what is written. A crucified Christ is really unto them
foolishness and weakness, though the power of God and the wisdom of God:
they will needs go to work another way; they will needs glory in his
presence, and have a heaven of their own band-wind. O my soul, enter not
into their secrets! and, O sweet Jesus, let thy name be to me, The Lord
my righteousness; thou hast won it,--wear it; and gather not my soul
with such who make mention of any other righteousness but of thine only!
to bring in another gospel amongst us than the gospel of the grace of
God. As they determine to know some other thing than Christ and him
crucified; so with the enticing words of man's wisdom they bewitch men
into a disobedience to the truth, setting somewhat else before them than
a crucified Christ; and this they do, that they may remove men from
those who call them into the grace of Christ, unto another gospel. A
Christ, it is true; they speak of; but it is not the Christ of God, for
all they drive at (O cursed and truly antichristian design!) is, that he
may profit them nothing, while they model all religion according to this
novel project of their magnified morality. This is that which gives both
life and lustre to that image which they adore, to the Dagon after whom
they would have the world wonder and worship.

That there is such a moralizing or muddizing, if I may be for once
admitted to coin a new word to give these men their due, of Christianity
now introduced and coming in fashion, many of the late pieces in request
do evince. Now that Christianity should moralize men above all things, I
both give and grant; for he who is partaker of the divine nature, and
hath obtained precious faith, must add virtue to his faith. But that it
should be only conceived and conceited as an elevation of nature to a
more clear light, in the matter of morality, wherein our Lord is only
respected as an heavenly teacher and perfect pattern proposed for
imitation, is but a proud, pleasing fancy of self-conceited, darkened,
and deluded dreamers, robbing God of the glory of his mercy and
goodness; our Lord Jesus Christ of the glory of his grace and merit. The
spirit of the efficacy of his glorious and mighty operations; and
themselves and their pilgrimages, who give them the hand as guides, of
the comfort and fruit of all.

It cannot escape thy observation, how busy Satan is this day, upon the
one hand, to keep men, under the call of the gospel to give all
dil