of a life of true holiness. The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not; left the light of the glorious gospel of Chrift, who is the image of God, fhould fhine unto them, 2 Cor. iv. 4.

I may add to this, that the natural difpofition of every one, while without an intereft in Chrift, and in an unjustified state, is utterly repugnant to, and inconfiftent with a life of holiness. The character and ftate of all fuch is, that they are fervants of fin, and free from righteoufnefs, Rom. vi. 17. 20. They are dead in trefpaffes and fins, Eph. ii. 1. They are

after the flesh, and mind the things of the flesh, Rom. viii. 5. Their carnal mind is enmity to God, and is not fubject to the law of God, neither indeed can be, Rom. viii. 7. This is the cafe of every man, while in a natural state; a cafe which can never be remedied, till the law of the fpirit of life in Chrift Fefus make us free from the law of fin and death, Rom. viii. 2. And I even appeal to yourself to determine, whether life and death, light and darkness, God and Belial, cannot as well be reconciled, as thefe characters made confiftent with a life of holinefs. It is therefore evident, that we can have no fincere obedience until we are juftified; and that we cannot live a holy life while we depend upon fincere obedience for justification.

I will only fubjoin, that we may not expect the renewing and fanctifying influences of the Spirit of Chrift while we depend upon our own fincere obe. dience for juftification. He has indeed made us gracious promifes, that if we receive him, we shall have the privilege to become the children of God, and if we truft in him, we shall never be ashamed.—But we must expect no better than to follow after the law of righteousness, and not attain to it, if we feek it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law, Rom. ix. 31, 32.I have already fhewn you,

Chrift did not undertake our redemption to the end that he might affift us in working out a righteoufness of our own, for our juftification; nor may we expect any faving grace from him, till we depend upon him alone to do all in us and for us. When he is of God made unto us righteousness, through faith, we may then, but not till then, expect from him the supply of the Spirit, for progreffive fanctification and redemption.They may rejoice in Chrift Jefus (and none but they) who have no confidence in the flesh.-Look, Sir, through the whole Bible, and fee if you can any where find encouragement to expect a progress of quickening and fanctifying influences from Chrift, without an intereft in him or dependence upon him; and while repairing to your own perfonal obedience as your refuge and hope. In fine, as you can have no principle of holinefs in yourself, but are under the influence of fin and Satan, and under the power of affections and difpofitions utterly inconfiftent with true holiness, so are you without any grounded expectations of the divine influences to renew and fanctify you, while you are building upon this falfe foundation, I mean, while you are doing fo practically, as well as fpeculatively.

I cannot but hope, Sir, notwithstanding your prefent wavering and unfettled posture, you have had fome experience of the truth of what I am now setting before you, in your own foul.-Look back and confider, how often you have found all your selfrighteous refolutions, felf-confident promises, and endeavours in your own ftrength to mortify your corruptions and to maintain a clofer walk with God, too weak a foundation to build upon, and how infufficient they have been to produce that new obe. dience, which you have purposed and expected: But how often you have found, on the contrary,

that

that an humble and cheerful dependence upon Chrift for righteousness and strength has invigorated your foul in your fpiritual progrefs.-How often have you found a legal frame has clipt the wings of your devotion; while a believing dependence upon the riches of God's infinite mercy in Chrift has enabled you to mount up with wings as the eagle, to run and not be weary, to walk and not faint!-Reflect upon your own experience, and confider how often you have found that even the restraints of the law, when you have acted upon no higher motive, have rather irritated and ftrengthened thofe corruptions which you have endeavoured to mortify; how often you have found, that nothing but faith in Chrift, and a realising fenfe of the love of God in him, could give you the victory, engage your heart to the fervice of God, and make the ways of holiness pleasant and delightful to you.-Thefe things are the common experience of the children of God; and a standing evidence to them of the truth which I am reprefenting to you.

Have patience with me, while I mention one exception more to the scheme you have proposed, which is, that this doctrine is highly deftructive to the comfort of a life of religion, and fubvertive of that joy and peace, which may be found in believing. -The Scriptures inform us, that the ways of wisdom are ways of pleafantness, and all her paths are peace; and exhort us to rejoice evermore, to rejoice in Chrift Jefus, without confidence in the flesh. This was one end of Chrift's coming into the world, that we might ferve him without fear, in righteoufnefs and holiness before him all the days of our life. They who are juftified by faith have peace with God; and fhould rejoice in hope of his glory.This the Calvinist principles, or (if you will allow me the expreffion)

the

the Scripture-principles lay a good foundation for. True fcriptural joy is the joy of faith. We may have ftrong confolation, who have fled for refuge, to lay hold on the hope fet before us. We know whom we have trufted, that he is able to keep that which we have committed to him, against that day. Though our frames may be very mutable, Jefus Chrift is the fame, yesterday, to-day, and for ever. In whom, though now we fee him not, yet believing, we rejoice; he has undertaken for us; he will never leave us nor forfake us; and therefore we may hold faft our confidence unto the end. The more cheerfully and firmly we trust in him, the more fhall we increase in holiness and in comfort; and the more fure will be the foundation of our eternal hope. This the Scripture teaches; this our own experience confirms; we may therefore go on our way rejoicing. But now let us look on the other fide of the queftion.

We depend upon our fincere obedience for justification: But, alas! how thall we know whether we have any gracious fincerity or not? We have yet many corruptions remaining, great defects in our duties, frequent violations of our good purposes and defigns: And the doubt is, can these things be confiftent with fincerity? Our confciences upbraid us that we do not do what we can in our endeavours after fincere obedience. And hence what a dreadful perplexity, what diffidence, darkness, and legal terrors, must every ferious perfon be thrown into by these principles? Here is no place (as upon the other principles) to commit this cafe alfo to Chrift, and in a way of cheerful dependence and diligence to expect grace and fincerity from him; for, upon thefe principles, we must be well affured of our actual fincerity before we can look to Chrift for acceptance: And therefore there is no place for comfort,

or

or for quiet, but from a careless inadvertency.However, fuppofing we may find some fatisfying evidence of our fincerity, at certain seasons, under fpecial reformations and enlargements, what will become of our hopes, when a contrary frame prevails? Can we then flatter ourfelves with our fincerity? Muft not our hopes and fears keep pace with our frames; and our whole life be a dreadful fluctuating between both, with respect to the infinite eternal concern before us? And is not this to be called to the spirit of bondage again to fear?

What room can there be upon this plan for the Spirit of adoption? How can the Spirit witness with our fpirits, that we are the children of God? How can we experience the fealings of the Holy Spirit ; or the earneft of our future inheritance? How can we have the full affurance of hope? Or how can we make our calling and election fure?-We muft upon thefe principles give up all pretenfions to these glorious comforts, benefits, and privileges of the chil. dren of God, while our hope is built upon this precarious foundation, and depends upon the doubtful and uncertain performance of perfevering fincere obedience.-Let us fuppofe the best which can be fuppofed, that we fhould make a comforting and encouraging progress in a life of fincere obedience; yet how do we yet know but death may feize us in an unguarded hour, and find us actually playing the hypocrite? In this cafe, what will become of all our religious duties, and all our hopes? And what will become of our fouls to all eternity?-I muft confefs, Sir, I could fee nothing before me but horror and despair, if I had no better foundation of confidence and hope towards God than my own righteousness.

Every experienced Christian must acknowledge, that the chief comfort of a religious life flows from