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the works of it. We are wedded to this way of gaining God's favour. The apostle says, there is a marri age union between us and the law, and it, like an husband, has dominion over us as long as it liveth; so that we cannot be married to Christ until that be dead wherein we are held. You may see this in the Jews. How does Moses labour to bring them off from an opinion of their own righteousness? And a greater than Moses has done the same in his discourses against the scribes and Pharisees; yea, the apostles of our Lord were forced to write and preach against this leaning to the law, it gave such disturbance to the true disciples of Christ. And notwithstanding the scripture arguments against it, yet we have great numbers among us, who seek for a justifying righteousness by the works of the law. And they are put upon seeking this,

Secondly, from their ignorance of the law. They are not acquainted with its nature; for it demands what they cannot pay. It insists upon an obedience, spiritual, perfect, and uninterrupted for the least offence, if but in thought, it comes with its fearful sentence, Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things, that are written in the book of the law to do them. On him who does not continue in all things, and not one man ever did, this sentence takes place, and if he was to live a thousand years he could not do any thing to repeal it. The law will always be to him the ministration of condemnation, and the ministration of death, and this is all it can do for him. It provides no remedy, and gives him no hope, but leaves him condemned to the first and to the second death; and yet such is the blindness of the sinner, that he will be still leaning to the law, and afraid to trust wholly to the righteousness of Christ; and this arises,

Thirdly, From his ignorance of Christ's righteousness, which is infinitely perfect, and wants no works of the law to be joined with it in the justifying of a sinner because it is the righteousness of God wrought out by the God-man for his people, and it is the righte

ousness of faith, they receive it by faith without works; so that it is directly opposite to the righteousness of a legal spirit. Hence we have many among us great pro fessors too, who are ignorant of God's righteousness; they have not been entirely brought off from a legal bottom, and therefore they talk of being justified without a justifying righteousness, which if God was to do, he would be unrighteous, and which as he has declared he will not do, their fancied justification leaves them still in their sins. They dare not put their whole trust and confidence in the righteousness of Christ imputed unto sinners, and made theirs by faith. They have many fears about imputed righteousness, although the apostle has not scrupled to mention it eleven times in one chapter, Rom. iv. and these fears make them read the scripture with such prejudice, that they say they cannot find the expression, faith in the righteousness of Christ, in all the Bible. They may find the sense of the expression in Moses, and in all the prophets, and the very words in 2 Pet. i. 1. Simon Peter a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ to them who have obtained like precious faith with us, in the Greek is EIS, in the righteousness of God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Here is faith in the righteousness of Christ, with several glorious titles to recommend it, namely, it is the righteousness of God, of God our Saviour, of Jesus Christ. From whence can men's opposition to this way of justification arise, but from their not being convinced by the Spirit of God of the necessity of Christ's righteousness? It is his peculiar office to convince of this truth. No teaching but his can do it. O that he may do it in the hearts of those, who out of a zeal for God, though not according to knowledge, eclipse the glory of the Lord, and rob afflicted consciences of their comfort by opposing imputed righteousness! It is a righteousness of so high and heavenly a nature, wrought out by another, and so wonderful a Person, is bestowed as a free gift upon the chief of sinners, whereby alone they obtain remission of their sins,

and are made partakers of the kingdom of heaven, and they receive it by faith only without works, which a legal spirit always wants to mix with it, that no one could ever believe in it unless it were given him from above. May it be given to those professors who cannot yet submit to the righteousness of Christ to see their want of it, and with the heart to believe in it unto salvation.

Reader, hast thou not found what an enemy this le gal spirit is to thy peace and joy, and how it is always inclining thee to some self-righteousness, through thy ignorance of the righteousness of the law, and of the righteousness of faith? And wouldst thou gladly be delivered from it? Know then that nothing can subdue it, but the bringing into thy conscience a better hope from a better righteousness than that of the law, and when thou art enabled to plead it there against all the charges of sin and Satan, then thou wilt stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made thee free. His is a better righteousness, it is infinitely perfect and everlasting, even the righteousness of God; by faith in this righteousness thou shalt be saved from the law, and shalt receive remission of sins, through it the Father doth accept thee and give thee the Spirit of his Son to lead and comfort and sanctify thee, he doth love thee and bless thee, as his dear child, making all things work together under him for thy good, and keeping thee by his mighty power through faith unto salvation; so that in and on account of this righteousness thou shalt be saved from all the evils of sin, and receive all spiritual blessings in earth and heaven. And this thou shalt have freely, without any merit, or work of the law: for the righteousness comes wholly by grace, and is for thee a sinner as such, and is to justify thee from the condemnation of the law, to turn its curses into blessings, and its threatened punishments into happiness. And this it can do for thee perfectly and everlastingly, so that being found in this righteousness, there is no grace promised in time, or glory in eternity, but it shall be thine. Lord God promises them to thee in the fullest and

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freest manner, to thee, without any exception or limitation, being a sinner and ungodly, though one of the vilest and basest, yet to thee, as such, is the word of this salvation sent. And it will be all thine in the comfortable enjoyment of it, through believing. Thou art to bring nothing to recommend thee, but that thou art a sensible sinner, and thy right and title to a finished salvation is clear from the warrant of God's word, when thou believest with thy heart in the righteousness of Christ. The divine command is, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ: the promise is, whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, shall receive remission of sins, shall be justified from all things, shall have everlasting life. Why then dost thou lean to works, since salvation is by faith? Why dost thou disquiet thyself about attaining the righteousness of the law, and thereby suffer the law to disturb the peace of thy conscience, since thou hast a far better righteousness, which ought to reign there, even the righteousness which is of God by faith? For thou art a believer, and although a weak one, yet thou hast as good a title to Christ and his righteousness as the strongest believer in the world: because thy right comes from the free grant of the word of grace, and is apprehended by faith, by which all things are become thine. Thou art an heir of them all by faith in Christ Jesus. O, thou of little faith, why then dost thou doubt? Remember, how highly thou dishonourest the infinite love and free salvation of Jesus, and how much thou robbest thy own soul of its peace and of its growth in grace by thy weak and little faith. Think upon these things, and intreat the Author and Finisher of the faith to strengthen it in thy soul.

But perhaps thou wilt say, How shall I so live upon Christ with my weak faith that it may grow stronger, and I may get the better of my legal spirit? Here is the remedy; may it be to thee effectual! The scripture directs thee to look at Christ God-man as thy surety, who for thee has wrought out a finished salvation, and whatever he has promised in his word relating to this salvation, thou

art to trust him for the making of it good, and to depend upon his faithfulness and power to make it good to thee. Whatever therefore he has done and suffered to save thee from the curse of the law, and from the spirit of bondage, and to make thee free with the liberty of the children of God, thou art to live upon him for these blessings, and by faith to be always receiving them from him in the fullest and largest measure, that he promises them to thee. Look not into thyself then for any qualification, but look unto Jesus; that thou mayest experience more of that liberty wherewith he hath made thee free, and mayest be no longer a babe unskilful in the word of righteousness. Hear what he says, If the Son shall make you free ye shall be free indeed, free from the

law of sin and death, free from condemnation at the bar of God, and being freed from the bondage of corrup tion, ye shall be brought into the glorious liberty of the children of God, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. This is the freedom which God promises thee: it is very extensive, has many noble privileges, and vast blessings. By faith all is thine. See how perfectly believers have received all, and may thy faith be like theirs. Rom. viii. 15, &c. "Ye have not received the "spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received "the spirit of adoption, whereby we pray, Abba, Fa"ther. The Spirit itself beareth witness to our spirits, "that we are the children of God, and if children then "heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ." Ob serve what is here said of the believing Romans, and by faith thou shalt experience the same, as perfectly as they did.

1. They were freed from the spirit of bondage, under which they once had laboured:

2. They were so freed as to be under it no more; they were not to fear again, as heretofore: for,

3. They had received the Spirit of adoption, and he gave them the evidence of their sonship. Upon which, 4. They believed God was their reconciled Father,

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