[2.] The second thing that we are to humble ourselves unto in the law of grace is, a firm persuasion, exerting itself effectually in all our obedience, that there is not a righteousness to be obtained before God by the performance of any duties or obedience of ours whatever. That this lies in the law of the grace of God, the apostle disputes at large, Rom. iv. 13-15, " If," saith he, "righteousness be by the law," — that is, by our obedience to God according to the law, — " then faith and the promise serve to no purpose;" there is an inconsistency between the law of grace (that is, of faith and the promise) and the obtaining of a righteousness before God by our obedience. So Gal. ii. 21, " If righteousness were by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." " You would walk with God according to his mind ; you would please him in Jesus Christ. What do you do? You strive to perform the duties required at your hand, that on their account you may be accepted as righteous with God. I tell you," saith the apostle, "if this be the state of things, ' Christ is dead in vain : ' if this be a righteousness
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before God to be obtained by any thing you can do, the gospel is to no purpose."
And this, also, is the proud heart of man to humble himself to, if he will walk with God ; — he must obey, he must perform dutieSj he must be holy, he must abstain from every sin ; and that, all, under a quick, living, energetical persuasion, that by these things a righ- teousness before God is not to be obtained. This is to influence all your duties, to steer you in your whole course of obedience, and to accompany you in every act of it. How few are influenced with this persuasion in their walking with God ! Do not most men proceed on other practical principles? Is not their great reserve for their appearance before God hewed out of their own obedience? God knows they walk not with him.
[8.] In the midst of all our obedience which is our own, we must believe and accept of a righteousness which is not our own, nor at all wrought or procured by us ; of which we have no assurance that there is any such thing, but by the faith we have in the promise of God : and thereupon, renouncing all that is in or of ourselves, we must merely and solely rest on that for righteousness and acceptance with God. This the apostle affirms his heart to be humbled unto, Phil, iii. 7-9, the place before mentioned. He reckons up all his own duties, — is encompassed with them, — sees them lying in great abun- dance on every hand ; every one of them offering its assistance, perhaps painting its face, and crying that it is "gain;" but saith the apostle, " ' You are all loss and dung;' I look for another righteousness than any you can give me."
Man sees and knows his own duty, his own righteousness and walk- ing with God ; he seeth what it costs and stands him in ; he knows what pains he hath taken about it; what waiting, fasting, labouring, praying it hath cost him ; how he hath cut himself short of his na- tural desires, and mortified his flesh in abstinence from sin. These are the things of a man, wrought in him, performed by him ; and the spirit of a man knows them; and they will promise fair to the heart of a man that hath been sincere in them, for any end and purpose that he shall use them. But now, for the righteousness of Christ, — that is without him ; he seeth it not, experiences it not ; the spirit that is within him knows nothing of it ; he hath no acquaintance with it, but merely as it is revealed and proposed in the promises, wherein yet it is nowhere said to him, in particular, that it is his, and was provided for him, but only that it is so, to and for believers. Now, for a man to cast away that which he hath seen, for that which he hath not seen ; to refuse that which promises to give him a fair enter- tainment and supportment in the presence of God, and which he is sure is his own, and cannot be taken from him, for that which he
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must venture on upon the word of promise, against ten thousand doubts, and fears, and temptations that it belongs not to him ; — this requires humbling of the soul before God; and this the heart of a man is not easily brought unto. Every man must make a venture for his future state and condition. The question only is, upon what he shall venture it? Our own obedience is at hand, and promises fairly to give assistance and help : for a man, therefore, wholly to cast it aside upon the naked promise of God to receive him in Christ, is a thing that the heart of man must be humbled unto. There is no- thing in a man that will not dispute against this captivity of itself: innumerable proud reasonings and imaginations are set up against it; and when the mind and discursive, notional part of the soul is overpowered with the truth, yet the practical principle of the will and the affections will exceedingly tumultuate against it. But this is the law of God's grace, which must be submitted unto, if we will walk with him ; — the most holy, wise, and zealous, who have yielded the most constant obedience unto God, — whose good works and godly conversation have shone as lights in the world,— must cast down all these crowns at the foot of Jesus, renounce all for him, and the righ- teousness that he hath wrought out for us. All must be sold for the pearl ; — all parted with for Christ. In the strictest course of exactest obedience in us, we are to look for a righteousness wholly without us. [4.] We must humble ourselves to place our obedience on a new foot of account, and yet to pursue it with no less diligence than if it stood upon the old. Eph. ii. 8-10, " By grace are ye saved through faith ; and that not of yourselves : it is the gift of God : not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." " If not of works, then what need of works any more ? The first end appointed to our obedience was, that we might be saved. This end, it seems, is taken away: our works and duties are excluded from any efficiency in compassing of that end ; for if it be of works, ' then grace is no more grace/ Gal. ii. 21. Then let us lay all works and obedience aside, and sin, that grace may abound." That many did, that many do, make this use of the grace of God, is most evident; so turning it into lasciviousness. " But," saith the apostle, " there is more to be said about works than so. Their legal end is changed, and the old foundation they stood upon is taken away. But there is a new constitution making them necessary, — a new obligation, requiring them no less exactly of us than the former did, before it was disannulled." So Eph. ii. 10, " ' We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works/ God saving us by grace, hath, on that account, appointed that we should walk in obedience. There is this difference : — before, I was