Sincerity, at certain Seafons, under fpecial Reformations and Enlargements, what will become of our Hopes, when a contrary Frame prevails? Can we then flatter ourselves with our Sincerity? Muft not our Hopes and Fears keep Pace with our Frames; and our whole Life be a dreadful Fluctuating between both, with Refpect to the infinite eternal Concern before us? And is not this to be called to the Spirit of Bondage again to fear?

What Room can there be upon this Plan for the Spirit of Adoption? How can the Spiritwitnefs with our Spirits, that we are the Children of God? How can we experience the Sealings of the Holy Spirit; or the Earnest of our future Inheritance? How can we have the full Aurance of Hope? or how can we make our Calling and Election fure -We must upon thefe Principles give up all Pretenfions to thefe glorious Comforts, Benefits, and Privileges of the Children of God, while our Hope is built upon this precarious Foundation, and depends upon the doubtful and uncertain Performance of perfevering fincere Obedience.Let us fuppofe the best whieh can be fuppofed, that we should make a comforting and encouraging Progress in a Life of fincere Obedience; yet how do we yet know but Death may seize us in an unguarded Hour, and find us actually playing the Hypocrite? In this Cafe, what will become of

all

our religious Duties, and all our Hopes? And what will become of our Souls to all Eternity?—I must confefs, Sir, I could fee nothing before me but Horror and Defpair, if I had no better Foundation of Confidence and Hope towards God than my own Righteousness.

Every experienced Christian must acknowledge, that the chief Comfort of a religious Life flows from the lively Actings of Love to God in Christ. But

how

how can there be the Comfort of Love, when at the best we are in an awful Sufpence, whether God be our Friend or our Enemy? What Grounds of Horror (inftead of the pleasing Exercise of Love) must we conftantly experience, while we are afraid we have an infinite Enemy to deal with? --What Strangers, in this Cafe, must we be to Joy, which flows from a refreshing View, that this God is our God, and will be our Guide even to Death, and our Portion for ever? How unacquainted must we be with the fublime Pleafures of Communion with God, while we approach his Prefence under such an uncertain Profpect of his Favour, and under Grounds for prevailing Fear of an eternal Separation from him?-And what aggravates the Cafe is, that this not only now is, but must continue to be our dark and difconfolate Circumstance, as long as we live, if we remain under the governing Influence of these Principles I am impleading.

I may add to this, that a chearful Progress in all Gospel-Holiness is neceffary to our true Comfort and Happiness, while we are here in this Vale of Tears. In keeping of God's Commands there is great Reward. This is our Rejoicing, the Teftimony of our Confciences, that in Simplicity and godly Sincerity, not by fleshly Wifdom, but by the Grace of God, we have had our Converfation in the World.-But I have fhewn you already, that this Scheme I am oppofing affords no Principle of new Obedience, allows no Foundation for a comfortable Progress in the divine Life. Here is no Certainty of Forgiveness to be obtained; and therefore no delightful Incentive to the Mortification of our Lufts and Corruptions. Upon this Plan we are in perpetual Danger of the Curfe of the Law, on account of our Defects; and there is therefore no Room for that Pleasure, which would otherways be found in running

running the Way of God's Commands.-Here can be no affured Confidence in the divine Affiftance or Acceptance, no abfolute Affiance in the Riches of God's free Grace in Chrift; and therefore nothing to melt the Heart and Confcience into Love and Subjection; nothing to enflame our Affections and fill us with Gratitude to God for blessing us with all Spiritual Blessings in heavenly Things in Chrift Fefus; nothing to excite us to live to the Praife of the Glory of his Grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved. The Principles of the Scheme you propofe are flavish; and the Obedience must be of the fame Kind with the Principles from whence it flows. And confequently we must be utter Strangers to that Love, Delight, and Satisfaction, which Children might find in the Service of their heavenly Father, fo long as our Obedience is thus excited from Fear and Constraint; or at beft only from fuch uncertain Hopes, as wholly depend upon our own Righteoufnefs, as the Condition of Acceptance with God.-Bleffed be God, the Gofpel teaches us a more pleasant and delight, ful Religion, the Service of Love, and the Obedience of Faith, which is truly its own Reward.

And now, Sir, fuffer me fomething freely to expoftulate with you on this Subject. Do not you know, that the Doctrine which you and your Author plead for, is (fubftantially) the fame with the Popish Doctrine upon the Head of Remission of Sins and Acceptance with God; and that this very Doctrine was one of the greatest Occasions of our glorious Reformation from Popery? Read, Sir, the many elaborate Treatifes written by our first Reformers, and you'll find this Doctrine set in its proper Light. You'll find all your Author's Cavils, Shifts, and Evafions, juftly expofed; all his Arguments diftinctly anfwered; and the dangerous Er

ror

ror ftript of all that plaufible Drefs with which it now again makes its Appearance. You will find that the Doctrine of Juftification was esteemed by all our excellent Reformers, as well as by Luther, Articulus ftantis vel cadentis Ecclefiæ, the Article by which the Church muft either stand or fall.And shall we again build up those things which that glorious Army of Martyrs deftroyed? Shail we again revive Popery in one of its most confiderable Branches?-Is not this to open the Door to other Popish Delufions and practical Errors, as Penances, Pilgrimages, a monaftick Life, Celibacy, and other Austerities, to fupply the Defects of our fincere Obedience, and patch up a Righteoufnefs of our own to justify us? I wish there were not too much Occafion given for this Apprehenfion by fome in the present Times, who would fain be reputed Proteftants.*-You'll perhaps think me too fevere in this Difcourfe, but fearch into the Caufe, as I have done, and you'll find it otherwise.

And why must this Hydra be digged out of its Grave, and revived? What Advantage can be hoped for by this Scheme? Were this Doctrine true, won't fincere Obedience, done from a Prin ciple of fpiritual Life and Holinefs, and a Dependence upon Chrift alone, to do all in us and for us, and to recommend us to the divine Favour, be accepted of God, as well as if it had been done in our own Strength, and with a View to establish our own Righteousness? Will Chrift reject us at last, for doing too much Honour to his infinite Merit, and to the rich and free Grace of God in him?— What if you should find your Reasoning falfe and deceitful, when it comes to the great Trial? Dare you

*See, for Inftance, Mr.

aw's Chritian Perfection, and ferious Lal. Books that would be defervedly esteem'd and priz'd, were it not for this Popin Taint.

you venture your Eternity upon it, that in this Cafe you cannot be deceived?If the Reformation in general, and the most excellent Men for Learning, Sagacity and Piety, that the reformed Churches could ever boast of, fhould be found on the Side of Truth at the Day of Judgment, in determining that we cannot be juftified on the Foot of a moderated Covenant of Works, or the easy Terms you plead for; what will become of all those who have built their eternal Hope on that Foundation; not only notionally, I mean, but practically?

But I have outgone my intended Limits, and fhall therefore only add (after my hearty Prayers that your Hope may be built upon a fure Foundation)I am, with great Refpect,

Sir,

Your, &c.

LETTER XIV. Wherein the No. tion of a first Juftification by Faith, and a fecondary Juftification by fincere Obedience, is difcufs'd and confuted.

SIR,

Yo << with your Author's Meaning, and not fully un

YOU muft conclude I have spent my Time but idly, if I fhould yet be "unacquainted

derstand in what Senfe he fuppofes our fincere "Obedience to be the Condition of our Juftifica"tion."It is fcarcely poffible that he should, with any Appearance of Plaufibility, offer any Thing new in Defence of these Principles, or that has not been often advanced, and often refuted, long before either you or I were born.-And in particular, what you now propofe, is but the old

Popify