by their good works, when the witnesses thereof shall glori'fy your Father which is in heaven.' 3. He gives them no other rule for their new obedience than the moral law, fet down and explicated by Mofes and the prophets; 'Think not (faith he) that I am come to de' stroy the law and the prophets.' 4. He gives them to understand, that the doctrine of grace, and freedom from the curse of the law, by faith in him, is readily mistaken by mens corrupt judgments, as if it did loofe or flacken the obligation of believers to obey the commands, and to be subject to the authority of the law; and that this error is indeed a destroying of the law and of the prophets, which he will in no cafe ever endure in any of his disciples, it is so contrary to the end of his coming, which is first to sanctify, and then to save believers: 'Think not (faith he) that I am come to destroy the law and the prophets.' ، 5. He teacheth, that the end of the gospel and covenant of grace is to procure mens obedience unto the moral law: • I am come (faith he) to fulfil the law and the prophets.' 6. That the obligation of the moral law, in all points, unto all holy duties, is perpetual, and shall stand to the world's end, that is, 'till heaven and earth pass away.' 7. That as God hath had a care of the scriptures from the beginning, so shall he have a care of them still to the world's end, that there shall 'not one jot or one tittle of the substance ' thereof be taken away;' so saith the text, Verse 18. 8. That as the breaking of the moral law, and defending the tranfgreffions thereof to be no sin, doth exclude men, both from heaven, and justly also from the fellowship of the true kirk; so the obedience of the law, and teaching others to do the fame, by example, counsel and doctrine, according to every man's calling, proveth a man to be a true believer, and in great estimation with God, and worthy to be much esteemed of by the true church. Verse 19. 9. That the righteousness of every true Christian must be more than the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees; for the Scribes and Pharifees, albeit they took great pains to difcharge sundry duties of the law, yet they cutted short the exposition thereof, that it might the less condemn their practice; they studied the outward part of the duty, but neglect, ed the inward and spiritual part; they discharged some meaner duties carefully, but neglected judgment, mercy, and the love of God: in a word, they went about to establish their. own righteousness, and rejected the righteousness of God by faith in Jefus. But a true Christian must have more than all this; he must acknowledge the full extent of the spiritual meaning of the law, and have a respect to all the commandments, and labour to cleanfe himself from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and 'not lay weight upon what service he hath done, or shall do, but clothe himself with the imputed righteousness of Christ, which only can hide his nakedness, or else he cannot be saved; so faith the text, 'Except 'your righteousness,' &c. more The second thing requisite to evidence true faith is, that the believer endeavour to put the rules of godliness and righteousness in practice, and to grow in the daily exercise thereof, holden forth, 2 Pet. i. v. AND besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; Verse 6. And to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; Verse 7. And to godliness, brotherly-kindness; and to brotherly-kindness, charity. Verse 8. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you, that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Chrift. Wherein, 1. The apostle teacheth believers, for evidencing of precious faith in themselves, to endeavour to add to their faith seven other fister graces; The first is virtue, or the active exercise and practice of all moral duties, that so faith may not be idle, but put forth itself in work. The second is knowledge, Gg 2 ledge, which serves to furnish faith with information of the truth to be believed, and to furnish virtue with direction what duties are to be done, and how to go about them prudently. The third is temperance, which ferveth to moderate the use of all pleasant things, that a man be not clogged therewith, nor made unfit for any duty whereto he is called. The fourth is patience, which serveth to moderate a man's affections, when he meeteth with any difficulty or unpleasant thing; that he neither weary for pains required in well-doing, nor faint when the Lord chastiseth him, nor murmur when he crosseth him. The fifth is godliness, which may keep him up in all the exercises of religion, inward and outward; whereby he may be furnished from God, for all other duties which he hath to do. The fixth is brotherly-kindness, which keepeth estimation of, and affection to, all the houshold of faith, and to the image of God in every one wheresoever is is seen. The seventh is love, which keepeth the heart in readiness to do good to all men, whatsoever they be, upon all occasions which God shall offer. 2. Albeit it be true, that there is much corruption and infirmity in the godly; yet the apostle will have men uprightly endeavouring, and doing their best, as they are able, to join all these graces one to another, and to grow in the measure of exercising them; 'Giving all diligence (faith he) add to ' your faith, &c. 3. He afsureth all professed believers, that as they shall profit in the obedience of this direction, so they shall profitably prove the soundness of their own faith; and if they want these graces, that they shall be found blind deceivers of themselves, Verse 9. The third thing requifite to evidence true faith is, that obedience to the law run in the right channel, that is, through faith in Chrift, &c. holden forth, 1 Tim. i. 5. NOW, the end of the commandment is love, out of a pure heart, and of a good confcience, and of faith unfeigned. Wherein the apostle teacheth these seven doctrines; 1. That J 1. That the obedience of the law must flow from love, and love from a pure heart, and a pure heart from a good confcience, and a good confcience from faith unfeigned: this he makes the only right channel of good works; 'The end of the law is love, &c.' 2. That the end of the law is not, that men may be justified by their obedience of it, as the Jewish doctors did falsly teach; for it is impossible that finners can be justified by the law, who, for every tranfgreffion, are condemned by the law: 'For the end of the law is (not such as the Jewish doctors taught, but) ' love out of a pure heart,' &c. 3. That the true end of the law, preached unto the people, is, that they, by the law, being made to see their deserved condemnation, should flee to Christ unfeignedly, to be justified by faith in him; so saith the text, while it maketh love to flow through 'faith in Christ.' 4. That no man can set himself in love to obey the law, except in as far as his confcience is quieted by faith, or is seeking to be quieted in Christ; for the end of the law is love, ' out of a good confcience, and faith unfeigned.' 5. That feigned faith goeth to Christ without reckoning with the law, and so wants an errand; but unfeigned faith reckoneth with the law, and is forced to flee for refuge unto Christ, as the end of the law for righteousness, so often asit finds itself guilty for breaking of the law: 'For the end of the • law is faith unfeigned.' 6. That the fruits of love may come forth in act particularly, it is necessary that the heart be brought to the hatred of all fin and uncleanness, and to a stedfast purpose to follow all holiness universally: 'For the end of the law is love, out ' of a pure heart.' 7. That unfeigned faith is able to make the confcience good, and the heart pure, and the man lovingly obedient to the law; for, when Christ's blood is seen by faith to quiet justice, then the confcience becometh quiet also, and will not Gg3 fuffer fuffer the heart to entertain the love of fin, but fets the man on work to fear God for his mercy, and to obey all his com. mandments, out of love to God, for his free gift of justification, by grace bestowed on him: 'For this is the end of the • law indeed,' whereby it obtaineth of a man more obedience than any other way. The fourth thing requisite to evidence true faith is, the keep: ing strait communion with Chrift, the fountain of all graces, and of all good works; holden forth, John xv. 5. I AM the true vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the fame bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing. Wherein Chrift, in a fimilitude from a vine-tree, teacheth us, 1. That by nature we are wild barren briers, till we be changed by coming unto Christ; and that Christ is that noble vine-tree, having all life and fap of grace in himself, and able to change the nature of every one that cometh to him, and to communicate spirit and life to as many as shall believe in him: • I am the yine (faith he) and ye are the branches.' 2. That Christ loveth to have believers so united unto him, as that they be not feparated at any time by unbelief: and that there may be a mutual inhabitation of them in him, by faith and love; and of him in them, by his word and spirit: for he joineth these together, ' If ye abide in me, and I in you,' as things inseparable. 3. That except a man be ingrafted in Christ, and united to him by faith, he cannot do any the least good works of his own strength; yea, except in as far as a man doth draw fpirit and life from Christ by faith, the work which he doth is naughty and null in the point of goodness, in God's estimation; • For without me (faith he) ye can do nothing." 4. That this mutual inhabitation is the fountain and infallible cause of constant continuing and abounding in welldoing: For he that abideth in me, and I in him (faith he) 'the |