An answer to the discourse of Mr. William Sherlock, touching the knowledge of Christ,…

We must believe and obey the Gospel, which is a Principle of divine Life in us; so the Author: But is Christ and his Gospel at odds indeed? If we fetch Life from Christ, may we not believe and obey the Gospel? Or if we believe and obey the Gospel, may we not fetch Life from Christ? What strange inconsistencies are these? The Ephesians trusted in Christ, and yet heard the Gospel of Salvation, Eph. 1.13. they were for the great Purchaser and Fountain of Life, and yet cast not away the Charter; The Jews searched the Scriptures, and yet should have gone to Christ for Life; they thought they had Eternal Life in the Scriptures, and, which was their folly, they thought they had it there in a way separate from Christ; but he told them, that ⟨p. 281⟩the Scriptures, if they had digged deep enough in them, would have testified of him unto them, and so have pointed out unto them the Fountain of Life in Christ, Joh. 5.39, 40. Nay, believing and obeying the Gospel are so far from being inconsistent with fetching Life from Christ, that they cannot be without it; Without Life from Christ, how or which way should a man believe or obey the Gospel? May Nature, lapsed Nature do it? No surely, that, which of it self is not sufficient so much as to raise up an holy thought, or to say, Jesus is the Lord, cannot of it self believe or obey the Gospel: Or may Nature and Doctrine do it? To place all Grace in outward Doctrine is mere Pelagianism: It is a saying of St. Austin, Solet dicere humana superbia, ¹si seissem, fecissem; ideò non feci, quia nescivi: Humane pride is wont to say, had I known, I had done it; asking only a Rule, and presuming upon its own power for performance: But the Scripture tells us of an internal Work, of inward Teachings, Drawings, Quickenings, and New-creatings in the Heart; where these things are, there the Gospel is a Principle of Divine Life in us: There the Gospel comes not in word only, but in ⟨p. 282⟩power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as the Apostle hath it: 1 Thess. 1.5