Discourses on various important subjects, nearly concerning the great affair of the soul's eternal…

4 This is the main Thing that fallen Men stood in Need of divine Revelation for, to teach us how we that have sinned, may come to be again accepted of God; or which is the same Thing, How the Sinner may be justified Something beyond the Light of Nature is necessary to Salvation, chiefly on this Account. Mere natural Reason afforded no Means by which we could come to the Knowledge of this, it depending on the sovereign Pleasure of the Being that we had offended by Sin. This seems to be the great Drift of that Revelation that God has given, & of all those Mysteries it reveals, all those great Doctrines that are peculiarly Doctrines of Revelation, and above the Light of Nature. It seems to have been very much on this Account that it was requisite that the Doctrine of the Trinity it self should be revealed to us; that by a Discovery of the Concern of the several divine Persons, in the great Affair of our Salvation, we might the better understand and see how all our Dependence in this Affair is on God, and our Sufficiency all in him, and not in our selves; that he is all in all in this Business, agreeable to that in 1 Cor. 1. 29, 30, 31. That no Flesh should glory in his Presence: But of him, are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God, is made unto us, Wisdom. & Righteousness, and Sanctification, and Redemption. That according as it is written, he that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. What is the Gospel, but only the glad Tidings of a new Way of Acceptance with God, unto ⟨p. 127⟩Life, a Way wherein Sinners may come to be free from the Guilt of Sin, and obtain a Title to eternal Life? And if when this Way is revealed, it is rejected, and another of Man's devising, be put in the Room of it, without Doubt, it must […] an Error of great Importance, and the Apostle might […] say it was another Gospel.

4 This is the main Thing that fallen Men stood in Need of divine Revelation for, to teach us how we that have sinn'd, may come to be again accepted of God; or which is the same Thing, How the Sinner may be justified Something beyond the Light of Nature is necessary to Salvation, chiefly on this Account. Meer natural Reason afforded no Means by which we could come to the Knowledge of this, it depending on the sovereign Pleasure of the Being that we had offended by Sin. This seems to be the great Drift of that Revelation that God has given, & of all those Mysteries it reveals, all those great Doctrines that are peculiarly Doctrines of Revelation, and above the Light of Nature. It seems to have been very much on this Account that it was requisite that the Doctrine of the Trinity it self should be revealed to us; that by a Discovery of the Concern of the several divine Persons, in the great Affair of our Salvation, we might the better understand and see how all our Dependence in this Affair is on God, and our Sufficiency all in him, and not in our selves; that he is all in all in this Business, agreable to that in