and leave fuch hot antichriftian Work to SERM. that Church that deals in fuch things; for, VI. we read that Michael, tho' an ArchAngel, when contending with the Devil, brought not against him fo much as a railing Accufation; but faid, the Lord rebuke thee. Let us of all things beware of false Zeal, for that makes People Perfecutors even against their Nature; as is plain from the People of thofe Countries, where the Inquifition reigns, who are obferv'd to fhew as much Compaffion as any People in the World for a Malefactor, who is to suffer for Murder, Robbery, &c. And yet when they fee a poor innocent Perfon, dragg'd from a horrid Dungeon with trembling Limbs, and a meagre Countenance, and faftned to a Stake in the midst of a devouring Flame, for no other Crime than for not having the fame Understanding with them, they fhew all the Tokens of Joy and Pleasure imaginable. Good God! that ever People fhould come to fuch a height of Wickedness, as to look up to thee, whom they offend every Day of their Lives, and beg thy Mercy and Forgiveness,

and

SERM. and yet at the fame time delight in torturVI. ing their innocent Brethren! Where is

the Reason, the Equity, the Juftice of all this Enthufiaftic Rage and Fury? If this be Christianity give us fome better Scheme, or turn us back to the lefs injurious State of Heathenifm!

In a Word, and to conclude. Tho' we all differ from one another in fome respect or other, yet let us not imitate thofe whofe Principles and Practices we condemn, by dealing about the unchristian Firebrands of Malice and Hatred, but shew that we are Chriftians, by extending our Love to all the World according to our Saviour's Command and Example. Then if our Faith, which is a dead Principle of itself, be thus enliven'd with Charity; then, I fay, however we may be reproach'd, cenfur'd, condemn'd as Hereticks, by those who know no other Gofpel, but an idle Jargon of School-Terms, yet we shall be found to be true Members of the Christian Church here, and of the Church triumphant in Heaven.

SER

SERMON VII.

ROMANS iii. 31.

Do we then make void the Law thro' Faith? God forbid; yea, we eftablish the Law.

T

HE Defign of this Epiftle SERM.
to the Romans being to con- VII.
firm them in their Pro-
feffion of Christianity, and

to preserve them from being feduced by
the Judaizers, who ftifly adher'd to the
Law of Mofes, the Apostle, in the forego-
ing Chapters, gives them to understand,
that God is the God of the Gentiles as
well as of the Jews; that, as to the Me-
thod of obtaining Salvation, the Case is
the fame with the one, as it is with the
other; for that the Righteoufnefs accepted
of God unto Salvation must be by Faith

VII.

SERM. in Jefus Chrift, both of the Jew and Gentile: And tho' indeed he is far from acquitting the Gentiles, for he blames them very much for their wicked Lives, and fays, that they ftand in need of Juftification by Faith for tranfgreffing the Law of Nature; yet to take down the Pride of the Jew, he fhews as plainly, that the Jews could not be justify'd neither, any otherwife than by Faith, because they were Tranfgreffors of the Law of Mofes : So that in this respect they were upon the fame Footing; and as to their Acceptance with God, there was no Difference between the few and the Gentile; neither of them being able to attain Juftification by their own Performances. The Apostle goes on, to the great Mortification of the Jew, who placed his Merit in outward Performances, to fhew the Infufficiency of fuch Things; telling them that it was the Purity of the Heart, which was only acceptable with God. For he is not a Jew, or at least such a one to whom the Promises belong, who is one outwardly, nor is that Circumcifion, which is out

ward

ward in the Flesh, but he is a Jew, whoSERM. is one inwardly, and Circumcifion is that VII, of the Heart, in the Spirit, and not in the Letter, whofe Praise is not of Men, but of God. And if the few should reply, as St. Paul puts the Question» What Advantage then hath the Jew, or what Profit is there of Circumcifion? Why, as the Apostle obferves, much every Way; chiefly, because they were entrusted with the Oracles of God; but as to their Acceptance with God, they had no Advantage at all; for both Jew and Gentile are concluded under Sin. And then he proceeds to fhew, that the Jews had no reason to boast upon Account of the Law, fince after all they were not to be justify'd by it; for that God will justify Jew and Gentile the fame Way, viz. by Faith. And in the Words of the Text he obviates an Objection, which he knew was natural enough for the Jews to urge from the foregoing Doctrine; as if Juftification by Faith would make void the Law, which he denies with the greatest Abhorrence; fhewing that it is fo far from making void

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