think I have here fix'd upon: St. Paul, who fo ftudiously difcuffes this Point; and to the good Satisfaction of all, but his Natural Man; with whom it fticks fo hard, he cannot fwallow that Doctrine of Faith, upon which the Gospel of our Lord hangs fo much, as even the whole of our Title to the Kingdom of Heaven: Nay, he applauds himself in it, That fuch Camels, will not down with him; As that Jefus is the only Begotten Son of God; And that Believing, we may have Life through his Name. The Righteoufnefs of Works, that he understands well enough: But this Righteoufnefs of Faith, he knows not what to make of; Nor will he ever be perfuaded, to go out of Himself, and Depend upon Another: which he counts fo much Below him; and fuch a Stoop and Condefcention, as he cannot away with.

And of the very fame Temper and Stiffness ftill, even to this day, are multitudes called Chriftians, as well as the Jews, whom the Apoftle here cenfures; They being Ignorant of God's Righteousness, &c.

He fhew'd the mighty Concern that he had for this people, his Country-men, ver. 1. Brethren, my Hearts defire and Prayer to God for Ifrael his, that they might be Savd.. Their Salvation lay very near his Heat: And he was afraid they fhould Mi's 1; by taking the Wrong way; and building

all their Happiness upon fuch a Bottom, as would never bear the Fabrick; but utterly Fail 'em. Nay he feems to make the fad deft Imprecation upon himself, for their fakes. Chap. 9. 3. I could wish that my self were Accurfed from Chrift for my Brethren, my Kinfmen according to the flesh. Why, what was the matter with 'em? And where was the Danger, that fo Threatn'd them? Were they fuch Wicked Livers, as to be notoriously guilty of Scandalous Immorality? No, it should feem the quite contrary; That they were fuch as took care of their Souls; and minded, and followed the Service of God. For, (faith he, ver. next before,) I bear them Record, that they have a Zeal of God. They are for his Worship and Glory: Nay, they Stickle for Obedience to his Law; and with good Intention, and upright Confcience, they defend Probity and Piety. And what then would you have more? Suppofe, they labour under fome Miftakes, and thofe in Fundamental Points of Faith; (as you account 'em ;) Yet why cannot you let them alone; When they be Sober, Honeft, and Religious men; that Seek after God, and have a Zeal for him? Yet this would not Satisfy the Apoftle: No, He could not think it yet Enough: when he knew them so to Err in the Principle; as was enough to fet them qut all the way: And that they oppos'd the Honour

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Honour of God, to the Son of God; and oppos'd the Obfervation of the Law, to the Faith of Chrift.

Whence I fhall take up this Note, by the way, That we ought to be concern'd for our Friends and Neighbours, who lye under Damnable Errors; Though they may be Men of Good Carriage, and commendable Conversation. (However, our great care muft be, To Convince and Reclaim the vicious and ungodly; let them be never fo Orthodox, and Sound in their Opinions: Because the Right Thinking will never bring a Man to Heaven, Without Holy Living: But 'tis moft evident, That Prefumptuous Sinners, and Workers of Iniquity are in the wide way to Ruin; Let them Fancy or Believe what they will:) Yet if a Man of virtuous Manners, go to fet up Pernicious Errors; and plead for a Jewish or a Paganish Doctrine; that reviles and deftroys the Faith of Chrift: Here I am for reading that as an Interrogative; 2 Cor. II. 10. Could ye well bear with him? Or an Irony; It's bravely done, to bear with such a one! When we ought not to hear or fuffer our Holy Faith, and Religion to be fo Slurr'd and Undermin'd. For if the Foundations be Deftroy'd, what can the Righteous do? Pfal. 11. 3. How fhall we Build our felves in our most holy Faith; when the Bottom, on which we fhould lay the Super

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Superfructure, is taken away? Now God's Vineyard is not only wafted by the Boar out of the Wood; and devoured by the Wild Beaft of the Field: Pfal. 80. 13. But the Foxes, even the little Foxes, Spoil the Vines. Cant 2. 15. The Sly Seducers, as well as the Profligate Livers, are Mischievous to the Church, and to the Gospel and Kingdom of our Lord Jefus. Yea the Subtile Foxes may do more Hurt, than the great Ravaging Brutes: Because, (for their pregnant Parts, ready Elocution, and plaufible Carriage,) Lefs Sufpected; and Looking not only Honeft, and well meaning, but good and Praife-worthy. And be it the moft Eminent man upon Earth, Nay, an Angel from Heaven, that preaches another Gofpel; Our Apoftle is fo far from having him Tolerated: that he pronounces him Ac-. curfed. Gal 1. 8. Why, What need fuch Heat and Vehemence? If a man think he can gain the fame End another Way; and obtain Heaven by the practice of his Vertue; as well as you by the exercife of your Faith? Yea he may count to do it more Surely: Because his Virtue is a Reality; and your Faith may prove but a Fancy. Yet this could not content the Apofle: But he is under a mighty Concern, to fet menRight, as to the Faith of Chrift: Though they had a Zeal for God. And fure then he thought this would never ferve the turn,

without that. Nay he knew, by experience in his own cafe, that it would not do. For before his Converfion, he could fay, That he had lived in all Good Confcience before God. Acts 23. 1. Nay, that as touching the Righteousness of the Law, he was Blameless. Phil. 3. 6. No body could object any thing against him, for a Wicked Liver. Why, What then was Lacking yet? And what need of his Converfion? Indeed, according to the opinion of fome, I fee no need of it at all. For he being a Moral upright man, of a Virtuous and Pious Life; he had already all that was Needful to Salvation, in their apprehenfion. Nay, before his Converfion, they may take him to be a Wifer man, and in a Better condition: As having then all the Ingredients of their Religion; Whatever they reckon Neceffary, to make one Happy; Good Confcience, and Probity, a Sober Life, all commendable Behaviour towards men; yea, and a pious Care for the Service of God, according to his Understanding. But afterwards, he is up in the Boughs, and all for Revelations, and Myfteries; and fuch Spiritual Notions, and unintelligible Conceits; as in others, they call Cant, and Gibberish, and Whimfeys. When he talks fo much of [the Wif dom of God in a Myfiery. The Mystery of Christ. And this Mystery, Chrift in you, the Hope of Glory. His being the Exprefs Image

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