ESSAY every Part of our Miniftrations for the Good II. of Men. Thus we shall obtain the Approbation of Jefus our Judge, in preaching his Gospel of Faith and Love, and thus fhall we have the Pleasure of this Teftimony in our own Consciences, that in the general Courfe of our Miniftry we have fought to fave the Souls of others in the fame way as we ourfelves have fought to be faved: And that we have propofed the fame Truths to them, and recommended the fame Duties, which we ourselves believe and practise, in order to our own Salvation. Amen. ESSAY The True Ufe of the MORAL LAW under the GOSPEL. Exemplify'd in the Conference of CHRIST with a young Pharifee, explain'd in a SERMON, May 1711. MATT. xix. 17. If thou wilt enter into Life, keep the HE SECT. I. The INTRODUCTION. ERE it will be neceffary to run over the short Conference between Chrift and this young Man, which is recorded by feveral of the Evangelifts, because it will give us a plainer Account how thefe Words are introduced, and lead us into the Knowledge of the true Design of them. Read from the 16th to the 23d Verfe. And behold one came and jaid unto him, good Mafter, What good thing fhall I do that I may have Eternal Life? 17. And be faid unto him, why calleft H 3 ESSAY calleft thou me Good? there is none Good but III. one, that is God. But if thou wilt enter in to Life; keep the Commandments. 18. He The Perfon who addreffed the Lord Jesus Chrift here, was a young Man, and wealthy, as this facred Writer informs us; and that he was a Ruler among the Jews, S. Luke gives us notice, Luke xviii. 18. That he was either a Pharifee, or at least one of the stricter fort of the Jews, feems evident, because he fought after Eternal Life, whereas the Sadducees deny'd a future State, many of the higher as well as the loofer Part of the Nation, difregarded it. He appears leaven'd with the commou Phatikaical Doctrine, (i.) that the way way to procure Eternal Life was by his own ESSAY good Works, by doing fome good Thing. 4 A 'Tis probable he had heard of the Miracles and the Fame of our Bleffed Lord, and believed him to be a Teacher fent from God, for he comes in an humble manner as to a divine Prophet, he feems to be in good earneft in the Queftion which he puts to Chrift, and feriously concerned about the Welfare of his Soul. He did not come with a Design to enfnare Chrift in his Words, as that fort of Men (viz.) the Pharifees often did: Nor did he come with ufelefs perplexing Queftions, as the Scribes and Sadducees and Lawyers fometimes had done: But, as St. Mark relates the Hiftory, he fhew'd fome Tokens of Sincerity. Mark x. 17. for He came running to Jefus with Diligence and Speed, longing to have the Opinion of a new Prophet about a Matter of fuch Importance, as the obtaining of Eternal Life: He kneeled down to him, and paid our Saviour much civil Refpect: He received the Directions of Chrift with Attention, and when he found in his Heart that his Love to his Riches would not let him comply with the Terms propofed, he went away forrowful. There was fomething in his Defign and in his Deportment, that was lovely and amiable, and we find that our Saviour (as a Man) looked on him with a Love of Complacency, Mark x. 21. But he was not fo zealous a Lover H 4 III. ESSAY Lover of God to part with Earth for HeaIII. ven. We may fuppofe this young Gentleman, who feems to be a Follower or Difciple of the Pharifees, might probably have one of more of these three Defigns in his Queftion. (viz.) ་ I. Whereas the Law of Mofes promifes long Life in the Land of Canaan, and the Bleffings of this World to thofe that are obe dient to the Statutes and Ordinances which God enjoin'd to Ifrael; but it fcarce ever mentions, plainly and exprefly, any Promifes of Eternal Life in another World, nor the Methods to attain it; and whereas this Youth was fully convinced from feveral of the Writings of the Prophets, that there was a future State and eternal Happiness in another World to be obtained, he comes now to Jefus, as a new and divine Teacher, to feek an Answer to this Question about Eternal Life, which he could not find an express Anfwer to in the Law of Mofes; and he would fain know whether he must obtain Eternal Life the fame way that he was to seek for a long Life on Earth, and Temporal Bleffings, namely, by an outward Obedience to the Laws already given to the Jews. II. We may fuppofe him enquiring after fome fhorter and more compendious way to Eternal Life, by practifing fome one or two extraordinary Inftances of Duty, and thereby to |