On LuKE. XIV. 23. mute one Duty for another, and ballance their Accounts with Heaven, not con!idering tl~at if their Works were perfectly good, tliey are but the Performance of their Duty, if they had never finn'd. It was one great Obfhuction that hinder'd the Jews from re- ~J~i~Ze~~~~n0~i~htc~;:;,;e}:,"'Ji:J::;J,.~~£ ~z;::fef;~;~~o;t'~;g,;;;~.j::}sg,of"~:J. 10 g~~ Rom. •o. ' of a high Spirit will rather wear a mean Garment of hts own, than a rich Livery, the Mark of Servile Dependance. Pride refills Grace, .and Grace refills Pride. The Law of Faith requires us to renounce not o.nly our Unrighteoufncfs~ but our Righteoufi1efs, even the mol\ excellent Graces and the Fruits of them, in comparifon of Chrifi, and as a Foundation of obtaining the Pardon of Sin, and Salvation for ever~ O~r Rig~lteoufnefs is defective and defiled, and cannot endure the trial of God's in!Jghtmng Tnbunal. All our Doings and Sufferings cannot expiate the leaf\ Sin ; we mufi only rely uoon the Lord ~ur Righteoufnefs, to reconcile us tO God, and that we may !land in Judgment. He was made Sin for us, who knew no Sin, tbat we might he made the RzghteoufneJs 2. Cor. >· 1.r . of God in him, not in our felves. How hard it is to awaken Men out of the Pharifaical Dream of their own Righteouf- Luke u;. nefs, is evident both in the Doctrine and Practice of thofe of the Roman Communion. They affert the formal Caufe of our Jufiification in the fi~ht of God is our inherent Holinefs: they blafpheme the imputed Righteoufnefs ofChnfi as a fantafiick Apprehenfion: they declare that go~ Works have the merit of Congruity and Condignity to eternal Life : and that by Penance, Satisfaction is paid to God for their Sins, as if there were a Proportion between the one and the other. They fucceed the Pharifi:es in their proud and fiubborn Refiflance of the Gofpel. And among other carnal Moti\•es that fafi.en Men in that corrupt Religion, thefc have a fpecial force, as quieting Confcience, and gratifying their Lulls, that they can make Compenfation for their Offences again!\ God, and that the Abfolution of a Priefl feals their Pardon : thus being clear, they may begin a new Score, and return to their old Lufis wtth new Affections. 2. As Self implies the Flefl1 with its Affection' and Lufls, fo Self. denial and Sin-denial are of thefameoxtcnt. ThewholeBodyof Corruption with all the parts of it even the dearefl, the mofi tender and mpft cherifh'd by carnal Men mufi be mortifiel Severe Refiraints are laid upon the defiring and the angry Appetites, the Spring> of all the Sins and Miferiesin the World. We arefl:rictl:ycommanded to pluck o~t the rig,bt M,t.,. Eye, and to cut off the ng,ht Hand, upon the mofi !earful Penalnes1 the futlering Tor- Muk ,. ments intupportable and everlafimg. The Gofpel has the Perfectwns of a Rule, 'tis clear and compleat m the DJtectwn of our Duty. It teacbes 11s to deny a !I Ung,odlinefs Tit.'· andWorldlyLuf/s, and to livefoberly, rig,bteouf/y and godly in this World. Now carnal Men are apt ~o fay with th~ Capem_aites, Thi~ is an hard fayiwg. Every one hns a pe- John 6 . t 4 , culiar Favounte Lufr, the Sm ~f h1s ComplexiOn,_ or of. the Country wherein he live-:, which if you pluck out of theJt Bofoms, they w11l fly 10 your Face. Men willingly enough hear Reproofs again!\ Sins to which they aredif-inclin'd; but if directed againfl their own Sins, whether of Pleafure or Profit, they will [corn the Reproof, and florm at the Reprover. They will perform Come Duties that are confifient with their Carnal Eafe and Interefi, but obfiinately flick at others. Herod is a notorious Inilance of this : 'tis related he heardJolm Baptij/ gladly,_ andobferved him ; and IVhett be beard him, he did Ma.k 6 , , 0 • many t!Jings; but Ius mcefiuous ilffcchon made him prefer a filthy Harlot before the pure Law of Qod. One indulged Lull: captivates the Soul, and keeps it under the Power of Satan. If one Leg of a Bird be catch'd in a Net, 'tis as furely held as if its whole Body were entangled. One Lufi feparates from Chrifi, and is a Bar again!\ our entrance into Heaven for Chrifi is the only_ way to it. The Word of God is jharper than a two.edg,'d SIVord; but carnal Men will mterpole thm Souls between theJr tender Lulls and the Word, and receive its deadly Strokes to [pare them. The Lord Chrifi tells the Jews, ie will not John 1 , come to me thatye may bave Life: They would readily embrace a Saviour that would allow the Pleafures of Sin, and free them from the Puniflunent; but their Wills were fo flroogly engaged, they would fuffer no Divorce from their beloved Lulls : they chafe Hell WJth Sin, rather than Heaven with Holinefs. 3· The denial of Self includes all that in the order of Nature belongs to us: Life, and all t~e Supports, the Comforts, the Orname~ts and ~ndearment~ of it ; the f\\'eetefi Relations, Father and Mother, Brother and S1fier, W1fc and Clllldren, the riche!l: Poffeffions, Houfes and Land, muil be always parted with, in the Preparations of our Heart, and Refolutions of our Wills, and actually, rather than defert our Duty. Such a Supremacy of Affcctwn tS rcquJted by our Savwur, that fufpends the Operation of our Love upon all inferior things, when they are in Competition with his Imereil ani! A a a a a Glory,
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