ftreams from a corrupt fountain. Whence it follows, that they who are looking to fincere obedience for juftification, must be ftrangers to true holiness; they not having first committed their fouls to Chrift, depended upon him alone for righteoufnefs and ftrength, and thereby obtained fupplies of grace for a life of holiness, from that only fountain of life. To feek juftification from our fanctification, is to invert the order and method for our falvation: it is to produce the cause from the effect, to fetch the fountain from the ftreams. We must first by a new living principle be enabled to act faith in Chrift, to receive him, and thereby be united to him, and be juftified in the fight of God; otherwise all our religious and moral duties will be vain, a sacrifice without a heart, mere legal or flavish performances, that have nothing of true holiness in them. We must be created in Chrift Jefus unto good works, if we would walk in them, Eph. ii. 10. We must be renewed in the Spirit of our mind, if we would put on the new man, which after God is created in righteoufness and true holiness, Eph. iv. 23, 24. We must be quickened together with him, Col. ii. 13. We are fanctified through the offering of the body of Jefus Chrift, once for all, Heb. x. 10. It is of Christ's fulness, that we all receive, even grace for grace, John i. 16. And as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can we, except we abide in Chrift, John xv. 4.

Moreover, I think, it will be readily allowed, that we cannot live a life of holiness, while we remain children and fervants of fin and Satan. It must alfo be allowed, that the whole world of mankind are either the children of God, or the children of the devil. This distribution divides the whole human race, 1 John iii. 10. Now then, if we are the children of God, we are already in a juftified state; and therefore cannot depend upon our fincere obedience for our justification: but if the children of the devil, we cannot be holy, whatever pretences to fincere obedience we may make. An unjuftified child of God, or a holy child of the devil, are each of them the greatest folecifm, that can be thought of. We become children of God by the fame means by which we are flified. We are justified by faith, Rom. iii. 24. And

we are children of God by faith in Chrift Jefus, Gal. iii. 26. But all they which have not this faith, and are not thereby become the children of God, and juftified in his fight, are fo blinded by the God of this world, that they are utterly uncapable, in their prefent ftate, of a life of true holiness. The God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not; left the light of the glorious gofpel of Christ, who is the image of God, Should fbine unto them, 2 Cor. iv. 4.

I may add to this, that the natural difpofition of every one, while without an interest in Christ and in an unjus tified flate, is utterly repugnant to, and inconfiftent with a life of holinefs. The character and ftate of all fuch is, that they are fervants of fin, and free from righteouf nefs, Rom. vi. 17, 20. They are dead in trefpasses 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 subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be, Rom. viii. 7. This is the case of every man, while in a natural ftate; a cafe, which can never be remedied, till the law of the fpirit of life, in Chrift Jefus, make us free from the law of fin and death, Bom. 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 holiness. It is therefore evident, that we can have no fincere obedience until we are justified; and that we cannot live a holy life, while we depend upon fincere obedience for our juftification.

I will only fubjoin, that we may not expect the re, newing and fanctifying influences of the Spirit of Christ, while we depend upon our own fincere obedience 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 trust in him, we fhall never be afhamed. But we must expect no better, than to follow after the law of righteoufnefs, and not attain to it, if we feck 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 tighte $

oufness of our own, for our justification; 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 fupply 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 progrefs of quickening and fanctifying influences from Chrift, without an interest in him, or dependance upon him; and while repairing to your own personal obedience as your refuge and hope. In fine, as you can have no principle of holiness in your felf, but are under the influence of fin and Satan, and under the power of affections and difpofitions utterly inconfiftent with true holiness, fo 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 speculatively.

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 fetting before you, in your own foul. Look back and confider, how often you have found all your felf-righteous, 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 obedience, which you have purpofed and expected: but how have you found, on the contrary, that an humble and chearful dependance upon Chrift for righteousness and ftrength, 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 de pendance 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 realizing fenfe of the love of God in him, could give you the victory, engage your heart to the service of God, and make the ways of holiness pleasant and delightful to you. These 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 fcheme you have propofed, which is, that this doctrine is highly deftructive to the comfort of a life of religion; and fubverfive of that joy and peace, which may be found in believing. The fcriptures inform us, that the ways of wifdem are ways of pleasantnefs, 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 righteousness 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 fcripture principles lay a foundation for.. True fcriptural joy is the joy of faith. We may have Strong 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 rejcice. 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 chear. fully and firmly we truft 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 fcripture 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 question.

We depend upon our fincere obedience for juftifica-tion: But, alas! How fhall 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 serious perfon be thrown into, by thefe principles? Here is no place (as upon the other principles) to commit this cafe alfo to Chrift, and in a way of chearful dependance 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 ever look to Chrift for acceptance. And therefore there is no place here for comfort, or for quiet, but from a carelefs inadvertency. How. ever, fuppofing we may find fome fatisfying evidence of our fincerity, at certain feafons, under fpecial reformations and enlargements, what will become of our hopes, when a contrary frame prevails? Can we then flatter ourselves 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 refpect to the infinite eternal concern before us? And is not this, to be called 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 must upon those principles give up all pretenfions to thefe glorious comforts, benefits, and privileges of the children 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 progrefs 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