232 The Gofpel-MyJEer' y bireEt. XIÍ. the graves; e'sc. But this is not that manner of liv- ing to God whereof the apoffle fpeaketh, when he faith,, " I live, yet rick I, but Chrift liveth in me and the life which I live in the flefh, I live by the " c faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave " himfelf for me," Gal. ii. 20. If a man make ufe of thefeobliging principles, to ftir him to go to Chrift for ftrength to aft bodily, he walketh like one that hath receivedhim as his only life by faith: otherwift he walketh like other natural men. For the natural man may be brought to act by thefe principles, partly by natural 'light, and more fully by fcripture light, without any true knowledge of the way of falvation by Chrift, and as if Chrift had never come into the world. And he may be ftrictly bound by them, and vehemently urged and preffed to holyduties; and yet, all this while, is left to his own natural ftrength, or rather weaknefs, being not affured by any of thefe principles that God would give him ftrength to help him in the performance of thefe duties: and can do nothing aright, until he get new life and ftrength by Chrift, by a more precious, faving faith. There would beno need ofa new life and ftrengthby Chrift, if thefe principles were fuf-Ficient to bring us to a ho- ly converfation- Therefore this manner of practice is no better than walking after the flefh, according to our corrupt (fate, and feeking to be made perfect in the flefh. No queftion but Paul was very diligent in it while he was a blind Pharifee. Yea, theheathen philofophers might attain to it, in tome meafure, by the light of common reafon. l'he devils have fuch principles, as they do believe affuredly ; yet they are never the better for them. It is a part of the natural wifdom whereby the world knew not God, not that wifdom of God in a myftery, difcovered in the gof- pel, which is the only fatisfying wifdom andpower of God unto falvation. What can you produce but corruption, byprefling with motives to holinefs, one that- hath no foundnefs in him, from the fole of the
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