------~--~T __ ru~e~Jl.~a~pp_i~nifJ~s~-~~~~~~347 ftdCl:ly wirh God, according ro the Rules rhac he hath prefCribed us in his holy Word: And ir confifts of Two Parrs; Atlorrification of our corrupt and finful Affedions whereby we die daily umo Sin: And the Spiritt~al RenO'Uati n, and Quickning of our Graces, whcre.by we incre<\fe daily infpirirual Strength, and make farther Progreffcs in 1-lolinefs and r~ue Piety. And as it confifis of the!e Two Pares, fo hach it alfo chefe Two AdJuncts. I. The one is, True Repentance for our paft SinS, refletl:ing upon them with Shame and Hatred, confcffingand bewailing them with SorrO\~ and Comririon, and endeavouring, with all Earneftnefs and Sincerity, tO abftamfrom the Cornmillion of £he like for rhe future. 2 • The od1er is, A True and I.ively Faith, whereby we rely on the Dlood and Satisfaction of jefus Chrifi, for che Remiffion. of our Sins; and upon his perfect Righteoufnefs, and prevalent Imercellion fo,r the Acccpracion and Reward of our imperfect Obedience. Whofoever doth thus fincercly do rhe Cammandmems of God, univerf.·:d ly and conftamly, with his whole Strength and Mind, as though he expetted eo be faved by the Merits of his own Works;: and yer, after all, doth fo entirely rely on the Merits of Jefus Chrift for Salvanon, as though he had never done any thing: He itis, and he alone, who ha~h this Riuht rmto zh.e Tree of Life, aud fh.d! enter tbr(Jugh the G1ttts into the H e11venly CJt]. Fori1e doth Ius Commandments out of a fincere Love; and God, who is Love, will own his Sincerity. Secondi.J, I come now to confider what that Right is, which this Evangelical rr. Obedience, or doing the Commands of the Law, according to the Favour and w_hat Mercy of the Gof,Pel, doth confe1· upon us, by venue of which we may atTuredly ~'l~enu expect: Eternal L1fe. And here:, . . . . gi'Vu 11 E.- I. It cannot be a Right ofPur..ba[e, or Mmt. It1s a foohfh Prefumptton, and rern11lLi[t. inrollerable Anogance, to thi~k we can deferve any thing at the Hands of God, I. unlefs it be his Wralh by our Sms. For, . ~~t h" f r. In all proper Merit there mufi be an Equivalence, or at leaft a proportion p~~,~~~fo. of Worrh between the Work, and the Reward: Which to imagine between our r. Obedience, and the Heavenly Glory, is to exalt the one infinitely too high, and b' M~rit to abafe the other infin_itely coo low. What proportion is there· between a Cup of~::,:E~;i~ cold V/ater o-ivm to 11 Difciple of Chrijl, and that Ocean of Eve.J;'lafting Joy and "'"/mu. Pleafure, which Jhall he the Reward of it? A Man might more rcafonably expeel eo buy StiJ'I's with Coun!ers,or to purchafe a Kingdom with Two l\1ites, than think eo purchafc the He~wenly Kingdom by paying down his Duties, and good \Vorks, which arc no way profitable unto God, (For is it ""J Plea{ure to the ] ob. no• . .AlmightJ that tbcu art righteous; or is it any Gain unto him, that thM makeft thy Wny .> perfi&? ) and bear no more proporrion to the infi~ire Glory of Heaven, than a fingle Cypbtr doth eo the numbcrlefs Sands of the Sea. 2. The very Grace that enables us to do the Commandments of God, is freely 2 • bellowed upon us by himlelf; and therefore the Obedience we perform unto him Grace tQ (1mee:Jy by his own Affifta-?ce, cannot ?e faid (wi~h?ut a gran_d Impropriety) r~ [Z,7givm mei'u any Rewn.rd from l11m. S.uch ktnd of M·cnc ts bm an tdle and frivolous ry. pretence: For certainly, he who gives me Money to by an Efiare of him, doth as freely give me chat Efiate, as ifl had never bought it of him>but he had immediately beftowc? eh~ T.:and upon me, and not eh~ S_um of Money. ~- All ~>Ur Obultence ts 1mperfett, and_rherefore~ 1f 1t d_eferv: any thing, it is 1 , only Pumfhmencfor the Defects a.nd Fat lures of 1t. Thts Co1n is nor currant .Ailou,. r:his Metal is haft: and adulterated, the King'sSramp .defaced and obliterated th~ Obtdimu Edges clipp'd, ~~nJ c~e SuJ?erfcription, whic~1 fhouid be '-?n both fides He/in~ 10 foa:·mper- -&be Lord, lS on the h.everfc ar lcaft, A Sacn fice to Hypocrijie, Formality and VaiN Gkry; and therefore this coumerfeit. and bale Alloy will not pafs for 'PurchafeMoney; and had it what it deferves, it would be melted down in the Furnance of Hell. 4- Suppofe icwcre perfect, which it is not, yet is it no more than ourbounden Duty; and Dut}l can never be merirorious. v_lc are bound by the Law of obr;imtt Nature, and, as we are Creatures who have recc1ved our Beings, and the Con- is dtufr¥m tinuance and Prefcrvation of them from God, to employ ourfelvesfairhfully and rJJ. alliduoufiy in his Service; and if, for our greater Encoura$emenc therein he harh promifed, and will beftow upon us a vaft and unconcetvable Reward' we Y y y 2 'mu(\
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