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fake. Such will ftand 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 Righteoufnefs; before they'll come to the Saviour of God's Appointing; (Come to him,) Labouring and Heavy Laden.

And again, 'Tis to fhew, What Meekness and Lowlinefs is requifite, to make one the true Difciple of Jejus; 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 Abafement, and Humiliation. A man must be Hardbeftead, and fore put to it; and even thrown down to the Ground; (as our Apofile was;) e're he will become for Submiffive and Tractable; and ask, Lord, What wilt thou bave me to do? Before that, he lays down the Law himfelf, Thus it must be; and fo I will have it; my Own way: It can be no other way. No, He will hear of none else. All's Nonfenfe that you talk to him of a Righteousness Transferred from one to another. Though it be the way of God's Preferibing; 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 Righteoufnefs.]

II. How Abfurd is the Attempt, to Set up our Own Righteoufnefs. [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 Righteouf nefs. They will not have it, His way; and they fhall not have it, their Own.

I. Obferve here,

How Dark-fighted even the Wisest men are, by Nature, in God's way of Juftifying 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 Pharifees, counted the moft Intelligent Learned perfons then in the World. Yet in this moft Material Point, they were at the fouleft Lofs, and even in grofs Ignorance. What a Bungler did Nicodemus, (one of their Leading men,) fhew himself, in the bufinefs of Regeneration? John 3. 9. To be Born agen? Born of the Spirit? What Stuff was this to him? He could not devife how any fuch thing could be. And fo, The Preaching of Chrift Crucified, what a Stumbling-block was

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it to the Jews? I Cor. 1. 23. They cannot get over that Block to this day; Nor ever bring themselves to Believe, That Salvation fhould come to them, from one that was condemn'd and Executed, as a MalefaEtor: And that any fhould be Juftified in the Sight of God, through Faith in his Blood. Here ftill does it ftick fo hard with them; and with so many Judaizers among ourselves, who yet Name the Name of Chrift. Nay, This the Gentiles rejected as a Ridiculous Story. 'Tis to the Greeks 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? 1 Cor. 1. 20. and ver. 26. Ye fee your Calling, brethren; How that not many Wife men after the flesh are Called. No, all their Parts and Abilities (though rifing never fo 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. 11. 25. And this is the reafon, That the moft Profound and Sharpeft 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 Righteoufnefs of God is Revealed from Faith to Faith. Rom. 1. 17.

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We are to Receive it, as purely an Object of Faith; Wherein we are gradually to grow and Establish our felves: And therefore it may be faid 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 felf, and the manner of Imparting it, are taught us only in the holy Scripture, and by the Spirit of God. And therefore the Mafters of Reafon are fo Averse to Receive, what all their Reafon 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 Christ, 'Tis only the Spirit of God can convince the World of that. John 16. 8. He fhall convince the World of Righteouf nefs. Therefore our Apoftle, (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 fhewed 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 Inftruct us well in this Point of Juftification by Faith in him. And for all that is faid in the Gospel, of this Righteoufnefs of God; and being Juftified by the Faith of Chrift; men will Snaggle and Wrangle on ftill, to Gainfay 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 Acuteft men Grope in the Dark, as to thefe things of the Spirit; and Reject and Difdain 'em; yea Ridicule and Blafpheme 'em: And are Ignorant both of the Law of God, and the Righteousness of God.

I. They are Ignorant of God's Law; The Defign, and Purity of it; and their Evil cafe and Mifery 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; fo 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 Righteoufness should bave been by the Law. But by the deeds of the Law fhall 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 fhew 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 Youngfter's own Principle;

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