DireEt. VI. of n 1j zcation: t 17 ance of the condition, before it alloweth us any life . or falvation by Chrift. Can any man rationally ex- pea ftrength to obey fincerely, by following a doc- trine that Both not fo much as promifè it? The true gofpel is of a more benign nature; for it promifeth, that " God will pour out of his Spirit upon all fie(h, " AEts ii. 17 and will put his laws into our minds, " and write them in our hearts, Heb. viii. i o. and "' will caufe us to walk in his ftatutes, that we (hall " keep his judgements and do them," Ezek. xxxvi. 27. This word of God's grace, that requirethnot ho- linefs of us as a condition, but promifeth it to us as a free gift, mutt needs be the only doctrine " that is 4' able to build us up, and to give us an inheritance a' among them that are fanFtified,"Acts xx. 32. See - ing it pleafeth God to bring us to holinefs by believ- ing a doctrine, we may reafonably expect that God Mould work upon us fuitably to thenature of the doc- trine which we believe; that he (hould give-by a giv- ing doctrine, and exael by an exacting doctrine. 4th/y, The way of procuring life and happinefs by the condition of perfect or fincere works, is not a ra- tional method for the recoveryof fallenman; though it were good for the preferving of life before the fall: for it prefcribeth the immediate practice of holinefs to recover a man dead in fin; as if one (hould fay to the lick of the palfy, " Arife and walk and then thou s' (halt be whole, and able to walk." We fometimes fay jettingly to a child that is fallen on the ground, Come hither and I will help thee up:" but if we fhould fay fo to one that is catt on his bed by a dead palfy, we fheuld be guilty of mocking and cruelly infulting the Aided. Thofe that are humbled and made fenfible of their original fin, and natural dead- nefs, know that they mutt firft live by the Spirit, before they can of holily, Gal. v. 25. They will en- quire: " How (hall we have ftrength to perform the " duty required ?" If you anfwer, that they mutt truíi in God and Chrift, to help them; they may
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