All these Qualities concurring and eminently fhining forth in the Covenant of Grace, tender'd to us in the Gospel, make it a Gift fovereignly Perfect, perfect even as He Himself, the great Donor, is Perfect.

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Especially, if we confider God's infinite Condefcenfion in the favourable Terms propos'd to us in this Word of Reconciliation in which, contrary to the extreme Rigour of the Old Law, the Voice of which was, Do this and live, fail in the leaft Tittle and dye, he is accounted Juft in the Eyes of God, not whofe Righteousness is manifeft, but whose Sin is cover'd. He whofe uniform and ferious and confcientious, tho' not abfolute and unerring and finless Obedience, is for the fake of that perfect Righteoufnefs of Chrift approv'd by God, who knowing our Frame, and pitying our Weaknefs, is graciously pleas'd to accept of hearty Endeavours instead of exact Performances, Repentance instead of Innocence, and Sin-. cerity instead of Perfection. And yet further, Thefe Endeavours, and This Repentance, and This Sincerity he does not only accept of Us, but give to Us. For it had not been fufficient to have contriv'd fo wonderful a Method of Salvation, and to have communicated to Mankind the Knowledge, and offer'd to him the Advantage of it by Jefus Chrift, unless he had alfo endu'd him

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from above, with a Power to lay hold of it, by enlightning his Understanding, and enflaming his Will, and fo enabling him by Faith to embrace this Covenant, and by Obedience to fulfill the Conditions of it.

And this is another Acceptation of the Word, according to which, by Grace is fignify'd that Divine Principle infus'd into our Souls by God's good Spirit, quickning us, and railing us from the Death of Sin, to the Life of Righteousness, that Participation of the Divine Nature, by which we are made conformable to the Divine Will. For of Our felves, alas! and from Our Own Nature, not only weaken'd but deprav'd, we are not able to conceive one good Thought, much less to bring forth any righteous Work. It is from Grace alone preventing our Wishes, and stirring up our Wills, and working with thofe Wills when firr'd up, that all holy Defires, all good Counfels, and all juft Works do proceed. Not only the Execution of the Hand, and the Contrivance of the Head, but the Preparation of the Heart is from the Lord, Prov. 16.1. The very firft Difpofi tions and Tendencies of our Minds towards God, the very Defire of Grace is from Grace, from his Spirit that worketh in us both to will and to do. So that it is but Juftice upon every good Quality that we poffefs, to infcribe what is here particularly faid to

Faith, This not of our felves, it is the Gift of God; and upon every good Action that we do, that of the fame Apostle elsewhere yet not I, but the Grace of God that is in me. 1 Cor. 15. 10. But this Grace, tho' mighty to inftruct, to help, to invite, to perfwade, yet is not violent to force or compell either the Affent of the Understanding, or the Co-operation of the Will. The Grace of

God like the Wisdom of God (as it is exprefs'd in the Book of Wisdom) acts Fortiter fed Suaviter, Mightily yet Sweetly does She order all things, is Powerful but not Irrefiftible. It requires to be kindly entertain❜d, and obfequiously comply'd with, and by repeated applications to the Throne of Grace diligently and inceffantly to be pray'd for, that it may be continu'd to Us and encreas'd in Us. We muft Ourfelves Co-operate with it, and not think to be wholly Paffive, Unactive, and Unconcern'd in the great Work of our Own Salvation. Because God is Powerful in Working in us and for us, this is fo far from being a Reason why We should be Idle, and, leaving all to his mighty Operation, be utterly careless of Ourselves, that it is very juftly urg'd by St. Paul, as a forcible Motive and ftrong Reafon to the contrary. Work out your Own Salvation with Fear and Trembling, For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do according to his good Plea

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Jure.

Jure. Thus God in the Law commands, Sanctify Tourfelves, for it is I the Lord that Sanctify Tou; as on the other hand we find his Saints praying God to do that, which they know to be their Duty to do themfelves, Wafb me throughly from my Sins and cleanfe me from my Wickedness, is the Prayer of One, tho' 'tis God's Command to All. Wash Tou, make you Clean, and Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye dye, O boufe of Ifrael, is God's Peremptory Command and Affectionate Expoftulation to the fame People, in whose behalf the Prophet as Earneftly prays Turn Thou us, O Good Lord, and so shall we be turned. Which with innumerable Inftances of the like Nature, every where to be met withall in Scripture, what do they teach us but that the fame Work is fometimes apply'd to God and fometimes to Us, to fignifie that as God by his preventing, and following, and affifting, and confirming Grace, is the firft Author and laft Finisher of every Holy Purpose and Righteous Work in Us; fo there is requir'd on Our part a Concurrence of Will and ready Obedience to the Motions and Suggeftions of his Blefsed Spirit, elfe thisGrace(which meeting with an Obfequious Heart would be productive of every good Work to our Endless Salvation) might by perverfenefs and obstinacy be rendred fruitlefs and ineffectual, and at

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laft for Our Unworthinefs be wholly taken from Us, to Our Juft and Endless Condemnation. Hence it is that the Apostle fo earnestly beseeches the Corinthians that they Receive not the Grace of God in Vain, That he is fo follicitous in the Epiftle to the Hebrews, That they look diligently Left any Man fall from the Grace of God, which by a long and contemptuous Refiftance of it, he both supposes to be poffible,and aggravates the horrible guilt and unfpeakable danger of fuch Contempt from the Impoffibility of Repentance. For it is impoffible for those who were once enlighten'd, and have tafted of the heavenly Gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tafted the good Word of God, and the Powers of the World to come; if they shall fall away, to renew them to Repen tance. And if he that defpifed Mofes's Law, dy'd without Mercy, of how much forer Punifb. ment fball he be thought worthy, who hath troden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the Blood of the Covenant wherewith he was fanctified, an unholy thing, and has done defpite to the Spirit of Grace.

But laftly, as Grace if not by us refifted, and defpitefully us'd, is the firft Cause and principal Worker of every Virtuous and holy Action in us, fo it is Grace alfo that not only at prefent accepts, but finally reQ3 wards