It is with grief I speak these things, and were not the welfare of your souls, and my Redeemer’s honour at stake, I would not now open my mouth, yea I would willingly die (GOD is my judge) for the person who wrote such bitter things against me, so it would be a means of saving his soul. If he had only spoken against me, I would not have answered him; but, on his making my Redeemer a pattern of vice, if I was not to speak, the very stones would cry out; therefore, the honour of my Redeemer, and love to you, constrains me to speak. It is of necessity that I speak, when the divinity of JESUS CHRIST is spoken against, it is the duty of ministers to cry aloud, and spare not. I cannot forbear, come what will; for I know not what kind of divinity we have now among us: we must have a righteousness of our own, and do our best endeavours, and then CHRIST will make up the deficiency; that is, you must be your own Saviour, in part. This is not the doctrine of the gospel; this is not the doctrine of JESUS: no; CHRIST is all in all; JESUS CHRIST must be your whole wisdom; JESUS CHRIST must be your whole righteousness, JESUS CHRIST must be your whole sanctification; or JESUS CHRIST will never be your eternal redemption and sanctification. Inward holiness is looked on, by some, as the effect of enthusiasm and madness; and preachers of the necessity of the new-birth, are esteemed as persons fit for _Bedlam_. Our polite and fashionable doctrine, is, “That there is a fitness in man, and that GOD, seeing you a good creature, bestows upon you his grace.” GOD forbid, my dear brethren, you should thus learn JESUS CHRIST!
This is not the doctrine I preach to you: I say, salvation is the free gift of GOD. It is GOD’s free grace, I preach unto you, not of works, lest any one should boast. JESUS CHRIST justifies the ungodly; JESUS CHRIST passed by, and saw you polluted with your blood, and bid you live. It is not of works, it is of faith: we are not justified for our faith, for faith is the instrument, but by your faith, the active as well as the passive obedience of CHRIST, must be applied to you. JESUS CHRIST hath fulfilled the law, he hath made it honourable; JESUS CHRIST hath made satisfaction to his Father’s justice, full satisfaction; and it is as compleat as it is full, and GOD will not demand it again. JESUS CHRIST is the way; JESUS CHRIST is the truth; and JESUS CHRIST is the life. The righteousness of JESUS CHRIST, my brethren, must be imputed to you, or you can never have any interest in the blood of JESUS; your own works are but as filthy rags, for you are justified before GOD, without any respect to your works past, present, or to come. This doctrine is denyed by the learned rabbi’s; but if they deny these truths of the gospel, they must not be offended, though a child dare speak to a doctor; and, in vindication of the cause of JESUS CHRIST, a child, a boy, by the Spirit of GOD, can speak to the learned clergy of this age.
If I had a voice so great, and could speak so loud, as that the whole world could hear me, I would cry, “Be not righteous over-much,” by bringing your righteousness to CHRIST, and by being righteous in your own eyes. Man must be abased, that GOD may be exalted.