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he applies unto the elect, effectually, all saving graces purchased to them in the covenant of redemption, and maketh a change in their persons. In particular, 1. He doth convert or regenerate them, by giving spiritual life to them, in opening their understandings, renewing their wills, affections, and faculties, for giving spiritual obedience to his commands. 2. He gives them saving faith, by making them, in the sense of deserved condemnation, to give their consent heartily to the covenant of grace, and to embrace Jesus Christ unfeignedly. 3. He gives them repentance, by making them, with godly sorrow, in the hatred of sin, and love of righteousness, turn from all iniquity to the service of God. And, 4. He sanctifies them, by making them go on and persevere in faith and spiritual obedience to the law of God, manifested by fruitfulness in all duties, and doing good works, as God offereth occasion.

II. Together with this inward change of their persons, God changes also their state: for, so soon as they are brought by faith into the covenant of grace, 1. He justifies them, by imputing unto them that perfect obedience which Christ gave to the law, and the satisfaction also which upon the cross Christ gave unto justice in their name. 2. He reconciles them, and makes them friends to God, who were before enemies to God. 3. He adopts them, that they shall be no more children of Satan, but children of God, enriched with all spiritual privileges of his sons. And, lást of all, after their warfare in this life is ended, he perfects the holiness and blessedness, first of their souls at their death, and then both of their souls and their bodies, being joyfully joined together again in the resurrection, at the day of his glorious coming to judgment, when all the wicked shall be sent away to hell, with Satan, whom they have served: but Christ's own chosen and redeemed ones, true believers, students of holiness, shall remain with himself for ever, in the state of glorification.

THE

PRACTICAL USE OF SAVING KNOWLEDGE,

Contained in Scripture, and holden forth briefly in the fore suid Confession of Faith and Catechisms.

HE chief general use of Christian doctrine is, to con it fan

vince a man of sin, and of righteousness, and of judg ment, John xvi. 8. partly by the law or covenant of works, that he may be humbled and become penitent; and partly by the gospel or covenant of grace, that he may become an unfeigned believer in Jesus Christ, and be strengthened in his faith upon solid grounds and warrants, and give evidence of the truth of his faith by good fruits, and so be saved.

The sum of the covenant of works, or of the law, is this: "If thou do all that is commanded, and not fail in any "point, thou shalt be saved: but if thou fail, thou shalt die." Rom. x. 5. Gal. iii. 10, 12.

The sum of the gospel, or covenant of grace and reconciliation, is this: "If thou flee from deserved wrath to the "true Redeemer Jesus Christ, (who is able to save to the "uttermost all that come to God through him,) thou shalt "not perish, but have eternal life." Rom. x. 8, 9, 11.

For convincing a man of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment by the law, or covenant of works, let these scriptures, among many more, be made use of.

I. For convincing a man of sin by the law, consider Jer. xvii. 9, 10.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

Here the Lord teacheth these two things:

1. That the fountain of all our miscarriage, and actual sinning against God, is in the heart, which comprehendeth the mind, will, affections, and all the powers of the soul, as they are corrupted and defiled with original sin; the mind being not only ignorant and incapable of saving truth, but also full of error and enmity against God; and the will and affections being obstinately disobedient unto all God's directions, and

bent toward that only which is evil: "The heart (saith he) "is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked;' yea, and unsearchably wicked, so that no man can know it s and Gen. vi. 5. "Every imagination of the thoughts of "man's heart is only evil continually," saith the Lord, whose testimony we must trust in this and all other matters; and experience also may teach us, that, till God make us deny ourselves, we never look to God in any thing, but fleshly self-interest alone doth rule us, and move all the wheels of our actions.

2. That the Lord bringeth our original sin, or wicked inclination, with all the actual fruits thereof, unto reckoning before his judgment-seat; "For he searcheth the heart, and "trieth the reins, to give every man according to his ways, "and according to the fruit of his doings."

Hence let every man reason thus:

"What God and my guilty conscience beareth witness of, "I am convinced that it is true :

“But God and my guilty conscience beareth witness, that แ my heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; and that all the imaginations of my heart, by nature, are only evil continually:

"Therefore I am convinced that this is true."

Thus a man may be convinced of sin by the law.

II. For convincing a man of righteousness by the law, consider Gal. iii. 10.

As many as are of the works of the law are under the curse : for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

Here the apostle teacheth us three things:

1. That, by reason of our natural sinfulness, the impossibility of any man's being justified by the works of the law is so certain, that whosever do seek justification by the works of the law, are liable to the curse of God for breaking of the law; "For as many as are of the works of the law are un"der the curse," saith he.

2. That, unto the perfect fulfilling of the law, the keeping of one or two of the precepts, or doing of some, or of all duties (if it were possible) for a time, is not sufficient; for the

law requireth, that "a man continue in all things which are "written in the book of the law to do them."

3. That, because no man can come up to this perfection, every man by nature is under the curse; for the law saith, "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them."

Now, to be under the curse, comprehendeth all the displeasure of God, with the danger of the breaking forth more and more of his wrath upon soul and body, both in this life, and after death perpetually, if grace do not prevent the full execution thereof.

Hence let every man reason thus:

"Whosoever, according to the covenant of works, is lia"ble to the curse of God for breaking the law, times and 26 ways out of number, cannot be justified, or find righteous66 ness by the works of the law;

"But I, (may every man say,) according to the covenant "of works, am liable to the curse of God, for breaking the ❝law times and ways without number:

"Therefore I cannot be justified, or have righteousness, by the works of the law."

Thus may a man be convinced of righteousness, that it is not to be had by his own works, or by the law.

III. For convincing a man of judgment by the law, consider 2 Thess. i. 7.

THE Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, Ver. 8. In flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Ver. 9. Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; Ver, 10. When he shall come to be glori fied in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe.

Wherein we are taught, that our Lord Jesus, who now offers to be Mediator for them who believe in him, shall, at the last day, come armed with flaming fire, to judge, condemn, and destroy all them who have not believed God, have not received the offer of grace made in the gospel, nor obeyed the doctrine thereof; but remain in their natural state, under the law or covenant of works,

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"What the righteous Judge hath forewarned me shall be done at the last day, I am sure is just judgment:

"But the righteous Judge hath forewarned me, that if I "do not believe God in time, and obey not the doctrine of "the gospel, I shall be secluded from his presence and his "glory at the last day, and be tormented in soul and body

for ever:

"Therefore I am convinced that this is a just judgment: "And I have reason to thank God heartily, who hath a forewarned me to flee from the wrath which is to come.

Thus every man may be, by the law or covenant of works, convinced of judgment, if he shall continue under the covenant of works, or shall not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

IV. For convincing a man of sin, righteousness, and judg ment, by the gospel.

As for convincing a man of sin, and righteousness, and judgment, by the gospel, or covenant of grace, he must understand three things: 1. That not believing in Jesus Christ, or refusing of the covenant of grace, offered in him, is a greater and more dangerous sin than all other sins against the law; because the hearers of the gospel, not believing in Christ, do reject God's mercy in Christ, the only way of freedom from sin and wrath, and will not yield to be reconciled to God. 2. Next, He must understand, that perfect remission of sin, and true righteousness, is to be had only by faith in Jesus; because God requireth no other conditions but faith; and testifies from heaven, that he is well pleased to justify sinners upon this condition. 3. He must understand, that upon righteousness received by faith, judgment shall follow, on the one hand, to the destroying of the works of the devil in the believer, and to the perfecting of the work of sanctification in him, with power: and that, upon refusing to take righteousness by faith in Jesus Christ, judgment shall follow, on the other hand, to the condemnation of the misbeliever, and destroying of him with Satan and his servants for

ever.

For this end, let these passages of scripture, among many others, serve to make the greatness of the sin of not be

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