.I42 An Objeflion anfwered. State H. (lfher. Markxvi. 16. Hethatbelievethnot,jha!lbedamned. Objec?. But God is a merciful God, and he know1 •we ttre not able to an(wer thefe demandJ : we hope therefor~. , to be fiwed, ~(wedo a1 <tuc:Jl'"·f we can, and keejithe com1llaJtdJ aJ well aJ we are able. Anf. ( 1.) Though thou art able to do many things, thou art not able to do one thing aright: thou canH do nothing 2cceptableto God , being out of Chrict, John xv. 5. Without' me, ye can do nothi ng . An unrenewed man, as thou art, can do nothing but fin; c.s we have already evinced. Thy be[l aCtions are fin, and fo they increafe thy debt tojutl:ice; how then can it be expec– ted they fhould lcffen it ? (:z.) If God fhould ofE:r to fave men upon condition that' they did aH they could do, in obe– (Jience to his commands; :.- we have ground to think, tha·t thefe who would betake themfelves to that way !ho11ld ne , ver be faved. For where is the mar., that does as we!i aJ he Ct:fJ ? \Vho fees not many falfe fieps he has made, which he might have evited ? There are fo many thmgs to be done, fo many temptations to carry us out of the roa? of duty, and our nature is fo very apt to be fet on fire of hell; – that we would furely fail, even in fome point, that is with· . in the compafs of our natural abilities But ( 3.) Though thou fhouldfi do all thou art able to do, . in vain doll tho~t hope to be faved in that way. \Vhat word of God !s this hope of thine founded on ? It is neither founded on law nor _gofpeJ, and tb~1·efore it is but a delufion. It is not founded on the golpel ; for the gofpelleads the foul out of itfelf~ to je.fus Chrifi for all : a'nd it eflabli!heth t_he law, Rom; iii. 3r. \Vhereas this hope of yours cannot be eft ablifhed, but on the ruin of the Jaw, which God wili magnify and make honourable. And hence it appears, that it ·is not founded en the law neither. \\' hen God fet Adam a work- ' ing for happinefs to himfelf, and his pofterity, perfttl obe- – d ;ence was the condition required of him ; and a curfe de– nounced in cafe of difobt:dieoce. The law b~in'g broken by him, he and his pofterity were fubjetted to the penalry, for fi n.. committcd; and withal frill bound to perfeCt obedience: for it is abfllrd to think that man's finning and fuff<!r\ng for his fin, fhould free him from his duty of obedience to his Creator . When Chrift came in the room of the eleCt , to pur– chafe their falvation, the fame were the terms. juUice had the
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