Wherefore Secondly, being thus disappointed by the severity §. 33 and inexorableness of the Law, men generally betake themselves to some other way, that may satisfy them as to those considerations, which took them off from their former hopes; and this for the most part, is, by fixing themselves upon some ways of Atonement to satisfy God, and helping out the rest with hopes of Mercy. Not to insist on the ways of Atonement and expiation which the Gentiles had pitched on, nor on the many ways and inventions by works satisfactory of their own, supererogations of others, indulgences, and Purgatory in the close, that the Papists have found out for this End and purpose, it is I say, proper to all convinced persons, as above, to seek for a Righteousness, partly by an endeavour to satisfy for what is past, and partly by hoping after General Mercy. This the Apostle calls a seeking for it, as it were by the works of the Law; Rom. 9. 32. lnot directly, but as it were by the works of the Law; making up one thing with another. And he tells us what Issue they have in this business, Chap. 10. 3. Being ignorant of the Righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own Righteousness, they were not subject to the Righteousness of God. They were by it Enemies to the Righteousness of God. The ground of this going about to establish their own Righteousness, was, that they were ignorant of the righteousness of God; had they known the Righteousness of God, and what exact conformity to his will he requireth, they had never undertaken such a fruitless business, as to have compassed it, as it were by the works of the Law: yet this many will stick on a long time. Something they do, something they hope for; some old faults they will buy of with new obedience. And this pacifies their Consciences for a season; but when the Spirit comes to convince them of Righteousness, neither will this hold; wherefore,
Wherefore Secondly, being thus disappointed by the severity §. 33 and inexorablenesse of the Law, men generally betake themselves to some other way, that may satisfy them as to those considerations, which took them off from their former hopes; and this for the most part, is, by fixing themselves upon some wayes of Attonement to satisfy God, and helping out the rest with hopes of Mercy. Not to insist on the ways of Attonement and expiation which the Gentiles had pitched on, nor on the many wayes and inventions by works satisfactory of their own, supererogations of others, indulgences, and Purgatory in the close, that the Papists have found out for this End and purpose, it is I say, proper to all convinced persons, as above, to seek for a Righteousnesse, partly by an endeavour to satisfy for what is past, and partly by hoping after Generall Mercy. This the Apostle calls a seeking for it, as it were by the works of the Law; Rom. 9. 32. lnot directly, but as it were by the works of the Law; making up one thing with another. And he tells us what Issue they have in this businesse, Chap. 10. 3. Being ignorant of the Righteousnesse of God, and seeking to establish their own Righteousnesse, they were not subject to the Righteousnesse of God. They were by it Enemies to the Righteousnesse of God. The ground of this going about to establish their own Righteousnesse, was, that they were ignorant of the righteousnesse of God; had they known the Righteousnesse of God, and what exact conformity to his will he requireth, they had never undertaken such a fruitlesse businesse, as to have compassed it, as it were by the works of the Law: yet this many will stick on a long time. Something they doe, something they hope for; some old faults they will buy of with new obedience. And this pacifies their Consciences for a season; but when the Spirit comes to convince them of Righteousnesse, neither will this hold; wherefore,
- l[Greek or Hebrew].〈non-Latin alphabet〉.
