Christian directions, showing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up…Christian directions, shewing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up…

8 Others bottom their hope of Salvation upon their Works of Charity, thinking to purchase Heaven by their good Works, and so wholly exclude Christs merits, which they ground upon that sentence of Absolution pronounced by our Saviour at the Day of Judgement unto his Elect,¹ wherein he giveth Heaven to them who have expressed their charity to his poor members, in feeding, clothing them, and the like; whereas our Saviour instanceth in these Works of Charity, as the fruits of their faith, whereby they did evidence their faith to be a true and lively faith, which manifested its life by those works of charity; so that works of charity in themselves can be no good ground to bottom your salvation upon, but only faith in Jesus Christ, which is ever accompanied with works of charity, if true and sound.

8 Others bottom their hope of Salvation upon their Works of Charity, thinking to purchase Heaven by their good Works, and so wholly exclude Christs merits, which they ground upon that sentence of Absolution pronounced by our Saviour at the Day of Judgement unto his Elect,¹ wherein hee giveth Heaven to them who have expressed their charity to his poor members, in feeding, cloathing them, and the like; whereas our Saviour instanceth in these Works of Charity, as the fruites of their faith, whereby they did evidence their faith to be a true and lively faith, which manifested its life by those works of charity; so that works of charity in themselves can be no good ground to bottom your salvation upon, but only faith in Jesus Christ, which is ever accompanied with works of charity, if true and sound.

1. 1Mat. 25. 34

9 Others bottom their hope of Salvation upon the Mercy of God. They will confess themselves to be poor, wretched, sinful Creatures, but they hope the mercy of God will pardon their sins, and accept their poor services. Thus many make the Mercy of God to eke out their own righteousness, and so both put together they think will be a means of atonement and reconciliation with God, yea and of obtaining eternal life and salvation. But such do wonderfully mistake the proper work of Gods Mercy, which is not to eke out our righteousness, but to show us our unrighteousness and misery, and then to show us Jesus Christ, the perfection of his righteousness, the all-sufficiency of his Sacrifice, with his willingness to receive all poor Sinners that will come unto him, and then to stir up our hearts to receive Jesus Christ as our Priest, Prophet, and King, and to rest upon him for life and for salvation. And thus might I go on, showing you the many false and rotten foundations upon which the greatest part of men do build their hopes of Salvation; whereas in truth Christ is the only true solid foundation, whereon we can safely build the hope of our Salvation.