; but and if, thro' humane Weakness or Imbecillity, we do
Sin, he is our _Advocate with the Father_, who for the sake of him his
Beloved Son, will justify, or accept as Righteous, those who truly
believe in him, whence we are justify'd by God's free Grace or Favour,
and not by the Works of the Law, against which all have transgressed,
and fail'd of a perfect Obedience.

The great end then of Christianity is (in short) to teach us
effectually to _renounce all Ungodliness and every evil work_, by
declaring to us, that if we sincerely repent of our Sins past, and
indeavour, for the time to come, to obey the Law of our Lord and
Master Jesus Christ, which is no other than the Law of Reason, or the
eternal Rule of Right, we need not despair of God's Mercy from the
Imperfection of our Obedience; since he will for the sake of his Son,
pardon their Sins who believe in him: Sincere indeavours after perfect
Righteousness being accepted in those who believe in Christ as if they
attained it, which is call'd, _the Righteousness of Faith_. And thus
our Blessed Lord, that he might _purchase to himself a peculiar people
zealous of good Works_, has propos'd to his Followers the strongest
Motives and Encouragements that are conceivable to induce free Agents
to Obedience, putting them at once upon using their utmost Diligence
to _fullfil_ _the Law_; yet, at the same time, delivering them from
the fear that their defective _Righteousness should_ render their
Labour vain in the Lord, by assuring them that he will be merciful to
their Sins.

The which Christian Doctrine concerning the forgiveness of Sins
(contrary to that of other Religions) effectually obliges Men to use
their utmost care not to commit Sin, and leaves no room for the Lusts
of their Hearts, or devices of cunning Men to deceive them by any
Superstitious Inventions of expiating or attoning for Transgression;
whereby Vertue (as we have seen) was always undermin'd. For, tho' in
the Christian Religion, there is an abatement of the rigour and
severity of the Law, which could not but require an unsinning
Obedience; yet we are therein taught, that Jesus Christ is the only
Attonement for Sin: And such a Faith in him as makes us to become his
obedient Subjects, is the only means to us of Salvation: An
inforcement of the Law of Righteousness which was wanting to the Pagan
World; whose persuasion of the placability of the Divine Nature (as we
have seen) generally taught them, only to f