ise would not
suffer him to reflect so much upon his own obedience, or put such a price
upon it. But now, it is conjoined with unmeasurable pride, and arises only
from self-love. There is no ground of men's looking to be saved by their
own doings, but the inbred pride and self love of the heart, together with
the ignorance of a better righteousness. Adam hid himself among the trees,
and covered his nakedness with leaves, and truly the shift of the most
part is no better. How vain and empty things do men trust unto, and from
them conclude an expectation of eternal life! The most part think to be
safe in the midst or thick of the trees of the church. If they be in the
throng of a visible church, and adorned with church privileges, as
baptism, hearing the word, and such like, they do persuade themselves all
will be well. Some have civility, and a blameless conversation before men,
and with such acts of righteousness, or rather wants of some gross
outbreakings, do many cover their nakedness. If there be yet a larger and
finer garment of profession of religion, and some outward performances of
service to God, and duties to men, O then, men do enforce upon their own
hearts the persuasion of heaven, and think their nakedness cannot be seen
through it! These are the coverings, these are the grounds of claim and
title, that men have to eternal life, and in the meantime they are
ignorant of that large glorious robe of righteousness, which Christ, by
his obedience and sufferings, did weave for naked sinners.

But as the impossibility of the law's saving us, by reason of the weakness
of the flesh, was the ground and occasion of Christ's coming into the
flesh for to supply that defect, and take away that impossibility, so the
sense and sight of this impossibility in us to satisfy and fulfill the
law, and of the law to give life, is the very ground and reason of a
soul's coming to Jesus Christ for the supplying of this want. As the Son
should not have come in the likeness of sinful flesh, unless it had been
otherwise impossible, by man's doing or suffering, that life should be
obtained, so will not a soul come to Christ, the Son of God, through the
vail of his flesh, until it discern and feel that it is otherwise
impossible to satisfy the law or attain life. That was the impulsive cause
(if we may say that there was any cause beside his love) why Christ
came,--even man's misery, and remediless misery. And this is the strong
motive and