SERM.

THUS do thefe Sons of Reafon act moft VI. unreasonably, and justly forfeit that Title, they fo much glory in: For the Point may be left to themselves to determine, which is most agreeable to right Reason, to pay the greater Regard to the Divine Attributes, or to their own doubtful Surmifings, and whether they ought to prescribe Times and Seasons to their Maker, or receive Laws from him. If God be infinitely wife, and good, and true, it must furely become us to acquiefce in all his Difpenfations, and perform his Will according to that Increase of Light, which he has been pleased gradually to throw in upon us. If his unerring Providence did not fee fit to difcover his whole Councel concerning Mankind to the Gentiles of old, who lived before Chrift came into the World, they are to be pitied for the Knowledge they wanted, and commended for making fome Ufe of what they enjoyed, in labouring, though ineffectually, to recover human Nature out of the ruinous State, into which it was funk.

BUT their Misfortune would be our Fault; that Ignorance and Corruption, which might once be winked at, would now wear a very

criminal

SERM. criminal Face amidst the Opportunities of VI. gaining fo much more Knowledge and Purity: Our Obligations muft increase with our Abilities;---and that Measure of Righteoufnefs, which God may be fatisfied with in a State of Nature, cannot answer his just Expectations in a State of Grace. There is not the fame Reason for it, and this therefore is the Condemnation of fuch, as pretend to govern themselves by the Leffons of Morarity, that Light is come into the World, and Men loved Darkness better than Light, becaufe their Deeds are evil (1). Could Man's Understanding, uninformed, furnish out a perfect Scheme of Duty, or his Will, unaided, carry it thoroughly into Execution, fuch Self-fufficiency might be allowed fuperior to any foreign Helps, but, when this appears far from having been the Condition of the wifeft and beft of Men,---that Reafon and Nature can go very little Way towards discovering and performing religious Obligations, witness the Philofophers of old, who were quite at a Lofs for a regular Plan of them, and differed as much among themfelves, as they do from us; must it not then be very surprising, that any who live where the pure Gofpel is laid before them, and is continually

(1) St. John iii. 19,

continually founding in their Ears, fhould SERM. VI. yet go about to establish their own Righteousness, and not fubmit unto God's?

WERE their moral Attainments as excellent, as they boaft them to be, ftill they must be as unprofitable to themselves, as to God, and no juft Grounds of claiming a Title to his Favours. And if their very Virtues are imperfect, what fhall be faid of their Vices? What can they plead to extenuate their Tranfgreffions? Here they are perfectly benighted, and are toffed on the boundless Ocean of Uncertainty, unless Revelation clears up the Profpect, God's Word directs their Courfe, and his Spirit fills their Sails, and fo at laft they are brought fafe into the Haven of Reft, which remains for the People of God (m).

IN fhort, Other Foundation can no Man lay than that is laid, which is Christ Jesus (n). This being God's Ground-work, ftandeth fure, and whoever erecteth his Syftem of Righteouf- . ness on any other, the Event will prove him to be a weak Builder, and to have fixed his Edifice upon the Sand. Had we no firmer Bottom to ground our Hopes upon, the Imprudence

(m) Hcb. iv. 9.

(n) 1 Cor. iii. 11.

SERM. prudence of trufting, to what is fo very preVI. carious, might be excufable, but for us who

may build on the Rock of Ages, no Excufe can be admitted.

BUT befides the Error of those, who entirely disclaim God's Righteousness, and labour to introduce their own, there is another ⚫on this Subject maintained not by Infidels, but Believers, and it is that the Righteousness; folely intended by our Saviour, is his Righteousness, imputed to fuch, as embrace the Gofpel, and profefs his Religion.

AND here it must be acknowledged, with all Thankfulness, that it is the fingular Glory of the Gospel to have difcovered, how the Demerit of the Sinner is wiped away by the Merit of the Saviour ;---How we are in Chrift Fefus, who of God is made unto us Wisdom, and Righteousness, and Sanctification, and Redemption (o). But is there any Shadow of an Argument for afferting, that because we who were fometime Enemies, are rconciled to God by the Death of his Son (p), and are freely admitted, of mere Grace and Favour, into the Covenant of Pardon and Salvation for his Sake and not our own, therefore

(0) 1 Cor. i, 30.

(p) Rom. v. 10.

therefore under this gracious Covenant, no- SERM. thing is required of us to perform, that we VI may stand faft in it, nothing ftipulated by us, befides a confident Claim of Intereft, in the Atonement of the Son of God? When the Nature and Circumftances of that Redemption. loudly call for a Behaviour fuitable to the redeemed of the Lord, which is, that they hould depart from Iniquity, and henceforth live not unto themfelves, but unto him who hath fo dearly bought them.

A

IF Chrift fulfilled all Righteoufnefs in his Life, and fuffered for Sin by his Death, do not the Scriptures declare what Effect thefe Mercies ought to have upon us? Do they not teach us, to die unto Sin always, as be died for Sin once? Do they not oblige us, baving our Confciences purged by his Blood from dead Works, to ferve the Living God (q) and to walk before him unto all well pleafing? And do they not altogether condemn fuch as walk not like Friends but Enemies of the Cross of Chrift? Without giving them the leaft Ground for the Prefumption of thinking, that they have a good Title to the Benefits of Chrift's Satisfaction, though they pay no Regard to his Commands,---that his Righteoufnefs

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(9) Heb. ix. 14.