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ligious towards God, they hoped this would justify and fave them. And hence fuch perfons are apt to complain of God himself, if he take not fuch notice of their religi ous duties as they expect he should. Ifai. lviii. 3. Wherefore bave we fafted, fay they, and thou feeft not!

3. A righteoufnefs confifting in the difcharge of moral duties towards their neighbours and themselves.-Some perfons, though they be not fo ftrict in the observation of the first table of the law, yet are very careful to observe the duties of the fecond table. They carry it dutifully toward their fuperiors, paying to them that outward honour and refpect which is their due: they are merciful and charitable, relieving the poor and needy: they are juft in their dealings, doing wrong to no man they are chafte and modeft in their fpeech and behaviour: they are fober and temperate in the use of God's creatures. Now, because they lead fuch moral lives, they hope, on the account thereof, to be juftified and faved. Such a one, the young man that came to Chrift to know what he might do to inherit eternal life, feems to have been. Mark x. 19, 20. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not fleal, do not bear falfe witness, do not defraud, bonour thy father and mother. And be answered and faid unto him, Mafter, all thefe have I obferved from my youth. Thus for the first thing.

2. This perfonal righteoufnefs, which felf-righteous perfons lay out their labour for, cannot afford life or fatisfaction to their fouls. It is altogether infufficient thereunto. For,

1. It cannot remove the fentence of death from their fouls. All men are guilty of fin; and being fo, they are condemned to die, by the righteous law of God. The wages due to fin is death, temporal and eternal. Rom. vi. 23. The leaft fin brings us under the curfe of the law. Gal. iii. 10. Curfed is every one that continueth not, in all things written in the book of the law, to do them. Now, no perfonal righteousness of any man, can fatisfy the law for his fins, and free him from the curfe thereof. For

the

the beft that men can do, is no more than prefent duty, and fo cannot answer for paft fins. If God then enter into judgment with the best of men, and proceed with them upon their own righteoufnefs, they cannot be juftified in his fight. Pfal. cxliii. 2. If God mark iniquity, none can stand before him. Pfal. cxxx. 3.

2. It cannot entitle their fouls to eternal life. The best righteousness of man's own, cannot give him a juft claim to eternal life. It does not deferve it, is not worthy of it. Suppofing a man could do all that is commanded, he would be but an unprofitable fervant, who has done no more than his duty; and fo could not challenge the reward of everlasting life. Luk. xvii. 10.

Thus for the first Propofition, fhewing that fome there be who lay out their labour on fuch things which cannot afford life and fatisfaction to the foul.

PROP. II. They act moft unreasonably, who do thus lay out their labour for that which cannot afford life and fatisfaction to their fouls.-This may be demonftrated with refpect to the two forts of perfons before mentioned. Wherefore,

[1] Worldly minded perfons act unreasonably, in laying out their labour for the things of this world.-If we lay afide the confideration of the infufficiency of the good things of this world, to conftitute an happiness for the foul; yet there are other confiderations, which fhew the unreasonablenefs of spending our labour for them. Ex. gr.

1. Men are not certain to obtain them, by all their fabour for them. Let men project, contrive, toil and labour as much as they will, to gain this world, yet they have no certainty of gaining it. All their labour may, and oftentimes does, prove in vain. And is it not unreasonable, for men to spend their time and ftrength in the pursuit of uncertain fruitions? He is moft unreafonable, that lays out all his labour for uncertainties, and cannot tell but that it may in the iffue prove loft labour. But,

2. Men cannot hope long to enjoy them, if they do obin them. Suppofe a man gain ever fo much of this

world,

world by his labour, this he may be fure of, that he fhall not enjoy it long. In a little time, he must be parted from it, and that for ever. Death, which is near at hand to every man, will carry him away from all his worldly enjoyments. And is it not moft unreasonable, to lay out our pains for that which is of fuch fhort and uncertain continuance? Where is the wisdom of fpending our days in the pursuit of that, which it may be, as foon as we have gotten it, will be taken from us, or we from that?

3. While men lay out their labour for the world, they neglect better things, which they might obtain, and enjoy for ever. There are fpiritual and eternal good things, for which if men would lay out their labour, they might certainly obtain. Their labour here would not be loft and in vain. But now, men neglect these better things, while they are fo hot and eager in the pursuit of the world. And is it not most unreasonable, to labour for the meat that perifhes, and to neglect that which endureth to eternal life? What is this, but to run after shadows, and forfake fubftance ?

O then, let us take heed of acting thus unreasonably, in fetting our hearts upon this world? left we at the laft fee our folly and mourn, when it is too late. On the other hand, let us be diligent in the purfuit of spiritual and heavenly good things. In thus doing, we fhall fhew ourfelves wife for eternity and unto falvation.

[2.] Self righteous perfons do act most unreajonably, in laying out their labour for a perfonal righteoufness, that may juftify them unto eternal life. To labour after righteoufnefs and true holinefs, is indeed a most reasonable thing. But to labour after them with an eye to be jultified and faved on the account thereof, is moft unreafonable. For,

1. It is impoffible for men, by all their labour, to attain to fuch a righteousness of their own. The Jews of old endeavoured after fuch a righteoufnefs, but they could not obtain it. Rom. ix. 31, 32. But Ifrael which followed after the law of righteousness, or the righteoufnefs of the

law;

law, i. e. of works, hath not attained to the law of righ teousness. Wherefore? because they fought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. It is abfolutely impoffible for a finner, to work out a righteousness of his own, which should juftify him in the fight of the holy God, and obtain for him eternal life. For being a finner, whatever righteoufnefs he may arrive unto, it cannot justify him from his iniquity, anfwer for his fin, and make heaven his right and due. Is it not then moft unreafonable, to lay out our labour for that which is not attainable ? 2. While men labour after a righteousness of their own, they do refufe a better righteousness offered to them, which can justify and fave them, even the righteoufhefs of Jefus Chrift. Self-righteous perfons, that truft to a righte oufness of their own, do reject, the righteoufnefs of Jefus Chrift. This was the cafe of the felf-righteous Jews: Rom. x. 3. For they being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not fubmitted themselves unto the righteousness of God, i. e. that righteoufnefs which God had provided in Jefus Chrift for our juftification. They were conceited of their own righteoufnefs, and would not fubmit to the way of juftification by the righteoufnefs which Jefus Chrift wrought out for men. And is it not most unreasonable, to refufe a righteoufnefs which is every way fufficient, to cover our fins, to fave us from wrath, and to entitle us to eternal life?

O then, let us take heed of trufting to any righteouf nefs of our own, as that which may exempt us from condemnation, and commend us to the favour of God, and purchase for us eternal life. Let us indeed follow after holiness, and labour to be fruitful in every good work yet not truft hereto for pardon and falvation. But let us embrace the righteoufnefs of Jefus Chrift, accept of that for our justifying righteoufnefs, prefent it to God, and in confideration thereof expect reconciliation to him and eternal falvation from him. This way of faith in Chrift as the Lord our righteousness, is the way to everlasting life: and they are wife, that walk therein.

DISC.

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The great duty and benefit of diligently hearkening to CHRIST.

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- Hearken diligently unto me; eat ye that which is good, and let your foul delight itself in fatness.

N the former part of this verfe, our Lord Jefus Chrift blames finners for spending their money for that which is not bread, and their labour for that which fatisfieth not. Sinners might hereupon demand, if that which we lay out money and labour for, be not true bread, nor foul- fatisfying good, what must we do to obtain fuch good? To this question the Lord gives an anfwer, in our text, by way of direction and encouragement.

1. The direction given them, is in those words, Hearken diligently unto me ;-In hearkening, bearken unto me, as the Hebrew phrafe is, which denotes intenfe diligence in hearkening. Many things are herein implied, as may prefently be fhewn.

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