tea. Dangerous expref ons to lie avoided. C x A P. 3, hold. on a Righteoufnefs without , the Righteoufnefs of Chriff imputed ; but as a commanded duty , & as a piece of obedience to the Law; & would as well make the reward of debt ex congruo, & ex patio, as ifiuttificarion were by works. S. it is of the fame Nature , to fay, That Paul excludeth the works of the Law , but not the works of the Gofpel : for the fame ground of pride, boafting & glorying fhould be laid , that would be laid , by pleading for the works of the Law : becaufe thefe are ftill works of righteoufnefs, which we do , & fo oppofite , in this matter , unto mercy, Tu. 3: 5. And Paul, to exclude all boaf}ing & glorying before Men , oppofeth faith , ( not con - fidered in it Self, but as laying., hold on the Righteoufnefs of Chrif}, & as carrying the Man out of himfelf to Chrift for Righteoufnefs ) unto works; & not Gofpel -works unto works of the Law. And, Cure, we cannot fay, that none of Abraham's works were Gofpel-works , or works required in the New Covenant , feing even then he was a beleever , when the objeft of his faith , or that which he laid hold on by faith in the Gofpel, which was preached unto him was Paid to be imputed unto him for righteouf- nefs. And is it not plaine , that if juftification were upon the account of Cofpel works , that God fhould not then be Paid to juflifie the ungodly; Icing he , who is clothed with a Gofpel righteoufnefs, cannot be called , or accounted an ungodly per Con ? And yet faith looks out unto , & faith hold upon a God that juflifieth the ungodly Rom. 4: 5. Ina word , the afferting of this would be the fame, upon the matter, withaflerting of juflificatioa by the works of the Law : for what ever is required in the Gofpel , is in- joined by the Law ; & fo is an ad of obedience to the Law , which is our perfea Rule of Righteoufnefs , & all our obedience mua be in confor- mity thereunto. 9. It mutt alto be accounted dangerous , for puffing -up of Self, to fay, That we are juftified by our Inherent Righteoufnefs : for then the Man could not fay, that all his righteoufnefs were as filthy rags Efai. 64: 6. Nor could that be true, which is Pfal. 143: 3. for in thy fight no man living fhould be juJtifìed, to wit, if God fhould enter into 'judgment:Pith him. Why fhould ?ob have abhorred himfelf Chap. 42: 6. if he had a righteoufnefs within him , & had been juftified by the Lord, upon the account of that inherent righteoufnefs ? And had not Paul as good ground, as any , to af- fert his juftification by his perfonal inherent holinefs & righteoufnefs ? Yet we hear ofno filch thing out of his mouth; but on the contrary , his accounting all things but lets & dung , that he might gaine Chrift , & be found in His Righteoufnefs , hath a far different import. How proud might man be, if he had it to fay, that he was juftified in the fight of God by works of Righteoufnefs , which he had done , or by his own inherent righteoufnefs ? to. Nor will it much help the matter, to fay , That this Inherent Righte- oufnefs is not the price laid down , but onely the Condition , or Caufa, fine pa non, or the like: for fill man would hereby have force thing to be proud of , & to glory of before men; becaufe, he would have it to fay, that
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