neither profit, nor fatisfy for the Debt of our former Sins ; but when we have done all we can, we have done but our Duty, and are unprofitable Servants; and because as they are good, they proceed from his Spirit'; and as they are wrought by us, they are defiled and mixed with so much Weaknefs and Imperfection, that they cannot endure the Severity of God's Judgment.

VI. Yet

they fhould come and keep the gates, ration, and renewing of the holy to fanctify the fabbath-day. Re- Ghoft; v. 6. Which he shed on us member me, O my God, concerning abundantly, through Jefus Chrift this alfo, and fpare me according our Saviour. v. 7. That being juto the greatness of thy mercy. Job ftified by his grace, we should be 9.2. I know it is fo of a truth: but made heirs, according to the hope how fhould man be juft with God? of eternal life. Romans 8. 18. For 3. If he will contend with him, I reckon, that the fufferings of this he cannot answer him one of a prefent time, are not worthy to be thoufand. Gal. s. 17. For the flesh compared with the glory which shall lufteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other; fo that ye cannot do the things that

ye would.

be revealed in us. Pfalm 16. 2. O my soul, thou haft faid unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee. Job 22. 2. Can aman be profitable unto God, as he that is wife may be profitable unto himfelf? v. 3. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous ? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect? Job 35.7. If thou be righteous, what giveft thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand? . 8. Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art, and thy righteoufnefs may profit the fon of man.

V. Romans 3. 20. Therefore by the deeds of the law, there shall no feh be juftified in his fight for by the law is the knowledge of fin. Rom. 4. 2. For if Abraham were juftified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God. v.4. Now to him that worketh, is the reward not feckoned of grace, but of debt. v. 6. Even as David alfo defcribeth the bleffednefs of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works. Eph. 2.8. For by grace are ye faved, f Gal. 5. 22. But the fruit of the through faith; and that not of your Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-fuffelves: it is the gift of God. v. 9. fering, gentlenefs, goodness, faith, Not of works, left any man fhould v. 23. Meeknefs, temperance: aboat. Tit.3.5. Not by works of gainst fuch there is no law. righteoufnefs, which we have done, Ifa. 64. 6. But we are all as an but according to his mercy, he unclean thing, and all our righteouffaved us by the washing of regene

Luke 17. 10. [ See letter P in this chapter.]

neffes

VI. Yet notwithstanding, the Perfons of Believ ers being accepted through Chrift, their good Works alfo are accepted in him, not as though they were in this Life wholly unblameable and unreprovable in God's Sight w; but that he, looking upon them in his Son, is pleased to accept and reward that which is fincere, although accompanied with many Weakneffes and Imperfections *.

VII. Works done by unregenerate Men, although for the Matter of them, they may be Things which God commands, and of good ufe both to themfelves and others: Yet because they proceed not from an Heart purified by Faith 2, nor are done in a right Manner according to the Word '; nor to a right End, the Glory of God; they are therefore work and labour of love, which ye bring the evil upon his house. Phil. have fhewed toward his name, in 1. 15. Some indeed preach Chrift that ye have miniftred to the faints, even of envy and ftrife; and fome and do minifter. Matth. 25. 21. also of good will. v. 16. The one His lord faid unto him, Well done, preach Chrift of contention, not thou good and faithful fervant; fincerely, supposing to add affliction thou haft been faithful over a few to my bonds. v. 18. What then? things, I will make thee ruler over notwithstanding every way, whemany things: enter thou into the ther in pretence, or in truth, Chrift joy of thy Lord. v. 23. His lord is preached ; and I therein do refaid unto him, Well done, good joice, yea and will rejoice. and faithful fervant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will to his offering he had not respect. make thee ruler over many things, And Cain was very wroth, and his enter thou into the joy of thy lord, countenance fell. With Heb. 11. 4. VII. y 2 Kings 10. 30. And the By faith Abel offered unto God a Lord faid unto Jehu, Because thou more excellent facrifice than Cain, haft done well in executing that by which he obtained witness that which is right in mine eyes, and he was righteous, God teftifying of haft done unto the house of Ahab his gifts: and by it he being dead, according to all that was in mine yet fpeaketh. Heb. 11.6. But withheart, thy children of the fourth out faith it is impoffible to please generation fhall fit on the throne of him: for he that cometh to God, Ifrael. v. 31. But Jehu took no muft believe that he is, and that he heed to walk in the law of the is a rewarder of them that diligentLord God of Ifrael, with all his ly seek him.

Ifrael to fin.

z Gen. 4. 5. But unto Cain and

heart: for he departed not from a I Cor. 13.3. And though I bethe fins of Jeroboam, which made ftow all my goods to feed the poor, 1 Kings 21. 27. And and though I give my body to be it came to pafs when Ahab heard burned, and have not charity, it thofe words,that he rent his clothes, profiteth me nothing. Ifa. 1. 12. and put fackcloth upon his flesh, When ye come to appear before and fafted,and lay in fackcloth,and me, who hath required this at your went foftly. v. 29. Seeft thou how hand to tread my courts? Ahab humbleth himselfbefore me? Mat. 6. 2. Therefore, when because he humbleth himself before thou doft thine alms, do not found me, I will not bring the evil in his a trumpet before thee, as the hydays: but in his fons days will I

G

fore finful, and cannot please God, or make a Man meet to receive Grace from God. And yet their Neglect of them is more finful, and displeasing unto God d

CHAR pocrites do, in the fynagogues, and God that fheweth mercy. Tit.3.5

in the ftreets, that they may have glory of men. Verily, I fay unto you, they have their reward. v. s. And when thou prayeft, thoufhalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray tanding in the fynagogues, and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men, Verily, I fay unto you, they have their reward, v. 16. Moreover, when ye faft, be not as the hypocrites, of a fad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to faft. Verily, I fay unto you,they have their reward. C Hag. 2. 14. Then answered Haggai, and faid, So is this people, and fo is this nation before me, faith the Lord; and fo is every work of their hands, and that which they offer there is unclean. Tit. 1. 15. Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled, and unbelieving, is nothing pure; but even their mind and confcience is defiled. Amos 5. 21. Ihate, Idefpife your feaft-days, and I will not mell in your folemn affemblies. v. 22. Though ye offer me burntofferings, and your meat-offerings, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace-offerings of your fat beafts. Hof. I. 4. And the Lord faid unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will caufe to cease the kingdom of the houfe of Ifrael. Rom. 9. 16. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of

Not by works of righteoufnels which we have done, but accord ing to his mercy he faved us by the washing of regeneration, and re newing of the holy Ghost.

d Pfal. 14. 4. Have all the worker of iniquity no knowledge? who es up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the Lord. Pfal, 36, 31 The words of his mouth are iniqui ty and deceit : he hath left off to be wife, and to do good, Job 21. 14. Therefore they say unto God, de part from us; for we defire not the knowledge of thy ways. v. 15. What is the Almighty, that we should ferve him? and what profit fhould we have, if we pray unto him? Mar. 25.41. Then thall he fay alfounte them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye curfed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his an gels. v.42. For I was an hungredį and ye gave me no meat: I was thirfty, and ye gave me no drink: v. 43. Iwasa ftranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: fick and in prifon, and ye vifited me not. V.45. Then thall he answer them, faying, Verily, 1 fay unto you, In as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. Mat. 23. 23. Wo unto you feribes and Pharifees, hypocrites; for ye pay tithe of mint, and anife, and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: thefe ought ye to have done,and not to leave the other undone. I. Phil.

CHAP. XVII.

Of the Perfeverance of the Saints.

TH

HEY whom God hath accepted in his Beloved, effectually called and fanctified by his Spirit, can neither totally, nor finally fall away from the State of Grace: But fhall certainly perfevere therein to the End, and be eternally faved

II. This Perfeverance of the Saints depends not upon their own Free-will, but upon the Immuta bility of the Decree of Election, flowing from the free and unchangeable Love of God the Father b upon the Efficacy of the Merit and Interceffion of Jefus Chrift; the abiding of the Spirit and of the Seed

* I Phil. 1. 6. Being confident of this very thing, that he which hatli begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jefus Chrift. 2 Pet. 1. 10. Wherefore the father, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election fure: for if ye do thefe things, ye fhall never fall. John 1o. 28. And I give into them eternal life, and they fhall never perifh, neither fhall any pluck them out of my hand. v. 29. My Father which gave them me, is greater than all and none is able I drawn thee. to pluck them out of my Fathers Heb. 10. 10. By the which will hand. 1 John 3. 9. Whofoever is we are fanctified, through the offert born of God doth not commit fin; ing of the body of Jefus Christ once for his feed remaineth in him: and for all. v. 14. Forby one offering he he cannot fin, because he is born hath perfected for ever them that are of God. 1 Pet. 1. 5. Who are kept by fanctified. Heb. 13.20. Now the God the power of God through faith un of peace that brought again from to falvation, ready to be revealed the dead our Lord Jefus, that great v. 9. Receiving thepherd of the sheep, through the the end of your faith, even the fal blood of the everlafting covenants vation of your fouls. good

II. b 2 Tim: 2. 18. Who concern ing the truth have erred, faying, that the refurrection is paft already; and overthrow the faith of fome. v. 19. Nevertheless,the foundation ofGod ftandeth fure, having this feal, The Lord knows them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Chrift, depart from iniquity. Fer 34. 3. The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love? therefore with loving kindness have

in the faft time.

21 Make you perfect in every G