Of Yu/gait/on by Faith. 129. into a large difcuflion of this fubjeft, which S E R M my prefent defign would not admit, one VI. reafon why chriflians have run into fuch a difference of fentiments, and many of them into miflakes, is, that they form their judg- ments, not by confidering the general in- tention and the principal aim of the fcrip- tures, but upon particular paffages in fome of the facred books, without attending to the connexion, and the occafion, and defign upon which they were written; which cer- tainly is an unfair way of treating any wri- tings whatfoever. And the errors arifing from it in this cafe, are not to be charged on the want of perfpícuity in the fcriptures, but the want of candor, or mature confederation in thofe who read them. There is no one article about which there have been greater divifions and contradidory opinions, than that of juflification, or the way and the terms of finners obtaining the forgivenefs of fins and acceptance with God ; which, being the profefs'd defign of the gofpel, one would think, fhould be above all things clearly taught in it; and indeed fo it is. But here may be direflly applied, what I hinted before as the caufe that forne have fallen into miflakes. There arofe vio- VOL. L lent
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