Several discourses tending to promote peace & holiness among Christians to which are added,…

2. They place their Confidence therein. Every Man that hath a Conscience, must have something to trust unto: Now what feedeth his Confidence, but the Religion which he hath chosen? There are two things which detain Men from God and Christ: Some false Imaginary Happiness, and some Counterfeit Righteousness, and wherein they please themselves. The False Happiness is as their God, and the Counterfeit Righteousness is as their Christ and Mediator; and so they are secure and senseless; and 'till God open their Eyes, they neither seek after another Righteousness, nor trouble themselves about the way whereby they may attain it. That Men set a false Happiness, is evident; for ever since Man fell from God, he ran to the Creature; Jer. 2. 13. Left the Fountain for the Cistern: And if we can make a shift to patch up a sorry Happiness apart from God, we never care for him, nor will not come at him, Jer. 2. 31. Our Pleasure, our Profit, our Honour, that is our God: And if we can enjoy these things without any rubs, and checks, we look no farther, and will not seek our Happiness in an invisible God, nor wait to enjoy it in an invisible World. But the ⟨p. 134⟩second Error is, That there is something instead of Christ to us, to keep the Conscience quiet. Our Happiness is to satisfy our Desires, our Righteousness to allay our Fears. Now here we run to a […] Religion, or something External, which is diversified according to […]: Pagans to the [Greek or Hebrew], […] 2. 15. Jews, to the Observances of the Law: Christians, to Baptism, outward […], or some strict Form without the Power, under which we shelter our […], and by which we bolster up our Confidence, till God convince us of our […]: And so Christ, and his renewing and reconciling Grace is neglected […]; certainly not cordially accepted, as our Redeemer and Saviour.

2. They place their Confidence therein. Every Man that hath a Conscience, must have something to trust unto: Now what feedeth his Confidence, but the Religion which he hath chosen? There are two things which detain Men from God and Christ: Some false Imaginary Happiness, and some Counterfeit Righteousness, and wherein they please themselves. The False Happiness is as their God, and the Counterfeit Righteousness is as their Christ and Mediator; and so they are secure and sensless; and 'till God open their Eyes, they neither seek after another Righteousness, nor trouble themselves about the way whereby they may attain it. That Men set a false Happiness, is evident; for ever since Man fell from God, he ran to the Creature;