naturally have great thoughts of themselves, and do incline much to the covenant of works; the Lord therefore doth difcover to them fo much of their fin and corruption, even in their beft things, that they are made to loathe themselves, and to defpair of relief in themselves; and fo they are forced to flee out of themselves, and from the covenant of works, to feek refuge elsewhereThey become dead to themfelves and the law," as to the point of juftification; then "have they no more confidence in the flesh," this is fuppofed in the offers of Chrift "coming to feek and fave that which is loft," and "to be a physician to those who are fick."

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The fecond great end is, To commend Chrift Jefus to men's hearts above all things, that fo they may fall in love with him, and betake themfelves to that treafure and jewel which only enricheth, and, by fo doing, may ferve the Lord's defign in the contrivement of the gofpel, which was the manifeftation of his free grace thro' Chrift Jefus in the falvation of men. The fight of a man's own mifery and damnable eftate by nature is a ready way to make him prize Chrift highly, who alone can set fuch a wretch at liberty: yea, it not only leadeth a man to an high efteem of Chrift, but also of all things that relate to that way of falvation, as grace, the new covenant, faith, and maketh him carefully to gather and treafure up his Michtams or golden fcriptures for the confirmation of his interest in these things.

The third great end is, to deter and fear people from fin, and to make them caft out with it, and confent to put their neck under all his yoke. God kindleth fome fparks of hell in men's bofoms by the difcovery of their fin, as a ready mean to make them henceforth ftand in awe, knowing" how bitter a thing it is to depart from the Lord." So we find reft offered to the weary, upon condition they will take on Chrift's yoke. "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye fhall find reft unto your fouls." And God offereth to own men as their God and Father, upon condition they will allow no peaceable abode to

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Belial. "What fellowship hath righteoufnefs with unrighteoufnefs? and what communion hath light with darknefs? and what concord hath Chrift with Belial ? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye feparate, faith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and will be a father unto you, and ye fhall be my fons and daughters, faith the Lord Almighty.'

The fourth great end is, to work up men to a patient and thankful fubmiffion to all the Mafter's pleafure.This is a fingular piece of work, "Then fhalt thou remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy fhame, when I am pacified towards thee, for all that thou haft done, faith the Lord.' The fight of a man's own vilenefs and defervings maketh him filent, and to lay his hand on his mouth, whatsoever God doth unto him; "I was dumb, and opened not my mouth, because thou didst it." "God hath punished us less than our iniquities." I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have finned." The man careth not what God doth to him, or how he deals with him, if he fave him from the deferved wrath to come : alfo any mercy is a large mercy to him who hath feen. fuch a fight of him felf; he is lefs than the leaft of mercies ;' "any crumb falling from the Malter's table is welcome" he thinks it rich "mercy that he is not confumed.". This is the thing that marvellously maketh God's poor croffed people fo filent under, and fatisfied with, their lot; nay, they think he deferveth hell who openeth his mouth at any thing God doth to him, fince he hath pardoned his tranfgreffions.

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So then, for fatisfying the objection, I fay, if the Lord hath driven thee out of thyfelf, and commended Chrift to thy heart above all things, and made thee refolve, in his ftrength, to wage war with every known tranfgreffion, and thou art in fome measure as a weaned child, acquiefcing in what he doth unto thee, defiring to lay thy hand on thy mouth thankfully; then thy convictions of fin and mifery, and whatfoever thou doft plead as a prepa

ratory work, is fufficient, and thou art to debate no more concerning it. Only be advised so to study new difcoveries of the fenfe of thy loft condition every day, because of thy old and new fins; and also to see fresh help in Chrift, who is a pricft for ever to make interceffion; and to have the work of fanctification and patience with thankfulness renewed and quickened often for fomewhat of that work which abafeth thee, exalteth Chrift, and conformeth to his will, muft convey thee throughout all thy lifetime in this world.

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Chapter III.

SECTION I.

Of Faith.

E come now to fpeak of fome more clear and fure marks, by which men may take up their gracious ftate and intereft in Chrift. The first thing whereby men may know it is, their clofing with Chrift in the gofpel, wherein he is held forth. This is believing, or faith, which is the condition of the covenant ; "It is of faith," "Believe on the Lord Jefus Chrift, and thou fhalt be faved." Now, although in propriety of fpeech, it is hard to prove an interest by faith, it being our very intereft in him; yet the heart's clofing with Chrift Jefus is fo difcernable in itself, that we may well place it amongst the marks of a gracious ftate and if a man can make out this, that he believeth on and in Chrift Jefus, he thereby doth prove a very true interest in him.

Many do fcar at this as a mark, upon one of these three grounds ordinarily.

(1.) Some conceive faith to be a difficult mysterious thing, hardly attainable. To thefe I fay, Do not miftake; faith is not fo difficult as many do apprehend it

to be. I grant true faith in the meaneft degree is the gift of God, and above the power of flefh and blood; for God muftdraw men to Chrift," "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath fent me draw him." Unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ to believe on him." Yet it were a reflection upon Chrift, and all he hath done, to fay it were a matter of infuperable difficulty; as is clear, "The righteoufnefs which is of faith fpeaketh on this wife, Say not in thine heart, Who fhall afcend into heaven ? that is, to bring Chrift down from above; or, Who fhall defcend into the deep? that is, to bring up Chrift again from the dead. But what faith it? The world is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart; that is, the word of faith which we preach. That if thou fhalt confefs with thy mouth the Lord Jefus, and fhalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou fhalt be faved; for with the heart man believeth unto righteoufnefs, and with the mouth confeffion is made unto falvation. For the Scripture faith, Whofoever believeth on him fhall not be afhamed." It were, according to that Scripture, as much upon the matter as to fay, Chrift came not from heaven, is not rifen from the dead, or afcended victorious to heaven. I fay, he hath made the way to heaven most easy; and faith, which is the condition required on our part, more eafy than men do imagine. For the better understanding of this, confider that juftifying faith is not to believe that I am elected, or to believe that God loveth me, or that Chrift died for me, or the like; thefe things are indeed very difficult,and almoft impoffible at the firft hand to be attained to by thofe who are serious; whilft natural Atheists and deluded hypocrites find no difficulty in afferting all thofe things: I fay, true juftifying faith is not any of the forefaid things; neither is it fimply the believing of any fentence that is written, or that can be thought upon. I grant, he that believeth on Chrift Jefus believeth what God hath faid concerning man's finful miférable condition by nature, and he believeth that to be true, that "there is life in the Son, who

was flain, and is rifen again from the dead:" but none of thefe, nor the believing of many fuch truths, do fpeak out justifying faith, or that believing on the Son of God fpoken of in Scripture: for then it were fimply an act of the understanding but true juftifying faith, which we now feek after, as a good mark of an intereft in Chrift, is chiefly and principally an act or work of the heart and will; having prefuppofed fundry things about truth in the understanding "with the heart it is believed unto righteousnefs ;" and although it feem, that a man is faved upon condition that he believe this truth," God raised Chrift from the dead," yet we must understand another thing there, than the believing the truth of that propofition for befide that all devils have that faith, whereby they believe that God raifed Chrift from the dead, fo the Scripture hath clearly refolved juftifying faith into a receiving of Chrift; "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the fons of God, even to them that believe on his name." The receiving of Chrift is there explained to be the believing on his It is ftill called a faying on the Lord, a trusting in God, often mentioned in the Pfalms, and the word is a leaning on him. It is a believing on Chrift, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath fent, and often fo expreffed in the New Teftament.-When God maketh men believe favingly, he is faid to draw them unto Chrift; and when the Lord inviteth them to come to him, "All that the Father giveth me, fhall come to me; and him that cometh to me, I will in no wife caft out. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath fent me draw him." The kingdom of heaven is like a man finding a jewel, wherewith he falleth in love-Now, I fay, this acting of the heart on Chrift Jefus is not fo difficult a thing as is conceived.Shall that be judged a myfterious difficult thing which doth confift much in defire? If men have but an appetite, they have it; for they are "bleffed that hunger after righteousness" "If you will you are welcome;" It is a matter of fuch intricacy and infuperable difficulty

name.