3. *It were to be wished, that they were better acquainted with this faith, who employ much of their time and pains, in laying another foundation; in grounding religion, on “the eternal _fitness_ of things,” on “the intrinsic _excellence_ of virtue,” and the _beauty_ of actions flowing from it: on the _reasons_, as they term them, of good and evil, and the _relations_ of beings to each other. Either these accounts of the grounds of Christian duty, coincide with the scriptural, or not. If they do, why are well-meaning men perplext, and drawn from the weightier matters of the law, by a cloud of terms, whereby the easiest truths are explained into obscurity. If they are not, then it behoves them to consider, who is the author of this new doctrine: whether he is likely to be _an angel from heaven_, who _preacheth another gospel_ than that of _Christ Jesus_: though, if he were, God, not we, hath pronounced his sentence, _Let him be accursed_.
4. Our gospel, as it knows no other foundation of good works than faith, or of faith than _Christ_, so it clearly informs us, we are not his disciples, while we either deny him to be the author, or his Spirit to be the inspirer and perfecter both of our faith and works. _If any man have not the Spirit of_ Christ, _he is none of his_. He alone can quicken those who are dead unto God, can breathe into them the breath of Christian life, and so prevent, accompany, and follow them with his grace, as to bring their good desires to good effect. And _as many as are thus led, by the Spirit of_ God, _they are the sons of_ God. This is God’s short and plain account of true religion and virtue; and _other foundation can no man lay_.
5. *From what has been said we may, thirdly, learn, That none is truly _led by the Spirit_, unless that _Spirit bear witness with his spirit, that he is a child of_ God: unless he sees the prize and the crown before him, and _rejoices in hope of the glory of_ God: so greatly have they erred, who have taught that in serving God, we ought not to have a view to our own happiness. Nay, but we are often and expresly taught of God, to have respect _unto the recompence of reward_; to balance the toil with the _joy set before us_, these _light afflictions_ with that _exceeding weight of glory_. Yea, we are _aliens to the covenant of promise_, we are _without_ God _in the world_, until God _of his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again, unto a living hope, of the inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away_.
6. But if these things are so, ’tis high time for those persons to deal faithfully with their own souls, who are so far from finding in themselves this joyful assurance, that they fulfil the terms and shall obtain the promises of that covenant, as to quarrel with the covenant itself, and blaspheme the terms of it: to complain, “They are too severe, and that no man ever did, or shall live up to them!” What is this, but to reproach God, as if he were an hard master, requiring of his servants more than he enables them to perform; as if he had mocked the helpless works of his hands, by binding them to impossibilities; by commanding them to overcome, where neither their own strength, nor his grace was sufficient for them?
7. *These blasphemers might almost persuade those, to imagine themselves guiltless, who in the contrary extreme, hope to fulfil the commands of God, without taking any pains at all. Vain hope! that a child of _Adam_ should ever expect, to see the kingdom of _Christ_ and of God, without striving, without _agonizing_ first, _to enter in at the strait gate_! That one who was _conceived and born in sin_, and whose _inward parts are very wickedness_, should once entertain a thought, of being _purified as his_ Lord _is pure_, unless he _tread in his steps_, and _take up his cross daily_; unless he _cut off his right-hand_, and _pluck out the right-eye and cast it from_ him; that he should ever dream of shaking off his old opinions, passions, tempers, of being _sanctified throughout in spirit, soul, and body_, without a constant and continued course of general self-denial!
8. What less than this can we possibly infer from the above cited words of St. _Paul_? Who “living in _infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses_ for _Christ_’s sake, who being full of _signs and wonders and mighty deeds_, who having been _caught up into the third heaven_;” yet reckoned (as a late author strongly expresses it) that all his virtues would be unsecure, and even his salvation in danger, without this constant self-denial. _So run I_, says he, _not as uncertainly, so fight I, not as one that beateth the air_. By which he plainly teaches us, That he who does not thus run, who does not thus deny himself daily, does _run uncertainly_, and fighteth to as little purpose as he that _beateth the air_.