tended for the purchase of his blood; his church, his spouse; that she might be presented to the king in raiment of needle-work, and have a cloathing of wrought gold. The righteoufneis Jefus performed he imparts, he renders unto man bis righteousness, that he, like Joseph when he stood before Pharaoh, may come with joy and boldness into the prefence of the Lord. This righteouft nefs, wrought out by Chrift, and which is made unto us of God, is by imputation; Paul prayed to obtain this by imputation; David's blessed man who has righteoufnefs without works, has it by imputation; nor does the fcripture know or teach any other way to falvation but by righteousness, and this can only be obtained by imputation. Per. mit me juft to add, and I dismiss the point, that as Jefus Chrift was not, could not, be a finner but by the imputation of fin; none of Adam's pofte rity could be guilty through his offence, but by imputation; fo none of the feed of the fecond Adam can be righteous, but by the imputation of his righteousness; hence faith the apostle,“ he "hath made him to be fin for us, who knew no "fin, that we might be made the righteousness "of God in him." 2 Cor. v. 21.

Precious truth! here is a pardon for the guilty, the condemned malefactor; here is a cordial, a heart-reviving elixir for the fin-fick fainting foul; a balm for the wounded, a release for the prifoner, a discharge for the debtor, and cloathing for the naked.

Are there any amongst you that hear me this day, that live regardless of any righteousness at all? I take it for granted then ye live regardless of heaven also, for the latter can neither be ob

tained,

tained, nor enjoyed without the former; for without holiness no man fhall fee the Lord. What dæmon, what devil hath bewitched you, and blinded your minds! What, fubjects to the king of kings, and live without regard to his laws! Rational creatures, and live as exempt from all obligations of duty to your creator! God will furely vifit for these things and cause the stubborn rebel, and obftinate offender who fcorned to kifs the golden fcepter of his love, to bow down beneath the iron rod of his vindictive justice.

When Adam first finned and fell from God, he faw his nakedness, and fought to patch up a covering; but it seems the God of this world hath fo blinded your minds and hardened your hearts by finning, that you are unconscious of your naked condition, and can glory in your fhame. O ye dry-bones hear the word of the Lord; "because I have called, and ye refufed, I have ftretched out my hand, and no man regarded; I alfo will laugh at your calamity, I will mock s when your fear cometh; when your fear com

eth as defolation, and your deftruction cometh "as a whirlwind; then fhall they call upon me, "but I will not answer, they fhall feek me, but

they fhall not find me; because they hated "knowledge and did not chufe the fear of the "Lord." Prov. i. 24-30. "Beware there"fore, left this come upon you which is writ99 ten. Acts xiii 40.

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But 2dly, Are there fome who fee the need of fome righteousness to recommend you to the divine acceptance? And are ye diligently (but vainly and unprofitably) employed, in procuring robe of recommendation, a righteousness perfect

L 3

and

3.

and compleat as the law that requires it? Permit me to caution you, take heed that your garment be without fpot or wrinkle; one fpot will spoil the whole, and leave you under the curfe. Take heed it be not too fhort, you will be obnoxious to the malediction of the law, not only for doing what it forbids, but alfo for not doing and that in the most perfect manner, all that it commands. Take heed that your garment be lafting and durable, you cannot ftand in the prefence of the righteous God with a ragged thread-bare coat; nothing lefs can be difpenfed with by the pure and perfect law, than a flaming heart, a heart burning with love and unquenchable defire to God and his works. Are you able to produce a righteoufnefs fo perfect, fo compleat every way? No, fee your parents in the garden, attempting to hide their fhame and nakedness in vain ;. be warned by their folly, and lend your ear for inftruction to the Lord. "Wherefore do ye fpend

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money for that which is not bread, and your "labour for that which fatisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me." If. lv. 2. "I have laid help upon one that is mighty, I have exalted one chofen out of the people; in his name "fhall they rejoice all the day, and in his righte"oufnefs fhall they be exalted." Pf. lxxxix. 16,

19.

But 3dly, Do fome of you fee the neceffity of a righteoufnefs, moft perfect and compleat, and are you convinced that you have no fuch righteoufnefs, nor hopes of ever producing fuch. Happy for you poor naked fouls, the Lord God will cloath you, not with the skin of a flain beaft, but with the precious righteousness, the coftly robe pre

pared

pared by our gracious Saviour, on purpose to be a covering for poor naked finners; and of which, the skins that were worn by our common parents, were but a type. This righteoufnefs, will at once cloath and cover you, fheltering you from all the blafts and ftorms of divine indignation, and brichly adorn you, rendering you fit to ftand be-fore the king. This righteousness is a compleat scovering, not like Aaron's veftment, (which might be a faint fhadow of this) reaching only down to the knee; but like the long white garment John faw Jefus wear, Rev. i. 13, reaching down to the feet. This righteousness, is the acceptable wedding garment, found in this, you are a welcome guest. Bear with me whilft I add, this righteousness, is free, for every naked finner; ten thousand worlds cannot purchase it; but true indigence of fpirit obtains it. This with all the

gifts of God are free; free grace, free mercy, free righteoufnefs, a free Chrift, and a free heaven; come then ye poor and purchase, buy without money and without price.

Laftly, ye, who in the language of my text can fay, furely in the Lord have I righteousness and ftrength, what is to be expected from you, how do you find your hearts difpofed towards God? Does this perfuafion make you carelefs and negligent? Does this precious doctrine lead you to diffolute lives and licentious practices ? Totally the reverse; they who imagine this, feem utter ftrangers to the holy, quickening, fin-hating, Godloving nature of fovereign, divine, and efficacious grace. Ye labour not in mortifying your lufts, and self-denied obedience, to deserve the good land, which is freely given you of grace;

but.

but to fubdue the rebel Canaanites that yet remain, that ye may live to God alone, and ferve bim in righteousness and true holiness, all the days of your life. Ye have no reason to conclude, that because Jefus obeyed the law for you, as a covenant, and thereby gives you a title to eternal life; that you are not under the law as creatures, and the highest and strongest obligations to devote your all to your creator; yea, this fuperlative inftance of the divine goodness added to all his former favours to you, must be so far from diminishing your obligations to gratitude and love, that they are infinitely heightened thereby.

To conclude, fince the adorable Jefus, has done fo much for you, think no labours too hard, no toil too great, to undergo with chearfulness, for his fake; prefs forward thro' every difficulty, faint under no difcouragements, shrink beneath no cross, nor start from any trial, let the heartreviving hope, of which you partake, animate your minds and bear up your spirits in the glori ous work. Is your way through the world painful and perplexing? Thanks be to God it is not long; and if your cross be heavy, the crown, the never-fading crown that awaits you, fhall be bright.

SER