\ ; ·~ead I. The Corrztpt~otJ of' tle U'ilf: 77 way he_was f~t upon as our head and reprefentative in that . covenant; that is, by doing to live . This is our natural · religion, and the principle which men na turally ta~e for granted, M atth.xix. 16. J..Vhat good thingjhafl I DO, that : I may have eternal life? _ 2. Confider the oppofition that has always been made in tha world againf1: the doctrine of free grace in Jefu~ ChriH , . ·by m-;n fe uing up for the way of works; thereby di fcov er-. ing the na tural tendency ofthe heart. It is manifdl , that th~ great ,defign of tbe gofpel contrivance is ·to exait t)he free gra ce~..cf Go@ ln Jefus Chrift, Rom. iv. I 6. Therefore jt iJ Of faith , that it might be by grace. , See Eph'. ,i. 6. and chap. ii . 7, .9. All gofpel u utbs center in ChriG:: fo that to Jeam tbe tr uth is to learn Chrifl, Eph. iv. 20. And to be ' trul y taught it, is to be taught aJ tl~ tfuth iJ in Jefi' J, ver . 2 1. All difpenfatioos of grace and favour from heaven, whe th er 'to nations or particular perfo~s, have fiiil had fomethiog about them proclaiming a·f:.reedorn -of grace: a.s in the very fidt.feparation made by the divine favour, Ca~tz · the elder b~:cther)s ~~ejected, and 4bdthe younger accepted. ' ' This fhine s ~hrough the whole hifiory of the .l'3ible : but as true as it i~, this has .been the point principafly oppofed by corrupt nature ; One may well fay, that of all errors in re· · Jigion, fioce Cbrill: the feed of the ·woman was preached,. this of works, it1 oppofition to free grace in .him, was the firft that ·lived , and it 1s1 likely to be the lall: th.n dies.• The re have been va!l: numbers of errors, which fprung up one after·a'1other, whereof, at length ·the world becawe ifhamed ·and weary; fo that they died out. But this has continued, fromCain the 6tHa·uthor of this herefy, unto this d:q ' ; and never wanted fome that cla.ve to it. even in the times of- g~eatefl light. · I do not :-vitbout groupd, call Caia the author ofit, who, wheq d bel brought a facrifice ~ of a– tonement, a bloody offering ofthe fir filings of his flock, (like , the Publicanfiniting on hiJ br~afl, and faying, Cod be · mer· eiful to meajinner) Cain al'ivanced with his thank-offeri ng ~(the f ruit of the ground, (Gen . iv . 3, 4;) like the pr·oud Pharifte, withbis, God, !thank thee. For what was the caufe of Cain's ·,wrath, an? of his mur'dering of A bel? \Vas it not that h~ was not accepted of God for his work? Gen. iv. 4• 5. And ,..JJhc._reftr(Jl~,..VJ be~im? Becauft 'oil own 'V.'Orh! weN ·· G 3 \ evil,
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