Part II.

ments. In a word, the Royal Law and Law of Liberty, Chap. 9. of which St James Speaks, and by which he affirms we are to be judg'd, is no other than the Moral Law, as explain'd and perfected by Christ, and as Christ deliver'd it on the Mountain to his Difciples for his own Law; adding thereto a Sanction, whereby is promis'd the fureft Immortality to fuch as obey the faid Law, and is threaten'd unavoidable Deftruction to fuch as do not obey it; as Matt. 7. 24, &c. Whofo bears thefe Sayings of mine, and do's them, I will liken him to a wife Man, &c.

X.

It is prov'd that Chrift has annext

Laws.

Now from Matt.7. 26, 27. Every one that bears these Sayings of mine, and doth them not, fhall be liken'd to Threats to his a foolish Man, which built his Houfe on the Sand: and the Rain defcended, and beat on that House, and it fell, and great was the fall of it: From thefe two Verfes it is evident, that Chrift annex'd Threats as well as Promifes to his Law. And the like appears from Matt. 5.20. Except your Righteousness fball exceed the Righ teousness of the Scribes and Pharifees, ye shall in no cafe enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. So ibid. v. 22, 26, 29, 30. and fo Joh. 3. 5. Except a Man be born of Wa ter, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. And Joh. 6. 53. Except ye eat the Fiefh of the Son of Man, and drink his Blood, ye have no Life in you. From all which Places it appears, that it is a moft falfe Opinion, that the Gospel confifts of meerly pure Promifes, and so we are oblig'd only out of Gratitude to obey the Moral Law, not under the Peril of our Souls or of eternal Damnation.

fication.

XI.

The Keeping of These things being prov'd, it follows that the Maal the Gospel-Law Law was propos'd by Chrift to his Disciples as the necessary to Jufti- Rule of our Juftification; or which is the fame, that a fincere Obedience of the (Moral Law, as expounded and fomewhat enlarg'd by Chrift, i. e. in one word, of the) Gofpel-law is a Condition neceffarily requir'd in the Gospel to our Juftification. The Reafon of the Confequence is, because, as far forth as any thing is requir'd at the Peril of the Soul, and as necessary to Salva tion, fo far the fame is alfo neceffarily requir'd to fufi fication,

fication, as has been afore largely fhewn. And hence evidently appears the Neceffity of good Works unto Juftification according to this Syllogifm:

Whofoever by Doing righteously fulfils the Law of Christ, according to which he is judg'd by God, he is pronounced Just before God for his Doing righteously or his good Works:

But the Faithful by Doing righteously fulfil the Law of Christ, according to which they are judg'd by God: Therefore the Faithful are pronounced Just before God for their Doing righteously or their good Works.

Part II. Chap. 9.

XII.

It may be objected, that a Man may be justify'd, who An Objection has been depriv'd of the Opportunity of Fulfilling the answer'd. Law of Chrift, being fnatch'd away by Death. But this is no other Objection than is made against the Necef fity of Repentance to Juftification; and fo the fame Answer given thereto afore will ferve alfo here. See Chap. 8. §. 24.

XIII.

It may also be objected, that the Law of Chrift is Another Obje exprefly call'd Rom. 3. 27. the Law of Faith, and op. tion anfwer'd. pos'd to the Law of Works. In anfwer whereto it is obfervable first, that the Law of Chrift is not call'd the Law of Faith, because it requires Nothing but Faith, or because it is fulfill'd by the fingle Virtue properly call'd Faith. The faid Law of Faith requires, not Faith only, but Faith working by Love, as Gal. 5. 6. And what fuch a Faith is, St Paul explains 1 Cor.7.19. viz. fuch a Faith as includes in it the Keeping of the Commandments or Law of Chrift. 2ly, By the Law of Works, to which St Paul opposes the Law of Faith, is not to be understood the Moral Law, as deliver'd by Chrift to his Difciples; nor any other Law than the Law of Mofes confider'd carnally or literally, as has been afore fhewn in the firft Part, Chap. 6. §. 41. And thus I have taken notice of fo much concerning the Gospel-law, as is agreeable to my Purpose.

Dd 2

CHAP.

212

Good Works ne

CHAP. X.

of falling from Grace or Juftifying Faith.

N

ceffary to retain explaining the Duty of Redeem'd Man, it has not

only been faid, but prov'd by the strongest Arguas well as attain, ments, that Juftification is not an inflantaneous, but conJuftification. tinued Act, fo that Good Works are neceffary, not only to attain Juftification, but also to retain it. For which Cause is ever to be well remember'd that Exhortation, Phil. 2. 12. Work out your own Salvation with Fear and Trembling: Namely left any one fhould fall from the Grace, wherein he at present stands, according to that other like Exhortation of the fame Apoftle, 1 Cor.10.12. Let him that thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall; as also that other, Ephef. 6.13. Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God, that ye may be able to withftand in the evil Day, and having done all to ftand.

II.

A Man once jufti

Faith, and eter

From which and very many other places of Scripture, fy'd may never- altho' it is evident to any unprejudiced Perfon, that a thelels fall from Man once justify'd may afterwards fall from the Grace juftifying Grace or of Juftification, and for ever perish; yet there are not Bally perish. (or have not been) wanting fuch as stick not to affert, that a Man that is once endu'd with justifying Faith, can't poffibly fall wholly from the fame, and eternally perif; or in fhort, that the Grace of Juftification being once attain'd can't be again forfeited or loft. Since therefore this Doctrin, tho' of molt pernicious Confequence, has been obtruded on the Chriftian World as an undoubted Principle of Chriftianity by fome modern Divines too much addicted to Calvin, it will be of use to shew more particularly the Falfness of the faid Doctrin.

The fame prov'd

And 1, I fhall fhew, that it is altogether repugnant from Scripture to holy Scripture. I fhall begin with that remarkable and firft from Place to the purpose, Ezek. 18. 24. When the Righteous Ezek. 18. 24, &c. turns away from bis Righteousness, and commits Ini

quity, and do's according to all the Abominations that the wicked Man do's, fhall be live? All his Righteouf nefs that he has done, fhall not be mention'd: in his Trefpafs that he has trefpafs'd, and in his Sin that he bas finn'd, in them fhall be dy. Where it appears 14, that the Prophet exprefly speaks of a righteous Man, i.e. one juftify'd already, or who has already attain'd the Grace of the first Juftification. For no one is, or can be truly faid to be Juft, but who is justify'd by God, at least as to the firft Juftification. Again, as St John fays, 1 Epift.3.7. He that do's Righteousness, is righteous, (forafmuch as he that do's Righteousness, thereby fulfils the Condition of the Gofpel-Covenant, and fo according to the fame Covenant is juftify'd by God, and therefore is Juft:) So the Prophet fpeaks of the juft or righteous Man, that has done Righteoufnefs, and confequently the Prophet fpeaks of one, who was fometime truly Righteous, or juftify'd by God. 2ly, It appears that the Prophet fuppofes, that fuch a juft or already justify'd Perfon may actually turn away from his Righteousness, and therefore (as thereby lofing the Grace of Juftification afore granted) may not live, but in the Sin that he has finn'd fince his firft Juftification, shall be dy, .e. eternally perifh. 3ly and laftly, It appears that the Righteoufnefs of which the Prophet fpeaks, is fuch as would avail to bring the Man to Life, if he would perfevere in the fame. For the Death or eternal Perdition, of which the Prophet fpeaks, is not occafion'd by any Defect of the Man's Righteoufnefs confider'd in it felf, but only by this, that the Man turns away from his former Righteoufnefs, i. e. do's not perfevere therein. After the Prophet has faid, When the righteous Man turns away from his Righteousness, -fhall be live? i. e. he fhall by no means live: the Prophet prefently fubjoins, All his Righteousness, which he has done, fhall not be remember'd. By which Words it is plainly enough intimated, that if the righteous Man had not turn'd away from his Righteoufnefs, then all his Righteouf nefs, which he had done, would have been remember'd, viz. in the last Judgment, and by them fo remember'd

Part II. Chap.10.

he

Part II. Chap. 10.

IV.

The fame prov'd

himself, John 15.

4, &c.

he would have liv'd, i. e. been admitted to eternal Life. Whence it follows, that the Prophet fpeaks here of no other Righteoufnefs than Gofpel-Righteoufnefs, foraf much as that only is able to bring a Man to eternal Life. To the forecited Text Ezek. 18. 24. are other Places of the fame Prophet parallel, as v. 26. of the fame Chapter, and Chap. 33. 12, 13.

He

Let us attend next to the Words of our Saviour him fecondly from the felf, Joh. 15. 4, &c. Abide in me, and I in you. As the Words of Chrift Branch can't bear Fruit of it felf, except it abide in the Vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. that abides in me, and I in bim, the fame brings forth much Fruit. If a Man abide not in me, he is cast forth, &c. For the right Understanding of which Words of our Saviour it is to be obferv'd, that no one can abide in Christ, but who is afore in Christ. Now what it is to be in Chrift, St Paul teaches 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any one be in Chrift, he is a new Creature, i. e. performs the whole Condition of the Gofpel-Covenant for f the State he is in; and fo according to the Gofpel-Co. S venant is justify'd by God, i. e. receives the Grace of A the firft Juftification. When therefore Chrift exhorts his Apostles to abide in him, he clearly supposes these two things, viz. the Apoftles to be already in him, and fo to have obtain'd the Grace or Favour of the first fification; and nevertheless that they might not abide in him, and fo fall again from the Grace of Juftification, which they had already obtain'd; and fo be caft forth of the Kingdom of Heaven, and eternally perish. For fuch is plamly the meaning of that Metaphorical way of Speaking v.6. If a Man abide not in me, he is ast forth as a Branch, and is wither'd; and Men gather them, and caft them into the Fire, and they are burnt.

27, &c.

V.

The fame prov'd I fhall add but one Text more, viz. 1 Cor. 9.27. thirdly from st I keep under my Body, and bring it into Subjection, left Faul, 1 Cor. 9. that by any means, when I have preach'd to others, I my felf fhould be a Cast-away. They are the Words of St Paul fpeaking of himself, who that he was then al ready endued with justifying Faith, and so justify'd, No one furely can in Reafon deny. But it appears from

CI

be