124 The Cofpcl-My:fiery Direa. VIL bondage : and we have caufe to abhor the device of thofe that would lay upon us a more grievous and terrible yoke, by turning our very new covenant in- to a covenant of fincere works, and leaving us no fuchbetter covenant, as the lfraelites had undertheir yoke, to relieve us in our extremity. DIRECTION VIL We are not to imagine that our Hearts and Lives. muff be changed from Sin to Holinefs in any meafure, before we mayfafely venture to trufl on Chryifor thePure Enjoyment ofhimfelf, and his Salvation. EXPLICATION. E are naturally fo prone to ground our falva- tion upon our own works, that, if we cannot make them procuring conditions and caufes of ou; falvation by Chrift, yet we {hall endeavour at leaft to make them neceítary preparatives, to fit us for re- ceiving Chrift and his falvation by faith. And men are eafily perfuaded, that this is not at all contrary to falvation by free grace, becaufe all that is hereby afcribed to our works, or good qualifications, is only, " That they put us in a fit pofture to receive a free «' gift. if we were to go to a prince for a free gift! good manners, and due reverence, would teach us to trim ourfelves firft, and to change our ílovenly clothes, as jofeph did when he came out of the " dungeon into the prefence of Pharaoh. It feem- tt eth to be an impudent (lighting and contemning ct the juftice and holinefs of God and Chrift, and an infufferable affront and indignity offered to c' the divine Majefty, when any dare prefume to a' approach his prefence in the,nafty pickle of his
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