Seed of which Believers are begotten, mife. Now, ye know, Promises put an 1 Peter i 23. It is the unchangeable Obligation upon the Perfon, which ComTruth and immutable Faithfulness of God mands do not: A Man may change his that makes his Word fo fure, 'tis build-Commands as he pleases to his Children ed up to the Heavens. Therefore the or Servants, but he may not change his Pfalmift often commends the Word of Promises, therefore the Promises of God Lord as a tryed Word, as purified feven put an Obligation upon him, who is Truth times, it hath endured the Tryal and Proof itself, not to fail in Performance; or raof all Men, of all Temptations, of all Ge-ther he is to himself, by his unchangeable nerations, it hath often been put in the Fur-Will and good Pleasure, by his Faithfulnace of Questions, and Doubtings; it hath nefs and Truth, an obliging and binding often been tryed in the Fire of Afflictions, Law: When no Creature could fet Bounds but it came forth like pure Gold, without to him, he inclofes himself within the Drofs. This is Faith's Foundation, God Bounds of Promises to us, and gives all bath Spoken in his Holiness, and there- Flesh Liberty to challenge him if he be fore, though all Men be Liars, yet God not faithful. will be found true; he deceives none, and is deceived of none. The Lord hath taken a Latitude to himself in his Working, he loves to fhew his Sovereignty in much of that; and therefore he changes it in Men, and upon Men as he pleafeth, yet he hath condefcended to limit and bound himself by his Word, and in this to fhew his Faithfulness. And therefore, though Heaven and Earth fhould pass away, though he should annihilate this World, and create new ones, yet not one fot of bis Word fball fail. The Earth is eftablished fure, though it hath no Foundation, for the Word of his command fupports it: And yet a Believer's Confidence is upon a furer Ground, Though the Earth fhould be removed, yet it cannot pass or fail, faith our LORD: And therefore the Pfalmift ufeth to boast in God, That though the Earth were moved, and the Floods lifted up their Voice, yet he would not fear, because his Foundation was unfhaken for all that; the Word is not mov ed,when the World is moved,and therefore he was not moved: The World's Stability depends upon a Word of Command, but our Salvation depends on a Word of Pro

Now all the Promifes of God are yea, and Amen, in Jefus Chrift, that is eftablished, and confirmed in him: Chrift is the Surety of them, and fo the Certainty and Stability of them depends upon Him, at least to our Senfe; for God in all his Dealing condescends to our Weakness, that we may have ftrong Confolation; a Pormife might fuffice to ground our Faith, but he addeth an Oath to his Promife, and He takes Chrift Surety for the Performance; and therefore Chrift may be called the Truth indeed, the fubftantial Word of God, for he is the very Substance of the written and preached Word; and then he is the Certainty and Affurance of it, the Scriptures teftifie of him, and lead us to this Rock higher than we, to build upon, and against this the Gates of Hell cannot prevail: If the Word lead not a Soul into Chrift himfelf, that Soul hath no Foundation; though thou hear the Word, though thou know the Word, yea, suppose thou couldft teach others, and inftruct the Igno- rant, yet all that will be no Foundation, as good as none, except thou do it; and What is it to do the Word? But believe in him whom the Word teftifies of; this

is

is the Work of God, to refign thy Soul to is Chrift whe hath removed that Partition Wall between Jews and Gentiles, even his Mercies, and Merits, and have Confidence in the Flesh: To scrape out the Ceremonies of the one, and the Athe ilm of the other; He is our Peace, who all the Rubbish of Works and Performances, and Parts, out of the Foundation, hath made two one. The two Sides of and lingly to roll. thy Soul's Weight upon the Houfe of God are united by this CorGod's Promises, and Chrift's Purchase; ner-ftone Jefus Chrift. Thus we, who to look, with Paul, on all Things befide, were the Temples of Satan, are made the in thee, and about thee, as Dung and Drofs, Temples of God; thus poor Strangerthat thou can lean no Weight upon, and to Gentiles, who had no Intereft in the Coremove that Dunghill from the Founda- venant of Promifes, come to share with tion of thy Hope, that Jefus Chrift may Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob, and to be be the only Foundation of thy Soul, as founded upon the Doctrine of the Prophets, God hath laid him in the Church for a who taught the Jewish Church: Chrift is fure Foundation, That whofo believeth in the Bond of Chriftians; this is the Head bim may not be afbamed: Whatever be- into which all the Members should grow fide a Soul be established on, though it up into a Body. Distance of Place, Difappear very folid and the Soul be fettled ference of Nations, Distinction of Lanand fixed upon it, yet a Day will come guages, all these cannot separate the Mem- · that will unfettle that Soul, and raze that bers of Jefus Chrift; they are more Foundation; either it fhall be now done one, though confifting of divers Nations, in thy Confcience, or it must be done at Tongues,, and Customs, and Difpofitions, Length, when that great Tempeft of God's than the People of one Nation, or Chil Indignation fhall blow from Heaven a dren of one Family; for one Lord, one gainft all Unrighteoufnefs of Men, in the Spirit, unites all: Alas, that all are not Day of Accounts, then fhall thy Houfe united in Affection, and Judgment; why do the Sides of this Houfe contend, and fall, and the Fall of it shall be great. But a Soul established upon the fure Promises, wrestle one against another? When there and upon Chrift, in whom they are Yea, is fuch a Corner-ftone joyning them toand Amen, fhall abide that Storm, and gether? Are not there many Christians in that Day have Confidence before God, who cannot endure to look upon one an have wherewith to anfwer, in Jefus Chrift, other, who are yet both placed in one all the Challenges of Divine Juftice, and building of the Temple of God? Alas, the Accufations of Confcience, He that this is fad and shamefull! But that which trufts in him fhall be as Mount Sion, I would especially have obferved in this,is, which cannot be moved. You fee all that Jefus Chrift is such a Foundation that Things elfe change, and therefore Mens reacheth throughout the whole Building, Hopes and Joys perish; even here, the and immediately, toucheth every Stone of Temptations and Revolutions of the Times the Building; tis fuch a Foundation as undermines their Confidence, and Joy;rifeth from the Bottoin to the Top; and and the Blafts of the Northern Wind of Affliction blows away their Hopes.

Now as Chrift is the Foundation, fo he is the Corner-tone of the Building: It

therefore Jefus Chrift is both the Author and Finisher of our Faith, the Beginning and the End;, the first Stone and the laft Stone of our Building muft rife upon him,

nate to none but the God of Spirits, and and receive no more upon Truft from Lord of Confciences of Jefus Chrift: And Men, but as you find it, upon Trial to therefore examine all that is spoken to you be the Truth of God. from the Word, according to the Word,

a Tim. i. 13. Hold faft that Form of found Words, which tbou bast heard of me, in Faith, and Love, &c.

HE

Ere is the Sum of Religion; here of Mankind, and according to these, a two you have a Compend of the Doctrine fold Revelation of the Mystery of God: of the Scriptures: All Divine Truths may We look on Man now, and we find him be reduced to these two Heads, Faith, and another Thing than he was once; but we Love: What we ought to believe, and do not find God one Thing at one Time, what we ought to do: This is all the and another Thing at another Time; Scriptures teach, and this is all we have to for there is no Shadow of Change in him, learn. What have we to know, but what and, He is the fame Yesterday, and to God hath revealed of Himself to us? And, Day, and for ever: Therefore we ask What have we to do, but what he com- not, What he was, and what he is now, mands us? In a word, What have we to but how he manifefts himself differently, learn in this World, but to believe in according to the different Estates of Man; Chrift, and love Him, and fo live to as we find in the Scriptures, Man once Him? This is the Duty of Man, and this righteous and bleffed, Ecclef. vii. 29. is the Dignity of Man, and the Way to and God making him fuch according to his eternal Life: Therefore the Scriptures, own Image, Col. iii. 10. Epb. iv. 24. that are given to be a Lamp to our Feet, in Righteousness and true Holiness; and a Guide to our Paths,contain a perfect we find him in Communion and Friendand exact Rule, credendorum & facien- thip with God, fet next to the Divine Madorum, of Faith, and Manners; of Doc-jefty, and above the Works of his Hand trine, and Practice. We have in the and all Things under his Feet: How hoScriptures many Truths revealed to us of ly was he? And how happy? And hap God, and of the Works of his Hands;py he could not chufe but be, fince he was many precious Truths: But that which holy, being conformed, and like unt moft of all concerns us, is to know God and our felves; this is the fpecial Excellency of the reasonable Creature, that it is made capable to know its Creator, and to reflect upon its own Being. Now, we have to know our felves, What we are now, and what Man once was; and accordingly, to know of God, what he once revealed of himself, and what he doth now reveal: 1 fay, the Scriptures hold x to our Confideration a twofold Eftate

God in his Will, and Affection, choosing that fame Delight, that fame Pleasure with God, in his Understanding, knowing God and his Will; and likewife, his own Hap pinefs: In fuch a Conformity, he could not but have much Communion with him, that had fuch Conforty to him, U. nion being the Foundation of Communion, and great Peace and folid Tranquility is him.

Now, in this State of Mankind God expreffes his Goodness, and Wisdom, and Power, his Holiness, and Righteousness. These are the Attributes that shine moft brightly. In the very Morning of the Creation, God revealed himself to Man as a holy and juft God, whofe Eyes could behold no Iniquity; and therefore he made him upright, and made a Covenant of Life and Peace with him, to give him immortal and eternal Life ; to continue him in his happy Eftate, if fo be he continued in welldoing, Rom. x. 5: Do this and live. In which Covenant, indeed, there were fome Out-breakings of the glorious Grace, and free Condefcendency of God; for it was no less free Grace, and undeserved Favour, to promife Life to his Obedience, than now to promife Life to our Faith; fo that if the Lord had continued that Covenant with us, we ought to have called it Grace, and would have been faved by Grace as well as now; though it be true, that there is some more Occasion given to Man's Nature to boast and glory in that Way, yet nor at all before God, Rom.

iv. 2.

But we have scarcely found Man in fuch an Eftate, till we have found him finful and miferable, and fallen from his Excellency. That Sun fhined in the dawning of the Creation; but before ye can well know what it is, 'tis eclipfed, and darkned with Sin and Mifery; as if the Lord had only fet up fuch a Creature in the Firmament of Glory, to let him know how blefied he could make him, and wherein his Bleffedness confifts; and then presently to throw him down from his Excellency: When you find him mounting up to the Heavens, and spreading himself thus in Holinefs and Happiness,like a Bay-tree: Behold again, and you find him not; though you feek him, you shall not find him, his Place

doth not know him: He is like one that comes out with a great Majefty upon a Stage, and perfonates fome Monarch, or Emperor, in the World, and then ere you can well gather your Thoughts, to know what he is, he is turn'd-off the Stage, and appears in fome base and defpicable Appearance; fo quickly is Man ftript of all thefe glorious Ornaments of Holiness, and puts on the vile Rags of Sin and Wretchednefs, and is caft from the Throne of Eminency above the Creatures, and from Fellowship with God, to be a Slave and Servant to the Duft of his Feet, and to have Communion with the Devil and his Angels. And now ye have Man holden out in Scripture as the only wretched Piece of the Creation, as the very Plague of the World; The whole Creation groan, ing under bim, Rom. viii. and in pain to be delivered of fuch a burthen, of such an Execration, and Curfe, and Aftonishment: You find the Testimony of the Word condemns him altogether, concludes him under Sin, and then under a Curfe, and makes all Flefh guilty in God's Sight. The Word speaks otherwife of us than we think of our felves. Their Imagination is only Evil continually, Gen. vi. 5. O then, What muft our Affections be, that are certainly more corrupt ! What then muft our Way be? All Flesh bath corruped their Way, and done abominable Works, and none doth good; Pfal. xiv. 1, 2, 3. But many flee in, unto their good Hearts as their laft Refuge, when they are beaten from these Out-works of their Actions and Ways: But the Scripture shall storm that alfo; The Heart is deceitful above all Things, who can know it? Jer. xvii. 9. It is defperately wicked: In a Word, Man is become the moft lamentable Spectacle in the World; a compend of all Wickedness, and Mifery