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it be, by the Faith of the Son of God; that Loved you, and Gave himself for you. Gal. z. 20. And let not the Works done by you, But Chrift in you, be your Hope of Glory. Col. I. 27. Nor let any thing of your Own, or any thing elfe in the World, be fo much your Rejoicing, as that, Ifa. 61. 10. I will greatly Rejoice in the Lord: My Soul Shall be Joyful in my God. For he hath Cloathed me with the Garments of Salvation; He hath cover'd me with the Robe of Righteousness. There's the Decus & Tutamen, indeed: And that's a Cloathing Compleat; which will both Adorn you, and Secure you. It will make you Eafy and Comfortable now; and moft Glorious and Bleffed for ever. And then inftead of Establishing your own Righteousness; you'll be Eftablished on fo fure a Foundation; where you fhall never be put to Confufion, But be kept through Faith to Salvation: And enjoy the Bleffed End of your Faith, in all the Endless Joys of Everlafting Life.

The Third Obfervation.

What a Hindrance is Pride to their Happinefs; who fland upon their Own Terms; and will not Submit to the Righteousness of God? They will not have it in His Way: And they fhall not have it in their Own.

[Have not Submitted themfelves.] No, here it ftuck with the Jews. They could

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not bring themselves to it. It feem'd too great a Condefcention and Abafement; For them, who Gloried fo much in their Law, as written with the Finger of God; To go I and feek their Juftification any where elle. And as much goes it ftill against the Grain, with fuch as Dote upon the great Diana, their Reason, And think there can be no=thing Superior to that Law; which the fame God has Infcrib'd on the Tables of their Hearts. To be convinc'd, That this will not do: But they muft Stoop to a New Remedy, to Help them out: Here Pride of their own Natural Stock, makes 'em fo Stiff; and Stand it out, even to the Death, against any thing that fhall come to Humble and pull them down, from the high Opinion that they have of themselves. This they make the Hideous Outcry against; as a Defign to Un-man them, and to Rob them, even of Themselves. If the Gofpel comes to caft down (Monoμès) their Reasonings, or Imaginations; and every High thing, that Exalts it felf against the Knowledge of God; and to bring into Captivity every Thought to the Obedience of Chrift. 2 Cor. 10. 5.

They are refolved to keep their Manly Perfection; and Thank ye heartily, They will not fo tamely part with their Natural Accomplishments: which are nor only their Treafure, but their Glory. If St. Paul and the rest of the Apostles, (Poor deluded

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Creatures!) would be fuch Fools for Chrift; I Cor. 4. 10. Yet they have no mind to take that course, to learn Wisdom, which he prefcribes; Chap. 3. 18. If any man among you feems to be wife in this World, Let bim become a Fool, that he may be wife. The Wildom of this World, (though it be no better than Foolishness with God, ver. 19.) It makes Head againit God's way of Saving Sinners; and counts it but a Silly Contrivance; Even the Foolishness of God. Chap. 1. 25. And the World, with all its Wisdom, knows not God. ver. 21. i. e. Not in the right Saving manner. Though they know enough from his Creation, to Leave them wirhout Excufe. Rom. 1. 20. Yet they become vain in their Imaginations; and their foolish Heart is Darkened. ver. 21. And they will not Vouchfafe to Learn the Knowledge of God, from his Word; Not to know God in Chrift, Reconciling the World to himself; and not Imputing their Trefpaffes unto 'em. Cor. 5. 19. Nor to Know Chrift Jefus, made of God unto us, Wifdom, and Righteouf nefs, and Sanctification, and Redemption. Cor. 1. 30. Though this be the moft Material and Beft of all Knowledge, that ever they can attain to; which the great and Learned Apoftle was fo taken with; that he Determined to Know nothing else among that people; but Jefus Christ, and him Crucified. 1 Cor. 2. 2. And counted all things but

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Lofs, for the excellency of the Knowledge of Chrift Jefus his Lord. Phil 3. 8. And a branch of this Knowledge there he makes to be, the Knowing of fuch a Righteousness, as comes by the Faith of Chrift. Yet neither this Knowledge, nor this Righteousness will down with them: Because their School of Nature does not teach it: They stand up therefore to Oppofe it: And instead of Submitting to it, They perk above it; and by all means would Batter it down; as not fit to fubfift, or be mentioned in the World: Unlefs with the utmoft Scorn and Defiance.

And here fome of our Refiners, that may think themselves much difparaged, to be Coupled with Quakers, yet fhew that they are not at fuch a mighty Distance, but they can lovingly shake hands together. For what the one call Reason, the other call The Light within: Whereby they mean in effect, the fame thing; which both of 'em fet up above the Chrift without: Not only to Vye with him, but to Over-top, and fo Exclude him. And fo Lean to their own Underftandings; and fo Abide by their own Imaginations; as to Controul his holy Word, instead of being Controuled by it.

Now Pride keeps men off from Submitting to the Righteoufness of God, 1. Because they will not be fo Beholden to another. 2. Because they have too High a Conceit of

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their Own Righteousness. And 3. Because they have not Thoughts Low enough of their Sinful Wretchedness.

I. They are not for Submitting to the Righteoufness of God, out of Pride; which will not fuffer 'em to be fo Beholden to Another. To go out of Themfelves; and Fetch home Righteoufnefs from one, whom (it may be,) they look upon but as their Fellow Creature; This is fuch a Poor, Precarious fort of Living; as they count exceedingly Below 'em. To be made the Righteoufnefs of God in Chrift; 2 Cor. 5. laft ver. And to be Perfect, only through the Comeliness that he puts upon us; To be Deckt with Borrowed Plumes; and not Accepted, but in the Beloved, Eph. 1. 6. To be Juftified by Faith in him. Acts 13. 39. And Believing, to have Life through bis Name! Job. 20. laft Ver. All this looks pitiful Sneaking, for men of Parts, and. men of Worth; So to Degrade themselves; and become fuch Underlings, to they know. not whom. If now and then any of 'em, Bow the Head, in a Cuftomary Formality, to the Name of Jefus: Yet they are not for fo Bowing their Souls, to the Righte oufnefs of Jefus; and to be found in him, having the Righteousness, which is through the Faith of Chrift. i. e. the Righteousness of God. Phil. 3. 9. But as Herod, and his men of

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