that Belief: Yet ftill must we Abide by what is Written; and throw all our Faith and Religion upon the Holy Scripture-Revelation. And whoever Deride fuch Credulity: we shall at last find that to be the best grounded Reli gion: When 'tis not, What this man Jays, or what the t'other Magifterially lays down; But what the Lord fays, and How he has Determined; To which we must stand, And by which we must be Doom'd: And therefore should not fuffer our felves to be carried about with every Wind of Doctrine; As this or that proud Wanton Opinionist Dogmatizes or Dictates: Nor let all the World ever Unbinge or Shake us out of that, which we find plainly Fixt and Settled in the Gospel of Truth. No; Even he that was for becoming all things to all men, that he might Gain-fome; yet would not Heal and Accommodate between Chrift and Belial. And however, in Leffer matters, (as to Rites and Ceremonies, and fuch things Indifferent, as ftrike not at the Faith of the Gospel,) we must not be Stiff and Pugnacious: but bear one

a 3

another's

another's Burdens, and Forbear one another in Love: Yet when the Foundations are Undermin'd, on which the Church itself, and all our Hopes and Happiness are built; We cannot think fit then to be feeking the Commendation of Mild and Gentle; For giving up to fuch Supplanters of the Gospel, that which should be Dearer to us all than our Lives. For Easiness here will not Become us; where Faithfulness infinitely Behoves us. No, We must not, for what they call good Humour, Nor out of Compliment to every Pretender, Renounce the Faith of Christ, nor Die in our Sins. For if we lose the Faith; it's doubt we shall Lose fomewhat elfe along with it: and Good Confcience will go after it. Nay, the Apofile tells us, I Tim. 1. 19. This is thrown Overboard, before the other is Shipwreck'd.

And 'twere well, If they that exclaim fo much of others Looie Tenents, bad a little more Humility and Patience, to Examine their own. For they are not ever accounted moft Honeft, that call by the Hard Name first. Nor

are

are the violent Pleaders for Holiness, always found the most Holy Perfons. They do indeed, but the more Awaken Sufpicion; when their own Mouths fo much Extol themselves. But for all their boafted Ingenuity and Probity; -Let them be never fo Righteous and Good; (Inftead of Envying, we wish they were still more fo;) Yet are we not to be Awed by the Learning of one, nor by the Confidence of another, no, nor by the feeming Honefty of a Third; When in the great matters of Salvation, We fee, how Learned men may be in the Dark; And Confident men Jhamefully out; yea and Good men under foul Miftakes. But we are fure, That God's Word can never Mifguide us. And if we come there but Honeftly and Humbly, To learn his Will, and our Duty; IVe may reft af fured, That we shall not Err in any Needful point, to our Undoing. And though we must not expect now to be above all Ignorance and Mifapprehenfions: yet thus fhall we be Secure from all Damning Errors, and Deftroying Delusions. And that is a Satisfaction,

tisfaction, as much as we can hope to attain in this Life: Wherein also we may Acquiefce, as Sufficient for our prefent State and not covet to be wife, above what's written; Nor think to be Righteous Over much; or to be Juftified by a Righteousness, beyond what the Holy Scripture declares Neceffary to our Juftification: i. e. The Righteoufnefs of our Lord Jefus Chrift, apprehended and Applied by our Faith. Which I think, I have reafon to call a Better Righteousness than our Own. And they that do not fee any Reafon or Need that they have to Look after it, and Rely upon it, I am Sorry for them; And (in a way further than themselves feem to defire,) I pray the Lord to have Mercy upon

them.

The

THE

CONTENTS.

A

N Enquiry after the Righteousness that will Juftify us.

The Coherence of this Scripture.

Page 1.

3.

The Concern to be fhew'd for Friends and Neighbours under Damnable Errors.

IO.

II

An Explanation of the Words; fhewing what's meant bere by God's Righteoufnefs: What by our Own Righteousness; Not only Ceremonial, Hypocritical, Legal works; or thofe done by a man's Natural Ability. What is the Non-Submiffion to God's Righ teousness: Shewing the Difficulty of a Natural Man's Accepting Grace; And what Humility here is Needful, to make a Difciple of Chrift. 17 How Dark-fighted even the Wifeft by Nature are, in God's way of Juftifying and Saving Sinners, Ignorant of the Defign of God's Law: Ignorant of its Latitude and Purity: Ignorant of their ill Cafe under it.

19.

22.

26.

28.

Ignorant of the Neceflity of God's Righte

ousness:

And Ignorant of its Excellency.

30.

32.

Establishing our Own Righteousness, is not Working Righteousness.

37.