Answer.  Now we are come to the point, namely, that “the way to eternal life is, first of all, to take Christ for our example, treading his steps.”  And the reason, if it be true, is weighty; for “he hath trod every step before us which he hath told us leads to eternal life.”

“Every step.”  Therefore he went to heaven by virtue of an imputative righteousness; for this is one of our steps thither.

“Every step.”  Then he must go thither by faith in his own blood for pardon of sin; for this is another of our steps thither.

“Every step.”  Then he must go thither by virtue of his own intercession at the right hand of God before he came thither; for this is one of our steps thither.

“Every step.”  Then he must come to God and ask mercy for some great wickedness which he had committed; for this is also one of our steps thither.

But again, we will consider it the other way.

“Every step.”  Then we cannot come to heaven before we first be made accursed of God; for so was he before he came thither.

“Every step.”  Then we must first make our body and soul an offering for the sin of others; for this did he before he came thither.

“Every step.”  Then we must go to heaven for the sake of our own righteousness; for that was one of his steps thither.

O, sir, what will thy gallant, generous mind do here?  Indeed, you talk of his being an expiatory sacrifice for us, but you put no more trust to that than to baptism or the Lord’s supper; counting that with the other two but things indifferent in themselves.

You add again, that “this Son of God being raised from the dead and ascended to heaven, is our high-priest there.”  But you talk not at all of his sprinkling the mercy-seat with his blood, but clap upon him the heathens’ demons, negotiating the affairs of men with the supreme God, and so wrap up [Footnote:  That is, dismiss the subject.] with a testification that it is needless to enlarge on the point.

What man that ever had read or assented to the gospel, but would have spoken more honorably of Christ than you have done?  His sacrifice must be stepped over; his intercession is needless to be enlarged upon.  But when it falleth in your way to talk of your human nature, of the dictates of the first principles of morals within you, and of your generous mind to follow it, Oh what need there is now of amplifying, enlarging, and pressing it on men’s consciences, as if that poor heathenish pagan principle was the very Spirit of God within us, and as if righteousness done by that was that and that only that would or could fling heaven’s gates off the hinges.

Yea, a little after you tell us that “the doctrine of sending the Holy Ghost was to move and excite us to our duty, and to assist, cheer, and comfort us in the performance of it;” still meaning our close adhering, by the purity of our human nature, to the dictates of the law as written in our hearts as men; which is as false as God is true.