or other which our felves do, though when all comes to all, we know not what that fhould be, but howfoever the pride of our Hearts is fuch, that we are loth to go out of our felves to look for Righteoufnefs, or to be beholden to another for it. And this is the reason that Juftification by Faith in Chrift hath had fo many Adverfaries in the World; Mankind in general being fo much in love with themfelves, and doting upon what themselves do, that they cannot endure to renounce and vilifie their own Obe dience and good Works, fo much as to think that they stand in need of any other Righteoufnefs befides their own; as if their own Righteoufnefs was fo perfect, that God himself could find no fault with it, nors make any Exceptions against it, but must needs acknowledge them to be just and righteous Perfons for it. I cu Zeel

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WHEREAS, alas! there is not the beft Action that ever a mere Mortal did, but if examined by the ftrict Rules of Juftice, it is far from being good, yea fo far, thats God himself may juftly pronounce it evil, and by confequence condemn the Perfon that did it, for doing of it. And therefore I cannot but wonder what it is that any Man doth or can do, for which he can in reafon expect to be juftified before God, our very Righteoufnefs being as the Pro

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phet tells, but as filthy rags, and our moft holy Performances fraught with Sin and Imperfection, sand therefore fo far from juftifying us that we may juftly be condemned for them, but this Mankind doth not love to hear of, the pride of our Hearts being fuch, that by all means we must have fomething in our felves whereof to glory before God himself. But wo be to that Perfon' who hath no bother Righteoufnefs but his own, wherein to appear before the Judge of the whole World. For howfoever fpecious his Actions may feem to Men, they will be adjudged Sins before the eternal God. : 570

HE therefore that would come to Christ, although he muft labour after Righteouf-1 nefs to the utmost of his Power, yet when he hath done all, he muft renounce it and look upon himself as an unprofitable Servant, For Chrift came not to call the righteous, but finners to repentance, Mat. ix. 13. that is, he came not to call fuch Perfons as think they have Righteoufnefs enough of their own to ferve their turns, for fuch Perfons think they have no need of him, and therefore it would be in vain to call: them; but he calls Sinners, that is, fuch as may perhaps be as righteous as the ot ther, but they do not think themselves to be fo, but look upon themselves as undone

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for ever, unless they have fomething elfe to truft to, than their own good Works and Obedience to the Moral Law. Such Perfons therefore Chrift came to call, and if they come to him, they cannot but find Reft and Righteoufnefs in him; and if any of us defire to go after Chrift, fo as to be his Difciples, we must be fure to look upon our felves as Sinners, as deferving nothing but Wrath and Vengeance for whatfoever we have done, we must renounce all our own Righteoufnefs, and be fo far from depending upon it, as to think that we have none to depend upon, for fo really we have not. And when we have laid afide all thoughts of our own Righteoufnefs, as to the matter of our Juftification before God, then, and not till then, fhall we be rightly qualified to embrace anothers, even that Righteousness which is by Faith in Chrift. Thus St. Paul, though he had as much, yea more reason to trust in the Flefh or in himself than others; for himfelf faith, that as touching the righteoufnefs which is of the law, he was blameless. Phil. iii. 6. Yet faith he, what things were gain to me, those I counted lofs for Chrift. Tea doubtless, and I count all things but lofs for the excellency of the knowledge of Chrift Jefus my Lord. For whom I have fuffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung that I

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may win Christ, and be found in bim, not baving mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Chrift, the righteousness which is of God by faith, v. 7, 8, 9. Thus therefore it is that all thofe muft do, who defire to be as St. Paul was, real Difciples of Jefus Chrift, as we muft forsake our Sins, so we muft renounce our Righteoufnefs too. It is true, this is a great and difficult part of Self-denyal, thus to deny our felves all that Pride, Pleafure and Confidence, which we used to take in the thoughts of our own Righteousness and Obedience to the Law of God. But we muft remember that the first thing which our Saviour enjoins thofe that come after him, is to deny themselves. T

THUS I have fhewn what it is in our selves that we must deny, and how it is that we muft deny our felves, if we defire to go af ter Chrift we muft deny our felves the curiofity of fearching too much into the Myfteries of the Gofpel, by the light of our own clouded Reafons, we must deny our Self-conceit, our Self-will, our Selflove, Self-interefts, Self-confidence, and whatfoever proceeds from and terminates in our fenfual and finful felves, fo as to have no delight in nor dependence upon our ; yea, we muft fo deny our felves, as to be quite taken off of our for

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mer felves, and become other Creatures than what before we were. Thus St. Am brofe explains thefe words, faying, Seipfum fibi homo abneget & totus mutetur, Let al Man deny himself to himself, fo as to be wholly changed from what he was. But then you'll fay, what need is there of all this trouble, what reason can be given that a Man muft deny himfelf before he can be a true Chriftian.

To that I answer, it is reafon enought that Chrift hath commanded us to do it, and furely he best knows whom he will accept of as his Difciples, and what is neceffary to be done in order to our being fo. And he hath faid in plain terms, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, implying, that he that doth not deny himself, cannot go after him.

BUT befides that, there is an impoffibi lity in the thing it felf, that any one should be a true Chriftian, or go after Chrift, and not deny himself, as may be eafily percei ved, if we will but confider what true Chriftianity requires of us, and what it is to be a real Chriftian. A true Chriftian we know is one that lives bywFaith, and not by Sight, that looks not at the things which are feony but at those things which are not seen, that believes whatfoever Chrift hath faid, trufteth on whatfoever he hath

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