15. This is the argument that the apostle much insisted upon, and for the further enforcing of it, I shall mention but two places more, "Ye are bought," saith he, "with a price, therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's," 1 Cor. vi. 20. "And you that were sometime alienated, and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled, in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy, and unblamable, and unreprovable in his sight." Col. 1. 21. 22.

Some of the consequences of the vulgar doctrine of satisfaction, [are] expressly contrary to these scriptures: "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." Mat. xix. 27. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven," ib. vii. 21. "Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock." v. 24. "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you," John xv. 14. "He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me," John xiv. 21. "If a man love me, he will keep my words," v. 23. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love." John xv. 10. "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them," John xiii. 17. "Yea, rather blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it." Luke xi. 28. "Hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments," 1. John ii. 3. "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments," 1 John v.3. "Every one that doeth righteousness, is born of him, 1 John 2. 29. "Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness, is righteous, even as he is righteous," 1 John iii. 7. "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates, into the city," Rev. xxii. 14. And as keeping of God's commandments is manifestly a condition of the gospel covenant, so also is Faith. "He that believeth on the Son, hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him." John iii. 36. "He that believeth on him, is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God," v. 18. "If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins," John viii. 24. "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart, that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved," Rom. x. 9. "Without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God, must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him," Heb. xi. 6. So that faith is evidently a condition of the new covenant. And as to what [has been said] "that Christ doth justify a person before he doth believe:" it is directly opposite to the Apostle's testimony, "We have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ," Gal. ii. 16. " For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness," Rom. x. 10. "What saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness," Rom. iv. 3. "Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead," v. 23,24. And whereas [it has been also said] "that salvation is not the end of any good work we do;" [this] plainly contradicts the Apostle, who saith of

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Moses, that "he had respect unto the recompense of the reward,' Heb. xi. 26. and of himself, press towards the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus," Phil. iii. 14. Again, saith he, "Know ye not that they which run in a race, run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things: now they do it, to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible," 1 Cor. ix. 24, 25. So that it is apparent, that the new covenant is conditional, and that salvation is the end of our obedience, for Christ Jesus is "the Author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him," Heb. v. 9.

But though the new covenant is conditional, yet we do not understand that repentance, faith, and obedience, are such conditions as give right unto eternal life and salvation, as a reward due in a way of merit, for nothing that we can do can possibly deserve so inestimable a blessing: it being conferred merely of God's free grace and mercy, in and through his Son Christ Jesus, upon our repentance, faith, and obedience: but we understand them to be such necessary qualifications of the subjects of Christ's kingdom, as that without them, no man can enter thereinto; and these not performed in our own strength, but by the power of Christ in us, without whom we can do nothing that is acceptable to God. We do not therefore say, that good works are meritorious of eternal life, as the Papists do; but we say, they are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, who alone works in the faithful to will and to do that which is good; and it is not of man's merit, but of God's infinite mercy that he is pleased to reward them.

W. & S. Graves, Printers, 66 Cheapside, London.

FINIS.