Fifthly, When your Duty, Grace, and Holiness is lowest, ⟨p. 47⟩then know, that now ye have an opportunity to stand clear from your own Duties, and Workings, as to the matter of your Acceptance, and Justification by faith alone. If I have a friend in my house, that lives in my house with me, whom I would not have privy unto a Work, or a business; I'll take the opportunity to do the Work, when that friend is out of doors: now (say I) he is abroad; if he were at home, he would be prying over my shoulder, and he would have a singer in the business, and he would see it; but now he is abroad, now I will take the time to do it. My brethren, your Duties, Prayer, and Humiliation, they are all friends to your Justification: but when Prayer is out, and Duty is out, and abroad, and out of sight, and not at home; Now take your time to be clear in the matter of nesting upon Christ ad one, and say, Now my Prayer is gone, and Duties gone, and all out of sight, Oh! Lord, now I have an opportunity to rest upon Christ alone: had my Prayer been at home, and Duties at home; they would have been peering, and prying into this Work, but now they are all out of sight, now I will rest upon Christ, and his righteousness alone. This is certain, that this Justification by faith alone, and Free-remission of a poor sinner, 'tis the great fountain and principle of all our Grace and Holiness: and therefore, if you would be more Gracious, and more Holy; I beseech ye in the Name of Christ, study it much, and walk in the sense of it. And what's the reason, that many Professors are no more Holy, and Humble; but waspish, and peevish, and harsh, and of a rugged disposition? but because they have not studied the Gospel more, and Free-remission, and Justification by faith alone, and they have not the sense of this upon then hearts; poor souls, you want the Experience of this: you think (some of you) there is no such way to be Holy, and Gracious, as to have Legal-breakings, to have the Law pressed upon you: but I do here tell you in the Name of the Lord, and I lie not, That Justification by faith alone, and Free-remission, is the principle of all our Obedience, and all our Holiness. And ⟨p. 48⟩when Paul came to this, and the sense of this, Now I live, (says he.) And so wilt thou say, (poor foul) when thou comest to the sense of this Truth; I was dead before, but now I live:
Fifthly, When your Duty, Grace, and Holiness is lowest, ⟨p. 47⟩then know, that now ye have an opportunity to stand clear from your own Duties, and Workings, as to the matter of your Acceptance, and Justification by faith alone. If I have a friend in my house, that lives in my house with me, whom I would not have privy unto a Work, or a business; I'le take the opportunity to do the Work, when that friend is out of doors: now (say I) he is abroad; if he were at home, he would be prying over my shoulder, and he would have a singer in the business, and he would see it; but now he is abroad, now I will take the time to do it. My brethren, your Duties, Prayer, and Humiliation, they are all friends to your Justification: but when Prayer is out, and Duty is out, and abroad, and out of sight, and not at home; Now take your time to be clear in the matter of nesting upon Christ ad one, and say, Now my Prayer is gone, and Duties gone, and all out of sight, Oh! Lord, now I have an opportunity to rest upon Christ alone: had my Prayer been at home, and Duties at home; they would have been peering, and prying into this Work, but now they are all out of sight, now I will rest upon Christ, and his righteousness alone. This is certain, that this Justification by faith alone, and Free-remission of a poor sinner, 'tis the great fountain and principle of all our Grace and Holiness: and therefore, if you would be more Gracious, and more Holy; I beseech ye in the Name of Christ, study it much, and walk in the sence of it. And what's the reason, that many Professors are no more Holy, and Humble; but waspish, and peevish, and harsh, and of a rugged disposition? but because they have not studied the Gospel more, and Free-remission, and Justification by faith alone, and they have not the sence of this upon then hearts; poor souls, you want the Experience of this: you think (some of you) there is no such way to be Holy, and Gracious, as to have Legal-breakings, to have the Law prest upon you: but I do here tell you in the Name of the Lord, and I lie not, That Justification by faith alone, and Free-remission, is the principle of all our Obedience, and all our Holiness. And ⟨p. 48⟩when Paul came to this, and the sence of this, Now I live, (saies he.) And so wilt thou say, (poor foul) when thou comest to the sence of this Truth; I was dead before, but now I live:
