Of Eternal Judgment. Chap. U,: the Obliquity ofa Line cannot beafcrib'd to the flreight Rule, but to the Error of the Hand that draws it. And from hence 'tisclear, that if God fhould with a terrible exattnefs require of Men unfinning Obedience upon the pain of damnation, he could not be tax'd with Unrighteoufnefs. 2. But God has been pleafed to mitigate and allay the Severity of the Law by the Gofpcl ; fo that although the leafl breach of it makes a Perfon an Otfender and obnoxious to Judgment, yet the Law of Faith propounds fuch merciful Conditrons to the Guilty, that upon the performance of them, they may plead then· Pardon feal'd wrth the Blood of their )}~~:~~~n~ni~':;'t~~r:z;~ ft~~~b:0j:2;~d i& t;~~ 1~;w0~}~~~~,;ntjan{:"2~ a;~_co~h~~~~1 ~ Gofpel is fliled1 in that it frees tire Confcience, rl10 not from the Obedience, yet from the Terrots and Condemnation of the Law ; for there was not the leaf! fignification of Mercy by it. But in the Gofpel, the Grace of God mojf tllujlriolljlJ a/'feaYJ. ( r.) In that when our Innocence was lofl, there may be a renovation of the Sinner by Repentance, to which the plenary Pardon of Sin isa!rur'd :. Wajb ye, make ye clean, p11t awaJ the nnl of your domgs from before mme Eyes: Ceafe to do evtl, .md learn to do well, fitith rhe urd: and thoyour Sins be ., Scarlet, th'} [hall be white ar Snow ; tho they be red like Crimfon they fba/1 be wlnte like Wod. Ifa. 1. 16, •7, 18. God will not pardon thofe who forgiv; and flatter themfelves in their Sins; bkt thofe who confefs and forfake thf1n, jblll f•J merry. ( 2.) Sincerity of Obedience is accepted \vhere Perfection is wanting. When a Perfon w!th,confent of Heart and ferious Endeavours flrives to obey the_ holy Will of God, wtthout the exceptron of any known Duty, or the rndulgence of any Srn, God w:/1 Jjare him ttsAFather fparuhisSonthatferveshim. Mal. ~.17. 'Tisnotfomuchrhe matter as th~ allowance that makes Sin deadly. Where there is guile in the Heart, it will be feverely imputed. 'Tis not according to fome particular at!s of Sin, but the tenor of tile Life, that the flate of Men wtll be decrded. ( ~·) Unfeigned Faith in the Lord Jefus, that is fuch a belief of the Truth and Goodnefs of his Promifes, as induces us to receive him aJ o11r Prince and Savio11r, as purifies the Confcience, the Heart and Life, will fi·ee us from Hell, and entitle us to Heaven, according to the Covenant of Grace. In fhort, the final Refolution of a Man's Trial and Cafe will be this; either he has performed the gracious Conditions of the Gofpel, and he fhall hefovea; or reje8:ed them, and he fi1all be damned. · Hit be objected, that the terms of Evangelical Juflification, tho in themfelves comparatively eafy, yet are of impoffible performance to Men in their natural finful State, The Anfwerisclear: ,. That altho the natural Man be dead in Sin, without fpiritual flrength to refolve and perform his Duty, and holy heat of defires to it; and nothing is alive in him.but his cor· rupt Paffions, that are like Worms generated in a Carcafe i. yet by the Grace that is offeted in the Gofpel; he may be enabled to perform the Condrttons of It : for rn thiS the Gofpel excels the Law, the Law difcovers Sin, but affords no degrees of fupernarural Power to fubdue it, and diret!s to no Means for the expiation of its Guilt. As the Fire in tile Bujb difcovered the Thorns without confuming them. But the fanctifying Spirit, the true Spring of Life and Power, 2 Tim. 1. 7· is the concomitant of the_Gofpel, as St. Peter declares, Wifh thi pr<aching df the Gojjel the Holy <Jhoft IVO> fent down from Heaven. 1 Per. 1. 12. And the Spirit by illuminating, preventing, and excitmg Grace affifls men to repent and believe; and is promlfed in rich and liberal Sopplies to all that humbly and ardently pray for it. This our Saviour affures to us by a moll tender and endcanng Comparrfon : If ye tha't are evil, know how to give good thingsto jour Children; how much more fbatl your Heavenly Fa. tbergivethe Ho/j Spirit to thoji that ask it? Luke II. '3. , . 2. From hence it follows, that 'ris from the perverfenefs of the W rll, and the love of Sin, that Men do not obey the Gofpel. For the Holy Spirit never withdraws his gracious affiflance, till ref'.fted, grieved, . and quenched b] them. It will be no excufc, that Drvrno Grace is not conferr'd in the fame eminent degree upon fome as upon others that are convert· ed : for the Impenitent f1Jall nor be condemned for want of that fingular powerful Gtace that was the Privilege of tbe Elect, but for receiving in vain that meafure of common -Gra'ce that they had. If he that received one Talent bad fuirhfully Improved _rt, he had been rewarded with. more; but upon rhe fiothful and ingrareful neglect of Ius·Duty, he 'Wasjuflly deprived of it, and cafl into a Dungeon of Horror, the _Em)Jlem df Hell. TheSenrence'of theLawhasits full force upon impenirent ' Sinners, ,w'lth mtolerableaggravationsf6r.negle&ing the Salvation of the Gofpcl. Concerning ~he Heathens, the ~cripture declares, 1j. 'fhat
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=