the power and deceitfulness of their corruptions dwelling in them, d with the prevalency of temptation, e fall into great sins and provocations; God hath in the covenant of grace mercifully provided that believers so sinning and failing, be renewed through repentance unto salvation. g

I Kings viii, 46. Eccl. vii, 20. Jam. iii, 2.. d Psal. lxv, 3. and xl, 12. Rom. vii, 21, 23. Jer. xvii, 9. Heb. iii, 13. e Mat. vi, 13. Luke xxii, 31. fII Sam. xi, 27. Luke xxii, 57, 58, 60. g Luke xxii, 32, 61, 62. I John i, 9.

III.

This saving repentance is an evangelical grace, h whereby a person being by the holy Ghost made sensible of the manifold evils of his sin, i doth by faith in Christ humble himself for it, with godly sorrow, detestation of it, and self abhorrency, k praying for pardon and strength of grace, with a purpose and endeaYour by supplies of the Spirit, to walk before God unto all well pleasing in all things. m

Zech. xii, 10. Acts xi, 18. i John xvi, 7, 8, 9. Ezek. xviii. 30, 31, and xxxvi, 31. Psal. li, 4, I John iii, 4. k Zech. xii, 10. Jer. xxxi, 18, 19. Joel ii, 12, 13. Isa. xxx, 22. Amos v, 15. Psal. cxix, 128. Ezek. vi, 9. II Cor. vii, 11. 7 Psal. li, per tot. m Psal. cxix. 6, 9, 106 I Kings xxiii, 25. Col. i, 10.

IV.

As repentance is to be continued through the whole course of our lives, n upon the account of the body of death, and the motions thereof; o so it is every man's duty to repent of his particular known sins particularly.

n Mat. vi, 11, 12. Psal. li, 17.

o Rom. vii,

14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24. Gal. v, 17. p Psal. xix, 13, and xviii, 23, and li, 4. xix, 8. I Tim. i, 13, 15.

V.

Luke

Such is the provision which God hath made through Christ in the covenant of grace, for the preservation of believers unto salvation, g that although there is no sin so small, but it deserves damnation; r yet there is no sin so great that it shall bring damnation on them who tru ly repent; which makes the constant preaching of repentance necessary, t

9 I Pet. i, 5. Rom. vi, 25, and v, 12. Mat. xii, 3.6. s Isa. Iv., 7, Rom. viii, 1. Isa. i. 16, 18. Mark i, 15. Acts xx, 21.

CHAP. XVI.

Of Good Works.

OOD works are only such as God hath

such as without the warrant thereof are devised by men out of blind zeal, or upon any pretence of good intentions. b

a Mic. vi, 8. Rom. xii, 2. Heb. xiii, 21. b Mat. xv, 9. Isa. xxix, 13. Rom. x, 2. Job xvi, 2.1 Sam. xv, 21, 22, 23. I Pet. i, 8.

II.

These good works done in obedience to God's commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith, c and by them believers manifest their thankfulness, d strengthen their assurance, e edify their brethren ƒ adorn the profession of the gospel, g stop the mouths of the adversaries, h and glorify God, i whose workmanship they are created in Christ Jesus thereunto, k that having their fruit unto holiBess they may have the end eternal life. /

c James ii, 18, 22. d Psal. cxvi, 12, 13. I Pet. ii, 9. e I John ii, 3, 5. II Pet. i, 5, 6, 7, ji, 9, 10. ƒII Cor. ix, 2. Mat. v, 16. g Tit. 8, 5, 9, 11, 12. I Tim. vi, 1. hI Pet. ii, 15.

I Pet. ii, 12. Phil. i. 11. John xv, 8. Eph. ii, 10. Rom. vi, 22.

III.

Their ability to do good works is not all of themselves but wholly from the spirit of Christ: m And that they may be enabled thereunto, besides the graces they have already received, there is required an actual influence of the same boly Spirit to work in them to will and to do of his good pleasure; n yet are they not hereupon to grow negligent, as if they were not bound to perform any duty, unless upon a special motion of the Spirit, but they ought to be diligent in stirring up the grace of God that is in

them o

m John xv, 4, 6. Ezek. xxxvi, 26, 27, n Phil. ii, 13, and iv, 13. II Cor. iii, 5. o Phil. ii, 12. Heb. vi, 11, 12. II Pet. i, 3, 5, 10, 11. Isa Ixiv, 7. II Tim. i, 6. Acts xxvi, 6, 7. Jude 20,

21.

IV.

They who in their obedience attain to the greatest height which is possible in this life, are so far from being able to supererogate, and to do more than God requires, as that they fall short of much, which in duty they are bound to do. f

Luke xvii, 10. Neh. xiii, 22. Job ix, 2, 6. Gal. v, 17.

V.

We cannot by our best works merit pardon of sin, or eternal life at the hand of God, by reason of the great disproportion that is be tween them, and the glory to come; and the in finite distance that is between us and God, whom by them we can neither profit nor satisfy for the debt of our former sins; q but when we have done all we can, we have done but our duty, and are unprofitable servants: r And because as they are good, they proceed from his spirit, s and as they are wrought by us, they are defiled and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection, that they cannot endure the severity of God's judgments. t

q Rom. iii, 20, and iv, 2, 4, 6. Eph. ii, 8, 9. Tit. iii, 5, 6, 7. Rom. vii, 18. Psal. xvi, 2. Job xxii, 23, and xxxv, 7, 8. r Luke xvii, 10. Gal v, 22, 23. t Isa. Ixiv, 6. Gal. v, 17. Rom. vii, 15, 18. Psal. cxliii, 2, and cxxx, 3.

VI.

8

Yet notwithstanding the persons of believers being accepted through Christ, their good works also are accepted in him, u not as though they were in this life wholly unblameable and unreproveable in God's sight, but that he looking upon them in his son, is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere, although accompanied with many weaknesses and imperfections. x

u Eph. i, 6. I Pet. ii, 5. Exod. xxviii, 38. Gen.