fake. Such will stand it out, as Long as ever they are Able. They will fee what they can make of it in themselves; and will Search all the World over for Righteousness; before they'll come to the Saviour of God's Appointing; (Come to him,) Labouring and Heavy Laden.

And again, 'Tis to shew, What Meekness and Lowliness is requifite, to make one the true Disciple of Jesus; To Receive the Saving Benefit by him, and humbly to Rely and Depend upon him. Before it comes to this, there must be Self-Emptying, and SelfDenial: great Abasement, and Humiliation. A man must be Hardbestead, and fore put to it; and even thrown down to the Ground; (as our Apofile was;) e're he will become fo Submissive and Tractable; and ask, Lord, What wilt thou bave me to do? Before that, he lays down the Law himself, Thus it must be; and so I will have it; my Own way: It can be no other way. No, He will hear of none else. All's Nonsense that you talk to him of a Righteousness Transferred from one to another. Though it be the way of God's Prescribing; No matter for that: He makes a Scorn of it: and will not Submit to the Righteousness of God.

Now from this place of Scripture, I shall

observe,

I. How Dark-fighted even the Wisest men

are, by Nature, in God's way of Justifying and Saving Sinners. [Ignorant of God's Righteousness.]

II. How Abfurd is the Attempt, to Set up our Own Righteousness. [Going about to Establish their own Righteousness.]

III. What a Hindrance is Pride to their Happiness, who stand upon their Terms with God; and will not Submit to his Righteoufness. They will not have it, His way; and they shall not have it, their Own.

I. Observe here,

How Dark-fighted even the Wisest men are, by Nature, in God's way of Justifying and Saving Sinners. [Ignorant of God's Righteousness.]

'Twas spoken of the Jews, that had the Oracles of God; and their Rabbies, and Schools of the Prophets; Scribes and Pharisees, counted the most Intelligent Learned persons then in the World. Yet in this most Material Point, they were at the fouleft Loss, and even in gross Ignorance. What a Bungler did Nicodemus, (one of their Leading men,) shew himself, in the business of Regeneration? John 3. 9. To be Born agen? Born of the Spirit? What Stuff was this to him? He could not devise how any fuch thing could be. And so, The Preaching of Chrift Crucified, what a Stumbling-block was

it to the Jews? 1 Cor. 1. 23. They cannot get over that Block to this day; Nor ever bring themselves to Believe, That Salvation should come to them, from one that was condemn'd and Executed, as a MalefaEtor: And that any should be Justified in the Sight of God, through Faith in his Blood. Here still does it stick so hard with them; and with so many Judaizers among ourselves, who yet Name the Name of Christ. Nay, This the Gentiles rejected as a Ridiculous Story. 'Tis to the Grecks Foolishness. The Athenian Wits Scorn'd S. Paul as a Babbler, for preaching any fuch Doctrine among them. Acts 17. 18. Where is the Wife? (fays he,) Where is the Scribe ? Where is the Disputer of this World? Has not God made foolish the Wisdom of this World? I Cor. 1. 20. and ver. 26. Ye fee your Calling, brethren; How that not many Wise men after the flesh are Called. No, all their Parts and Abilities (though rifing never so high,) cannot reach up to this Hidden Wisdom of God. 1 Cor. 2. 7. which he Hides from the Wife and Prudent; But Reveals even unto Babes. Mat. I I. 25. And this is the reason, That the most Profound and Sharpest men cannot be Mafters of it; with all their Improvements and Searches, and Infight into Natural things: Because it is to be known only by Divine Revelation. The Righteousness of God is Revealed from Faith to Faith. Rom. 1. 17. We

We are to Receive it, as purely an Object of Faith; Wherein we are gradually to grow and Establish our selves: And therefore it = may be said to be from Faith to Faith : i. e. - from one Degree of it to another. For it = hangs all upon the Revelation of God: Both the Righteousness it self, and the manner of Imparting it, are taught us only in the holy Scripture, and by the Spirit of God. And therefore the Masters of Reason are so Averse to Receive, what all their Reason could never Discover. For though Natural Light and Our Rational Faculties can teach us, That we should act Righteously towards God and Man: Yet for the Imputed Righteoufness of Chrift, 'Tis only the Spirit of God can convince the World of that. John 16. 8. He shall convince the World of Righteousness. Therefore our Apostle, (as Quick-fighted, and as great a Scholar as the highest Pretender, Yet he) knew nothing of it; Till the Light from Heaven came and shewed it to him; and God Reveal'd his Son in him. Gal. 1. 16. For there's not only a Revealing of Chrift in the Gospel; but a Revealing of Christ also in the Soul, as the Lord our Righteousness: which is needful to Instruct us well in this Point of Juftification by Faith in him. And for all that is said in the Gospel, of this Righteousness of God; and being Justified by the Faith of Christ, men will

Snaggle and Wrangle on still, to Gainsay and

Evade it; Till God Reveals it in 'em; and the Spirit of God comes to Convince 'em. Before fuch Revelation and Conviction, even the Acutest men Grope in the Dark, as to these things of the Spirit; and Reject and Disdain 'em; yea Ridicule and Blaspheme'em: And are Ignorant both of the Law of God, and the Righteousness of God.

I. They are Ignorant of God's Law; The Design, and Purity of it; and their Evil case and Misery under it.

I. They know not the Design of this Law; nor wherefore it was given: but Mistake it to be, in order to their working a Righteoufness out of it; so as to be Saved by it: and that through their own Performance, without the Interpofition of a Mediator. Whereas the Law was never deliver'd to give Life unto any. As we may learn from Gal. 3. 21. For if there had been a Law given, that could have given Life; Verily Righteousness should have been by the Law. But by the deeds of the Law shall no Flesh be Justified in the fight of God. For by the Law is the Knowledge of Sin. Rom. 3. 20. It is the Glass, to thew a man his Defects and Deformities; How far he comes Short of Obferving it; and how much he is Obnoxious, in Tranfgreffing it: And that here he is gone and Loft; If he have not a further Help. Therefore 'twas only according to the Youngster's own Principle; that