lieve that my Sins are forgiven me; or to apply Chrift's Righteoufnefs fo particularly to myfelf, as to believe that I am thereby a juftified Perfon.

Those Perfons whofe Cafe I am now fpeaking to, and likewife a great many others among us, do verily think that this is neceffary to the having true Faith, and that to doubt of it, is the Sin of Unbelief. But now, if upon Examination it proves to be otherwife, then I fuppofe they will be eafily convinced that there was no Ground for their Fears and Perplexities about this Matter; for they may have true Faith, how great soever their Doubts may be of the Forgiveness of their Sins.

Now what I have to fay as to this Point, I fhall reprefent in thefe four following Particulars: First of all, let it be confidered that it cannot be neceffary to the having true Faith, to believe that which God hath no-where revealed. For when we fpeak of Faith in a Theological Senfe, (that is to fay, as it is required of us as a Duty by God) as we do all along in this Difcourfe, it can have no other Object than divine Revelation, and is always commenfurate with that, nor can it extend farther than that goes. So that whatever God hath revealed, that is an Object of our Faith, and we are bound to believe it: Whatever God hath not revealed, that is no Object of our Faith, nor are we concerned in Point of Religion, whether

This now being

ther we believe it, or no. fo, I ask, Where is it declared in the whole Scripture, (which takes in all the Revelations of God to Mankind, and makes up an intire Object of our Faith; I fay, Where is it there declared) that my Sins are forgiven me; or, that Chrift's Righteoufnefs is fo imputed to me, that I shall be faved eternally? And, if these Things be not there declared and revealed, then it is certain, it can be no Part of my Faith, to believe them; nor can it be a finful Unbelief in me, to doubt of them.

But to this it will be faid, Tho' it be not declared in the Scriptures, concerning particular Perfons, and by Name, that their Sins are forgiven them; yet all particular Perfons are commanded to apply the general Promises of Chrift to themfelves, as much as if they had been made to them by Name; and if they do not this, they are guilty of Unbelief. And this is the Cafe of these Perfons I am now speaking of; they do not apply the Promises of Forgiveness of Sins to themselves in particular; they do not lay hold of the Merits of Chrift, fo as to make his Righteousness their Righteousness; and this is Want of Faith in them.

Well, to this I fay, in the fecond Place, Let us at present admit this Notion of Faith, that they contend for; but then, pray see the Confequence. If God hath commanded all Men to apply the Promises of Christ to themselves in particular; and that to do this VOL. III. L

is

is Faith; and not to do it, Unbelief; then it follows for certain, that the worst Men in the World are bound, under Penalty of eternal Damnation, to make fuch an Application to themselves. They are bound, if they would not be condemned amongst the Unbelievers, to believe the Remiffion of Sins; that is, the Remiffion of their own Sins in particular. They are bound to believe, that Chrift's Righteousness is as much imputed to them, as if they were righteous themselves; I say, they are bound to do all this, because every Man is bound to have true Faith in Jefus Christ: And, if this be true Faith in Jefus Chrift, then, whenever they can bring up themselves to fuch a Pitch of Confidence, as to be able thus to do, they are as true Believers, and as much in the Number of the Faithful, as those that live the moft holy and pure Lives; how careless, and diffolute, and vicious foever their Lives and Conversation be. this is fo intolerable a Confequence, that I believe no fober Man will own it; and therefore we may from hence form an undeniable Argument, that Faith in Chrift, and Application of his Promifes to ourselves, are two quite different Things.

But

But, Thirdly, to come home to the Point, let it be farther confider'd, notwithstanding all this Talk of laying hold on Chrift's Righteoufnefs, and applying his Merits to ourfelves in particular; fo as to believe that we are righteous thro' his Righteoufnefs; and

that,

that, thro' the Merits of his Sufferings, all our Sins are actually forgiven; I fay, let it be confidered, that these Things are so far from being a neceffary Ingredient in the true Faith, that it doth not appear, from the Scriptures, that they are fo much as required of us as a Duty at all, or that the not doing of them fhall be imputed to us as a Sin.

The Reason why I fay fo, is this: All the Scripture-Promises of Forgiveness of Sin, and of eternal Life, thro' the Blood of Jefus Chrift, are made unto Mankind under a Condition that they perform the Terms of the New Covenant which was then fealed by that Blood, between God and Man; which Terms; as we have faid, are Faith, and Repentance. No Man therefore can, or ought, to apply thefe Promises to himself, that is, fo as to think he hath a Right or Title to them, any farther than he can fatisfy himself he hath performed those Conditions: Nay, it would be an unwarrantable, finful Prefumption in him, if he should offer it.

But now, if it be every Man's Duty; nay, or any Man's Duty, thus to apply the Promifes to himself, and a Sin in him if he did not, then it must be fuppofed likewise that it was his Duty to believe that he hath performed the Conditions. But now, I defire any Man to shew me any Text of Scripture, where God hath commanded, that we fhould believe that we have performed the Conditions of the new Covenant, or declared it to

be a Sin in us, if we cannot thus believe. Thus far God hath commanded us to believe; namely, that Jefus Chrift is the Son of God, and the Saviour of the World; and that whofoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting Life: but he hath no-where commanded us to believe, that we are true Believers; and, confequently, that we shall not perish, but have everlasting Life. The Scripture requires us to believe, that all true Penitents fhall have Remiffion of their Sins, thro' the Blood of Chrift: But it no-where requires us to believe, that we are true Penitents, and that we fhall have Remiffion of Sins. Laftly; The Scripture hath told us, That if our Faith be fincere, it shall be imputed to us for Righteousness, as Abraham's Faith was but this is a quite different Thing from laying hold of Chrift's Righteousness, and applying it to ourselves, and then calling it Faith so to do. Since now no Man is obliged, by the Law of God, to believe, or to be affured, that he hath Faith or Repentance, or hath performed the Conditions of the Gofpel-Covenant, (as it is certain, no Man is, and, indeed, in many Cafes, as Things ftand with Men, it is a Matter really impoffible they fhould be thus affured) it undeniably follows, that neither is any Man bound to make fuch an Application of the Promises of the Gospel to himself, as this Notion of Faith (that I am now fpeaking of) fuppofeth; and, if such an Application be not his

Duty