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have done all we can, we have done but our duty, and are unprofitable fervants r; and becaufe, as they are good, they proceed from his Spirit/; and, as they are wrought by us, they are defiled and mixed with fo much weakness and imperfection, that they cannot endure the feverity of God's judgment t.

VI. Yet notwithstanding, the perfons of believers being accepted through Chrift, their good works alfo are accepted in him v, not as though they were in this life wholly unblameable

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ye faved, through faith; and that not your felves: it is the gift of God. v. 9. Not of works, left any man should boaft. Tit. iii. 5. Not by works of righteoufnefs, which we have done, but according to his mercy, he faved us by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the holy Ghoft; v. 6. Which he shed on us abundantly, through Jefus Chrift our Saviour. v. 7. That being juftified by his grace, we fhould be made heirs, according to the hope of eternal life. Rom. viii. 18. For I reckon that the sufferings of this prefent time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which fhall be revealed in us. Pfal. xvi. 2. O my foul, thou haft faid unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee. Job xxii. 2. Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wife may be profitable unto himfelf? v. 3. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makeft thy ways perfect? Job xxxv. 7. If thou be righteous, what giveft thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand? v. 8. Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art, and thy righteoufnefs may profit the fon of man.

r Luke xvii. 10. (See letter p in this chapter.)

Gal. v. 22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-fuffering, gentlenefs, good efs, faith, v. 23. Meeknefs, temperance: against fuch there is no law.

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Ifa. lxiv. 6. But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteoufneffes are as filthy rags, and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. Gal. 17. For the flesh lufteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh : and thefe are contrary the one to the other; fo that ye cannot do the things that ye would. Rom. vii. 15. For that which I do, I allow not: for what I would, that do I not, but what I hate, that do I. v. 18. I know, that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is prefent with me, but how to perform that which is good, I find not. Pfalm cxliii. 2. And enter not into judgment with thy fervant : for in thy fight fhall no man living be juftified. Pfalm cxxx. 3. If thou, Lord, fhouldt mark iniquities: Lord, who fhall stand?

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VI, v Eph. i. 6. To the praife of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved. Pet. ii. 5. Ye alfo, as lively ftones, are built up a fpiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up fpiritual facrifices, acceptable to God by Jefus Chrift. Exod. xxviii. 38. And it fhall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Ifrael fhall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it fhall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord, Gen. iv. 4. And Abel, he also brought of the firftlings of his flock,

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able and unreproveable in God's fight w; but that he, looking upon them in his Son, is pleafed to accept and reward that which is fincere, altho' accompanied with many weakneffes and imperfections x.

VII. Works done by unregenerate men, although for the matter of them, they may be things which God commands, and of good ufe both to themselves and others y: yet, because they proceed

and of the fat thereof; and the Lord had refpect unto Abel, and to his offering. With Heb. xi. 4. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent facrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God teftifying of his gifts: and by it, he being dead, yet fpeaketh.

w Job ix. 20. If I juftify my felf, my own mouth fhall condemn me: If I fay, I am perfect, it fhall alfo prove me perverfe. Pfal. cxliii. 2. And enter not into judgment with thy fervant for in thy fight fhall no man living be juftified.

x Heb. xiii. 20. Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jefus, that great Shepherd of the fheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, v. 21. Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleafing in his fight, through Jefus Chrift; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 2 Cor. viii. 12. For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. Heb. vi. 10. For God is not unrighteous, to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have fhewed toward his name, In that ye have miniftred to the faints, and do minifter. Mat. xxv. 21, His lord faid unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful fervant; thou haft been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: en

ter thou into the joy of thy Lord. v. 23. His lord faid unto him, Well done, good and faithful fervant; thou haft been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.

VII. y 2 Kings x. 30. And the Lord faid unto Jehu, Becaufe thou haft done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and haft done unto the houfe of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart, thy children of the fourth generation fhall fit on the throne of Ifrael, v. 31. But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Ifrael, with all his heart, for he departed not from the fins of Jeroboam, which made Ifrael to fin. I Kings xxi. 27, And it came to pafs when Ahab heard thofe words, that he rent his clothes and put fackcloth upon his flesh, and fafted, and lay in fackcloth, and went foftly. v. 29. Seeft thou how Ahab humbleth himfelf before me? because he humbleth himfelf before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his fons days will I bring the evil upon his houfe. Phil. i. 15. Some indeed preach Chrift even of envy and ftrife; and fome alfo of good-will. v. 16. The one preach Chrift of contention, not fincerely, fuppofing to add affliction to my bonds. v. 18. What then? notwith ftanding every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Chrift is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.

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proceed not from an heart purified by faith z; nor are done in a right manner, according to the word a; nor to a right end, the glory of God b; they are therefore finful, and cannot pleafe God, or make a man meet to receive grace from God c. And yet their neglect of them is more finful, and difpleafing unto God d. CHAP.

z Gen. iv. 5. But unto Cain and to his offering he had not refpect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. With Heb. xi. 4. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent facrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witnefs that he was righteous, God teftifying of his gifts, and by it he being dead, yet fpeaketh. Heb. xi. 6. But without faith it is impoffible to please him: for he that cometh to God, muft believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently feek him.

a 1 Cor. xiii. 3. And though I beftow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Ifa. i. 12. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?

b Mat. vi. 2. Therefore, when thou doft thine alms, do not found a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do, in the fynagogues, and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily, I fay unto you, they have their reward. v. 5. And when thou prayeft, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray ftanding in the fynagogues, and in the corners of the streets, that they may be feen of men. Verily I fay unto you, they have their reward. v. 16. Moreover, when ye faft, be not as the hypocrites, of a fad countenance for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to falt. Verily, I fay unto you, they have their reward.

Hag. ii, 14. Then answered Hag

gai, and faid, So is this people, and fo is this nation before me, faith the Lord; and fo is every work of their hands, and that which they offer there is unclean. Tit. i. 15. Unto the pure all things are pure, but unto them that are defiled, and unbelieving is nothing pure, but even their mind and confcience is defiled. Amos v. 21. I hate, I defpife your feast-days, and I will not fmell in your folema affemblies. v. 22. Though you offer me burnt offerings, and your meatofferings, I will not accept them; Reither will I regard the peace-offerings of your fat beafts. Hof. i. 4. And the Lord faid unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the houfe of Jehu, and will caufe to ceafe the kingdom of the houfe of Ifrael. Rom. ix. 16. So then it is of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that fheweth mercy. Tit. ii. 5. Not by works of righte oufnefs, which we have done, but according to his mercy he faved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the holy Ghoft.

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d Pfal. xiv. 4. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat ap my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the Lord. Pfal. xxxvi. 3. The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit; he hath left off to be wife and to do good. Job xxi. 14. Therefore they fay unto God, Depart from us, for we defire not the knowledge of thy ways. v. 15. What is the Almighty, that we fhould ferve him? and what profit fhould we have, if we pray

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CHAP. XVII. Of the Perfeverance of the Saints. HEY whom God hath accepted in his beloved, effectually called and fanctified by his Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the ftate of grace; but fhall certainly perfevere therein to the end, and be eternally faved a.

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II. This perfeverance of the faints depends not upon their own free-will, but upon the immutability of the decree of elec tion, flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father b; upon the efficacy of the merit and interceffion of Jefus Chrift c; the abiding of the Spirit and of the feed of God

unto him. Mat. xxv. 41. Then fhall he fay also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye curfed, into everJafting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. v. 42. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirty, and ye gave me no drink: . 43. I was a ftranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: fick and in prifon, and ye vifited me not. v. 45. Then fhall he anfwer them, faying, Verily, I fay unto you, In as much as ye did it not to one of the least of thefe, ye did it not to me. Mat. xxiii. 23. Wo unto you fcribes and Pharifees, hypocrites; for ye pay tithe of mint, and anife, and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: thefe ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

I. a Phil. i. 6. Being confident of this very thing, that he who hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jefus Chrift. 2 Pet. i. 10. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election fure: for if ye do thefe things, ye shall never fall. John x. 28. And I give unto them eternal life, and they hall never perifh, neither fhall any pluck them out of my hand. v. 29. My Father, who gave them me, is greater than all: and none is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 1 John

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iii. 9. Whofoever is born of God, doth not commit fin; for his feed remaineth in him and he cannot fin, because he is born of God. 1 Pet. i. 5. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto falvation, ready to be revealed in the laft time. v. 9. Receiv ing the end of your faith, even the falvation of your fouls.

II. b 2 Tim. ii. 18. Who concern ing the truth have erred, faying, that the refurrection is paft already; and overthrow the faith of fome. v. 19. Nevertheless, the foundation, of God ftandeth fure, having this feal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Chrift, depart from iniquity. Jer. xxxi. 3. The Lord hath appeared of old unto

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, faying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee.

c. Heb. x. 10. By the which will we are fanctified, through the offering of the body of Jefus Christ once for all. v. 14. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are fanc tified. Heb. xiii. 20. Now rhe God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jefus, that great fhep herd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, v. 21. Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleafing in his fight, through Je

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within them d; and the nature of the covenant of grace e: From all which arifeth alfo the certainty and infallibility thereof f

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fus' Chrift; to whom be glory for eand ever. Amen. Heb. ix. 12. Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. v. 13. For if the blood of bulls, and of goats, and the afhes of an heifer fprinkling the unclean, fanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh; v. 14. How much more hall the blood of Chrift, who, through the eternal Spirit, offered himfelf without fpot to God, purge your confcience from dead works, to ferve the living God? v. 15. And for this cause he is the mediator of the new teftament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the tranfgreffions that were under the firft teftament, they who are called might receive the promife of eternal inheritance. Rom. viii. 33. Who fhall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that juftifieth: v. 34. Who is he that condemneth? It is Chrift that died, yea rather that is rifen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who alfo maketh interceffion for us. V. 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Chrift? fhall tribulation, or diftrefs, or perfecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or fword? v. 36. (As it is written, for thy fake we are killed all the day long; we are counted as fheep for the flaughter.) v. 37. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. v. 38. For I am perfwaded, that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things prefent, nor things to come, v. 39. Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, fhall be able to feparate us from the love of God which is in Chrift Jefus our Lord. John xvii. 1. And now I am no more in the world, but these are

III. Nethee. Ho

in the world, and I come to ly Father, keep through thine own name, thofe whom thou haft given me, that they may be one, as we are. V. 24. Father, I will, that they also whom thou haft given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory which thou haft given me: for thou lovedft me before the foundation of the world. Luke xxii. 32. But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and when thou art converted, ftrengthen thy brethren. Heb. vii. 25. Wherefore he is able alfo to fave them to the uttermoft, that come unto God by him, feeing he ever liveth to make interceflion for them.

d John xiv. 16. And I will pray the Father, and he fhall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; v. 17. Even the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive, because it feeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you. I John ii. 27. But the anointing which ye have received of him, abideth in you: and ye need not that any man teach you: But, as the fame anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie: and even as it hath taught you, ye fhall abide in him. I John iii. 9. Whofoever is born of God, doth not commit fin; for his feed remaineth in him: and he cannot fin, because he is born of God.

e Jer. xxxii. 40. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, That I will not turn away from them to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they fhall not depart from me.

fJohn x. 28. And I give unto them eternal life, and they fhall never pe-. rifh, neither fhall any pluck them out

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