A brief discourse of justification. Wherein this doctrine is plainly laid down according to…

2. For help to break this confidence, I shall only offer these two Directions:

1. Labour and pray hard for a right discovery of the Law of God, and he frequent in the comparing of your selves by it. The most of men have entertained carnal conceptions about the Law, and that occasions their taking up of confiding thoughts in themselves: they have not made a discovery of the exceeding great latitude of it, and that makes them to think it an easy matter to pay all observance to it: and when men are thus persuaded, they can live very well satisfied in themselves: whereas a clear beam of this light darted into their Consciences, would be a Thunderbolt to them, and strike them down dead: what faith Paul? Rom. 7 9. I was alive without the Law once: but when the Commandment came, sin revived, and I died. It killed his Pride, and Self-conceitedness. The right understanding, and impartial application of the Law of God to our selves, will bring us to take up other kinds of thoughts about our selves, and about our duties, then formerly we were wont to have: it will make known ⟨p. 144⟩unto us the great imperfection that there is in our best, that when we have done all we are unprofitable; and the sin that cleaves to them; yea and it will convince us of our personal impotency to the doing of that which is good; it will show in the wanderings of our hearts, the deadness of our affections, the many stains and spots that are upon our clearest performances; his light rightly used will show us all, and enforce us to confess the utter impossibility of our standing a Trial before the all-seeing Judge under this shelter; because we shall have the clearest evidence, that if the Law be that according to which we must be tried, it will certainly Cast and Condemn us.

1. Labour and pray hard for a right discovery of the Law of God, and he frequent in the comparing of your selves by it. The most of men have entertained carnal conceptions about the Law, and that occasions their taking up of confiding thoughts in themselves: they have not made a discovery of the exceeding great latitude of it, and that makes them to think it an easie matter to pay all observance to it: and when men are thus perswaded, they can live very well satisfied in themselves: whereas a clear beam of this light darted into their Consciences, would be a Thunderbolt to them, and strike them down dead: what faith Paul?