the Holy Ghost in converting sinners unto God, and in building them up in holiness and comfort, by the faith and power of them; which also we vowed to the Lord to preach to all that will hear us, as long as we live, in the day when we gave up ourselves to serve God with our spirit in the gospel of his Son: if either this silence, or the swallowing down of Arminian schemes of the gospel, contrary to the New Testament, and unknown to the reformed churches, in their greatest purity, be the only terms of peace with our brethren; we must then maintain our peace with God, and our own consciences, in the defence of plain gospel-truth, and our harmony with the reformed churches; and in the comfort of these bear their enmity. And though it be usual with them to vilify and contemn such as differ from them, for their fewness, weakness, and want of learning; yet they might know, that the most learned and godly in the Christian world, have maintained and defended the same doctrine we stand for, for some ages. The grace of God will never want, for it can, and will furnish, defenders of it. England hath been blessed with a Bradwardine, an archbishop of Canterbury, against the Pelagians; a Twisse and Ames, against the Arminians. And though they that contend with us, would separate their cause altogether from that of these two pests of the church of Christ, I mean Pelagius and Arminius; yet judicious observers cannot but already perceive a coincidency; and do fear more, when either the force of argument shall drive them out of their lurking-holes, or when they shall think fit to discover their secret sentiments, which yet we but guess at. Then, as we shall know better what they would be at; so it is very like, that they will then find enemies in many whom they have seduced by their craft, and do yet seem to be in their camp; and will meet with opposers, both at home and abroad, that they think not of.

Our doctrine of the justification of a sinner by the free grace of God in Jesus Christ, however it be misrepresented and reflected upon, is yet undeniably recommended by four things.

1. It is a doctrine savoury and precious unto all serious godly persons. Dr Ames's observation holds good as to all VOL. I.

the Arminian divinity, that it is contra communem sensum fidelium; "against the common sense of believers." And though this be an argument of little weight with them that value more the judgment of the scribes, and the wise, and disputers of this world, 1 Cor. i. 18, 19, 20, 21. than of all the godly; yet the Spirit of God by John gives us this same argument, 1 John iv. 5, 6. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God, heareth us; he that is not of God, heareth not us. Hereby know we the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. How evident is it, that several who, by education, or an unsound ministry, having had their natural enmity against the grace of God strengthened, when the Lord by his Spirit hath broke in upon their hearts, and hath raised a serious soulexercise about their salvation; their turning to God in Christ, and their turning from Arminianism, have begun together? And some of the greatest champions for the grace of God have been persons thus dealt with; as we might instance. And as it is thus with men at their conversion; so is it found afterward, that still as it is well with them in their inner man, so doth the doctrine of grace still appear more precious and savoury. On the other part, all the ungodly and unrenewed have a dislike and disrelish of this doctrine; and are all for the doctrine of doing, and love to hear it; and, in their sorry exercise, are still for doing their own business in salvation; though they be nothing, and can do nothing, but sin, and destroy themselves.

2. It is that doctrine only by which a convinced sinner can be dealt with effectually. When a man is awakened, and brought to that, that all must be brought to, or to worse, What shall I do to be saved? Acts xvi. 30, 31. we have the apostolic answer to it, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. This answer is so old, that with many it seems out of date. But it is still, and will ever be fresh, and new, and savoury, and the only resolution of this grand case of conscience, as long as conscience and the world lasts. No wit or art of man will ever find a crack or flaw in it, or devise another or a better answer; nor can any but this alone heal rightly the wound of an awakened conscience. Let us set this man to seek resolution in this case

of some masters in our Israel. According to their principles, they must say to him, "Repent, and mourn for your known' "sins, and leave them and lothe them; and God will have "mercy on you." "Alas! (saith the poor man), my heart is "hard, and I cannot repent aright; yea, I find my heart more "hard and vile than when I was secure in sin." If you speak to this man of qualifications for Christ, he knows nothing of them; if of sincere obedience, his answer is native and ready, "Obedience is the work of a living man, and sincerity is only " in a renewed soul." Sincere obedience is therefore as im→ possible to a dead unrenewed sinner, as perfect obedience is. Why should not the right answer be given, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved? Tell him what Christ is, what he hath done and suffered to obtain eternal redemption for sinners, and that according to the will of God and his Father. Give him a plain downright narrative of the gospelsalvation wrought out by the Son of God; tell him the his→ tory and mystery of the gospel plainly. It may be the Holy Ghost will work faith thereby, as he did in those first-fruits of the Gentiles, Acts x. 44. If he ask, What warrant he hath to believe on Jesus Christ? tell him, that he hath utter indispensible necessity for it; for without believing on him, he must perish eternally; that he hath God's gracious offer of Christ and all his redemption; with a promise, that upon accepting the offer by faith, Christ and salvation with him is his that he hath God's express commandment, 1 John iii. 23. to believe on Christ's name; and that he should make conscience of obeying it, as well as any command in the moral law. Tell him of Christ's ability and good-will to save; that no man was ever rejected by him, that cast himself upon him; that desperate cases are the glorious triumphs of his art of saving. Tell him, that there is no midst between faith and unbelief; that there is no excuse for neglecting the one, and continuing in the other; that believing on the Lord Jesus for salvation, is more pleasing to God, than all obedience to his law; and that unbelief is the most provoking to God, and the most damning to man, of all sins. Against the greatness of his sins, the curse of the law, and the severity of God as Judge, there is no relief to be held forth to him, but the free and

boundless grace of God in the merit of Christ's satisfaction by the sacrifice of himself. If he should say, What is it to believe on Jesus Christ: As to this, I find no such question in the word but that all did some way understand the notion of it; the Jews that did not believe on him, John vi. 28, 29, 30.; the chief priests and Pharisees, John vii. 48.; the blind man, John ix. 35. When Christ asked him, Believest thou on the Son of God? he answered, Who is he, Lord, that I may believe on him? Immediately, when Christ had told him, ver. 37. he saith not, What is it to believe on him? but, Lord, I believe; and worshipped him: and so both professed and acted faith in him. So the father of the lunatic, Mark ix. 23, 24.; the eunuch, Acts viii. 37. They all, both Christ's enemies and his disciples, knew that faith in him was a believing, that the man Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God, the Messiah, and Saviour of the world, so as to receive, and look for salvation in his name, Acts iv. 12. This was the common report, published by Christ, and his apostles and disciples; and known by all that heard it. If he yet ask, What he is to believe? you tell him, that he is not called to believe, that he is in Christ, and that his sins are pardoned, and he a justified man; but that he is to believe God's record concerning Christ, 1 John v. 10, 11, 12.; and this record is, that God giveth (that is, offereth) to us eternal life in his Son Jesus Christ; and that all that with the heart believe this report, and rest their souls on these glad tidings, shall be saved, Rom. x. 9, 10, 11. And thus he is to believe, that he may be justified, Gal. ii. 16. If he still say, That this believing is hard, this is a good doubt, but easily resolved. It bespeaks a man deeply humbled. Any body may see his own impotence to obey the law of God fully; but few find the difficulty of believing. For his resolution, ask him, What it is he finds makes believing difficult to him? Is it unwillingness to be justified and saved? Is it unwillingness to be so saved by Jesus Christ, to the praise of God's grace in him, and to the voiding of all boasting in himself? This he will surely deny. Is it a distrust of the truth of the gospel-record? This he dare not own. Is it a doubt of Christ's ability, or good-will to save? This is to contradict the testimony of God in the gospel. Is it because he doubts

of an interest in Christ and his redemption? You tell him, that believing on Christ makes up the interest in him. If he say, That he cannot believe on Jesus Christ, because of the difficulty of the acting this faith; and that a divine power is needful to draw it forth, which he finds not; you tell him, that believing in Jesus Christ is no work, but a resting on Jesus Christ; and that this pretence is as unreasonable, as that if a man wearied with a journey, and who is not able to go one. step further, should argue, " I am so tired, that I am not able to "lie down ;" when indeed he can neither stand nor go. The poor wearied sinner can never believe on Jesus Christ, till he finds he can do nothing for himself; and in his first believing doth always apply himself to Christ for salvation, as a man hopeless and helpless in himself. And by such reasonings with him from the gospel, the Lord will (as he hath often done) convey faith, and joy and peace by believing.

3. This doctrine of free justification by faith alone, hath this advantage, That it suits all men's spirits and frame in their serious approaches to God in worship. Men may think and talk boldly of inherent righteousness, and of its worth and va lue; of good works, and frames, and dispositions: but when men present themselves before the Lord, and have any discoveries of his glory, all things in themselves will disappear, and be looked upon as nothing. Zophar, though the hottest speaker of Job's friends, did yet speak rightly to him, Job xi. 4, 5. For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes. But, O that God would speak! And so Job found it, when God displayed his glory to him, and that only in the works of creation and providence, chap. xxxviii, xxxix. He then changed his note, Job xl. 4, 5. and xlii. 2,-6. So was it with Isaiah, chap. vi. 5. till pardoning grace was imparted to him. No man can stand before this holy Lord God, with any peace and comfort, unless he have God himself to stay upon. His grace and mercy in Jesus Christ, can only preserve a man from being consumed; and the faith of it from being confounded. Hence we see the difference betwixt mens frame in their disputes and doctrine about these points, and their own sense and pleadings with God in prayer.

4. This doctrine of justification by faith without any mix