Concerning the Mefsiah. muff by fuitahle waycs and means free them from Sin and Wrath, procure forthem the favour of God; usable them to ferve him again unto Acceptation , and lb bring. them at length unto their Chief End., the everlafting enjoyment of him. As thefe things anfwer one another, and are onboth fides fully revealed in the Scripture, Co the- Churchof old' whohad a due Apprehenlion of their own condition, looked fgr fuch a Meffiab as God had promifed. Ignorance therefore of this condition , is no final caufe of the prefent Sudaical misbelief. What ever may be the cifate of other men, about which they donot much trouble themfelves, for their parts they are Children ofAbraham, exempted from the common condition of mankind by the Priviledge Of their- Nativity ; or at leaf[ they are relieved by their circumcifion by the pain whereof, theymake fuflicient fatisfadion for any ill they bring with them into this world. That they are deadinTrepaffes andSins, handing in need to be born again, that they are by nature children of wrath, obnoxious unto the curfe of God ; that, the fin ofour hill Parents is imputed unto thetas, or that if it be, that it was of any fuels demerit as Chrifiians .teach, they believe not. Upon thematter they know no mifery but what conlitis in Poverty, Captivity and want ofRule and Dominion. And What fhould a#iritual Redeemer do unto thefe men ? What-beauty or comelinefs can he have in, him,.for which of them he fhould be defired? What .Reafon can they fee, why they fhould underhand the Promifis concerning bins in fuch a way and fenfe, as that they fhould not beconcerned in them ? And this blindnefs had in a great mea- Cire poifelfed their minds at the fiat promulgationof the Gofpel. See Sohn 8.v.33,34. Chap. 9. v. 1.0, 41. And therefore our "'Mile in his Epitle unto the Romans, wherein hedeals both with Sews, and Gentiles, before he declares the Propitiation that was made, with the Juffification that was to be obtained by the blood of Chrift, con- .vinceth them all of their miferable loft condition, on the account of fin, Original and Atlual, Chap. t,a,3. Until therefore this Pride, fellfulnefs, and Ignoranceof themfelves be taken from them, and rooted out of their hearts, all Promifes of a ffiritual,Ke- deetner mull needs be unfavoury unto them. They (thud in no need of him, and why fhould they delire him. An Earthly King that would give them Liberty, Wealth, Eafe and Dominion , they would gladly embrace , and have long in vain looked for. Secondly,Ignorance of theRighteoufuefs of God , both as to what he requireth that a man may be juftified before him, andof his Judgement concerning the defect of fin, hath the fame effèéf upon them. Rom. to. v. 3, 4. The great End for which the Meffiah was promifed, as we have in part declared, and (hall afterwards farther evince, was to make Attonement fir fin , and to bring in Everla)fing Righteoufneß, Dan. 9.24. A Righteoufhefs was to be brought in, that might anfwer the Suffice of God, and abide its trial, Of what nature this Righteoufnefs muff be, the Scripture declares s and that as well in the Revelation it makes of theHolinefs of God , Pfai. 5. 0.4,5. Sofhua 24.v.19. Hab. r.0. 13. as of the purity and feverity of his Law, Deut. 33. v. 2. Chap. 27. v. 26. and the abfolute Perfebtion of his Suffice in the Execution of it, Pfalm 50. v. 21. An Univerfdl fpotlefs innocency, with a constant unerringObedi- ence in all things , and that in the higheff degree of Perfebkion are required to find Acceptation with this Holy and Righteous God. Of the Nature and neceflity of this Highteoufheß the Jews are ignorant and regardlefs; They and their Mailers were fo of old, Matth.5. v. so. An outfide, partial, hypocritical Obf rvance of the Law ofMof, they lappofe willferve their Turns. See Rom. 9. v. 3r. And indeed there is not any thing that more openly difcovers the miferable blindnefs of the prefentJews, then the confiderationof what they infilt upon, as their Kighteoufnefl before God. The Faith and Obedience of their Fore-fathers, the PriviledgeofCircumcifion, fome outward Obfervauees of MofieedPrecepts, with anxious fcrupulous abftinencies, felf macerati- ons in fafts; withprayers by taleand number, Sabbath refisfrom outward labour with the like bodily exercifes, are the fumm of what they plead for themfelves. Now if thefe things whirls are abfolutely in their own power, will compofe and make up a Righteoü4zß acceptable unto God, cover all the fins whereof they know themfelyes tobe guilty, to what end fhould they look for a Redeemer to bring in Everlaffing Jiighteoufii:í;, or tomake Attonementfor fin ? Why fhould they look out in' this cafe for Relief, feeing they have enough at home to ferve their tarns? Let them that are wearyand heavy laden feèk after fuch a Deliverer , they have no need of him or his ,Salvation. According therefore as this building. of Self-Righteoufneff went on and profpered- 135 23:
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=