mit to God's righteousness. There is need of submission to take Christ.
O would not any think all the world would be glad of him, and come out and
meet him bringing salvation? Would not dyvours(467) and prisoners be
content of a deliverance? Were it any point of self denial for a lost man,
to grip a cord cast unto him? Yet here must there be submission to quit
your own righteousness. It were of great moment to convince you of this,
that ye are all naturally standing to the terms of a covenant of works, ye
who are yet alive, and the commandment hath not slain you, with Paul, Rom.
vii. 9, 11. Ye are yet seeking life by the law, if ye have not applied the
curse unto yourselves. After application of yourselves to the command, ye
are yet seeking life by it. Ye adorn yourselves with some external
privileges, in some external duties of religion, some branches of the
second table duties, and come to God with these. Some think to satisfy God
for their faults, with an amendment in time to come. Some think God cannot
punish some faults in them, because they have some good things in them.
Ask many men the ground of their confidence, and in all the world they
know not how to be saved, unless their prayers do it, or their keeping the
kirk.(468) But this is not the end that God hath sent out the law for. Ye
cannot now stand to such a bargain. The law is now weak through the flesh,
and it is now impossible for it to give life. Though you would pray never
so much, all is but abomination. And would not many of you think ye were
in a fair venture for heaven, if no man living could lay any thing to your
charge, but were you unblameable in all the duties of the first and second
table? [Could you say,] though you know nothing as by yourselves, that you
were frequent and fervent in prayer, reading, and meditation; and as far
advanced as Paul, or David, or Moses, or Job, sure ye would think
yourselves out of doubt of heaven? Nay, but in this, ye may see ye are
seeking righteousness by the law. Though ye were so far advanced, yet God,
who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, would look to your sins, and
pass by your righteousness, and all that would be as menstruous rags
before him; and therefore Paul was much wiser, who said, "though I know
nothing by himself, yet am I not hereby justified." 3. Many make the law
an end, when God hath only made it a mean. God hath appointed the law for
some other use, namely, to be subservient to Christ and th