
 The apoftle Paul frequently mentions this. 
 Thus Rom. iii. 10. 'There is none righteous, no 
 not one : that is, none are fo by nature ; but, 
 as he tells us, ver» 9. both Jews and Gentiles 
 are Till under Jin, viz. under the guilt of A- 
 dam's adual tranfgreffion, and under the dif- 
 order of a vitiated nature, upon both which 
 accounts all the world is become guilty before 
 God, ver. 19. Again, the apoftle faith, All 
 have finned and come fijort of the glory of God. 
 The Greek v/ord * which is here tranflated 
 c-omefijort, is properly expreffive of our fall in 
 Adam, and of "the defiult of our nature con- 
 fequent thereupon : It denotes our lofs of the 
 divine image, our lofs of the divine favor, 
 
 our 
 
28 0/ORIGINAL SIN, 
 
 our lofs of all that happinefs and holinefs 
 whichwe pofleirediii Adam : it exprefleth our 
 lofs of communion with God, and our lofs 
 of the enjoyment of God both prefent and 
 future. Some think the apoftlc, in this chap- 
 ter, is defcribing the general decay of religion 
 among the Jews, and the univerfal declenlion 
 of manners that had overfpread the Gentile 
 world. This is true ; but then he fpeaks of 
 the corruption of the heart alfo. This ap- 
 pears, firft, becaufe the loth, nth, and 12th, 
 verfes are taken from the xiv. liii. Pfalms, 
 the contents of both which inform us, that 
 therein David defcribeth the corruption of a na- 
 tural man. Accordingly he begins, the fool 
 hath faid in his hearty and he fpeaks chiefly 
 of the depraved flate of the heart in the three 
 firfl verfes, and then proceeds to decribe the 
 wickednefs of their lives, ver. 4. where he 
 calls them workers of iniquity. The apoftle 
 takes the fame courfe : he firft decribes the 
 fmfulnefs of men's hearts, ver. 10, 11, 12, 
 and then he iliews the fins of their lives 
 and outward adioiis, ver. 13, 14, 15, &c. 
 The apoflle therefore and the Pfalmift both 
 give their fuffr ages to the truth of our do£lrine. 
 They both pourtray the ignorance, impiety, 
 infidelity and atheifm of the heart, as well as 
 the fins and follies of the external converfa- 
 tion of men. 2dly, I would remind the ob- 
 jectors of the exclufive terms, no not one. 
 Now, do they think none abftained frorn out- 
 ward fin in David's or St. Paul's time? Do 
 they tiiink none were tree from grofs immora- 
 
 lity? 
 
0/ O R I G I N A L S I N, 29 
 
 ilty ? Where there no fervants of God, no be- 
 lievers in Chrift ? yet the apoftle fays, there 
 is none righteous, and he adds no not one, nei- 
 ther infants nor adults ; which fhews that he 
 fpeaksof that orignal finful flain, that epide- 
 mical difeafe of our neature with which all are 
 infected, and from which none are free. 
 
 The feventh chapter is full of this do£lrine: 
 fover. 8. Sin taking occajton by the command- 
 ment, wrought in me all manner of concupif- 
 cence. If man was in his primitive flate of 
 purity and holinefs, he would take occasion 
 by the divine commandment to fhew his love 
 and obedience to God ; but fince he is apofta- 
 tized from his orignal creation, and hath con- 
 trafted an antipathy to God, the law irritates 
 and pro/okes the corruption of his heart, and 
 makes it more boifterous and predominant ; 
 yea, caufes it to overflow juft like a river ftopt 
 in its courfe : This makes him fay, / had not 
 hnoivn fin hut by the law, ver. 7. and by the 
 law is the knowledge of fin, en. iii. ver. 20. 
 When the divine law is fpread before a finner 
 in its fuUeil: extent, purity and perfection, then, 
 •he fees what a filthy deteftable creature he is : 
 the law, as in a glafs reprefents to him the 
 {infulnefs and deformity of his heart, the 
 blindnefs of his mind, the perverfenefs of his 
 will, and the irregularity, extravagance and 
 ■diliolutenefs of all his aiTeclions. Hence he. 
 who was before alive, /. e, thought himfelf in 
 a ftate of grace and falvation, dies, i. e, fees 
 in XiimiiiXi the fenience of death, is obliged to 
 acknowledge death is his due, and is under 
 
 fearful 
 
JO 0/ ORIGINAL SIN. 
 
 fearful apprehenfions left all the damnation o^ 
 hell ftiould be revealed in his foul, ver. 9. and 
 2 Cor. i. 9. This inward convidion of Im 
 perfons have when the law of God is fet home 
 upon their hearts, and the inward iin of 
 which they are then convinced is the original 
 pollution whereof we fpeak ; and when men 
 have the experience of the corruption of their 
 hearts, they will then know what this innate 
 ipiritual defilement is. 
 
 The apoftle faith^ ver. 18. ^ know that m 
 me (that h, in my fiejh) dwelleth no good 
 thing. — This was the cafe of the apoftle ; 
 and this is the cafe of every man by nature, 
 no good dwelleth in him, but on the contrary, 
 all manner of evil ; there is no carnal appe- 
 tite in a brute, no wicked temper in a devil, 
 but man hath a degree of it in himfelf. Juftly 
 therefore doth bifliop Hall ftile an evil man half 
 a beajl and half a devil * . This corruption of 
 nature the apoftle fpeaks of again, ver. 20. and 
 calls it the fin that dwelleth in him, the law in 
 his members^ ver. 23. and the flefh, ver. 25. 
 and the old man^ Eph. iv. 22. Col. iii. 9. 
 
 The apoftle James mentions this depravity 
 of the foul, chap. i. ver. 14. calling it luf^ or 
 defire \ , which is the very fame appellation 
 the appoftle Paul gives it, Rom. vli. 7. / had 
 not known luft, or defire, except the law had 
 faid^ Thoufialt not covet. There is in every 
 unregenerate heart a perpetual bent and incli- 
 
 • See his Meditations, Cent, ii. 
 
 nation 
 
 .'./ 
 
0/ORIGINAL SIN. 31 
 
 nation to evil, a dejire to commit fin ; and 
 the dejtre of fin is fin ; it is lin in its rife and 
 original ; and this hji or dejire, when it hath 
 conceived^ bringeth forth Jin, James i. 15. Some 
 deny that concupifcence, or the defire of fin, 
 is fin, efpecially the Papifts. And I wi(h none 
 who call themfelves Proteftants were liable to- 
 cjenliire here : But whofoever they are that are 
 thu3 criminal, how contrary they go to fcrip- 
 ture the texts above- recited may ihew them ; 
 and how contrary they are to the church of 
 England, the conclufion of the ninth article 
 may inform them : " concupifcence and lufl 
 *' hath ofitfelfthe nature of fin." 
 
 I have infifi:ed the longer upon this head, 
 becaufe it is the hinge upon which the con- 
 troverfy turns, and the centre of the whole 
 doftrine of original fin ; forafmuch as it im- 
 plies Adam's fin imputed, and inferf, 1 liable- 
 nefs to God's eternal wrath *. And this is a 
 truth of the higheft importance. If you deny 
 it, you do in effedl evacute the neceflity of 
 the gofpel- revelation, and of falvation by 
 Chrifi: For if children are horn into the 
 world pure and innocent, and have a natural 
 will and power to obey the will of God, then 
 they may fave themfelves, and fo what need 
 have they of being beholden to Chrifl: for 
 falvation ? We fee therefore the error and 
 
 * This is eafily explained; for the original defilement of ouf 
 nature is both a fjn and a punifliment ; when we take it in the 
 Jatter fenfe, it implies the tranilation of the gui!t cf Adam's fia 
 to us ; and when in the former, it fliews us that we are objedli of 
 the divine vengeance. And defervc to fuffer eternal mifery. 
 
 danger 
 
^3 0/ORIGINAL Srisr. 
 
 danger of the Pelagian fcheme ; and hertcc 
 we may learn what judgment to form of thofe 
 who efpoufe and vindicate it ; they are not to 
 be looked upon onlyas impugners of a lingle 
 article of the chriftian faith, but as under- 
 miners and fubverters of the whole evangeli- 
 cal difpenfation. 
 
 And as this docSlrine is of great weight and 
 moment, fo the evidence of it are clear, co- 
 pious, conclufive, demonftrative. It is demon- 
 strated from the fcriptures : it is demon- 
 ftrated from the ftate of men's hearts, and 
 from the debaucheries of their lives. The 
 whole world is full of it. The weaknefs, the 
 finfulnefs, the miferies of the human fpecies, 
 all confpire to prove it. Uuawakened iinners 
 who are dead in trefpaffes and fins, and deny 
 it themfelves, are a glaring proof of the truth 
 ofit to others. They by their ignorance, per- 
 verfenefs, hypocrify and beftiality, demon- 
 ftrate the innate turpitude of the foul, and 
 are miferable inftances of the truth of that 
 dp£lrine which they ftrive to oppofe. The 
 faints of God experience this corruption in 
 their own hearts, and groan under the plague 
 and burthenof it. Ifwe rightly knowourfelves, 
 if we fee all our own viienefs, filthinefs and 
 exceeding finfulnefs, we fhall be obliged to 
 own, that we are very wicked, unholy, un- 
 godly, abominable wretches. And this will 
 further appear (as bifhop Wilkins obferves) 
 *' if we look upon our own natures in the 
 *' rage, blafphemies, bafenefs, madnefs of 
 *' other men's lives : there being not any 
 
 *^' kind 
 
0/ O R I G I N A L S I N. ^^ 
 
 •' kind of evil, which either man or devil 
 *' hath committed, but there are in our na- 
 '* tures the principles and inchnations to it; 
 *' the heft of us being by nature as bad as the 
 '* worfl: of llnners." This is found fpeech, 
 which cannot be condemned. The author 
 fpeaks like a chriftian, and he fpeaks like a 
 divine. And I could heartily wifli all the bi- 
 fKops, priefts, and deacons in England, Ipoke 
 the fame language. If any rejedl this dodlrine, 
 it cannot be for want of evidence, but for want 
 of a mind readily difpofed to receive the truth. 
 Now if we had time, and if I was not afraid 
 I had burdened the reader already, how many 
 ufeful inferences might be deduced from this 
 doctrine ! as, 
 
 Firfl, Acknowledge it. By acknowledging 
 it, I do not barely mean receiving it as a prin- 
 ciple of fcience or philofophical fpeculation. 
 Alas ! you may thus receive it, and yet be never 
 the better. Many fay they are finners, but 
 how few are convinced of the mifery and Cm- 
 fulnefs of lin ! how many have the theory 
 of original fin in their heads, who have not 
 the experience thereof in their hearts ! In our 
 liturgy we confefs that we "are grieved and 
 wearied \N\t\i the burden of our fuis *.'* And 
 in another place we acknowledge " The re- 
 *' membrance of our fins is grievous unto us, 
 *' xht burden o't th.QTa\?, intolerable §." Which 
 places fhew us, that the burden of Jin is not 
 only to be conteffed, but alfo to be felt by us. 
 
 • Commination. § Communion iervke. 
 
 D Or 
 
34 0/ O R I G I N A L S I N. 
 
 Or will you fay the burden of fin may be in- 
 tolerable^ and yet we have no feeling fenfe of it ? 
 This (hews as well the profound ignorance as the 
 horrid impiety of thofe who ridicule the doc- 
 trine of feeling the burden of fin, and prefume 
 to call it cant and enthufiafm. If men never 
 wereitv.;7r/V4r/with the burden of their fins, never 
 did feel them intolerable^ nor defire fo to do ; 
 then fuch prayers and fiich confeflions will be 
 fo far f.'om doing them any real fervice, that 
 they will only bear telHmony to their hypo- 
 crify ,.and highly aggravate their condemnation. 
 Cry therefore to God, thathe would make your 
 fms a burden too heavy for you *. Come unto 
 Jefus labouring and heavy laden^ and he will 
 give you reft. The word ^^?•o^1Jo■^a£^o^, Mat. 
 xi. 28. fignifies laden as with a burden. An 
 infupportable burden will crufh under the 
 perfon who bears it. Semblably fin is a bur- 
 den infupportable, and will crufh us down to 
 hell, if Jeius doth not remove it from us, and 
 give reft to our fouls. 
 
 Secondly, Here fee the folly of glorying in 
 our pedigree. We are all the corrupt offspring 
 of a corrupt parent, Adam. Some boaft of 
 their being of this great family, and others of 
 that ; fome glory in beingdefcended from kings 
 and princes ; and others from lords and nobles. 
 Alas ! what vanity is all this ! Surely when 
 people talk at this rate, they forget they all 
 fprang from the fame root, and aretainted from 
 the womb. The prince and the peafant, the 
 
 rfalm xxxviii. 4, 
 
 king 
 
0/ O R I G I N A L S I N. 55 
 
 king and the beggar are all equal in this refpejft; 
 they have all one common father, viz. Adam. 
 Trace your pedigree from him, and you will 
 have no reafon to glory, unlefs you will glory 
 in your (hame. Look back to your proper 
 fource and original, and he afliamed and con- 
 founded at feeing what a polluted {inner he 
 was, and what a linfnl polluted nature you 
 have derived from him. 
 
 Thirdly, Let all your adual fins lead you 
 b ick to the original corruption of your nature. 
 You perhaps lament this outward lin, and the 
 other ; but do you lee the root of all, the in- 
 bred impurity of your heart? What li^ni'ies 
 lopping off the branches ? lay the ax to the 
 joot of the tree. Coufefs and lament the in- 
 ward depravity of your foul, and be humbled 
 before the Lord. Your outward lins are but 
 the ftreams, the fountain of all is your original 
 corruption. " All that pravity and baflnefs, 
 *' which fills up every part and power about 
 " us, are but difFufions of our original cor- 
 *' ruption. What aworldofmifchief is there in 
 '* our feveral parts ! our wills, afFeftions, our 
 "' tongues, eyes ! and yetalithefe are but as 
 *' little rivulets ; the fou?itain^ or ratherthey^^ 
 *' that feeds them, is our corrupted nature*." 
 Fourthly, We learn from hence, that all are 
 equally corrupted ; allareequallyfargonefrom 
 God ; equally far fallen from original righ- 
 teoufnefs ; and equally funk into original fin. 
 There is no difference. All are alike by na- 
 
 • Wilkins's Gift of Prayer. 
 
 T) 2 ture. 
 
36 0/ORIGINAL SIN. 
 
 ture. One is no better than another : neither 
 hath one linner any reafon to glory over ano- 
 ther. But then if all are equally corrupt, how 
 comes it to pais that they do not all run into 
 the fame outward immoralities ? Why do they 
 not com^mit the fame grofs enormities ? The 
 reafon hereof is, becaufe men have dilterent 
 bodily conftitutions, different educations, and 
 different temptations : they are under various 
 conftraints and reftraints,. and have different 
 degrees of knowledge. If men were all ex- 
 a^llyin the fame circumftances, inevery refpedt 
 they would all difcover the fame depravity of 
 heart, and commit equal outward iniquity. 
 But their different circumflances, together with 
 the reflraints of God's grace, and the hand of 
 his providence, are caules why men are not 
 equally vicious outwardly. But all by nature 
 arealikedegenerate, and inclined to wickednefs. 
 Fifthly, Hence we fee the neceffity of re- 
 generation. Is it pofiible for men in their na- 
 tural eftate, to enter into the kingdom of 
 heaven ? Can unregenerate finners enjoy the 
 pleafures of that high and holy place ? Do 
 you think that a creature, full of the depraved 
 appetites of a brute, and the malignant difpo- 
 ^itions of a devil, is fit to dwell with God in 
 glory ? therefore befeech God to create your 
 5eart anew, that you may be fit to fee his 
 face. Never reft till a lecond birth hath 
 pafied upon your foul. What fignifies the 
 tirft birth, unlefs you experience a fecond ? 
 You had better never have been born at all, 
 rhan iiot to be bprrj again. Pray to God there- 
 fore, 
 
0/ O R I G I N A L S I N. 37 
 
 fore, that you may be born of the Spirit, and 
 be feinftated in his favour. 
 
 Sixthly and laftly, Have you any thing be- 
 IJides nature in you ? Have you any fuperna- 
 tural grace in your heart? Do you find any 
 change in you ? Are you different from what 
 you was ? Have you paffed from darknefs to 
 light ? Do you live the life of faith ? Are 
 * old things paft away ? And are all things be- 
 come new in your foul ? Rejoice, and give. 
 God all the glory. Do not infult other lin- 
 liers. Remember, if you differ, it is the grace 
 of God that makes you to differ. Therefore 
 be humble, be mean and abjedl in your own 
 eyes, and fay with the apoftle, By the grace 
 of God „ I am what I am. 
 
 III. All men are juftly liable to the tor- 
 ments of hell for ever, as a confequence of 
 original fin. This may feem a harfh faying ; 
 but it is true, as I will make appear at once. 
 Every the leaft 'ixw you can mention, deferves 
 liell : only allow then, that original fin is 
 fin, and it will follow, that hell is the due 
 defert thereof. This is clear, and (if I was to 
 fay no more) a fufBcient proof of our propofi- 
 tion. I once, indeed, difcourfed with a man 
 who gave it as his opinion, that men would 
 not be condemned at the day of judgment for 
 original fin. I believe there are many of his 
 mind, if they would fpeak the truth. But 
 St. John declares, that the blood of Jefus 
 Chrijl clcanfeth from all fn, which implies, 
 that without an intereft in his blood, men are 
 
 D 3 cleanfed 
 
3S 0/ O R I G I N A L S I N. 
 
 cleanfed from no fin, neither a6lual nor ori- 
 ginal. St. Paul faith, Heb. ix. 22. Without 
 JI:)cdding cf bloody i. e. the blood of Chrifl, there 
 is no renujfion^ no forgivenefs of fin, either 
 actual or original ; confequently all who are 
 found unbelievers at the taftday, will be con- 
 demned for both of them. 
 
 Some divines there are of an acute genius 
 and philofophic turn of mind, who affirm, 
 that we only lofl: our immortality in Adam, 
 . and fo (if there had been no Redeemer pro- 
 vided) fhould have died and perifhed like the 
 brutes, without arriving to any future ftate, 
 either of happinefs or mifery. Now if the 
 reader is of a candid and ingenuous difpoli- 
 tion, the following quotations from the ho- 
 milies will convince him of the error and 
 falfhood of this fuppolltion. 
 
 " We are by nature the children of God's 
 *' wrath, but we are not able to make our- 
 " felves the children and inheritors of God's 
 " glory," fays the homily on the Mifery of 
 mankind. God's glory here denotes the eter- 
 nal fruition of him in heaven ; and confe- 
 quently his wrath, which is here oppofed to 
 it, muft mean the fuffering of eternal tor- 
 ments in hell, which is due to us for our ori^ 
 glnal or birth-Jin ; and therefore in the fore- 
 going part of this homily we are called 
 " children of the wrath of God, v/hen we 
 " be born^ 
 
 In the fecond fermon on the paflion of our 
 Saviour, the church bewails our apoftacy in 
 Adam, in thefe words, " O Lord, what had 
 
 " Adam^ 
 
0/ O R I G I N A L S I N. 39 
 
 *' Adam, oranyotherperfon, deferved at God's 
 *' hand that he Ihould give us his Son ? We are 
 *' all miferable perfons, finful perfons, daniJia- 
 *' ble perfons, juftly driven outofparadife,jufl:- 
 " ly excluded from heaven, jujily condem-ied 
 " to heliy You fee here, as conlidered in 
 Adam, we are not barely called mortalperfons, 
 but finful, yea, damnable perfons, i. e. perfons 
 deferving everlafting damnation. We are not 
 faid barely to lofe our immortality, and to be 
 condemned to a ftate of infeniibility, or non- 
 exiftence, but to be juftly condemned to hell-fire. 
 The homily on the Nativity of J-efus 
 Chrift tells us, that '' before Chrift's com- 
 " ing into the world, All men univerfally in 
 *' Adam, weie nothing elfe but a wicked and 
 " crooked generation, rotten and corrupt 
 *' trees, ftony ground, full of brambles and 
 *' briars, lofl: fheep, prodigal fons, naughty and 
 *' unprofitable fervants, unrighteous ftewards 
 " workers of iniquity, the brood of adders, 
 " blind guides, fitting in darknefs and in the 
 " (hadow of death: to be fhort, nothing elfe 
 " but children of perdition and inheritors of 
 " hell.\'* I have fet this paffage before the 
 reader, that he may fee what opprobrious 
 names and characters our church gives fallen 
 man ; fuch as, a wicked and crooked genera- 
 tion, rotten andcorrupt trees, &c. &c. What 
 a heap of difhonourable titles are here confer- 
 red upon the rebellious creature ! What a 
 variety of expreffions are here madeufeof, to 
 defcribe the mifery and iinfulnefs of man in his 
 D 4 apofra:t« 
 
40 0/0 R I GIN AL SIN, 
 
 apoflate flate ! This I have taken notice of 
 betore *. This looks as if our reformers were 
 at a lofs to find names bad enough for the de- 
 generate race of mankind. x'\nd tliis is diretfi- 
 \y contrary to the pradlice of fome men, who 
 are fo lavifh of their encomiums on human 
 nature, as if they thought they could never 
 fiiy enough to difpiay its dignity and excel- 
 lence. If any of the eftabhihed church do 
 this, let them read their homilies, and then 
 they will know better. Laftly, does not this 
 paflage clearly teach us, that all men univer^ 
 fully in Adam did not lofe their immortality, 
 and become perifhable in foul and body ; but 
 tliat they v^ere, by his tranfgreffion, made 
 children of perdition, and inheritors of hell-fire P 
 In the fame homxily, the church makes her 
 lam.entation in thefe word ; s** Oh ! what a 
 *' milerable and woful itate was this, that the 
 " fm of one man fhould deftroj and condemn 
 *' all mien I" — This I mentioned under the 
 firft head, to fhew, that Adam'^s hrfl tranf- 
 greffion w^as charged upon all his feed natu- 
 ral. But now obierve the penal confequence 
 hereof, which we have defcribed in tlie words 
 immediately following ; " that nothing in the 
 *' world might be looked for but only pangs 
 '* of death, and pains of hell.'''' Is not this 
 lomething widely different from the bare lofs 
 of immortality ? Can you poflibly reconcile 
 our being expofed to the pains of helly w ith 
 the fole forfeiture of our immortality ? and 
 
 • Pagea 16, 17. 
 
 foon 
 
0/ d R I G I N A L S I N. 4^ 
 
 foon after we are faid not barely to fall from im- 
 mortality to mortality, or from exifience to 
 iion-exiftence, but " from heaven to hell."** 
 A few pages after, Adam is called " a fire- 
 " brand of hell, aiid a bond-flave to the de- 
 *' vil.'* Aild afterwards it is added, *' neither 
 *' he, nor any of his, had any right or inte- 
 *' rell at all in the kingdom of heaven ; but 
 *' were become plain reprobates and caft- 
 * ' away s, being perp(^tually damned to the ever" 
 " lajiifig pains of hell-fir e^ — Ho'vv Shocking 
 is this ! and yet it is true ; our own church 
 vouches it ; and hence we learn, that iinful 
 Adam, and all his finful progeny, juflly de- 
 ferve to be caft into hell-fire. The ninth ar- 
 ticle attefts the fame truth; for having defcrib- 
 ed the innate moral defilement of our nature, 
 it 'immediately adds, " In every perfon born 
 " into this world, it deferves God's wratll 
 *' damnation/* All this fhews the- judg- 
 ment of our church, and may abundantly fa- 
 tisfy us, that our original lapfe and degeneracy 
 in Adam did not barely entail bodily death or 
 non-entity upon us, but did even render us ob- 
 noxious to the torments of hell for ever. 
 
 I fhall clofe this head with the following 
 fcriptures : Rom. v. 1%. By the offence of one ^ 
 judgment came upon all men to condemnation* 
 Whether ^* fVo? Trat^omluiAixrog be tranflated by 
 the offence of one, as in the text, or Ify one of" 
 fence, as in the margin, the confequence will 
 be the fame, namely, that hy once offence of 
 one man^ viz. Adam, all men incurred the de- 
 fert of eternal condemnation, idly, As the of 
 
 fenct 
 
4t 0/ORIGINAL SIN. 
 
 fence of one here flands oppofed to the righfe^ 
 oufnefs of one, viz. Chrift, it follows, that 
 as the one is imputed for jujiif cation of Ife, 
 fo is the other for condemnation to everlafling 
 death or mifery. So alfo, ver. 16. The judg- 
 ment was by one to condemnation *. 
 
 In the 21 ft verfe the apoftle faith, Sin hath 
 reigned unto death. And hy fin, he here 
 means Adam's linful a6t, in eating the forbid- 
 den fruit, which is by a judicial appointment 
 of God reckoned to all his pofterity, and fo 
 reigns unto death, n'yl. unto that death which 
 is oppofed to eternal life, mentioned in the 
 next claufe, and that is eternal death, or hell, 
 which is called death, Rom. vi. 23. James i. 
 15. John viii. 51. This is alfo ftiled the fe- 
 cond death. Rev. xxi. 8. This death God 
 threatenedourlirft parents with : In the day 
 that thou eatefl thereof, thou fimlt furely die. 
 Gen. ii. 17. w^here, hj death, God intended 
 all that the fcriptures include in that term, 
 and efpecially the luffering of endlefs punilh- 
 ments in another life, which the word death 
 fignifies in the places above-cited, and which 
 the verb die imports, Ezek. xviii. 20. John 
 vi. 50. xi. 26. Rom. viii. 13. True there- 
 fore is that of St. Auguftine ; when it is alked, 
 with what death God threatened our firft pa- 
 rents, if they tranfgrelled his command, and 
 
 • The word KaT«x^t|Ma denotes the eternal fufFerings whkh 
 await the wicked in a future life. In- this ienfe the word is 
 • fed, Rom. viii. i. and the veib K«r«vfitro_w,«t bea's this figni- 
 fication, Mark xvi, i6. 
 
 did 
 
0/ORIGINAL SIN. 4^ 
 
 did not continue in their obedience ? whether 
 death of the foul, or of the body, or of the 
 whole man, or that which is called the fecond 
 death ? The anfwer is, All thefe *. 
 
 Rom. viii. 7. The carnal mind (and that is 
 the mind of every man by nature) is entnlty 
 agahifl God. If it had been only an enemy, 
 then poflibly it might have been reconciled; 
 but being enmity in the abftra^t, it muft be 
 in its own nature irreconclleable to God ; and 
 lb informs us, that this malevolent principle 
 muft be extirpated, and a principle of love to 
 God implanted, before our fouls can be holy 
 or happy. N atural menhave an enmity againft 
 the being and foverelgnty of God, againft his 
 holy nature and his holy law" ; they hate the 
 gofpel of his Son, the do6trines of his grace, 
 and the work of his Spirit upon the heart. 
 This we need not go far to fee. And they are 
 fo totally Ignorant of God, fo infinitely dlftant 
 from him, and fo diametrically oppofite tohim, 
 that this fame apoftle calls them Atheijls \ , 
 Eph. 11. 12. But what follows ? To he carnal- 
 ly minded^ is death, Rom. vlll. 6. The mind- 
 ing of the Jiejh\\, is the inherent depravation 
 of our nature, and is a proper expreffion to 
 denote original fin ; therefore we fee this 
 phrafe is made ufe of for that purpofe in the 
 
 • Cum ergo requiritur quam mortem Deus primis hbmitibus 
 fuerit CO m minatus, fi ab eo mandatum trarfgrederentur acceptum, 
 nee ubedientiam cuftodirent, utrum animse, an corporis, an totiua 
 hominis, an illam qua fecunda dlciturj rcfpondendum elt, omnes. 
 De Civit. Dd, lib. xiii. Chap. 12. 
 
 ninth 
 
44 Of ORIGlNx\L SIN. 
 
 ninth article of our church : and death here 
 being oppoled to life and peace, mufl mean 
 eternal death, as I before noted. This text 
 therefore is a full proof that hell is the defcrt 
 of original fin. 
 
 The greatell: text is flill behind, a text 
 which contains the whole dodrine, and which 
 therefore I referve to the laft ; it is Eph. ii. 3. 
 Among'whom we all had our converfation in times 
 paji in the luji of our feJJ?, fulfilling the defres 
 of thefefh andoj the mind-, and were by nature 
 the children of wrath even as others. The 
 Apoftle here reminds the behevers at Ephefus 
 oftheir ftate before their calling and converlion 
 to the faith of Chrifl ; and he does not think it 
 fufficient to admoniih them only of their out- 
 wardevilconverfation, exprefled hy fulfilling the 
 defires of the flefh and of the mind, but he tells 
 them likew^ife of their original depravation, and 
 thereupon calls them children of wrath', which 
 anfwers to that of Peter, who calls natural men 
 children of a curfe *. Such are all men in their 
 natural ftate, as the apoftle informs us, by fay- 
 ing, inthefirft perfon, IP'^e all were, by nature, 
 children of izrath^ even as others. By wrath, 
 the a pome here means God*s eternal wrath : 
 and lince we are here faid to be, by nature, 
 children cfivrath, this implies, that we are^ 
 nature linners, for God's wrath is due to none 
 but {inners, and for nothing but fin : We are 
 therefore by nature finners : and how can this 
 be any otherwife than by having the fin of Adam 
 
 • K«T«§«j Tsxi-flf, 1 Fet. ii, 14. 
 
 imputed 
 
O/OR IGIN AL SIN. 4^ 
 
 imputed to us, and a defiled nature communi- ' 
 cated to us ? Upon this account therefore we na- 
 turally fall under the curfe of God, and deferve 
 to feel his infinite wrath and fiery indignation 
 for ever. So that this text plainly holds forth, 
 both the guiltand punifhment of original fin. 
 Now lince this place is fo clear a proof of 
 our point, we mull: expedt that our adyerfaries 
 of the Socinian and Pelagian perfuafion will do 
 all they can to wreftit out of our hands. Various 
 methods are ufed to pervert it ; and it is with 
 extrerne difficulty our oppofers evade the force 
 of it. Let us then examine fomeof their artifices 
 and fubterfuges whereby they labour to avoid 
 It. And Ibme there are who by nature under- 
 fiand acquired habit, which, fay they, is fecond 
 nature^ and therefore may not unfitly be called 
 by that name. But, firil, though habit and 
 cuftom zxQ qzIIq^ fecond nature^ does it follow 
 that nature is no more than acquired habit or 
 cuftom ? 2dly, This interpretation of the word 
 would make the apoftle guilty of tautology. 
 Obferve, he had before told them of their a^lual 
 and habitual fins, in thefe words, fulfilling the 
 defres of the fiefh and of the mhid \ and there- 
 fore for him to have mentioned it over again, 
 would have been needlefs and fuperfluous. A 
 difcerning eye cannot but take notice how gra- 
 dually the apoftle proceeds from fpeaking of 
 their wicked lives and adions, to lead them to 
 the fountain of all, the original corruption pf 
 theheart,ver. 2, 3. 3dly, Thefcriptureufesthe 
 word ipjo-a, to fignify our birth. Gal. ii. 15. ^ye 
 who are Jews hj nature, i. e. born fuch. A* 
 
 gain, 
 
4^ 0/ORIGINAL SIN. 
 
 gain, Rom. ii. 14. the Gentiles do fy nature the 
 things contained in the law. Since the word 
 nature^ in thefe places, denotes our birth or 
 liativity, why ihoiild it not he fo underflood 
 in the text before us ? What reafon can pof- 
 iibly be affigned for giving the word another 
 turn, unlels it be in the inveterate prejudice 
 of men againft the doctrine we are defending? 
 Again, others labour to confine this text to 
 the Gentile word ; but this will be no eafy 
 i^^iatter, becaufe of the general, yea, univerfal 
 terms the infpired apoftle here makes ufe of, 
 'we all^ plainly comprehending himfelf and all 
 mankind, both Jews and Gentiles. To this it 
 IS obje6led, that in the i, 2, 5, 8, and nth 
 verfes, the divine writer fpeaks in the fecond 
 perfon ; and from thence they conclude, that 
 in this third verle there is only an ordinary 
 enallage of perfons, thefirft is put for the fe- 
 cond : and when the apoftle fays ive, he means 
 ye. But that there is no fuch enallage of per- 
 ibns as is pretended, the following conlidera- 
 tions fully demonftrate. Firft, the apoftle 
 deiignedly includes himfelf, as is his conflant 
 way, when he would humble himfelf upon a 
 review of his ftate before converlion, and ex- 
 tol the riches of God's grace in Chrift Jefus. 
 Thus Tit. iii. 3. JFe ourfelves alfo were fome- 
 iitnes fool't/Jj, difobedient.-—An6. 1 Cor. xv. 9. 
 he calls himfelf the leajl of the apojlles^ and 
 lefs than the leaji of all faints, Eph. iii. 8. and 
 the chief of finners, i Tim. i. 15. Why then 
 fhould we think the apoftle excludes him- 
 felf in the place under confideration ? or ra- 
 ther 
 
0/ O R I G I N A L S I N. 47 
 
 ther have we not abundant reafon to think he 
 fpeaks ui the firil: peiion, on purpofe to inchide 
 himfelf therem ? Secondly, m the firft verfe 
 of this chapter the apoftle fpeaks in the fecond 
 perfon; and j)'o« hath he quickened, who were 
 dead in trefpajfes and Jim ; but then, in the 
 fifth verfe he fays, even when we 'were dead in 
 Jins. Here you fee is an exchange from the 
 fecond perfon to the hrft : and what account 
 can be given of this, unlefs the apoftle thereby 
 intended to fhew that he in his natural ftate 
 was dead in Jins as well as they, and fo was 
 quickened by the fame divine power that 
 quickened them ? Thirdly, Pleafe to obferve 
 in the three firftverfes he defcribes the condi- 
 tion of the Ephelians, and all men by nature; 
 and then to the end of the chapter fets forth 
 the ftate of grace : in the latter he plainly 
 reckons himfelf, ver. 4,5, 10. and thisimplies, 
 that he was once in the former. Thus we fee 
 the cavils of our adverfaries are null and void ; 
 and this text fhews us, that all mankind are 
 originally corrupted ; and fo long as it remains 
 in the Bible, will be an undeniable tefliimony 
 of the truth of the do6lrine of original fin. 
 This is the fin of which the apoflle complains, 
 Rom. vii. 21. Evil is prejent with me ^ \t lieth 
 near me *, it flicks dole to me, and I caii't be 
 rid of it. This fin cleaves to us, it adheres to 
 our hearts, it flicks as clofe to us as our Ikin to 
 our flefh, or our fliefh to our bpnes. This 
 
 * E^oi TO y.xy.oii 7rx»y.ii'tiit 
 
 fm 
 
48 0/ O R I G I N A L S I N. 
 
 fin is wrapt up in us, it is deeply rooted in our 
 natures, and fo flrongly faflened to our fouls, 
 that nothing- but the almighty power of God 
 can difentangle us from it. Of this fin Jere- 
 miah {peaks, chap. x. ver. 14. Every man is 
 hrutifh in his knowledge. Of this fin Solomon 
 was deeply convinced, when he cried out. 
 Surely I am more brutijf? than any man, and 
 have not the underjlanding of a man^ Prov. 
 XXX. 2. And if he who was the wifeft man 
 made fiich a complaint, how much more rea- 
 {qvi have we to bewail our native ignorance 
 and hrufifhnefs ? The late archbifhop * feems 
 fenfible of this, when he fays, " They (/. e. 
 our firfl: parents) by this firfl: tranfgreffion, 
 did not only lofe for themfelves the image 
 and favor of God, but withal deprived their 
 poilerity of that bleffed eftate, Rom^ iii. 23. 
 and plunged them into the contrary, Rom. v. 
 12. bringing damnation upon themfelves and 
 us all." And another learned prelate -f clear- 
 ly delivers this doftrine in thefe words, "This 
 original fin hath been propagated to us 
 both by imputation and by real communi- 
 cation, ifl. By imputation of Adam's parti- 
 cular tranfgreffion, in eating the forbidden 
 fruit ; for we were legally parties in that 
 covenant which was at firfl made with him, 
 therefore cannot but expeft to be liable to 
 the guilt which followed upon the breach 
 of it, Rom. V. 12. 2dly, By real communi- 
 cation of evil concupifcence and deprava- 
 
 • Uiher. t Bifliop Wilkins. 
 
 " tioH 
 
0/ O R 1 G I N A L S I N. 49 
 
 *' tion of our natures, which was the conle- 
 *' queiit of the firft rebelUoii : We were all of 
 " us naturally in our firO: parents, as the 
 '* ftreams in the fountain, or the branches in 
 *' the root, and therefore muil: needs partake 
 " of the fame corrupted nature with them, 
 *' Job xiv. 4. — XV. 14. This might juftly 
 " make us more loathfome and abominable 
 *' in God*s eyes, than either toads or vipers, 
 " or any other the moft venomous, hurtful 
 " creatures are in ours ; and for this alone he 
 *' might juilly cut us off and condemn us, 
 " though it were merely for the prevention 
 " of that mifchief and enmity againft him 
 '' which the very principles of our natures 
 '* are infected with.*' I might fay a great deal 
 more. We have abundant teftimonies on our 
 iide, both human and divine, but I think I have 
 fulfilled my firfl: undertaking. I have largely 
 explained the do6lrine of original fin, and 
 clearly fhewed that Adam's fin is imputed to 
 us, that a fpiritual contamination of nature is 
 inherent in us, and that hereupon we are juftly . 
 liable to God's eternal wrath. Some men can- 
 not bear to hear of this do6lrine, becaufe it 
 ftains all the pride of human glory, and de- 
 bafes man, that excellent creature, as they 
 call him ; yea, this do6lrine refembles carnal 
 nien to brutes and devils, feeing they are na- 
 turally tinftured with all the fenfual inclina- 
 tions of the one, and all the malignant quali- 
 ties of the other. Hence it is that this doc- 
 trine is generally difrelifhed by the proud phi- 
 lofopher and the felf-righteous moralift. But 
 
 E convi<fted 
 
50 0/ ORIGIN AL SIN. 
 
 convlfled Iniiiers feel the truth of it in their 
 hearts. And believe me, that is the heft divi- 
 nity which lays the creature lowefl, and exalts 
 Chrift higheil:. None lavingl> know the Lord 
 Jefus, but thofe who are in foiTie degree ac- 
 quainted with the inward corriTption of their 
 hearts. If the reader is woundect with an ex- 
 perimental i'tnie of his indwelling pollution 
 and fmfulnefs,he will gladly hear, and greedily 
 embrace the free falvation of Chrift Jefus. 
 But i/jey that are ivhok\ need not a fhyfician. 
 They that have no lenfible experience of their 
 loll: eflate by nature, neither lee the neceliity, 
 nor kno^v the value of a Sav^iour. - 
 
 Upon the whole, we may learn, Firft, to 
 dlfclaim all pretenfions to the merit of heaven* 
 We are linners by nature as well as by prac- 
 tice, and we delerve nothino; but hrll. When 
 we have done all we can, our natural righte- 
 oufncfs will never merit heaven. Confequently 
 the fupererogatory works of the Paplfls, and 
 the felf-righteoulnefs of Socinians, Pelagians 
 and Semi-pelagians, falls to the ground. *Tis 
 true, proud nature is not willing to acknow- 
 ledge ihe deferves hell. It is a very great con- 
 viction of the Spirit, when perfons are enabled 
 hncerely to make this confeirion. Many, in- 
 deed, formally lay, they deferve hell, who 
 do not coniider what hell is. Yet none go to 
 .heaven, but thofe who firfl: fee they delerve 
 hell ; and none are f ived but thofe who own 
 they deferve to be damned. Are you con- 
 vinced of tliis ? Do you know you deferve 
 hell ?» Do you ferioully acknowledge damna- 
 
 - tioa 
 
0/ORIGIN AL SIN. 51 
 
 tion is your due, if God was to deal with you 
 in ftri£l juftice ? Happy are they who have 
 this knowledge of themfelves and their own 
 demerit. This is the firft ftep to eternal fal- 
 vation. If therefore God by his Spirit hath 
 ihewed you your miferable condition by na- 
 ture, he will furely fhew you his free, rich, 
 iovereign falvation by grace. 
 
 Secondly, We cannot but obferve, what a 
 parallel there is between our apoftacy in Adam, 
 and our reftoration by Chrift. As, on the one 
 hand, we have Hn imputed, iin inherent, and 
 deferve everlafting damnation ; fo on the 
 other, we have righteoufnefs imputed, righte- 
 oufnefs inherent, aud are intitled to everlaft- 
 ing falvation. Thefe are both of them preat 
 and wonderful myfteries ; and they mutually 
 explain and illuflrate each other : The greater 
 knowledge you have of the one, the greater 
 knowledge you will have of the other ; and 
 the experimental knowledge of both is beft. 
 If a man fees himfelf in the firft Adam, with- 
 out feeing himfelf in the fecond, 'tis enough 
 to drive him to defpair and dl{]:ra(£lion, and to 
 make him perfe6tly miferable. But when a 
 perfon lees himfelf in the fecond Adam, Chrift 
 Jefus, it makes his heart rejoice ; and fuch a 
 foul is truly happy, unfpeakably happy, eter- 
 nally happy. 
 
 1£ 2 Of 
 
e H A p: II. 
 
 Of justification by FAITH, 
 
 INDEED it would grieve me to fpeak of 
 the ruin of mankind, without pointing out 
 the way of their reco-very. It would be 
 mfinitely better for man not to know his dif- 
 eafe, than not to know the remedy. Having 
 then, in the foregoing chapter, declared the 
 deplorable flate of man by nature, as he lies 
 tinder the guilt and curfe of original fin, I 
 now come to treat of his falvation by Chrift 
 Jefus, and to difcourfe of juftification by faith 
 alone. I takeunfpeakable pleafure and fatisfac- 
 tion in fpeaking upon this fubje<Sl, and I could 
 dilate upon this theme for ever* I had a great 
 fove for this do(ftrine long before I felt the 
 power and efficacy of it upon my own heart ; 
 but iince I have tafled its Iweetnefs and excel- 
 lency, it is become the life of my foul, the 
 joy of my heart, and the fupport and comfort 
 of my fpirif . My delight and glory is in pro- 
 claiming this evangelical truth ; and I wifh I 
 could hear it preached in all the churches in 
 England, I know, indeed, it is an arduous 
 imdertaking for fuch a {tripling as I to at- 
 tempt to handle this grand and important ar- 
 ticle of our religioiir I know my own weak- 
 
 nefs^ 
 
0/ Justification by Faith. 5^ 
 
 i^R^i^ and trull in the L,ord for ftrength ; 
 I depend upon his affiflance; through his 
 grace flrengthening me, I caai do all things. 
 And that I may let this dodlrine hefore the 
 reader in the cleareft hght I can, I choole to 
 flate it in the five following propoiitions, each 
 of which (if God enables me) I will under- 
 .take to make good from the Homilies and 
 Articles of the Church of Eiiigland : 
 
 I. Men cau do no good works acceptable 
 to God before fiith and j unification. 
 
 II. Juftifying faith is the gift of God. 
 ill. Juftification is by faith only. 
 
 W . Works have no part in our juftification* 
 
 V. Good works follow after Nullification^ 
 
 and are ,the frsaits of ju:ftifying faith. 
 
 %. I am firft to Ihew, that men can do no 
 ^ood works acceptable to God before faith 
 :ind juftification. And this is more than once 
 caflerted in the Homily of Good works, where 
 we meet with this paflage, '' Faith giveth 
 ^' life to the foul, and they be as much dead 
 *^ to God that lack faith, as they be to the 
 -*' world whofe bodies lack fouls. Without 
 >' faith, all that is done of us is but dead be' 
 *' fore God, although the work feem never 
 *' fo gay and glorious before men ; even a? 
 *'. the picture graven or painted, is but a dead 
 ^' reprefentation of the thing Itlblf, and is 
 "♦' without life or any manner of moving ; fo 
 -" be the works of all unfaithful perfons — 
 ^' They be but the fiadoxvs and /hews of 
 
 E 3 ' '^ lively 
 
ii 
 
 a 
 
 54. O/* Justification /^ Faith. 
 
 lively and good things, and not good and 
 
 lively things indeed — Without faith, no 
 
 work is good before God," Thefe words 
 
 are clear, and need no commentary to explain 
 
 them. All works without faith, are here 
 
 faid to be cieacl, juft as a picture is but a dead 
 
 reprefentation of the original. The fame 
 
 doctrine is afterwards confirmed and exempli? 
 
 £ed by the following inftance, " If a heathen 
 
 '^ man cloath the naked, feed the hungry, 
 
 *' and do fuch other like works ; yet becaufe 
 
 " he doeth them not in faith, for the honour 
 
 " and love of God, they be but JeaJ, vain 
 
 " and fruitlefs works to him.'* — Again, it is 
 
 faid in the fame Homily, *' Faith of itfelf is 
 
 *' full of good works, and nothing is good 
 
 *' without faith. And for a fimilitude he 
 
 " [Auguftine] faith, that they which glitter 
 
 and Thine in good works without faith in 
 
 God, be like cleaci men which have goodly 
 
 and precious tombs, and yet it availetli 
 
 " them nothing — He that doth good deeds, 
 
 *' yet without faith he hath no life." Perr 
 
 fons may be outwardly moral and virtuous, 
 
 they may appear very good and righteous, 
 
 and yet have no living faith in the Lord Jefus. 
 
 This is a common cafe. Men abound in 
 
 works feemingly good, when yet they them- 
 
 felves are infidels in their hearts. Hence all 
 
 their good works, for want of faith in the 
 
 blood of Chrift, are ^iead before God, and 
 
 will no more profit their fouls tha4 gilded 
 
 fepulchres profit dead bodies. 
 
 The 
 
 £i 
 
 (( 
 
O/* Justification hy Faith. 55 
 
 The Thirteenth Article is much to our 
 purpofe ; it runs thus : 
 
 XIII. Of Works before Jufiifca.tion^ 
 
 " Works doaeJ^efore the grace of Chrifr, 
 '' and the infpiration of his Spirit, are not 
 ** plealant to God, forafmuch as they fpring 
 *' not of faith in Jefus Clirift, neitlicr do 
 *' they make men meet to receive grace^ or 
 " (as .tli/5 fchool authors fay) deter ve grace 
 *' of congruity ; yea rather, for that they are 
 *^ not done as Ged hath willed and commanded 
 -*' them to be done, we doubt not but they 
 =*' have the nature of fni." We fee here what 
 cftimate our church makes. of works done be- 
 fore faith and juftiticatlon : They have not 
 only the form or appearance, but even the 
 very nature of fim " Ail the works of un- 
 *' believers and natural men (faith bifliop 
 *' Sanderfon) are not only ftained with {in 
 " (for fo are the befl works of the faithful 
 *' too), but alfo are really and truly fnis *." 
 Hence the popiih doftrine of grace of con- 
 gruity, or men's making themfelves meet to 
 receive grace^ is juftly condemned. Indeed 
 I could wifii nolle but Papifls held the laid 
 doftrine. But, alas ! there is ^popery enough 
 without going to Rome for it. Yet I would 
 obferve, this article, w^hich condemns the 
 grace of congruity of the Papifls, does equally 
 -condemn the preparatory conditions of the 
 
 • Sixth Sermon ad Pspulttm, 
 
 E 4 Socinians 
 
56 O/" Justification ^y Faith. 
 
 Socinians and Remonftrants. What a folly 
 is it to talk of, or to fuppofe in fallen man^ 
 conditions previous to his juftification ? They 
 who talk at this rate, know not what they fay, 
 nor whereof they affirm. In a natural man 
 there is no meetnefs, but a meetnefs to lin, and 
 a meetnefs to be damned. They who know 
 themfelves, know this. And there are no 
 conditions pre-requilite to juftification, but 
 what God by his Spirit is pleafed to work in 
 men's hearts. None are meet to receive 
 grace, till God makes them fo. None are 
 meet to obey the gofpel, till God implants in 
 their fouls a principle of faith and evangeli- 
 cal obedience. Before this is done, there is 
 no meetnefs in the creature, no difpofition to 
 any thing fpiritually good ; neither are any 
 of our works acceptable and well-pleafing in 
 the fight of Almighty God. This is the 
 doctrine of the Church of England, and they 
 are all diflenters from her articles and homi- 
 lies that aflert the contrary. 
 
 And as this dodrine is agreeable to the con- 
 ftltution of our church, fo is it exadly confo- 
 nant with the Holy Scriptures. Thus faith 
 Solomon, Prov. xv. 8. The facrifce of the 
 ^vicked is an abomination to the Lord, All 
 unbelievers are wicked perfons ; how fober 
 and upright foever their lives may be, their 
 hearts are wicked and impious. And while 
 they are in this ftate, all their facrifices^ i. e, 
 their religious performances, are not barely 
 unacceptable, but abominable, yea an abemi^ 
 nafio7i (in the aUftrad) unto the Lord, The 
 
 fame 
 
O/* Justification hy Faith. 57 
 
 fame thing is again aflerted, chap. xxl. ver. 27. 
 which plainly Ihews us the judgment of Solo- 
 mon in this matter. And hence we learn, that 
 all the works of thofe who have no faving faith 
 in Chrift are odious and abhorred of Almighty 
 God. We may obferve, facrijice is here op- 
 pofe to prayer in the next claufe ; for when 
 the Jews o^Qvt^facrifce^ they generally joined 
 prayer with it. This text therefore teaches 
 us, that both th.& prayers and the facrifices of 
 the wicked are equally dilpleafing in the light 
 of God. Some make an ill ufe of this text, 
 and from hence take occalion to omit prayer j 
 for lay they, the prayer of the wicked is an 
 aboraination to the Lord^ and therefore we 
 think it better not to pray at all. Thus the 
 devil deludes them. Such perfons ought to 
 coniider, Firft, It is not the delign of the in- 
 fpired writer to deter men from prayer^ but 
 only to warn them i^^-sAwii praying with their 
 hearts full of impenitency and infidelity. The 
 ufe therefore we are to make of this text, is 
 not to omit praying at all, but to approach 
 the Lord in an acceptable manner ; which we 
 can do no otherwife, than by drawing near to 
 the throne of his grace through faith in his 
 dear Son, and lifting up of holy hands in prayer 
 ^without wrath and doubting, i Tim. ii. 8. 
 Secondly, the omiffion of prayer is a iin of itfelf, 
 and in its own nature ; whereas the prayer of 
 the wicked is not a Iin in itfelf, but in refpeS: 
 of the form or manner of performing it, viz. 
 becaufe evangelical faith is wanting. Al- 
 though therefore the prayer of the wicked is 
 
 au 
 
5$ O/" Justification i>y Faith. 
 
 an abomination to the Lord, yet their omijjlon 
 of prayer is a much greater abomination. The 
 ^vicked then had much better pray as well as 
 they can, than not pray at all. Thirdly, It is 
 true indeed, if men pray againft fin in general, 
 any one fin in particular, and yet indulge 
 themfelves in the wilful and habitual pradice 
 of it ; what hypocrify is all this ! To be fure 
 fuch prayers mufl be very loathfome and de- 
 tectable ia the eyes of the Almighty : but then 
 if perfons are awakened to a fenfe of their 
 "wickednefs, if they groan under the bur- 
 then of it, and defn'e to be delivered from it, 
 will you fay, that their prayers are an abomi- 
 nation to the L.ord ? This can never be ; elfe 
 Avhat is the meaning of that promife in Ifaiah, 
 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye 
 upon him while he is near ; let the wicked for- 
 fake his way, and the unrighteous man his 
 thoughts ; and let him return unto the Lord^ 
 and he will have mercy upon him ; and to our 
 God, for he will abundantly pardon. This 
 ihews how groundlefs this cavil is. And the 
 truth of all is, men are willing to omit prayer, 
 a-nd fo the devil and their own wicked hearts 
 furnifh them with many pleas and pretences 
 ^o excufe themfelves. 
 . Our Savioiar delivers this do£trine, John 
 ?dv. .6. No man comet h unto the Father but by 
 me. Our perfons and our performances are 
 both accepted of God upon the fame founda- 
 tion ; but our perfons are not accepted with^ 
 out faith in Chrift, neither therefore are our 
 pbrformances. This text then i$ a plain proof, 
 
 that 
 
O/* Justification ^ Faith. 59 
 
 th-at none of our good works are pleafing to 
 God, till we have faith in his Son Chrift 
 Jefus our Lord. 
 
 The apoftle Paul, in many places, aflerts 
 this truth. Thus Rom. viii. 8. So then they 
 
 jhat are In the jiejlo ca7inot pleofe God, Flefli 
 here denotes the fame as the minding of the 
 
 Jie/h, ver. 6. i. e. the unre generate fi:ate of 
 man. All who are in this ftate cannot pleafe 
 God, and the reafon is, becaule they have no 
 faith in the Mediator ; for, as St. John faith, 
 JVhofever helieveth that "Jefus is the Chrifl, is 
 horn of God, i John v. i. Soon the contrary,, 
 thofe who are not born of God do not believe. 
 Therefore unregenerate and unbelievers, are 
 terms convertible ; and therefore of thefe lat- 
 ter, as well as the former, the apoftle affirms, 
 that they cannot pleafe God; he does not fay, 
 they cannot fo eafily, they cannot fo exactly, 
 they cannot fo perfectly ; but he fpeaks fmiply 
 and abfolutely, they cannot ; to let us know 
 ihey cannot pleafe him in any meafure or de- 
 gree. Let them do what they will or can, 
 rtill fo long as unbelief is in their hearts, this 
 poifons all their fer vices, and makes their beft 
 works unacceptable and ofTenfive to Almighty 
 God. 
 
 So' again chap. xiv. ver. 23. Whatfoever is 
 not of faith is fin. Whatfoever work or ac- 
 tion does not fpring out of faith *, as the fruit 
 out of the tree, is fin, and fo confequently 
 T^M^ be difpleafing to our heavenly Father. 
 f ■ ■■ " • ' 
 
 * Ex n»rjw,. 
 
 It 
 
6o O/* Justification ^i^ Faith. 
 
 It is true, the holy apoftle delivers this {en" 
 tence particularly, concerning eating divers 
 or all kinds of meats, which fome weak 
 chriftlans lately converted from Judaifm fcru- 
 pted : the divine teacher therefore here ad- 
 monifhes fuch fcrupulous perfons to abftaln, 
 informing them, that flnce they queftioned the 
 lawfulnefs of it, it v*rould be Jin in them to 
 eat ; although to others, who had no doubt or 
 icruple concerning it, it would be no Jin at 
 all, ver, 2 — 23. But then we are alfo to ob- 
 ierve, that the apoflle lays this down as a ge- 
 neral maxim in chriftlan divinity, and accord- 
 ingly we are to take it in a large fenfe ; and 
 £0 it teacheth us, that all our good works 
 without faith are nothing worth ; they are 
 iinful, yed., Jin itfelf, faith the apoflle. And I 
 remember the Church of England in one her 
 Homilies * makes this ufe and application of 
 this text. 
 
 The fame Infctlllble Author fpeaks the fame 
 language, Heb. xi. 6. But without faith it is 
 impojjible to pleafe him, viz. God. The apoflle, 
 in the words foregoing, had teflified that 
 Enoch pleajed God ; whence it inevitably fol- 
 lows, that he mufl have been a believer in 
 Chrill, for without faith in him // is abfo- 
 lutely impojfible to pleafe God. And as Enoch 
 could not pleafe God without faith, (o neither 
 can any other perfon. This therefore is uni- 
 verfally true, that none of our fervlces, how 
 fpecious or perfect foever they may feem, can 
 
 * Of Good Works. 
 
 pleafe 
 
0/* Justification hy Faith. 6i 
 
 pleafe God, if they are not done in the faith 
 of Chrift. And thug I think I have faid 
 enough to prove and eftablifh my firfl propo- 
 fition. This and the forementioned texts 
 evidently declare, that no good works, ac- 
 ceptable to God, can poffibly be done by us, 
 before we believe in the Saviour, and are 
 juftified. 
 
 From what has been faid, we infer, 
 
 I. The necefilty of faith in the Redeemer. 
 
 II. The utter impoffibility of juftificatioii 
 by works. »' 
 
 I. How neceflary is faith in the Redeemer ? 
 Neither our perfons nor our fervices are ac- 
 cepted of God without it. How earneftiy then 
 fhould we feek after this grace ? How un- 
 wearied fhould we be in the purfuit of it ? All 
 the good works you do are difpleafing to God, 
 unlefs they fpring from a living principle of 
 faith in Chrift Jefus our Lord. Never there- 
 fore give any reft to your foul till you find 
 this gracious principle wrought in you. Cry 
 day and night to God to implant it in your 
 heart. It is faith in Chrift which recom- 
 mends both our perfons and our performances 
 to the acceptance of our heavenly Father, 
 and without this neither the works of heathen 
 philofophers nor chriftian profeflbrs are well- 
 plealing in his eye. Gentiles, Jews and 
 Chriftians, ftand upon the fame foundation 
 in this refped ; they all equally ftand in need 
 of, and are equallv bshoidea to the merits of 
 
 Chrift 
 
6z 0/ Justification h Faith. 
 
 Chrift to intereft them in the divine favour. 
 Are you therefore profefled chriftians ? ftill I 
 muft prefs and exhort and befeech you to be- 
 lieve in the Lord Jefus Chrift, or elfe you 
 cannot be laved. You may be ready to think 
 tvith yourfelves, Do not chriftians believe in 
 Chrift ? How elfe are they chriftians ? And 
 in what an extravagant way doth this man 
 talk, when he exhorts chriftians to believe in 
 Clirift ? If he exhorted heathens to believe in 
 Chrift, we ftiould not fo much wonder at it ; 
 but to exhort chriftians to believe in Chrift, 
 feems to us quite needlefs and fuperfluous, 
 yea, inconfiftent and contradi«5lious. This is 
 a common objection ; and it is true indeed, if 
 perfons do not believe in Chrift, they are no 
 chriftians ; But then how many pafs for 
 chriftians who have no vital faith in the 
 blood of Chrift, yea, perhaps mallcioufly op- 
 pose the do(5lrine of true evangelical faith, 
 and ridicule all chriftian experience ? Alas 1 
 all are not Ifrael that are of Ifrael. All are 
 not chriftians that take to themfelves the 
 name and profefiion of chriftianity. Many 
 (it is to be feared) call themielves chriftians, 
 who yet know no more of faving faith in 
 Chrift than Jews, Turks, Papifts or Pagans. 
 Indeed it is an eafy matter for men to fay 
 they believe in Chrift, but then it is not fo foon 
 done as faid. Let me exhort thee therefore, 
 dear reader, to enquire how it is with thy 
 own foul. Thou mayeft have heard of Jefus 
 Chrift with fbe hearing; of the ear^ but hath 
 
 the 
 
Cy Justification hy Faith. 6j 
 
 the eye * of thy fliith feen him f Hafl thou 
 beheld his fuhiefs and nll-fufficiency ? Haft 
 thou had a view of his incon)parable excel- 
 lency ? Haft thou felt in thy heart the abfo- 
 lute neceffity of juft fuch a Saviour as he is ? 
 If thou haft not, aflure thylelf that thou art 
 yet in fin and unbelief, and haft no laving ac- 
 quaintance with the dear Immanuel. I now 
 therefore call upon all chriftians : I command 
 you all, in the name of the Lord Jefus Chrift, 
 Examine yourf elves whether ye be in the faith y 
 2. Cor. xiii. 5. 
 
 But how ftands the cafe; if perfons are not 
 only nominally but really believers in Chrift ? 
 Is it reafonable and expedient to exhort fuch 
 to believe in his name ? What think you ? Is 
 it advifable to follow our Saviour's example, 
 or is it not ? If it is, obferve what he fays to 
 his difciples, John xiv. i. Te believe In God^ 
 believe aljo In me. Our Lord's difciples were 
 believers at this time, and yet you fee he ex- 
 horts them to believe in him, which fhews 
 that it is highly, yea, infinitely reafonable 
 to call upon believers to believe in Chrift, 
 And what think you of the Ephefians and 
 Theftalonians, to whom St. Paul directed 
 three of his epiftles ? I prefume you will allow 
 they were chriftians ; and yet you may ob- 
 ferve the facred writer exhorts the former to 
 take the fileld of faith ^ and the latter to put 
 on the hreaf -plate of faith f. The evangelift 
 John puts this matter beyond doubt, i John 
 V. 13. Thefe things have I written unto you^ 
 
 • Job xlii. ?. t Eph. vi. i6. 1 Theff. y. 8. 
 
 that 
 
64 0/* Justification by Faith. 
 
 that believe on the name of the Son of God ^ that 
 you may know that ye have eternal life, and 
 that ye may believe on the name of the Son of 
 God. The holy apoftle here doth not write 
 to heathens, but to chriftians ; he doth not 
 write to unbeliev^ers, but to believers ; and for 
 what purpofe ? Why, the infpired author 
 himfelf tells us, that they may believe on the 
 name of the Son of God. All this ihews, that 
 it is neceflary to exhort not only heathens and 
 infidels, but even chriftians, to believe in 
 Chrift. The reafon of this is eafily ailigned ; 
 for faith is a progreffive grace, and (if it is of 
 a right fort) is continually upon the increafe, 
 and makes perpetual advances towards the 
 maturity of a full afl'urance. All who are 
 true believers find the ufe and influence of 
 fuch exhortations, to ftrengthen and perfeft 
 their faith ; they cannot reft in their prefent 
 attainments, but are continually purfuing 
 after greater meafures of this heavenly grace. 
 Let us all then forget the things that are 
 behind, and reach forth unto thofe that 
 are before, if we inay apprehend that for 
 ivhlch we are apprehended of Chrlfl Jefus^ 
 Phil. iii. 12, 13. 
 
 II. From hence we infer the impolTibility 
 of juftification by works. This is plain and 
 obvious ; for if we can do no good works ac- 
 ceptable to God before our juftification, how 
 then can we be juftified by our works ? This 
 is utterly impoffible. If we were to be jufti- 
 fied by our good works, they muft of neceflity 
 
 precede 
 
Cy JusTit?iCATioN fy Faith. 65 
 
 precede our juftlficatioii, which they do nor, 
 and conreqiiently they are not juftified by 
 them. My late lord of St» Afaph plainly 
 law the force of this way of arguing, and 
 therefore in his Private Thoughts he bears a 
 noble teflimony on our tide. " It is a matter 
 ** of admiration to me, how any one that 
 *' pretends to the ufe of his realon, can ima- 
 " gine that he can be accepted before God 
 " for what comes from himfelf. For how 
 " is it podible that I fliould be juftified by 
 '* good works, when I can do no good works 
 " at all before I be firfl: juftified ? My works 
 " cannot be accepted as good before my per- 
 " fon be fo ; nor can my psrfon be accepted 
 " of God till ingrafted into Chrift, before 
 *' which ingrafting into the true vine it 
 " is impoifible I fliould bring forth good 
 " fruit ; for the plowing of the wicked is Jin ^ 
 " fays Solomon ; yea, the facrifices of the 
 " wicked are an abomination to the Lord, 
 " Prov. xxi. 4. — XV. 8." Thus fpeaks this 
 judicious writer, this phoenix of the Britilh 
 divines, as he is called ; and he hath the 
 fcriptures, and the Xlllth Article of the 
 Church of England, to countenance him 
 herein, as I have before fhe wed. 
 
 And if the above argumentation be allowed, 
 then who fees not that this is a previous 
 proof of our third and fourth propoiitions ? 
 And truly I know no poffible way of evading 
 the force of this, unlefs our adverfaries have 
 recourfeto that variety of juftificatlons which 
 they have invented, which is an artifice they 
 
 t^ fre- 
 
66 Of Justification by Faith. 
 
 frequently make ufe of juft to blind their own 
 eyes and to obfcure divine truths. Accord- 
 ingly you will often oblerve them making a 
 diftindtion between the juflification of hea- 
 thens and the juftitication of chriftians, be- 
 tween juftification at baptifm, or at the time 
 of believing, and juftihcation at the day of 
 judgment. But what mean thefe groundlefs 
 diflindlions r Have theyany foundation in fcrip- 
 ture ? Firil, The fcripture mentions but one 
 way of j unification both for heathens and 
 chriflians, and that is by i?^\X.\\^ feeing it is one 
 God who fhall jufify the circumcilion by faith ^ 
 and uncircumcifion through faith ^ Rom. iii. ^o. 
 Secondly, The fcripture fpeaks of but one 
 time of juftification, and that is when perlbns 
 believe in Chrifl: ; fo A6ls xiii. 39. And 
 every believer in him ts jiifified *. And our 
 Saviour faith. He that believeth on jue hath 
 everlafting Hfe-\. Which ihews that when 
 fouls believe in Jefus, they are inftantly and 
 forthwith juftified. We fee then that juftifi- 
 cation is a privilege conferred on believers 
 while they are in this prefent world. As to 
 juflification at the day of judgment, it is no- 
 thing elfe but God's folemn declaration and 
 open acceptance of thofe whom he hath in 
 this life juflified. God will then accept none 
 who were not juftified before they departed 
 hence. Of this declarative juflification, faith 
 our Lord, / will confefs, i. e. publicly own 
 
 f f,'^it (in the prffeut TenhJ. 
 
 and 
 
0/" Justification by Faith. d-j 
 
 and approve of thofe who have confeffed me 
 before men, — Then pall the righteous Jhlne 
 forth as the fun in the kingdom of their Father^ 
 Matt. X. 32. — xiii. 43. 
 
 II. Juflifylng faith is the gift of God. 
 This propofition contains two particulars. 
 Accordingly in explaining it, we Ihall, Firft, 
 Enquire what faith is. Secondly, We fhall 
 fhew that it is the gift of God. 
 
 Firft, What is faith ? And the fhorteft and 
 withal the furefl way to know this, is to con- 
 fult the holy fcriptures. There we are in- 
 formed, that Faith Is the fiibje^i of thhigs 
 hoped for^ the evidence of things not feen. 
 This is a general defcription of faith. Faith 
 is here defcribed by two of its elTential parts 
 or properties. Firft, It is the fiibfance of 
 things hoped for. — Faith is the foundation of 
 hope. We muft believe the truth of a promife 
 before we can hope for its acconaplifhrnent. 
 Hope therefore immediately follows faith. 
 Faith and hope are nearly related. Faith 
 brings near to us thofe things which are the 
 obje6ls of our hope ; it gives us a prefent pof-, 
 feffion and enjoyment of them, and gives 
 them a prefent being diwdfubfjience in us, and 
 is therefore fitly and properly called the fub- 
 Jiance of things hoped for. The Greek word *' 
 is fometimes \ tranflated confidetice^ as figni- 
 fying that full allurance which faith gives us 
 of our obtaining the full fruition of thofe 
 
 • Y7rcr«c-i{. t 2 Cor. ix. 4. Heb. iii. 14. 
 
 F 2 things 
 
68 0/* Just I Fi CATION by Faith. 
 
 things for which we hope, and which we 
 partly poflefs at prefent. Secondh^, Faith Is 
 the evidence of things not fee v. It gives us a 
 view of the inviiihie Hories of another world. 
 It is a IpiritLial optic, wherehy we diicern 
 thofe things wliich are concealed from tho 
 eyes of our bodv, and which are unfeen by 
 tlie eye of natural reafon. Faith is the evi- 
 dcnce or deinonftrcifion \\ of thefe things ; it fo 
 illuminates and mngnifies them, and gives us 
 /uch a near profpecl of them, and luch a clear 
 inlight into them, as leaves no doubt upon 
 our minds of their truth and reality. This is 
 an account of faith at large, and comprifes 
 in it as well an liillorical affeut to revealed 
 truths, as a faving acquaintance with Jefus 
 the Mediator. 
 
 But then jufl-ifying faith, or faith as it 
 efpeciaily refers to Chrift, and hath his me- 
 rits and rlghteoulnefs for its ohjeci, is vari- 
 oufly exprelled and reprefented in holy fcrip- 
 ture. Sometimes this faith is iignified by 
 coming to Chrifl. So faith our blefled Lord ; 
 Come unto me all xe that lahotf-r. — And he that 
 comet h to me J): all never hunger^ and he that 
 hclieveth on me Jhall never thirjl, John vi. ^S' 
 The latter clavife explains the former, and 
 lets us know that coming to Chrift is as much 
 2i'h heUeving\\\\\\vA. Sinners, by nature, are 
 at an infinite diftance from^ God : they have 
 lofV all communion with him, and are become 
 entire ilrangers to him. JVe all like Jheep have 
 
 gone 
 
Cy Justification- by Faith. 69 
 
 gone ajiray, — hut by faith we return untojefus 
 the Shepherd and B^fiop of our fouls. — And 
 by him we have accejs by one Spirit unto God 
 the Father. Ila. hii. 0. i Pet. ii. 25. Eph. 
 ii. 18. 
 
 Saving fiiith is fometimes meant hy leaning 
 upon Chrifl. The church is laid to come 
 up from the wildciMefs lea7iing upon her Be- 
 loved, Cant. \ iii. ^. Leaning implies our own 
 weaknefs and inal)ihty. JK perfon lea.'is upon 
 a ftaff or pillar when he is weak, juil ready 
 to faint, and unable to lupport h'mfelf. In like 
 manner when a iinner feels his own weak- 
 nels, when he is opprelied with the unfup- 
 portable weight of fui, and finds himfelf jud 
 ready to link under it, then he leans upon 
 Chriff, is fupported by him, and derives fpl- 
 ritual Itrength and refrelhrnent from him. 
 
 Sometimes the word ref is iTiade ufe of to 
 denote living faith in Chrift. Ref in the 
 Lord^ faith the pfthniif, Pfalm xxxvii. 7. and 
 our ^javiour promrfes to give rejl to tliofe who 
 come unto him, Matt. xi. 28. As the weary 
 mariuLr liiids ref in the haven, or as the 
 weary traveller rejfs when he gets home, {o 
 the weary (inner hath reji for his foul when 
 he believes in Chrifr. 
 
 Sometimes this faith is intended hy /laving. 
 Thus God commands thofe who 'walk in 
 darknefs^ to trujl in the Name oj the Lord^ 
 and Jlay upon their God, Tfa. 1. to. And the 
 remnant oj Ifrael are defcribed ^% Jlaying upon 
 the Lord, the Holy One oj Ifrael in truth, Ifa. 
 X. ^o. So again, ch?.p. xxvi. ver. 3. Thou 
 F 3 wilt 
 
yo 0/* JusTiFicA'^oN hy Faith. 
 
 *wilt keep him In perfect peace whofe mind is 
 Jiayed on thee ; becauje he trujleth in thee. This 
 text teacheth us, x\\2Xjiaying is equivalent to 
 iruftingy i. e. believing. Man in this world 
 is like a fliip at lea. An unbeliever is like a 
 fhip, in a tenipeftuous ocean, without ballall 
 or anchor. A believer is a (hip at flays : 
 faith is the cable, and Chrift is the anchor 
 Jure and Jiedfaji, Heb. vi. 19. And although 
 winds blow hard and billows run high, yet 
 they ihall never be able to drive him from his 
 anchor, nor fink hkn in the fea of perdition. 
 In fome places of fcripture, the word roll 
 exprefTeth that a£l of faith which is j unify- 
 ing. He trujled in the Lord, faith David, 
 Pfalm xxii. 8. or, as it is in the margin *, 
 He rolled himfelf on the Lord. So alfo Pfalm 
 xxxviL 5. Commit thy way unto the Lord. 
 Or, according to the Hebrew, Roll thy way 
 on the Lord. Rolling on the Lord, is believing 
 or trufling in him ; and fince the fcripture 
 ufes this expreffion, we cannot doubt of the 
 fignificancy and propriety of it. And if rol- 
 ling on the Lord, i. e. rolling on God the Fa- 
 ther, be a proper expreffion, why not rolling 
 on God the Son ? Many pious divines there- 
 fore have made ufe of the phrafe, rolling on 
 Chrijly to denote faving faith in him. And 
 thofe who are experimentally acquainted with 
 Chrifl, know the fitnefs and fuitablenefs of 
 this expreffion to fpecify their reliance upon 
 thrift, to defcribe their cafling their foulsj 
 
 entirely 
 
O/* Justification by Faith, ^i 
 
 entirely upon him, and intrnfting the whole 
 affair of their falvation in his hand. Not- 
 withifanding thi^, feme perfons cannot bear 
 this way of fpeaking, they look upon it as no 
 better than cant and enthufiafm, and ridicule 
 and deride all who make ufe of it. But men 
 will fpeak evil of tilings they know not. 
 Hereby they ihev/ their ignorance, both of 
 the fcriptucs, and alfo of the power of God. 
 Thus the infidels in David's time reproached 
 him, Pfalm xxii. 8. and thus the fcribes and 
 elders mocked and reviled our Saviour, Matt, 
 xxvii. 43. fo that we fee ancient and modern 
 IcofFers agree. The mockers of our day fym- 
 bolize with the mockers of old, they go hand 
 in hand, they ufe the very fame taunts and 
 jeers, and difcover the fame infidelity and de- 
 pravity of heart. If Chrifl: himfelf was thus 
 derided, why fliould his followers expert any 
 better treatment ? Is the fervant above his 
 mafler ? or the difciple above his Lord ? If 
 therefore they have thus hated and maligned 
 the mafter of the houfe, how much more thofe 
 of his houfhold ? If they fhot out fliarp arrows, 
 even bitter words, at the Lord Jefus himfelf, 
 how can you expc6l to efcape them ? Or why 
 iliould you think much of bearing thofe cruel 
 mocking^ which Chrift Jefus endured before 
 you, and for your fake ? and with refpe6t to 
 the adverfaries, they perhaps may think they 
 only laugh at a, few cant-terms and odd ex- 
 prellions of fbme poor, filly, whimfical entliu- 
 liafts : but this is bad enough, feeing thefe 
 terms and exprefiions are found in fcripture, 
 
 F 4 as 
 
72 O/* Justification by Fax Til, 
 
 as I have before fhewed. But the whole truth 
 of the matter is, thefe prophane fcoffers do 
 not ridicule words and phrales only, but they 
 deride and banter the things lignified thereby; 
 and therefore they are highly criminal, and 
 (if they repent not) will bring upon thcm- 
 lelves fwilt dell:ru6tion. 
 
 Receiving Chrift is another fcriptural de- 
 notation of laving faith. Thus John i. 12. 
 But as many as received him^ to them gave he 
 power to become the Jons of God^ even to them 
 that believe in his name : So that we fee re- 
 ceiving Chrijt is believing in him ; therefore 
 faith the apoflle Col. ii. 6. as ye have received 
 the Lord Jefus. — Hence we hear of laying 
 hold upon the hope Jet before us, Heb. vL 18. and 
 of holding faft that which we have received^ 
 Rev. iii. J. All which fignities our reception 
 of Chrift. This reception of Chrill: is the life 
 of faith. Tliercby a foul applies and appro- 
 priates the Lord Chrift to bimfelf, and can 
 with Thomas, call him my Lord and my God, 
 or i'ay with the apoftle Paul, he loved me and 
 gave himfelf for me, A true believer receives 
 Chrift, ^nd pofiefles him as bis own right and 
 property. Pofieiiion is the foundation of all 
 happinefs. Pofleflion fweetens all bleffings 
 to us, v.'hether temporal or eternal. When a 
 worldling takes a furvcy of large traits of 
 ground, w^hen he fees great fums of money, 
 or cafl:s his eyes on fine bays of building, if 
 he can fay, All this is mine, how is his carnal 
 heart delighted ! and with what lenfible plea- 
 fyrc is his earthly mind affccle^ ! It is juft fo 
 
 ia 
 
(y Justification hy Faith. ^^^ 
 
 in fpiritual things. When a Ibul, by the eye 
 of faith, lees the unfearchable riches of Chrift, 
 when he hath the heavenly Canaan laid before 
 him as in a map ; ai'id when he beholds a 
 building of God eternal in the heavens, if he 
 can fay (and fay upon fure grounds) all this 
 is mine ; how wonderfully is the foul tranl- 
 ported ! and what folid joy does a christian 
 feel at fuch a time ! It is the pofleffion of thefe 
 things that endears them unto him, and they 
 give him infinitely greater happinefs and fa-. 
 tisfadion, than all the pleafures and profits 
 of this world could pofiibly afford. 
 
 Thus I have given you the fcriptural ac- 
 count of faith ; and this I hope will fatisfy 
 you : If it will not, I know not what w^ill. 
 You perhaps may be for a faith oi a more ma- 
 thematical exa^tnefs, you may deiire a more 
 logical definition of this graces But beware 
 (1 befeech you) left you miflake the {hadow 
 for the fubftance, and reft in the definition, 
 inftead of the thing itfelf. You may turn 
 over volumes of theological writings, and you 
 will find different divines give different defini- 
 tions of faith, and every one tliinks his own 
 the befr. God is not confined to rules of logic. 
 He does not delight to entertain us with phi- 
 lolbphical definitions. He is infinitely above 
 all. And he gives defcriptioas of things ac- 
 cordins: to his infinite wifdom. VVhatfoever 
 right conceptions we have of juflifying faith, 
 we mufl borrow from his holy word : And 
 there we find this grace defcribed by coming 
 
 to, 
 
74 0/ JusTiFicATi oij by Faith. 
 
 to, receiving of, leanings rejiing, Jlaying and 
 rolling upon Chrift. 
 
 After all, a perfon will beft know what 
 faith is, when he is pofleffed of it. You may 
 give a man born blind as many definitions 
 of light as you pleafe, yet he will never 
 know what light is, till his eyes are opened, 
 and he fees it. Juft fo you may give an un- 
 believer as many defcriptions of faith as you 
 pleafe or can, yet he will never know what 
 faith is, till he hath it in his heart. Doth 
 any one therefore enquire what faith is ? 
 Let him believe on the Lord Jefus Chrift, 
 and then he will know what faith is, and ne- 
 ver till then. The experience of the thing 
 Deft informs us of the nature of it. If the 
 reader hath not yet had this experience, I 
 come now to tell him how and where he may 
 attain it ; for. 
 
 Secondly, Faith is the gift of God. This 
 was the fecond thing to be proved. And this 
 is clearly demonftrated from the Homilies and 
 Liturgies of the Church of England. 
 
 The Homily on Prayer directs us, " Firft 
 *' of all to crave fuch things as properly be- 
 ** long to our falvation, as the gift of repen- 
 ^* tance, ^t gift of faith, ^^ 
 
 The Homily on the Mifery of Man tells 
 US, " We have neither y^/V/^, charity, hope, 
 ** patience, chaflity, nor any thing elfe that 
 ** good is, but of God, and therefore thefe 
 ^' virtues be called there (viz. Gal. v.) the 
 ^* fruits of the Holy Ghoft^ and not the fruits 
 ipf man.'* According to this,y^//y6 is not the 
 
 pro- 
 
O/* Justification by Faith. 75 
 
 produce of man's free-will, or natural power, 
 but the fruit and produce of the Holy Ghojl, 
 And this is rightly reduced from the mifery 
 of man in his lapfed eftate ; for as a natural 
 man hath not in himfelf love to God, humi- 
 lity, purity of heart, or any other grace, (o 
 neither hath he the grace of faith. And all 
 the allegations from fcripture or reafon, that 
 prove man is deftitute of any other chriftiau 
 grace or virtue, will equally prove that he is 
 deflitute of this alfo. 
 
 Accordingly in the Homily of the Salvation 
 of Mankind we are told, that " three things 
 " muftgo together in our juftlfication — and the 
 " third is a true and lively faith in the merits 
 " of Jefus Chrifl, which yet is not ours, but 
 " by God's working in us^ If our faith is 
 fuch as we work in ourfelves, and not fiich 
 as God by his Spirit works in us ; then ours 
 is- not a true and lively^ but a falfe and dead 
 faith. Some allow that faith is the gift of 
 God, but then by faith they mean the ob- 
 je<5ls of faith, viz. Chrift, the fcriptures and 
 all divine revelation. But this paflage fpeaks 
 of a faith of God's working in us, which you 
 fee is not fo properly applicable to the obje6ls 
 of faith, as to the grace or principle of faith 
 in the heart. 
 
 The Homily for Rogation-week exhorts to 
 *' hear what is teftiiied firfl of the gift of 
 *' faith, the firfl entry into a chriflian life, 
 *' w^ithout which no man can pleafe God." 
 In the margin Eph. ii. 8. is referred to, which 
 we ihall have occafion to conlider afterwards. 
 
 The 
 
^6 0/* Justification by Faith. 
 
 The Liturgy is full of this dodlrine. In 
 one collect * it is faid, " Almighty and 
 " everlafling God, give unto us the increafe 
 *' of faith^ hope and charity, &c." If the 
 iiicreafe of faiih be God's gift^ then fo is the 
 firft ieed and principle thereof for the fame 
 reafon. Accordingly we find the Church re- 
 turning thanks to God in this manner ; 
 " We ffive thee humble thanks that thou 
 
 o 
 
 " haft vouchfafed to call us to the know- 
 *' ledge of thy grace and faith in thee -f- :*' 
 And it would be enalefs to mention all the 
 paflages in the Liturgy to this purpofe. I 
 only juft take notice, that as faith, fo llkewlfe 
 repentance is the gift of God. The Homily 
 on Repentance fays, ** He (Chrift) was ex- 
 *' altcd to give repentance and remiilion of 
 " fins unto Ifrael." — '* We mull: beware and 
 *' take heed that we do in no wife think in 
 '' our hearts, imagine, or believe that we are 
 '' able to repent aright, or to turn eife«£tually 
 *' unto the Lord by our own might and 
 ** ftrength." — " To repent is a good gft of 
 " God."-— And in the Liturgy, " That it 
 *' may pleafe thee to give us true repentance^"* 
 This is agreeable to fcripture j : And this 
 may ferve to correct the error of thofe who 
 tell men repentance is in their own power, 
 and they may repent when they will. 
 
 But to return. The fcriptures are clear in 
 this point. Our Saviour faith to Peter, Matt. 
 
 ., * Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity. 
 t Office of Bap ifm. 
 ; Aft5 V. 3!. xi. i', 2 Tim. ii. 25, &c. &c. 
 
 xvl. 
 
O/" Justification hy Faith. ^-^ 
 
 xvi. 17. Blcjfed art thou Simon Bar/ona^ for 
 fiefiy and blood hath not revealed it unto thcc^ 
 but my Father which is in heaven. Peter 15 
 pronounced bleffed, becaufe he had not a hu- 
 man but a divine faith v»TOUght in his foul; 
 yiotflefi and bloody i. e. neither his own reafon 
 and natural underftanding, nor yet the in- 
 ftruclion or argumentation of others ; but the 
 Father only revealed it unto him, that Chriji 
 was the Son of the living God, ver. 1 6. We 
 are not to look upon this as an extraordiiKiry^ 
 revelation. This revelation is common to all 
 true chriftians ; and unlefs the fame heavenly 
 power reveals Chrift in our hearts, we fliall 
 never believe to any faving piirpofc. And 
 God works this grace of faith in his children. 
 by the influence of the Holy Ghoft, who is 
 therefore called the Spirit of faith, 2 Cor. iv. 
 13. Agreeable to which the apoftle Paul tells 
 us, that no man can fay Jefus is the Lord hut 
 by the Holy Ghoji, i Cor. xii. 3. which fliews 
 that the eternal Spirit is the efficient of jufti- 
 fying faith. 
 
 In John vi. 44. our Saviour declares the 
 utter inability of man to believe of himfelf ; 
 No man ca?i come unto me, except the Father 
 which hath fent me draw him. — And there- 
 fore in the next verfe he very feafonably adds. 
 Every man therefore that hath heard and hath 
 learned of the Father, cometh unto me, i. e. be- 
 Ueveth in me. They, and they only, wlvo 
 are drawn of the Father, who hear and learn 
 of him, believe in Chrift. Our Lord there- 
 fore calls faith the zvork of God, ver. 29. and 
 
 the 
 
^8 (y Justification by Faith. 
 
 the apoftle Paul ftiles it the faith of the opera- 
 ti07i of God., Col. ii. 12. Hence we are laid to 
 believe according to the working of his 7nighty 
 power, Eph. i. 19. The fame power tliat 
 ralfed Chrlf from the dead, ver. 20. 
 
 St. Paul in enumerating the gifts of the 
 Spirit, I Cor. xii. 9. faith. To another filth 
 by the fame Spirit ; where hy faith fome iin- 
 derfland a power to work miracles : But firft, 
 there is no neceffity of taking faith here in 
 this fenfe ; becaufe working of miracles is 
 mentioned juft after : Secondly, If a faith 
 that would enable us to work outward mira- 
 cles be the gift of God, much more is jufti- 
 iyingy^/V/6; for that faith which juflifies the 
 foul is as great, if not greater energy than 
 which would qualify us to work miraculous 
 cures on the bodies of men. 
 
 John the Baptifl: informs us, that a man 
 can receive nothing, except It be given him 
 from above, John iii. 27. And the apoftle 
 James preaches the fame doftrine ; every good 
 and perfect gift Is from above, chap. i. ver. 17, 
 Faith is a good and perfect gift, and therefore 
 that is from above. And can a man receive 
 nothing, except It be given him from above f 
 How then fhall he receive faith, unlefs he 
 have it from thence ? To this we may adjoin 
 the teftimony of the Ipoftle Paul, Phil. i. 29* 
 Unto you It Is given In the behalf of Chrlf y 
 not only to believe on him, but alfo to fuffer 
 for his fake. The apoftle in the foregoing 
 verfe is encouraging the Philippians under 
 trials and aliiidlionSj and he feafonably re- 
 minds' 
 
O/* Justification by Faith. 79 
 
 minds them of God's having given them 
 faith ; which is deligned to direct them to 
 look to the fame God who gave them this 
 belief, for the prefervation and confummation 
 of it. The fame infallible divine faith to the 
 Ephefians, By grace ye are faved through 
 faith ; and that not of yourf elves, it is the gift 
 of God, Eph. ii. 8. In inculcating the doc- 
 trine of falvation by grace, he ailerts it to be 
 by faith, as the inftrumental means thereof : 
 Now, left the Ephefians fhould furmife they 
 had tliis faith in or from themfelves, he in- 
 forms them it is the gift of God, that fo he 
 may cut off all occafion of boafting. Indeed 
 it is this doctrine only that excludes all boafi:- 
 ing ; for if we could believe of ourfelves, we 
 fhould have whereof to glory : but fince we 
 cannot believe of ourfelves, the creature is 
 humbled ; and fince we are obliged to come 
 to God, and receive the gift of faith gratis 
 at his hands, we muft (if we will glory) glory 
 only in the free grace of God in Chrifl Jefus 
 our Lord. 
 
 And here I might appeal to experience ; 
 for what mean thofe complaints of unbelief 
 which we hear from awakened fouls ? Do 
 they not (hew that it is not in man's natural 
 will or power to believe ? Yea, do not con- 
 victed finners feel in their hearts that they 
 -cannot believe ? I alk you therefore, are you 
 a believer in Chrifi: ? If you are, I refer you 
 no further than to your own experience, to 
 •convince you that faith is the gift of God. 
 Do you not remember the time when vou 
 
 'did 
 
8-0 0/* Justification ^v Faith. 
 
 did not believe r Do you not remember the 
 time when you could not believe ? Do you 
 not remember the time when God firfl: gave 
 the gift of faith to your difquieted foul ? 
 
 The main queflion therefore is. Have you 
 received the gift of faith ? Are you a believer 
 in Chrift ? Do not deceiv^e yourlelf. Do not 
 think yourfelf a chriftian before you are i'o. 
 You may repeat all the articles of your creed, 
 you may believe the fcriptures and all the 
 truths therein contained ; you may be a mem- 
 ber of an orthodox church, where found 
 do6tnne is preached, and the facraments are 
 duly adminiftered ; you may praftife the ce- 
 remonies of religion, and yield an external 
 ■obedience to the moral precepts of the gofpel, 
 and yet have no living faith in your heart. 
 All this you may do, yea, and as much more, 
 and all the while ba only an almofl chriftiail. 
 •Thus far and a great deal further an infidel 
 may go. Let me ferioufly alk you then, have 
 you a fare trujl and confidence in God's mer- 
 ciful promifes, to he faved from everlajiing 
 damnation by Chrift ? This is the defcription 
 our Church * gives of faith ; and if you have 
 not this faith in you, if you do not find a 
 fure truji in God, a firm confidence in Chriflr, 
 I fear you have but little if any faith at alh 
 Search therefore into your heart, examine 
 narrowly into yourfelf; never be iatisfied till 
 you kjiow the truth of your flate : See whether 
 you are a believer or an unbeliever. If you 
 
 • Homily of Salvatioo. 
 
 are 
 
O/* JusTiFrcATioN by Faith. 8i 
 
 are an unbeliever, I do not flatter you, I tell 
 you your doom at once, or rather Chriil 
 himfelf tells it you, Mark xvi. i6. He that 
 bcUeveth not^JJjall be damned. You may think 
 this hard, and be ready to cry out, *' Is not 
 " this cruel ? you have before told us it is 
 " not in the power of man to believe, and 
 *' now you aflert that man is damned for not 
 ** believing. What is man damned for not 
 " doing that which he hath no power to do ?" 
 I anfwer, though a man hath not a natural 
 power to believe, let him go to God and alk 
 faith, and God will give it him. Inftead 
 therefore of difputing about your inability to 
 believe, inftead of inventing pleas and ex- 
 cufes to Ikreen you in unbelief, come to God 
 fully convinced of your own impotency, and 
 God will give you the gift of faving faith. 
 Otherwife you are inexcufable, and your dam- 
 nation is juft. But, reader, may I hope better 
 things of you ? Have you received this gift ? 
 Hath God given you to believe in the name 
 of his eternal and only begotten Son ? Then 
 with how many Cords of love hath the Lord 
 encompafled your foul ? and how many obli- 
 gations of gratitude, obedience, and joyfulnefs 
 are incumbent upon you ? Therefore, 
 
 Firft, Give God all the glory. Look back 
 and fee how lately you were dead in fin, and 
 buried in unbelief. Then you groaned by 
 reafon of the infidelity of your heart, and you 
 could no more believe than you could remove 
 the mountains. How comes it to pafs, that 
 you now believe ? Whence is it that the fcene 
 
 G is 
 
82 Of Justification by Faith. 
 
 Is thus changed ? Whence is it that your ftate 
 is fo much bettered ? Who wrought this hea- 
 venly alteration in you'? Hath not the Lord 
 himfelf done this marvellous thing ? Hath 
 not his own right-hand and his holy arm 
 gotten himl'elf the victory ? Therefore not 
 unto us, O Lord, not unto us, hut unto thy Najne 
 give we glory. And if God hath given you 
 this gift, he hath made you an infinitely 
 greater prefent, than if he had given you all 
 the riches of India, or all the treafures of 
 Egypt. The gifts of nature and providence 
 may fail, or be taken from you ; but the gift 
 of faith fhall never be taken from you. It is 
 an immortal feed that knows no decay : it is 
 a permanent principle that endures for ever. 
 Therefore blefs God who gave it you, love him, 
 thank him, praife him, delight in him, and 
 rejoice before liirn continually. And praife 
 and blefs the Son equally with the Father. 
 Although this faith is a free gift to you, yet 
 it coil: jefus Chrift dear; he Ihed his own 
 heart's blood to purchaie it for you. When 
 he afcended up on high, he led captivity cap- 
 tive, and received gifts for men, and amongffc 
 the reft the gift, of faith. I'liis he dilfributes 
 to his people ; and if you have it, he gave it 
 you. Chrift by his blood bought it for you. 
 Chrift by his Spirit wrought it in you. 
 Therefore be fure' praife Jefus Chrift and his 
 Spirit for ever. 
 
 Secondly, Praife God with your life, as well 
 as your lip : Live to his praife. Evidence your 
 taith by your good works. Faith is a very 
 
 pro- 
 
(y Justification by Faith. 83 
 
 prolilic grace ; and if It Is deeply rooted in 
 your heart, it will produce obedience in your 
 life. Faith without works is dead. If you do 
 no good works, you are no chrilHan ; but if 
 you produce evil works, what are you then ? 
 You. are a difgrace to your religion, you are 
 \yorfe than a heathen. What lignifies pro- 
 fcffing chrlflianity, while you walk as the 
 Gentiles, which know not God ? Or why do 
 you pretend to be a believer in Chrift, while 
 you live in (in ? Your pra(ftice gives the lie 
 to your profeiiion ; and if you go on thus, you 
 will in the end receive everlafting damnation. 
 Either make no profeffion, or elfe live up to 
 it. The former of thefe I would have you by 
 no rtieans embrace. All that remains therefore 
 is, to evince the truth and fincerity of your 
 profeffion, by the purity of your heart, and 
 the piety of your converfation. 
 
 Thirdly, Look to God for the Increafe of 
 Faith. The greatefl chriftian will yet' find 
 fomething wanting. The ftrongeft believer, 
 if he is feniible of his remaining unbelief, 
 will feel the need of perpetual additions to 
 his faith. None can fay I am perfect in my- 
 felf, and want no inore. Now w^e have no 
 "more power to increafe our faith, than to work 
 it in ourfelves at firll:. We miiil: be beholden 
 to the lame God, who gave us the firft: grace, 
 to give us all future acceflions and augmen- 
 tations thereof. Do you therefore complain 
 that your faith is weak ? Do you find a great 
 deal of unbelief, and but little, very little 
 faith in vou ? Is vour faith as imall as a araln 
 
 G 2 of 
 
84 0/ Just iFiCATioN by Faith. 
 
 of muftard feed ? Is your fiiith like a fpark 
 covered with afhes, fcarcely difcernible? Then 
 let your continual cry be, LorJ, uKveafe my 
 faith ; Lord^ I believe, help my unbelief. And 
 aflure yourfelf, that the fame God who hath 
 given you the firfl deoree of faith, will giva 
 all other degrees neceflary to falvation. What 
 he hath already given you, is only an earneft 
 of more. And, 
 
 Laflly, Faith will foon be turned into fights 
 Now we know but in part, but when that 
 which is. perfe6l is come, then that which is 
 in part fhall be done away. Rejoice therefore 
 in hope of the glory which (hall be revealed. 
 This veil of flefli now intercepts God from 
 our view ; but when this veil is removed, 
 when this curtain is undrawn, then fliall we 
 have a full view of God, then fhall we fee 
 him face to face, and know him even as we 
 are known. Faith will then be turned into 
 fight ; hope will be fwallowed up in enjoy- 
 ment ; and love and joy will flourifh and in- 
 creafe for ever. Therefore be confta^nt and 
 endure to the end. Wait for the glorious 
 appearance of the Lord Jefus Chrifl:, whom 
 having not feen you love ; in whom, though 
 now you fee him not, yet believing, you re- 
 joice with joy unfpeakable and full of glory. 
 
 But I am fenfible I muft attend to the 
 complaint of a weak ehriftian,. " Ah (fays 
 ** fome poor diftrefled foul), this is a great 
 ** happinefs indeed for thofe who believe — 
 '* but for my part, I am an unbeliever, and 
 ** therefore I have neither lot nor portion in 
 
 *^ this. 
 
l( 
 
 O/* Justification by Faith. 85 
 
 this matter. I have no faith. I cannot be- 
 lieve. Unbelief like a mountain prefles 
 upon my heart ; and I cannot get rid of it. 
 I cannot come to Chriil: ; I wifh I could : 
 But oh ! I have no power. You may in- 
 vite me to come to Chrift as long as you 
 pleafe, you may call upon me till your 
 tongue cleaves to the roof of your mouth ; 
 your labour is in vain, you Ipend your 
 ftrength for nought ; I can no more believe, 
 " than I can reach heaven with my hand.'* 
 Well, hath God given you this convi(^ion ? 
 Then happy is it for you. Do you feel the 
 hardnefs of your heart ? Do you find an 
 emptinefs in your foul ? Do you fee yourfelf 
 full of unbelief? Hath God by his Spirit re- 
 vealed thefe things to you ? Thenaflure your- 
 felf the Lord would not have fhewed you all 
 thefe things, if he had intended to deftroy 
 you. It is the way of God, firfl: to convince 
 linners of unbelief, and then to take it away, 
 and confer faving faith upon them. None 
 ever believed, but he was firfl convinced of un- 
 belief. To fee and feel your unbelief, is there- 
 fore the firfl: ftep to believing in the Lord Je- 
 lus. A natural man, if he leads a good, fbber, 
 moral life, thinks himfelf in a fair way for 
 heaven, and never doubts of his falvation, 
 A perlbn who is awakened to a fenfe of his 
 iinfulnefs, who fees the impurity of his heart, 
 and the impiety of his life, then begins to be 
 concerned about his ialvation ; he queflions 
 whether Chrift will lave him or not ; yea, he 
 is inclined to defpair, he is ready to think 
 
 G -1 the 
 
86 0/ Justification ^j/ Faith. 
 
 the Lord will never fave fuch a linner as he 
 Is. You fee then the difference : The carnal 
 moralift never doubts of his falvation ; the 
 convicted fmner ftands upon the point of def- 
 peration : the one buoys himfelf up with 
 groundlefs prefumption ; the other is fcnlible 
 of his iin and danger, and is in great diftrefs. 
 Now there is more hope of a foul under a 
 weako\: little faith *, than of one who is afleep 
 in a carnal fecurity. 
 
 Again ; Do you complain you cannot come 
 to the Lord Jeiiis ? Then the Lord Jefus will 
 kindly come to you. Do you fay you cannot 
 believe ? Then Chrift himfelf will enable 
 you to believe. The tender jefus fees your 
 mifery and helplefliiefs ; h^ fympathizes with 
 you, and longs to he gracious unto you. 
 Hath he convinced you of fin ? He will alio 
 convince you of his righteoufnefs. The "Son 
 of God knows your inabilitv to believe, he 
 fees you want faith. This grace he hath pur- 
 chafed for you by his blood, and he will 
 work it in you by his Spirit. The blelling is 
 in fure hands, and you need not fear receiving 
 h. God, who freely jitjiifath the ungodl\\ doth 
 freely give them j unifying faith. Jefus Chrift 
 never loft. Jefus Chrift never will lofe one 
 foul oi: his people for want of gi'^'ing them 
 that faith which is necefihry to their juftih- 
 cation : and though your foul may be at pre- 
 fent in great darknels, Ibrrow and vexation, 
 
 • Matt. vi. 30. Rom. xiv. i. 
 
 yet 
 
Cy Justification by Faith. 87 
 
 yet be not afraid, neither be difmayed ; hum- 
 bly hope and patiently wait for falvation from 
 the Lord. Soon will thefe clouds pafs off; 
 foon will your heavinefs be turned into joy. 
 A great calm generally follows a great ftorm, 
 and great confufion generally goes before 
 great peace. The more Ihaken you are now, 
 the more eftablilhed you fliall be hereafter. 
 The things that arc Jhaken,, viz. felf-conli- 
 dence, hypocrify, unbelief, lukewarmnefs and 
 formal religion fhall be removed ; that the 
 things which cannot he fiaken^ viz. righteouf- 
 nefs, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft, may 
 remain, Heb. xii. 27. Your confolations ihall 
 infinitely abound over all your tribulations, 
 2 Cor. i. 4, 5. The Lord Jefus will remove 
 all impediments that lie in your way : He will 
 folye all difficulties, anfwef all your obje6lions, 
 fcatter all your doubts and fears, and fill you 
 with the fuhiefs of the blefiing of the gofpcl 
 of peace. 
 
 III. I come now, in the Third Place, to 
 fhew, that juifihcation is by faith only. That 
 laying of Luther's, Articiilus Jlantis vel caden- 
 tis ecclefo', is become fo trite and common, 
 that I could fcarcely perfuade myfelf to men- 
 tion it. Though 1 know Luther's judgment 
 is of little efteem among fome people; and 
 others who have a great value for the doctrine 
 and writings of that great man of God may 
 be ready to afk. If Luther's judgment be al- 
 lowed, what will become of the Church of 
 England ? I anfwer, The Articles and Homi- 
 G 4 lies 
 
88 (y Justification ^j/ Faith. 
 
 lies are the ftandard of the doctrines profefled 
 by any church ; the dodlrine of free juftlfica- 
 tion is clearly contained in the Articles and 
 Homilies of the Church of England, and 
 therefore (he is found in this point, and will 
 never fall by the judgment of Luther. Yet 
 I would add, Luther's fentiment is a juft re- 
 proof of thofe who fubfcribe to orthodox ar- 
 ticles, and yet preach contrary doftrines. 
 
 Before I fully enter upon this head, I think 
 it may not be improper to defcribe the privi- 
 lege of juftification at large. Juftification 
 therefore confifts in three things ; i . In the 
 forgivenefs of fuis. i. In the imputation of 
 Chrifl*s righteoufnefs. And 3. In our re- 
 ceiving a right and title to eternal life. 
 
 Firft, Juftiiication coniifls in the forgive- 
 nefs of fins. The word ji^fi'^fy-, (Atxajai/) is 
 made ufe of by lawyers and civilians, and 
 hath an efpecial reference to the proceedings 
 of courts of judicature, h perfon is fiiid to 
 be juflified when he is acquitted by the judge 
 from all the accufations that are alledged 
 againfl him. To be juftified, therefore, is to 
 be cleared, abfolved, and pronounced inno- 
 cent. The word jujlify bears this fenfe in 
 holy fcripture. It is faid, Exod. xxiii. 7. ^be 
 righteous and the Innocent Jlay thou not, for I 
 will not jujiify the witked. God dehorts from 
 murder, and efpecially from the murder of 
 the righteous and imiocent ; and the rcafon he 
 afTigns for it is t^his, I will not jujiify, i. e. 
 abfolve, acquit, or pronounce guiltlels, thofe 
 >^ho are thus criminal. So in Deut. xxv. i. 
 
 V 
 
(y Justification by Faith. 89 
 
 If there be a controverfy between men and they 
 come into judgment that the judges may judge 
 them^ then pall they jujlify the righteous, a7id 
 condemn the ^wicked' Since here is mention of 
 a contro'-cer[)\ of judges, and of coming ifito 
 judgment, tiiere can remain no doubt upon 
 our minds that thefe words have a refpe^l to 
 judicial proceedings, at which it is both the 
 command of God, and the duty of good ma- 
 giftrates, to jujlify, that is, to clear and dif- 
 charge the righteous, and condenm the guilty. 
 Beiides,yz//?/^ is here oppofed to condemn ; as 
 in Ifa. 1. 8, 9. and Rom. viii. 3^. for jujlifi- 
 cation and condemnation are both judicial a«^s, 
 and are pafied upon ditferent perfons occa- 
 iionally. But I think I have faid enough to 
 fhew that the term jufiify is of forenfic ufe 
 and {ignification, and that it is ufed in this 
 fenfe in the facred writings. Now then ob- 
 ferve how well this explication of the word 
 fuits our purpofe. We are all criminals, all 
 malefactors, all rebels againft the mofl high 
 God ; we have all broken the divine law ; we 
 ftand arraigned at the awful bar of God's in- 
 finite juftige ; our mouths are flopped, and 
 we have nothing to plead but Guilty, guilty. 
 We are all become guilty before God, we are 
 all guilty of death, even eternal death ; and 
 God, the great God, the Judge of heaven and 
 earth, would pronounce a fentencc of hell 
 and damnation upon us, did not the precious 
 blood of Chrift interpofe, pacify the divine 
 wrath, and prevent the eternal ruin of our 
 fouls. The dearly beloved and only begotten 
 
 Son 
 
^o 0/ JusTiFiCATi ON i5y Faith, 
 
 Son of God was made a curfe for us, and 
 therefore we efcape the wrath and curfe of 
 God for ever, and inftead of a fentencc of 
 condemnation wc receive a fentence of jufli- 
 fication from our Almighty Judge. Here- 
 upon all oiiir fins are forgiven ; they fhall be 
 no more remembered againft us. All our fins, 
 both of omiffion and commiilion, the iniqui- 
 ties of our hearts, and the obliquities of our 
 lives ; all our offences in thought, word, and 
 deed ; all our trefpaHes againft God, our 
 neighbours, and ourfelves ; all our crimes, how 
 numerous Ibever : In fhort, all our tranfgref- 
 fions, both paft, prefent, and future, are freely 
 pardoned, are utterly blotted out in the blood 
 of Chrilf, and we are looked upon as inno- 
 cent in the fight of God, as if we had never 
 committed any fin at all. What a glorious 
 privilege then is juftification I Sinner, doth 
 not thy heart leap for joy at hearing of it ? 
 Is not thy foul tranfported at the news r Are 
 not all thy powers within thee ready to break 
 out in the praifes of God, for fending thee 
 fuch glad tidings? And yet this is not all: 
 For, 
 
 Secondly, Jufllfication confifis in the im- 
 . putiition of Chrifl's righteoulneis to us. To 
 jujtify *, is to reckon, repute, or efteem 
 righteous. Thus Matt. xi. 19. Wifdom h juf- 
 tijied of her children. True religion and god- 
 iinefs are condemned, and deemed madnefs 
 
 Ai>?«tcrw, Juiliim & ^''liquum cenfeo, Stcphan, 
 i^^rMSHt, Juilum ceafe^c. ISuiJas. 
 
 and 
 
(y Justification by Faith. 91 
 
 and enthufiafm by the children of this gene- 
 ration '; but Wifdom and her ways are approved 
 of, and are counted juft and righteous by the 
 children of God, who are born of his Spirit, 
 and partake of his nature. Again Rom. iii. 4. 
 T^hat thou m'lghtejl be jujijfied in thy fayingSy 
 mid m'lghtejl overcome when thou art judged. 
 Wicked men are often finding fault with the 
 divine dilpenfations ; they cenfure the tranf- 
 aOions of God's providence, they* traduce the 
 methods of his grace, and in innumerable in- 
 ftances calumniate and condemn the divine 
 oeconomy. But when all things come to be 
 cleared up (as at the dny of judgment) God 
 will htjujiijied, 1. e. he will be acknowledged 
 and pronounced righteous, even by his adver- 
 faries ; they who audacioufly blamed the ad- 
 miniftrations ot the Mofl Hirh, will then take 
 ihame unto themfelves, and openly declare 
 that God is righteous in all his ways, and 
 holy in all his works. And Chrift is faid to 
 be jujlijied in Spirit^ i Tim. iii. 16. that is, 
 he VvTiS approved and accepted as a righteous 
 perfon, and he was pronounced fu(;h by the 
 Holy Ghof}, Matt. iii. 17. To juftify there- 
 fore, is not only to ablblve from fni, but alfo 
 to account or efteem righteous. In this fenfe 
 the word is taken in holy fcripture, and efpe- 
 cially in the writings of St. Paul. God, in 
 jullltication, not only pardons our hns, but 
 alfo looks upon us as perfectly righteous : he 
 imputes his Son's righteoufnefs unto us, and 
 reckons us righteous upon that account. Here 
 therefore appear tlie riches of divine grace. 
 
 We 
 
92 Of Justification by Faith. 
 
 We are all unrighteous and ungodly finners ; 
 we are rebellious, difobedient, ill-deferving 
 and hell-deferving wretches : We have no 
 righteoufnefs of our own to recommend us to 
 God. Our good works are full of fin, and all 
 our righteoufnejfes are as filthy rags ; they are 
 as a very unclean thing, and do not, cannot 
 merit the divine favour. The j-^ord fees us in 
 this miferable condition, he takes pity on us/ 
 in this laft extremity. The God of all grace, 
 the Lord of infinite compaffions gives us the 
 righteoufnefs of his only begotten and moft 
 dearly beloved Son Jefus Chrift ; he places it 
 to our account, and reputes us obedient in 
 that obedience which Jeliis the Mediator per- 
 formed in our ftead. Therefore by the all- 
 fufficient righteoufnefs of our Saviour's life, 
 as well as by the infinitely meritorious fatif- 
 fa£lion of his death, are fmners juftified in 
 the fight of Almighty God. 
 
 I know indeed there are fome who aiTert, 
 that remifilon of fins and juftification are one 
 and the fame thing, and that to be juftified is 
 no more than to have our fins forgiven. That 
 remifiion of fins is a part of jullification, I 
 deny not ; but then it is not the whole. Juf- 
 tification includes in it the forgivenefs of fins ; 
 but then forglvenels of fins is not all tliat is 
 intended by jufilfication. The fcripture makes 
 a plain diftinftion between thefe two, and 
 teaches that this latter is fomewhat more 
 than the former. Thus A6ls xiii. 38. Thro* 
 this Man is preached unto you the forgivenefs 
 vffns. And then, ver. 39. tl e cipoftle adds, 
 
O/* Justification hy Faith. 90 
 
 And by him all that believe are juftified. Which 
 ihews "US, that juftitication is a greater privi- 
 lege, an higher ad; of grace than the bare 
 remjjjlofi of fins ^ even becaufe it includes in it 
 the imputation of Chrifl's righteoufnefs to 
 our fouls. The {^ime apoftle, in Rom. iv. 6. 
 informs us, that David defcribeth the blefled- 
 nefs of the man to whom God imputeth righ- 
 teoufnefs without works. And ver. 8. BleJJ'ed 
 is the man to whom the Lord will not impute 
 fin. Whence we learn, that juftification con- 
 lifts as in the non-ifuputation of fin, fo alfo in 
 the imputation oft\\Q Redeemer's righteoufnefs 
 to us. Accordingly the fame infallible pen- 
 man (who well knew how to make proper 
 diftinftions, and to ftate all points of divinity 
 clearly, and efpecially this of juftification, 
 which feems to be his mafter-piece) fpeaks 
 of the non-imputation of trefpajfes, 2 Cor. v, 
 19. and then tells us, JP'^e are made the righte- 
 oufnefs of God in him, ver. 21. If therefore we 
 believe the fcriptures, we muft allow that 
 juftification comprifes in it both the forgive- 
 nefs of lins and the imputation of ChriftV 
 righteoufnefs or a6live obedience unto us. 
 How unfcriptural, yea, how anti-fcriptural 
 then is the opinion of thofe w^ho exclude 
 Chrift's righteoufnefs from our juftification t 
 The foundation of this miftake is, fuch per- 
 fons do not believe any fuch thing as Chrift^s 
 righteoufnefs imputed, and therefore they 
 .diminifh and curtail the do6lrine of juftifi- 
 cation, in order to make it fquare with their 
 hypothefis. But all who truly know them- 
 
 felves, 
 
94 O/* Justification by Faith. 
 
 felves, will find the infufficiency of their own 
 righteoufnels, will fee the necellity of Chrift's 
 righteoiifnefs, and will be fo fiu* from oppo- 
 ling this do61:rine, that they will rejoice in it, 
 and blefs God for it* 
 
 Thirdly, Jufiification coniifts in our re- 
 ceiving a right and title to eternal life. If you 
 will not allow this to be a conftituent part of 
 juftification, but rather an effect and confe- 
 quence thereof, you may ufe your liberty, we 
 ihall not differ about this matter. All that I 
 aflert is, we are all by nature children of 
 ixjrath^ i. e. of hell ; and \i children^ then heirs; 
 fo that all are heirs of hell by nature. This 
 is clear. All have linned ajrainfl God, and all 
 deferve eternal damnation for their fins. When 
 God created Adam at firft, he gave him a 
 right and title to eternal happinefs. This he 
 retained fo long as he continued in a flate of 
 innoccncy and perfection ; but when he finned 
 againft God, he loft all title to life arid glory, 
 and merited eternal milery and condemna- 
 tion ; and all his pofterity, through his dif- 
 obedience, forfeited their title to heaven, and 
 became entitled to death and hell. But O 
 the depth of the riches both of the wildom 
 and goodnefs of God ! That title to heavenly 
 happinefs which we loft in the firjl. Adam^ is 
 reftored to us in the fecond\ and this is con- 
 veyed to us at the time of our juftitication, 
 which makes the apoflle fay, Being jujiified 
 by his grace, \w& are made heirs^ i. t. receive 
 a right and title to eternal life. Tit. iii. j. 
 A jujiified perfon therefore you fee is an heir 
 
 of 
 
Cy Justification by FaitfT. 95 
 
 of heaven ; his title is good, his right is in- 
 defeafible, his inheritance is fecure, and no- 
 thing in earth or hell (hall be able to alienate 
 it from him, or deprive him of it. Thus I 
 have fhewed you what juftification is, and 
 wherein it confifts. Many, in defcribing this 
 blefled privilege, are apt to mangle and de- 
 preciate it, and fo they deprive God of a great 
 deal of glory, and his children of a great deal 
 of comfort. I have endeavoured to fet it be- 
 fore the reader in the fairefl and cleareft light 
 I poffibly could : And though few explain it 
 fo largely as I have done, yet I find bifliop 
 Downame, in his Treatife of 'Jujilficatlon^ 
 makes it to confift in the three particulars I 
 have mentioned. After he hath mentioned re- 
 miifionoflinsasonepartofjuftificationjhehatli 
 thefe words : " God imputeth unto every be- 
 liever the right eoiijnefs of the Mediator Je- 
 fus Chrift, as if it were properly their own, 
 and performed by them, that being cloathed 
 therewith, they may be perfe^ly righteous 
 in God's light, and lb obtain a right unto 
 everlafting life and happinefs.^"* 
 The Author or efficient Caufe of our Juf- 
 tification is God. He it is that confers this 
 uufpeakable privilege upon u-s ; and therefore 
 he is called the jiijlifier of him that believeth in 
 fefus^ Roin. iii. 26. He is faid to jujlify the 
 ungodly, RoiTi. iv. 5. // is God that jujlifieth^ 
 Rom. viii. ^3. Hence he is faid to reconcile 
 the nv or Id unto hitnfelf 2 Cor. v. 19. And in- 
 deed who can forgiv e -.hns but God alone ? 
 Who can juiHfv^ fjiiLs but onlv the Moil: Higl; 
 ' ■ "■ ■ God? 
 
96 O/" Justification by Faith. 
 
 God ? This is his peculiar prerogative ; and 
 the inftrumental caufe or means on our part 
 is faith, which we are now to Ihew. And here 
 I might tranfcribe the whole Homily on the 
 Salvation of Man, for it is all to our purpofe ; 
 but this I refer the reader to at his leifure. I 
 fhall only juft mention one or two paffages ; 
 for when I come to the next propolition, that 
 will be a fall proof and ellablilhment of this. 
 The Homily aforefaid hath thefe words : 
 *' St. Paul declareth here nothing upon the 
 *' behalf of man concerning his j unification, 
 *' but only a true and lively faith ^ — and yet 
 *' that faith doth not fliut out repentance, 
 " hope, love, dread and the fear of God, to 
 be joined with faith in every man that is 
 juftified, but it fhutteth them out from the 
 office of juflifying.'* Though all other 
 graces are in the foul at the fame time fiith 
 is, yet it is in the prerogative of faith only to 
 juftify. So afterwards : " This fentence, that 
 '* we be jiiflljied by faith only, is not fo meant 
 " of them, that the laid jujilfylng faith is 
 *' alone in man without true repentance, 
 *' hope, charity, dread and the fear of God, 
 "at anytime and feafon." Though faith 
 only iuftihes, yet j unifying faith is not fepa- 
 rate from repentance, hope, love, and other 
 fruits of the Spirit. It is the proper office of 
 faith to juftify, for faith is the grace that is 
 juft fuited for this purpofe. As the eye is 
 fitted for feejng, or the hand for a6ling, fo is 
 faith exa£lly fitted for juflifying, i. e. for fee- 
 ing Chrifl, and taking hold of him for flrength 
 
 and 
 
 cc 
 
 (C 
 
O/" Justification hy Faith. ^j 
 
 aiici rlghteoiiliiefs : but as neither the eye 
 fees, nor the hand a£ts leparate from the 
 body (for deftroy the fubjedl: or organ, and 
 its acl is alfo deflroyed) fo neither does faith 
 juftify feparate from other graces (for then it 
 would not be true hving faith), yet it alone 
 juftities *, the office of juftification is its pecu- 
 liar privilege, and the other divine principles 
 in the heart have no Ihare in this affair. In 
 Ihort, though faith and all other chriflian 
 virtues and graces are in the heart at the tim.e 
 of our juftification, yet thofe other virtues 
 and graces have no hand in our juftification, 
 but juftification is the office and prerogative 
 of faith alone. 
 
 In the third part of this Homily it is faid, 
 IVe he juflifed by faith only, which is thus 
 explained : ' We put our faith in Chrift,' that 
 ' we be juftified by him only, that we be 
 
 * juftified by God's free mercy, and the me- 
 
 * fits of our Saviour Chrift only, and by no 
 ' virtue or good works of our own that are in 
 
 * us, or that we can be able to have or to do 
 ' for to deferve the fame ; Chrift himfelf only 
 ' being the caufe meritorious thereof.' Here 
 our own works and virtues are excluded, and 
 Chrift aflerted to be the meritorious caufe of 
 our juftification. What then becomes of ths 
 opinion of thofe who extol the merit of works, 
 and affign them a part in our juftification ? 
 Some are willing to make an evalion here : 
 *' We (fay they) hold, that works are a 
 " condition, but not a meritorious condition 
 *' of owr juftification." But if works afe not 
 
 H meri- 
 
9^ O/' Justification ^j' Faith. 
 
 meritorious, how can they be any condition 
 at all of our juftifi cation ? I leave this diffi- 
 culty for our adverfaries to explain. 
 
 In the fecond part of this Homily, the tef- 
 timonies of Hilary, Bafil, and Ambrofe, are 
 produced ; and Origen, Chryloftom, Cyprian, 
 Auguftine, Profper, Oecumenius, Proclus, 
 Bernardus, and Anfelm, are mentioned as ad- 
 vocates and efpoufers of this do£lrine of free 
 JLiftifi cation ; wliich is deligned on purpofe to 
 fliew the concurrence of Greek and Latin fa- 
 thers in this important and everlafting truth. 
 
 I mufl jufl mention the eleventh Article, 
 which is clear and explicit on our lide : It is 
 entituled. 
 
 Of the Jifftjf cation of Man. 
 
 '* We are accounted righteous before God, 
 " only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour 
 " Jelus Chrifl:, by faith, and not for our 
 ** own works or defervings. Wherefore that 
 ** we are jiflfed by faith only^ is a mod 
 " wholefome do6lrine, and very full of coin- 
 ** fort, as more largely is exprefled in the 
 '* Homily of Jufijication.''^ The doctrine of 
 jiiftitication by faith only, is here fo clearly 
 delivered, and lo nolitively afierted, that one 
 would think notliing but corrupt nature, an 
 evil heart of unbelief, prejudice, or worldly 
 intereft, could incline men to underftand this 
 article in any other fenfe, or conftrain them 
 to put a double meaning upon it. Our re- 
 foriHCf 6 h^re call it a wholelome doctrine, and 
 
 very 
 
Oy Justification hy Faith. 99 
 
 verv full of comfort ; and all who experience 
 it, find it fo ; although thofe who do not ex- 
 perience it, do not knoweither the wholefome- 
 nefs or comfort of it. Many people have the 
 do(5lrine of juftification hy faith in their heads, 
 but yet are very miferable for want of having 
 it in their hearts. When fouls firfl come ac- 
 quainted with this do^lrine^ it generally gives 
 thelh -A. great deal of pleafure and delight. 
 When the apoftles firft faw our Saviour after 
 his refurre6:ion, they believed not for joy ^ and 
 'wondered^ Luke xxiv. 41. And Peter's deli- 
 verance out of prifon was fo unexpected, that 
 he did not think it real, but imagined he had 
 feen a vijion^ A6ls xii. And when the Lord 
 turned again the captivity of Zion, the re- 
 turning captives were like thofe that dream^ 
 Pfalm cxxvi. i. So when a free Saviour firft 
 manifefts himfelf to fniners in diftrefs, they 
 are fo overjoyed that they know not how be- 
 lieve the inanifeftation to be real ; they think 
 the news too good to be true ; they are ready 
 to fear they are in a dreani^ or fee a vijion, and 
 too often fufpe6l it is all a delufion. This may 
 feem fooliflinefs to carnal people, yet I am 
 fatisfied it is agreeable to the experience of 
 many of God's dear children. 
 
 The facred writings are full of this doc- 
 trine. To produce all the texts wherein it is 
 mentioned, would beendlels. I fhall fet fome 
 of them before the reader. Our Saviour, foeak- 
 ing to Nicodemus^ lays, that God fo loved the 
 •world, that he gave his only begotten Son^ that 
 whofoever believeth ri hirn foould ?tot berifi, 
 H 2 ' kut 
 
100 0/ JusTiPicATiou hy Faith. 
 
 lut have everlajling life. So that everlajling 
 life is the attainment not of him that does- 
 good works, and depends upon them for fal- 
 vation, but of him that believes in the only 
 begotten Son of God. Our Saviour therefore 
 here preaches the do£lrine of juftification by 
 faith in his blood. And this he very feafon- 
 ably informs Nicodemus of; for he, being a 
 pharifee and dependent on his own righteouf- 
 nefs, was in all probability as ignorant of the 
 dodrine of juflification by faith as of that of 
 regeneration (and yet how many in our day 
 are as ignorant of both thofe as Nicodemus 
 was ?) our blefled Lord therefore having in-* 
 ftruifled him in the one, verfes 3, 4, &c. here- 
 inflrudis him in the other ; and may the fame 
 heavenly Inftrucror inftruct us all in both thefe 
 truths. God's appointing this way of juftifi- 
 cation, and his giving his Son for this pur- 
 pofe, are both the effects of his fuperlative 
 and ineffable love. God fo loved the world t 
 How do thefe. words exercife the Ikill of crir 
 tics, expoiitors and orators ! How do tliey alt- 
 labour to fathom the myfterious depths of 
 divine love lignified thereby ! And yet, how 
 tar ihort do all their explications and illuftra- 
 tions fall of the glory of the thing itfelf ! Sic 
 ■ Dens dilexit (faith bilhop Sanderfon), So God 
 loved the wo?' Id. But how much that So con- 
 taineth, no tongue or wit of man can reach. 
 Nothing exprefietli it better to the life than 
 the w^ork itfelf doth. That the Word Ihould 
 be made flelh, that tlie Holy One of God 
 IJiould be made tin,: that CJIod blelled for ever 
 
 ihould 
 
O/' Justification By Faith. ioi 
 
 fhould be made a curfe, that the Lord of Hfe 
 and glory fhould fufFer an inglorious death, 
 and pour out his ownmoft precious blood to 
 ranfom fuch worthlefs, thanklel's, gracelefs 
 traitors as we were, that had fo delperately 
 made ourfeh^es away, and that into the hands 
 of his deadlieft enemy, and that upon fuch 
 poor unworthy conditions : Oh Altitude ! 
 Love incomprehenlible ! It fwalloweth up 
 the fenfe and underftanding of men and an- 
 gels, fitter to be admired and adored with 
 filence, than blemifhed with any of our weak 
 exprefiions *. 
 
 Our Saviour delivers the fame doctrine to 
 the Jews, John v. 24. Ferily, verily I fay 
 unto you^ he that heareth my wo?'d, and be- 
 lieveth on him that fent me, hath everlajfi?ig 
 life — Here, as before, they, and they only,, 
 are entitled to eternal life, who have faith in 
 'God, and in his Son Jelus Chrift. Indeed, 
 if it was other wife, what comfort could we 
 have ? Seeing our own inward experience (if 
 we are chriftians in truth and reality) muH: 
 thorouglily convince us, that if our falvatiorj 
 depended upon any thing in us, or any thing 
 to be done by us, Vv'e could then have no hope 
 of ever being faved at alL And obferve, our 
 Lord fays, believeth on him that fent me, 
 thereby pointing us to God the Father, as 
 the ultimate object of juftifying faith. So alfo 
 the apoftle, God was in Chrijl reconciling the 
 %vorld unto himfelf 2 Cor. v. 19. And, Rom. 
 
 • Seventh Sermon ad Aii!am, 
 
 H 3 iv. 5. 
 
I02 0/" Justification by Faith. 
 
 \w. 5. the liniier is directed to believe on him 
 that jujlifieth the ungodly. And who is that 
 but God the Father ? We fee therefore that 
 juftifying faith ultimately terminates in him: 
 And this is very rational and intelligible ; for 
 if you believe in Chrift, I would alk, Under 
 what charatler do you believe in him r Is it 
 not as he is a Mediator ? Now a mediator is 
 not a mediator of one, but of two parties : 
 I\ow we are the one, and God the Father is 
 the other, and therefore our faith mufl: ulti- 
 mately terminate in him. God the Father 
 is the party ottcnded, and we are the party 
 offending ; Jeius Chrift is the Reconciler, and 
 through him ive have accefs bv one Spirit unto 
 the Father^ Eph. ii. 18. If we are in Chrifl:, 
 the Father loves us as much as the Son. 
 Chriftians are often apt to look upon God the 
 Son as their Friend, and God the Father as 
 their enemy; but why fo ? The blefled Jefus 
 tells his dliciples, and in them all believers, 
 the Father hinifelf loveth you., Jobn xvi. 27. 
 
 I'he writings of St. Paul are rlchlv ftored 
 with this evangelical truth. In his epilfle to 
 the RomaiiS, he fpends at leaif fix or feven 
 chapters upon this head ; and the whole fcope 
 and tenor of the eplftle to the Galatians is to 
 eftabiifli this important point. In both thefe 
 epiftles this divine verity Ihlnes forth with 
 the briglitetf evidence ; and I remember, when 
 J was fiiil let into this doftrine, I was never 
 eafy, but when I was looking into one or 
 t)ther pf them. How flrongly and clearly 
 jlpes the apoflle aliert this dodrine in the 
 "'•"'■ thir4 
 
Cy Justification hy Faith. 103 
 
 third to the Romans I he concludes nega- 
 tively, ver. 20. 'Therefore by the deeds of the 
 law JJjall no jiejh be jujiified in his fight ; and 
 then politively, ver. 28. Therefore wje conclude, 
 that a man is jufiifed by faith without the 
 deeds of the Law. What argument can be 
 more convincing ? What conclulion more juft 
 and valid ? The deeds of the law are here ab- 
 folutely excluded, and faith in Chrift afferted 
 to be the only v^ay of juftifi cation before God. 
 " Yes (lay lome), the deeds of the law are 
 " here excluded, but of what law ? Not the ■ 
 " moral, but ceremonial ; and the works of 
 *' this latter we readily allow have no fhare 
 " in our juftification." This is a common 
 evafion, but (I think) as groundlefs as it is 
 frequent. That the apoftle here, by law, 
 means the moral law, and fo excludes the 
 works done in conformity thereto from our 
 juftification, the following reafons may fully 
 evince. Firft, the holy apoftle fpeaks of a 
 law, the flagrant violation of which he had 
 been charging upon the Jews, ver. 10 — 18, 
 and this can be no other than the moral law, 
 as the crimes there Ipeciiied evidently (hew. 
 Secondly, he Ipeaks of a law, whereby not 
 only the Jews, but alio the Gentiles were 
 obliged, and for breaking which both Jew^s 
 and Gentiles were become guilty before Qod^ 
 ver. 9, 19. but the ceremonial law never 
 reached the Gentiles, and therefore the moral 
 muft be here intended. Thirdly, he fpeaks 
 of a law whereby Is the knowledge of ftn, 
 which therefore muft be the moral, Rom.vii.y. 
 H 4 Fourthly, 
 
104 0/" Justification by Fa it if. 
 
 Fourthly, the apoftle exckides a law, the ex- 
 clufion of which excludes hoajl'mg^ ver. 27. 
 Now what are men more ready to boaft of 
 than their morality ? And would you have 
 hoajllng excluded ? But how can this be, un- 
 iefs moral duties are excluded from having a 
 hand in our jullification ? This therefore is 
 what the apoftle does in this place. Fifthly, 
 the apoftle fpeaks of a law which we ejiablijh 
 by faith ^ ver. 31. But will you fay this is the 
 ceremonial ? It certainly is the moral, which 
 you fee upon all thefe accounts is Ihut out 
 from the office of juftifying us before God. 
 
 To this add, Gal. iii. 11. A"^ man is jtijii^ 
 jied by the law in the fight cf God. Here alfo 
 the apoftle fpeaks of the moral law, as is 
 plain : Firft, becaufe the law here fpoken of 
 IS fuch as proiTiifes life to the obfervers of it, 
 ver. 12. which is not .the property of the ce- 
 remonial law, but of the moral, Rom. x. 5. 
 Lev. xviii. 5. Ezek. xx. 11, 13. Luke x. 18. 
 S-ccondly, the law here meant curfes all. who 
 do not contifitie in all the commands thereof 
 to do them., ver. 10. which therefore is the 
 moral, Deut xxvii. 26. Thirdly, the law 
 here mentioned, is that froin the curje whereof 
 Chrifl: hath redeemed us^ ver. 13. but we were 
 never under a curfe for breaking the ceremo- 
 nial law. All this may convince us that as 
 the law of rites and ceremonies, fo alio the 
 law of moral precepts is excluded from our 
 juftification ; and as we cannot be juftifie^ by 
 our conformity to the one, fo neither can we 
 be j unified by our conformity to the other. 
 
 ' '' We 
 
O/" Justification by Faith. 105 
 
 ** We are not jufllfied by ourfelves, nor by 
 " our own wifdom, nor underftanding, nor 
 ** piety, nor works which we have done in 
 " the hoUnefs of our hearts ; but by faith, 
 " by which Ahnighty God hath juftified all 
 *' from the beginning *.'* 
 
 Rom. V. I. Therefore being juftified by fahby 
 ive have peace 'with God through our Lord 
 Jefus Chrijl, The illative particle therefore 
 informs us, that thefe words are a conclulion 
 built upon premifes foregoing ; and if we 
 look back to fee upon what this infereirce is 
 grounded, we fhall find the apoftle hath 
 proved his point from the prophets^ chap. i. 
 ver. 2. 17. and chap. ili. 21. from the catho- 
 lic corruption of mankind, i. e. both of the 
 Jewifh and Gentile world, chap. i. 20, 21, &c. 
 chap. iii. 9. 19. and from the inflance of 
 Abraham, chap. iv. Whence we fee how rea- 
 fcnable and v/cU grounded a conclufion this 
 is, and what an important thereforei^ here in- 
 Itirted. When the apoftle aflerts, that we are 
 jujlifed by faith ^ he would thereby inform us, 
 that faith is the inftrumcnt of our juftification. 
 He doth not fay vxo or octt'^ -s-irEoj?, as if faith 
 was the efficient caufe of our juftification (for 
 that Vv^e have before proved to be of God), but 
 £>c Tiriffwc, which I take to be equivalent to Sec 
 ^Tia^c, Rom. iii. 30. A»a denotes inftrumen- 
 
 Vlcmeni. Rom. ad a orinth, Ep. i. 
 
 tality, 
 
io6 O/* Justification 4y Faith. 
 
 tality, and fo lets us know, that faith performs 
 the office of an inftrument in our juftification. 
 " That j unification is attributed to faith, as 
 *' the inftrumental caufe, is evident ; for it 
 ** is the proper a£l of faith to receive remif- 
 *' fion of fins, A£ls xxvi. i8. to receive the 
 *' gift of righteoufnefs, Rom. v. 17. to re- 
 *' ceive Chrift in the promife, as the gift of 
 *' the Father, John i. 12. iv. 10." And this 
 is the only way of obtaining peace with God ; 
 being juji'ified by faith, we have peace with 
 God. If you feek to be juftified by works, 
 you will never obtain peace with God. All 
 who make the experiment, find the truth of 
 this aflertion. And perfons who labour years, 
 or fcores of years under the law, are conftrained 
 at lail: to flee to Chrifi by faith, and fo they 
 procure peace with God. They, and they 
 only, who are juftified by faith, receive this 
 bleffing ; for the work of righteoufnefs fliall 
 h& peace, and the effed of righteoufnefs, i. e. of 
 Chrift's righteouluefs imputed by God, and 
 applied by hiith, is quietnfs and ajjuratice for 
 ever. Ifa. xxxii. i 7. 
 
 Rom. ix. :^3. Behold, I lay in Sio?i a ftum- 
 Ming Jtofie and rock of offence, and whofoever 
 helieveth on him f]?aU not be afiamed. Chriil 
 IS here called a fiumbling fone, and a rock of 
 offence : and this the apoflle fpeaks as an ac- 
 compliihment of the prophecy of liaiah, chap. 
 Viii. ver. 14. The Jews Humbled and fell 
 upon this Jf ambling fone, they fplit upon this 
 rock of offence, and w^ere Ihipwrecked into the 
 gulph or eternal perdition. And is not this 
 
 Icrip- 
 
0/* Justification by Faith. 107 
 
 fcrjpture this day fulfilled in our ears ? How 
 many ftumble at the doctrine of faith in 
 Chrifl:, and that too, becaufe they feek righ- 
 teoufnefs by the works of the law ? Are not 
 the words of Simeon fulfilled ? Is not Chrift 
 and his gofpel a iign that is fpokeii againft ? 
 Is not this Child let for the fall as well as 
 ]the rifing again of many in Ifrael ? But as 
 this text contains a word of terror for felf- 
 righteous infidels, fo alfo it atfords a word of 
 jcomfort for humble believers. JVhofoever be^ 
 j/'eveth on htm (faith the apoftle) fall 7iot be 
 afDamcd. The weakeft iinner who truly be- 
 lieves in Chrifl:, fhall not be difappointed of 
 his hope, he fhall find peace with God, and 
 fhall never be afiamed of his confidence in 
 jChrifl ; fuch a one will never be afamed of 
 profefling Chrifl and his caufe publicly, he 
 will not be afamed to ftand before Chrifl in 
 judgment ; neither fliall he be put to ever- 
 lafting fame and contempt. 
 
 Rom. X. 10. With the heart jnan believeth 
 unto right eoufnefs. So that faith in Chrifl is 
 the only way of obtaining a juftifying righte- 
 oufnefs, and it is not a fiiith of the head, i. e. 
 of the underftanding only, but of the hearty 
 i. e. of the will and affedions, that avails to 
 this purpol'e. True, living, juftifying faith is 
 feated in the heart ; and unlefs we have this 
 faith, all our inteliedtual aflents will profit us 
 nothing ; God will never accept us without 
 this, how refined foever we may be in our 
 conceptions, lofty in our fpeculations, or deep 
 in our penetration. When a foul truly hum- 
 bled 
 
io8 O/" JusTiFicATi ON hy Faith. 
 
 bled under a fenfe of his own fin, mifery and 
 indigence, comes to the Lord Jelus ; the Sa- 
 viour of finners receives that loul, and jufti- 
 fies him freely. ' Faitli is an act of humility, 
 and felf-derelidion, a holy defpair of any 
 thing in ourfelves, and a going to Chrift, a 
 receiving, a looking towards him, and his all- 
 fufficiency *. This is the faith which the 
 fcriptures fo much recommend; and without 
 it, it is impoffible to be faved. This is the 
 only way of our acceptance with God, and 
 juftification in his ligiit. This the epiftle to 
 the Romans largely and fully declares ; and 
 therefore natural men, who are enemies to 
 this do6lrine, have a great antipathy to this 
 part of holy writ. I renjember 1 once read 
 ail author, who advifed young beginners in 
 religion, not to read the eleven flrll: chapters 
 of this epilile. This was an artifice of his. 
 He was a profeiled adverfiry_ to the doctrine 
 of juftification by faith, and he ufed this me- 
 thod to keep perfons from coming to the 
 knowledge of tliat truth. However, I fol- 
 lowed his advice for a while ; but liad I done 
 fo much longer, fuch a blind teacher as he, 
 and fuch a blind fcholar as I, miffht both 
 have dropt into the ditch of hell together. 
 
 I might now quote the whole epiftle to the 
 Galatians. It is all to our purpofe, and as 
 clearly contains the do6trine of free juftifi- 
 catiouy as that to the Romans. I would 
 therefore have the reader perufe it carefully. 
 
 Bifhop Reynolds. 
 
 Left 
 
O/* Justification ^j- Faith* 109 
 
 Left I fhould feem tedious, I fhall only men- 
 tion one place which is clear and explicit, 
 and may latisfy all ingenuous minds of the 
 truth of this doctrine. Pleafe therefore to 
 confult chap, ii. ver. 15, 16. IFe who are 
 Jews by nature^ andnot finners of the Gentiles, 
 knowing that a man is not jujiified by the works 
 of the law^ but by the faith of Jefus Chrifiy 
 even we have believed in Jefus Chrifl ; that we 
 might be jufified by the faith ofChrif, andnot 
 by the works of the law ; for by the works of 
 the law fiall no fiefj be jujlifed. How earneft 
 the apoftle here is 1 The works of the law 
 are here thrice exprelly iliut out from our 
 juftifi cation, and faith in Chrift as often af- 
 ferted to he the only way of our juftification 
 before God. Surely thefe words muft convince 
 people, if they are not paft convidion. The 
 particles sai/, ^>i, or £* havi, are not only under- 
 ftood exclufively, as all allow, Rev. xxi. 27. 
 but are alfo rendered by an exclufive, as in 
 Mark xiii. 32. No one knows U (j^n II«%^, 
 hut the Father, which Matt» xxiv. 36. is thus 
 exprefled, no one knows hut the Father alone, 
 U fj.-/\ Q rial?!^ f/.3 iW.ov(^. Wherefore this ex- 
 prefiion that a man is fiot jufified by the works 
 of the law, but bv the faith of Chrifl, is equi- 
 valent to this exckilive proportion, that a- 
 man is not jufifed by works, but by faith 
 only *. This !> fair arguing ; and yet what 
 
 pity 
 
 * Hominem non jujiifuari cperlhus Isgis, niji per fdem ff/u 
 Qhrijii -^ qua iientcntia prorru? iequipollet exclnfivs; huic ^ 
 
 Hominem 
 
no Of Justification by Faith. 
 
 pity it is, that fome men, yea, and thofe of a 
 good natural genius too, cannot fee into it ! 
 But it is not a good natural genius, without 
 the Spirit of God, that will enable men 
 lavingly to underftand divine truths. Obferve 
 further, the apoflle fays. We who are Jews 
 by nature^ and not jinners of the Gentiles^ &c. 
 So in like manner we wlio are chriftians by 
 nature, and not finners of the heathen world ; 
 . we who have been born within the pale of 
 the chriftian church, who have been educated 
 in the do6lrines of the gofpel, and have at- 
 tended all the ordinances of religion, even we 
 renounce all our merits and good works, and 
 are as much beholden to the free grace of 
 God for our jufiification as heathens, or infi- 
 dels, or the vileft finners in the world. Some 
 cry out, " Yes, we allow that heathens, and 
 " fuch as never before heard of Chrifl, are 
 *' juflified by faith only ; but profefied chrif- 
 'V tians, who have heard the found of the 
 *' gofpel, mufl not expe6l to be juftified in 
 " this manner, they niufl do good works, 
 *' and thereby they will lind favour and ac- 
 *' ceptance with God.'* Indeed I would not 
 difcourage any froin doing good works, but 
 at the lame time J would not have men, 
 whether chriflians or heathens, depend upon 
 them for falvation ; for if they do, they will 
 
 Hominern jujlijicarx non operihus, fed Sola Fide : — Particiilx la* ^t) 
 five It |U») non tantum exclufive intelliguntur, confefiione om- 
 nium, ut Apoc. xxi. 27. fed etiam per exclufivaTn redduntur; 
 cujufmodi elt. Marc. xiii. 32. ISemo novit ti i^r, nwlrj, Nijt 
 Pater. Quod Matt. xxiv. 36. fie effertur : Nemo no-vit, niji 
 iSolus Pater* Ahingius. 
 
 find 
 
O/' Justification by Faith. in 
 
 find themfelves miferably difappointed. All 
 our moral deportment will never recommend 
 us to God. When men have done all they 
 can, they muft not build their hopes of falva- 
 tion upon their performances ; they muft dif- 
 claim their own righteoufnels, and ftand upon 
 a level with publicans and harlots, and the 
 grofleft offenders, for juftification before God. 
 The moral and immoral, the fober man and 
 debauche, are all juftified in the fame way, 
 viz. by faith in Chrift Jefus. Our moft re- 
 fined morality is not good enough to fave us, 
 but juft bad enough to damn us, if God 
 fhould enter into judgment with us for it. 
 
 I might add many more places * from this 
 epiftle, but I proceed to fhew, 
 
 IV. Fourthly, That good works have no 
 part in our juftification. Few, if any, are fb 
 grofty ignorant as to afl'ert, that we are jufti- 
 fied wholly by works, but then they join faith 
 and works together, and will have thefe lat- 
 ter to bear a part in our juftification. Now 
 I will evince the contrary. And this I chufe 
 Jo make a diftiuct propofition of, becaufe it is 
 the centre of the whole debate, and, being 
 ©nee decided, may juftly put an end to all 
 future dii'putes about this matter. The Ho- 
 mily on the Salvation of mankind, fays, " our 
 " juftification doth come freely by the mere 
 " mercy of God, and of fo free and great 
 " mercy, that vvhereas all the world was not- 
 
 • See chap, iii. ver. 8, ii, 22. chap. iv. ver. 26, 28, 31. 
 chap. V. ver. i, 4, 6. 
 
 '* able 
 
<.( 
 
 ic 
 
 112 0/* Justification fy Faith. 
 
 *i*i /able' of themfelves to pay ^;/)' part towards 
 their ranfoin, it pleafcd our heavenly Fa- 
 ther of his infinite merfy^ without any our 
 defert or delerving, to prepare for us the 
 mofl precious Jewels of Chrift*s body and 
 " blood.'* Now how do they depreciate and 
 undervalue God's free and infinite mercy, 
 who fay that good works have a part in our 
 juftification ! I would here have it obferved, 
 that our church doth not fay the whole 
 world was not able to pay the whole, but the 
 world was not able to pay any part towards 
 their ranfom. But if our good works have a 
 fart in our juftification, then I think we are 
 able to pay a part^ and that a very conlider- 
 able one too, towards our ranfom ; yet our 
 church afl'erts, that we are not able to pay 
 any part towards it. Now how Avill our ad- 
 yerfaries be able to evade this ? Some fay, 
 tlfiat works done in our natural eflate have no 
 part in our juflitication ; but that works done 
 IB the grace and Spirit of Chrift have. The 
 anfwer to which is readv ; for we have not 
 the grace and Spirit of Chrift in us, till we 
 are firft juiliified, how then can works pro- 
 ceeding from thence have a part in our jufti- 
 iication ? So that you fee our evangelical obe*' 
 dience cannot juftify us before God, becauie 
 this doth not precede, but follow our juftiti- 
 cation. 
 
 The Homily on the Mifery of Mankind bids 
 us '* knowourown works, of what imperfection 
 ** they be, and then we Ihall not ftand foolifhly 
 *' and arrogantly in our own conceits, nor chal- 
 
 " lengo 
 
0/ Justification hy Faith, li^ 
 
 *' lenge any part of juflification by our me- 
 " rits or works." Here not only merit's 
 (which our adverlaries feem ready to difclaim) 
 but alfo works (tho' they fhould be fuppofed to 
 have merit in them) are excluded from j uni- 
 fying, us, yea, from having any part in our 
 juftification. And from this paffage we learn, 
 that it is men's ignorance of themfelves and 
 their performances that leads them into this 
 miflake ; for if they knew the imperfe<flion 
 of their works, they would never be fo fool- 
 ifh and arrogant as to build their hopes of fal- 
 vation upon fo fandy a foundation. Where 
 then is the felf-jufticiary ? What becomes of 
 the man who ^rufts to his own righteoufnefs 
 for falvation ? Tell me, O thou felf- righteous 
 fnmer, which of thy works doft thou thmk 
 fo good that thou may ft fafely depend upon 
 it for falvation ? I only challenge thee to men- 
 tion one. But if thou can'ft riot truft to any 
 one good work taken feparately, how can'ft 
 thou truft to the whole fum of thy works col- 
 lectively ? Does not the fame fin and imper- 
 fe6lion that taints one fingle action, diffufe it- 
 felf through the whole circuit of thy obedi- 
 ence ? How much foever therefore thou may'ft 
 have boafted of thy good deeds hitherto, yet 
 when thou feeft the corruption of thy hearty 
 and the deficiency of thy beft righteoufnefs, 
 thou wilt be necefiitated to renounce all, and 
 to depend on Jefus alone for pardon of fin, 
 peace with God, and eternalialvation. 
 
 The fecond part of the Homily of Salvation 
 
 hath thefe words : ' Juftification is not the of- 
 
 ■ 1 < fica 
 
1^4 O/* Justification /^j' Faitit* 
 
 * fice of man^ but of God ; for man cannot 
 
 * make himfelf righteous by his own works, 
 
 * neither in part^ nor in the whole ; for that- 
 
 * were the greateft arrogancy and prefumption 
 
 * of man, that Antichnft could fet up againft 
 ^ God, to affirm that man might, by his own 
 
 * works, take away and purge his own fins, 
 
 * and fo jujfliify himfelf.* Here we are ex- 
 prefsly told, that we are not juflified by works 
 either in part, or in the whole. What words 
 can be plainer ? And how black does this 
 paflage look upon thofe who preach juftifica- 
 4ion by faith in fuch a manner, as to make 
 good works a neceflary condition of our being 
 juftified in the fight of God ! Do not fuch 
 preachers forget their Homilies ? Yea, do they 
 iict forget their Liturgies ? 
 
 T^'or even there it is faid, " We put notour 
 *' truft in any thing that we do *." Now how 
 can we fay we put not our truft in any thing 
 we do, if we truft in part to our own works 
 for our juftiiication? Elfewhere-f-we profefs, 
 *' We lean only upon the hope of thy 
 ** heavenly grace." How can we make fuch 
 a declaration as this, if we lean partly to our 
 own works, and partly to the divine grace ? 
 Is it not evident then, that good works have 
 no part in our juftification ? Have I not clearly 
 ihewed that this is the judgment of the church 
 of England'? Have I not made good my pro- 
 politlon ? Is it not as clear as any demonftra- 
 tion in mathematics ? Why then do you 
 
 * Coll &. tor b-x.ige!im% 
 
 t Filth cjuiiJay after Epiphany. 
 
 fcruple 
 
O/* Justification by Faith. ii^ 
 
 fcruple giving your affent to it ? Why do 
 you leek after cavils and evafions, in order to 
 avoid it ? Are you afraid of being deceived by 
 the plain fenfe of words ? Why then do you 
 fufpend your judgment ? Why are you fo 
 backward in giving your verdi(5t in To clear a 
 cafe? Therefore if you are a member or mini- 
 iler of the church of England, approve your- 
 felf fuch by receiving and preaching the doc- 
 triiie which fhe recommends unto you. Surely 
 you have more confcience than to deny this to 
 be her dodrine, fo long as you have thefe ex- 
 tracts from the Homilies in your eye. 
 
 The fcriptures are clear and explicit in this 
 point. Rom. iv. 4. To him that worketh is the 
 reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. Jufti- 
 cation is by grace, and therefore works have 
 no hand in it: if ourjuflification was by works, 
 then it would not be oi grace, but of debt^ 
 This is what the apoftle ailerts in the words 
 of the text, To him that worketh is the re^ 
 ward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. This 
 the apoftle lays down as a pofition univerfally 
 true, and equally applicable in all cafes. If we 
 work for life, and acquire it by our works, 
 then the reward, i. e. Eternal glory, is not a 
 grace, or free gift, which God gives us, but 
 a debt which he owes us. The fervant who 
 works for hire, muft have his wages, after he 
 hath done his work ; and he doth not look 
 upon his wages as a gift or gratuitous doi a* 
 tion, but as a juft debt which his mafl r is 
 obhged to pay him. This exa£lly reprelents 
 the cafe ; and hence it follows, that all works, 
 
 I % whe- 
 
ii6 0/* Justification hy Faith. 
 
 whether ritual, moral, or evangelical, are ex- 
 cluded from the office of juftifymg us before 
 God, feeing the reward would be equally of 
 dcht^ whet; ler we fhould fuppofe it to be con- 
 ferred in ccnfequence of any or of all of thefe. 
 And hence too it eafily appears that works can 
 have no part in our juftification; for juft as 
 far as you allow your good works to bear part 
 therein, fo far you make the reward to be of 
 debt and not of grace ; but the reward is 
 wholly &f grace, it is not of debt in the leaft 
 mealure or degree, and therefore works can 
 have no hand at all in procuring it. 
 
 The apaftle argues nearly in the fame man- 
 ner, chap. iv. ver. i6. and chap. xi. ver. 6. 
 *Therefori it is of faith, that it might be by 
 grace, — And if by grace, then it is no more of 
 *works ; otherwife grace is no more grace : but 
 if it be of works, then it is no more grace ; 
 otherwife work is no more work. The incom- 
 patibility oi grace and W(9r>^i in point of j uni- 
 fication is here fet before us. It is true indeed 
 this latter text is delivered concerning eternal 
 election ; but fince that, as Well as our jufli- 
 fication is o{ grace, thefe words are applicable 
 to either or to both thefe. The former text 
 informs us, that juftification is by grace,- 
 through faith, as the means or inftrument 
 thereof; from the latter we learn, that works 
 and grace are two irreconcileable oppolites in 
 the affair of our juftification : From both to- 
 gether therefore we infer, that works are ab- 
 folutely excluded from our juftification. To 
 make a mixture or compofition of grace and 
 
 works 
 
O/* Justification by Faith. 117 
 
 works in the office of our juftification (as fome 
 attempt to do) is in effect to deftroy their very- 
 nature. In vain therefore do inen think thus to 
 compromife the matter. Juftification is wholly 
 by grace ^ or wholly by works: if you deny that 
 it is wholly by grace^ you do implicitly aflert 
 that it is wholly by works. What lignifies tri- 
 fling ? the covenant is either a covenant of 
 grace, or of works . if you fay that works have 
 a part therein (whether more or lefs, it mat- 
 ters not) you immediately turn it into a cove- 
 nant of works ; iovMajus ^ minus non mutant 
 fpecjem, as Logicians fay: If therefore you are 
 ftifF and peremptory, and will have zvorks to 
 be fharers with grace in the great bulinefs of 
 juftification, you. may talk oi grace if you 
 pleafe, but you are ftill under a covenant of 
 works', and while you thus reafonand difpute, 
 you plainly ihew that you know no other way 
 of falvation but by the law of works. 
 
 The epiftle to the Galatians is full of this 
 do6lrine ; chap. v. ver. 3. the infpired author 
 i'aith, / teffy again to every man that is cir-r 
 cumcifcd, that he is a debtor to do the whole 
 law. By law here is meant the moral lauu ; 
 as Matth. xxii. 36. — xxiii. 23. Luke x. 26. 
 John vii. 19. Rom. iii. 31. — vii. 7. Gal. v. 14. 
 Or rather the whole law includes both the 
 moral and ceremonial. Here therefore the 
 apoftlc acquaints the judaizing chriftians , that 
 it they obferved circumcilion, or any c rher 
 Mofaic rite, in expedlation of being juftified 
 thereby, they were necefiarily obliged to keep 
 •the whole law^ both ritual and moral, or elle 
 
 I 3 they 
 
ii8 0/" Justification by Faith. 
 
 they would mlfs of their aim. So if chriftians 
 obferve the ordinanceof baptlfm, or the Lord's 
 fupper, or any other divine inftitution, with a 
 .dependancetiiereon for juOihcation, theymuft 
 fulfil the whoL' law perfedily, or tlfe they arp 
 undone for ever. So 'hen what think you ? Can 
 you fully obey all the commands of the divine 
 law ? If you cannot, why are you lo unwilling 
 to renounce yourllight performances r Is it not 
 iafer to truil in ChrilVs obedience than to 
 our own works for falvation r Or are you ob- 
 ftinate r And had you rather truft to your own 
 good works (as you call them) and be damned, 
 than to Chrift's merits and befaved ? 
 
 Eph. ii. 8. 9. For fy grace ye are faveJ,-^ 
 not of works, lejt any manJl?ould boaji, &DaJl^ 
 ing is here abfolutely excluded, as in Rom. iii. 
 27. But how could this be, if works had a 
 part in our juflilication ? If any good work 
 bore part therein, there would be room for 
 aur boafling of that. Thus if Abraham^ by 
 offering his fon, had in any meafure procured 
 his juftification, he would have gloried of that 
 notable ?.d: of faith : but what faith the Icrip- 
 ture ? He hath not whereof to glory before Gody 
 Rom. iv. 2. The fame is true of all the faith- 
 ful; they have nothingwheieof to glory before 
 God. Boajllng is excluded, not in part, but 
 entirely; and therefore works are not partial- 
 ly, but totally excluded from cur juflification. 
 Now I have mentioned the inllance of Abra- 
 ham, I am apprehenfive fome may obje^^l: from 
 James ii. 21. that Abraham was juftitied by 
 '^'ork$, it m.ay be fufticitnt to reply, that St. 
 
 James 
 
Cy Justification by Faith. 119 
 
 James fpeaks of jiiftification not abfolutely, 
 but relatively. In the former I'enle, Abraham 
 was juil:ified about thirty years before he 
 oiferejd his fon, as is evident by comparing 
 Gem XV. 6. with xxii. 12. and in the latter, 
 he was juftified, i. e. declaratively juftified, 
 or evidenced to be in a juflified ftate by his 
 action among others, to wit, his offering up 
 his fon Ifaac. But then this declarative jufti- 
 lication does not at all militate againft the 
 do6lrine of free juftification by faith only ; 
 neither will it in any ways anfwer our ad- 
 verfaries purpofe ; for we hold, as well as they, 
 that faith and juftification are manifelled and 
 approved by obedience and good works. 
 
 Although this dodrine is fo clear, yet how 
 many arts and devices do men ufe in order to 
 avoid it ! Some hold the doctrine of juliifica- 
 tion by faith, but then they make good works 
 a part of juftifying faith. How irrational 
 and prepofterous a fcheme of religion is this 1 
 Are faith and works the fame thing ? Or are 
 works a part of juftifying faith ? What faith 
 the apoftlc ? To him that workcih ?ioS^ but bc-i 
 lievetb^ Rom.iv. 5. Here you feeth at working 
 is contradiiKnguiihed from, and even oppofed 
 to (I mean in refpe^t of juftihcation) believing. 
 And faith and works are diftinguifhed, Rom. 
 iii. 27. Eph. ii. 8, 9, How then (if you 
 will fubmit to the judgment of an apoilie) 
 can you make wqrks a part of faith, or fay 
 tliat faith and works are one and the fame 
 thing ? Beiides, to maintain juftihcation by 
 faith, and then make works a part of faith, 
 
 I 4 is 
 
I20 O/* Justification by Faith. 
 
 is no other in efFeO: than to hold juftification 
 by works, or at leaft by faith and works coht 
 joined, which is the very do£lrine of the 
 papifts, and is both antifcriptural and anti- 
 chriftian. Again, in the laft place, faith is 
 the caufe, good works the efFe£t : faith is the 
 tree, good works are the fruit. Now, will 
 you fay that the caufe and effect, the tree and 
 its fruit are one and the fame thing ? Why 
 then do you labour to confound faith and 
 works? To confound andiTiingle caufes with 
 their effects, is counted very bungling and 
 injudicious in philofophy, Is it not much 
 more unlkilful as well as unfafe to do fo in 
 theology? I would alfo add. Does not men's 
 iiling fuch fallacious methods to defend their 
 opinion, fliew that their caufe is v/eak, and 
 give us reafon to fufpe^l, that the light of 
 truth iliines into their confciences with fo 
 glaring an evidence, that with^all their fo- 
 phiflry, they are fcarcely able to withftand 
 conviction ? 
 
 When we affirm that we are juflificd by 
 faith, we do not mean that faith merits or 
 deferves our jufiification atGod'shands. Faith 
 hath no more merit in it than any other grace : 
 hovv^ fliould it, when itfelf is the gift of God ? 
 And can v/t merit any thing of God by that 
 which vv'^e receive from him? What therefore 
 our Saviour faith of v/orks, Lukexvii. lo. we 
 may lay of faith, When ye Jh all have done all 
 thofe things which are commanded you^ fay. 
 We are unprof table fervants^ tve have done 
 that which was our duty to do,. So limilarly, 
 
 when 
 
a 
 
 <e 
 
 O/* Justification fy Faith. 121 
 
 when we have believed all thofe things which 
 God hath commanded ns to believe, we are 
 unprofitable fervants, we have believed that 
 which it was our duty to believe. Accord- 
 ingly our church tells us, "We muft re- 
 " nounce the merit of all our faid virtues, of 
 faith, hope, charity, and all other virtues 
 and good deeds, which we either have done, 
 fhall do, or can do, as things that be far 
 *' too weak and infufficient, and imperfedl, to 
 " deferve a remiffion of fins and our juftifi- 
 '' cation *." The meritorious caufe of our 
 juftifi cation is, the active and paffive obedi- 
 ence of the Lord Jefus Chrift. Faith is only 
 the inftrument whereby we apply his preci- 
 ous blood and his perfect righteoufnefs to our 
 <5wn hearts, and fo' are juftified before God, 
 But as in other evangelical truths, fo in this, 
 the experience of it will beft acquaint us with 
 the nature of it ; and when men know it 
 favingly, there will not be {o much difput- 
 ing about it. The application is the beft 
 explication of it. It is a do(£lrine very fweet 
 and full of comfort. Sinners, what fay you ? 
 If I w^as to preach juftification by works to 
 you, would not this drive you to defpair ? 
 Would not one go away faying, 'Well, if this 
 
 * do£lrinebe true, I can never hope to be jufti- 
 
 * fied, becaufe I have never done any good 
 ' work in all my life ?' Would not another go 
 hence complaining, ' This dodlrine is death 
 
 * to me ; my works are wicked from my 
 f youth up, and therefore I muft unavoidably 
 
 * Homily on Salvation. 
 
 * be 
 
121 Oy Justification ^ Faith. 
 
 * be damned ! * Indeed if juftification was by 
 ^yorks, no flelh could be faved. They there- 
 fore who preach fuch a dodlrlne, are truly 
 and properly preachers of damnation. They 
 that are under the laiv, are under the curfe^ 
 Gal. iii. lo. and all are damned who trufb to 
 their own good works for falvation. But now, 
 behold I bring you glad tidings of great joy! 
 I publifh falvation by Chrift, and juftification 
 by faith only. How ought you to rejoice in fo 
 falutary a do£lrine ? How can you ever enough 
 blefsGod, for bringing the gol'pel of his grace 
 to vour ears ? And O ! may the Lord God, the 
 Father of mercies, the God of all comforts, 
 grant that the word of reconciliation may 
 reach your hearts. O ! that there was fuch an 
 heart in you, that you would believe on the 
 Lord Jefus Chrift. Jelus Chrift loves, Jefus 
 Chrift faves all univerfally who believe in his 
 name. Come to him, and he will never caft: 
 you out* All behevers are faved, but all un- 
 believers are damned. Do vou deferve damna- 
 tion in yourfelves ? Yet Chrift hath merited 
 eternal falvation for you. Here is a mefiage 
 of comfort for you ; In him you have redcmp- 
 tion^ even the forgivenefs of your fins. He 
 is your peace, and by him all that believe 
 are jufifed. Sinners, rebels, criminals, male- 
 facftors, apoftates, and perfecutors, believe 
 on the Lord Jeilis, and you fhall be faved. 
 Come unto Jefus by faith, and he will 
 freely pardon all your fins, from firft to laft, 
 and fully inftate you in the favor of that 
 <.Tod, in whofe pleaiure Is life ; life fpiritual, 
 
 life 
 
0/" JirsTiFicATioN by Faith. 123 
 
 life celeftial, and life eternal. And O ! ye 
 Chriftlefs wretches, do you confider what it 
 is to be in an unjuftified ftate ? Do you know 
 that the wrath of God abidcth on you ? Do 
 you fee the vials of God's wrath hanging 
 over your heads, and jufl ready to be poured 
 out upon your hearts ? Are you fenlible what 
 great plagues remain for the ungodly ? Do 
 you remember, that he that believeth not ; 
 ihall he damned ? And do you know, that all 
 Unbelievers Jhall have their part in the lake 
 ivhtch burneth with f re and brimjione? Flee 
 therefore from the wrath to come. — Efcape 
 for our lives.- — The avenger of blood is behind 
 you ; make hafte to the city of refuge ; reach 
 out the arm of faith, lay hold on the dear Re- 
 deemer of the world, and he will Ikreen you 
 from the wrath of God, and deliver your fouls 
 from going down to the pit of hell. 
 
 Again, Are there not fome here who are in. 
 a juftified flate ? Have not feveralof you tafted 
 that the Lord is gracious ? Do not you enjoy 
 a peace with God which paffeth all under- 
 ftanding ? Blefled, bleffed are your foals ; 
 happy ye are above all people that dwell 
 on the face of the earth. How fhall I addrefk 
 you ? How (hall I congratulate your felicity ? 
 You have free remiffion of all your fins in the 
 blood of the Lamb, your fouls are invefted 
 with the Mediator's pure and fpotlefs righte- 
 oufnefs ; and your title to heaven is good, 
 you have an everlafling inheritance. Rejoice 
 therefore in Chrifl: Jefus, and blefled be the 
 X^rd God of Ifrael from this time forth for 
 
 ever- 
 
124 O/* JusTiFicATi ON by Faith. 
 
 evermore. — The love of God is unchangeable, 
 the piirpofes of his grace are unalterable : 
 God hath forgiven you your fins, and he will 
 never impute them unto you again ; he hath 
 given you Chrift's righteoufnefs, and he will 
 never take it from you. You are intitled to 
 heaven, and your gracious Father will never 
 disinherit you : being once juflitied, you are 
 juftified for ever, and (liall never (if I may fo 
 fay) be luijuflified again. All the powers on 
 earth or in hell fliail never be able to fruftrate 
 your hopes, nor rob you of your eftate in 
 glory. Therefore praife God continually, 
 Ipend your lips and your lives in iinging of his 
 falvation. A chriftian hath one thing to do, 
 and that is, to ling the praifes of God and his 
 Son Jefus Chrill for ever. Therefore keep 
 prailing God on earth, till at length you 
 praife him in the kingdom of heaven. Look 
 and long for that blelied time, and rejoice in 
 hope of the glory thit fliall be revealed. 
 It is true, while you are in this world, you 
 you muil never expe(Ll to be free from temp- 
 tations ; the world will lay fnares for yoU, 
 the deceitful lulls of your ov/n heart will 
 plot againft you, and the devil will flioot his 
 fiery darts at you. Satan is the troubler of 
 the Ifrael of God ; he loves to terrify thofe 
 whom he cannot deftroy. He tempted our 
 IvOrd Chrift to prefumptlon, to diftruft of 
 divine providence, to the love of the world, 
 yea, to fall down and worlhip him. Why 
 then fliould you wonder if he tempts you to 
 as great or greater iiiis \ Is the difciple^above 
 
 his 
 
0/* Justification ^jf Faiti^. 125 
 
 his Lord ? If therefore the devil was fo impu- 
 dent, as thus to tempt your Lord and Saviour, 
 why are you furprifed at his tempting you ? 
 You perhaps expelled to go to heaven with- 
 out any trouble or vexation ; but what faith 
 the fcripture ? Through much tribulation we 
 muji enter into the kingdom of God, Befides, 
 temptation is a fign of our belonging to Chrifl, 
 thus Luke xxii. 28. Te are they which have 
 continued with me in my temptations* Hence 
 faith the apoftle, James ch. i. ver. 2. My 
 brethren^ count it all joy when ye fall into divert 
 temptations. Therefore be of good courage. 
 Fight in the ftrength of Chrift, and you are 
 fure of conquering. Chriil: fhall conquer for 
 you, Chriil: fhall conquer in you ; Chrift 
 fhall give you victory over all your temptati- 
 ons, how many foever they may be in num- 
 ber, how mighty foever they may be in 
 power. Laftly, fhew your gratitude to God 
 by your obedience. T>o we through faith make 
 void the law f God forbid ; yea^ we eflablifh 
 the law. Approve your faith by your good 
 Works, otherwife it will appear, that you 
 have no faith at all. Are you juflified ? See 
 then that ye are fan6lified. Whomfoever 
 God juftifies, he doth alfo fan£lify ; unlefs 
 therefore you are fan6tified in fome degree, in 
 vain do you pretend to be juflified. This will 
 further appear when we come to fhew, 
 
 Fifthly, and laftly, That juftifying faith 
 produces good works after juftification. This 
 will need the lefs proof, becaufe few deny it. 
 
 yet 
 
126 Of Justification by FAifi-r. 
 
 Yet as I thought proper to let our adverfariejJ 
 know, that we are no enemies to good worksy 
 I chofe profefledly to elpoufe and openly vm- 
 dicate this pofition, in order to flop the 
 mouths of gainfayers. The difference be- 
 tween us and our adverfaries is this ; they 
 hold that good works go before our juftifica- 
 tion, and have an influence therein ; we be- 
 lieve that good works follow after our jufti- 
 fication, as the fruits and confequences there- 
 of. The Homily of Salvation is clear to our 
 purpofe, and calls juftifying faith " a true and 
 *' lively faith, out of the which faith fpring 
 " good works.'* And again, in the third 
 part of the fame Homily, it is defcribedthus ; a 
 *' true and a lively faith in Chrift, bringing 
 " forth good works, and a life according to 
 *' God's commandments." A perfbn may 
 have a dead faith, and perform no good 
 works ; but if his faith is lively^ it will as na- 
 turally exert itfelf in good works, as a living 
 man performs vital a«5lions. Confonant to 
 this, the conclufion of the faid Homily faith, 
 *' Thefe be the fruits of true faith, to do 
 ** good, as much as lieth in us, to every man ; 
 " and above all things, and in all things, to 
 *' advance the glory of God." 
 
 In another place of the fame Homily we 
 are told, " The right and true chriftian fiiith ^ 
 •* is not only to believe, that holy fcrlpture, 
 ** and all the aforefaid articles of our faith are 
 •^ true ; but alfo to have 2ifure trtiji and co/i- 
 *' fidence in God's merciful promifes to be fav- 
 ** ec) from everlafting- damnation by Chrift, 
 
 " whereof 
 
Cy Justification by Faith. 127 
 
 ** whereof doth follow a loving heart to obey 
 ^' his commandments.'* Faith is here firft 
 defcribed by a Jure trujl and conjidetice in 
 God and then love and obedience are men- 
 tioned as confequences thereof; which exadlly 
 correljDonds to that of the apoflle. Gal. v. 6. In 
 Chrijl Jefus neither circumcijton availeth any 
 things nor uncircumcifion, but faith which 
 worketh by love. Faith and love go together 
 in every converted foul. They are iifter 
 graces, and therefore are frequently joined to- 
 gether in the apoftolical writings *. The 
 love of God revealed to the foul, kindles a 
 flame of facred love in the foul -f, and love 
 is an effectual motive to obedience ||. The 
 whole matter we find well lummed up in our 
 Homily on Faith : " Such is the true faith, 
 ** that the fcripture doth lb much commend, 
 *' the which when it feeth and confidereth 
 " what God hath done for us, is alio moved 
 " through continual affiftance of the Spirit 
 " of God to ferve and pleafe him, to keep 
 " his favour, to fear his difpleafure, to con- 
 " tinue his obedient children, fhewingthank- 
 '* fulnefs again, by obferving or keeping his 
 *' commandments, and that freely for true 
 *' love chiefly, and not for dread of punifh- 
 " ment, or love of temporal reward, con- 
 *' fidering how clearly without defervings 
 *' we have received his mercy and pardon 
 *' freely,'* 
 
 * Fee I TheiT. i. 3. iii. 6. Philrm. 5. Eph. i. 15. i John iii. 
 <3,&c. &c. t See I Johniy. 19. 
 
 II ? Cor. V, J4. 
 
 Again, 
 
128 O/* Justification hy Faith* 
 
 Again, The Homily of Salvation informs lis^ 
 thus, " Nor when they fay, that we Ihould be 
 " juftified freely, do they mean, that we 
 *' fhould or might afterward be idle^ and that 
 " nothing fliould be required on our parts af- 
 *' terwardsT We are here taught not to be' 
 idle after juftification. Good works have here 
 their proper place affigned them ; they do not 
 go before, but follow after our juftification. 
 This aho the Homily on Fafting afferts in 
 terms very, explicit, "Good works go not 
 *' before in him which fhall afterward be 
 *' juftified ; but good works do follow after, 
 *' when a man is firft juftified." Can any 
 thing be plainer ? And then the reafon hereof 
 is'foon after aftigned, " for that they are good 
 *' declarations and teftimonies of our jufti- 
 " fication." 
 
 There is a remarkable paffage in the Homi- 
 ly of GoodWorks, whichi fhall juft mention,' 
 and fo conclude my quotations from the Ho- 
 milies : " Faith may not be naked, without 
 *' good works, for then it is no true faith j 
 " and when it is adjoined to works, yet it is 
 *' above the works T How contrary is this to 
 the judgment of thofe who give works the 
 preference to faith ! Our church here exp'refly 
 afferts, that when faith is adjoined to worksy 
 yet it is above them. 
 
 Article XII. OfGoodJVorks, 
 
 " Albeit that good works, which are the 
 *' fruits of faith, and follow after juftification, 
 
 " cannot 
 
Cy Justification hy Faith. 129 
 
 *' cannot put away our fiiis, and endure the 
 " feverity of God's judgment ; yet are they 
 '* pleafing and acceptable to God in Chrilt, 
 " and do Ipring out neceffarily of a true and 
 *' lively faith, infomuch that by them a lively 
 *' faith may be as evidently knqv/n as a tree 
 " difcerned by the fruit." This article is 
 very clear and defecate, and is of itfelf a fuf- 
 licient proof of our dodtrine. As a good tree 
 brings forth good fruit, fo a true, living, juf- 
 titying faith, produces good works. If a tree 
 yields bad fruit, that is an undeniable evi- 
 dence that the tree itfelf is bad ; fo if thofe 
 who profefs to have faith in Chrift live wicked 
 lives, that is a plain demonftratlon that their 
 profeffion is vain, and their faith dead, INIatt. 
 vii. 17. Luke vi. 43. 
 
 The fcriptures are clearly on our. fide ; they 
 in almofi: every page inculcate the neceffity 
 otgood works. He that runs may read ; and 
 therefore I need not fay much under this 
 head. Our Lord inilirudls us in this truth. 
 Matt. vii. 21. Islot every one that faith unto 
 me. Lord, Lord, fiall enter into the kingdom 
 of heaven, but he that doth the will of my 
 Father which is in heaven ; where you lee it 
 is not the formal profeflbr, or the nominal 
 chriftian, but the doer of the divine %vill, that 
 is to enter into the kingdom of heaven ; iu vain 
 therefore do you expecl to go to heaven when 
 you die, if you indulge yourfelf in lin while 
 you live. 
 
 In Luke vi. 46. Our Saviour reproves fbme 
 who profefled faith in him, becaufe they^ 
 
 K were*"' 
 
130 O/* Justification 3^ Faith. 
 
 were deficient in their obedience, IVhy call ye 
 me hord^ Lord (faith he)., and do tiot the 
 things which I fay ? It is not enough for 
 perfons to call Jefus their Lord and their Sa- 
 viour (as many do) and yet Hve in indolence, 
 foftnefs, and worldly-mindednefs. If you call 
 Jefus your Lord, why do you not do the 
 things which he hath commanded ? Why do 
 ye not approve your faith by your obedience ? 
 How can you prefume to call Jefus your Lord 
 and your Saviour, while you live in the wil- 
 ful omillion of prayer, of reading the divine 
 word, and of receiving the Lord's fuppe'r ? 
 I Cor. xi. 20. What a ftrange fort of a reli- 
 gion is this ! And yet what numbers are 
 fallen into it I Such a religion as this is juft 
 calculated to lull corrupt nature afleep upon 
 the pillow of eafe, and will only ferve to con- 
 vey men's fouls fmoothly to hell. You per- 
 haps may give a fneer, and be ready to tofs 
 this paper by ; yet I affure yovi again and 
 again, that that religion Vv^hich allows people 
 in the omillion of any knov/n commandment^ 
 John xiv. 15. or in the commiffion of any 
 known fin, comes not from God, but from 
 the devil. And whatever appearance of fanc- 
 tity the profeflbrs or abettors of fuch a reli- 
 gion may wear, yet v/e are to look upon them 
 as deluded ; and we ought to avoid their 
 errors, and pray for their perfons. 
 
 The apoftle Paul always infills upon good 
 works. His general way, is firll: to ftate doc-, 
 trines clearly, and then he exhorts to good 
 Vi^orks pathetically. He firfl eftablilhes chrif- 
 
 tiaii 
 
O/' Justification hy Faith. i-y 
 
 tian verities, and then inculcates chrifi:ia!i 
 virtues and graces. This is his way in ahrioH: 
 all his epiftles ; and efpecially in his epifiile to 
 the Romans, where the grand do6lrine of 
 juftification is handled at liro-e : left any one 
 ihould look upon the laid doctrine as deftruc- 
 tlve of good works and obedience, hov/ care- 
 ful is the apoftle to prove t\\& reverie ! info- 
 much that he Ipends the five lall: cliapt -rs of 
 that epiftle in exhorting to chriftian holinefs 
 in general, and to every evangelical duty iu 
 particular. And it is obfervable, when he 
 gives inftruftions to biihops and pallors, how 
 frricflly he charges them to preach up good 
 works ; thus Tit. iii. 8. This /s a faithful 
 f^ying^ and thefe things I will that thou a-jfir/n- 
 co7iftantly^ that they which have believed in 
 God^ might be careful to maintain good works : 
 and then for an encouragement he adds, thefe 
 things are good and profitable unto men. And 
 in his fecond epiftle to Timothy, chap. ii,. 
 ver. 19. he faith, let every one that nameth the 
 name of Chrifl depart from iniquity. And O ! 
 that all preachers would follow the apoftle's 
 injun(£l:ions, by preaching up good works in 
 their fermons, and praSiifnig them in their 
 lives. 
 
 If we enquire of matter of fa£t, we fhall 
 find it every way anfwers our purpofe. Ob- 
 ferve the conduct of primitive chirftians, ob- 
 ferve the behaviour of modern believers, how 
 do they all abound in good works ! Hence 
 they are ftiled in fcripture a peculiar people, 
 zealous of good works. As foon as Zaccheus 
 
 K 2 had 
 
132 Of Justification by Faith. 
 
 had received the Lord Jefus, you find him 
 dlfpofed to a6ts of jufllce and chanty, Luke 
 xix. 6. 8. No fooner was Lydia baptized into 
 Chrlft, but fhe was given to hoipitahty and 
 beneficence, Adis xiv. 15. And in the fame 
 chapter, we may obferve how full of tender- 
 iiefs and compaffion the jailor was after he 
 believed in God: This is vlfible from his wafli- 
 ing the apoftles' ftrlpes, his bringing them 
 hito his houfe, and fetting meat before them, 
 ver. 33, 34. When the apoflle Paul was con- 
 verted, his cry was, Lord^ What vjilt thou 
 have me to do ? He was delirous to do fome- 
 thing for God. And this is the language of " 
 every true chriftlan ; havins^ tailed the love 
 of God, they are eagfer to do the will of God. 
 To enumerate all the examples of chrlftian 
 piety and virtue, would be endlefs. The fcrip- 
 tures are full of them, and lb is church hif- 
 tory. And if you want inftances of the power 
 and efficacy of faith, read the eleventh to the 
 Hebrevv^s : There you will fee the glory of his 
 grace difplayed in the eminent tranfaftions 
 and exemplary flifFerin-gs of many chriftian 
 worthies. There you will meet with a cloud 
 of witnefles, to illuftrats and confirm the 
 do^tr'uie we are defending. And now what 
 remains but to exhort you, dear reader, to be 
 one of that number, and in. your own life to 
 fhew forth the fruitfulnefs and excellency of 
 juftifying faith ? 
 
 Are you then in a juftified ftate .'' And, in- 
 deed, if you are not in a flate of juftification, 
 you mufl be in a ftate of damnation ; for 
 
 there 
 
O/" Justification Av Faith. 133 
 
 there is no medium. If you are not juftified, 
 you are condemned already * : If you are 
 not faved, you muft be damned. Do you then 
 believe In Chrlfl: ? Let the piety of your con- 
 verfation evince the lincerlty of your profef-^ 
 fion. The doctrine of juftlflcatlon by faith 
 only hath no tendency to deftroy good works. 
 Although we are juftified freely without 
 works, yet good works follow after juftlflca- 
 tlon, and are the genuine effedts of juftifying 
 faith. The grace of God that bringeth falva- 
 tion, teachcth us to deny ungodlinefs and 
 worldly iufls, and to live foberly, righteoufly, 
 and godly, in this prefent world. The free 
 love of God in Chrift, is an irrefifllble con* 
 ftraint to obedience. What ! Ihall we con- 
 tinue in fin, that grace may abound ? Shall we 
 do evil, becaufe God hath done us good ? 
 Shall we ceale from gOod works and re- 
 llnquifh charity ? May the Lord never 
 fuffer this to befal us ! but let us haften to 
 perform every good work with diligence 
 and alacrity t." Only follow the advice 
 of this apoftoliCal father, and then what will 
 become of Antlnomianifm ? Are thofe who 
 hold free juftificatlon chargeable with it ? Or 
 does the do6lrine I have been defending 
 countenance It ? Is this do6lrIne an antlthefis 
 to good works ? They are the worfl Antino- 
 
 * John ill. 18. 
 
 ■f- A^]riau(/.iv u-no rr,; afafioTroaar, xoci ify.cclaXuTruiJ.sv Tf,v a]a.Trr,]i $ 
 p,>;6«/xi; TfcTO £ay«» o AscTTrcf'/jf t(p ry.iv yzUnrtirfjcit, o.'KKx (T'Triiavu.iv* 
 (Atla. EKlsnaj xai 'Cr^'J&fftia; -ro-av e^fov aJaOov t'nt]i?\n>, Clem. Kom. 
 
 1 W Cor. 
 
 K ci mians 
 
134 O/* Justification hy Faith. 
 
 mians who are Antimdnians in life. What 
 fignifies men's difpiiting for good works, if 
 if they do not pra6life them ? You may quar- 
 rel ail your life-time about good works, and 
 be damned at laft for not performing them. 
 What a fliame is it, that generally thofe who 
 are moil: zealoys in contending for good 
 works, are moft carelefs and indifferent in 
 doing them ? W^hen men afk this queflion. 
 What figniHes doing good works, unlefs we 
 are juftifled by them ? we might be apt to 
 imagine, that fuch perfons, who expect to be 
 juftlfied by their works, ihould excel and 
 abound therein ; but how ftrange is it I The 
 dired: contrary appears in fa£t. We may 
 obferve thofe who are mofl: litigious and dis- 
 putations for works having a hand in their 
 juftification, are moft negligent of them in 
 their converfation. But what hypocrify is 
 this ! Is not this mocking God and diffem- 
 bling with a double heart ? And how dread- 
 ful will the condition of thofe be, who boaft 
 io much of their virtuous adions and moral 
 righteoufnefs, if they are found wanting — 
 if while they are fo contentious for the theo- 
 ry, they are deficient in practice ! 
 
 It is o^ten objected, that thofe who believe 
 juftification by faith, frequently live wicked 
 lives, and from thence men are ready to con- 
 clude, that their do6lrine is falfe. But how 
 -inconclufive an argument is this ? Is a good 
 doftrlne to be condemned for the wickednefs 
 of thofe who profefs it ? The beft things may 
 be abuled. The doctrine of juftification by 
 
 faith 
 
(y Justification by Faith, 135 
 
 ftiith only, does not tend to promote impiety 
 and licentioufnefs ; and if any pervert it to 
 fuch purpofes, it is not the fault of the doc- 
 trine, but of its abettors. The evil converfa- 
 tion of thofe who hold this dodrine does not 
 in the lead defile the do6trine itfelft Yet what 
 a pity is it that fo wholefome a truth fhould, 
 fuffer fo much from the corrupt lives of thofe 
 who profefs it ! And how deplorable muft 
 their cafe be, who hold fo heavenly a truth 
 in fuch heliifli unrighteoufnefs ? What in- 
 gratitude is this to God ! What cruelty to 
 Jefus Chrifl ! Such perfons crucify the Son 
 of God afreih, and put him to open fhame. 
 Oh ! how is the Lamb of God vv^ounded in 
 the houfe of his pretended friends ? They, 
 like Judas, betray their mafter with a kifs ; 
 and under the appearance of friendiliip cut 
 their Saviour to the heart, as Joab flew Ab- 
 ner. Thefe bring more dilhonour upon Chrifl 
 and his gofpel, and hinder the progrefs of the 
 w^ord of God more than the moll inveterate 
 open enemies, and the bitterefh perfecutors. 
 Do you confider this, ye formal hypocrites, 
 who have the truth in your underftandings, 
 but no life in your hearts ? Will you make 
 Chrifl the minill:er of {\\\ ? Will you turn his 
 grace into lafcivioufnefs ? What then do you 
 expe6l for your portion, but everlafting dam- 
 nation ? Do you think to reconcile Chrifl and 
 Belial ? Or do you imagine you may live in 
 lin here, and go to heaven hereafter ? If you 
 flatter yourfelves with fuch vain conceits, if 
 you buoy you rfelv-es up with fach falfe hopes, 
 
 K 4 ^ you 
 
136 Of Justification by Faith. 
 
 you may be fure that an evil heart hath de- 
 luded you, and fin hath blinded you. Why 
 then do you call Chrift your mafrer ? The 
 devil is your mafler, and hell will be your 
 wages. Repent therefore of your fpiritual 
 fornication, otherwife God will caji you into 
 a bed^ and all them that commit adultery with 
 you i7ito great tribulation * ; great tribulation^ 
 greater than can be expreffed, greater than 
 can be conceived : and what fort of a bed do 
 you think this is which God here threatens 
 to caft you into ? Now perhaps you deep 
 upon a bed of down or feathers, but how will 
 you do to fleep upon a bed of fire and brim- 
 ilone ? Now perhaps you ftretch yourfelves 
 every night and every morning upon a bed of 
 eafe, but how can you bear to ftretch your- 
 felves in helirfire ? Now you lay down your 
 weary heads upon a foft pillow, but then 
 hot burning coals will be your pillow for ever. 
 Inftead of lying in fheets of fine twined linen, 
 you will lie in flieets of fire and brimftone ; 
 hell-flames will cloath you on every fide ; 
 they will flick as clofe to you as your ikin to 
 your flefli, or your flefh to your bones. This 
 will be the condemnation of all thofe who 
 projefs to know God, but in works deny him ; 
 who are abominable and difobedient, and unto 
 every good 'work reprobate. Tit. i. 16. A great 
 profefiion without a luitable converfation, 
 will only procure you a greater damnation. 
 Therefore awake, ye fleepy virgins ; up, and 
 
 • Rev, ii, 22. 
 
 be 
 
0/' Justification hy Faith. 137 
 
 be doing : Shew your faith by your works. 
 There is no true religion without good works. 
 There may be works feemingly good, where 
 there is no true religion. Good works are 
 not the caufes, but the frtiits and effects of 
 true religion ; and where true religion is, 
 thefe will naturally follow. Do not deceive 
 yourfelves ; if you will not follow after holi- 
 nefs, if you are not converfant in good works, 
 I tell you, you are not in a flate of j unifica- 
 tion, but in a ftate of condemnation ; and 
 what conceptions foever you may form, or 
 how clearly foever you may difcourfe of jus- 
 tification by faith only, yet if you deep in fin 
 here, you will awake in hell hereafter. There 
 is no going to heaven but in a way of holi- 
 nefs, Heb. xii. 14. If you have faith to walk 
 therein, you will be faved ; but if you are 
 unholy, you will never be admitted to fee 
 God, but you will be excluded the Divine 
 Prefence, and Ihut up in eternal mifery, 
 
 CHAR 
 
CHAP. III. 
 OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 
 
 ■^ H E Holy Spirit is the Third Perfon 
 ill the facred TRINITY, who is 
 God over all, bleffed for evermore. 
 The Godhead confifts of Three Perfons, the 
 Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and 
 thefe Three are One in effence, their glory 
 is equal, their exiftence eternal. The Holy 
 Ghoft is endued with the attributes of infinity 
 and eternity ; he is omnipotent, omnifcient, 
 omniprefent, immutable and incomprehenli- 
 bie ; he is infinite in goodnefs, in juftice, in 
 truth, in purity and holinefs, and every per- 
 fection. In ihort, he is God of God, Light of 
 Light, very God of very God ; he proceedeth 
 from the Father and the Son, and with the 
 Father and the Son he is worfhipped and 
 glorified. 
 
 When our Lord Jefus Chrift was jufl upon 
 leaving his difciples, he commiflioned them 
 to baptize in the name of the Father^ and of 
 the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft, Matt, xxviii. 
 20. So St. Paul falutes the Corinthians with 
 praying, that the grace of our Lord Jefus 
 Chrijl, the love of God, and the communio7i of 
 the Holy Ghofi may be with them^ 2 Cor. xiii. 
 
 14. 
 
Of the HOLY SPIRIT. 139 
 
 14. All which evidently proves, thn.t the 
 Holy Gh.oft is GOD as well as the Father 
 and the Son ; to which the evangelift John. 
 bears a clear and indubitable teflimony, i John 
 V. 7. There are Three that bear record in 
 heaveriy the Father^ the IVord^ and the Holy 
 Ghojl^ and thefe Three are One. The divinity 
 of the Holy Ghoft is alfo afferted in many 
 other places of the holy fcriptiire : Thus 
 Matt. xii. 31, 32. The blafphemy agairji the 
 Holy Ghojl Jljall not be forgiven unto men^ — 
 neither in this worlds neither in the world to 
 come. The Holy Ghoft muft be ftridly and 
 properly God, or tXi^ the lin againft him 
 would not be of fo heinous a nature, and ab- 
 folutely unpardonable. In Acls v. 3. faith 
 Peter to Ananias, Why hath Satan filled thine 
 heart to lie to the Holy Ghoft ? And ver. 4. he 
 adds, thou haft not lied unto man^ but unto God: 
 which plainly iliews us, that the Holy Ghoft 
 is true and very God ; which alfo is further 
 confirmed by the judgment which overtook 
 Ananias upon his commiffion of this fin, he 
 fell down and gave up the ghoft ^ ver. 5. The 
 apoftle Paul fwears by the Holy Spirit, i Cor. 
 XV. 3.1. I pro t eft by your rejoicing *. Now we 
 cannot fuppofe he Iwears by the perfons re- 
 joicings much lefs by joy^ confidered .as a 
 quality in them ; he muft therefore fwear by 
 the Holy Ghoft, who was the author of their 
 joy, and fwearing is an acknowledgment of 
 the perfdn by whom we fwear to be the true 
 
 the 
 
I40 Of the HOLY SPIRIT, 
 
 God -j-. The apoftle therefore, hy fweariiig by 
 the Holy Ghoft, lets us know that he is the 
 true and eternal God. The Spirit is laid to 
 Jearch the deep things of God, iCor. ii. lo. which 
 he could not do unlefs he himfelf was equal 
 to Grod in wifdom and knowledge. But what 
 Signifies multiplying arguments ? We have 
 faid enough to prove the Godhead of the Holy 
 Ghoft. We now therefore proceed to fhew, 
 
 I. That the Holy Ghoft dwells in the 
 
 hearts of all true believers. 
 IL That the illumination of the Spirit is 
 
 neceffary to a right and faving knowledge 
 
 of the holy fcriptures. 
 III. That the comfortable influences of the 
 
 Holy Ghoft are xt^Wy felt by thofe fouls 
 
 to whom they are communicated. 
 
 I. The firft of the{e proportions is not fo 
 generally denied as the two laft, and there- 
 fore fome may be inclined to think I need not 
 long infifl upon it. However, I intend to give 
 the reader full and fuflficient proof of each of 
 thefe heads, if the Lord enables me. The 
 Homily on reading the holy Scriptures faith, 
 •' He that keepeth the word of Chrift is pro- 
 " mifed the love and favour of God, and 
 *' that he Ihall be the dwelling-place, or tem-r 
 *' pie of the blejfed Trifiityy Here the in- 
 dwelling of the Spirit is afferted, when be 
 that keepeth Ch rift's word is called the dwel- 
 
 t See Deuti vl, 13. Pfalm ixiii. M. Ifa. Ixv. 16. 
 
0/ /^^ HOLY SPIRIT. 141 
 
 Img'place or temple of the hlejfed Trinity. Be- 
 cauie the Holy Ghoil being One in fubftance 
 with the Father and the So:i, where he is, 
 they are alfo ; fo that the whole Trinity dwells 
 in a believing foul, John xiv. 23. 
 
 In the third part of the Homily for Roga^ 
 iion Week we are thus exhorted ; " Let us 
 *' therefoi*j meekly call upon that bountiful 
 *' Spirit, the Holy Ghoft, which proceedeth 
 *' from our Father of mercy and from our 
 *' Mediator Chrift, that he would alfifl us 
 *' and itifpire us with his prefence, — for 
 *' without his lively and fecret infpiration can 
 " we not fo much as fpeak the name of our 
 *' Mediator." Here exprefs mention is made 
 of the itifpiration of the Spirit, as there is alio 
 in the Xlllth Article ; " Works done before 
 *' the grace of Chrift, and the infpiration of 
 *' his Spirit, are not pleafant to God." And 
 it is obfervable, as in the Homily above 
 cited, we are ftirred up to pray that the Holy 
 Ghoft would affill us, and injpire us with 
 his prefence ; fo the Liturgies are full of in- 
 fpiration^ and petitions for that purpofe. 
 Thus in the prayer of Chrift' s church-mili- 
 tant, we find the fupplicants " befeeching 
 *' God to infpire continually the univerfal 
 *' church" with the Spirit of truth, unity 
 *' and concord." And in the colle6t for the 
 Fifth Sunday after TLafler^ " Grant to us tliy 
 *' humble fervants, that by thy holy infpi- 
 " ration we may think thole things that be 
 " good." And in another place *, "Cleanfe 
 
 • Comuiunion service. 
 
 ** the 
 
142 ' Of the HOLY S I P R I T/ 
 
 *' the thoughts of our hearts by the inffira^ 
 *' ti07i of thy Holy Spirit, that we may per- 
 *' fedly love thee," &c. Now then, what 
 think you ? Do you heheve the church holds 
 the doctrine of the Infpiration of the Spirit, or 
 not ? 1 have fet thele paflages before you on 
 purpofe to convince you that flie doth. What 
 fhali we {■AY then to thofe who are ready to rave 
 and gnafh their teeth at perfons who \a.^ claim 
 to infpiration f Do not fuch people contradidt 
 the Articles and Homilies and Liturgies of the 
 Church of England ? And what a iliocking 
 thing is it for minifters to ofler up fuch peti- 
 tions in their prayers, and then preach againft 
 Infpiration as loon as they get into the pulpit ! 
 Do not fuch men, while they deny and op- 
 pofe the infpiration of the Spirit of God, 
 prove that they are infpired with a contrary 
 fplrit ? It is in vain here to reply. We only 
 ipeak againfl: the miraculcaisand extraordinary 
 infpiration of the Spirit : For Vvho is there 
 pretends to this miraculous and extraordinary 
 infpiration ? I know none that make any fuch 
 pretenfions. I entreat you therefore, do not 
 make this pretence, of denying miraculous in- 
 fpiration^ a cloak for oppoiing all infpiration 
 whatfoever. Do you believe the Articles and 
 Liturgies of the eftabliihed church ? If you 
 do, wliy do you difreliih the term i?ifpiration? 
 And why arc you offended at thofe who 
 preach this doctrine, and experience it in their 
 hearts ? Do you think our church, in the 
 places I have quoted, m.eans extraordinary in- 
 fpiration, i. e. a power to work miracles ?'But 
 
 and 
 
0/ //6^ H O L Y S P I R I T. 143 
 
 and if the common influence and hifpiratlon 
 of the Holy Ghofh is hereby intended, why 
 fhould you deride, much lefs defpife or ma- 
 lign thofe who receive this divine Afflatus ? 
 Ought you not rather to acknowledge your 
 want of it, and to wait upon God in prayer, 
 and the ufe of all other means, that you alio 
 may obtain it ? 
 
 The Liturgy, in feveral other places, holds 
 forth this do6lrine : Thus in the Prayer for 
 the King, " Replenifli him with the grace of 
 " thy Holy Spirit:" In that for the Royal 
 Family ; " Endue them with thy Holy Spi- 
 " rit." In the Collect for ^ilnquagefana Sun- 
 day ; " Send thy Holy Ghoft, and pour into 
 *' our hearts that moft excellent gift of cha- 
 " rity." And in the Office of Confirmation ; 
 *' F/// them, O Lord, with the Spirit of thy 
 *' holy fear." Where you fee the bifhop 
 prays, that the perfons confirmed may be en- 
 dued, yea,^//^^ with the Spirit. So St. Paul 
 prays for the Epheiians, that they may be 
 filled 'With all the fulnefs of God^ Eph. iii. 19. 
 He doth not pray, that they may be filled 
 with God, or zvith the fulnefs ofiGod, but with 
 all the fulnefis ofiGod. Who can tell how much 
 thefe words contain ? And yet the apoflle 
 offers up this petition for the general bulk of 
 believers in the Ephefian church ; and this 
 prayer had its elfe61:,the evxnt was accordingly, 
 if we will believe Ignatius, who, in his epiflle 
 to the Ephefians, faith, '* Let us therefore 
 
 YluHOL till isjotuiz-ev a?; ecvlu tv r,jAiv KocloiK^Ha-f ivot UlJ^i^ ecvm *xoif 
 tC; xvloi r, iv vy.i* ©ic- vu.uy, Ig^aX. ad Ephef. 
 
 "do 
 
144 Of the HOLY SPIRIT, 
 
 *' do all things, as having him dwelling in 
 "us, that we maybe his temples, and he 
 *' may be in us our own God *." And in 
 another epiftle, viz. that to the Magnelians, 
 he hath thefe words ; " Knowing that you 
 " are full of God, I briefly exhort you * :'* 
 To which we may adjoin that paflage of Cle- 
 ment the Roman: " A full efFufion of the 
 " Holy Ghoft was upon all f." And yet fome 
 men of {^\\{q and leai^ning efteem thofe ex- 
 preflions, Full of God, and Full of the Holy 
 Ghoji, as oftentatious and enthuliaftical, not- 
 withftanding they are countenanced by the 
 fcriptures, and found in the writings of pri- 
 mitive fathers. And biihop Hall defcribes 
 the ftate of the foul under the influence of 
 the divine Spirit, as " Ready for God, yea, 
 " Full of God +." 
 
 I now offer the following texts of fcripture 
 in proof of what I have faid upon this head. 
 John the Baptifi:, who was to prepare the way 
 .for our Lord's coming, informs thofe who 
 came to his baptifm, that there was one 
 coming after him, viz. Chrift, who fhould 
 baptize them with the Holy Ghofl and with fire. 
 Matt. iii. 2. By being baptized with the Holy 
 Ghofl^ is meant receiving him to regenerate 
 and fandify our fouls, both which are typi- 
 fied by water baptifm. And if the conjunAion 
 
 Magnef. 
 
 f nx»){7:5 nfiv/AoIoj A/ia £,K^vffti; tin i^uilai; »J(nl«» I Bpiji. ud 
 Corinth. 
 X Utc. II. i>. I. 
 
 and 
 
 \c^ , i ..J 
 
OJ the HOLY SPIRIT. 145 
 
 and be here taken exegetically, the fenfe of 
 the words will be this, He Jhail baptize you 
 with the Holy Ghofi^ who for his illuminating, 
 penetrating, quickening and refining influ- 
 ences, rei'emblesyTr^. Accordingly he is com-' 
 pared to fire^ Rev. iv. 5. And when he de- 
 Icended on the apoftles, A£ls ii. 8. there ap- 
 peared unto them clove7i tongues like as of fire ; 
 which was to denote the power and efficacy 
 of the word preached, when the Spirit of God 
 attends it. 
 
 In John vii. 38. we find thefe words, Hi? that 
 believeth on me^ as the fcripture hath f aid, out 
 of his belly fijall flow rivers of living water. 
 Our Saviour here gives us a promife of the 
 Spirit, under the fimilitude of w^/tr. As water 
 cleanfes the body from filth and dirt, fo the 
 Holy Ghoft purifies the heart from the pollu- 
 tion of fin : and as water cools and refrefhes 
 our bodies when we are faint and weary, fo 
 the Spirit of God refrefhes and comforts our 
 fouls : hence it is that the Eternal Spirit is fo 
 frequently exhibited to us in fcripture under 
 the figure and refemblance of water. God 
 calls \\v;xi{Q\i the fountain of living waters, Jer. 
 ii. 13. for wholbever drinks this water, lives 
 for ever. The prophet Ifaiah invites every ons 
 that thlrfteth, to come to the waters, Ifa. Iv. r. 
 and fo doth our Saviour, Rev. xxi. 6.— xxii. 1 7. 
 St. Paul vcitntion^fpiritual drink, i Cor. x. 4.— 
 xii. 1 3. This fpiritual drink, this living water, is 
 the common privilege of all beliet^ers, which 
 maki5S the evangelift add, Thisfpake he'ofthe- 
 Sfirity which they that believe on hlmfhouldre- 
 
 L ceive^ 
 
146 Ofjhe HOLY SPIRIT. 
 
 ctive^ ver. 3 ^. And fo faith God, A'fls ii. 17./ 
 will pour out of my Spirit upon all jiejh. i. e. upon 
 ail the fallen race who believe in Jefas Clirift. 
 The angel who foretold the birth of John 
 the Baptifi, faith, hejhall bejilledwit ■ tJ?e Holy 
 Gbojl even from his mother s womb^ Luke i. 15. 
 Elizabeth and Zacharias were both j'f//^^'Zt>///6 
 the Holy Ghojl^ ver. 41. 67. Feter was filed 
 ivlththe Holy Gbojf^ Ach iv. 8. and Paul, Afts 
 xiii.9. Stephen is dei'cribed as ^ /w^^yz/Z/o/yi^/V/^ 
 and of the Holy Ghof, A6:s vi. 5. fo likewife is 
 Barnabas, Afts xi. 24. You will be ready to 
 objed:, Thefe are particular andextroardinary 
 in fiances, and they are no rule for us to go by : 
 though the apoftles and fome others had fuch 
 plenteous and plenary vouchfafements of the 
 Holy Spirit, we are not to expecl the fame 
 now. But why not r Have we not as much 
 need of the Holy Spirit as tlie apoftles and firft 
 chriftians had? Is it not our privilege, upon 
 whom the ends of the world are come ? Why 
 then fliould we not allc for it, and expecl to 
 receive it at God's hands ? and I would advife 
 perfbns to be cautious of confining the Spirit 
 to primitive times, left they confine heaven 
 to primitive times, and lo mils of it them- 
 felves ; for indeed there is no going to heaven 
 without receiving the Holy Spirit. Befides, 
 what faith the fcripture ? The difclples were 
 filed with joy and with the Holy Ghofi^ A£ls 
 xiii. 52. By the difciples, are here meant not 
 only the apoflles, prophets and evangelifls, but 
 alfo the whole body of believers in general. 
 Was it tlien the privilege of the followers of 
 
 Chrifl 
 
Of the HOLY SPIRIT. 147 
 
 Chrlfl: to h& filled with the Holy Ghoft in thofe 
 days ? And is it not equally their privilege 
 now ? Who will undertake to prove the con- 
 trary ? They will iind it a difficult, yea, in- 
 fuperabletalk. The apoftle Paul therefore with 
 goodreafon exhorts the faithful fouls atEphe- 
 fus to \>& filled with the Spirit, Eph. v. 18. He 
 had before prayed that they might he filled 
 'With all the fullnefs of God, chap. iii. ver. 19. 
 And Oh ! that this prayer and this exhorta- 
 tion may have their accomplifhment in the 
 hearts of all thofe who are called chriftians ! 
 The fame truth is afferted in divers other 
 places of fcripture. The great apoftle of the 
 Gentiles faith, Gal. iv. 6. Becaufe ye are Jons ^ 
 God hath fent fiorth the Spirit of his Son into your 
 hearts, crying, Abba, Father. To which add, 
 Rom. viii. 15. Te have received the Spirit of 
 adoption, whereby zve cry, Abba, Father. All 
 real chriftians are fons of God, both by rege- 
 neration and adoption ; and as natural children 
 have freedom and familiarity with their pa- 
 rents, fo the children of God have free accefs 
 to and clofe communion with their heavenly 
 Father. For this purpofe God fends, forth the 
 Spirit of his Son into their hearts, not calling*, 
 or laying, but (as Luther obferves) crying^\ 
 Abba, Father ; for when they pray, they cry 
 unto God, l^uke xviii. 7. Pfal. ixxvii. i. — 
 Ixxxviii. I. a Spirit of grace and iupplication is 
 poured out upon them. They find enlarge- 
 ment of heart, liberty of fpeech, and a power 
 
 L 3 freely 
 
hS Of the HOLY SPIRIT. 
 
 freely to lay open their minds to God. The 
 word Abba denotes that love and afreclion, as 
 welJ as that limplicity and godly lincerity, 
 wherewith the true faints of God approach his 
 throne ; therefore we find our Saviour addrefl- 
 ing God the Father in this familiar and pathe- 
 tic language, Abha^ Father^ all things are pof- 
 Jible unto thee^ Mark xiv. 36. 
 
 The indwelling of the Spirit is again men* 
 tioned, i Cor. iii. 16.- Know ye not that ye are 
 the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God 
 dwelleth in you ? and chap. vL ver. 19. JVhat^ 
 knoiv ye not that your body is the temple of 
 the Hc'lyGhof which is in you, which ye have 
 of God, andye are not your own ? Thefeinterro- 
 gatories are equivalent to pofitive affertions, 
 and teach us, that the hearts of believers are 
 the tetnples of the Holy Ghoft. This the fame 
 divine author dire6lly affirms^ 2 Cor. vi. 16. 
 Te are the temple of the living God ; as God 
 hath f aid, I will dwell in them, and walk in 
 them, I will inhabit them *. Which expreflioii 
 fpecifies the intimate union and communion 
 there is between God and his people thir hearts 
 are his habitation, and there he relides as in 
 his holy temple. And I take the word dwell to 
 admoniili us of God's perpetual abiding with 
 his people : he doth not turn in for a night or 
 a day, as a way faring man; but when he once 
 enters into their hearts, there he abides tor 
 ever: their hearts are his home. This text 
 hath of old been made ufc of to prove and 
 
 eftablilh 
 
Of the HOLY SPIRIT 149 
 
 eftablllh ourdo^tiine. It wasquotedby Ignatus 
 themaityr, in his examination before Trajan 
 the emperor. Trajan faid, " Who is Theo- 
 phorus ? Ignatius anlwered,He th^it hathChriJi 
 in his breaji. — And a Uttle after the emperor 
 faid, have you therefore in you him that ixjas 
 crucified? Ignatius anfwered. Yes: for it is 
 written, I will dwell in them, and walk in 
 them *. Whereupon Trajan pronounced fen- 
 tence of deatii upon him, and ordered him to 
 be torn to pit;ces by wild beafts. I think pro- 
 per to mention this, that none may take part 
 with Trajan in condemning the generation of 
 the righteous, in perfecuting thofe who have 
 Chrijl in their hreajl, and bear in them yefus 
 that was crucified. For how ready are fome 
 people to tear others in pieces, for no other 
 reafon but this, becaufe they acknowledge 
 they have the Spirit of God dwelling in them. ? 
 And yet we fee upon what ample teftimony 
 this do6lrine depends ; it is fo clear from the 
 fcriptures, and our own articles and homilies, 
 that none but thofe who are wilfully blind 
 can avoid feeing the truth of it. The apoftle 
 and evangelifl: John is as exprefs as the apoflle 
 Paul upon this head ; he that keepeth his coin- 
 rnandments^ dwelleth in him^ and he in him^ i 
 John iii. 24.and ch.iv. ver. 1 3. hereby know we 
 that we dwell in him^ and he in us^ becaufie he 
 hath given us of his Spirit ; and ver. j 6. he that 
 dwelleth inlove^ dwelleth in God, and God in him, 
 
 fj;ialo. Ignar, Ad. Martyr. 
 
 L 3 It 
 
150 0/ //^^ H O L Y S P I R I T. " 
 
 It remains tbxcrefore now to propound St. 
 Paul's queflion, A6:s xix. 2. Have ye received 
 the HolyGhoJl fnce yebelievedf I fuppofewhat 
 I have faid may convince you of the neceffity 
 of receiving the Holy Ghcft, and I hope now 
 you do not look upon this do6trine as enthuli- 
 afm or delufion ; how is it therefore with 
 your foul ? anfwer to God and your own con- 
 fcience. Have you received the Holy Ghoft, or 
 have you not ? If you have not, what is all 
 your religion Vv^orth ? Do you think you have 
 any true religion in you r I tell you, you have 
 not. The Spirit of God is all in all in the 
 chriftian religion : fo much of the Spirit as 
 you, have in you, fo much true religion you 
 have. But if any man have not the Spirit of 
 Chr if he is none of his, Rom. viii. 9. There- 
 fore never prelume to call yourfelf a chi'iftian, 
 till you have the Spirit of Chrifl: in your heart. 
 The principal difference between heathen 
 morality and vital chrilHanity I take to be 
 this, the one is the effedl of natural reafon re- 
 fined; the other is the work of the Holy Spirit 
 in the foul. Now you rhay call yourfelf a 
 chriflian, and be fo deemed by others ; but if 
 you have not the Holy Spirit in you, all your 
 religion is like a body v/ithout a Ibul, i. e. 
 dead ; and your external chriftianity is no 
 better than heathen moralitv, arid fovv-ill never 
 procure your admlliion into the kingdom of 
 heaven. But further, if you, have not the 
 Spirit of God in you, then the evil fpirit is in 
 you. Ah ! you will be apt to fay, this is 
 
 a hard 
 
0/ //^^ H O L Y S P I R I T. J53r 
 
 a hard faying indeed, who can bear it ? 
 Though this allertion may I'cem ilrange ; yet 
 it is true, and is thus demonftrated : the Ho- 
 ly Spirit and the evil fpirit divide all man- 
 kind betwixt them ; the children of God are 
 under the influence of the one, and the chil* 
 dren of difobedience are under the powder of 
 the other ; there is no medium : and confe- 
 quently, if you are not under the influence and 
 agency of the Holy Spirit, the infernal fpirit, 
 i. e. the devil, is in you. Perhaps you would 
 be terrified and affrighted above meafureif the 
 devil was to appear to you outvvardly; but I 
 aflure you, if he bears fway and empire in 
 your heart (as he moft certainly does, unlefs 
 the Spirit of God be in you), he will do you in- 
 finitely more mifchief there, thanhe could do 
 by any outward vifible appearance whatfoever. 
 But you may be ready to reply, I am eafy and 
 quiet, and do not perceive myfelf to be under 
 Satan's power and dominion. What then ? 
 Is your condition the lafer, becaufe you do 
 not perceive your danger ? If you was fenfible 
 of your danger, you would probably ufe fome 
 means for your efcape. Your lukewarmnefs, 
 indolence and fenfelePfnefs, your being at eafe 
 in a carnal ftate, and your indifference" to the 
 things of God and religion, are evidences to 
 others of your being under the guidance and 
 agency of the evil fpirit, though you may not 
 perceive it yourfelf. ^he Jlrong man armed 
 keepeth his palace, and his goods are in peace, 
 Luke xi. 21. You therefore are in a falfe 
 peace., becaufe the jlrong 7nan, i. e. the god 
 
 L 4 of 
 
152 Of the HOLY SPIRIT. 
 
 of this world, hath poffeffion of your heart* 
 Your danger therefore is not the lefs, but 
 the greater, by reafon of the infenlibUity 
 of your condition. As for thofe who ridicule 
 the doctrine of the Spirit, and hate and revile 
 thofe holy fouls in whom he dwells, the cafe 
 is evident; they are eartMy, fenfual, devilijh, 
 having not the Spirit, J^"^* iii- ^5* J^*^^ i9» 
 Ye ferpents, ye generation of vipers, hew can 
 ye efcape the damnation of hell ? Do not 
 miftake me, I do not fpeak this as if I wifli'd 
 you in hell, or as if it was impoffible for you 
 to efcape damnation. I only admonifh you of 
 your danger, as our Saviour did the Jews, 
 Matt, xxiii. 33. I tell you there is yet mercy 
 for you : I advife you therefore not to perfift 
 in the error of your way. Turn from the path 
 that leads to defl:ru6lion, be humbled for your 
 obftinacy in oppofing Chrift and his Spirit, 
 and meekly call upon God to give you that 
 Holy Spirit whom you have fo long reiifted, 
 and fo blindly contradicted and blafphemed. 
 
 But in the next place, if you have received 
 the Holy Ghoft, what an infinite honor, what 
 a glorious privilege, hath God conferred upon 
 you ! What a wonder of grace is it, that God 
 ihould in very deed dwell with men ! Ye are 
 a fpiritual houfe, an holy temple in the Lo^d, 
 an habitation of God through the Spirit, i Pet. 
 ii. 5. Eph. ii. 21, 22. How highly hath God 
 favoured you ! And this he did not do for any 
 goodnefs, merit, or excellency in you, but for 
 own mercy's fake. You are by nature no 
 better than others. If ye differ, it is the grace 
 
 of 
 
Of the H O L Y S P I R I T. j 53 
 
 of God that makes you to differ. Therefore 
 glory not in yoiirfelves ; only in the unmerited 
 goodnefs of God, and his free grace in Chrift 
 Jeliis our Lord. " I tafte much of God (faith 
 *' Ignatius) ; but I moderate myfelf, left I 
 *' fliouid perifli in glorying*.'* I wifh all 
 who have the Spirit of God in ihem were of 
 this holy martyr's mind. 
 
 The Spirit of God is holy, and therefore 
 by way of eminence called the Holy Ghoil. 
 He is infinitely holy as God, and he reftores 
 all in whom he dwells to the image and like- 
 nefs of God. It is he that purifies the hearts 
 of God's people, and makes us partakers of a 
 holy, heavenly, and divine nature. As foon as 
 the apoflle Paul had inculcated the do6lrine 
 of God's dwelling in the fouls of his children, 
 he imrhediately fubjoins this exhortation, 
 'wherefore come out from among them, and be 
 ye feparate, faith the Lord, and touch not the 
 unclean things 2 Cor. vi. 16, 17. If the Holy 
 Spirit refides in you, he will make you holy % 
 he will fubdue the power of vanity and cor- 
 ruption, and make you pure in heart : you, 
 will no longer live in a fervile fubje<5lion to 
 fin, but have freedom from it, and dominion 
 over it. The lufts of the flefli will decay and 
 die, all holy defires will be quickened in you, 
 and the virtues and graces of the Spirit will 
 flourifh and ripen in your heart. The houfe 
 of Saul will wax weaker and weaker, and the 
 houfe of David ftronger and ftronger. Hov*- 
 
 «7I■o^w^«(. Ignat. ad Trail. 
 
 Is 
 
154 Of the HOLY S P I R I T. 
 
 is it then with thy foul ? Doft thou feel thefe 
 effecS^s wrought in thee ? Art thou holy in 
 heart ? Doft thou avoid every appearance of 
 evil.? Doft thou fupprefs the firft ftirrings 
 of iin in thy foul ? Doft thou live in no fecret 
 iin ? Doft thou indulge no unclean thought ? 
 Art thouas careful to avoid finning againft God 
 in private, as if the whole world fawthee r In 
 fhort, haft thou an inward and irreconcileable 
 hatredof all fin, and an eager panting, hunger- 
 ing and thirfting after all degrees of hclinefs ? 
 Do not labour to ftiift off thefe queftions ; let 
 theiTi ftrike near your heart, and convince you 
 of your unholinefs and unlikenefs to God. 
 Why Ihould you deceive yourfelf? If you 
 have the Spirit- of Chiift in you, you will feel 
 the bent and biafs of your foul carrying you to 
 the higheft meafures of purity and fan6lifi- 
 cation ; a faithful man " hath white hands 
 *' and a clean foul, fit to lodge C od in ; all 
 " the rooms whereof are fet apart for his 
 *' holinefs *.'* Is your foul thus dedicated 
 to God ? And are your words and aftions 
 conformable thereto ? Do you avoid all idle 
 and frothy converfation ? Is your Ipeech with 
 grace, feafoned with fait ? Doth no corrupt 
 communication proceed out of your mouth, 
 but that which is good to the ufe of edifying ? 
 Do you put off allfooliih talking and jefting, 
 which are not convenient ? And is it your 
 delight to talk of God and his dear Son Jefus 
 Chrift ? Do you feel your heart warmed by 
 
 • Bifhop Hall's Charafter of a faithful man. 
 
 holy 
 
Of tie HOLY SPIRIT. 155 
 
 holy conference and heavenly meditation ? Be 
 diligent likewife to adorn the do6lrine of God 
 our Saviour in all things. Be fwift to hear, flow 
 to Ipeak, and flow to wrath. Let your moder^ 
 ation be known to all men. Love all who love 
 Chrift, without refpe£l of perfons or difl:inc- 
 tion of parties. Be ready to forgive injuries and 
 bear offences. Labour after that charity which 
 is not eafily provoked. Walk in the Spirit, 
 and ye fhall not fulfil the lufts of the flefh. 
 SanWify the Lord God in your heart ; having 
 a good confcience, that whereas they /peak evil 
 of you as of evil-doers, they may be afoamed'who 
 falfly accufe your good converfation in Chrifi^ 
 I Pet. iii. 15, 16, Alas! how doth the caufe 
 of Chrifl: fufFer through the vain and trifling 
 behaviour of the profeilbrs of hisgofpel ! How 
 many talk of the Spirit of God, and yet live 
 in the fpirit of the world, in the pornp and 
 pride of life, and in the nidulgence of the 
 flefli ? Some people's religion is made up of 
 mirth and jefling ; they are light and trifling 
 upon all occaiions, and difcover nothing fo 
 much as a talkative tongue, and an airy ridi- 
 culous turn of mind. Such perfons may alk 
 themfelves, Does this difcourfe, this behaviour 
 become one who is to a£t according to the 
 infpiration of the divine Spirit ? The very 
 thoughts of the prefence of God within us 
 would condemn many of our allowed ways 
 of fpeaking and afting, or elfe baffle all our 
 pretenfions to chriftianity. Who hath more 
 reaf m to be afraid of afting below his d gnity 
 than he whofe foul is the temple of the Holy 
 
 Ghofl? 
 
156 Of the HOLY SPIRIT. 
 
 Ghoft ? Certainly none ought more carefully 
 to watch over their condudl, than they who 
 are to live and a6t according to the didates 
 and motions of the Spirit of God. The fenfe 
 therefore of this divine inhabitant in us lliould 
 be a motive to univerfal holinefs and undif- 
 fembled piety. We are alfo to be reminded, 
 that by our idle words and vain foolifh actions 
 we grieve the Spirit, Eph. iv. 30. and caufe 
 him to withdraw from us, and leave us in 
 the darknefs and mifery of our nature. God 
 feldom or never forfakes his people, unlefs 
 they liril: forfake him, as David faith to his 
 ion Solomon, If thou forfake him, he will caf 
 thee off for ever, i Chron. xxviii. 9. Souls 
 firft forfake God by fome inward or outward 
 lin, and then he forfakes them ; and fo they 
 fall into doubts and darknefs, and are often at 
 the point of defpair. What a dreadful thing 
 is it to be deferted by the Spirit of God ! They 
 who have felt the mifery of fuch defertions, 
 know that no pains are like thofe pains, no 
 forrows like thofe forrows. As when God 
 fpeaks peace, who can trouble ? fo when God 
 troubles, none can fpeak peace. Watch there- 
 fore, and ftrive againft lin, and avoid every 
 thing that may difpleafe God, or caufe his 
 Holy Spirit to depart from you. 
 
 To conclude ; have you the Spirit of God 
 in you ? Then wait in expe£lation of future 
 p;lory. The Holy Spirit is the feal whereby 
 ye arefealed unto the day of redemption, Eph. 
 iv. ^o. What God feals he appropriates for 
 his own, and it cannot be alienated from him. 
 
 Hath 
 
Of //j^ H O L Y S P 1 R I T. 157 
 
 Hath God then fea led you with that Holy Spirit 
 ofpromife ? Then he hath made you his own, 
 you are his in an eternal and inviolable cove- 
 nant; and altho* the mountains depart, and 
 the hills be removed, yet my kindnefsjhall not 
 depart from thee, neither fi all the covenant of 
 my peace be removed, faith the Lord that hath 
 mercy on thee, Ifa. liv. 10. The Spirit of God 
 is alio called the earneji of our inheritance, Eph. 
 i. 14. God hath given his children many great 
 and precious promifes ; but left that Ihould 
 not fuffice, lefl they fhould diilruft his good- 
 nefs or queftion his faithfulnefs, he gives them 
 an earneft of the purchafed polleffion. Aa 
 earneft is part of the eflate, and fecurity of the 
 conveyance of it. Hath God therefore given 
 us the earnefi of the Spirit in our hearts ? As cer- 
 tainly as we have the Spirit of God dwelling 
 in us here, we fhall dwell with God in heaven 
 hereafter. If we have the earnefi, we cannot 
 tnifs of the inheritance. Laftly, the Spirit is 
 a witnefs, i John v. 6. // is the Spirit that 
 beareth witnefs. And what doth he bear 
 witnefs to? The apoftle Paul tells us, the Spirit 
 beareth witnefs with our fpirit, that we are the 
 cbildren of God, Rom. viii. 16. The Spirit is, 
 infallible, and his telfimony is to be depqnded 
 upon. His evidence is clear and convin- 
 cing, fo that they to whom he witnefleth, 
 cannot poffibly doubt of their being chil- 
 dren of God. Their faith and hope are 
 built upon the teftimony of the divine Spirit. 
 And how is it poflible they fhould doubt their 
 being children of God, when God by the in- 
 ward 
 
158 Of the HOLY SPIRIT. 
 
 ward witnefs of his Spirit tells them they are? 
 Hence they draw near to God mfull ajfurance 
 of faith, as the apoftle fpeaks, Heb. x. 22. 
 They are fure that God is their Father, that 
 Chrift is their Saviour; they are fure their 
 fins are forgiven, and that they are at peace 
 with God ; they Jire as lure of going to hea- 
 ven as if they were there already. This is a 
 part of experimental religion which defpfers 
 *wiU not believe, though a man who hath experi- 
 enced the truth thereof declare it unto them. 
 Ads xiii. 41. " Worldlings (faith bifliop 
 *' Davenant*) will not believe that fuch a 
 " full afllirance of faith is imprefled upon 
 *' the hearts of believers ; but the pious who 
 *' continue ftedfaft in the gofpel experience 
 *' it." 
 
 IT. The illumination of the Spirit is necef- 
 fary to a right and faving knowledge of the 
 holy fcriptures : I fay, 7i faving knowledge of 
 the holy fcriptures, becaufe men may have a 
 notional acquaintance with them, a fpecula- 
 tive knowledge of them, and yet no"t be in a 
 ftate of falvation. This knowledge is not fuf- 
 ficient to bring them to heaven. A competent 
 ikill in grammar, hiftory and criticifm, will 
 give men an infight into the letter of fcrip- 
 ture ; but to fee the true light, and feel the 
 faving power thereof, aninternal operation of 
 the Spirit is required : and without this, no 
 
 * Talcm 'crX'/jao^onai' imprimi fidelium animis non credent 
 mundani ; experiuntur tamen pii, qui conftantes perfeverantiii 
 evangelio. Expofit, Epift ad Col, cap. ii.ver. 2, 
 
 man 
 
Of the HOLY SPIRIT. 159 
 
 man can underftand the fcriptiire to any fav- 
 iag purpofe. ^he natural man (faith the 
 apoftle) receiveth not the things of the Spirit of 
 Godf I Cor. ii. 14. A perfoncanno more dif- 
 cern fpiritual and divine things without the 
 teaching and illumination of the divine Spirit, 
 than a man without eyes can behold the fun. 
 In the fall of man all his faculties were vitiated, 
 and debafed; amongft the reil:, his underftand- 
 ing was darkened, and his judgment cor- 
 rupted : hence he is rendered incapable of 
 beholding fpiritual obje£ls, and forming a 
 right judgment concerning them. He remains 
 in grofs ignorance of the things of God and 
 'religion, till the Holy Spirit darts an heavenly- 
 beam into his foul, and fills him with a divine 
 light : for it is the Spirit which fearcheth all 
 things, yea, the deep thing?, of God, and re- 
 vealeth, them unto us, ver. 10. in fuch a man- 
 ner and meafure as is necellary to our eternal 
 falvation. We cannot know thefe divine depths 
 any farther than the Holy Ghofl reveals them 
 unto us. 
 
 In the fecond part of the Homily of the In- 
 formation of certain places of fcripture, the 
 people are thus in{l:ru6ted, "If ye will be 
 *' profitable hearers and readers of the 
 " holy fcriptures, ye mull; firil deny your- 
 " felves,and keep under your carnal fenfes 
 "•taken by the outward words, and fearch 
 " the inward meaning : reafon mufl give 
 " place to God's Holy Spirit ; you mufl fub- 
 *' mit your worldly wifdom and judgment 
 " unto his divine wifdom and judgment.'* 
 
 How 
 
i6o Of the HOLY S I P R I T. 
 
 How would that expreffion, " Keep under 
 *' your carnal fenfes, taken by the ouHvard 
 *' words^' be laughed at, if it was not found 
 in one of our own homilies ! And how difa- 
 greeabie to fome people is the do61:rine of an 
 outward and inward meaning in fcripture ? 
 Yet this Homily makes exprefs mention of 
 both thefe, and exhorts " the people to fearch 
 into the inward meaning of fcripture, and to 
 fiibmit their reafon to God's Holy Spirit.'* 
 
 The Homily entitled, A fruitful Exhort a- 
 tion to the Pleading and Knowledge of the holy 
 Scripture, hath thispaflage : " The words of 
 *' holy fcripture be called words of everlafting 
 '' life, for they be God's inftrument ordained 
 *' for the fame purpofe. They have power to 
 ''* turn through God's promife, and they be 
 ^' effetftiual through God's affiftance ; and be- 
 . '' ing received in a faithful heart, they have 
 "* ever an heavenly fplritualworkinginthem." 
 To v/hich add the conclufion of the Homily 
 for Whitfunday ; " He that is the Lord of hea- 
 *^ ven and earth of his great mercy fo v/ork in 
 *' all men's hearts, by the mighty power of 
 " the Holy Ghoil:, that the comfortable gof- 
 " pel of his Son Cliriif may be trulypreached, 
 *' truly received, and truly followed in all 
 places." The comfortable gofpel of Chrift 
 cannot be truly preached without the mighty 
 power of the Holy Ghofl. Preachers who 
 have not the Holy Ghofl are no minifters of 
 Chrift. They who have the Holy Spirit 
 attending their miniftry, fpeak not with the 
 enticing words which man's wifdom teacheth, 
 
 but 
 
0/ the HOLT SPIRIT; i6ii 
 
 but which the Holy Ghoftteach«th. When 
 they are thus influenced and infpired^ their 
 word is in power, and in the Holy Ghoftj and 
 in much afl'urance. The Holy Spirit warms 
 their heart, and they feel what they {■^y : 
 " theirexpreffions are afFe^lionate and cordial, 
 " as proceeding from the heart, and an ex- 
 *' perimentai acquaintance with thofe truths 
 '* which they deliver ; quod procedit e corde 
 " redit in cor. It is a hard matter to afFe(ft 
 *' others, with what we are not firfl: affected 
 " by ourfelves. Pr^cipuum ad perfuadendum 
 *' eft amare quod fuades : Amanti pe5lus ipfum 
 " fi^SS^^'^^ orationis ardor em. It is faid of 
 " John the Baptift, that he was a burning 
 * ' and finning light : Ardere prius eji, lucere 
 " pojierius ; ardor mentis eft lux doSirin,^- 
 " This is to fpeak in the evidence and de- 
 " monflration of the Spirit and power/' 
 
 The Homily of reading the Holy Scripture 
 fays, *' In reading of God's word he not al- 
 " ways moft profiteth that is mofl ready in 
 *^ turning of the book, or in faying of it 
 " without book, but he that is moft turned 
 " into it, that is moft infpi red with, the Holy 
 " Ghoft, moft in his heart and life altered 
 " and changed into that thing which he 
 " readeth." It is not he that is moft clear 
 in his ideas, moft accurate in his conceptions, 
 or moft refined in his fpeculations, nor he 
 whofe head is moft philofophically or geome- 
 trically turned, that is the moft profitable 
 
 *- ■■■'■! ■ I I ■■I..J I, ■■ ■ ■■■■II —.III ■ IMI^ ■■■■■^— ■ I I 
 
 • Bp. Wilkins's Gift of Preaching. 
 
 M reader 
 
1^2 Of the H O L Y S P I R I T. 
 
 reader of holy fcripture ; but he who is mo=ft 
 infpired with the Holy Ghofl:, and whofe 
 heart and life are moft changed into that 
 which he readeth. Without the infpiration of 
 the Holy Ghoft, all our human wifdom and 
 fcience will no more enable us favingly to un- 
 derhand the fcriptures than to create a new 
 world. " Man's human and worldly wifdom 
 *' and Science (as faith the fame Homily) is 
 ** not needful to the underftanding of fcrip- 
 *' ture, but the revelation of the Holy Ghofl 
 '* who infpireth the true meaning unto them 
 *' that with humility and diligence fearch 
 " therefore.*' Now, do you think our Re- 
 formers were enthuiiafts ? Why then are you 
 ready to call thofe enthuiiafts who fpeak of 
 the infpiration of the Holy Ghoft ? How da 
 you expc6t to underftand the fcriptures I You 
 are here taught, that it is not all your Ikill in 
 arts and fciences will help you to a right un- 
 derftanding thereof; but it is the revelation 
 of the Holy Ghoft, and his itifpiratian^ that 
 muft advance you to this high attainment. 
 And/note, by infpiration here we do not mean 
 any new power to write a new fcripture, but 
 only to underftand the ancient writings of the 
 Old and New Tefament aright to all intents 
 and purpofes of falvationl This is what our- 
 Church prays for in the Collecl for the fe- 
 cond Sunday in Adveyit ; " Blefied Lord, who 
 " haft caufed all holy fcriptures to be written 
 *' for our learning, grant that we may in 
 " fuch wife hear them, read, mark, learn^ 
 " and inwardly digeft them, that by patience 
 
 " and 
 
Of the HOLY SPIRIT. 163 
 
 ** and comfort of thy holy word we may 
 *' embrace and ever hold faft the blelled hope 
 " of everlafting life, which thou haft given 
 " us in our Saviour Jefus Chrift.'* And have 
 we not all reafon to join in fuch a prayer ? 
 
 The fcriptures are very clear and exprefs In 
 this particular. Thus faith the holy Pfalmift, 
 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous 
 things out of thy law, cxix. 18. The infpired 
 author, from a fenfe of the weaknefs of his 
 own underftanding, and the fublimity of di- 
 vine myfteries, breaks out into this devout 
 petition. He prays God to open his eyes, that 
 he might behold the wonders of the divine 
 book ; implying, that without this heavenly 
 illumination he could not underftand it. The 
 cafe is the fame with us : unlefs the Spirit of 
 grace enlightens our dark minds, we cannot 
 I'avingly difccrn the myfteries of the kingdom 
 of God. The fame divine writer fpeaks to the 
 fame purpofe, ver. 12. Blejjed art thou, O 
 Lord, teach me thy fatutes ; where we fee the 
 holy man of God firft blefles the Lord for 
 paft and prefent manifeftations of his grace, 
 and then prays for further revelations and 
 difcoveries, teach me thy fatutes ; i. e. give 
 me the inward teaching of thy Spirit, whereby 
 I may have a clear view of the dodlrines, 
 precepts, and privileges contained in thy holy 
 word. And this petition is repeated, ver. 26, 
 2^7^, 64, 68, 124, 135, which fhews how 
 earneft the Pfalmift was in this his requeft. 
 And when we have a fenfe of the need of 
 this divine teaching, we fliall be ceafelefs and 
 M 2 ina- 
 
i64 Of the HOLY SPIRIT. 
 
 importunate in our fupplications to God, that 
 he would afford us the guidance of his in- 
 fallible Spirit to condu6: us in all our facred 
 refearches. 
 
 We are informed in Luke xxiv. 45. that 
 our Saviour ope?ted the u?iderjfanding of his dif- 
 ciples that they might underjiand the fcriptures ; 
 which ihews us that they could not have un- 
 derftood them, unlcfs the blefled Jefus had 
 thus opened their underftanding. Now then 
 it may be alked, can we underftand the fcrip- 
 tures without having ourunderftanding opened 
 in the fame manner ? Have we not as much 
 need of this fpiritual illumination as the 
 apoftles had ? Or do we think we can under- 
 ftand the fcriptures without it, though they 
 could not? If men are thus conceited of their 
 own wifdom and abilities, m.ay not God juflly 
 leave them to the guidance of their natural in- 
 telle<£ls, to walk on in the darknefs of their 
 own hearts to blacknefs of darknefs for ever ? 
 How earneftly therefore (hould we call upon 
 God to do the lame thing in our hearts, 
 which he did in the hearts of his difciples ! 
 for otherwife we fhall never underftand the 
 fcriptures to any fiving purpofe. The time 
 when our Lord Jefus thus opened their un- 
 derftanding is remarkable : For firft, they 
 had before this been fent out to preach * ; 
 they muft then therefore have had fome knov/- 
 ledge of Chrift and his offices ; yet now after 
 his refurreclion the blefied Jefus opens their 
 
 • Luke Ix. ly 2, 
 
 under* 
 
Of the HOLY SPIRIT 165^ 
 
 undcrjlanding^ \. c. gives them a frefh dlfplay 
 of his grace and inediatorfl-iip. The mofl 
 aged minifters, the moft advanced believers 
 receive an augmentation of fpiritual hght and 
 wifdom. All our knowledge is finite, and fb 
 is capable of perpetual addition and increafe. 
 Secondly, tliis opening of their underftanding 
 was before the plenary eiTuiion of the Holy 
 Ghofl on the day of Pentecoil:, A£ls ii. and 
 therefore cannot mean any extraordinary dona- 
 tion of the Spirit peculiar to the apofties only, 
 but mull: fignifyfuch a communication thereof, 
 as all experienced chriftians are endowed with. 
 Accordingly, when it is faid the Lord opened 
 Lydia's heart, Atts xvi. 14. the very fame 
 Greek word -t is there ufed, w^hich the divine 
 evangelift here makes ufe of. When liydia^s 
 heart was opened^ fie aiieiided to the things 
 'which were Jpoken by Paul^ and God opened 
 her heart for this very end and purpofe. Had 
 not the Lord opened her heart, Ihe would 
 have remained in blindncfs and ignorance for 
 ever. And till the fame gracious Lord ope?iS 
 . our hearts, as he did faithful Lyydia's, we 
 fhall never favingly attend to things eternidl 
 and divine. 
 
 The apoflle Paul prays for the Ephefians, 
 that the eyes of their underfandi7ig might be 
 enltghtefied., Eph. i. 18. and chap. v. ver. 8. 
 faith he, Te zvere fometime darhiefs, but nozv 
 are ye light in the Lord. Darknefs and light are 
 abftradl terms, and fo denote to us the extreme 
 
 M 3 mifery , 
 
i66 Of the HOLY SPIRIT. 
 
 mifery of a natural, and the extreme felicity 
 of a regenerate ftate. They alfo acquaint us 
 with the diametrical oppofition of thefe two 
 ftates. Chrifl is called the light of the Gentiles^ 
 Ifa. xlii. 6. xllx. 6. Luke ii' 32. A£ts xiii. 47. 
 He calls himfelf the light oj the world, John 
 viii. 12. ix. 5. He was fent to open the blind 
 eyes^ Ifa. xlii. 7. 'To give light to them that ft 
 in darknefs, Luke i. 79. and recovering of 
 fght to the blind, Luke iv. 18. So the apoftle 
 Paul was fent to the Gentiles to open their 
 eyes J and to turn them from darknefs to light, 
 Ad:s xxvi. 18. 2 Cor. iv. 6. faith he, God 
 who commanded light to Jhine out of darknefs, 
 hath fined in our hearts. All which I alledge 
 (and much more might be alledged) to fhew 
 the total darknefs of men in their natural 
 condition, and the abfolute neceffity of the 
 enlightening grace of God. 
 
 Experience is the mother of all knowledge, 
 natural and fpiritual, and this do(flrine is con- 
 firmed by the experience of all faints. The 
 fcriptures are full of inftances of a divine light 
 and power attending the word. When St. 
 Paul w^as converted, the light that fined round 
 about him was but an emblem of the internal 
 irradiation of his mind by the Holy Ghofl. 
 When our Saviour called Simon and Andrew, 
 James and John, they heard, beiides the out- 
 ward call of his voice, the inward call of his 
 Spirit ; otherwife they would not have imme- 
 diately left their nets, the fip, and their fa- 
 ther, and followed him. Matt. iv. 18, 22. So 
 likewifc when the blefled Jefus called Mat- 
 thew, 
 
Of the HOLY SPIRIT. 167 
 
 thew, he was Jttting at the receipt of cujipm. 
 Matt. ix. 9. getting riches, engaged in bufinefs, 
 and fharing largely in this world's goods ; and 
 we cannot fuppofe he would have fo readily 
 forfaken All to follow Chrift, if the Holy 
 Spirit had not inclined him thereto. " When 
 *' the inward call of the Spirit accompanies 
 ^' the outward call of the word, the foul regr 
 *' dily complies, and prefently yields obe- 
 ** dience to the voice of God. Chrift oft- 
 ** times fpeaks by his word to our ear, and 
 ** we hear not, we ftir not; but when he 
 ** fpeaks by his Spirit to our hearts, Satan 
 " fliall not hold us down, the world ihali not 
 " keep us back, but we fhall arife and follow 
 *' our Lord and Mafter *." And when Chrift 
 called Zaccheus, a divine power and energy 
 went along with his words, as we may ga- 
 ther from the efFe6l they had upon him ; for 
 he made hajle, and came down^ and received 
 him joyfully^ Luke xix. 6. And fo innumerable 
 inftances might be heaped together to evince 
 this dodrine, and to fhew that the Holy Ghoft: 
 adds a vital power and influence to the word, 
 and makes it efFe(£lual to the illumination and 
 converfion of fouls. Yea, I might add, every 
 frefh convert is an inftance of the truth of it ; 
 and if you are converted, you will aeed no fur- 
 ther arguments to prove it. 
 
 The application of this is eafy. Hence we 
 learn not to lean to our own underftandings, 
 nor to think by our own natural abilities. 
 
 • Bittiop Hall. 
 
 M 4. with- 
 
i68 Of 'the H O L Y ^ P I U I T. 
 
 without the afliflance of divine grace, to at-' 
 tain a faving knowledge of God's word. ■ 
 
 " Abfurd (faith a learned bifhop of oui: 
 *' Church) is the do£lrihe of the Socinians, 
 *' and fbme otHdrs, that unregenerate men, 
 *' by a m'ere natural perception, without any 
 *' divine fuperinfufed light (they are the 
 *' .words of Epifcopius -f^ and they are wicked 
 ''words) may underftand the whole law, 
 '*' even all things requifite unto faith and 
 *^ godlinefs ; fooiifhly confounding and (im- 
 *' pioufly deriding, as too many do in this 
 *' prefent day) the fpi ritual and divine fenfe 
 "*' jdf holy fcriptures with the grammatical 
 ". 'conflru£tion §." Many read the fcriptures, 
 yet never underftand them, becaufe they truft 
 to their own underftanding, inftead- of de- 
 pending upon the teaching and influence of 
 the Holy Spirit. A perfon c^n no more un- 
 derfland the fcriptures favingly without the 
 illumination of the Holy Ghofl, than a man 
 can underftand Greek or Hebrew, or any other 
 language which he hath never learned. The 
 fcriptures are all an unknown language to an 
 unenlightened heart. Learned men often think 
 they underftand the facred writings, becaufe 
 they know the literal meaning of the words : 
 di6lionaries and lexicons are their tutors and 
 governors, and the letter of the text is the 
 higheft of their attainments. And thus far 
 natural men may afpire : they may compafs 
 
 t Sine lumine fupernaturahs Potentisc fuperintufo. Efi/cop. 
 Di/put. 3. 
 ^ Bilhop Reynolds's Sinfulnefs of Sin. 
 
 the 
 
0/ //^^ H O L Y S P I R I T. 169 
 
 the grammatical conitrinStion of the words, 
 when yet they have no inward experience of 
 evangehcal doctrine in their hearts. Men 
 may be well verfed in fcience and philofophy, 
 and well inflru^led in the languages ; but un- 
 . lefs they arc taught, not by critics and com- 
 mentators, but by the Spirit of God, they 
 know 7iothing yet as they ought to know^ i Cor. 
 viii. 2. A moderate Ikill in the languages is 
 ferviceable in determining the true fenfe of 
 words ; yet if men fl:op here, how far (hort do 
 they tall of the one thing needful ! They are 
 acquainted with the letter that k'dleth, hut 
 ignorant of the Spirit which giveth life^ 2 Cor. 
 iii. 6. The veil is yet imtaken away in read- 
 ing the Old Tijlament and the New, ver. 14. 
 A o-reat deal of learninp' in the head, with no 
 grace in the heart, does frequently till men 
 with pride, blind their m^inds, and harden 
 their hearts, and fmk them into eternal dark- 
 nefs and deftrudlion. 
 
 Never therefore take the facred volume in 
 your hand without lifting up your heart to 
 God : Beg of God to give you the light of 
 his Spirit, to lead you into the light of divine 
 truth. The reafon why perfons read the fcrip- 
 tures to little or no purpofe is, becaufe they 
 do not call upon the Lord for a bleffing upon 
 their reading ; they take up the fcriptures 
 \yith as much carelefnefs and indifference as 
 any other book, neither coniidering the weak- 
 nefs and Ihallownefs of their own judgment, 
 nor yet the myfterious nature of fcripturai 
 truths : hence the word of God is to them a 
 
 dead 
 
17© Of the HOLY SPIRIT. 
 
 dead letter, a book fealed, and it ftrikes with 
 no power or demonftration upon their hearts. 
 And belides, T think it is no wonder men fall 
 into dangerous errors and herelies, if they 
 truft to their own natural parts, and make 
 the illuminating grace of the Spirit neither 
 the obje6l of their faith, nor the fubjed of 
 their prayers. Does God do them any injuf- 
 tice in leaving them to their own wifdom and 
 •underftanding, feeing they place io mucli con- 
 fidence therein as to acknowledge no neceffity 
 of a fupernatural and divine illumination ? 
 Reading the fcriptures without the light of 
 the Spirit, is but an unprofitable exercife ; it 
 is in efFed: reading without eyes. We cannot 
 underftand the infpired writings but by the 
 fame Spirit which indited them. The Holy 
 Ghoft, which did:ated them at firft to the 
 apoftles, mufl interpret and explain them to 
 us, or elfe we Ihall never acquire a faving 
 knowledge of them. " Wicked men (faith 
 *' Mr. Herbert) however learned, do not 
 •' know.the fcriptures, becaule they feel them 
 *' not, and becaufe they are not underftood 
 " but with the fame Spirit that wrote them." 
 This may feem ftrange do£trine to a carnal 
 mind, and to a perfon unacquainted with the 
 power of godlinefs ; but a Ibul that knows 
 by experience what it is to be in doubt when 
 falvation is at flake, will be glad to hear 
 of the direction of the Spirit, and willreadil 
 depend upon it, and heartily acquiefce in it. 
 And indeed when we are under a due fenfe 
 of tk «»v"€aknefs of our own judgment, and 
 
 cafl 
 
0/ /y&^ HOLY SPIRIT. ^71 
 
 caft our eyes abroad on the world and obferve 
 what innumerable errors there are, and how 
 many abler and wifer heads than our own are 
 and have been deceived, how do our fouls trem- 
 ble ! What hope could we have ? Or where 
 fhould we flee for relief, but to the teaching 
 and undlion of the eternal Spirit ? This is 
 what we are to rely upon ; this is what we are 
 to trufl to : and thofe who are under a right 
 apprehenfion of things will find themfelves 
 conftrained to pray to God for the illumi- 
 nation and manudu<flion of his Holy Spirit, 
 And prayer is the life of ftudy : thofe who 
 ftudy the fcriptures with inceflant prayer, 
 will not fail to be led into the true meaning 
 of them. Bene orajfe efi bene Jiuduijfe^ was a 
 faying of Luther : They fludy beft, who pray 
 moft. And God will certainly vouchfafe his 
 help to all fincere and devout fupplicants. 
 *' The eyes of our underftanding fhall be ir- 
 " radiated with a celeflial beam, and we fhall 
 '* feel an internal operation of the Spirit on 
 /' our hearts communicating light and wif- 
 " dom *." And how glorious is it when fouls 
 experience this heavenly illumination ! Then, 
 as the apoftle fpeaks, they are brought out 
 of darknefs into marvellous light : Marvellous 
 light indeed : Wonderful light -f' / They are 
 filled with wonder and aftoniihment at every 
 thing they fee in the fpiritual world : They 
 
 • See Dr. Edwards on the Excel leaey and Ferfedtion of the 
 Scriptures. 
 
 \ &av^cirot pjif I Pet. ii. 9. 
 
 wonder 
 
172 Of the HOLY SPIRIT. 
 
 wonder to fee how blind they were before;, 
 they wonder to fee how enHghtened they are 
 now : They reiid the fcriptures as if they had 
 never read them before, and all therein ap- 
 p-^ars new, and comes with a quick, vital, 
 comfortable influence upon their hearts. Then 
 they become fettled in all doctrines, not by 
 an external fpeculation, but by an internal 
 fenfation of the goodneis of them ; they fee 
 the f tnefs and propriety, they tafte the fweet- 
 nels and felicity of every evangelical truth : 
 They walk with pleafure in the ways of God ; 
 and his precepts, which before were burden- 
 fome and grievous, now become perfe£l free- 
 dom, life, liberty and flrong confolation to 
 their hearts. 
 
 III. The comfortable influences of the Holy 
 Ghofl: are really felt by thofe fouls, to whom 
 they are communicated. There is much 
 wrangling and dilputing about this propofi- 
 tion ; feme fay one thing, and fome another ; 
 and one might juftly wonder (was it not for 
 the blindnefs and corruption of human na- 
 ture) there fliould be fo much contention 
 about fo plain a matter ; for this propofition 
 feems to be no fooner flated but demonftrated ; 
 for what fort of comforts muft thofe be, 
 which cannot be felt ? They will in effed be 
 none at all ; if therefore you deny the poffi- 
 bility of feeling the comforts of the Spirit, 
 you do in effe(St deny their reality. Belides, I 
 might obferve, the denial hereof is not only 
 iinfcriptural, but alfo unphilofophical. The 
 
 foul 
 
Of the HOLY SPIRIT. 173 
 
 foul is the feat of life and perception in man, 
 and by confcquencc muft itfelf be endued 
 with lenfibility and perceptibility ; if there- 
 fore God is pleafed to make any imprcffions 
 of pleafure or comfort upon thq ibul, the loul 
 will have a real lenfc and perception thereof. 
 But how irrational as well as irreligious is it 
 to ail'ert, that the foul is the fpring and fource 
 of all fenfition and perception, but yet inca- 
 pable of feeling divine joys and fpiritual con- 
 folations ! It is true indeed, fpiritual fenfation 
 or feeling is as different from bodily, as the 
 foul is from the body, neverthelefs the one is 
 as real as the other. This I doubt not I fhall 
 make good from the Homilies and Liturgies. 
 The third Part of the Homily on Faith is 
 directly to our purpofe, *' If you feci and per- 
 *' ceive fuch a faith in you, rejoice in it, and 
 " be diligent to maintain it, and keep it ftili 
 " in you ; let it be daily increaiing, and more 
 " and more by well working," &c. Our re- 
 formers we hope were good men, and felt that 
 faith of which they here fpeak. If you do not 
 feel this faith in you, you fhould not imme- 
 diately ridicule and condemn the do£lrine of 
 feeling faith, but pray to God to fhew you 
 this truth both by an information of the judg- 
 ment, and an experience of the heart. An 
 hiflorical faith may make you a member of a 
 church viiible, but nothing lefs than a feeling 
 faith in the heart will conftitute you a mem- 
 ber of Ch rift's body myftical. And let thofe 
 who have this fiiith follow the exhortation 
 here given, viz. to increafs in it, and to ex- 
 ert it more and more by well w*orking. 
 
 The 
 
174 Of the HOLY SPIRIT. 
 
 The Homily for Rogation Week hath thefe 
 words, " If after contrition we feel bur con- 
 *' fciences at peace with God through remif- 
 *' lion of our fnis ;'* here is mention made 
 of feeling our confciences at peace with God, 
 which fome men count enthufiafm ; but in- 
 deed how fhall we know we are at peace with 
 God, unlefs we feel it ? Peace and all other 
 evangelical bleflings are made known to us 
 only by this inward feeling, and we can no 
 farther know our interefl: in them than as we 
 have a feeling pofleffion of them. Therefore 
 in another place we meet with thefe words, 
 *' God give us grace (good people) to know 
 *' thefe things, and to feel them in our hearts.*' 
 And obferve what follows, " This knowledge 
 *' and feeling is not in ourfelves, by ourfelves 
 *' it is not poflible to come by it.'* What 
 words can be plainer ? And if this will not 
 convince people of fplritual feeling, what will ? 
 
 The Homily on Repentance thus encou- 
 rageth the true penitent, " Neither let the 
 *' remembrance of thy former life difcourage 
 *' thee ; yea, the more wicked it hath been, 
 *' the more fervent or earneft let thy repen- 
 *' tance or returning be, and forthwith thou 
 '' {halt feel the ears of the Lord wide open 
 *' to thy prayers." What fooliflinefs do fome 
 people think it to talk of feeling the ears of 
 the Lord wide open to our prayers ! And yet 
 we fee the church holds this, and the people 
 of God experience it, and what an unfpeak- 
 able happinefs is it for thofe who do feel it 1 
 This exprellion of feeling the ears of the 
 Lord wide open to our prayers, is to be un- 
 
 derfljod 
 
Of the HOLY S 1> I R I T. 175 
 
 derftood metonymically, viz. with regard to 
 the efFedl, and lb it denotes our receiving thofe 
 comforts and enjoying that peace and pleafure 
 which God confers in confequence of his 
 hearing our prayers, and in anfwer to them. 
 And then is fulfilled that promife in Ifaiah, 
 Before they call, I will anfwer ; and while they 
 are yet fpeakitig^ I will hear. *' Sometimes 
 *' (laith bifhop Wilkins) a man (hall feel his ^ 
 *' heart more v/arm, his defires more vigor- 
 " ous, and his expreflions more copious and 
 " ready. And in this cafe he fhould not fufFer 
 " himfelf to be flraitned or confined within 
 *' any old form, but may expatiate more 
 *' freely, according as he finds his inward 
 " enlargements *.'* Thefe inward comforts 
 and enlargements are not always infallible 
 proofs that God will grant the particular 
 thing we then requeft. The contrary might 
 be (hewed in feveral inflances. The truth is, 
 thefe confolations are tokens of God's love 
 in general, and earnefls in particular, that he 
 will either grant what we then afk, or fome- 
 thing better. 
 
 In the Ordering of Deacons, the queftion I^ 
 alked, " Do you truft that you are inwardly 
 *' moved by the Holy Ghoft to take upon 
 " you this office and miniftration ?" 6cc. ISlow 
 unlefs a perfon feels tliis inv/ard motion, how 
 can he tell whether he hath it or not ? And if 
 he cannot, he anfwers this queftion at a ven~ 
 ture, and fo perhaps miy tell a direct falfe- 
 hood ; and then hear what bi(hop Burnet fays, 
 " If any man fays, / trtijl fo, that yet knows 
 
 • Kiihop Wilkins's Gift of Prayer. 
 
 *•' nothing 
 
176 Of the HOLY SPIRIT. 
 
 •' nothing of any fuch motion^ and can give 
 *' no account of it, he lyes to the Holy Gholi:; 
 *' and makes his firft approach to the altar 
 *' with a lye in his mouth ; and that not to 
 *' man, hut to God.'* And pleafe to hear 
 how this learned divine afterwards explains 
 this queftion. " The true meanmg of it mufl: 
 *' be refolved thus,; the motives that ought 
 *' to determine a man to dedicate himfelf to 
 *' the miniftering in the church, are a zeal 
 *' for the promoting the glory of God, for 
 *' railing the honour of the chriilian religion, 
 " for the making it to be better underftood, 
 *' and more fubmitted to. He that loves it, 
 *' and feels the excellency of it in himfelf, 
 *' that has a due fenfe of God's goodnefs in 
 *' it to mankind, and that is entirely poflefled - 
 *' with that, will feel a zeal within himlelf 
 *' for communicating that to others t." We 
 fee here the bllliop holds with fpiritual feel- 
 ing, and mentions thofe motives and dlfpofi' 
 tions which every one ought to feel in himfelf, 
 who anfwers the queflion in the affirmative. 
 In the Colleft for the Sunday after Afcen- 
 fion Day, the Church prays, " Send to us 
 " thine Holy Ghoft to comfort us ;" and in 
 the next CoUeft, " Evermore to rejoice in his 
 " holy comforts." How can we rejoice in his 
 comforts unlefs we feel them ? Accordingly 
 in the Viiitation of the Sick, it is faid, " The 
 " Almighty Lord make thee know and feel, 
 " that there is none other name given to 
 " man, in whom and through whom thou 
 *' mayeft receive health and falvation, but 
 
 \ Bifhop B.urnet''S Paftoral Care. 
 
 '* only 
 
0/ //^^ H O L Y S P I R I T. 17; 
 
 ** only the name of our Lord Jefus Chrifl/' 
 Here tlie minlfter prays, that the lick perfoii 
 may not only know by a convidlion of the 
 inulerftanding, but alfo feel by an mward fen- 
 fibility of the heart, that Jefus is the only Sa- 
 viour. I once, in difcourfe with a man, pro- 
 duced this paflage ; he artfully replied, that 
 Know and Feel were fynonimous terms, and 
 fo concluded, that feeling was no more than 
 knowing. But though feeling is one fort of 
 knowledge, does it follovv^ that all knowledge 
 is feeling, or that knowing and feeling are the 
 fame thing ? The truth is, this was the only 
 plaulible evafion this artifl; could pofiibly make. 
 But what will this artifice avail him in the 
 following citation ? " The godly coniideratioii 
 " of predeftination, and our election in Chrift, 
 " is full of fweet, pleafant, and unfpeakable 
 " comfort to godly perfons, and fuch as feel 
 *' in themfelves the working of the Spirit of 
 " Chrift, mortifying the works of the fleflii." 
 How will this perfon or any other do to fynoni- 
 mize away the word Feel here, feeing there is 
 no other word to refolve or incorporate it into ? 
 And iince here is mention of fweet, pleafant, 
 and unfpeakable comfort ; if this is not to be 
 truly and really felt, it is time to afk what is, 
 and what may be felt. This therefore is a full 
 eviction, that the church holds the do6lrine of 
 fpiritual feeling; and if you abfolutely deny, 
 that the comforts of the Holy Spirit are to be 
 felt, you reject the Homilies, Articles, and Li- 
 turgies of the Church of England all at once. 
 I would aik then, Are they members or minifter s 
 
 % Article 17, 
 
 N pf 
 
178 0/ ^Zv K O L Y S P I R I T. 
 
 of the Church of England, who fay that the 
 ■ comforts of the Holy Ghoft cannot be felt ? 
 But what faith the fcripture ? St. Paul, 
 writing to the Romans, prays, that the God 
 of hope wouldj*?// them with all joy a?id peace in 
 believing, ch. xv. ver. 13. But could they be 
 thus filled, and not feel it ? And becaufe thefe 
 divine conlolations are earnefts of future glory, 
 and fo increafe the believers hope, the apoftle 
 adds, that ye may abound in hope through the 
 power of the Holy Ghojl. An abmidance of 
 hope accompanies and follows thefe gracious 
 manifeftations. It is further obfervable, the 
 apoftle here mentions ^'^jK and ^f^c^ as diflin£t 
 things ; for oftentimes perfons have great 
 meafures of joy, who yet have no folid peace 
 when thofe joys are gone off; and on the other 
 hand, many truly chriftian fouls walk in a 
 conftant abiding peace, who are not tranf- 
 ported with raptures and ecftafies. 
 
 The fame infpired writer reckons joy and 
 peace among the fruits of the Spirit, Gal. v. 
 22. and in Phil. iv. 7. he mentions a peace of 
 God which pajfeth all underflanding. He re- 
 minds the Theflalonians, that they received the 
 W!ord in much qffiiSlion, with joy of the Holy 
 Ghof}, I Thefl'. i. 6. although they had much 
 outward affli(£lion and perfecution, yet they 
 had much inward joy £om the Holy Spirit ; 
 and they y^// their joy as truly and really as 
 they did their afflidlion. When our hearts are 
 full of forrow and vexation, do we not really 
 feel it ? Have we not as deep a {^wi^ and per- 
 ception thereof, as of any bodily pain whatfo- 
 ever ? Will it not therefore follow, by the rule 
 
 of 
 
Of the HOLY SPIRIT. 179 
 
 of contraries, if our fouls are full of fpiritualjoy 
 and comfort, that we vnvSifeel that alfo r Is 
 not one of thefe as reafonable as the other ? 
 And may you not, upon the fame principle 
 that you reje6l one, reje£l both ? But if you 
 allow the one, you muft allow the other alfj. 
 
 Our Saviour iiiith to his difciples ; Tour 
 heart JJhill rejoice^ aiid your joy no man taketh 
 from you, John xvi, 22. All bodily goods 
 and external goods men may take from us ; 
 but the joys of the Spirit neither men nor 
 devils may deprive us of. Our Lord men- 
 tions 2ifulnefs of joy, John xv. 1 1. xvi. 24. xvij, 
 13. So St. Paul fpeaks of being filled with 
 joy and comfort, 2 Tim. i. 4. 2 Cor. vii. 4. 
 And it would be endlcfs to bring all the texts 
 that fpeakof fpiritual joy and folace. You may 
 think perhaps this fulnefs of joy was peculiar 
 to the apoftles and primitive chriflians : I 
 would have you therefore take notice, the 
 apoftle fpeaks of believers as rejoicing with 
 joy unfpeakahle and full of glory, i Pet. i. 8, 
 And faith the evangelifl John, Thefe things 
 write we luito you, xh-^^X. your joy may be full, 
 I John i. 4. which may convince us, that this 
 fulnefs of joy is the privilege of all chriftians 
 in general. As carnal and feniual pleafures 
 and gratifications are really i^lx. by carnal 
 men, fo are fpiritual delights by thofe that are 
 fpiritual ; only with this difference, as the 
 foul is fuperior to the body, fo thefe enjoy- 
 ments are more exquifite and refined than thofe. 
 
 The pfalmift David fpeaks, / will run ths 
 way of thy commandments, when thou fait en- 
 large my heart, Pfal. cxix. 32. The hgly maxa 
 
 N 2 was 
 
i8o Of the HOLY SPIRIT. 
 
 Vv^as flraitened and conti*a£led in his own foul 
 (as the people of God often are) : This hin- 
 dered hirn in the way of his duty and obe- 
 dience to the divine commandments : hence 
 he prays for fpiritual enlargements, that he 
 may walk, yea nm^ in the ways of God with 
 pieafure and dehght. When fouls are thus 
 enlarged^ v/ith what courage and fuccefs do 
 they run their chriftian race ! Their ardent 
 love to God is a powerful motive to all holy, 
 humble, evangelical obedience : their flam- 
 ing afFex^ion for him carries them through all 
 •difficulties, dangers, and tribulations, in his 
 fervice. The apoftle Paul experienced this 
 enlargement of heart, 2 Cor. vi. 11. Our heart 
 is enlarged. W^ho can tell what the apoftle 
 felt in his foul when he wrote thefe words ? 
 What a heavenly tranfport was he in ! The 
 love of God was fhed abroad in his heart, 
 and this produced in him fuch a feraphic love 
 for his brethren, Be ye alfo enlarged, ver. 13. 
 He v/as deiirous (as all chriftians are, for grace 
 is communicative) that they might be par- 
 takers of this joy in communion with himfelf. 
 This therefore (hews, that the Corinthians, 
 thro' this grace, might taftethis divine enlarge- 
 ment of fou], and \o may chriftians in all ages. 
 Let us not then think that this blefting was 
 confined to the apoftles and firft chriftians, 
 but feek that we ourl'elves may be poflefied of 
 it. And I admonifh all thofe who laugh at in- 
 ward enlargements, and ridicule thole as en- 
 thuiiafts and fchifmatics who make mention 
 of them and experience them, to confider 
 thefe texts, left haply by their oppofition thev 
 
 dif- 
 
Of the H O L Y S P I R I T i8i 
 
 difcover their malice and ignorance, and iliew 
 themfelves quite unexperienced in this ipi- 
 ritual dilatation of the heart. 
 
 The author of the epiftle to the Hebrews 
 faith, Strong meat belongeth to them thai are of 
 full age, even thofe who by reafon of ufe have 
 their fenfes exerc'ifed to dfcern both good and 
 evil, Heb. v. 14. He makes mention o^fsnfes^\ 
 for the fenfes of the mind are as real as thofe 
 of the body, and fpirituai feeling is as true as 
 corporal. The apoftle prays for the Philip- 
 pians, that their love may abound yet more arid 
 more in knowledge, and in all judgment : i, e. 
 fenfe or feeling, as the original word f de- 
 notes ; and fo it is tranflated in the margin of 
 the Bible, In Ads xvii. 27. the apoftie ex- 
 horts the Athenian philofophers (who to be 
 fure thought fpirituai feehng as arrant cant and 
 enthufiafm as our modern chriflian philofo- 
 phers do) to feck the Lord, if haply they might 
 feel after him, and find him. And Eph. iv. 19. 
 he fpeaks of thofe who were paf feeling, to 
 which miferable condition thole heatheniz'd 
 chriftians labour to reduce men, when they 
 deny all inward feeling, and tell them they 
 may have the Spirit of God, and not feel 
 it. But till they can erafe thefe texts out of 
 the Bible, they will never be able to prove 
 their point. While thefe exprefs teflimonies 
 of fcripture remain on our fide, we fhali have 
 all the reafon imaginable to affirm, that the 
 influences of the Holy Spirit are to be felt. 
 
 I might furtherappeal to experience: When 
 you are full of pride, envy, malice, or hatred, 
 
 • AjctS/iIjijk*. t At3-S?is-ti, Phil, i, 5. 
 
 N 2 do 
 
i82 Of the HOLY S P I U 1 T. 
 
 do yoii not feel it ? Wlien you are prone to 
 covetoufni;is, fcnfivility, of worldly-minded- 
 hefs, dc you not feel it ? And do you really and 
 feniit)ly feel thefe corruptions, when they arife 
 in your heart ? Now then fuppofe you are full 
 of love, joy, peace, long-fuirering-, p;entlenefs, 
 goodnels, faith, meeknefs, and temperance ; 
 what think you ? Do you not think you ihall 
 feel thefe fruits of the Spirit ? or, do you think 
 you may have them in you without feeling 
 them ? May tiie corruptions of a brutal, and 
 the malevolent afte(£lions of a diabolical nature 
 be felt ? and may not the graces of the Spi- 
 rit, and the 1)enign influences of the Holy 
 Ghoft, be felt by thoie fouls who are fo happy 
 as to be pofieffed of them ? Can the devil work 
 fo powerfully as to be felt in the hearts of hi^ 
 children ? and cannot the ODerations of the 
 eternal Spirit be felt in the hearts of the faith- 
 ful ? If therefore you allow the poffibility of 
 feeling the devil's operations on the one hand, 
 whv {hould you deny the poiBbility of feeling 
 the Holy Spirit's operations on the other ? But 
 the cafe generally is, men Ipeak evil of the 
 things they know not ; and revile and con- 
 demn what they never experienced. If perfons 
 really enjoyed thefe divine communications, 
 they would no longer doubt whether they are 
 to be felt or not : the poileliion of thefe Spiri- 
 tual pleafures would convince us of their truth 
 and reality, and filence all our cavils and fcru- 
 -ples concerning them. N'ow therefore what 
 remains but to exhort all p.-of^fibrs of chrifti- 
 anity to follow after thefe fenfible influences, 
 and communications of the Holy Ghofl .^ 
 " " ' Let 
 
Of the HOLY SPIRIT. 183 
 
 Let who will deny the doiftrine of inwardly 
 feeling the Holy Spirit, the church-people 
 cannot, conlifleiitly with their own principles. 
 This I have clearly demonil: rated. And their 
 own Articles, Homilies and Liturgies, I ay them 
 under the f}:rongell: obligations to affert and 
 maintain this dodrine. Neither would I have 
 peifluis efpoufe and vindicate it only as a fci- 
 entific truth, but leek to enjoy the experience 
 of it in their hearts. What lignifies all our 
 religion, unlefs it makes us happy ? Some 
 people have juft religion enough to make them 
 miferable ; they miilake the fhadow for the 
 ■ fubflance, and reft in the letter without the 
 fpiiit : yet it is not religion, but the want of 
 it, that makes iTien miferable. True religion 
 and true happinefs are iofeparable ; and lo far 
 as v/e poileis the one, we Ihall enjoy the other. 
 Some nominal chriftians talk of the doctrines 
 of the gofpel, the graces of God's Spirit, and 
 the privileges of God's children, and yet fc^el 
 .none of thefe things in their hearts; and there- 
 fore all tiieir religion is but lifelefs profeffioa 
 and vain imagination. Unconverted moralifts 
 and formal chriltians may pleafe tliemfelves 
 with modes of worfhip, and ceremonial and 
 legal performances ; but a foul that is truly 
 awakened can never refl: fatished without 
 taftnig the comforts of religion, and enjoying 
 the pleafures of chrillianity. The happineis 
 of religion conlifts in feeling the comforts of 
 the Spirit of God. Seek therefore after God, 
 and never think yourfelves happy till you find 
 him in your hearts, and feel his comfortable 
 prefence. 
 
 N 4 Some 
 
i84 Of the HOLY SPIRIT. 
 
 Some people are filled with a great deal of 
 joy and mirth, and experience fudden flafhes 
 of comfort, which they take to be from the 
 Spirit of God ; but how frequently do they 
 deceive themlelves herein ! Thefe warm emo- 
 tions of the mind often proceed from the ftatc 
 and difpofition of the body ; they fpring from 
 the motion and temperature of the blood and 
 animal ccconomy . How often do we fee vigor- 
 ous, healthy chriflians tranfported with falfe 
 joy ! It is common for young converts to 
 miflake natural zeal and afFeftion for the in- 
 fluxes of the divine Spirit : They are very 
 apt to afcribe that to the operation of the 
 Holy Ghoft, which is owing to the mechan- 
 Ifm of the body. This I jufl mention by way 
 of caution. I would not difcourage the weakeft 
 believer. I know fome chriftians are very fcru- 
 pulous in this cafe ; they are afraid to take 
 comfort when God gives it them ; and are too 
 ready to attribute that to the temperament of 
 their bodies, which really comes from God, 
 and is owing to the influences of the Holy 
 Spirit. I would not offend one of the leaft of 
 thefe : let fuch weak fouls know, that they 
 who are mofl: cautious are in leafl danger. It 
 is in this cafe as in regard to the fm againft 
 the Holy Ghoft, they who are in mofl fear 
 and concern about it are generally fartheft 
 from committing it. Their vigilance is thro' 
 grace their prefervative : fo here, perfons fcru- 
 puloufnefs is frequently a means of keeping 
 them from being deceived. The hafty, the 
 carelefs, and the unguarded, are in moil: dan- 
 ger of being carried away with falfe joys and 
 
 imaginary 
 
Of the HOLY SPIRIT. 185 
 
 imaginary tranfports. But then the weak 
 chriflian is often alkin;?, ^' How fhall I know 
 '' whether my comforts come from God, or 
 " not ?" I anlWer ; Were thefe comforts de- 
 rived to your foul by prayer, by the word of 
 God, by receiving the licrament, or any other 
 appohited means ? If they were, you have rea- 
 fon to think they came from God. Again, do 
 you find that theie comforts and Ipiritual 
 fenfations carry you not to fcftnefs, indolence, 
 or lukewarmnefs ; not to pride, fenf .lahty, or 
 contempt of the weak ; but to humility, to 
 the love of Jciu^.^ and to the tenderefl: fympa- 
 thy and corapaffion for his vreakeft difclples ? 
 If the inward conib!ations you enjoy promote 
 thefe ends, doubt' not, but be afili red they 
 came from God, and are the effecls of his Spi- 
 rit, and evidences of his love to you, Laftiy, 
 Soul, have you had loine inward comfort ? 
 And do you doubt whether it vv'as from God, 
 or n\ot ? Do you tiiink you caufed it yourielf ? 
 Well, try if you can make yourfeif (o again ; 
 fee if thofe comforts are at your command, 
 and if you can have them again jufl: when you 
 pleafe ; if you could make yourfeif fo com- 
 fortable once, why cannot you make yourfeif 
 fo again ? If you cannot, this plainly Ihews 
 thefe inward fenfations of comfort were not 
 from yourfeif, and therefore you m.ay be fatif- 
 fied God was the author and giver of them. 
 This I fpeak for the benefit oi thofe feeble 
 chriftians who are in their minorit}^ Thofe 
 who are more acquainted with God, and walk 
 in clofer communion with God, know the 
 confolations of his Spirit, by the light, povv^er, 
 
 and 
 
i86 Of the HOLY SPIRIT. 
 
 and evidence they bring along with them. 
 The pleafures of God's Spirit are infinitely 
 fuperior to all other pleafures ; and they who 
 have tafted them once, know them again. 
 Perfons that never tafled them, have no know- 
 ledge of their incomparable fvv'eetnefs and 
 tranfcendency. As the fweetnefs of honey is 
 known by tailing it, fo the delights of the 
 Spirit are known by enjoying them. " What 
 *' an heaven do I feel in myfelf, w^hen (after 
 *' many traverfes of meditation) I find in my 
 *' heart a feeling poileffion of my God !" 
 faith bifhop Hall f. Yet do not depend upon 
 thefe inward feelings, but upon the merits of 
 Chrifl: for falvation. If you truft to thefe 
 inward feelings for falvation, then you will 
 have hope fo long as thefe continue ; but when 
 they are gone, your hope will wither, and 
 your faith fail. Our hope of heaven is all 
 founded not upon any thing in ourfel'/cs, but 
 only upon the meritorious death and all-f-if- 
 iicient rightcoufnefs of the Lord Jefus Chrift. 
 When you are under the fenfible manifefta- 
 tions of the divine fwour, rejoice and give 
 God glory : but knov/ this, that when the light 
 of his countenance is hid, liis love is the fame : 
 his love is eternal and immutable. His faints 
 will foon get to heaven, and then they will 
 fee his face without a cloud, and enjoy his 
 beatitic prefence without interruption, and 
 -without end. 
 
 - ^' 
 
 t Dec. II. Ep. I. ' - 
 
 F 1 N I S. 
 
THE MARROW OF THE CHURCH, 
 
 THE 
 
 DOCTRINES 
 
 O F 
 
 CHRIST'S RIGHTEOUSNESS IMPUTED, 
 
 AND 
 
 REGENERATION, 
 
 Fairly Stated and Clearly Demonftrated 
 
 FROM 
 
 THE HOMILIES, ARTICLES ANP LITURGIES 
 
 O F 
 
 THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 
 
 Confirmed by Appofite Tfxts of Scripture, with proper 
 Reflexions, Inferences and Inftruftions annexed to each 
 Head. 
 
 Being fbe Subftance of feveral DISCOURSES 
 DELIVERED AT CAMBRIDGE, BRISTOL, etc. 
 
 By WILLIAM H A M M i > N D, A. B. 
 Late of St. ohn's College in Czmhrdve. 
 
 Speak 
 
 thrx^ 
 
 the 
 
 th. 
 
 ings 
 
 'U 
 
 ■b2C> 
 
 b hti 
 
 'ume 
 
 Jound 
 
 .ocb 
 
 'ine. 
 
 Tit. 
 
 ii 
 
 I. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 P 
 
 A 
 
 R 
 
 T 
 
 11. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed 1; r Henry Trap p, Son-in-Law and Succeflbr t© 
 M. Lewis, N" i, Paternoller-Row. 
 
 M.DCC.LXX1X. 
 
-^>«'<«i— I » t. 
 
 THE 
 
 CONTENTS, 
 
 C H A P. I. 
 Or CHRIST'S Righteousness Imputed.' 
 
 yt Defcriptlon of Righteoufnefs, Adam was perfeiflf 
 .jlJL righteous at the firji creation^ Col. iii. lo. Eph. 
 iv. 24. He and all his pojierity are now dejiitute 
 of original Righteoifnefs. Men firive various ways to at" 
 tain a perfeSl Righteoufnefs. The Righteoufnefs <?/" Gentiles, 
 Jews, and formal Chriftians, is infufficient for "Juflification 
 before God. The term impute explained, fufiiffmg faith 
 looks both to the aSiive and paffwe obedience of Chriji. Mattj 
 feem to hold the SatisfaSlion of Chriji'' s death, but yet deny the 
 imputation of his Righteoufnefs. Chriji'' s Righteoufnefs im- 
 puted proved from the Homily of the Salvation of Mankind^ 
 from the Homily of Chri/l^s Nativity^ and froTfi the Xth Ar- 
 ticle. An ohje5l'ion obviated. This doctrine evinced from th(^ 
 Liturgy. The Scriptures are full of this dodrine, Rom. i. 
 17. — iii. 21, 22. — iv. 6. Archbifhop Uftier maintains 
 the imputation of the Saviour's Righteoufnefs y Rom . v. ig, 
 — X. 3, 4. I Cor. i. 30. 2 Cor. v. 21. Phil. iii. 7, 8, g. 
 Oppofers rebuked from Origin againjl Celfus. The impu- 
 tation of the Redeemer's aiiive Obedience proved and illuf- 
 trated from divers other fcr'iptural arguments. FirJi, Chriji 
 'and his Church are one ; Bifliop Reynolds quoted. Secondly, 
 Chriji in all he did and fuffered was the Reprefentative of all 
 true chrifians. An ingenious and ufeful criticifm on the pre- 
 pofition a>\\ taken from Dr. Edwards. Thirdly^ Chriji is 
 
 our 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 §ur Fcpderal Head. Fourthly^ "J^S^^ ^^ ""*" Surety, Heb. vii, 
 22. Fifthly, We have no Righteoufnefs of our own that wiff 
 avail to our fuflification. Some objeSf, that Chrifl makes na 
 piention of this doctrine in his Sermon on the Mount. Other i 
 eppofe us from Matt. xix. 17. Jll oLjeSJions againjl this 
 ^angelical truth are founded in the Jiate of the heart. AlF 
 who deny the imputation of the Mediator's Rtghteoujnefs to uSy 
 do in effeSf deny his SatisfaSfion. We are not jujlified by the 
 aSf of faith, but by the ohjeSl, i. e. Chrifl \ for want of 
 making which diflinolion, ynany preachers do ur.awares preach 
 yujiipcation by Works. The completenefs and perfe£iicn of 
 ChrijVs aSlive and pajfive Obedience brief y difployed. Poly- 
 carp afferts, that believing in Chrifl is walking worthy of 
 him. The necejjity of thi^ Righteoifnefs infijled upon. A'Ir. 
 ^G.x\\i% quoted. Self-righteous people fpoken to. Bilhop Be- 
 veridge'j and Btlliop Sanderfon'j joint confent to this doc- 
 trine. We mujl not ioln our own righteoufnefs and ChrijVs 
 together. A word to thofe who are inter ejled in this Righte~ 
 §ufnefs. P'iUcarp quoted. Sinners called upon to believe 
 in ChriJVs Righteoufnefs. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 OF REGENERATION. 
 
 TTT^E ^^ujl not jo infifl upon Chrifl without, as to exclude 
 Chrijl within. Chrijl works in us, Phil. i. 6. ii. 
 J3. Heb. xiii, 21. i ThefT. ii. 13. 2 J heff. i. ir. 
 1 Cor. xii. 6. Regeneration is as neceffctry to falvation as 
 yujiificatitn, John iii. 3. Mark xvi. 16. by our Juflifi- 
 Mtion we live legally : i. e. are freed from the curfe of the 
 law ; by our Regeneration we live fpiritually, Htb. x. 38. 
 Eph. ii. I. Regeneration proved from the Homily on Chri/Ps 
 Nativity, from the Homily on Wbitfunday, and tlu Homily 
 
 fQt 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 for Rogation Week. The fame doSirine ajfertid in the Book 
 of Common Prayer.^ the CoUeSi for Ajh -Wednefdaj and the 
 Office of Baptifm. 
 
 I. Regeneration is neceflary to eternal falvaticn, John 
 iii. 5. I Cor. xv. 50. 2 Cor. v. 17. Gal. vi. 15. 
 V. 6. I Cor. vii, ig. j^ll are obliged to keep thofe two 
 commandments of faith and love, i John iii. 23- Ig- 
 natius the martyr quoted. The Nccefjity of our New- 
 Birth in Chriji Jefus might be further /hewed from the 
 fcriptures, the infnite holinefs of God^ and the original and 
 ailual finfulnefs of mankind. Is Regeneration fo necef- 
 fary? Then fearch whether yon are regenerate or not. 
 Bilhop Sander fon's judgment. A young chrifiian is like 
 a young tree. 
 
 II. The New Birth is not the efFeft of man's own 
 will or power, but of the Spirit of God. This is 
 de?nonflrable from the do/^rine of Origifial Sin, John i. 13. 
 James i. 18. I Pet. i. 23. i Cor. iv. 15. Our Saviour 
 delivers this doSlrine, John xv. 5, 2 Cor. iii. 5. Jer. 
 xxxi. 18. Cant. i. 4. Lam. v. 21. Our Church declares 
 it in her Liturpy. A Rotation from Dr. Edwards's 
 Preacher. Sotne think this doSfrine robs man of the freedom 
 of his will, and fo deflro)S his nature. A few things replied, 
 to fuch objectors Firff, If ?nan^s will was fuper [ceded by 
 the Spirit of God in converjion, this would be no diminution 
 of his happinefs. Secondly, Peccability is no dcftrable 
 thing. Thirdly, They are truly free, whom the Son 
 makes free, John viii. 34, 36. All others are the 
 Servants of Corruption, 2 Pet. ii. 19. Fourthly, God does, 
 not dejiroy the will, ^but only gives it a right turn-, Pfal, 
 ex. 3 Hof. xi 4 Tins rnatter is clearly decided by our 
 Ejiahlijhed Church in her Xth Article. Regeneration 
 further proved from Ezelc xxxvi. 26 Biftiop R^'y- 
 jiolds quoted. Tit. iii. 5, Some afn^ why then are we 
 
 exhorted 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 ixhorted to repented and turn to God ? F'lrfi^ Exhorfatkns 
 of this kind are generally exprejfed pajjively in the Nev/ 
 ^ejiame7it. Secondly^ What God exhorts us to do, he hath 
 fromijed to do for us. A'Jany great and glorious privi- 
 leges follow upon our Regeneration. 
 
 Iir. The fruits and effects of Regeneration are faith, 
 love, I John v. i. Non-commilTion of fin, i John 
 iii. 9. Vi6\ory over the world by faith, 1 John v. 4. 
 Firji^ its pleafures. Secondly, its croffes. Thirdly, its 
 cares, A defire of the fincere milk of the word, i Pet. 
 ii, 2« Dr. Edwards qucied They who are born of God 
 "Will bring forth thefe fruits. Matt, vii. 10. John xv. 2. 
 viii. 39. Chriji is cur life. If you believe in Chn'/f, 
 you are born of God, and need never q.ueflion your Se- 
 cond Birth. 
 
 
C H A P. L 
 
 O F 
 
 CHRIST'S RIGHTEOUSNESS 
 
 IMPUTED. , 
 
 I 
 
 ENTER upon this head with much the 
 more freedom and pleafure, becaufe it is 
 one main branch of the grand do6lrine 
 of juftification, which is a dodtrine as 
 wholfome as it is true, and as comfortable 
 as it is neceflary ; and this article with me is 
 never irkfome or unfeafonable ; but I could 
 dwell upon this fiibje6l for ever. 
 
 Righteoufnefs is a perfedt conformity to 
 the righteous law of God : a perfon is righte- 
 ous when all the thoughts and inclinations of 
 his heart, and all the words and actions of 
 his life, are every way agreeable to the divine 
 will and commandment. A righteous man's 
 will coincides with the will of God, his un- 
 derftanding is filled with the knowledge of 
 the Lord, and all his faculties are exerted in 
 obeving his God : all his afFedions centre in 
 
 O God; 
 
194 0/* Christ's Righteo-ufnefs Imputed.. 
 
 God; God is the object of his delight and 
 happiiiefs, and in his .heart there is no devi- 
 ation from God ; no, not one. In this ftate of 
 ^erfe6lion and righteoufnefs was Adam at his 
 firfl creation ; he v/as created in knowledge, 
 righteoufnefs, and true hoUnefs *. He was a 
 perfe6l pattern of his Maker, and a living 
 image of that God who formed him : his na- 
 ' ture anfwered to the divine nature juft as the 
 impreffion upon wax anfv/ers to the feal that 
 made it. Thus holy and righteous was mail 
 in his firfl: eftate ; and he continued to be pof- 
 fefTed of this righteoufnefs as long as he was^ 
 obedient to his Creator ; but as foon as ever 
 he difobeyed the divine command, he lofl All 
 his hoiinefs and righteoufnefs- at once ; he 
 emptied himfelf of every fpark of goodnefs, 
 and was full of all manner of wickednefs ; he 
 forfeited ail his primitive purity, and became 
 a finful, impure^ .and unrighteous creature^ 
 Hence it is that ail mankind are deflitute of 
 original righteoufnefs, and there is none of the 
 children of nien righteous ; no, tiot one : there 
 is none that doeth good ; no, not 07ie, Rom. iii^ 
 lo, 12. How then ihall man be righteous be- 
 fore God ? Or by wliat meaii^ iliall he recover 
 that righteoufnefs \v\\ic\\ he hath lott ? This, 
 indeed is a queflion which natural reafoii. 
 could never anlwer ; and although men have 
 tried various ways to obtain a perfed righte- 
 oufnefs, yet all their labours have proved 
 abortive, and their attempts luccelslefs ; and 
 
 * Col. ill. lo. Eph. iv. 24. 
 
 none 
 
(y Christ's Rlghteoufnefs Imputed. 195 
 
 none of thofe vA\o followed after rlghteoufnefs 
 obtained it, excepting thofe only who followed 
 after the rlghteoufnefs ivhlch Is of faith, Rom, 
 ix. 30, 31, 32. The Gentile philolbphers 
 fought after righteoufnefs by following the 
 dictates of natural reafon, and obferving the 
 common rules of morality. The jewifh pha- 
 rifees expelled to attain a juftifying righte- 
 oufnefs by pra^lifing the moral commands 
 and ceremonial inftitutions of the Mofaic law. 
 Formal chriftians think to gain righteoufnefs 
 by obeying the morals of the gofpel, as they 
 ufuallyexprefsthemfelves. But neither Jewifh 
 nor Pagan morality will juflify us before 
 ■God, All ielf-jufticiaries, whether Heathens, 
 Jews, or Chriftians, fland upon the, fame 
 foundation, viz. their own righteoufnefs, 
 which is a fandy foundation, upon which 
 whofoever builds his hope of falvation, his 
 building will certainly fall, and great will be 
 the fall of it. All felf-righteoufnefs, by what- 
 foever name it is called, whether you ftile it 
 Natural Religion, or Chriftianity, is equally 
 defpicable in the fight of God, , and equally 
 unavailable to our juflification. The only 
 righteoufnefs that will recommend us to God, 
 and gain us accefs into the kingdoiTi of hea^ 
 ven, is the righteoufnefs of Chrift imputed 
 to us by God, and apprehended by faith. 
 We have no righteoufnefs of our own, hut 
 the righteoufnefs of Chrift it is wherewith 
 we are invefted, and wherein we appear righ- 
 teous before the Moft High God. This righ- 
 teoufnefs is not of nature, but of grace; and 
 O 2 there- 
 
196 0/Christ's Rlghteoufnefs Imputed. 
 
 therefore it is not faid to be innate, but im- 
 puted ; becaufe our, heavenly Father moft 
 freely and gracioufly imputes or accounts it ■ 
 ours to all intents and purpofes cf juftifica- 
 tion and falvation. 
 
 The word impute (in the Greek Aoy/^co-S-cii) 
 is ufed no lefs than ten times * in the fourth 
 chapter of the epiftle to the Romans, and it 
 properly fignihes to efteem a perfon who hath 
 not done a thing, as though he had done it ; 
 thus apoflle Paul deiires Philemon, if Onefi- 
 mus had wronged him or owed him any 
 thing, to place it to his account -f-, or efteem 
 the injury or debt his, though he never con- 
 trailed it. On the contrary, 'not to impute^ li 
 to efteem him who hath done a thing as tho' 
 he had not done it : thus the apoflle prays 
 that the iin of thofe who forlbok him may 
 not he laid to their charge j, though they had 
 committed it. And this interpretation of the 
 word very well fuits our prefent purpofe, and 
 clearly illuftrates the cafe before us ; for our 
 fins which we ^have adually committed are 
 not Imputed to us ; we who have done evil are 
 looked upon by God in Chriif as if we had 
 not done it, becaufe God doth not Impute our 
 irefpajfes unto us, Rom. iv. 8. 2 Cor. v. 19. 
 On the other hand, that rlghteoufnefs, which 
 not we, but Chriil: performed, is ncverthelefs 
 imputed unto us, as if we ourfelves had per- 
 
 * Ver. 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, o, 10, 22, 23, 24. 
 
 f .TbTo f|!/,oi iKKqUu Fhileni. \er. 18. 
 \ IA\ ayVj ?>ol*;7G/i;i. 2 Tim. iv. 16. 
 
 formed 
 
O/* Christ's Righteoufnefs Imputed. 197 
 
 formed it, Rom. iv. 24. 2 Cor. v. 21. Ac- 
 cordingly our juflification confifts (as I have 
 before Ihewed §) botji iti the non-imputation 
 of our fins to us, andaifo in the imputalion of 
 Chrift's righteoufuefs to us. 
 
 We are juftified both by the active and 
 pailive obedience of Jefus Chrift. A foul that 
 hatli true, living, juftirying faith, looks both 
 to the blood and alfo to the righteoufnefs of 
 Chrifl:; fhe beholds the fufferings of Chrift's 
 death and the obedience of his Ufe, and fo 
 receives remiffioa of fins and free juftifica- 
 tion. 
 
 There are many who feem to allow th^ 
 atonement and fatisfaclion Chrift made by 
 his death, who yet deny the imputation of 
 his a6live righteoufnefs unto us ; and yet one 
 of thefe is as clearly contained in fcripture as 
 the other, and they both are declared in the 
 Plomilies, Articles and Liturgies of the Church 
 of England. 
 
 The Homily of the Salvation of Mankind 
 avers, that Chrift paid " the price of our 
 " redemption by the offering of his body and 
 '* fhedding of his blood, with fulfdUng of the 
 " law pcrfeotly and throughly." Not only 
 the oblation of Chrift's body and bloody but 
 alfo his fulfilling of the law for us, is requi- 
 fite to our eternal falvation. There is no fal- 
 vation Wiihowt fulfilling the law perfeSily ; we 
 do not fulfil the law perfectly ourielves, but 
 
 § See the Firft Part of my Medulla^ Chap. I[. 
 
 O 3 Chrifl 
 
1^^ Of Christ's RighteDufnefs Imputed,' 
 
 Chrifl hath fulfilled it for us, and therefore 
 we are faved. We are looked upon as ful- 
 fillers of the law, becaufe Chrifl hath fulfilled 
 It for us. The infinite juftice of God requires 
 not only a full fatisfa6:ion for all our breaches 
 of the law, but alfo a perfed obedience to 
 the law ; wherefore it is loon after added, 
 " the juftice of God confifteth in paving our 
 *' ranfom, and fulfilUng of the lazv :" Chrift 
 did both thefe, and fo latisfied the divine 
 juftice, and procured the favour of God for 
 us. 
 
 This v/holfome doftrine is elfe where in 
 the fame Homily delivered to us in tliefe 
 words, " He [God] provided a ranfom for 
 *' us, that was the mofr precious body and 
 " blood of his own m.ofl dear and beloved 
 *' Son, jefus Chrift ; who oefides this ranfom 
 *' fulfilled the law for us perfe3lv.*^ If Chrifl 
 had been only man (as the Socinians aflert) 
 then his obedience to the divine law v/ould 
 have been his bounden duty, and fo would 
 have profited none but himfelf : but lince he 
 was God as well as man, this added an infi- 
 nite merit to his a6live obedience, and ren- 
 dered it infinitely available for the reconcili- 
 ation and falvation of all who put their trufl 
 in him. TJie Socinians deny the divinity of 
 Chrift, and io (confiflently enough with 
 themlclves, how inconfiflent foever with the 
 gofpel) deny the imputation of his legal righ- 
 teouihefs unto us ; and all they who hold 
 this latter opinioii of theirs, do unwarily fall 
 into the former. 
 
 The 
 
0/* Christ's Righteoufnefs Imputed. 199 
 
 The Homily on Chrifl's Nativity informs 
 us, that " the end of his coming was to fave 
 '' and deliver his people, to fulfil the law for 
 ■** z^j-," &c. We have broken the whole law, 
 Chrifl: hath fulfilled it : We have omitted all 
 righteoufnefs, and committed all unrighte- 
 oufnefs ; Chrifl hath fulfilled all righteoufnefs. 
 Matt. iii. 15. And he fulfilled it for us and 
 in our ftead, and this was the end and intent 
 of his coming into the world. " So that (as 
 the Firfl: Part of the Homilv of Salvation con- 
 eludes) " Chrifh is now become the righte- 
 " oufnefs of all them that do truly believe 
 " in him. He for them paid the ranfom by 
 " his death. He for them fulfilled the law in 
 ■*' his life^ What words can be plainer 1 
 And I would alfo allc, In what fenfe, or with 
 what propriety of fpeech could Chrifl be faid 
 to have fulfilled the law for us in his life^ un- 
 lefs his perfedl obedience and conformity to 
 the divine law v/as imputed to us ? It is 
 therefore admirably well faid by our excellent 
 Church in her eleventh Article, " We are 
 " accounted righteous before God, only for 
 *' the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jefus 
 *' Chrifl by faith''' Obferve, we are ac- 
 counted *, for this righteoufiiefs is not ours 
 
 bv 
 
 * This exaft'.y agrees with the apoftle's way of fpeaking, 
 Rom. iv. 3. Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto 
 him for righteoufnei" ; and ver, 5. faith is counted for righteouf- 
 nefs ; and ver. 6. God i?nputeth righteoufnefs without works ; 
 and ver. 9. faith was nckoned to Abraham for righrcouinefs ; 
 and ver. 24. to us alfo Ihall ChrilVs righteoufnefs be itnputed, 
 
 if we believe. So that you fee how our Church and the 
 
 O 4 fcri^- 
 
2oo Of Christ's Righteoufnefs Imputed. 
 
 by nature, but we have It of the free grace of 
 God in Chrift. This righteoufnefs is ours, 
 not by infafion, nor by inhelion, but by im- 
 putation. God does not account us -righteous in 
 ourfelves, or " for our own works or deferv- 
 " ings," as it follows afterwards, but " for 
 *' the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jefus 
 *' Chn^iby faithy We have no righteoufnefs 
 of our own, but the righteoufnefs of Chrifl 
 its imputed to us, and God accounts us righte- 
 ous in him. We know of no righteoufnefs 
 but the righteoufnefs of faith. We truft in 
 no other righteoufnefs for falvation, but the 
 righteoufnefs of the Mediator, which is im- 
 puted to us by God, and apprehended by 
 faith. The judgment of God is according to 
 truth : God therefore does not account us 
 riffhteous in ourfelves (for this would not be 
 true), but he accounts us righteous in the 
 righteoufnefs of our Lord and Saviour Jefu? 
 Chrifl', as faith the fcripture, we are made the 
 righteoufnefs of God in him^ 2 Cor. v. 21. 
 
 Further, here is an objection obviated ; for 
 whereas fomc are ready to afk, If we have re- 
 miffion of lins by the death, and fufferings of 
 Chrill, what need have we of the imputation 
 of his active obedience unto us ? Or other- 
 wife. If we are juftified by his active obe- 
 dience, what occalion have we for his paffivc I 
 Our judicious reformers here teach us, that 
 
 frnptnres coincide ; and yoe cannot but obferve at the fame 
 time how grofsly nillakcn they are who pretend to lay that 
 thsre-is no mention of 7>/,;^^ai'frf' righteoufnefs in fcripture. 
 
 Chrifl'a 
 
Of Christ's Righteoufnefs Imputed. 201 
 
 ChrilVs a6live and pafTive obedience both go 
 together, and ought never to be feparated. If 
 you feparate thele one from the other, you 
 run yourfelf into endlefs error and confafion ; 
 ahvays therefore remember to take them both 
 together, and never attempt to put afunder 
 what God hath joined together. And may 
 the Son of God write thefe tv<JO evangehcal 
 truths in all our hearts, " He for us paid 
 " our ranfm by his death : He for us fulfilled 
 '* the lanv in his life : fo that now in him, 
 ^* and by him, every true ciiriflian man may 
 ^' be called a fulfiller of the law, forafmuch 
 " as that, which their iPiiirmity lacked, 
 *' Chrift's juftice bath fupplied." 
 
 I think I fhould not do well in paffing over 
 a particular paflage in our Common Prayer, 
 which by many is little taken notice of, tho* 
 it clearly contains this doctrine : you will 
 ikid it in the Communion Service ; the words 
 are thefe, " We do 7tot preliime to come t6 
 ^' this thy table trufling in aur own right eouf 
 " nefs^ but in thy manifold and great mer- 
 " cies." — Now, if we do not truf in our own 
 righteoufnefs y we mull: truft in Chrift's ; for 
 there is no medium ; and you will not (I fup^ 
 pofe) venture to affirm we may come before 
 God without any righteoufnefs at all ; yet we 
 have no righteoufnefs of our own wherein to 
 appear before tlie mofl High ; where then 
 fhould we have righteoufnefs, but in Chrift ? 
 This we poflefs by faith, and fo (as the 
 apoflle fpcaks) we have great boldnefs . aud 
 free accefs to God with confidence by the faith 
 
202 O/* Christ's Righteoufnefs Imputed. 
 
 of him. Some think to compromife the mat* 
 ter, by joining our own righteoufnefs and 
 Chrift's together ; and fo the prayer of the 
 Papifl juft anfwers their purpofe, " Lord 
 " Jefu, join, I pray thee, mv righteoufnefs 
 " with ail that thou haft done and fuftered 
 " out of thy great love and obedience *. 
 Now, ihould you like to make ufe of fuch a 
 prayer as this ? and yet it exactly fuits your 
 cafe, if you join your own righteoufnefs with 
 Chrift's in the affair of faivation. Remember 
 therefore, as often as you receive the Lord's 
 fupper in the Eflablifhed Church, you re- 
 nounce your own rigiiteoufnefs, and truil: in 
 ChrilVs ; otherwife, you are an hypocrite, 
 an unworthy communicant, a mocker of God ; 
 and you eat and drink judgment \ to yourfelf, 
 , The fcriptures are full of this doctrine; 
 for therein is the righteoufnefs of God revealed 
 from faith to faith, Rom. i. 17. It fhines both 
 in the Old Teftament and in the New. We 
 ihall at prefent confine carielves ciiiefiy to 
 the latter. And nc-where in fcripture is the 
 
 J. 
 
 imputation of Ciirift's righteoufnefs more 
 clearly fet before us than in Rom. iii. 21, 22. 
 But now the righteoufnefs of God -without the 
 hiw is manifefed, being witnejfed by the law 
 £ind the prophets ; even the righteorfnefs of 
 God, which is by faith of jcfus Chrif unto all. 
 
 * Domine Jcfu, conjunge, obfecro, obfi:(]uium meum cum 
 omnibus qux ru egifti et paffu- es ex tani perfttfta charitate Si 
 obedicntia. Jch.-i?:. Poland. Method, in aJJu.v. Morient. 
 
 f KgljiAflt, i Cor. xi. 29. 
 
 md 
 
Of Christ^s Righteoufiiefs Imputed. 203 
 
 and upon all them that believe — Obferve here, 
 firft, the righteoufnefs of Chrift is twice 
 called the righteoufnefs of God^ and that for 
 thefe two realbns ; firft, becaufe it is God*s 
 flated method of juftifying finners by imput- 
 ing it to them : All who are juftified, are juf- 
 tified by Chrift's righteoufnefs. This is the 
 only way of j unification and falvation ; and 
 without this righteoufnefs no foul ever was, 
 no foul ever will be juftified before God. Se- 
 condly, Chrift is God, John i. i. God over 
 all blejfed for ever^ Rom. ix. 5. and therefore 
 his righteoufnefs is truly and properly the 
 righteoufnefs of God, fo called by way of emi- 
 nence, and in contradifl:in6lion from, and in 
 pppolition to all creature righteoufnefs what- 
 foever. And this I take to be the principal 
 reafbn why St. Paul fo much delights to call 
 Chrift's righteoufnefs the righteoufnefs ofGod^. 
 Secondly, this righteoufnefs is faid to be with- 
 out the law, the righteoufnefs of God without 
 the hi'W is manifefed — We mufl never at- 
 tempt to mix our own legal righteoufnefs and 
 Chrift's righteoufnefs together, for this is in 
 effedl mingling light and darknefs. We mufl 
 therefore always keep thefe feparate, as the 
 Greek word Xw^i? j^^ftlv informs us. And in- 
 deed the righteoufnefs of Chrill: is fo perfe<5t 
 and complete in itfelf, that it flandeth in no 
 need of the addition of our legal obedience to 
 it, either before, at, or after our juflificatlon. 
 Thirdly, this righteouliiefs is witnejfed by the 
 
 ■§ See Rom. i, 17.— —x, 3. Philip, iii. 9, 
 
 law 
 
204 Of Christ's Righteoufnefs Imputed. 
 
 law and the prophets. — Thus faith Mofes, he 
 (Abraham) believed hi the Lord', and he 
 counted it to him for righteoufnefs. Gen. xv. 6. 
 And the prophets bear ample teflimony to 
 this truth ; thus Ifaiah, Surely, fall one fay. 
 In the Lord have I right eon fiefs a?id Jirength, 
 xlv. 24. — And again, xlvi. 12, 15. Hearken 
 unto me, ye f out-hearted, that are far from 
 rlghteoifnefs, I bring 7iear my righteouf fiefs : 
 it fall not be far off, and my righteoufnefs fall 
 not tarry. — And liii. 11. By his knowledge 
 fhall my righteous Servant juftify many. — So 
 alfo Jer. xxiii. 5, 6. I will raife unto David a 
 righteous Branch — and this is the fiame whereby 
 he fall be called. The Lord our Righteous- 
 ness. And xxxiii. 15, 16. / will caufe the 
 Branch of righteoufnefs to grow up unto Da- 
 vid--flje fall be called. The Lord our righte- 
 oufnefs. So alfo the pfalmifl, defcribing a ci- 
 tizen of Chrifl's fpiritual kingdom, faith, He 
 fall receive the blejfng from the Lord, and 
 righteoufnefs from the God of his falvation, 
 xxiv. 5. And the fame divine writer declares 
 that he preached the doctrine of Chrifl's righ- 
 teoufnefs in the great congregation., Pfa. xl. 9, 
 10. and Ethan the Ezrahite, Ipeaking of the 
 people of God, faith, hi thy name fall they 
 rejoice all the day : and in thy righteoufnefs 
 fhall they be exalted, Pf. Ixxxix. 16. The pro- 
 phet Daniel bears as clear a teftimony to this 
 do£lrine as any of them ; Seventy weeks are 
 determined upon thy people, and upon thy holy 
 city, to finif the tranfgreffion, and to make an 
 end of f?iSj and to make reconciliation for ini-. 
 
 quity. 
 
Of Christ's Righteoufnefs Imputed. 205 
 
 qu'ity^ and to bring in everlajilng righteoufnefs^ 
 Dan. ix. 24. Fourthly, This righteoufnefs is 
 by the faith of fj^fus Chrft unto all and upon 
 all them that believe : So that all who have 
 faith, have this righteoufnefs. Would you 
 know' how to obtain a faving righteoufnefs ^ 
 The only way is, to believe on Jefus Chrifl:. 
 This righteoufnefs is freely given to all them 
 that believe : therefore only believe, and you 
 Ihall receive the gift of righteoufnefs^ Rom. v. 
 17. God is willing to give you this righte- 
 oufnefs ; and if you do not receive it, it is be- 
 caufe of your unbelief. God holds out this 
 righteoufnefs to you ; and if you will not ac- 
 cept it, it ihev/s that you are obftinate and felf- 
 righteous. Nothing hinders you from em- 
 bracing this righteoufnefs, but your own in- 
 fidelity. Hath therefore this been an obftacle 
 in your way for a long time ? Now by the 
 grace of God break through it, hearken to 
 the devil and unbelief no longer ; in the 
 ftrength of God burft all the bars of miferj 
 and iron that lie in your way, and take hold 
 on Chrift for frength and righteoufnefs. But 
 why does the apoftle fay not only unto all, 
 but upon all them that believe ? To account 
 for this, we are to take notice that thi3 ri2:h- 
 teoufnels is called fine linen. Rev. xix. 8. 
 ivhite raiment, Rev. iii. 18. the hef robe, Luke 
 XV. 22. the wedding garment, ]\fatt. xxii. 11. 
 Accordingly the apoftle fays to the Romans, 
 put ye on the Lord Jefus ChriJl-^Th.^ * Greek 
 
 * Y.'Jo{/(rxah, Rom. xiii. 14. and E.i's^v?'«i7&s, Gal. iii. 27. 
 
 word 
 
2o6 Of Christ's Rlghteoufnefs Imputed. 
 
 word fignifies to put on as a garment, and fo 
 is figuratively applied to the foul, whofe 
 filthy garme?its are taken away, and who is 
 clothed "with change of raiment "t? "^^iz. with 
 the righteoufneis of the Lord Jefus. This 
 therefore fliews us with what a beauty and 
 propriety the phrafe (sVl Ts-av^c.q) upon all is here 
 ufed by the infpired orator. i 
 
 Rom. iv. 6. Even as David alfo defer ibeth 
 the blejjednefs of the man to whom God imputeth 
 righteouftiefs without works. If by righteouf 
 nefs we allow our adverfaries here to under- 
 ftand juftification, it will follow that juftiti- 
 cation is without works, which is a dodlrine 
 they diflike as much as the imputation of 
 Chrift's righteouf fiefs. But when the apoflile 
 fpeaks of 'God's imputing lighteoufnefs, he 
 plainly points at the a(flive righteoufnefs of 
 our Saviour, which is made over to us by an 
 a£l of imputation, whereby God juftilies Im- 
 ners. The formal caufe of our j unification is 
 " the gracious imputation of God the Fa^ 
 " ther, accounting his Son's righteoufnefs 
 " unto the (inner, and by that accounting 
 *' making it his to all effects, as if he him- 
 " felf had performed it |." And obferve, 
 this righteoufnefs is imputed without works^ 
 jufl: as in the foregoing text without the law\ 
 This a6t of imputation is an adl; of God's grace, 
 -whereby he confers Chrift's righteoufnefs 
 upon us, and places it to our account, with&jit 
 any works of ours to make us worthy or meet 
 
 t Zech. iii, 4. X Archbifliop Uftier. 
 
 tQ 
 
Of Christ's Righteoufnefs Imputed. 207 
 
 to receive it. This righteoufnefs is given to 
 finners who have done no good works, yea 
 on the- contrary all manner of evil works ; 
 thus it was freely heftowed on Rahab, on 
 •the Jailer, Ads xvi. on the thief on the 
 crofs, yea on-thofe vile wretches who cruci- 
 jied the Lord of life and glory who wrought 
 out this righteoufnefs for us, A£ts ii. 23, 41. 
 lii. 25. iv. 4. If it fhould be aiked, how can 
 this interpretation of the text be accommo- 
 dated to the apoftle*s quotation, Blejfed is the 
 ma?i to 'whom the Lord will not impute fm f 
 The anfwer is, where the Lord doth not im- 
 putefin^ there he iw.putes Chrift'^s righteoufnefs* 
 The non-imputation of fin and the imputa- 
 tion of righteoufnefs always go together : 
 David very well knew this, and confequently 
 •while he defcribes the bleflednefs of the man 
 to whom the Lord will not impute fin^ he 
 does at the fame time defcribe the bleffednefs 
 of the man to whom God imputeth Chrif^s 
 righteoifnefs. The Jews gloried much in 
 having Abraham for their Father, the apoftle 
 therefore very fuitably fhews them that Abra- 
 ham was iuftified bv having Chrifi's righte- 
 oufnefs imputed to him ; and fince Abraham 
 the father of us all was accepted of God by 
 virtue of a righteoufnefs imputed, the apoftle 
 from thence juftly concludes, that all the 
 faithful are reconciled to God in the fame way 
 and manner : Now it was not written for his 
 fake alotte^ that it was imputed to him, but for 
 us alfo to whom it fa-ll he imputed, if we be- 
 lieve 
 
2o8 Of Christ's Righteoufnefs Imputed. 
 
 lieve on him that raifed up Jefus our I^ordfrorti 
 the dead, ver. 23, 24. 
 
 So again chap. v. ver, 19. For as by one 
 maris difobediencc, many were made Jinners ; 
 fo by the obedience of one, fhall many be made 
 righteous. The apoftle here draws a plain 
 parallel between the lin of Adam and the 
 righteoufnefs of Chrifl, informing us, that as 
 by the imputation of Adam's dtfohedience to 
 us, many, i. e. all are made firmer s ; 'fo by the 
 imputation of Chrift's a<£tive obedience to us, 
 many, i. e. ail chriftians are made righteous* 
 As we are made or confiituted finners in Adam, 
 fo we are made righteous in Chrifl: ; but we 
 are confiituted finners in Adam by imputation, 
 therefore wt. are made righteous in Chrift by 
 imputation alfo. This is the plain meaning 
 of the words of the text, without any violence 
 or diftortion. And this I clearly faw fome 
 years ago. I once oppofed the dodlrine of the 
 Saviour's righteoufnefs imputed (as we all do 
 while we are in a ftate of felf- righteoufnefs), 
 but when this text was produced in proof of 
 that falutary dodlrine, it ftruck with liich 
 power and convid:ion upon my mind, that I 
 knew not how to withftand the evidence. 
 And I heartiiv pray God, if any of you who 
 hear me this day are ignorant of, or enemies 
 to this fpiritual truth, this text may be a 
 means of opening your eyes, and turning you 
 from darknefs to light, and from the power 
 of Satan unto God. If any fhould here ob- 
 je<fl that the word 'TTraxo^?, here tranflated obe- 
 dience^ only fignifies Chrift's death and fufFer- 
 
Of Christ's Rlghteoufiiefs Imputed. 209 
 
 ings, K e. his paflive obedience, becaufe it is 
 faid he became obedient unto deaths and h^ 
 learned obedience by the things which he fuffered, 
 Philip, ii. 8. Heb. v. 8. It may be fufficient 
 to reply, Firft, that fince the obedience here 
 fpoken of flands oppofed to Adam's a£t of 
 di [obedience, it muft mean Ch rift's a£live obe^ 
 diefice. Secondly, what is here ftiled 'TTraxotJ? 
 is called Atxaioo-uvr,? and A»x«»a;/*a]S>', ver. 17, 18. 
 and tranflated righteoufnefs in both places, 
 and properly fignifies Chrift's adlive righte* 
 mfnefs. Thirdly, Chrift's adlive and paffive 
 obedience always go together, and are nev^er 
 to be feparated, as we have before fhewed. 
 
 h\ the tenth chapter of this epiftle the 
 apoftle complains of the people of Ifrael, that 
 they being ignorant of God^ s righteoufnefs, and 
 going about to ejlablijh their owfi righteoufnefs^ 
 have 7iQi fubmitted themfelves unto the righte- 
 oufnefs of God. The righteoufnefs of our 
 blefled Saviour is here twice called the righ* 
 teoufnefs of God, as in Rom. iii. 21, 22. The 
 Jews were ignorant of this righteoufnefs, and 
 lb highly conceited of the worth and excel- 
 lency of their own righteoufnefs, that their 
 proud hearts would not fubmit (for indeed it 
 is a great ad: of fubmijjion wholly to renounce 
 our own righteoufnefs, and wholly to truft in 
 Chrift's righteoufnefs) tbemfehes unto the righ- 
 teoufnefs of God. And io it is in our day, 
 pride and ignorance are the caufe of men's not 
 fibmitting to the right eou fiefs of the Son of 
 God. Self-righteous people are ignorant of 
 the iniurficiency of their own righteoufnefs, 
 
 P they 
 
210 Cy Christ's Righteoufnefs Imputed, 
 
 they are ignorant of the all-lufficiency of 
 Chrifl's righteoufnefs ; they fee not the fin, 
 folly, and danger of trufthig in themfelves 
 that they are righteous, and therefore they 
 feek *, they try this way and the other to 
 ejlahliflo a righteoufnefs of their own, and de- 
 fpife and reject the righteoufnefs of God. This 
 is the way of felf-righteous unbelievers. But 
 Chriil is the end of the law for righteouf- 
 nefs to every one that believeth^ ver. 5. All 
 who believe in Chrift, poflefs a perfect righte^ 
 oufnefs in him, and the righteoufnefs of the 
 law is at an end. The Jews followed after 
 righteoufnefs by the works of th^ law, but then 
 in appearance only, and not in reality ; as it 
 were t, i- e. feemingly, and not really : they 
 were not hearty and earneft in the purfuit of 
 it. The cafe is jud: the fame with our mo- 
 dern legal judiciaries ; they feek righteouf- 
 nefs by their own good works, but then it is 
 apparently, not really : If they would once 
 fet themfeh'es in earneft to fulfil every jot 
 and tittle of the law, they would be foon 
 convinced they could do notliing, thqy would. 
 find themfelves miierable, undone linncrs, 
 and be obliged to fly to Jefus Chrifl: for re- 
 fuge, righteoufnefs, falvation and redemption. 
 The apoilile delivers the fame doctrine in 
 both his epiflles to the Corinthians. In his 
 firft epiftle, chap. i. ver. 30, he faith, but of 
 him are ye in Chrift Jefus, who of God is made 
 unto us wifdom, and righteoufnefs, and fandti- 
 
 • ZJiloijIsj. t 'i^Jj Rom. ix. 31, 32. 
 
 fcatioriy 
 
Of Christ's Righteoufhefs Imputed. 211 
 
 Jication, and redemption. We are nothing, but 
 Chrlfl is our all. Chrift is one perfedt and 
 undivided Saviour, hut he is laid to be made 
 to us all thefe particulars in relation to our 
 neceffities. Chrift is all we want, and what- 
 Ibever we ftand in need of we poflefs in him. 
 Chrifl: is our 'w'jfdom : in him are hid all the 
 treafures of ivifdom and knowledge^ Col. ii. ^. 
 and of his fulnefs all we receive, John i. 16. 
 Chrifl: is our righteoufnefs ; bccaulc his righ- 
 teoufnefs is imputed to us. Chrifl is made 
 unto us of God fanclification or holinefs J. In 
 ourfelves is no fanSiification ; all our fan^ifi- 
 cation is in Chrifl. Chrifl is our fa?i£lifcation. 
 We have no holinefs at all in us : all our 
 holinefs is in Chrift our head. When we fee 
 ourfelvtis unholy and unfan6lified, we look 
 up to Chrifl our fa7i5i if cation, and we know 
 of no other holinefs or fan^ if cat ion than what 
 we pofTefs by faith in him ; hence we receive 
 forgivenefs of fins, and an inheritance among 
 all them that are fandlified by faith in hin:^ 
 A(fls xxvi. 18. Laflly, Chrifl is our redemp- 
 tion : He gave himfelf a ranfom for all, i Tim. 
 ii. 6. He hath given himfelf a facrifce for us, 
 Eph. vi. 2. Heb. ix. 26. By the oblation of 
 his body and the effulion of his blood he hath 
 purchafed redemption of the body, Rom. viii. 
 23. and eternal redemption both of foul and 
 body, Heb. ix. 12. 
 
 So 2 Cor. v. 21- — that we might be made 
 the righteoufnefs of God in him. Chrifl was 
 
 P 2 made 
 
212 0/Christ's Righteoufiiefs Imputed. 
 
 made^/^, and we are made right eoujnefs. God 
 made him who knew no fin to he fin for us ; 
 
 that we might he made the righteoufnejs of God 
 in him. As Chrifl was made ^« for -a, finner 
 (for the abil:ra6l is here put for the concrete) 
 by the imputiition of our fins to him, fo wc 
 are made righteoifnefs or righteous perfons hy 
 the imputation of his righteoifnefs to us. And 
 as Chrift knew no fin, i. e. perfonally and in- 
 triniically, but yet was a linner imputativelj* ; 
 fo we perfonally and intrinlically know no 
 righteoifnefs^ i. e. have no righteoufnefs of our 
 own, but yet we are righteous imputatively, 
 and are therefore faid to be made the righteoif- 
 nefs of God in him. This i^clear : and I know 
 no text of fcripture wherein this double impu- 
 tation oi fin and right e^oufnefs is more clearly 
 exhibited, and oppofed to each other. Our 
 fins are imputed to Chrift, and Chrift's righ- 
 teoufnefs is imputed to us. 
 
 Phihp. iii. 7, 8, 9. But ivhat things were 
 gain to me^ thofe I counted lofs for Chrifi \ 
 yea douhtlcfs, and I count all things hut lofs 
 
 for the excellcncv of the knowledge of Chrifi 
 fefus my Lord: for ivhom I have fuffered the 
 lofs of all things, and do count them hut dung 
 that I may win Chrifi, and he found in him, 
 7iot having mine o".vn right Lovfnefs 'which is of 
 the Idiv, lull that 'ivhich is /hro* the faith of 
 Chrifi, ihc rigl^teoufnefs which is of God hy 
 
 .faith. I [ovv cariicll tiic- apofllr here is ! He 
 wit.b all his might difclaiins his own righte- 
 oufncfs, wvA the one fole dehre of his ht-art is 
 to be found in ChriA's meritorious righteouf- 
 nefs.. 
 
O/* Christ's Righteoiifiie/s ImputecJ. 213 
 
 nejs. The apoftle calls his own righteoufn fs, 
 a righteoufnefs which is of the laiv, i. e. an 
 obedience to the moral and ceremonial law 
 of Mofes. Of this the apoflle gives us a pai- 
 ticular account, ver. 5, 6. Circuincifed the 
 eighth day^ of the Jiock of Ifrael^ of the tribe 
 of Benjamin^ an Hebrew of the Hebrews ; as 
 touching the law, a pharifee ; concerning zealy 
 perfecuting the church ; touching the rigtcoufnefs 
 which is of the law, blamelefs. All thel'e 
 things the Jews gloried in, and the apoflle 
 himlelf once efleemed them gain ; but after he 
 faw the grace and righteoufnefs of Chrifl, he 
 counted them drofs, lofs and dung^ or ofals *, 
 fit for nothing but fc be thrown to dogs ; and 
 therefore he threw them away for the excel- 
 lency of the knowledge of Chrijl Jefus his 
 Lord, for whotn he fufered the lofs of all things, 
 not only his worldly honours, interefts, and 
 perferments, but his felf-wifdom, felf-righ- 
 teoufnefs, felf-holinefs, &c. &c. So although 
 you, my beloved brethren, have been bora 
 within the pale of the chriflian church, and 
 baptized the eighth day ; although con- 
 cerning zeal you may have perfecuted ail 
 that were not of your own way of thinking, 
 and have lived concerning the righteoufnefs of 
 the law (according to our modern expolitions 
 of it) blamelefs ; though you have repeated 
 forms of prayer without number, and faded 
 twice a week, and have had many good 
 thoughts, good difpofitions, and the utmoft 
 ■ 1 III > — ' ■ ■ 
 
 P 3 fmcerity; 
 
214 O/* Christ's Righteoufnefs Impirted.- 
 
 fiucerity ; though you have been ever fo cafe- 
 ful to abftahi from all fin, and have done as 
 much righteoufnefs as ever you poffibly could, 
 yet you muft fuffer the lofs of all tbcfe things ; 
 all this is but a legal righteoufnefs, and you 
 muft count it lofs, you mufl abfolutely re- 
 nounce it as to all trufl and dependence, or 
 elfe you can never be faved. Obferve further, 
 the apoftle renounces his righteoufnefs done 
 after converfion as well as before, he had faid 
 in the pail: tenfe I counted ^, ver. 7. but then 
 in the eighth he fays / count, I do count -f, in 
 the prefent tenfe. The apoftle Paul had been 
 a converted man near tliirty years when he 
 wrote this epiftle ; he haa preached the gof- 
 pel from Jerufalem to Illyricum, Rom. xv. 
 19. he had laboured more abundantly than they 
 ally I Cor. XV. 10. he had fufFered more than 
 the reft, 2 Cor. xi. 21. ad jineni, he had en- 
 joyed vijtons and revelations, xii. i, 2, &c. 
 Yet all this he tramples under foot, he counts 
 it but lofs and dung in comparifon of Chrift*s 
 righteoufnefs. And thus you muft ferve all 
 your own righteoufnefs. Your legal righteouf- 
 nefs both before and after juftilicatiou figni- 
 fies nothing ; it has no caufal influence into 
 your falvation. Never therefore mention 
 your own righteoufnefs ; make mention of 
 Chrift's righteou fiefs, and his only. Chrift 
 hath done all, Chrift hath fufFered all. Talk 
 not of what you futfer, but of what Chrift 
 hath fufFered for you. Never think of what 
 
 »i I 'I ■ I I I I 
 
 you 
 
O/'Christ's Righteoiifnefs Imputed. 215 
 
 voii do, but rejoice in wh^t Chrifl: hath done 
 for you. Lallly, St. Paul calls it the righte- 
 oufnefs which is through the faith of Chrijt^ 
 the righteoufnefs which is of God by faith. 
 What a ftrefs the apoflle here lays upou 
 Faith ! Faith in Chrifh is all in all in the 
 chriftian religion; and if you have no faith^ 
 you have no religion. What do you want ? 
 Have faith in Ciirill, and you poiiefs it. Do 
 you want wildom? Have faith in Chrift. 
 Do you want righteoufnefs ? Have faith in 
 Chrill. Do you want holinefs ? Have faith 
 in Chrifl. Do you want redemption ? Have 
 faith in Chrill:. By fiith we are jufiified^ by 
 faith we are fancltfied^ by faith we are faved^ 
 Rom. V. I. Acts xxvi. 18. Eph. ii. 8. All our 
 religion confifls in believing in Chrift. This 
 is a mylfery to carnal people : thev cannot 
 receive it ; they feoff at it, and ridicule us for 
 this foolifefiefs of preaching, I Cor. i. 21. 
 They cry out, " You preach up an implicit 
 *' faith ; you make faith in Chrifl the whole 
 
 " of chriflianity rit is but believing in 
 
 " Chrifl, and all is well.*' Now fee how 
 thefe modern defpilers and ridiculers agree 
 with the old heathen perfecutors ; for thus 
 Origen tells us the heathens ridiculed the 
 primitive chriftians, faying, " Don't fland 
 "' examining, only believe, your faith will 
 *' fave you *." This is the language of our 
 prefent adverfaries ; they laugh at the Vv^ord 
 faith, and ridicule believing as a cant term. 
 
 * M>j l^tTCLif ocXhx TOiftfO-oj', tsifn; cb cruiffu 7(, Or/'', cont, 
 Celf. Lib. 1.' 
 
 P 4 Elpe- 
 
.ii6 Of Christ's Righteoufnefs Imputed. 
 
 Efpecially the imputation of Chrift*s righte? 
 bufnefs is a doctrine which nature cannot bear, 
 although it is as true as the fcriptures of God. 
 
 And as this dodlrine is founded upon many 
 direct; texts of fcripture, fo it is confirmed 
 and illuftrated by a variety of fcripture argur 
 ments, which are thcfe that follow. 
 
 Firfl, Chrift and his church are one : be- 
 lievers are one with Chriil: and Chrifl with 
 them^ as our Church expreffes it *. There 
 is a real, vital, fpiritual union between the 
 Lord Jefus and all the faithful. Accordingly 
 our Lord prays that they all may be one^ as 
 thou Father art in me^ and I in thee ; that they 
 alfo may be one in us^ John xvii. 21. What an 
 intimate and myflerious union is here in-r 
 tended ! Our Lord compares it to the union 
 there is between the Father and himfelf. This 
 union is fometimes reprefented to us by the 
 imion of the members with the body^ or the 
 body with the head^ I Cor. xii. 12, 13. Eph. 
 iv. 15, 16. Col. ii. 19. Sometimes it is com- 
 pared to the union of the vine and branches^ 
 John XV. 5. And fom.etimes it is refembled to 
 the conjugal union of hup and and wife^ Eph. 
 V. 23, 29, &c. For as the head and members 
 make oiie complete body^ or as the "Sine and 
 branches make one natural tree, or as the 
 hupand and wife conftitute one legal perfon, 
 {o Chriil: apd his difciples are one. And a 
 verj' deep, clqfe, and myftical union it muft 
 be which the fcripture reprefents to us under 
 /o many figures and fimilitudes ; all which 
 
 * Communion Service. 
 
 '' are 
 
Of Christ's Righteoufnefs Imputed. 217 
 
 are ufed by the Holy Ghoft to adapt it to our 
 finite capacities. By virtue of this our inef- 
 fable union and conjun6tion with Chrift, 
 Chrift and we are one body. Hence when 
 we believe in Chrift, we partake of his righ- 
 teoufnels which is by God imputed to us for 
 our juftification. For faith is " Vinculum ^ 
 *^ injlrumentum imionis (as one of our divines ]; 
 *' calls it) the bond of union between us and 
 ** Chrift, and by that means makes way for the 
 " imputation of Chrift's righteoufnei's to us." 
 Secondly, Chrift was our reprefentative ; 
 h^ perlbnated us all, and reprefented us before 
 God, and upon this account his righteoufnefs 
 is imputed to us. One reafon why Adam's 
 fm is imputed to all mankind is, becaufe Adam 
 reprefented all his natural pofterity, and 
 therefore they all are looked upon by God as 
 having committed the offence which he com- 
 mitted. So Chrift being the reprefentative 
 of all chriftians, his righteoufnefs is imputed 
 to us and placed to our account as much as if 
 we had performed it, Rom. v. 19. Chrift and 
 we made an exchange ; we exchanged our 
 fins for his righteoufnefs. Chrift ftood in the 
 finner's place ; he took upon him our fins, 
 and he puts upon us his righteoufnefs. We 
 are finners, but Chrift is our Saviour : We are 
 dead, but Chrift is our life : We are nothing, 
 but Chrift is our all : We are empty, but 
 Chrift is our fulnefs ; and of his fulnefs have 
 all we received, and grace for grace y John i. 16. 
 Xap>v Kv\\ xap'l^* '' Every grace in Chrift is 
 
 X Bifhop Reynolds. 
 
 *' rec- 
 
21 8 0/* Christ's Righteoufnefs Imputed. 
 
 reckoned ours, and efleemed as fuch. For 
 the prepofition avU, which is here tranflated 
 for^ is a word of imputation and of coimnuta- 
 tion. It is ufed in tne facred writings, and in 
 other good authors, when one is reckoned in 
 the place of another, and one thing is fub- 
 ftituted and changed for another. Give unto 
 them the tribute-money for thee and me^ 
 Matt. xvii. 27. that is, in thine and my 
 ftead. For one morfel of meat he fold his 
 birthright^ Heb. xii. 16. that is, he changed 
 his birthright for it. From which accep- 
 tation of the word we J earn how to und^r- 
 fl:and and apply it in the text before us. 
 When it is faid, that of Chri{l*s fulnefs 
 we receive even grace for grace, the ge^- 
 nuine fenfe is, that every grace in Chrift 
 is made over to us, and is reckoned as ours. 
 There is a change made between him and 
 all true believers. As he takes upon him 
 their fins, fo his righteoufnefs is imputed 
 to them. This is fitly expreffed by the 
 prepofition dv\\ for ; and to receive grace 
 for grace is as if it had been faid, All that 
 grace and righteoufnefs which is in Chrifl 
 Jefus our Lord is transferred to us by God 
 and accounted as our own, when he jufli- 
 fies us *.'* 
 
 Thirdly, Chrift is our foederal head, or 
 head in covenant. God covenanted with the 
 firfl Adam for himfelf and all his race, fo 
 that they all were to fland or fall in him. If 
 he had fulfilled the conditions of the cove- 
 
 • See Dr. Edwards on Faith and Juftification. 
 
 nant, 
 
Of Christ's Righteo-ufnefs Imputed. 219 
 
 nant, all his cjiildren would have enjoyed the 
 benefit of it. But he finned againfl: God, 
 broke the conditions of the covenant, ruined 
 himfelf, and entailed a curfe and condemna- 
 tion upon himfelf and all his pofteritj. They 
 all linned in him and fell with him in his 
 firft tranfgreffion. The covenant of works be- 
 ing broke, a way is opened for the declaration 
 of a covenant of grace. Now Chrift is our 
 covenant-head ; he entered into covenant 
 with God for us ; he Ihed his blood for us, 
 which is therefore called the blood of the 
 everlajihig covenant^ Heb. xiii. 20. The Lord 
 Jefus perfectly fulfilled all the conditions of 
 this covenant; he made full latisfaftion for 
 our fins, and performed a perfect righteoufnel* 
 for us. He yielded an unfinning obedience to 
 the divine law. This he did in our ftead ; 
 and we ftand in him as our covenant-head ; 
 and being conlidered in this relation to him, 
 we are looked upon by God as if we had ful- 
 filled all tlie articles of the covenant. His 
 obedience is reputed ours, and v/e are efleemed 
 righteous and obedient for his fake. Compare 
 Gen. ii. 16, 17. Hof. vi. 7. Rom. v. 14. i Cor. 
 XV. 22, 45, 47, 48. 
 
 Fourthly, Jefus was our furety. By fo 
 much ivas Jefus a furety of a better tefiament 
 or covenant^ Heb. vii. 22. What a furety 
 does, is reckoned to the account of him in 
 whofe ftead he acts. If a man'becomes furety 
 for a debt, he is as much obliged to pay it (if 
 the perfon whofe furety he is proves infolvent) 
 as if he had contracted it himfelf. And if a 
 
 furety 
 
220 Of Christ's Righteoufnefs Imputed. 
 
 furety pays a debt, it is looked upon by the 
 c reditor as i f the original debtor had paid it him- 
 felf, and hereupon hedifcharges him. Thisjuft 
 illuftrates the cafe. Sins are debts, and iinners 
 are debtors : God is the creditor. We all are 
 iinners, and have contracted a debt, the leafl 
 mite of which we are unable to pay. Chrift 
 voluntarily became our furety, and took upon 
 him the whole debt, and paid it all off by the 
 oblation of his deatli rnd the righteoufnefs of 
 his life. This is intimated to us by the word 
 Myl'Q'^ai, which the apoflle fo often ufes Rom. 
 iv. This word is taken from the accompts that 
 fland between a creditor and his debtors. 
 And fince Chrlft was our furety^ God our 
 creditor places to our account the fufFerings 
 and obedience of Chrift, he makes them over 
 to us, and imputes them to us as much as if 
 ^^e had done and fuffered what Chrift did and 
 f'.atered ; and fo we are difcharged. When 
 therefore the devil, the accufer of the brethretiy 
 Ipreads a long bill or catalogue of our lins 
 before us, we only look * to Jcfus our furety, 
 tttid v/e fee the whole debt paid, and the bond 
 cancelled. 
 
 Fifthly, We have no righteoufnefs of our 
 own tojultify us, we muil therefore be jufli- 
 
 • Saving faith is exprefled by looking., Ifa. xvii. 7. xlv. 22, 
 Heb. xii. 2. &c. As Mofes lifted up the ferpent in the wildcr- 
 nefs, fo was the Son of Man lifted up, John iii. 14. As the 
 Jews were cured ot the bite of the liery ferpents by looking up 
 to the brafen ferpent, Numb. xxi. 7, b, 9. i"o are fouls cured 
 of fin and the bite of that old ferpent the devil by looking 10 
 Jefas Chrift by faith. 
 
 fied 
 
Of Christ's Rlghteoufnefs Imputed. 221 
 
 fied by Chrift's righteoufnefs, or not at all. 
 In ma?iy things we offend all ; and whofoever 
 Jfmll keep the whole law^ and yet offend in one 
 pointy he is guilty of all, James ii. 10. iii. 2. 
 Who is there then among us can plead. Not 
 guilty ? What then is all our righteoufnefs 
 worth ? It is no better than filthy rags, Ifa. 
 Ixiv. 6. It cannot fland the teft of God's 
 juflice, it will not bear e;xamining, it falls in- 
 finitely fhort of the demands of the divine 
 law, and can never juftify us before God. 
 All our good works are defiled with lin, and 
 odious in the fight of God. Jerufalem who 
 trufteth in her own riphteoufnefs is as a men- 
 flruous woman. Lam. 1. 17. But thofe who 
 are citizens of Jerufalem 'which is ahove, caft 
 away their own righteoufnefs as a menftnious 
 cloth, Ifa. XXX. 22. They take hold oi the co- 
 venant, thev take hold of Chrift for ftrength 
 and peace, Ifii. xxvii. 5. Ivi. 4. For our own 
 righteoufnefs affords us neither flrength nor 
 peace. We mufl utterly defpair of falvation 
 if we had no better righteoufnefs than our 
 own to trufl in. Therefore the neceflity we 
 have of Chrifl's righteoufnefs, and the ex- 
 tremitv we are in without it, may ferve to 
 convince us of the goodnels of God in fo 
 feafonably providing it for ns. And this righ- 
 teoufnefs every way luits our purpofe, it fully 
 anfwers all our neceffities, (lands conmenfurate 
 with the divine commands, fatisfies the di- 
 vine juiVice, and is in every refpecl fufiicient 
 .to purchafe the* remiflion of our fins, and 
 merit our juil:iticatiori before God, Therefore 
 
 we 
 
22 2 Of Christ's Righteoiirnefs Imputed, 
 
 we believe in Chrift, we rely upon his righ- 
 teouliiefs (for faith is exprefl'ed by relying^ 
 1 Chron. xiii. i8. xvi. 8.), and fo are juft and 
 righteous in the eyes of our Lord and Maker. 
 Some object, that our blefled Lord in his 
 Sermon on the Mount preaches up moral du- 
 ties, and makes no mention at all of imputed 
 righteoufnefs, or of iurtihcation by the obe- 
 dience of another, which to be fure .(fay the 
 obje£lors) he would have done, if that had 
 been an article of fo great importance, and ib 
 very neceffary to falvation. This objection 
 does nothing more than Ihew the ignorance 
 of thofe who make ufe of it. For whofoever 
 reads the fifth of St. Matthew with a dif- 
 cerning eye, will there find that our Saviour 
 aflerts the do6lrine of imputed righteoufnefs 
 two ways : Firft, implicitly, by giving the 
 moral law its full fcope and tenor, and exlii- 
 biting it in its largeft extent and utmoil: fpl- 
 rituality. Accordingly he faith, Blejfed are 
 the poor in fp'irit, the mourners^ the meek^ the 
 merciful^ the pure in hearty &c. &c. This im^ 
 plies that thofe who have not thofe graces 
 are accurfed ; and who is there of us that 
 hath them in us by nature ? Therefore we all 
 naturally fall under the curfe. Again, in 
 ver. 28. our Lord faith, whofoever looketh on 
 a ivomnn to hift after her^ hath committed 
 adultery with her already in his heart. Is a 
 hijl or dell re of the heart adultery ? Who then 
 is innocent ? Let him go free. If what our 
 Lord here faith be true (as it moft certainly 
 is), will not this condemn every man living 
 
 for 
 
0/'Christ*s Righteoufiiefs Imputed. 223 
 
 for an adulterer, and every woman living 
 for an adultercfs ? Obferve further, wbofo- 
 ever jhall fay to his brother^ thou fool^ Jlmll 
 be in danger of hell-fire^ ver. 22, And the dil- 
 ciple whom Jefus loved learns his IMafler's 
 language, and fays, whofoccer hateth his bro- 
 ther is a murderer^ i John iii. 15. Is hatred 
 of our brother murder ^ Does calling our bro- 
 ther fool endanger us to hell-fire ? Who them 
 can expe^fl to efcape ? Therefore to fum up 
 the whole, are all deftitute of the mceknefs^ 
 purity^ and poverty of fpirit here recommend- 
 ed ? Have all committed adultery in their 
 hearts ? Are all murderers ? Then what a 
 damnable condition fhquld we all be in if we 
 flood upon our own works for juftification 
 before God ! Is not our own morality, or ra- 
 ther immorality, enough to djtmn us ? And 
 do we not tremble at the thoughts of depend- 
 ing upon it for falvation ? All this may in- 
 fallibly convince us of the abiblute impoffi- 
 bility of being juftihed by our own righteouf* 
 nels, and of the abfolute neceffity of being 
 jiiftitied by faith in'the righteoufnefs of Chrift 
 only. Secondly, explicitly, ver. 20. except 
 your righteoufnefs fhall exceed the righteoufnefs 
 of the fcribes and pharifees, ye fljall in ?io wife 
 enter into the kingdom of heaven. Here the 
 righteoufnefs of the fcribes and pharifees is con- 
 demned, and herein all the righteoufnefs of 
 all natural men and unbelievers univerfally. 
 And mention is made of a righteoufnefs that 
 exceeds it ; and what can this be, but the 
 righteoulhcfs of the Lord Jefus applied by the 
 
 Holy 
 
2 24 Of Christ's Righteoiifnefs Imputed. 
 
 Holy Spirit and apprehended by faith ? So 
 that here we have an explicit declaration of 
 Chrift's ri^hteoufnefs, which God places to 
 our account, and for which he juftifies us. 
 
 Again, it is objeded, that our Lord fays to 
 the rich youth, Matt. xix. ij* if thou ivilt 
 "enter Into Vfe^ keep the commaiidments : From 
 hence it is concluded, that keeping the com- 
 mandnients is the condition of entering into 
 life. It is true indeed if we do keep the com- 
 mandments^ vv^e fnall enter into life ; fo faith 
 the law, the man that doeth them, pall live in 
 them. Gal. iii. 12. But then who is there 
 keeps the commandments f And what will be- 
 come of thofe who do not keep them ? Ctirfed 
 is every one that continueth not in all things 
 which are written in the book of the law to do 
 them, ver. 10. If therefore you will be faved 
 by the law, you mufl do all things the law 
 requires, yea you muft continue to do them 
 from the fii'ft moment of your life to the lafl:, 
 or elfe you are loft and cur fed to all eternity. 
 What flefh can be faved then by the works 
 of the law ? But it is ufually afked, Why did 
 our Saviour prefcribe this to the young man, 
 if he knew it was impoffiblc for him to obey 
 his advice ? Firft, Our Lord faw he was too 
 highly conceited of his own works : this the 
 qucftion plainly fhews, IVhat good thing pall 
 I do that 1 may have eternal lije ? He was for 
 doing fomething eminently good and great in 
 order to merit eternal lije. Our Lord there- 
 fore fends him to the law to humble his pride, 
 and convince him that he could do no good 
 
 thing. 
 
ty Chiiist's Righteoufnefs Imputed. 225 
 
 things and that in his Jle/Jj dwelt no good thing. 
 Secondly, The youth fays, j^ll thefe things 
 have I kept j'rom my youth up, ver. 20. This 
 fhevvs that he was totally Ignorant of the cor- 
 ruption of his l^eartj totally ignorant of the un- 
 righteoufnefs of his life, and totally ignorant 
 of the purity and perfection of the divine law. 
 Otherwife his language would have" been juft 
 the reverfe of this : and inftead of faying, All 
 thefe have I kept, he would have faid, All 
 thefe have I tranfgreffed from my youth up. 
 But he perfifting to ju/lify himfelf, our Sa- 
 viour put him upon the trial. Go fell that thou 
 haft, and give to the poor^, ver. 21. At this the 
 felf- righteous creature went away for row ful, 
 difcovering thereby his inordinate love of the 
 world, and fhewing that he preferred earthly 
 treafufes before heavenly. Thirdly and Laflly, 
 T'he law is a fchoolmafler to bring us to Chrift, 
 that we might be juflified by faith. Gal. iii. 24* 
 When a man is convicted of his guilt and 
 danger by the law of works, he is forced to 
 flee from the wrath to come, and lay hold of 
 Chrifl that he may be juflified by faith. This 
 is a way wherein fouls are led from under the 
 law to Ghrift. Our Saviour feems to have 
 taken this courfe with the young man, but 
 his difobedience proved his ruin. 
 
 But I fliall not ftand to anfwer any more 
 objections ; for they are all founded in the 
 flate of the heart. Men know not the want 
 of this righteoufnefs, and therefore they ob- 
 ject againil it ; they know not the value of it, 
 and therefore they flight it. The iji fe nil bill ty 
 
 CL of 
 
226 Of Christ's Rightetmfnefs ImpTjted, 
 
 of their indigence fupplies them with a fund 
 of cavils and objections, all which are anfwered 
 at once as foon as they are convinced of tin,, 
 unbelief, interna! iniquity, external impiety, 
 and felf-righteoufnefs. Wlien men find the- 
 want of Chrift's righteoufnefs, they will thea 
 know the worth of it ; they will have nothing 
 to obje(ft againft it, but blefs God for pro- 
 viding it for theiTf)!. 
 
 The imputation of Chrift's active obedience 
 and his fatisfa£lion for fin are both founded 
 upon the fame principle, viz. that one may 
 vrndertake or become furety for another ; and 
 that what the one does and fuffers, may be 
 transferred to the other.. Thofe therefore 
 who allow that Chrift was our furety^ muft 
 grant not only that he made fatisfadllon for 
 our fins, but alfo tha't his active obedience is 
 imputed to us : and they that deny the latter, 
 do in effect reiwunce the former. If Chrifi: 
 might in confequence of his furetifhip fuffer 
 for our fins, why might he not alfo upon the 
 lame principle work out a perfect righteouf- 
 nefs for us. ? Is not one of thefe as reafonable 
 as the other ? And if you admit one of thefe, 
 have you not as good reafon to admit both t 
 But if you reject either, you have as good 
 ground (and that is fuft nonse at all) to rejedl* 
 both. The Socinians deny the atonement of 
 Chrift's death, and fo in confiftence with their 
 own fcheme renounce the doctrine of his 
 righteoufnefs imputed ; and if you difclaim 
 this latter, vou muft eaftiier both. 
 
 We 
 
Of Christ's Righteoufnefs Imputed. 227 
 
 We are juflified by Chrifl*s righteoufnefs 
 or a6tive obedience : This is the matter of 
 our juftification. God imputes this righteouf- 
 nefs to us ; faith apprehends this righteouf- 
 nefs, and fo we are juflified before God. We 
 are juftified by faith, not by the a£t of faith, 
 as an act which we (thjough grace) exert, 
 or as anexercife of our own minds. To aflert 
 this, would be in effect to maintain juflifica- 
 tion by works, and to fay we are juftified for 
 fomething in us or done by us, which is di- 
 redly oppoiite to that of the apoftle, Rom. 
 iii. 24. being juflified freely by his grace ^ thro* 
 the redemption that is in Chrift Jefus, Now 
 we fhould not be juftified freely and of grace 
 but of debt y if we were juftified by faith as an 
 adl, work, or exercife of ours, Rom. iv. 4. 
 We are no more juftified by faith as an a£t 
 of ours, than by hope, love, or any other fruit 
 of the Spirit. When therefore we fpeak of 
 being juftified by faith, we do not mean by 
 faith as our a(51:, but by the obje(Sl of faith, 
 i. e. Jefus Chrift. And this is no needlefs or 
 frivolous diftin6tlon ; for you will obferve 
 many preachers, who with a great zeal and 
 air of free grace declare for juftification by 
 faith, by faith alone, in the ftrongeft manner 
 poflible ; yet for want of duly making a dif- 
 tin£tion between the a6t of faith and the ob- 
 je<5l, they do all the while unawares preach 
 juftification by works. Faith is nothing of 
 itfelf : it muft always be taken with its ob- 
 je(^, or elfe it is nothing worth. The blood 
 and righteoufnefs of Chrift are the ground 
 0^3 and 
 
Z28 0/ Christ's Righteoufnefs Impiited. 
 
 and foundation of our acceptance with God. 
 And what is faith without thefe ? It is nothing 
 but a withered hand. Therefore all the glory 
 of our juftification is to be afcribed to Christ 
 ALONE, and not to our faith, nor anv thins: 
 in us, nor any thing done by us. 
 
 Hence therefore we fee how full ^and per- 
 fed the righteoufnefs of Chrift is : It is fuf- 
 ficient to juftify us, without any thing of our 
 own. This righteoufnefs was accompliilied 
 by the eternal and only-begotten Son of God, 
 and therefore its worth and <excellence muft 
 bciar proportion to its divine Author. The 
 righteoufnefs of Chrift is in every refpe<St 
 anlwerable to the ftridlelt demands of God's 
 law, and the fevereft exatlions of his juftlce. 
 Is the divine commandment exceeding broad'? 
 Yet the obedience of Chrift is as broad and 
 extenfive. It is fo pure, that the holinefs of 
 (jod can difcern no fpot in it ; it is fo univer- 
 fal and uniform, that his infinite juftice can 
 find no fault with it. Hath not God there- 
 fore magnified the law ? Hath he not ?nade it 
 houour'able ? Is not the obedience of Chrift a 
 greater honour to the divine law than if men 
 and angels nnd all finite creatures whatfoever 
 had obeyed it ? All thefe could have yielded 
 but the obedience of finite creatures, but the 
 obedience of Chrift is the obedience of the 
 Creator, and is infinite. As by the facrifice 
 of Chrift's death a greater recompence was 
 made to rlie injured juftice of God than if all 
 mankind had lliil'ered eternally ; fo bv his ab- 
 f)Kite conformity to the divine command- 
 ments, 
 
(y Christ's Righteoufnefs Imputed. 229 
 
 ments, the law was more highly honoured 
 than if it had been fulfilled by all intelligent 
 beings, whether human or angelical. Chrilt 
 hath fuffered all, Chrift hath done all for us, . 
 and we have nothing to do but to believe that 
 he hath done all for us. And this faith is 
 the gift of God, Eph. ii. 8. Only believe^ faith 
 our Saviour, Luke viii. 50. This is a myftery 
 to the children of this world, and carnal rea- 
 foners efteem it foolilhnefs. " If we walk 
 ** worthy of Chrift (fays Polycarp) we (hall 
 *' alfo reign with him, i. e. if we believe *. 
 So that according to this apoftolic father be- 
 Ueving in Chrift is walking worthy of him^ 
 and we have nothing to do but to believe in 
 Chrift. And even this belief or this faith is 
 not our own work, but the work of God and 
 his gift^ John vi. 29. Eph. ii. 8. Therefore 
 all is of grace. 
 
 Indeed if Chrift had lefc one fin unfatisfied 
 for, we could never have made fatisfadlion for 
 that fuigle offence, and fo muft have perillied 
 for ever. And if Chrift had left but one of 
 the leaf commandments unfulfilled, that com- 
 mandment we could never have fulfilled, 
 and fo we could never have been faved. 
 Suppofe we had finned only in one fingle turn 
 or thought of the heart, luppofe that after- 
 wards we had kept the whole law in thought, 
 word and deed, yet our prefent or future obe- 
 dience could never make amends for that one 
 
 'iptTivofj^iv. Polycarp, EpilL ad Philip, 
 
 () 3 offence, 
 
230 0/" Christ's E^ightcoiifnefs Imputed. 
 
 offence, though it were but a fuigle deviation 
 of the heart from God for the fpace of a mo- 
 ment. All our prayers, tears, humiliation, 
 <?onfeffions and penances, can never wafh out 
 the flain of the leafl fni. The fire of hell it- 
 felf cannot purify us from the pollution of 
 iin.. Nothing but the precious blood of Chr'ifi 
 can purge our fouls from fin. And his blood 
 cleanfeth us from all fn. He hath atoned for 
 all our fins, the greatefl as well as the leaft, 
 therefore in him and by him we are jujiified 
 from all, A6ts xiii. 39. The fatisfadtion of his 
 death is complete, and the righteoufnefs of 
 his life is complete ; and this is the only foun- 
 dation of our comfort and falvation. What 
 fay you then, my brethren ; do you not fee 
 the completenefs and all-lufficiency of the 
 Saviour's righteoufnefs ? And does not this 
 fweetly allure and incline your hearts to rely. 
 upon it ? Come then, put your whole truft in 
 the righteoufnefs of the Lord Jefus. Depend 
 upon Chrifl, and nothing elfe. Have you 
 lived in fin ? Yet the righteoufnefs of Chrift 
 is free for you ? Have you lived in unclean- 
 pefs, in fwearing, in lying, perjury, and 
 drunkennefs ? Yet the righteoufnefs of Chrift 
 is fufficient to cover all your unrighteoufnefs. 
 Put on this robe by faith, and all your fin, 
 fhame, and nakednefs is hid. In this righte- 
 oufnefs you fland holy, unblameable and un- 
 reproveable before the throne of God. Build 
 upon this foundation, and your building fhall 
 ftand. Venture upon Chrifl's righteoufnefs, 
 itnd ^ou fhall never mifcarry, you Ihall never 
 '"""''"' be 
 
O/* Christ's Righteoufnefs Imputed. 231 
 
 l>e confounded. This rlghtedufnefs is the 
 only fource of comfort and peace of con- 
 fcience. This righteoufnefs will be your fup- 
 port when your flelh and your ftrength fail 
 you. This righteoufnefs is the only medicine 
 to heal a broken heart, it is the only remedy 
 againft the power of fin, the terrors of Satan, 
 and the lymptoms of defpair. 
 
 But further, if the fullnefsand all-fufficiency 
 of this righteoufnefs does not attract and in- 
 vite you, does not the neceffity of your con- 
 dition force and conftrain you to take hold of 
 it ? Sinners, w4rat will you do without 
 Chrift's rls:hteoulnefs ? What will become of 
 you ? Dare you appear before God as you are ? 
 Will you prefume to appear at the tribunal 
 of God in your own filthy rags ? Will not the 
 prefence of God frighten you into hell ? How 
 will you fland. in the day of judgment ? All 
 who have not Chrifl's righteoufnefs muft go 
 to hell. And without this righteoufnefs you 
 will have no comfort at the hour of death. 
 Now perhaps you live in carnal eafe and fe- 
 curity ; but how foon will death overtake 
 you ! And then what will become of your 
 vain confidence, and worldly happinefs ? Will 
 the multitude of your riches lave you from 
 going down to the pit ? Or will the number 
 pf your friends and relations afford you any 
 relief? Beware lejl he take thee away with his 
 Jiroke : then a great ranfom cannot deliver thee, 
 IFill he ejieeni thy riches ? no, not gold ; ?ior 
 all the forces of Jlrength, Job xxxvi. 18, 19. 
 Thej that trufi in their wealthy and hoaji them- 
 Qj. fclvcs 
 
2.32 Of Christ's Righteonfnefs Imputed, 
 
 felves in the multitude of their riches : none of 
 them can by any means redeem his brother, nor 
 give to God a ranfom for him : for the re' 
 demption oj the foul is precious, and it ceafeth 
 for ever, Pf. xlix. 6, 7, 8. When therefore 
 you are at the point of death, and theprefcrip- 
 tions of phyficwns, the endeavours of your 
 neareft and deareil relatives, and all human 
 affiftances fail you, what will you do, if you 
 have not Chrifl's rightcoulnefs to take com- 
 fort in ? " /\ death -hed (fays Mr. Jenks) may 
 " hring them to Bellarmine's Tutissimum 
 '' EST — and the worfe that I wifh them is, 
 '' that they may find mercy from the Lord 
 *' in that day. — But at prefent I cannot tliink 
 " they arc in any good way for it. And O ! 
 " how jufl were it with God at lafl: to bar 
 " up that refuge out of which they now fo 
 " ftudioufiv ihut themfelves * !" 
 
 But fome there are who truf in themf elves 
 that they are righteous, and defpife others : they 
 think thcmfelves righteous enough without 
 the righteonfnefs of Chrift. Thefe are they 
 of whom our Saviour fpeaks, / am not come 
 to call the righteous, but' finners to repentance, 
 Alatt. ix. 13. Thefe are of the number of thofe 
 ninety and nine jiifi perfo'ns which need no re- 
 pentance^ Luke XV. 7. If you difcourfe with 
 one of this fort, he will immediately juftify 
 himfelfby giving you a long catalogue of his 
 good works, he will make a confeflion of his 
 torm.il rlghteoufnefs and almofl-chriftianity : 
 
 'f occ Jenks's Siibmifilon ro the Righteoufnefs of God. 
 
 " I be- 
 
Of Ckrist*s Righteoufnefs Imputed. 233 
 
 " I believe all the articles of the chriftian 
 " faith ; I do as well as I can, and what do 
 *' you require more ? I have been a chriftian 
 " all my life-time, I have believed in Chrift 
 " from my youth up ; I go to church, and 
 " lay my prayers, and receive the facrament ; 
 " I have many good thoughts and difpofi- 
 *' tions, and I would be better if I could; I 
 '* am conftant at faying my morning and 
 " evening prayers; I take care to pay every 
 " body their own : if I lin, I repent ; I know 
 *' God requires no more of me than I am 
 " able to do : I do not live in any wilful fin, 
 *' I pra(flife my duty (as far as I know) in 
 '* every particular ; and therefore I hope I 
 " fhall be faved at lafl — I am in the way to 
 *' heaven, am I not r" And is this all your 
 religion ? Is this all your chriftianity ? Then 
 it is juft equivalent to none at all ; only with 
 this differenpe^ if you had not fo much felf- 
 rightepufnefs to truft in, perhaps you might 
 be more ealily induced to truft in the righte- 
 ouinefs of Chrift. All the works of righteouf- 
 nefs you have reckoned up you may perform, 
 and yet be in a natural ftate. All your reli- 
 gion is but the religion of Gentile philofo- 
 phers : It is the religion of Jewifti pharifees 
 and of almoft-chriftians. The devil often ap- 
 pears in a faint's drefs. Thofe who think 
 themfelves the moft righteous, are always the 
 the moft unrighteous. Verily I fay unto you^ 
 that the publicans and the harlots go into the 
 kingdom of God before you. Matt. xxi. 31. If 
 you are righteous in your own eyes, then the 
 
 devil 
 
^34 0/ Christ's Rlghtcoufnefs Imputed. 
 
 devil is as good a chriflian as you. Have you 
 ever been convinced of your own unrighte- 
 oufnefs ? Are your idols abolifhed ? Are you 
 ftript of all felf- dependence ? Are all your 
 falle hopes thrown down ? Is tranfgreilion 
 finilhed ? Is the everlafting righteoulhefs of 
 Jefus brought into your foul ? If not, all 
 your religion is but hypocrify, and your fo- 
 lemn duties are an abomination. When the 
 Comforter is come, he will convince you of 
 fin^ and of right eoufnefsy and of judgment^ John 
 xvi. 7, 8, 9. Then you will bewail the lofs 
 of original righteoufnefs, you will fee thro' 
 your mock religion ; the malk of a pharifaical 
 righteoulnefs will be taken off, and you will 
 juftify yourfelf no longer ; you will fpeak 
 a quite different language, and your fpeech 
 will be the language of your heart. My late 
 lord of St. Afaph feems to have had a con- 
 vi(5tion of this, and therefore he declares his 
 mind in the following words : *' I do not re- 
 member, neither do I believe that 1 ever 
 prayed in my life-time with that reverence, 
 or heard with that attention, or received 
 the facrament with that faith, or did any 
 other work whatfoever with that pure 
 heart and {ingle eye as I ought to hav& 
 done. Infomuch that I look upon all my 
 righteoufnefs but as filthy rags, and it is 
 in the robes only of the righteoufnefs of 
 the Son of God that I dare appear before 
 the Majefl:y of heaven -f-." To the poor 
 
 t Bifhop Beveridge's Private Thoughts. 
 
 the 
 
Of Christ's Righteoufnefs Imputed. 235 
 
 the go/pel is preached. To the poor the righ- 
 teoufnefs of Chrift is given ; the tidings of 
 the Redeemer's righteoufnefs is " moft blef- 
 *' fed and welcome news to thofe who are 
 '* fenlible of their own poverty, and take it 
 *' of grace. But whofo thinketh his own 
 ** pennv good Jiher, and will be putting in 
 *' and bidding for it, will ftand upon his own 
 *' terms as David did with Araunah, and 
 *' will pay for it, let that man bev/are left he 
 " and his money perijh together, and left he 
 " get 7ieither part nor jellowfiip in this bufi- 
 ** nefs t-'* 
 
 There are fome who fav, " We muft do 
 *' as well as we can, and Chrift will do the 
 " reft : We muft begin the work, and Chrift 
 *' will finiih .it : We muft work as good a 
 *' righteoufnefs as we can, ayd then add 
 " Chrift's righteoufnefs to it, and fo we fliall 
 " be juftified." This is a common way of 
 talking among legalifts and felf-jufticiaries : 
 and the papifts talk exaftly in the fame man- 
 ner. For the Romanifts argue thus ; if a man 
 trufts to his own righteoufnefs, it may de- 
 ceive him ; if a man trufts wholly to Chrift*s 
 righteoufnefs, he may perhaps be miftaken 
 in being too prefumptuous. But he that 
 trufts to his own righteoufnefs and Chrift's 
 conjointly cannot fail in both, but is in the 
 fafeft way to heaven ; juft as if a man ftands 
 with one foot upon one branch of a tree, and 
 the other upon another, he is much fafer than 
 
 t Biihop Sanderfon on Ifa. lii. 3. 
 
 if 
 
236 Of Christ's Righteoufnefs Imputed. 
 
 if he ventures his whole weight upon either. 
 This is their way of illuftrating their argu- 
 ment : but the fallacy of it is eafily fhewn. 
 That Chriif is compared to a branch, all allow 
 who believe the fcriptures ; for he is called a 
 righteous branchy Jer. xxiii. 5. He is eflen- 
 tially righteous^ as God ; and he is actually 
 righteous as Mediator ; and he is the Lord 
 OUR Righteousness. Now our own righ- 
 teoufnefs is a rotten branch : if we lay any 
 ftrefs upon it, it will break, and let us into 
 hell. But the righteoufnefs of Chrift is an 
 able branch, an omnipotent branch, a branch 
 that never will fail, a branch that never will 
 break, though winds and ftorms beat upon it. 
 Therefore upon this branch we fland fafl for 
 ever. The Lord Jefus lays an abfolute claim 
 to all the honour of our falvation ; he will 
 not fuffer our righteoufnefs to ftand in com- 
 petition with his : he will not give his glory 
 (no, not the leaft degree of it) to another. 
 Chrift is not divided. His iatisfa6tion is 
 fijiifhed : His righteoufnefs is complete, and 
 ftands in no need of the addition of any of 
 our righteoufnefs to it. Jefus will be a whole 
 Saviour, or he will be no Saviour. Never 
 think to accommodate matters .by joining 
 your own righteoufnels and Chrift's together ; 
 for what feUowfiip hath righteoifnefs with, 
 unrighteoufnefs ? and what communion hath 
 light with darhiefs"^ 1 Cor. vi. 14. Can you 
 ever hope to reconcile fuch contraries ? And 
 yet you may as foon do this, as be juftified 
 before God by your own righteoulnei's in 
 
 con- 
 
Of Christ's Righteoufnefs Imputed. 237 
 
 conjun6llon with Chrlfh's. Your own righ- 
 teoulhefs hath nothing to do in the affair. 
 All human righteoufnefs is but of fliort con- 
 tinuance : It lafts for a few months or a few 
 years : It is as the morning cloud or early 
 dew which loon pafleth away, and it expires 
 for ever at the hour of death. The righte- 
 oufnefs of Chrifl: is everlafling ; it lafls to the 
 hour of death, it lafts to the day of judgment, 
 it lafts to all eternity. This righteoufnefs is 
 fet up from everlafling to everlafting, and is 
 therefore by Daniel fitly called an ever- 
 lajilng righteouffiefs^ chap. ix. ver. 24. There- 
 fore throw away all righteoufnefs but the 
 righteoufnefs of Chrift. As for felf- righte- 
 oufnefs, we abhor it, we break it down, as 
 Jehu brake down the houfe of Baal, and made 
 it a draught houfe, 2 Kings x. 27. We tear 
 away all but the righteoufnefs of Chrift. 
 This makes creatures who are righteous in 
 their own eyes cry out of us as Zipporah did 
 of Mofes \ fhe f'aid, furely a bloody hufoand art 
 thou to me, becaufe of the circumcijion, Exod. iv. 
 25, 26. So they fay of us, furely bloody 
 preachers are ye to us, becaufe of felf-righte- 
 oufnefs. Renounce all dependence upon your 
 imaginary good works and hypocritical obe- 
 dience. Take Ckrifl as a whole Saviour, or 
 elle you will never have him at all. 
 
 As for you who are interefled in this righ- 
 teoufnefs, you are the happy fouls. Blejfed 
 IS the man to whom the Lord will not impute 
 fm, and blefled are they to whom God im- 
 ■puteth righteoufnefs without works. There- 
 fore 
 
^^% Of Christ's Righteoufnefs Imputed. 
 
 fore take the comfort, and give God the 
 glory. How good hath Chrift been to you ! 
 When you had no righteoufnefs of your 
 own to cover you, he cloathed you wkh the 
 righteoufnefs of his Son Jefus Chrift. How 
 good hath Chrifl been to you ! He took you 
 when you were naked beggars, and put on 
 you the rich robe of his righteoufnefs. You 
 are black in yourfelves, yet comely in the 
 comelinefs which Chrift hath put upon you. 
 Live therefore upon Chrifl's righteoufnefs. 
 When you fee no righteoufnefs in yourfelves, 
 look to the righteoufnefs of Jefus Chrift. 
 Why are ye fo full of doubts and fears ? 
 What makes you fo weak and wavering ? It 
 is becaufe ye live partly upon your own righ- 
 teoufnefs, and partly upon Chrift's. Jf ye 
 lived entirely upon Chrifl's, you would not 
 be fb unftable and difquieted. Look to the 
 blood of Chrifl, and then doubt if you can. 
 Look to the righteoufnefs of Chrifl, and then 
 defpair if you can. Live wholly upon the 
 blood and righteoufnefs of Jefus Chrift. Live 
 out of all that is in you, upon all that is in 
 ChrilL Then will you be always quiet and 
 eafy in your fouls ; you will feel your hearts 
 more deeply rooted, more firmly grounded, 
 and more folidly eftablifhed on the dear Lamb 
 of God. And when you are thus fettled, 
 do not defpife the weak, but condole with 
 and comfort them. When you have an 
 aflurance of tliith, and mount up with wings 
 as eagles^ do not flight and contemn all 
 who do not fbar to the fame altitude with 
 
 your- 
 
Of Christ's Rlghteoufnefs Imputed. 23:9 
 
 yourfelves ; do not keep weak believers at a 
 diftancc, but freely give them the right-hand 
 of fellowfhip. Many there are who can re- 
 joice with them that do rejoice ; but few alas ! 
 know how to weep with them that weep^ 
 Rom. xii. 15. And yet one of thefe is as 
 much a chriftian's privilege as the other. A 
 fympathetic fpirit is a great lign of a true 
 chriftian, John xiii. ^S' Thofe who have 
 been through much tribulation themfelves, 
 know how to pity others ; and if perfons are 
 not tender-hearted, and do not care to com- 
 paffionate the afflided, it is becaufe they have 
 not experienced much tribulation themfelves : 
 So faith the apoftle Paul, God comforteth us 
 in all our tribulation^ that we may be able to 
 comfort them which are in any, trouble^ by the 
 comfort wherewith we ourfelves are comforted 
 of God, 2 Cor. i. 4. And the apoftle lets us 
 an excellent example in this cafe, i Cor. Ix. 
 19, 20, &c. Though I be free from all meUy 
 yet have I made myfelf fervant unto all, that I 
 might gain the more. And unto the Jews I 
 became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews ; 
 to them that are under the law as under the 
 law, that I might gain them that are under 
 the law (being not without law to God, but 
 in a law * to Chrifi) that I might gain them 
 
 • So the Greek "Eno|W.@' properly fignifies ; and not under a 
 ia^v (as our tranilators grofly render it), for that is apt to carry- 
 in it an idea of fervile lubjeftiou. Under a luiv is v-jro »of*o>r, 
 ■ Rom. vi. li}, !5. 1 Cor. ix. zo. G?^. iii 23. iv. 4, 5, 21. 
 V. r8. But a fmatterer in Greek can tell that "Y.vvcff.'^ (whofe 
 analyfjs is t* and ta^<^) is in plain Englilh in a la'w, i. e, in the 
 iaiv of faith, Rem. iii* 27. 
 
 that 
 
240 0/* Christ's Rlgliteoiifnefs Imputed. 
 
 that are without law. To the weak became T 
 as w'eak^ that I might gain the weak : I am 
 made all things to all men., that I might by all 
 means fave fome. And this I do for the gof- 
 fers fake. If ye have a love for the gofpel, 
 
 go ye and do likewife. They that are frong 
 ought to bear the infirmities of the iveak, and 
 not to pleafe themfelves^ Rom. xv. i. Think 
 of the condefceniion of Chrift to you, and 
 then you will not grudge condefcending a 
 little to your weak brethren. How much 
 hath Chrift done for you ! How much hath 
 Chrift fuffered for you ! And will you do no- 
 thing, will you fuffer nothing for his weak 
 difciples ? JVe ought to lav down our lives for 
 the brethren^ i John iii. 16. ^ear ye one an- 
 other s burdens^ a'nd fo fulfil the laiv of Clrifi, 
 Laftly, think of Chrift's righteoufnefs, and 
 then you will do good works. Think of no- 
 thing, fpeak of nothing, love nothing but 
 Chrift. Be ravifhed with his delights at all 
 times. Come nearer to the blood and righte- 
 oufnefs of Chrift. The righteoufnefs of God is 
 revealed from faith to faith ^ that is, from one 
 degree o's faith to another: Therefore in- 
 creafe m faith, live nearer to Chrift ; and the 
 nearer you live to the Saviour, the farther you 
 will be from fm, for the gr^7ce of God that 
 bringeth fahation hath appeared to all men., 
 teaching us^ thai., dnivirg ungodlinefs and 
 ^worldly lufis, wc foiild live foberly., right eoufiy 
 and godly in this prefent world', looking for 
 thii^ bleffed hope, and )he glorious appearing of 
 the great God and our Saviour Jefus Chriji^ 
 
 wbQ 
 
(y Christ's Righteoufnefs Imputed* 24? 
 
 who gave himfelf for us^ that he might re- 
 deem us .from all 'miquhy^ and purify unto him- 
 felf a peculiar people^ zealous of good works^ 
 Tit. il. II, 12, 13, 14. 
 
 But how fhall I conclude my difcourfe 
 without fpeaking a word to you who do not 
 yet know your interefl in the Redeemer's 
 righteoufnefs ? And what fliall I fay unto you ? 
 for I would not willingly fay a word to dif- 
 courage you, but do all 1 can to encourage 
 you to believe in Chrift's righteoufnefs. JVe 
 are amhafadors for Chrifl, as though God did 
 befeech you by us : we pray you in Chrifi'*s 
 fiead, be ye reconciled to God. And I befeech you^ 
 brethren^ fuffer the word of exhortation. The 
 righteoufnefs of Chrift is free : it is free for 
 the chief of finners^ i Tim. i. 15. it is free for 
 all who believe ; therefore only believe, and it 
 is yours. Don't ftand excufing yourfelves, by 
 faying, " We cannot believed Faith is the gift 
 of God, and no man hath it of himfelf natu-' 
 rally. St. Polycarp, in his epiftle to the Philip- 
 pians, exhorts them to take heed to the epiftle 
 St. Paul wrote them, that, faith he, "ye may 
 " be edified in the faith which is given you *." 
 For faith is freely given us of God. There- 
 fore afi^ and ye fmll receive. If you do not 
 believe, the fault is your own ; therefore pray 
 do not charge it upon God. God will give 
 you faith, if you ajk it : But if you will not 
 afi^ you are juftly condemned. What fignifies 
 
 ad FbilLp. 
 
 R making 
 
242 Of -Christ^ s Rightcoufnefs Imputed'. 
 
 making excufes ? What fignifies inventing 
 quirks and evafions, and making this pretence 
 and the other, to cover the infidehty of your 
 hearts ? It is no trifling matter ; it is a cafe 
 of neceffity ; and you mufl: beheve, or be cafl 
 into hell for ever. The rightcoufnefs which 
 your own hands have wrought, is a bedfiorter 
 than that a man can Jlretch hlmfelf upon it, 
 and the covering narrower than that he can 
 wrap hlmfelf in it, Ifa. xxviii. 20. But the 
 righteou fuels of the Son of God is a foft and 
 eafy bed, and long enough for you to Jlretch 
 yourfelves upon ; his .a6live obedience is a 
 covering broad and wide enough for you to 
 ivrap yourfelves in. TVrap yourfelves in this 
 tvhite raiment, that ye may be cloathed, and 
 that the fame of your nahednefs do not appear, 
 God commands you to believe, i John iii. 23^ 
 'This is his commandment, that ive fiould be- 
 lieve on the name of his Son Jefus Chrift 
 This command, you are abfolutely obliged to 
 obey, or elfe you muft periih eternally. What 
 fignifies obeying all other commands ? If you 
 do not obey this, you may as well obey none. 
 Do not fay, we have no power to obey this 
 fommand; for God who com?na?ids us to be- 
 lieve, does alfo give us power to believe ; if 
 therefore we do not believe, we are inex- 
 cu fable. He that believeth not, is condemned 
 already, John iii. 18. It is the ealiell: thing 
 in the world to believe, when a foul is ena- 
 bled ; and a young chriftian is often apt to 
 ■wonder that he did not believe fooner. To 
 believe, is to renounce all that is in us, and to 
 
 live 
 
Of Cnni^r's Higineaulhers Imputed, 24^ 
 
 live upon all thtrt is in Chrift. A true be- 
 liever renounces his own 'merits, and lives! 
 upow tht merits of Chrift : He renounces his 
 own Hghteoufnefs, and lives upon tht righ- 
 teoufnefs of Chrift : He renounces his own 
 fandificatioTi, and lives upon Chrifl fOr fanc- 
 tification : He ren6unces his own obedience, 
 alnd lives upon the obedience of Chrift. Only 
 renounce all that is jours, and all that Chrift 
 hath h free for you. Are you difobedient ? 
 Thefl truft in the obedience of Chrift. Are 
 you unrighteous ? Then truft in Chrift*s 
 righte'olifnefs. Are you unholy ? Then truft 
 in the holinefs of Chrift. Remember, the 
 Lord Jefiis did not die for the godly, but for 
 the ungodly, Rom. v. 6. Chrift Ihed his blood 
 for you, he lived for you, he died for you, he 
 fulfilled all righteoufnefs for you : Do but be- 
 lieve, and you will find it true. Believe, tho' 
 you fee not. Our Saviour faith, blejfed are 
 they that have not feen, and yet have believed. 
 Therefore believe that Chrift loves you, be- 
 licve that he gave himfelf for you, that he 
 ftdfilled the law for you, and that he hath 
 purchafed falvation for you ; although you 
 by your natural reafon fee nothing at all of 
 this. Believe, though you fee no reafon in 
 yourfelf for fo doing : only depend upon the 
 free grace of God, and you will be happy. 
 Sinners, don't ftay a m.oment ; come to Chrift^ 
 immediately ; caft yourfelves upon him juft 
 as you are. Only venture upon Chnit, and 
 • fee if he will caft you out : indeed he never 
 will. Did ever any one truft in Chrift, and 
 R 2 wa§ 
 
14-4- 0/ Christ's Righteoufnefs Imputed, 
 
 was confounded ? Trufl in him, hope in him,. 
 
 believe in him, and you will never be difap- 
 
 pointed. If ye ftay away from Chrift longer, 
 
 ye will be never the better : but the longer 
 
 you ftay away, the worfe you will be. Do 
 
 not look into yourfelves for a fitnefs. All 
 
 your fitnefs Is in Chrift. What you want, is 
 
 Chrift. Believe in him, and he is yours. In 
 
 him dwells allfulnejs. Believe in Chrift, and 
 
 all that Chrift hath is yours : his blood is 
 
 yours, his wifdom is yours, his righteoufnefs, 
 
 his fan(3:ification is yours ; yea, Chrift Jefus 
 
 HIMSELF is yours, he is yours in this world, 
 
 and in the world to come ; he is yours in 
 
 time, and in eternity. Even fo. Amen, Lord 
 
 Jefus, Amen and Amen. 
 
 
 CHAP. 
 
CHAP. II. 
 
 OF 
 
 REGENERATION. 
 
 is the office of every mimfter of the 
 gofpel declare all the counfel of God ; and 
 not to build one evangelical do£lrine upon 
 the ruins of another ; nor fo to preach juftifi- 
 cation by faith, as to exclude the regeneration 
 of the Spirit. It is good fometimes to be 
 fufpicious of our own judgment, and not too 
 haftily to run into any thing. EJl modus in 
 rebus — Extremes are dangerous. The beft 
 way is, to keep a due medium ; and not fo to 
 ir^fiil upon Chrift without, us, as to exclude 
 the do<^rine of Chrift within us; nor fo to 
 affirm what Chrift hath done for us, as to 
 deny what Chrift does or works in us. That 
 God works in us, is evident beyond all contra- 
 diction from Phil. i. 6. God hath begun a 
 GOOD WORK in you — from Phil. ii. 13. God 
 ivorketh in you — from Heb. xiii. 21. God 
 working in you — from i Thefll ii. 13. The 
 
 R 3 word 
 
246 Of REGENERATION. 
 
 word of God ivorketh efFeftuaiiy in you that 
 believe. — 2 Theff. i. 11. We pray that God 
 would fuljii ail the good pleafure of his good- 
 nefs, and the work of' faith with power, and 
 I Cor. xii. 6. God yjorketh all in all. 
 
 Our Saviour fets regeneration and juftifica- 
 tion both upon the lame level, John iii. 3. 
 Except a man be born again, he cannot fee the 
 kingdom of God, and Mark xvi. 16. He that 
 believeth not fall be damned — fo that you fee 
 as well thp unregenerate, as the unbeliever, 
 is excluded the kingdom of heaven. This 
 therefore is a clear demonftration that re^e- 
 neration is as neceflary to falvation as juftifi-. 
 cation by faith ; and that we can no more t)e 
 faved without being hern of the Spirit, than 
 without believing in Ghrift. As by our jufti- 
 fication we live legally, i. e. are acquitted 
 from all guilt, delivered from the curie of 
 the law, and are entitled to eternal life ; fo by 
 our regeneration we live fpiritualiy, i. e. are 
 made alive in foul and Ipirit : Heb. x. 38. 
 Eph. ii. I. And thefe two always go together. 
 The fcriptures are full of this doctrine, and fo 
 are the Homilies of tlie Church of England. 
 We defcend immediately to the proof of it. 
 The Homily on Ckrift's Nativity fays. 
 According to liis great mercy ht faved us 
 by the fountain of the Neiv Birth^ and by 
 the reneiving of the Holy Gbof, which he 
 *' poured upon us abundantly through Jefus 
 " Chriftour Saviour." Tit. iii. 5, and 6, is 
 here referred to ; and thefe words teach us 
 that the neiv birth is necelfary to our being 
 
 faved. 
 
 li 
 
 a 
 
Of R EG E^N E RATION. 247 
 
 faved^ and that this renewing or regeneration 
 is the work of the Holy Ghofi ; which is faid 
 to be poured upon ug abundantly through 
 Jefus Chrift our Saviour, becaufe Chrift pro- 
 cured for us fo excellent and unfpeakable a 
 blelling. 
 
 The Homily on Whitfunday fpeaks thus, 
 ** If otherwiie he (viz. Nicodemus) had 
 *' known the great power of the Holy Ghojl 
 *' in this behalf, that it is he which inwardly 
 " worketh the regeneration and new birth of 
 *' mankind, he never would have marvelled 
 *' at Chrift's words." Here the work of re- 
 generation is attributed to the great power of 
 the lloly Ghoji, who is God, eternal, infinite, 
 and equal with the Father in every attribute, 
 and therefore his adt muft be omnipotent. 
 Accordingly the Homily for Rogation Week 
 hath thefe words, *' To juftify a iinner, to 
 " new create him from a wicked perfon to a 
 '* righteous man, is a greater adi (faith St. 
 " Auguftine) than to make fuch a neiv 
 " heaven and earth as is already made." And 
 is it an higher and greater aft to new create 
 a (inner, than to make a new heaven and a 
 new earth ? Can any power lefs than the Di- 
 vine effeft: this work ? Do men believe thefe 
 Homilies ? If they do, why are they ftartled 
 when they hear our regeneration afcribed to 
 a fupernatural and divine energy ? Do not 
 they keep clofe to the Church of England 
 who attribute it to an almighty Power ? And 
 do not they depart from her, who afcribe it to 
 any lefs efficiency ? Again, are men fenfible of 
 
 R 4 their 
 
548 0/ R E G E N E R A T I O N. 
 
 their fpiritual death and utter mdifpofition to 
 God and goodnefs ? And can they think that 
 any power but that which railed Lazarus 
 from the dead (John xi. 43, 44.) fufficient to 
 quicken them to fpiritual life ? Yea, doth not 
 the fcripture attribute this marvellous work 
 to the felf-fame omnipotency that raifed Chrift 
 from the dead ? Compare Eph. i. 20. v/ith 
 chap. ii. ver. i. and Col. ii. 12, 13. Agreeable 
 hereto the Homily for Whitfunday admonifh- 
 eth us to befeech God " fo to work in our 
 " hearts by his Holy Spirit, that we being re- 
 " generate and newly horn again in all good- 
 " nefs, righteoiijnefs, fohriety, and truth, may 
 *' in the end be made partakers of everlafling 
 *' life in the lieavenl}^ kingdom.'* And the 
 Homily for Rogation Week, fpeaking of glo- 
 rified faints in heaven, fays, " If they were 
 *' alked again who Ihould be thanked for their 
 .'* regeneration, for their juftification, and for 
 " their fu'vailon r whether their deferts, or 
 " God'c. goodnefs only? altho' in this point 
 " every one confefs fufficiently the truth of 
 '* this matter in his own perfon : yet let thern 
 *' all anfwer by the mouth of David at this 
 " time, who cannot choofe but fay. Not to 
 " us, O Lord, not to us, but to thy Name 
 " give all the thanks, for thy loving mercy 
 " and for thy truth's fake.'-' From all this 
 taken together y/e learn,, that regeneration is 
 the work of the Holy Spirit ; that if we have 
 ir, w« are to thank him for fo unfpeakable a 
 bleffing, and that the fruits thereof are good- 
 nejs, righteoufnejs, fobriety, and truth. 
 
 lu 
 
Of REGENERATION. 249 
 
 In the Book of Common Prayer there is 
 frequent mention of this divine and heavenly 
 dodrine. In the Colled for Chriftmas-Day 
 we pray, " Grant that we, being regenerate 
 *' and made thy children by adoption and 
 " grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy 
 " Spirit,''' In the firfl claufe we afk for rege- 
 neration ftridlly fo called, i. e. the aft of God's 
 Spirit, in turning the foul from darknefs to 
 light : in the laft, where mention is made of 
 being daily renewed, we pray for fanflifica- 
 tion ; and fo the apoftle prays for the Thefla- 
 lonians, that God would fandiify them wholly^ 
 that their whole fpirit, and foul, and body 
 might be preferred blamelefs, i Theff. v. 23. 
 2 Cor. iv. 16. 
 
 In the Collect for Afh-Wednefday we beg 
 of God to " create and make In us new and 
 " contrite hearts,'"* This new heart is the 
 fame which St. Paul calls the new creature^ 
 2 Cor. V. 17. And a true heart, Heb. x. 22. 
 This the regenerating grace of God creates in 
 us; and hereupon follow contrition, lamentation, 
 and unfeigned forrow for lin, according to 
 that of the prophet, after that I was turned, 
 I repented ; and after that I was inflrudied, I 
 fmote upon my thigh, Jer. xxxi. 19. 
 
 At the beginning of the Office of Baptifm 
 it is faid, " None can enter into the kingdom 
 *'^ of God, except he be regenerate and born 
 *' aneiv of water and of the Holy Ghoji :" 
 accordingly the Church prays afterward, 
 " Give thy Holy Spirit to this infant, that 
 *' he may be born again, and be made an heir 
 
 '' of 
 
2SQ Of REGENERATION. 
 
 *' of everlajling falvation,^'' In thefe two 
 place? we are taught, that regeneration is ne- 
 ceffary to our entering into the kingdom of 
 God^ or becoming heirs of everlajling falva- 
 tion. And it is obfervable the Holy Qhojl is 
 nominated as the proper author and efficient 
 of our regeneration. 
 
 From what has been faid we may deduce 
 the three following proportions : 
 
 I. That regeneration is neceffary to our 
 obtaining eternal life and happinefs : 
 
 II. That this fecond birth is not the efFe£t 
 of man's own will or power, but of the 
 Spirit of God. And, 
 
 III. That the fruits of regeneration are 
 " i, love, &c. 
 
 Each of thefe I fhall endeavour to prove 
 from the holy fcriptures. As to the firft, our 
 Saviour exprefly declares to Nicodemus, that 
 except a man be born of water and of the Holy 
 Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of Gad, 
 John iii. 5. Obferve, firfl:, Nicodemus being 
 a pharifee, ver. i . was undoubtedly an hoheft, 
 fober, moral man, as the bert of that fe£t 
 were, Luke xviii. 11, 12. yet our Saviour lets 
 him know,^ that all his morality would never 
 carry him to heaven, that be would never 
 enter therein unlefs he was born again. This 
 our Divine Prophet ufhers in with a double 
 afieveration, Ferih\verily, to exprefs his earneft 
 concern for Nicodemus, and to inculcate his 
 words more deeply upon Nicodemus's heart. 
 
 This 
 
0/-REGENERATION. ?5' 
 
 This teaches us, that our hlgheft attainment^ 
 in morahty will never bring us to heaven ua- 
 lefs we are born again. Secondly, Nicodemus 
 "vvas a ruler of the Jews, a majier In Ifrael^ 
 ver. I, lo. yet totally ignorant of the new 
 jbirth, as appears from the queftions he pro;- 
 pounded, ver. 4, 9. How dreadful a cafe is 
 it when they who ihould preach this doctrine 
 to others, know nothing of it themfelves \ 
 Will not that accufation St. Paul brings 
 againfi: the Jews fall very heavy upon the 
 }ieads of all liich teachers, Thou which teachefi 
 another, teachefi thou not thyfelff And how 
 will they bear that other reproof of the fame 
 ^poflle, in his epiftle to the Hebrews, when 
 for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have 
 need that one teach you again which be the 
 frfi principles of the oracles of God? But to • 
 „Gome to the text, when our Lord fays, except 
 a man be born of water and the Spirit, fome 
 fuppofe that thefe words contain an Hendya- 
 dis, and fo fignify no more than being bom 
 of the Spirit, who for his fandiifying and re-* 
 frefhing influences refembles water, John iv. 
 14. vii. 38, 39, &c. Others by water under- 
 hand baptifm, according to Mark xvi. 16. He 
 that believeth and is baptized, fiall be faved. 
 But take which of thele interpretations you 
 pleafe (or both if you think proper, for they 
 are both very coniiflent with each other), the 
 confequence will ftill be the fame, viz. that 
 without being born again. Men cannot enter 
 into the kingdom of. heaven. Obferve, our 
 JLord doth not {^y fijall not, as if unregenerate 
 
 men 
 
252 Of REGENERATION. 
 
 men were excluded heaven by the decree and 
 purpofe of God ; but cannot *, to afcertain us 
 of the abfolute impoffibility of the thing : fo 
 St. Paul, I Cor. xv. 50. Flejlj and blood can- 
 not J inherit the kingdom of God. There is an. 
 utter contrariety in the heart of an unregene- 
 rate man to heaven, and the felicities of that 
 bleffed ftate. If a natural man was admitted 
 into heaven, he would find no pleafure nor 
 fatisfaclion there ; all the joys of that blefled 
 place would be to him taftelefs and infipid, 
 and afford him no more happinefs than con- 
 forts of mulic do to a deaf man, or a variety of 
 colours to a man born blind : yea, fuch an one 
 would rather flee to hell for company like 
 himfelf, than ftay in heaven to be tormented 
 and tantalized with pleafures whereof he 
 could have no relifh nor enjoyment. Laftly, 
 Chrifl here argues the neceffity of regenera- 
 tion, from the fpiritual uncleannefs or pollu- 
 tion of man's firfl birth : that which is born of 
 theflejh, is fiejh ; and that which is horn of the 
 Spirit, is fpirit, i. e. is fpiritual, ver. 6. where 
 he not only infifls upon the indifpeniable ne- 
 ceflity of a fpiritual or fecond birth, but alfo 
 ilates a parallel between that and our natural 
 birth, which is at the fame time both very 
 elegant and very inflruftive ; for as we have 
 our natural being from our natural parents, 
 we have our fpiritual being from the Spirit. 
 As that bears the image of Adam, this bears 
 the image of Chrifl, 2 Cor. iii. 18. As by that 
 
 ;"■ ' " "-" • — ... ■ 
 
 we 
 
0/ REGENERATION. 253 
 
 we become men ; by this we become new ineUy 
 or chriftians. 
 
 St. Paul fays to the Corinthians, 2 Cor. v. 
 17. If any man be in Chrijly he is a new crea- 
 ture', that is, if a man be in the faith of 
 Chrift, if he be vitally and myftically united 
 to Chrifl, if he be one fpirit with him, i Cor. 
 vi. 17. then he is a new creature. A man 
 may be in the philofophy of Ariflotle or Py- 
 thagoras, he may be in the morality of Cicero 
 or Antoninus, and flill remain unrenewed in 
 heart, unconverted and vinfan£lified : A cor- 
 rupt, unregenerate fpirit frequently lurks un- 
 der all this external glofs and pageantry. It 
 is the believer in Chrift, and he only, that is a 
 new creature ; in fuch a foul there is a new 
 creation^ * old things are pafi away ; behold ^ 
 all things are become new ; the corrupt incli- 
 nations and deiires of the old Adam are abo- 
 lifhed, and the graces and principles of the 
 new man inlerted. In regeneration, the Spirit 
 of God produces light out of darknefs ; he 
 makes the barren heart fruitful ; and out of 
 confufion and difcord brings order^ harmony, 
 and tranquillity. In a foul thus wrought upon, 
 all things are become new ; a man then receives 
 a new fet of hopes and fears ; his judgment 
 is enlightened, his will re^llfied, and his heart 
 transjormed § : his eyes are opened, and his 
 views are no longer terminated within the 
 horizon of this world ; he fees into eternity ; 
 his hope is full of immortality, fpiritual ap- 
 
 • Kaifri xlto-i;. § Rom. Aii. 2. 
 
 petites 
 
2^4 Of llEGENfiRATION^. 
 
 petite^- are excited in hi^ foul, his afFe£lion« 
 are raifed to God and heaven 'y hi-s foul thirft-* 
 eth for God, for the living God : his conftant 
 cry is, iv6en pall I come and appear before 
 God? 
 
 to this add Gal. vi. 15. In Chriji Jefm 
 fieither cttcumc'ijion nor uftctrcumcijion ava'tlefh 
 any things hut a neiv creature. By circumcijtoh 
 here we underfland the moral and ceremonial 
 duties of the Mofaic law ; by uncircumeifion 
 is meant the moral principles and practices of 
 the Gentile World : All thefe the apoftle tells 
 "US will avail nothing to our falvation ; the only 
 tiling that avails in this affair is a neix; crea- 
 iUre\ or a new creation^ as fome render it- 
 Need any thing more be faid to fhew the a,b- 
 folute neceffity of a ndw or fecond birth, iA 
 orcfer to our entering into the kingdom of 
 glory ? Obferve, it is here faid a new creature^ 
 and Gal. v. 6. faith which worketh by love^ 
 and I Cor. vii. 19. the keeping of the command- 
 ments of God. Many people make a great ftif 
 about keeping the commandments ; but what 
 commandments do they mean ? If they mean 
 the conunandments of the law, who is there 
 that keepeth them ? Do they themfelves keep 
 them I When I fpeak of keep} fig the command- 
 ments^ I mean thofe two, i John iii. 23. And 
 this Is his commandment, that we fiould believe 
 on the name of his Son fefus Chrlfl, and love 
 one another, as he gave us commandment. As 
 t^e whole law is fummed up in two command- 
 fnerits. Matt", xxii. 40. fo here the whole gof- 
 pel is iummed up in thefe two command- 
 ments^ 
 
O/ REGI^^NERATION 255 
 
 ments^ of beiiev'mg in Chriji, and lovh^ one 
 another as he loved us^ John xiil. 34. Thefe 
 two- are the commandments that Chrlft gave 
 his difciples, and every chriflian is obHged ta 
 obferve them. It is therefore rightly faid by 
 Ignatius the martyr, " Faith and love is ail 
 *' our religion *." 
 
 I might further evince the neceffity of the 
 new birth from thofe exhortations in fcripture 
 we meet with to this purpofe, Rom. xii. 2. 
 Eph. iv. 23, &c. from the abfolute holinefs 
 of God, Exod. XV. II. Jofh. xxiv. 19, i Sam. 
 ii. 2. vi. 20. Job iv. 17. xv. 15. Rev. iv. 8, 
 &c. from the original and actual finfulnefs 
 of mankind. Job xiv. 4. Pf. li. 5. and from 
 the utter impoffibility there is that any thing 
 unholy or unclean fhould dwell with God, 
 Matt. V. 8. Hab. i. "13. Heb. xii. 14. But 
 what I have faid is fufficient ; efpecially con- 
 fidering, however men may differ in explain- 
 ing the nature of regeneration, yet they ge- 
 nerally agree in holding it neceffary for oUr 
 obtaining future blifs and profperity. 
 
 Is regeneration fo neceffary ? Is there no 
 being faved without it l Then how highly 
 doth it become us to fearch whether we are 
 regenerate or not i Our Saviour defcribes the 
 flate of mankind in general, when he fays. 
 Let the dead bury their dead^ Luke ix. 60. and 
 fo does St. John, when he fays, the whole 
 ivorld lieth in wickednefs^ i John v. 19. How 
 many a living body contains a dead foul ! 
 
 * Te yu^ 6^ol tr» «(f »; >C, ufxr. n. Ignat. ad Smjrn. 
 
 How 
 
256 0/ R E G E N E R A T I O N. 
 
 How many are alive in the flefli, but dead in 
 ipirit ! Perhaps you think yourfelf a chriftian, 
 becaufe you are one outwardly ; yofi think 
 yourfelf regenerate, becaufe you are outwardly 
 moral : but how many unregenerate moralifls 
 are there in hell ? Do not miftake the cafe, 
 you may have all external morality without 
 having any inward chriftianity : what (ignifies 
 being outwardly moral, unlefs you are in- 
 wardly fpiritual ? If you have not an expe- 
 rience of inward regeneration upon your heart, 
 however fober, juft, and laudable your exter- 
 nal converfation may be, yet you have no true 
 religion in you. Were you ever thoroughly 
 awakened to a fenfe of your mifery ? Have 
 you feen and felt the exceeding Jtnfulnefs of 
 Jin ? Did you ever groan under the burden of 
 a depraved nature ? Have you feen yourfelf 
 loft ? Have you experienced your utter in- 
 ability to fave yourfelf? Hath God called 
 you out of darknefs into his marvellous light? 
 Hath he tranflated you out of the kingdom 
 of darknefs into the kingdom of his dear Son ? 
 Are you converted, and become as a little 
 child? Hath the Holy Ghoft taken pofleflion 
 of your heart ? Are you palled from death 
 luito life ? Are thefe tilings fo in your ibul ? 
 If they are not, all your moral virtues are but 
 fplendida peccata, and your formal religion will 
 only ferve as an ignis fatiius to dazzle your 
 eyes, and lead you more ledately to dcftruclion. 
 Hear what biftiop Sanderfon fays, — *' Men 
 *' may reform t hem fe Ives in the general courfe 
 *' of their lives in luiidry particulars, refrain- 
 
 ing 
 
0/ R E G E N E R A r I O N. 257 
 
 *' ing from fome grofs diforders, and avoid- 
 " ing the occafions of them wherein they 
 *' have formerly lived and delighted, and 
 *' pracflifing many outward duties of piety 
 " and charity conformable to the letter of 
 " the laws of both tables ^ and mifliking and 
 " oppofing againfh the common errors or 
 " corruptions of the times and places wherein 
 " they live ; and all this to their own and 
 *' others thinking with as great a %eal unto 
 " godlinefs and as thorough zW/§«i«//o;^againft 
 *' fin as any others : All this they may do, 
 " and yet be rotteji at the heart, wholly car- 
 " nal and unrenewed, quite empty of found 
 " faith, repentance, and obedience and every 
 " good grace ; full of damnable pride and hv- 
 " pocrify, and in the prefent ftate of damna- 
 " tion *." Obferve what this judicious di- 
 vine fays, and hence learn not to miftake 
 morality for chrifUanity : How many fecret 
 vices lurk under the mafk of a falfe morality ! 
 This outward decency of behaviour is often 
 a covert for pride, luft, covetoufnefs, worldly- 
 mindednefs, envy, wrath, malice, revenge, 
 and all manner of fpiritualwickednefs. There- 
 fore fee that your heart is changed i-, fee that 
 your foul is created anew J : till this is done, 
 never look upon yourfelf as regenerate. But 
 if the felf- righteous fcarcely be faved, where 
 will the ungodly and pra<5lioal finner appear ? 
 How will you dare to ftand before God in 
 
 * Sermon on i Kings xxi. 29. f 2 Ccr. iii. i8„ 
 
 Eph, i:. 10. 
 
 S judg- 
 
258 0/ R E G E N E R A T I O N. 
 
 judgment r Yet there is remiffion of fins for 
 the worll: of you in the blood of Chrift. Now 
 is the accepted time, now is the day of falva- 
 tion. While you have time, believe in Chrifl. 
 Saving grace is free for you : God gives it 
 imto you. But do not miflake a few legal* 
 convi6lions of natural confcience for conver- 
 iion. Do not think yourfelf a chriftian be- 
 caufe you endure a great deal of terror. How 
 many go to hell with Efau's tears, Ahab*s 
 humiliation, Judas's confejjion, Felix's trein- 
 (fUng, and Agrippa's almoji chrlJilaJilty ! Some 
 people have a hell here, and a hell hereafter.- 
 This is the cafe of final apoflates, and of thofe 
 who commit the fin againfl the Holy Ghof^.- 
 Yet let not weak fouls be difcouraged ; for 
 there is no being c/5«i;^r/^^ without being con- 
 vlcied *. Let thofe therefore who are convicted 
 of Jin, hope and quietly wait for the falvatlon 
 of the Lord, Lam. iii. 26. Jefus Chrift is a 
 good phyfician ; he wounds deeply, that he 
 may heal effectually. The fharper your con- 
 victions are, the fweeter fhall your confola- 
 tions be. Are you in pangs and agonies of 
 foul ? Chrift will deliver you. Hath he 
 brought to the birth ? and will he not give 
 ftrength to bring forth ? Stand Jl ill, and fee' 
 the falvatlon -t of God. Are you now afflicted, 
 tofied in tempefts, and not comforted ? You' 
 fliall be the more fettled hereafter. A young 
 chrillian is like a young tree : the more a' 
 young tree is Ihaken, blown about by w^lndsy 
 
 • John x'.'i. 8. Matt, xviii, 3. f Exod. xiv. 13. 
 
 and 
 
0/ R E G E N E R A T I O N. 259 
 
 and loofened at the root, the deeper root it 
 takes, and the fafter it is fixed in the ground 
 at laft ; juit fo the more a child of God is 
 Ihaken with fears, trials, and anguifh of 
 heart, the ftronger he will become in faith 
 at laft, and have the fuller perfuafion, the 
 clearer evidence, and more conftant, comfort- 
 able aflurance of God's love unto him. This 
 is agreeable to fcripture § and the experience 
 of faints. 
 
 II. The fecond propofition is, That the 
 fecond birth is not the efFeft of man's own 
 will or power, but of the Spirit of God. As 
 in the natural world, all things are of God, 
 fo like wife are all in the fpi ritual : As in the 
 vifible creation, God created the fun, the hea- 
 vens, the earth, the fea and all that is therein ; 
 fo in the new creation, God creates faith, 
 hope, love, and all other fruits of the Spirit. 
 All things in a new-born foul are of God. 
 As man could not create himfelf at firft, fo 
 neither can he regenerate or create his foul 
 anew. This is clearly demonftrable from the 
 doftrine of Original Sin as before laid down ; 
 for if all the powers and faculties of the hu~ 
 man nature are debafed, then is the v/ill de- 
 praved alfo ; how then can a man regenerate 
 himfelf by his own free will ? Hence you fee 
 the neceffity of the latter part of the pro- 
 pofition, viz. that the fecond birth is the 
 effed of the Spirit of God. This we fhall 
 
 § Pf. xxxviii, Ixxvii. Jxxxviii. Latn. iii. 
 
 S 2. endeavour 
 
26o Of REGENERATION. 
 
 endeavour to eftablifh with fome texts of 
 Icripture. 
 
 The evangehll St. John, fpeaking of the 
 regenerate, fays, which were born not of bloody, 
 nor of the ivill of the flefo^ nor of the will of 
 man^ but of God, John i. 13. In which words 
 he acquaints us, that new-born fouls do not 
 become fuch by virtue of their blood, that is, 
 their natural defcent and lineage ; nor of the 
 will of the flefh, that is, their native freewill 
 and mental abilities ; nor of the will of man, 
 that is, the inftru6:ion, information, and in- 
 flitution of others ; but of God, that is, by 
 the fole influence and operation of the divine 
 Spirit. So that here all other caufes are ex- 
 cluded from our regeneration, but the will of 
 God. To this we may add the teftimony of 
 St. James, chap. i. 18. Of his own will be- 
 gat he us by the word of truth. Here you fee 
 God of his own will begat us ; yet he ufed the 
 word of truth as a means of our fpiritual re- 
 generation. And this we fee is commonly 
 the cafe ; fouls are generally converted and 
 regenerated under the word: So St. Peter, 
 being born again, not of corruptible feed, but of 
 incorruptible, by the word of God, which livetb 
 and abideth for ever, i Pet. i. 23. And St. 
 Paul, I Cor. iv. 15. In Chrift Jefus I have 
 begotten you through the gofpcl. 
 
 Our Saviour delivers the fame dotlrine, 
 John XV. 5. without me ye can do nothing. 
 The double negation j in the original gives 
 
 the 
 
0/ R E G E N E R A T I O N. 261 
 
 the words a peculiar weight and emphafis, 
 and infalHbly affures us that we can do nothhig 
 to any faving purpofe without the divine aid 
 and influence. Our Lord doth not fay (as 
 one juflly obferves) " ye cannot fo eafily^ fo 
 " exadily^ iot perfectly, &c. but abfolutely j^'^ 
 " CANNOT : He does not fay ye cannot do 
 "'every thing, or ^ny great or difficult thing ; 
 " but limply without me, i. e. feparate 
 *' from me, by any power of your own, and 
 " without my hicUn'mg^ quickening^ ^ffifl^^S 
 " grace^ye can do nothing, i. e. nothing 
 *' AT ALL, whether little or great, eafy or 
 " difficult, in any meafure or in any degree." 
 What clearer proof can we have of the weak- 
 nefs of man's will, and the utter impoffibiiity 
 of his regenerating himfelf ? 
 
 St. Paul gives us his jud^^ment in this point 
 2 Con iii. 5. Not that we are fufficient of our ^ 
 felves to think any thing as of our [elves : but 
 our fufficimcy is of God. Was the apoftle in- 
 fufficient to think a good thought ? And are 
 not we. much more? How then can we by 
 our own ftrength regenerate ourfelves ? Again, 
 the apoftle fpeaks in the- prefent tenfe, we 
 are ; when he wrote this, he was undoubtedly 
 a. regenerate man : this therefore fhews us, 
 that Vv'ithout God we are as infufficient to think 
 a good thought after regeneration, as we were 
 before ; how wifely then doth the apoftle 
 conclude our fifficiency is of God! And have 
 not all we the higheft reafon to make the 
 fame conclufion ? Indeed I readily allow the 
 apoftle is here fpeaking of his miniflry and 
 
 S^3 the 
 
262 0/ R E G E N E R A T I O N. 
 
 the fuccefs thereof; but is not the fame poweu 
 that renders our miniftry fuccefsful for the 
 regeneration of others, neceflary for the con- 
 verfion and falvation of our own fouls ? 
 
 This do6lrine is further confirmed from the 
 prayer of Ephraim, Tur?i thou me^ and I floall 
 be turned, Jer. xxxi. i8. But what occafion 
 had he to pray to God to turn him, if he 
 could turn himfelf ? This fhews that our con- 
 veriion is of God ; and fo does the prayer of 
 the Church, Cant. i. 4. Draw me, we will 
 run after thee : before the Lord draws, we 
 cannot flir a ilep ; but afterwards we walk, 
 yea run in his ways : then we move freely 
 and fwiftly to him who is the centre of our 
 attraction , and the fource of our felicity. 
 With all this agrees the prayer of Zion, 
 Lam. V. 21. X^rn thou us unto thee, O Lord, 
 and we fiall be turned: fo in the Liturgy of 
 the Church of England, l^urn thou us, O good 
 Lord, and fo fall we he turned *. We can- 
 
 * Some people laugh and jeer at the terms con'verted and 
 sonverjicn, efpecially when they hear conver/lon infilled upon as 
 necfTary tor profcfibrs ot chriC.ianity. But are not the Church- 
 people .profcnbd chiiiiians ? And yet in the Conmination they 
 pray, " Turn thou us, O good Lord, and Jo Jhall one be turned:''^ 
 How what is //<»?; but another xam tor con'vert ? We fee then 
 that con'verfto-a is neccfiary even for chriflians. Indeed profeffed 
 chriftians are by nature no' better than profefTed heathens. 
 And let fcoffers taice care leil that come upon them which is 
 Ipoken of by our Saviour, Matt. xii. 15. This people's heart 
 is waxed f^rcf?, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their 
 eyes they have clofed ; left at any time they fhould fee with 
 their eyes, and hear with their ears, and (liould underftand 
 with theii hearts, and iiiould be couvsrted, and I Ihould heal 
 ch-;ii. 
 
 not 
 
q/^REGENERATION. 263 
 
 not turn ou.rfelves ; unlefs God by his Spirit 
 turns us, we lliall never be turned at all. " No 
 " man is efFee^ually turned unto God, unlels 
 " the Spirit ipeaks unto him, and ads im- 
 " mediately upon him : for the firft conver- 
 *' fion of the ioul unto God is from the im- 
 " mediate influence of the Holy G /j oji upon 
 *' it. This is the foie and proper adt of the 
 *' Spirit, and no outward means and inftru- 
 " ments are able to do it of themfelves -f-." 
 Some men have too great and arduous con* 
 ceits of the human will to allow this ; they 
 think this dodlrine of lupernatural and effica- 
 cious grace robs man of the freedom of his 
 will, and fo deftroys his nature. To this I 
 would reply a few things : Firft, if it was 
 true that the freedom of man's will was ob- 
 ftrudted in the work of converfion, would he 
 iuftain any real lofs or detriment thereby ? 
 Did not God create man, and put him into 
 this world, without alking the confent of his 
 will ? And does any man think God hath 
 done him any injuftice, or conceit this world 
 a lefs happy place on that account ? Even fo 
 if God is pleafed to convert a man, without 
 ftandiug to confult or aik leave of his wnll, is 
 that any realon why the mian fhould think 
 the fpiritual w^orld lefs happy, or his condi- 
 tion lefs eligible ? Yea rather hath he not 
 reafon to blefs God for not leaving him to 
 the obftinacy and perverfenefs of his natural 
 wdll ? We fee then that the liappinefs of 
 
 t Edwards's Preacher, Part III. 
 
 S 4 man 
 
264 0/ REGENERATION. 
 
 man will be never the lefs, tho* his will fhould 
 be fuperfeded or overpowered in converlion. 
 Secondly, 1 would alk, is peccability fo delira- 
 ble a thing, that we would not be without it ? 
 Or fhould we not rather choole to be delivered 
 from it ? Wliy then do men fo warmly and 
 indefatigably contend forfo dangerous a wea- 
 pon ? Do they not remember, do they not 
 confider, have they not heard, hath it not 
 been told them, that free-will in its pure and 
 imcorruptcd ftate was a means of ruining 
 our firft parents and all their pofterity ? Can 
 we expe(^ any thing better from it, now it is 
 depraved and inclined to evil only ? This 
 confderation ought to abate and moderate 
 men's zeal in contending for free-will in fallen 
 man. Thirdlv, If bv freedom be meant a 
 will and power to lerve God freely (and no- 
 thing elfe deferves the name of liberty) then 
 we would exhort and perfuade men by all 
 means to feek after fucli a freedom as this ; 
 ?nd how {hall they attain this but by believ- 
 ing in Chrift ? If the Son pall make you free, 
 ye Jlmll be free indeed ; but zvhofoever com- 
 mitteth fin^ is the fervant of fm^ Jf^l^i^ viii. 
 34, 36. Whence we learn, that none zi^ free 
 but thofe whom the Son of God makes fo, 
 and that all who are not thus made free are 
 the fervanis of fn ; what trifling and col- 
 lulion is it therefore for men to talk of free- 
 dom whilt they are in a ftate of nature ! They 
 may promife themfelves liberty^ but the word 
 of God informs us they thenifelves are the fer- 
 ^L ants of corruption^ 2 Pet. ii. 10. Fourtlilv, 
 " ■ ' ^ We 
 
0/ REGENERATION. 265 
 
 We do not fuppofe that God, m converting 
 men, deals with them as ftocks or ftones ; he 
 does not take away or deflroy the will, but 
 only gives it a right turn ; fo faith the 
 pfalmift, thy people JJjall be will'mg in the day 
 of thy power ^ Pf. ex. 3. The day of God*s 
 power is the time when the Spirit comes 
 purpofely and delignedly to convert fouls ; 
 then he makes his people willing^ not by tak- 
 ing away any power the will had before, but 
 by affording it a power which it had not. 
 And is this any violence or infiilt upon the 
 will ? Suppofe a man is lick and unable to ftand 
 or go, would a power communicated to fuch 
 a man to ftand or walk be any encroachment 
 upon his will ? In like manner our wills are 
 difordered, and unable to will what is good till 
 God enables them : Now will you fay that 
 an ability given to make a right choice, is an}'" 
 invafion or infringement upon our volition or 
 liberty ? Is not fuch a power thus communi- 
 cated a cure for our weaknefs, a reftoration 
 of our foul's health, and an addition to our 
 fpiritual eftate ? Hofea defcribes this liberty 
 thus, 1 drew them with cords of a man, ixjith 
 bands of love, and I was to them as they that 
 take 0^ the yoke on their jaws, Hof. xi. 4. We 
 fee here God draws with cords of a man, 
 with bands of love, that is, with motives and 
 inducements fuitable to the nature of an in- 
 telligent fpirit, fuch as man is ; and he is 
 mofl: powerfully moved by influences of love, 
 I John iv.,19. Hence this divine attraction 
 or drawing is faid to be with bands of love. 
 
 And 
 
266 0/ REGENERATION. 
 
 And when God thus draws fouls, he takes 
 
 the yoke off their jaws, which well denotes 
 that evil bias and tendency whereby the foul 
 is fwayed to fin ; which when God takes off", 
 the foul feels itfelf at liberty, juft as the body 
 does when 2iyoke of iron is taken off the neck. 
 And the removal of this fpiritual yoke is no 
 more detriment to liberty truly fo called^ 
 than the removal of an iron yoke from the 
 body. Take the fuiTragc of the church con- 
 -cerning this matter in tiie tenth article, " The 
 *' condition of man after the fall of Adam, 
 *' is fuch, that he cannot turn and prepare 
 ■*' himfelf by his own natural ftrength and 
 •" good works to faith and calling upon God: 
 '' Wherefore we have no power to do good 
 *' works pleafant and acceptable to God, 
 '** without the grace of God by Chrifl pre- 
 "^^ venting us, that we may have a good will ; 
 ■'^' and workino; with us, when v/e have that 
 '^' good will." To which tlie following- 
 words were added in the days of Edward the 
 Vlth, " The grace of Chrift or the HolyGhoft , 
 -*" by him given dothtakeaway the flony heart, 
 *' and g-iveth an heart of iiefh : And althoujjh 
 "*' thofe that have no v/ili to good things, he 
 -' maketh them to will, and thofe that w6uld 
 ■*' evil things, he maketh them not to will, ^ 
 " yet neverthekfs he forceth not the will." 
 
 To return. The prophet Ezekiel fpeaks 
 
 •ffi this new birth, ch^p. xxxvi. ver. 26. A 
 
 new heart will I alfo give you, and a new 
 
 fpirit will I put within you ; and I will take 
 
 away the fiony heart out of your flejh,. and I 
 
 will 
 
Of REGENERATION. 267 
 
 will give you an heart of fejh : fo alfo chap, 
 xi. ver. 19. By the fony heart is intended 
 the heart of a natural man, which for its ob- 
 duracy, impenetrabiHty, and infenfibility of 
 divine things, is fitly compared to a flone. 
 John the Baptift calls the Gentiles (and all 
 natural men for the fame reafon)y?(9;2.'?j-, Matt, 
 iii. 19. and our Saviour ufes the fame figure 
 of fpeech, Mark iv. 5. where he mentions 
 t}[it.flony ground. All which may convince us 
 of the fuitablenefs and propriety of this limi- 
 litude. T\\\^fony heart God promifes to take 
 away^ and give inll:ead thereof a new hearty 
 L e. a foft, tender, and pliant difpoiition of 
 foul, quite contrary to our former obflinacy 
 and untradiablenefs ; a heart capable of divine 
 impreffions, fubmiflive to the divine will, and 
 pblequious to the divine commands. And 
 obferve, by what a variety of names it is cal- 
 led, a new heart, a new fpirit, an heart of 
 fefh, as well to denote the earneftnefs and 
 'fincerity of the Promifer, as the greatnefs 
 and efficacy of that power required to execute 
 the promife, and the completenefs and per- 
 fection wherewith it ihall be fulfilled in thofe 
 fouls who rely upon it. Indeed it is well God 
 hath promifed to do this great work, for we 
 cannot do it ourfelves ; and we could have no 
 hope of having it done at all, unlefs the Al- 
 mighty had engaged to do it. " Look into 
 " your heart (faith bifhop Reynolds) and 
 *' you fh all find a very hell of uncleannefs, 
 - '* full of deep and unfearchable deceit and 
 " wickednefs, full of hardnefs : No fins, no 
 
 "judg- 
 
268 0/ REGENERATION. 
 
 *' judgments, no mercies, no allurements, 
 '* no hopes, no fears, no promiles, no in- 
 " ftru£tions able to ftartle, to awaken, to 
 " melt or fhape it to a better image, without 
 *' the immediate omnlpotency of that God 
 *' which melts the mountains, and turns 
 *' ftones into fons of Abraham *.'* 
 
 Tit. iii. 5. Not by works of right eoufnefs 
 •which ive have done^ but according to his 
 mercy he faved us, by the "joafiing of regene- 
 ration and renewing of the Holy Ghojh Our 
 own works of right eoufnefs are here excluded, 
 and tile mercy of God aliigned as the alone 
 cauie of our falvation ; and the means hereof 
 are, firft, regeneration, which exprefles our 
 tirft being turned to God ; and iecondly, the 
 Yenewino: of our minds : Awd both thefe are 
 attributed to the Holy Ghoft as the efficient 
 thereof. In Eph. ii. i. and Col. ii. 12, 13. 
 we are informed that men are dead in fins, 
 atA fo confequentlv can no more ralfe them- 
 felves to fpiritual life, than a dead bodv can 
 raife itfelf to natural. Hence this work is 
 afcribed to the infinite power of God, the 
 fame power that railed Chrift from the dead, 
 that created the world, and fpoke light out 
 • of darki>efs, 2 Cor. iv. 6. And Chriif, who is 
 God equal in power with the Father, under- 
 takes this work, faying, the dead fall hear 
 the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear 
 Jba/IIivef John v-. 25. 
 
 • S.niV/jiefs of i:in, p. 40, 
 
 But 
 
0/ R E G E N E R A T I O N. 269 
 
 But fome are ready to alk. If we have no 
 power to renew ourfelves'aiid turn unto God, 
 why are we commanded and exhorted thereto 
 hi holy fcripture ? doth not this imply that 
 we have a power to turn? The anfwer is 
 twofold ; Firfl:, the exhortations to regenera- 
 tion, which v/e meet with in the New Tefta- 
 inent, are generally expreiled paffively, to 
 teach us that this is not our own work, but 
 the work of God updn our fouls ; thus St. 
 Paul doth not fay to the Romans, transfonn 
 yourf elves, hwt ye be transformed, Rom. xii. 2. 
 He doth not fay to the Ephefians, reneixj 
 yourfelves, but be ye renewed, Eph. iv. 23. 
 and he doth not fay we renew our inward 
 man, 2 Cor. iv. 16. but the hiward man is 
 renewed day by day. All which fhews us that 
 we are paffive in our regeneration. Secondly, 
 Hath God commanded, M'^ajh ye, make you 
 clean, ceafe to do evil, Ifa. i. 16. ? Hath he 
 not alfo promifed, / will fpr inkle clean water 
 upon you, and you Jhall be clean, Ezck. xxxvi. 
 25. ? Hath he commanded, Circiimcife the 
 forejkin of your heart, Deut. x. 16. ? Hath he 
 not alfo promifed, the Lord thy God will cit- 
 cumcife thine heart, Deut. xxx. 6. ? So that 
 we fee what God commands his people, he 
 himfelf hath promifed to do for them and in 
 them : he hath engaged to work that rege- 
 neration in them which he requires of them : 
 and let them only depend upon his promife, 
 they will find him as good as his word. 
 
 How many great and glorious privileges 
 accrue to the children of God upon their 
 
 Ipiritual 
 
270 0/ REGENERATION. 
 
 fplritual regeneration ! They are the feed of 
 .Abraham, Gal. hi. 29. the friends of Chrift, 
 John XV. 15. the fons of God, John i. 12. 
 Gal. iv. 6. I John iii. i. They do not trace 
 their pedigree from kings or princes or tem- 
 poral lords, but from God, from the King of 
 kings and the Lord of lords ; they are the 
 fons of God; and if children, then heirs, as the 
 apoftle argues ; all children have their birth- 
 right ; much more the children of God: they 
 are heirs of God, Rom. viii. 17. Heirs of pro- 
 mife, Heb. vi. 17. Heirs of J ah at ion, Heb. u 
 14. Heaven is their itiheritance, i Pet. i. 4^ 
 and they have as much a right to it as an heir 
 hath to an eftate. They have an unalienable 
 title to it, becaufe Chrift hath purchafed it for 
 them ; and they (hall as fiirely poflefs it, as 
 Chrifl: hath died, and now lives in heaven. 
 When our Lord comes to judgment, he will 
 mvite them to iiiherit * (which you fee is a 
 proper word to be ufed to heirs vA\o have an 
 indefeafible right to a thing) the kingdom pre- 
 fared for them from the foundation of the 
 *world. Matt. xxv. 34. and thefe words we are 
 not to look upon barely as an invitation, but 
 alfo a congratulation of their happinefs. The 
 regenerate are kings, and pricfis unto God, 
 Rev. i. 6. they are free of the heavenly Jeru- 
 falem. Gal. iv. 26, 31. Fleb. xii. 22, &c. &c. 
 
 III. I come now in the third and laft 
 place to fhew that faith and love, &c. are the 
 
 fruits 
 
Of REGENERATION. 271 
 
 fruits of regeneration. Though we are all by 
 nature degenerate plants of a Jt range vine, yet 
 fouls that are grafted into Chrift the true 
 vine, bring forth fruit as naturally as a good- 
 tree doth. The regenerate are partakers of 
 the divine nature, 2 Pet. i. 4. and of his holi- 
 716 fs, Heb. xii. 10. they have the image of 
 God ftamped upon their fouls, and are 
 changed into the fame image, 2 Cor. iii. 18.. 
 hence they are holy in all manner of converfa- 
 tion, I Pet. i. 1 5 . — That I may not needlefily 
 puzzle and perplex the reader. I fhall only 
 take notice of fome of thofe fruits of regene- 
 ration, which the fcriptures make exprefs 
 mention of; thus, i John v. i. IFhofoever 
 believeth that Jcfus is the Chrift, is born of 
 God', fo that believing in Chrifl is the effect 
 of our being born of God, for all true believers 
 are regenerate, and all the regenerate are true 
 believers : though it is not people's faying 
 they have faith, but having Chrifl in their 
 hearts -f, that denominates them true believers 
 and regenerate perfons. Many, yea mofl 
 who profefs the chriftian religion look upon 
 themfelves to be believers and new-born fouls, 
 if you was to judge by people's profeflion, 
 you v/ould think there were few unbelievers 
 in the world ; but if you examine into the 
 experience of their hearts, you will find it 
 otherwife, and lee reafon to conclude that the 
 number of real evangelical believers is but 
 fmall. Faith is an affunce of the foul upon 
 
 Chrifl. 
 
272 0/ R E G E N E R A T I O N, 
 
 Chrift, a living out of ourfelves upon. Chrift 
 Jefus alone for life and falvation. This faith 
 is the peculiar privilege of thofe that are 
 born of God, and is accompanied with love^ 
 which makes the evangelift add, a?id every 
 one that loveth him that begat, loveth him alfo 
 that is begotten of him, i. e. he that loveth 
 God, will love him that is begotten and born 
 of him, I John iii. 14, 16. hove is of God, 
 faith St. John, and God is love, i John iv. 
 7, 8. Love is the univerfal badge and cha- 
 radlerifllc of Chrift's difciples ; all the chil- 
 dren of God love his image w^herefoever they 
 difcern it ; they love freely and difintereftedly, 
 without refpe(ll of perfons or diilin£lion of 
 parties. All believers in Chrift love one 
 another ; all that are born of God are ce- 
 mented together in the unity of the Spirit 
 and the bond of peace : but where liatred and 
 malice reign, fach iouls are not born of God, 
 but of the devil. 
 
 I John iii. 19. JVhofoever is born of God 
 doth not commit fn, i. e. doth not commit 
 it wilfully and habitually, as natural men 
 do ; for the reader may obierve, that he that 
 is born of God, is oppoied to the natural man 
 mentioned in ver. 8. where it is laid. He that 
 committeth fn, is of the devil. Regenerate 
 men may fall into fm after regeneration : I 
 fuppofe that St. Paul was regenerated, A6:s 
 ix. yet how did he fall into inordinate anger 
 with Barnabas, Acls xv. 39. ! and how 
 haftilv did he fpeak againfl the high prieil:. 
 Acts xxiii. 3. ! which he himfelf acknow- 
 ledges 
 
0/ R E G E N E R A T I O N. 273 
 
 ledges to be a crime, ver. 5. It is the defir^ 
 of every foul that is born again, to be fre^ 
 from (in ; yet if we allow none to be regene* 
 rate but thdfe who are perfe6tly pure from 
 fin, where fhall we find a regenerate man ? 
 IVho can fay, I have made my heart clean : I 
 am pure from fn? A chriftian is perfect, not 
 in himfelf, but in Chrift his head. Whofo? 
 ever looks into himfelf for perfection, he will 
 never find it. All our perfection is in Chrifl:, 
 and every man who believes is perfect in 
 Chrifl Jeftis, as faith the apoftle, Gol. i. 28. 
 
 Another effeCl of the new birth is viClory 
 over the world. For what fo ever h born of God 
 overcometh the world, i John v. 4. and this 
 victory is gained by faith, as the following 
 words fhew, this is the vi^ory that overcometh 
 the world, even our faith. Faith enables fouls 
 to conquer, firft, the pleafures and allure- 
 ments of this world ; it gives them a view of 
 heavenly glories, and then the trifles and 
 bawbles of this world vanifh and disappear ; 
 it gives them a tafte of fpiritual joys, and 
 then the pleafures of flefh and fenfe become 
 flat and infipid. Men do not love to drink 
 water, when they have once tailed wine. 
 What a flur did our bleifed Lord cafl on all 
 human glory and grandeur when he refuled 
 to be made a king ! And how glorioufly did 
 His fervant Mofes defpife the world, and 
 trample on the magnificence of a court, when 
 he refufed to be called the fon of Pharaoh's 
 daughter; and chofe rather to endure afBiClions 
 with the people of God, than to enjoy the 
 T pleafures 
 
274 0/ REGENERATION. 
 
 pleafures of {in for a feafon ! And what an 
 admirable example of faith was Abraham, 
 who followed God into an unknown land, 
 when he might have lived at home at eafe, 
 and inherited his father's eftate ! Secondly, 
 by faith chriftians overcome the crofles, 
 afflictions, and perfecutions of the world : thus 
 the pfalmift, in defcribing a godly man, faith. 
 He JJjall not be afraid of evil tidings ; and the 
 reafon hereof is immediately rendered, his 
 heart is fixed ^ irufiing in the Lord, Pf. cxii. 7, 
 How vidiorioufly doth St. Paul triumph over 
 tribulation, perfecution, diftrefs, famine, na- 
 kedneis, peril, fword, &c. I — What a world 
 of trials and afflictions did the believers, men- 
 tioned Heb. xi. undergo ! And how did the 
 primitive chriftians endure racks, flakes, fire, 
 fword, danger, and death in every fhape ! 
 I>all:ly, the regenerate live above the cares of 
 the world ; tiiey take no thought for life, or 
 food, or raiment ; they are not like Martha 
 troubled about many things, but with Mary 
 they choofe that good part which fhall not 
 be taken from them ; they are careful for 
 nothing, but in every thing by prayer and 
 fupplication with thankfgiving make known 
 their requefts to God ; they caft all their care 
 upon him that carcth for them ; their will is 
 refigned to his will ; they live upon his pro- 
 mifes, they truft in his providences, and are 
 fatistied with all his difpenfations. They 
 blefs God in prolperity, they glory in tribula- 
 lation, they blcfs God for all things. And 
 while worldings murmur and repine atloffes,. 
 
 troubles, 
 
0/ REGENERATION. 275 
 
 troubles, and difappointments, they are glad 
 they have any thing to give to God, they are 
 glad they have any thing to lole for God ; 
 and always cry out from the ground of their 
 hearts, the Lord gave, and the Lord hath 
 taken away ; blejfed be the name of the Lord, 
 
 Another and the laft effedl I ihall at pre- 
 fent enumerate is a love and delire of God's 
 word ; thus faith St. Peter, the apoftle of our 
 Lord, I epiftle ii. 2. As new-horn babes, defire 
 thejincere milk of the word, Chrift's difciples 
 are called new-born babes, becaufe of their im- 
 potence and helpleffnefs, and becaufe they 
 are born into a world of new trials and trou- 
 bles, wherewith natural men are entirely un- 
 acquainted. The word is called milk, becaufe 
 as milk nourifhes babes born after the flefh, 
 fo the word of God nourifhes fouls born after 
 the Spirit ; it is called fncere milk, becaufe of 
 its purity, and to diftinguilh it from the doc- 
 trines and traditions of men, which are cor- 
 rupt, fictitious, and counterfeit. TKis fncere 
 milk new-born babes defre as naturally, and 
 covet as greedily, as infants do their mother's 
 milk ; and the end hereof is, that they may 
 grow thereby. Natural infants do not grow 
 unlefs they are conftantly fupplied with the 
 breaft, no more do fpiritual babes unlefs they 
 are fed with the food of (jod's word. As 
 little children cannot live without their mo- 
 ther's milk, fo neither can the children of 
 God live, but they grow lick and languifh, if 
 they have not the fincere milk of the word 
 frequently adminiftered u-ito them. The 
 T 2 ^ anoftle 
 
^76 0/ R E G E N E R A T I O N. 
 
 apoftle adds (as the learned Dr. Edwards -f- 
 takes notice) " that they will not fail to de- 
 " Jtre this lincere milk of the word, which 
 " yields folid and proper nourilliment for 
 *' their fouls, if they have iajled that the 
 *' luord is gracious, that is, they having had 
 " an experiemental knowledge of the tender 
 *' love of Chrift to Imners, namely to them- 
 " felves, they having felt the particular 
 " goodnefs and grace of God in changing 
 " and renewing their hearts, they cannot 
 " but pailionately long for, and breathe after 
 " this Ipiritual food and nourifhment." 
 
 If faith and love and vi^ory over the world 
 are the efFecls of regeneration, then thofe who 
 do not bring forth thefe fruits are not rege- 
 nerate. Every good tree bringeth forth good 
 fruit, faith our Saviour : but if the tree doth 
 not bring forth good fruit, how doth it ap- 
 pear to be good? And if men do not exhibit 
 the proper evidences of regeneration in their 
 lives, how doth it appear tp others that their 
 hearts are regenerate ? And pleafe to obferve, 
 our Lord doth not fay the tree which bring- 
 eth forth bad fruit ; but evgry tree that bring- 
 eth not forth good fruit, is hewn down and cafl 
 into the fire. Matt. vii. 19. Not only trees 
 that yield corrupt fruit, but they that yield 
 ■no fruit alfo fhall be cafl into hell fire : every 
 branch in me that becreth not fruit, he taketh 
 away, John xv. 2. As our Saviour faith to 
 the Jews, If ye were Abraham's children, ye 
 
 * See his Hearer. 
 
 would 
 
Of REGENERATION. 277 
 
 would do the works of Abraham^ John viii. ^9. 
 So we m^y fay, if ye were born of the Spirit, 
 ye would abound in the fruits of the Spirit ; 
 now the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, 
 peace, lo fig fuffc ring, gentlenefs, goodnefs, faith^ 
 weekncfs, temperance. If you liave not thefe 
 fruits, and elpecially, and above all, faith in 
 Chrift, ni vain do you pretend to be rege- 
 nerate. Where the heart is internally reno- 
 vated, the life will be externally reformed ; 
 where the inw^ard work really is, the outward 
 work will follow. There may be an out- 
 ward reformation without an inward regene- 
 ration, but there cannot be an inward regene- 
 rat on without an outward reformation. How 
 is it with your foul ? Do you love all who 
 love God ? Have you put off the old man, and 
 put on the new ? Is your converfation in 
 heaven f Do you walk as a child of light P 
 Have you Chrift in you the hope of glory ? A 
 man may go a great way. in religion, and yet 
 be unregeneratc : yea, the iinregenerate fre- 
 quently go farther in externals than the re- 
 generate ; but their fouls are dead for want 
 of Chrift and a living faith in him. All who 
 are born of the Spirit, believe in Chrift. Chrift 
 is the life of the foul, juft as the foul is the 
 life of the body ; and the ibui is as dead with- 
 out Chrift, as the body is without the foul. 
 Hence Chrift is called our life. Col. iii. 4, 
 And he that hath the Son hath life, i John v, 
 12. He that believeth, is born of God, i John 
 V. I. fo that if you believe in Chrift, you need 
 never queftion your regeneration. Therefore 
 
 rejoice 
 
278 0/ R E G E N E R A T I O N. 
 
 rejoice in Cb rift Jefus, make him your all ; 
 extol him highly, and give him all honour 
 and praife. 
 
 The heathen poet fays, 
 
 Daphnin ad ajlra feremus ; amavlt nos quoque 
 Daphnls, 
 
 But we chriftians fay, 
 
 XPI2TON ad ajir a feremus ; amavit nos quoque 
 Christus. 
 
 Though thoufands of doubts and fears circu- 
 late around you, let none of them fettle upon 
 you ; but drive them all away, as Abraham 
 drove away the fowls from the carcafes, Gen. 
 XV. 1 1. No more doubt of your fecond birth 
 than of your f rft. • This faith in Ch: ii.1: is 
 the beginning of the gofpel in the heart ; it 
 is heaven in miniature, and will dilate itlelf 
 into all the fullnefs of the glory of the eter- 
 nal ftate. 
 
 N I S. 
 
^hey crucified him and two others with hhn^ 
 on either Jide one^ and JESUS In the midji"— 
 Behold the MAN I John xix. 5, i8. 
 
 L 
 
 THERE hangs the Saviour of mankind. 
 His vifage marr'd, his head reclm'd. 
 His bleeding hands, his bleeding feet 
 Declare his love divinely great. 
 
 IL 
 
 His flelh is bruis'd with whips and nails ; 
 His ftrength decays, his fpirit fails ; 
 His fide is pierc*d, his heart is broke : 
 Our fins upon himfelf he took. 
 
 III. 
 
 Two thieves expiring on each fide 
 Proclaim the crimes for which they dyM : 
 But what, dear Saviour, hail thou done ? 
 Thou diedfl for lin, but not thine own. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Jefu, and dldft thou bleed for mef 
 
 Great — O boundlefs myftery ! 
 
 1 bow my head in deep amaze, 
 And filently adore thy grace. 
 
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