reward, by fuch meritorious works as make the reward to be not of grace, but of debt, Rom. 4. 4. But he that maketh God himfelf, and his everlafting love to be his reward, and trufteth in Chrift the only reconciler, as knowing his guilt and enmity by fin; and laboureth for the food which perifheth not, but endureth to everlafting life; and layeth up a treasure in Heaven, and maketh himself friends of the Mimmon of unrighteoufness, and layeth up a good foundation for the time to come, Jaying hold upon eternal life, and ftriverh to enter in at the ftrait gate, and fighteth a good fight, and finisheth his courfe for the Crown of Righteoufnefs, and fuffereth perfecution for a reward in Heaven, and prayeth in fecret that God may reward him, and alwaies aboundeth in the work of the Lord, because his labour is not in vain in the Lord, and endureth to the end, that he may be faved, and is faithful to the death, and overcometh, that he may receive the Crown of Life: this man taketh Gods way, and the only way to Heaven; and they that thus feck not the reward (being at the use of reafon) are never like to have,it.

Errour 49. It is not lawful for the juftified to pray for the pardon of any penalties, but temporal.

Contr. The ground of this is before overthrown.

Errour so. It is not lawful to pray twice for the pardon of the Jame fin, because it implieth unbelief, as if it were not pardoned already.

Contr. It is a duty to pray oft and continuedly for the pardon of former fins: 1. Becaufe pardon once granted mult be continued ; and therefore the continuance must be prayed for :If you fay, It is certain to be continued, I answer, then it is as certain that you will continue to pray for it (and to live a holy life.) 2. Because the evils deferved, are fuch as we are not perfectly delivered from, and are in danger of more daily. And therefore we muft pray for daily executive pardon, that is, impunity; and that God will give us more of his Spirit, and fave us from the fruit of former fin: Becaufe our right to future impunity is given before all the impunity it felt. 3. And the compleat Juftification from all paft fins, is yet to come at the day of Judgement. And all this, (befides that some that have pardon, know it not) may and muft be daily prayed for:

YY 3.

Errour

Errour 51. The Justified must not pray again for she pardos of the fins before converfion.

Contr. What was laft faid confuteth this.

Errour 52. No max at all may pray for pardon, but only for afurance: For the fins of the Elect are all perdoned before they were born: and the non-eled have no fatisfaction made for their fins, and therefore their pardon is impossible.

Contr. Matth. 6. Forgive us our trefpaffes, &c.

Thefe confequences do but fhew the falfhood of the antecedents.

Errour 53. No man can know that he is under the guilt of any fin; because no man can know but that he is elect, and confequently justified already.

Contr. No infidel, or impenitent person is justified.

Errour 54. Chrift only is covenanted with by the Father, and be is the only Promifer as for us, and not we for our felves.

Contr. Chrift only hath undertaken to do the work of Chrift, but man muft undertake, and promise, and covenant, even to Chrift himself, that (by the help of his grace) he will do his own part. Or elfe no man fhould be baptized. What a Baptifm and Sacramental Communion do thefe men make? He that doth not covenant with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, hath no right to the benefits of Gods part of the Covenant. And no man (at age) can be faved that doth not both promife and perform.

Errour 55. We are not only freed from the condemning fentence of the Law; but freed alfo from its commar ds.

Contr. We are not under Mofes Judaical Law, which was proper to their Nation, and their Profelites: Nor are we under a neceffity or duty, of 1.bouring after perfect obedience in our felves, as the condition of our Juftification or Salvation; but to renounce all fuch expectations. Nor will the Law of Works it felf ever juftific us (as fome affirm) as having perfectly fulfilled it by another: But we are juftified against its charge, and not by it, by the Covenant of Grace, and not of Works. But perfect obedience to all the Law of Nature, and all the Commands of Chrift, is fill our duty, and fincere obedience is neceffary to our falvation. All our duty is not fupererrogation.

Erreur

Ertour 56. When a man doubteth whether he be a Believer or penitent, he must believe that Chrift repented and believed for bim.

Contr. Chrift never had fin to repent of; and it is not pro

per to fay one repenteth of anothers tin; Chrift believed his Father, but had no ufe for that faith in a Mediatour which we must have. He that repenteth not, and believeth not himfelt, fhall be damned: Therefore you may fee how Chrift repented and believed for us.

Errour 57. A man that trusteth to be juftified at the day of Judgement, against the charge of unbelief, impenitency and hypoerifie, by bis own faith, repentance and fincerity, as his particular fubordinate Righteousneß, and not by Chrifts Righteousness imputed: only, finneth against free grace.

Contr. Chrifts Righteoufness is imputed or given to none, nor fhall juftific any that are true Unbelievers, Impenitent or Hypocrites: Therefore if any fuch perfon truft to be juftified by Chrift, he deceiveth him. If the charge be, Thou art an Infidel or impenitent, it is frivolous to fay, But Cbrift obeyed, fuffereds or believed, or repented for me. But he that will then be juftified against that charge, muft /ay, and fay truly, I truly be lieved, repented and obeyed.

Errour 58. There is no use for a Juftification against any fuck falfe accufation before God, who knoweth all mens hearts.

Contr.. You might as well fay, There is no ufe of judg ing men according to what they have done, when God knoweth what they have done already. 2. We are to be justified by God before men and Angels, that Chrift may be glorified in his Saints, and admired in all them that believe, because the Gospel was believed by them, 2 Tbef. 1. 10, 11. And not only the mouth of iniquity may be flopped, and open falfe accufations confuted, but that the prejudices and heart-flanders of the wicked may be refelled, and our righteousness be brought forth as the light, and our judgement as the noon day; That all the falfe judgements and reproaches of the wicked againft the juft may be confounded; and they may answer for all their ungodly fayings, and hard fpeeches (as Henoch prophe fied) against the godly and that they that fpeak evil of us, because we run not with them to all excefs of riot, may give

an:

an account to bim who is ready to judge the quick and the dead, 1 Per. 4. 4,5. And that all may be fet ftraight which men made crooked, and hidden things be all brought to light.

3. And we must be better acquainted with the ingenuity of the great accufer of the Brethren, before we can be fure that he who belyed God to man, will not bely man to God; fecing he is the Father of lyes, and did fo by Job, &c.

But we must not think of the day of Judgement, as a day of talk between God, and Satan, and Man; but as a day of DECISIVE LIGHT or manifeftation. And fo the cafe is out of doubt. The Faith,Repentance and Sincerity of the juft will be there manifeft, against all former or latter, real or vertual calumnies of men or devils to the contrary.

5. But above all let it be marked, that nothing else can be matter of controverfie to be decided. That Chrift bath ebeyed, and fuffered, and fatisfied for Believers fins, and made a teflament or covenant to pardon all true Believers, will be known to the accufer, and paft all doubt. The day of Judgement is not to try Chrifts obedience and fufferings, nor to decide the cafe whether be fulfilled the Law, and fatified for fin, or made a pardoning Covenant to Believers: But whether we bave part in bim or not, and fo are to be juftified by the Gofpel Covenant, through his merits against the Legal Covenant :. And whether we have fulfilled the conditions of the pardoning Covenant or not. This is all that can be then made a Controverfie; this is the fecrets of mens beart and cafe that must be opened before the world by God. However we doubt not, but the glory of all will redound to Chrift, whofe merits are unquestioned.

6. Note alfo, that Chrift will be the Judge on fuppofition of his merits, and not the party to be tryed and judged.

7. Note alfo, that we are to be judged by the New Covenant of Law of Liberty, and therefore it is the condition of that Covenant (as made with us) which is to be enquired after.

8. Note alfo that Chrift himself in Matth. 25. (and every where) when he defcribeth the day of Judgement, doth not at all speak of any decifion of fuch a controverfic, as whether he was the Lamb of God, who took away the fins of the world?

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or whether he did his part or not; but only whether men did their parts or not, and thewed the fincerity of their love to God and him, by venturing all for him, and owning him in his fervants, to their coft and hazard. And the fruit of Chrifts part is only mentioned as a prefuppofed thing, Come ye blissed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you

For I was hungry, &c. The Preparation (in Gods Decree and Chrifts merits) is unqueftioned, and fo is the donation to all tgue Believers; therefore it is the cafe of their Title to this gift, and of the condition or evidence of their title, which is here tryed and decided.

Lafly, Note that upon the decifion, in refpect of both together (Chrifts Merits and Covenant as fuppofed, and their own true Faith, and Love, as manifested decifively) they are called Righteous, v. 46. The Righteous into life eternal.

So much to take the ftumbling blocks out of the way of Faith, about Free Grace and Juftification, which the weaknefs of many well meaning erroneous men hath laid there of late times, to the great danger or impediment of weak Believers.

Ifa. 57.14. Take up the ftumbling block out of the way of my people.

Levit. 19. 14. Thou shalt not put a stumbling-block before the blind, but shalt fear thy God.

CHAP. IX.

How to live by Faith, in order to the exercife of other graces and duties of Sanctification, and Obedience to God.

And firft of the Dourinal Directions.

E cannot by Faith promote Sanctification, unless we

WE underffand the nature and reasons of Sinctification.

This therefore must be our firft endeavour.

The word [Sandlified] doth fignific that which is feparated to Godfrom common uses.] And this feparation is either by God bimfelf (as he hath fanctified the Lords day, &c.) or by mans

dedication