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II.

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ESSAY with strong and, fteddy Eyes. If the Manflayer was never fo lame and feeble, yet if he could but reach the City of Refuge, he was as fecure from the Avenger, as he that fled to it with the swifteft Feet., So he that commits his guilty finful Soul to Chrift for Salvation, though with a feeble Faith, and far fhort of Perfection, yet a Righteouf nefs is given him; the Righteoufnefs of God. is unto and upon all that believe, for there is no difference; and a weak Believer is as fecure from Hell as a stronger, though he cannot have so much prefent Evidence or Comfort: And the Reafon of his Safety is because his believing is not his juftifying Righteoufnefs, but is only a means to at

tain it.

This is my prefent beft Sett of Thoughts upon this Subject; and though I have copied them all from the Word of God, fo far as I have been able to understand the Meaning of it, yet fome fubtile Difputer may arife and tell me, he could embarrass my Scheme with fo many Objections, and prefs it with fuch powerful Difficulties as are far above my Skill to folve, and foconstrain me to renounce it.

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If this Difputer can fhew me that any part of it is contrary to Scripture, Irenounce it freely; but though he might perplexit with Difficulties which I could not eafily answer, yet I would not merely for that

Reafon

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Reafon be bound immediately to renounce ESSAY it: For there are many Texts of Scripture it- II. felf which are so embarraffed and perplexed by the cavelling Wit of the Deifts, or Socinians, that it may be exceeding hard to give a fair and fatisfactory Account of them; yet none of us, who are Chriftians, dare to renounce the Scripture, nor those very Texts that have fo much Darkness about them; because we have fo much stronger Proof of the Truth of Scripture. How many Difficulties are there in the Chronological and Hiftorical parts, that seem scarce reconcilable by all the Learning and Reason of Men; and perhaps that Spirit only can reconcile them who knows what were his own Defigns in writing, what the Idea that the first Writers fixed to each Word, what the Scene which they intended to convey to the first Readers, and what accidental Variations may have crept into the Text by the Ignorance or Negligence, the Bigotry or Sacrilege of the Tranfcribers. I have learnt from my youngest Years of Philofophy, not to renounce any Propofition, for which I see plain and fufficient Evidence from Reafon and Revelation, though many Difficulties may attend it which I am not at prefent able to folve. I know the Weakness of human Nature.

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ESSAY

II.

SECT. III

to SGD Yet that I may make a clearer way for this Difcourfe, to the Affent of my Readers, I would give a Hint or two how the chief Objections that I can think of, may be removed.

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Object. I. Some may oppofe me by Scripture, and fay, Among all the Texts that call the Gofpel a Law, there is one that makes our Bleffedness evidently to depend on our doing the Work commanded therein. James i. 25. Whofo looketh into the perfect Law of Liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful Hearer, but a Doer of the Work, this Man fhall be bleffed in his Deed. Now this looks like Juftification by Obedience to the Commands of the Gofpel, which is the proper Nature of a Law.

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Anf. I. That the Gospel which hath Advices, Commands and Threatnings belonging to it fhould be fometimes called a Law in Scripture is no Wonder, for the Word Law among the Jews, was in fo frequent Use upon all Occafions, that not only Doctrines, Rules and Conftitutions were called Laws, but even the natural and fupernatural Principles of human Actions. So the Law o of Kindness, Prov. xxxi. 26. for good Humour, or a Principle of Love and Civility. So the Law of Sin, Rom. vii, 25. for the Principles of corrupt Nature and evil Inclinations. So

I

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the Law of the Spirit of Life, for a Prin- ESSAY ciple of Holiness, Rom. viii. 2. And yet if II. all the Places where fome fuppofe the Gospel to be called a Law, were well examined, we fhould find them reduced to a very few in reality: Whence it will appear that this is not the common Language of Scripture. The Text cited in the Objection feems rather to refer to the moral Law, which is called a Law of Liberty, because it is freed from its curfing and condemning Power by the Gofpel, and made eafy to Believers by their new Nature: Now, furely, no Chriftian will fay that we are to be juftified by doing the Works of the moral Law.

An II. In thofe Places of the New Teftament where the Gofpel is, or is supposed to be called a Law, there is generally fome qualifying Word added, as, the Laze of Faith, the Law of Liberty, &c. that it may feem to ftand in Oppofition to a Law of Works, and appear diftinct from a ftrict and proper Law

Anf. III. There may be (as I have before hinted) many Bleffings promifed, and Bleffedneffes pronounced upon Obedience to any of the Commands of God, whether in the moral Law or Gofpel; fo Pfalm i. 1. and cxix. 12, fo Matth. v. 3--11. But every fuch Bleffing doth not fignify the Juftification of ca Sinner in the Sight of God, his Releafe from the Guilt or Obligation to Hell,

and

ESSAY and his firft Right to Heaven, He that II. obeys the Duties of the Law or Gospel in any Meafure or Degree, has fome Sort of Bleffedness pronounced on him by the Favour and Condefcenfion of God, for in keeping any of his Commands there is great Reward, Pfalm xix. II. efpecially to a Soul in a State of Grace, and already juftified by Faith.

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Object. II. Another may draw an Argument from Reason, and fay, Whatsoever Duties of Righteoufnefs are required in any Conftitution or Covenant, the fulfilling thofe Duties muft in the very Nature and Reason of Things be esteemed that Righteousness upon which that Conftitution pronounces a Man juft or right in Court; fo Faith jufti fies us against the Charge of Unbelief, fo Repentance and fincere Obedience juftify us against the Charge of Impenitency and Hypocrify, and fo Perfeverance juftifies us against the Charge of Apoftacy, because 'tis a Conformity to that Rule or Conftitution which requires Faith, Repentance, Perfeverance, &c.

Anf. It must be granted indeed, that in the very Nature of Things our Faith juftifies us against the Charge of Unbelief, fo far as our Faith goes; and our Repentance and our Love to God juftify us against the Charge of Impenitence, and hating God fo far as we do repent and love him; and our Meek

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