you in fome former Letters. In the latter Senfe they must be diligently and painfully purfued and attended to; as I fhall more fully fet before you. -Our Business therefore is, with moft earnest Application to watch daily at Wifdom's Gates,, and wait at the Pofts of his Doors, to use our most ac tive Endeavours in all the Ways of Godliness, Righteoufnefs, and Charity, doing all in the Name of Chrift; and when we have done all we can, to come ftill as loft, guilty, worthless and helpless Sinners, felf-loathing and felf-condemning, to the Throne of Mercy, acknowledging, that to us be longs Shame and Confufion of Face; and that we have nothing to plead, but the Riches of redeeming Love, and the boundless Grace of God in Chrift, for the Acceptance either of our Perfons or Services. In our highest Attainments, we should come before God with that Language of Faith, Dan. ix. 18. We do not present our Supplications before thee for our Righteousnesses, but for thy great Mer

cies.

I fhall only fubjoin, that we must not depend upon our good Works for a progressive Sanctification, for renewing Supplies of Grace, and for a continued Progrefs in Holinefs and Comfort unto God's heavenly Kingdom. It is a dangerous Miftake, which too many feem to fall into, that we are to depend upon Christ alone for justifying Righteoufnefs; but truft to our own active Endeavours for inherent Righteousness, for a Victory over our Corruptions, and for a Conformity of Heart and Life unto the divine Nature and Will. Thence it is, that although they carry on a dreadful Struggle with their Corruptions, yet thefe, notwithstanding all their Purposes, Promifes, Vows, Watchings, Faftings, and other mechanical Endeavours, will still prevail, and often throw them into great Perplexi

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ty and Confufion.-They are fenfible, that God demands their Hearts, and that it is impoffible their external Reformations fhould be acceptable, while their Hearts are far from him, and led away with divers Lufts. With what Agony and Toil do they therefore worry with their carnal and fenfual Affections, their impetuous Appetites and Paffions, ufing various Methods of Mortification and Difcipline, to correct the Disorders of their Nature; and are but still rolling a Stone up Hill, which as foon as they let go, it is at the Bottom again! They are fenfible that God requires Sincerity in the inward Man, in all the Duties of religious Worship. They therefore groan under the Burden of their religious Defects, their Deadness, Formality, and wandering Thoughts, in their Approaches to God, condemn every Duty they perform, and refolve upon more Watchfulness and Care for the future: But, alas! the Difficulty remains, and they are ready to fink under difcouraging Apprehenfions of their Hypocrify. Indeed, when they gain a little Ground, their Hopes are revived and their Endeavours animated; but when Deadness and Corruption prevail, their Distress and Fear return and prevail with them, their Spirits fink, and they are ready to be quite difcouraged.

How many poor Souls are thus labouring in the very Fire, making a toil fome and melancholy Drudgery of Religion, by their legal Attempts, and their Spirit of Bondage?

How far thefe Characters are applicable to your felf, Sir, you can beft tell: But this I know by Experience, that fo far as this legal Difpofition prevails in us, it will not only darken our Way, but check our Progrefs in Grace and Holinefs. If you would make any Proficiency in your fpiritual Course, you ought to remember, that the di

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vine Life must be carried on in the Soul, in the fame Manner, and by the fame Means that it was begun there. We are not only juftified by Faith, but we must be fanctified by Faith too, and of Chrift's Fullness must receive, even Grace for Grace. A chearful Dependence upon Chrift for all Supplies of Grace and Strength is the Way to obtain his quickening, comforting, and strengthning Influen-ces; to have our Hearts enlarged in the Service of God, and to run the Way of his Commandments with Delight. We must be dead to the Law (to all Dependence upon it, and Hope from it) if we would live unto God. Gal. ii. 19.-Though we must discharge the Duties of the Law, and live in Conformity to it; yet these must be done with a Gospel Spirit, from Gospel Principles and Motives. What the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the Flesh, God fending his own Son in the Likeness of finful Flesh, and for Sin, condemned Sin in the Flesh. Would you then maintain a truly fpiritual Life, the Life which you live in the Flesh, must be by the Faith of the Son of God, Gal. ii. 20. Would you maintain a Conversation worthy of your holy Profeffion, your good Conversation mult be in Chrift, Pet. iii. 16. Would you live in the Love of God and your Neighbour, it is Faith which works by Love, Gal. v. 6. Would you get a Victory over the World, and all its Allurements, this is the Victory that overcometh the World, even our Faith, 1 John, v. 4. Would you be able to withstand Temptations, it is the Shield of Faith, by which you will be able to quench the firy Darts of the Wicked, Eph. vi. 16. Would you walk honeftly as in the Day, you must put on the Lord Jefus Chrift, Rom. xiii. 13, 14. Would you be ftrengthened in the Service of God against all Oppofition, you must be ftrong in the Lord, and in the Power

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of his Might, Eph. vi. 1o. Would you have your Heart purified from finful Lufts, Appetites and Paffions, you must get your Heart purified by Faith, Acts xv. 9. Would you go on in your Way rejoicing, you must rejoice in Christ Jesus, having no Confidence in the Flesh, Phil. iii. 3. Would you perfevere in the Fear and Service of God, you must be kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation, 1 Pet. i. 5.—Sir, it is not your Bufiness to run without Legs, or fly without Wings; but to go forth in the Strength of the Lord God. Defpair of all Sufficiency of your own, to mortify your Corruptions, and quicken your Soul in the Ways of God and Godliness. Humbly repair to the Lord Jefus Chrift, and chearfully trust in him for Grace and Strength, to make a fuccefsful Progrefs in your Spiritual Course. Let not your Imperfections or Corruptions difcourage you; nor let your good Purposes or Performances be the Ground of your Hopes; but in a diligent Ufe of Gofpelmeans, commit your way to the Lord, truft alfo in him, and he will bring it to pass. I think you cannot fo far misunderstand me, as to fuppose I am exhorting you to depend on Chrift for Holiness, in the careless Neglect of good Works. This would be Prefumption and not Faith. No! I am exhorting you to a realizing Impreffion, that your good Works will not fanctify your Heart, your Affections, or Converfation; when you have done all you can, that you must rely wholly upon the Lord Jefus Chrift, and that you may rely confidently upon him, to fulfil the good Pleasure of his Goodnefs in your Soul, and carry you on from Grace to Grace, and from Strength to Strength, till you come to the Measure of the Stature of a perfect Man in Christ Jefus. Thus I have fhewn you negatively in fome Inftances, to what Purpose our good

good works are not neceffary, and in what Refpects they may not be depended upon.

I proceed in the next Place to fhew you affirmatively, in what Refpects they are of Neceffity; and to what Purpofes they must be done, by all thofe who would approve themselves Chriftians indeed.

1. Then good works are neceffary, as being one Defign of our Election, Redemption, and effectual Vocation. They are one End of our Election. God hath chofen us in Chrift, before the Foundat on of the world, that we should be holy and without Blame before him in Love, Eph. i. 4 And it is by a Life of good works, and a Progrets in Holiness, that we are to make it evident to ourselves, that we were chofen unto Salvation, through Sanctification of the Spirit, and Belief of the Truth. And accordingly we are exhorted in this Way, to give Diligence to make our Calling and Election fure.2 Pet. i. 10. Good works are likeways one End and Design of our Redemption in Chrift. He gave bimfelf for us, that he might redeem us from all Iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar People, zealous of good works, Tit. ii. 14. And they who are indeed interested in this Redemption, who inIdeed have believed in God our Saviour, who fincerely truft, in Chrift for needed Supplies, will feel the Power of his Grace quickening their Souls, and exciting in them a zealous Carefulness to maintain good works: And therefore fuch have no Grounds to conclude upon their Intereft in Christ, who live carelefs fenfual Lives, in the Neglect of Duty to God, of Righteoufnefs or Charity to Men, or in a willing Indulgence of any way of Sinning. I may add, good works are also the End of our Vocation. God hath called us unto Holiness, 1 Theff. iv. 7. We are accordingly inftructed, that as he which hath called us is holy, fo we should be holy in all Manner E e

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