I.

By the works of the law [when it is opposed to Christ, or abstracted from the promise] shall no flesh living be justified [at any time,] Gal. ii, 16.

When you have done all that is commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants, Luke xvii, 10.

II.

In the day of judgment-by thy words thou shalt be justified. The doers of the law [of liberty-the law connected with the Gospel promises] shall be justified, Matt. xii, 37; Rom, ii, 10.

Cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, Matt. XXV, 30.

If I am not mistaken, the balance of these scriptures shows, that, although we are not under the moral law without Christ, yet we are under it to Christ, both as a rule of life and a rule of judgment: or, to speak more plainly, although we shall not be judged by the law of innocence, i. e. the moral law abstracted from Gospel promises, yet we shall be judged by the "law of liberty," i. e. the moral law connected with the promise of the Gospel: an evangelical law this, under which the merciful God for Christ's sake put mankind in our first parents, when he gra ciously promised them "the seed of the woman," the atoning Mediator, the royal "Priest, after the order of Melchisedec."

SECTION VIII.

Showing what is God's work, and what is our own; how Christ saves us, and how we work out our own salvation.

"God, out of his fatherly benignity and clemeney, shall accept from us, his children, this endeavour and study to keep his law, instead of a perfect righteousness, &c. All this discourse ought to be referred to the new obedience, &c, which is the plainer, because most of these statutes were concessions, remedies, and expiations for sin." (DIOD. in loc.) Mr. Henry is exactly of the same sentiment. "Could we perfectly fulfil but that one command of loving God with all our heart, &c, and could we say we had never done otherwise, that would be so our righteousness as to entitle us to the benefits of the covenant of innocency, &c. But that we cannot pretend to; therefore our sincere obedience shall be accepted through a Mediator, to denominate us (as Noah was) 'righteous before God." (HENRY in loc.)

I.

You being dead in your sins, &c, hath he quickened together with him, Col. ii, 13.

Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God, John iii, 3.

The wind bloweth where it listeth, &c, so is every one that is born of the Spirit, John iii, 8.

Being born again, not of corrupti. ble seed, but, &c, by* the word of God; and this is the word, which by the Gospel is preached unto you, 1 Pet. i, 23, 25. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, James i, 18.

Christ our passover is sacrificed for us, 1 Cor. vi, 7. .

II.

Thou hast a name that thou liv. est, and art dead, &c. Strengthen the things that remain, and are ready to die, Rev. iii, 1, 2.

Every one that loveth-every one that does righteousness, is born of God, 1 John iv, 7; ii, 29.

Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you. For God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble, 1 Pet. v, 6, 5.

Wherefore, &c, lay apart all filthiness, &c, and receive,* &c, the ingrafted word, James i, 19, 21. Whosoever believeth, &c, is born of God [according to his dispensation,] 1 John v, 1. As many as received him, to them [of his own gracious will] gave he power to be. come the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name, John i, 12. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Faith cometh by hearing [which is our work,] Gal. iii, 26; Rom. x, 17. They [the Bereans] received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so; therefore many of them believed: [i. e. received "the ingrafted word," and by that means were "born again" according to the Christian dispensation;] Acts xvii, 11, 12.

Purge out the old leaven [of wickedness] that ye may be a new lump. (Ibid.)

* How mistaken were the divines that composed the synod of Dort, when speaking of regeneration, they said, without any distinction, (Illam Deus in nobis sine nobis operatur,) "God works it in us, without us!" Just as if God be. lieved in us without us! Just as if we received the word without our receiving of it! Just as if the sower and the sun produced corn without the field that bears it! What led them into this mistake was, no doubt, a commendable desire to maintain the honour of free grace. However, if by regeneration they meant the first communication of that fructifying, "saving grace, which has appeared to all men"-the first visit, or the first implanting of "that light of life, which enlightens every man that cometh into the world," they spoke a precious truth: for God bestows this free gift upon us, absolutely "without us!" Nor could we ever do what he requires of us in the scale of free will, if he had not first given us a talent of grace, and if he did not continually help us to use it aright when we have a good will.

I.

Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness, Isa. xli, 10.

I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols will I cleanse you, Ezek. xxxvi,

25.

I the Lord do keep it [the spiritual vineyard] lest any hurt it. I will keep it night and day, Isaiah xxvii, 3.

I will give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes, Ezek. xi, 20.

David my servant shall be king over them; and, &c, they shall walk in my judgments, Ezekiel xxxvii, 24.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto the good works which God [by his word of command, by providential occur. rences, and by secret intimations of his will, apontours] hath before prepared, that we should walk in them, Eph. ii, 10.

God hath saved us, and called us with a holy CALLING; not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ before the world began, 2 Tim. i, 9.

I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord, Jer. xxiv, 7.

II.

Cursed is the man that maketh flesh his arm, Jer. xvii, 5. Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he will sustain thee, Psa. Iv, 22.

Wash ye, make you clean, Isa. i, 16. O Jerusalem, wash thy heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved, Jer. iv, 14.

Keep thyself pure, 1 Tim. v, 22. Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life, Prov. iv, 23.

What does the Lord require of thee but, &c, to walk humbly with thy God? Micah vi, 8. And Enoch* set himself to walk with God, Gen. v, 24.

He that saith he abideth in him, [God manifested in the flesh,] ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked, 1 John ii, 6.

And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them and mercy, Gal. 16. That they might set their hope in God, &c, and not be as their fathers, a stubborn generation, &c, that set not their heart aright, &c, and refused to walk in his law. But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity, Psa. lxxviii, 7, 10; xxvi, 11.

The grace of God, that bringeth salvation, hath appeared unto all men, teaching us that we should live soberly, &c. Give diligence to make your CALLING sure. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? Titus ii, 11, 12; 2 Pet. i, 10; Heb. ii, 3.

Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord, Hos. vi, 3.

The word in the original is in the conjugation Hithpahel, which signifies to cause one's self to do a thing. Our translation does not do it justice. Nor can Zelotes reasonably object to the meaning of the word used by Moses, unless he can prove that Enoch had no hand, and no foot, in his walking with God; and that God dragged him as if he had been a passive cart, or a recoiling cannon. However, I readily grant that Enoch did not set himself to walk with God without the help of that "saving grace, which has appeared to all men," and which so many "receive in vain."