A Sermort on John 7· 1 9· ieft fome of rhat corrupt Lea\Ten may fiill remain in the Spirits of too many, who delight only to hear of the: Riches of Free Grace, rhe Priviledges of Saili ts , the All~ fuffic iency and Willingnefs of Chrift to ilve them, and can melt themft:lves away jri rhe very Sweetnefs and Tendernefs of their Souls under fuch Glorious DiiCoverics. Bur if Obedi~nce and Good Works be prefs'd; if we preacli ro them qmcerning RighlCoJJfnefs> T rmperance, and }JJflicc, and thofc Moral Duties of the Law, which re~ fpeEl: our Deportment [Owards Men, as weU as thofC: which refpea the WoHhip and Service of Ciod this is flat and lnfipid to thefe nice and refined Profeffors) and th.:.:y are ready'with a fcornful Pity to cenfure it for Honelt, MorJl, DoCtrine, fie only fOr young Beginners, who are nor as yet come from under a Lt'gat DifpenHnion. lleware, my Brethren, that you do not thus vilifie and difjlat>g~ the Holy Law of God. For let me tell you, this is the Rule that he bath gi'"n us to guide our AC\i. ons, and this is the Law by which he himfelf will judge them.' There _is no orhef Way to obtain Salvation but only throagh Obedience to I C. Tbts Law IS the very Gare of Hea\•en, and the Two Tabks are the Two Leaves of it. We {hall never enter into it but only through thefe, Rev. 22. 14. lJieJfod art tbty that do his Commandme!lts, that they may hroe Right unto the Tret of Life, and may entrr in tb?ougb rbe Gater into the City. Altho' our Salvation be the Purchafe ofChrift, and he alone ha rh redeel'!l'd us from Death, and procured fOr us Glory and Immon alit y by his own moll Precious Blood, yet here the Scripture affirms t~at we obtain a Ri ght ur.ro the Tree of Lite; i.e. ro Ev~rlafiing Life, by our Obedience, and doing the Commandments of God. A Right, not indeed ofMcrit, but a Right ofEviderc...: ; our Obedience ro the Law is the only found Evidence that we can have for our R;e,ht to the Promifes of the Gtijpcl; and without an univerfal Ohedienct in the wh ")l~ Courfc of our Lives, all our Joys and Comforts~ and confident ExpeElations of Hea \)cn and Hap· pinefs, are bur Splendid Delufions, and En thufiafiical Dreams, by which Men of loofe Principlrs and PraElices fcek to unite together Two Things which God bath pur at an irreconci lable di(bnce; that is to fay, an unholy Life here, and an happy Life hereafter. Aod if to prefs this great Trurh upon the Confdence, and to infift on the Neceffity of New Obedience, and Repentance from dead Works, as well as Faith in our Lord Jt:fus Cbrift, be Legal Preaching, let mine be ever fo accounted~. · But jndeed this is fo tar from being a Legal DoEhine, that it is om: of the greateft and mofl precious Trut hs that the Gofpel exhibits. To preach of Ju!lification by the Law as a Col'enant is Legal, and makes void the Death and Merits of Jefus CbriQ. But to p~each Obedience ro the Law as a Role is Evangelical; and ic favours as much of a New-Tefiament Spirit (as they phrafe it) to urge the Commands of the Law, as to difplay the Promifes of the Gofpel. There arc Two great Ends for which the Law was at fir!! given, ConviElion and Ref~rmation. .. F~rjl, It was given, aod ought flill to be preached for the ConviElion .of Sinners: And it ferves to convince them of Three Things. • Fir}/, Of their Guilt comraEled by the Tranlgreffion of the Law. For by laying their AEHons tO the Rule, and comparing the Stri£tnefs and Purity of the onet. witl:t the Obliquity and DefeEls of the other, they may difcero wherein they haveofti:nded, aod their narurat Confcience may have an Advantage to charge their Sin and Guilt upon them. Thus faith the Apoftle, Rom. ~· 19, 20. We know tbat what Thing: fotvtr tbc Lawfaitb, it faith to them that are under the Law, that every Mouth might be flopped, and all tbc World might become guilty bcfort God, for by the Law is rhe Knowledge of Sin. Secondly, Of that Wrath and Eternal Death to which they fland expofed by reafon of their Sin and Guilt. 1he Soul rhnt jinneth it jhall die, Ezek. 18. 20. And Curfed ts every one that continuctb not in all Things that arc written in the Book of the Law to do them, Gal. 3· 10. And, Thirdly, !t !Crves to convince us of the utter Impoffihility under which we lye in this our fallen and corrupt ERate of ever obtaining Jollification by the Worksofrhe Law Rom. J. 20. By rhe Works of rhe Law fha/1 no Man be jujiijicd, for by the Law is rh; Knowledge of Sin. For we cannot bejuflified by our Obedience to it, fince the Law demonfl rares that our Obedience is imperfeEl. Nor can we be jufiified by making Sau~fa Ehon for our Difobedience, fince the fame Law affures us tbat the Divine Juftice · w1 l~ ac;ept no other Satisf3Etion from us but our undergoing the Penahy rbrearned, wh1ch 1s eternal Death: So that to hope for Life, by fatisfying and recompen<ing Divine F ff Jufli<e
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