ward Terrors, is made effectual to preferve ESSAY Holiness and Obedience in the Life.

But perhaps you will then reply, Where there are true Chriftians found, of what Ufe is it for them to keep the Law of God? This is the fecond Enquiry, and to this I would give feveral particular Anfwers, befides the first and general one. In general 1 fay then, it must be acknowledged, that there are fo many Remains of indwelling Sin in the beft of Men, that Fears and Terrors of the Punishments of God, have their Ufe in this imperfect State, to prevent the Soul from warping afide to finful Practices, under ftrong and special Temptations. Such frail and imperfect Creatures are we in this prefent State.

I proceed now to give fome particular Anfwers to this Queftion, Of what Ufe it is to keep the Law? and they are fuch as these.

Anfw. ift. Though we are not faved from the Punishment of Hell, nor pardoned and accepted to Eternal Life and Happiness in Heaven, by virtue of our poor imperfect Obedience, and keeping the Commands of the moral Law, yet we can never be Javed without it: For our Love to the Law of God, and a hearty Inclination to keep it, is a great Part of the very Salvation which the Gofpel provides for finful Men. Jefus Chrift the Son of God is become our Saviour, not only to fave us from God's Wrath, 1 Thef L

i. 10,

III.

ESSAY. 10. but alfo to fave us from our Sins. Matt. III. i. 21. and Tit. ii. 14. He gave himself for us

that he might redeem us from all Iniquity, and purify to himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works. We must be restored to the Image of God as well as to his Favour; now his Image is all Holinefs.

Mankind by the Fall have not only lost their Original State of Innocency and Hap pinefs, but their natural Powers are corrupted, the Mind, Will and Paffions are perverted, and defiled, and turned away from God, and from their Duty to his Law. Now 'tis one great Defign of the Gofpel to rectify these Disorders in the Nature of Man: 'Tis one of the Promises of the Gofpel that the Law of God fhall be written in our Hearts, Heb. x. 16. and one of the great Offices and Bufineffes of Chrift, as a Saviour, is by all the Methods of his Grace and Power, to reduce our Hearts to the Love of God and his Law: He is made Sanctification to us as well as Redemption, 1 Cor. i. 30. So that for Men to talk of being faved without Love and Obedience to the moral Law of God, is to talk plain Inconfiftencies, or to affirm what natural Reafon can never allow, and what Scripture and the Gospel never defigned; in hort, 'tis to talk of being faved without Sal→ vation..

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The moral Law of God is. of Eternal Obe ligation upon Creatures: And it would be

our

our conftant Duty to obey it, even if we ESSAY could fuppofe there were no fuch future State, III. no fuch Eternal Life provided for Men as

the Gospel reveals. It arifes from the Relation between God and his Creatures. We can never be difingaged or releafed from this Duty by the Gofpel, which brings in Pardon and Mercy to fave us from the Punishment due to our Defects or Tranfgreffions of the Law, but not to release us from Obedience to it.

A holy God will not fave Sinners from Hell, and forgive them their Sins, without making them holy, Chrift in all his abounding Love to Sinners, will not become a Minifter of Sin, Gal. ii. 17, 19, 20. The Defign of God in his Grace to Sinners, by Je fus Chrift, is that they might be holy and without Blame before him in Love, Eph. i. 4. And hereby we fhew that the Grace of God, in the Forgiveness of Sin, is not loft upon us, but obtains the End for which it was defign'd, (viz.) to bring us back to God and Holinefs.

Anfav. 2. Good Works are neceffary to manifeft our Gratitude to God for his pardoning Mercy: Thefe are our Returns of Love to the bleffed Jefus for his dying Love manifefted to us, 2 Cor. v. 15. He died for all Ranks and Characters of Men, Jews and Gentiles, that they who live fhould not henceforth live to themfelves, but to him who died for

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them,

ESSAY them, and rofe again. 1 John iv. 19. We are III. bound to love him, and we do love him because he first loved us. 1 Cor. vi. 20. Ye are bought with a Price, therefore glorify God with your Body and Spirit, which are Gods.

Anfw. 3. Good Works are also necessary to render us useful to Men our fellow Creatures, and to make our Profeffion honourable in their Sight. Good Works are recommended by St. Paul for this Purpofe, Tit. iii. 8. This is a faithful Saying, and I will that thou conftantly affirm, that they who have believed in God might be careful to maintain good Works. These things are good and profitable to Men. "Tis neceffary to convince the World that our Gofpel is all holy, and that it indulges and allows of no known Sin: That this Gofpel is a divine Bleffing to Mankind, that it carries Bleffings with it wherefoever it comes, that it cures the Vices of the Mind, and the finful Paffions of the Heart, that it fuppreffes all Injustice and Cruelty, Fraud and Malice, Envy and Oppreffion, and every evil Work which Sin and Satan have introduced into this World. A Chriftian muft preach and prove the Purity and Power of his Gospel in his whole Converfation, that it changes, as Lion into a Lamb, an Earth-Worm into an Angel, and a Son of Adam into a Child of God. This is the way to adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour, as St. Paul expreffes it, Tit. ii. 10. This must force a Conviction upon

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the Eyes and Ears, and Confciences of Men, ESSAY that there is something Divine and Heavenly III. in our Religion.

Anfw. 4. Without Holiness and Good Works we are not, nor can be conformable to our Lord Jefus Chrift: And yet all the Members must be conformed to their Head, when they are presented by him before the Father. Rom. viii. 29. God has predeftinated all his Children to be conformable to the Image of bis Son, that he may appear to be the First-born, and in all things may have the Pre-eminence. He must prefent them without Spot and Blemish, like himself, in the other World, that they may dwell with him for ever. And in this World the Disciples must resemble their Lord; Chriftians fhould be publick Bleffings to the World, as their Mafter was, sho went about doing good, Acts x. 38. and they should be known to be his Followers by this bleffed Character.

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Anfw. 5. Another Ufe of Good Works is

to evidence the Truth of our Faith, and our Intereft in this Salvation, James ii. 20, 24. For Faith which does not produce good Works is dead, and cannot fave us. Our Faith in Chrift is made known to ourselves, as well as to the World, by our Works, Rom. viii. I. They who are in Chrift Jefus, and are free from the Condemnation of the Law, must walk not after the Flesh, but after the Spirit, John ii. 2, 3, 5. Chrift is the Propitiation

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for