OR,

A DISCOURSE

On that Glorious Title of

JESUS CHRIST.

The LORD our RIGHTEOUSNETS,

By JOHN SEDGFIELD.

1 Cor. 1 30. Jefus Chrift who of God is made unto us Righteoufnefs.

Rom. 4. 11. That Righteousness might be imputed to them alfo.

Rom. 5. 19. So by the Obedience of one, shall many be made Righteous.

Rom. 10. 3. For they being ignorant, of God's Righteoufnefs, and going about to establish their own Righteousness, have not fubmitted them felves unto the Righteoufnefs of God.

Ifa. 45. 24. Surely ball one fay in the Lord have

I Righteoufnels

In the Lord fhall all the

Seed of Ifrael be justified, and shall glory.

Kendal, Printed by THO. ASHBURNER, 1736.

100. 5. 407. (3)

ADVERTISEMENT.

T

HE Readeris de fired to take Notice, That whereas in the Year 1729 there was a Sermon printed at Belfast upon Redeeming the Time, by I. S. the two Letters of my Name, and the Place where preached at large, which was taken from my Mouth in Short Hand, and donc without my Knowledge. I here declare that I difown it, being but about half of what was delivered in two Sermons; in fome Places fcarce Senfe, wanting feven or eight Sentences together, wherein I was greatly wronged, and have no way to remedy it, but by informing the Reader of it in this Place.

ままままま

To the

READER.

I

"

Na Time when Printing is become fo common, that Perfans of all Sorts take the Liberty of the Prefs, I have ventured once more to crowd in a Dif courfe among the waft throng of Books and Papers weekly and daily published; yet herein as I pretend not to an Abi lity to humour the Taste of the Polite part of the World, lo neither do I affect it. Remembring what was obfer ved to me by a learned Minifter, in a way of Lamentation, That our modern Politeness, is in as great Enmity and Oppofition to the everlasting Golpel, as any Appearance of Satan this Age has produced. Part of the following Difcourfe was compos'd at the Requeft of an ancient * Friend for ber Funeral Sermon, and farther inlarged, without any manner of view to be published; but it pleafed GOD who is a free Agent, and works by what Instrument and Means he pleases, to make it of such Ufe to many, that fome defired it to be preached over again, others defired Copies of it, and others that it might be printed; here being many Inconveniencies attending the two for ner Requests, (after mature Confideration and Advice, the with much reluctancy) I complied with the last : in hopes that (tho' jome may reject it because of the Author and others because of the Subject yet there are few bere and there cattered, who may through the Bleffing of GOD receive Benefit by the reading, as

Mrs. Weft f Sand Side.

thers have done by the preaching of it.

I know a great many things in the Subject ar verted among Divines, and what Doctrine of pel is there but some or other have oppos'd it? I have not level'd my Difcourfe against any pa Perfon or Party, but only fhewed unto others t of Juftification and Salvation which I rave en my felf, fo I have on purpose fimbolized with the guage of our Ancient and Modern Divines, to t that if any cavil with what is delivered, it n with them as well as m as me.

I do not expect that in a time when Relgion is become Matter of Contempt and dicule among many of the learned Part of the World that this Loctrine bould be relished by them, who will receive nothing for Truth but what is commenfurate the Rules of Philofophy and Logick; but tho' this De trine of the Imputation of C HRTS T's Righteous to us, as well as many other Doctrines in the Scrip ture, have nothing in them contrary to, yet many, thing above the reach of human Reason; and whether I ha the applaufe of some, or reproach of others, for pub lifting this Difcourfe, I hope none of these things f no free things fo move me : I can truly say I have not it out of Ofte tation, but with a view to the publick Good, always d firing rather to be useful than popular; hoping it may agreeable Food to fome, tho' it may not fuit the Palata of others. Let your Chriftian Charity cover my involunter Miftakes, and may the bieffing of GOD Succeed my well intended endeavours for his Glory and your Good whit the defire of,

your affectionate Friend,

and

Humble Servant,

JOHN SEDGFIEL

Jeremiah, CHA P. XXIII. Verse 6. And this is his Name whereby he shall be called the LORD our Righteoufnefs.

A

S the Captivity of the Jew in Babylon was Typical, and Figurative of our Captivity under the Power of Sin and Satan; fo their Deliverance by Cyrus was Typical of our Feliverance from both the one and the other: by JESUS CHRIST. And it is very obfervable, that ufually when the LORD promifed Deliverance to thofe Captives, he comforted them with a Promife of CHRIST the great Deliverer, who was to be fent in the Fulnefs of Time.

For as we believe in a CHRIST already come, fo the Old Testament Saints believed in a CHRIST to come, and from the forefight of him as the great Meffiah, they fetched all their Comfort, Confolation, and Joy, for they faw his Day, and were glad.

Now the Prophecies as well as the History of CHRIST, were written that we might beB lieve