to the E PH E SI AN s. that Chri{l:'s fatisfaB:ion isreckon'd ours for the pardon ofSin. And with others,thofe r-~ good Works which are the Fruit ofthe New Cr~ature, mufr be preferred to the Scr. XXH. Honour and Title of Merit, to procure Heaven for us. And the Truth is, with~ them, God's Free Grace andChrifi's Righteoufnefs may very well think themfdves (atisfied, ifthey be remotely, and at a difrance, and at fecond hand taken notice o£ It is enough Honour to Chrifr's Merits with them, to have fo much worth in them as to merit, as our good Works merit: and fo Free Grace is, they think; honoured enough ifit be faintly acknowledged that all is from Grace, becau{e the New Creature and all is from Grace affifring us. . And my Brethren, Even when it comes to the Work ofthe New Creature,they go half!hare with God. They fay it is of our felves as well as of Grace. Yea, they make our Wills the Lords ofGrace therein, that is, that Grace cloth but meerly like a Servant help us, etther to choofe If we wt!l, or we may refu{e tf we will. But our Wills are the MaO:ers. And others, That oflate Years, feem to diO:inguilli themfelves from Popery, by denying the Merit ofgood Works,yet in the mean time teaching Works to be for JuO:ification as mttch as Faith, and both equal and alike Evangelical Conditions of Salvation. And thofe again that would rejeCt Works, yet notwithO:anding will needs fet up Faith even whether it will or no; whereas Faith is the moO: mode£1: Grace that ever was in this point: but I fay, they would (et up Faith or fomething that mu£1: have a Throne and Share with.Chri£1: and Grace. Some would have the very hac bit ofFaith, whi!O: afleep, amiferable thing; they will take it aOeep, when it bath neither done good or evil, and fay we are Caved by Faith in that Senfe. And others wouldhave the aB: ofFaith; yea and in fo doing would put offGrace witfi this that it is and !hews the more ofGrace to take fo (mall a thing as Faith, a Pe~per-Corn,. and they think that Jefus Chri£1: is enough honoured, and all is for his fake. Thus I fay, In the way ofApplication, frill Free Grace hath been fubjell: to Iofe its Right. I will not frand to ert!arge upon it. The Apoftle therefore in re~ard of this aptnefs that is in the Heart ofMan to incroach thus upon the Grace ofGod, hedoth here let down the Royalties of Free Grace in this refpect, re– duceth all that is wrought in Man, to their due place or bottom, there to keep them from lifting up a Hand, or raifing up a Thought, or taking in above what is meet or due to them. And my Brethren, it is a matter ofas great Concernment to prderve the DoCtrine of Grace in its Soveraignty, in the work ofApplication, as it is to attribute a Sovereignty to it in EleCtion and Redemption. And our Comfort is this, that God hath entruO:ed one that is God too even with this Work alfo, who will be fure to carry it on, and work out all Mud in the Hearts of his own People,ifthey mingle any with it, and that is the Holy Spirit. And were it not a great deal ofPity, that after all the Glory of God which Grace bath in Ele– ll:ion, and which Jefus Chri£1: hathin Redemption, when it 01all come to Difpen– fation and Application, in the winding and cloGng ofall,he lliould be robbed ofit ~gain ? As ifa King or great Prince, his whole and entire Revenue lhould be truly recorded and fet down, and by his Treafurer faithfully raifed and collell:ed, yet when it comes to be expended and laid out in his Family, as it goes through under-hand Officers, he lliould be cheated, and that waO:ed and fpoiled to his Oil– honour. This Dillionour is the Grace ofGod,and ofout Lord Jcfils Chri£1: ([,bjctt unto. It concerned therefore both God and Jefus Chri£1: to look to this back– Door. Therefore they have !hewn as great a Wifdom in its kind in this Work of Application, as in the Contrivement ofthe Work ofElell:ion or Redemption ; and as (n Creation, they created all in Number, Weight and Meafure, fo they ordered all here, lefr they !hould lofe any thing ; that though they had it given them il'l the Lump, in that work ofRedemption,they Uwuld by Retail come lhort oftheir Glory and Honour: that when Free Grace lliould co111eto be minted and O:amp– ed in our Hearts, it lliould ce>me·to be embaCed and lofe of its value. Th~ Apo– fr!e therefore is vehement in it, in all his Epif!Ies; you fee here how he heaps u.p Negatives one upon another, Not ojyo11r felves, not ofWor~s, faith he. It is one ofhis Mafter-pieces, and indeed the Ma{tcr-piece ofGod himfclf, for to let dowri · ~ Oo 2 the
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