ought it not to be a Terror to us, to cut off a Lap of Chrift's Garment, or to clip it fo fhort, as to think that it cannot cover us completely, without fome Rags of our own rotten Righteoufness fewed to it? Again, it is this legal Principle that makes Believers themselves think it cannot be that they are accepted as righteous, perfectly righteous in the Sight of God, through the Righteoufness of Chrift imputed; why, because they want a Feeling of that Righteoufnefs in themfelves, which the legal Heart is ready to make the Foundation of Pardon and Acceptance: But, as Luther faid, We must not feel, but believe, that we are thus righteous; yea, it is this hidden Principle of Self-righteoufness, that will make a Minifter preach Chrift alone for Righteoufness, as if he were as much for exalting Chrift, as any that ever preached; and yet, before ever you know well where you are, you'll find him bringing in fome legal Duty or Qualification, in order to your being jutified, that will spoil all; just like an untoward Milkcow, that will let down a good deal of Milk very well, but then, with an unhappy Kick of her Foot, fhe will tumble it all down to the Ground, when she hath done; Even fo the fincere Milk of the Word of Life, and Juftification through Chrift's Righteoufnefs alone, may be let down abundantly, that you would think the Man as evangelical as Paul himself, or any Body that ever preached the Gofpel: But, behold, of a fudden, the legal Foot gives it a Kick, and fpills all when he hath done, or else the Law fets her Foot among the Midft of the Milk; I mean, mixes fome dirty Righteoufnefs, and Qualification of our own, with the fair and clean Milk of Chrift's Righteoufnefs, fo as the poor exercised Soul fcunners to take a Drink of it. Why, I thought yonder Milk was for me, and yonder Righteoufnefs of Chrift was for me ; but there came in a Qualification, that, before ever I could be juftified, I behoved to do so and fo, and to be fo and fo humbled, and penitent; and fure I am, I want fuch a Qualification, and therefore all is loft to me,

Bu

But, poor Soul, whatever come in this Way, tending to make you look into your felf, and ftand off from Chrift, you may know it is but a Switch of the Law of Works; flight it, and fet it off, if it hinder you from thinking of Chrift as your ALL, and from buying and drinking his Wine and Milk without Money and without Price. 4thly, Carnal Reafin is another Caufe, why People think little of Chrift; for the natural Man receives not the Things of the Spirit of God, they are Foolishness to him. 1 Cor. ii. 14. There is natural Reafon, which is fo much cried up at this Day, when Man goes about to meafure God's Truths, and fpiritual Myfteries, with this fhort Line of humane Reafon; and finding, that Reafon agrees with these Myfteries, no more than the Sound of Ram-Horns, in the View of carnal Sense, was like to bring down the Walls of Jericho; Behold, no Fault muft be found with Lady Reafon, but Chrift's Gofpel, and the Mysteries thereof, muft bear the Blame, namely, That they are foolish and abfurd; and therefore not to be received or cfteemed by fuch wife Heads as they are, who little remember the Apoftle's Admonition, 1 Cor. iii. 18. If any Man will be wife, let him become a Fool, that he may be wife. Hence Luther gave it as an infallible Mark that the Gofpel was not truly preached, and was not the Gofpel indeed, namely, If it was fo brewed, fitted, and adapted unto Reason, that all approved of it, and yielded to it peaceably; for how then fhould Chrift be a Sign that fhould be fpoken against, Luke ii. 34. and a Stone of Stumbling, and Rock of Offence? This leads me to a 5th Caufe why People think fo little of Chrift, namely, The Calumny caft upon the Gospel of Christ, and the Difpenfers of it. Is it poffible for the Wisdom of the World to hold her Peace from fpeaking against that which the judges to be Foolishnefs? How then fhall Chrift be not only for the Rifing, but the Falling of many in Ifrael? Mark, fays Luther, where this Fall is, even in Ifrael, in that People that feemed to be Christ's only People, and upon Chrift's Side.

K 2

It

It is even in Ifrael that many fall, and in Ifrael that Chrift is fpoken against. Thus, when he came to be a Minister of the old and ancient Truths of God, to confirm the Promises made unto the Fathers, Rom. xv. 8. when he began to preach the fame, the greateft Part of the Multitude cried out, What new Doctrine is this? Mark i. 27. Whence we may fee, that when a Church hath gone off from any ancient Truth, or old Way of expreffing it, no fooner are these old Truths revived, or fet in their ancient Frame, than presently it is called a new Scheme of Doctrine: However, by this Means, Satan gets much of his Will; for it tends to make People think little of Chrift, and his Gospel. 6thly, Divifion is another Caufe, why People think fo little of Chrift. There is a twofold Divifion that Imean; there is not only an outward Church-divifion, but an inward Heart-divifion. No Doubt the former hath a great Hand in making many to flight Chrift; for, when a Church is divided, the Generality of People are apt to be ftumbled: Why, fay they, we know not whom to believe, and what Side to turn to; every Party says they are for Chrift, and therefore the indifferent Sort of People think we will even let Chrift and them both alone. especially inward Heart-divifion that I mean: the Heart is divided betwixt Chrift and the World, betwixt Chrift and Idols or Lufts: The World, and Lufts thereof, will be fure to carry away the Heart, that it cannot think highly of Christ, while it thinks fo much of other Things. A Man may as foon, with one Eye, obferve the Stars, and with the other, measure the Earth at the fame Time, as he can think highly of Chrift, and of his Idols too: Therefore, when Satan, like the pretended Mother, fays, Let it be neither thine nor mine, but divide it; God, who is the Lord of the Heart, fays, Let the Devil rather have all; for God will either have all, or none. Now, when Men have any approved Idol in the Heart, Chrift is defpifed, his Rival gets all; the divided Heart, then is a Heart feparate, and joined to Idols; and this Divi

But it is

When

fion caufes Difesteem of Chrift, fo as the Man cannot think of Chrift, he muft, of Neceffity, think of fome other Thing, Luke xiv. 18. See how they that were invited to the great Supper, the Gospel-banquet, put it off with Excufes, I have bought a Piece of Ground, and I must needs go and fee it, fays one: Mark the Phrafe, I mußt need go; he pleads Neceflity, and Neceffity hath no Law. When the Heart is not wholly for Chrift, of Neceffity it will be for the World, and the Lufts thereof: And he that is not for Chrift, Satan I will find him ay enough of Business to take up his Thoughts, and which the Man will reckon fo neceffary, that he will have no Leifure to think of Christ. Now, when this Question is propofed, What think of Chrift? or when Chrift is offered, there are two Sorts of Perfons that fhew very little Efteem of him; yea, that fhew they do nothing but defpife him in their Heart: The Apoftle compares them to Dogs and Swine, 2 Pet. ii, 22.1. There are fome like Swine, namely, The profane worldly People; for as Swine think more of the Mire, than any Thing elfe, fo, if one go to drive him away from the Mire, he only gives a Grunt, and away he goes to the Mire again, or elfe rooting his Snout in the Earth: So profane and worldly People love to wallow in the Mire of Sin, and to be rooting and rotting in the Earth; and if any go about to drive thein from Sin, and to pull their Nofes out of the Earth, they go away grunting and grumbling in their Heart, that they cannot be allowed their neceffary Pleafure and Profit; and they return to the Wallowing in the Mire, and rooting in the Earth, as eagerly as ever. All the Anfwer they give to the Question, What think eye of Chrift? is a Grunt; they are difturbed a little about it, and moved a little to mutter fome Words, according, as they are affected; but away they go grunting, with their Mouth towards the Duft; it is not Chrift they are thinking of. 2. There are others like Dogs, namely, Legalifis, and Self jufliciaries, that are worfe Enemies to the Gospel of Chrift, than the World.

Worldling, or openly Profane; for as a Dog thinks more of a stinking Carcafe than any Thing elfe, fo, if you go about to drive the Dog from his Vomit or ftinking Carrion, he will be ready either to bark or bite, or flee in your Face: Even fo Legalifts and Selfjusticiares think more of the ftinking Carcase of their own Righteousness, and legal Duties, than any Thing elfe: And when any goes about to draw them away from the high Efteem of the filthy Rags of their own Righteoufnefs, fhewing the Lothfomnefs and Vilenels thereof, the abfolute Neceffity of being wholly 'denied thereto, and adorned with nothing but Chrift's perfect Righteoufnefs for Juftification before God; if we show them how God juftifies the Ungodly, and how the Righteoufnefs of God, without the Works of the Law, is manifefted in the Gofpel; why, then they go away from the Ordinances, barking and biting, and flandering, calumniating the Gospel, which they do not understand or efteem, as if it were a Doctrine of Licentioufnefs, and an Encouragement of Sin; and they return to their Vomit, their ftinking Carrion, neglecting the heavenly Carcafe, to which the believing Eagles gather together, that they may live by Faith upon the Son of God. Now, both these Sorts of Perfons, however differently affected, yet agree in their flighting of Chrift, upon different Grounds. What do they think of Chrift? Nothing at all: The Lord convince and awaken fuch.

The Third Ufe may be for Examination and Trial. Let this great Question of the Christian Catechifm be a Touchstone, to try what Mettal you are of, and to understand what is your State now, and what will be your Lot for ever: It is, and will be, according as you answer this Question, What think ye of Chrift? For helping you into this Enquiry, I would direct you to try it. 1. By the Quality of your Thoughts. 2. By

the Object thereof.

First, Try your felves upon this Queftion, by the Quality of your Thoughts; for it is not a fimple Thought, like a flying Vapour, that is here intended,

but