blames his Countrymen, for going about that Idle, Wretched Design; To Establish their own Righteousness. But the Sons of Pride are quite of another Opinion. And what Righteousness (lay they,) should a man fet up, but his Own? Would you have him to live upon an Airy Fantastical thing, that is none of his Own? What Good is that which is Another's like to do him? Though an unclean Leper should be Spruc'd up in fine Cloaths; and a Sinful Creature Cover'd with the Mantle of a Redeemer, What the better? Yea what Need has he to Look out Abroad; who is wellprovided at Home? All these bave I kept from my Youth up; faid that forward Young man, Mat. 19. 20. Thus do many ftill ftand ftroaking themselves; and Admiring the Lives that they have Liv'd: And seem to entertain this Conceit of themselves, That they can deal with all the Commands of God. And though they cannot, (for open shame,) but acknowledge fome Faults and Failings in their Obedience; yet where they cannot Stretch out their Righteousness, to hold Measure with the Command, that is exceeding Broad; There they'll Contract the Command; fo as to make it ftand Commenfurate, and even no more than Equal to their Righteoufness; By their worthy Doctrine of Acceptilation: That Counterfeit Coin, Stampt in the Socinian Mint, without any Royal Authority of Heaven: Not upon the foundation of holy Scripture; but their own fond Conjecture: And all on purpose, to Evacuate and Superfede the Merit and Satisfaction of our Lord Jesus Chrift. That there may be no Need of this; or any other Compensation, ever to be made, to the Justice of Heaven; But only the Sinners own Repentance: Which they take a deal of pains to prove Sufficient; without Faith in the Son of God. But still all their Reasonings are without Book; and run only on such a bare Presumption, as that of the Ninivites; Jon. 3. 9. Who can tell, if God will Turn and Repent; and turn away from bis Anger; that we perish not? q.d. Wedo not know, but God may Abfolve and Justify us; upon our bare Repentance: But we have no Affurance, that he will. For to all the plausible Allegations that raise our Hopes; There are Startling Replications; to ftrike us down with Fears: And no Certainty ever to be had, but only from the Divine Revelation: And That, (we are fure,) does require, not only Repentance towards God; but alfo Faith towards our Lord Jesus Chrift. Acts 20. 21. And where-ever Repentance is fingly named; yet Faith must be fupposed. For no true Repentance, without Godly Sorrow: And no Godly Sorrow, but what flows from the sense of God's Love: And what sense of hs E 4. 1 his Love, but through Faith in the Beloved of his Soul? For whose fake alone it is, that the holy Righteous God is Friends with Believing Sinners: and not only Kind, but Juft, to Justify the Believers on Jefus. Rom. 3. 26. The Just Judge of all the earth was not to be Instructed by these Wise men; upon what Terms to take Sinners into Favour. No, He. has taken that way of Satisfaction; which does not at all like them. Their Master, (who declares, He would not Believe a thing, because God says it; but because his own Reafon difcerns the Truth of it ;) is bold to give out, That though this were exprefly said, over and over in Scripture, Christ Jesus Satisfied God for our Sins; He would not Believe it. How then can we expect that they should be Determined, by the Tantamount Terms, of Propitiation, Atonement, Ransom, Redemption through his Blood : (Λύτρον,) The Price given for our Freedom : (Ανλίλυτριν) Undergoing a like Infliction, as was to light on the Delivered: And the Just suffering for the Unjust? But whether they be pleas'd with it, or no; God has better Consulted the Honour of his Law; And taken more Care to keep up the Authority of his Government; By an Inexorable Justice done upon the Surety, that flood in the Sinners stead: Though that Surety were no Less, than the Dear Son of his Eternal Love. And And though they that Judge of God's Ways without God's Word, are of Opinion, That there was no need of a Propitiation for their Sins: Yet he has declared himself to be otherwise minded: That without Shedding of Blood there is no Remission. Heb. 9. 22. Nor is it any manner of Blood, that will serve the turn neither: For it is not possible the Blood of Bulls and of Goats should take away Sins. Chap. 10. 4. No, nor any fort of Human Blood; (Not the Fruit of our Body, for the Sin of our Soul;) But it must be the Precious Blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without Blemish, and without Spot. I Pet. 1. 19. The Blood of Christ, through the Eternal Spirit, - so Offering himself to God. Heb. 9. 14. And by that Offering, he has Perfected for ever them that are Sanctified. Heb. 10. 14. 'Tis not their own Sanctification; but his Oblation, that gives them the Perfection. For God is well pleased in his Holy Son, that never did displease him; and Pleased with the Offending Children of the Meffiah, only for his fake. It's true, He does Accept the Willing Mind, according to what they have; where the Power of Performing is wanting. 2 Cor. 8. 12. But then that Acceptance must be understood, to be ever in the Beloved; Thro' his Merits, and upon his Account. And good is the Advice which S. Cyprian gives to all, (Nec quisquam fic fibi blandiatur, de puro & immaculato Corde, ut Innocentiâ fuâ fretus, medicinam non putet effe adhibendam vulneribus.) Let no one entertain fuch a high Conceit, of the Cleanness of his Heart; nor fo Value himself upon his Integrity; as to imagine, that he has no Need of Cure for his Wounds'; To be Healed with the Stripes of his Saviour. But to this Refuge, the High and Lofty Socinians, and some of their Affociates, think there's no Neceffity to have Recourse. No, they expect their own Righteoufness shall do greater Feats for 'em; than all the Righteoufness of Christ. They'll dare to plead their Cause, and Defend themselves, without Him. As he faid, the Pharifees did Luke 16. 15. Ye are they, which Justify your felves before men. They will have it still, That all's done well enough by them, to make up a Righteousness, sufficient, to do their business. And might not one then expect fome Superexcellent Virtue in their Righteousness, above other mens; In which they have fuch high Confidence, to do such mighty matters? When, alas, it is not a jot Better, for all the Prefumption. Only themselves are still much the Worse; so to Contend and Struggle it out, even with God himself, in their own Juftification. When thus they fwell their Mole-hills into Mountains, They shall be Mountains, indeed, Big enough, to stand in their way, to keep 'em from Chrift. |