in the Power, that raised him from the Dead, the Holy Ghoft put it beyond all Queftion, when he defcended upon the Apoftles according to Chrift's Promife. For the other Three Witneffes on Earth, we shall not ftay upon it, only know, that the Work of the Regeneration of Souls, by the Power of the Word and Spirit figni. fied by Water, the Juftification of guilty Souls fignified by the Blood of Jefus Chrift, and the, Teftimony of the Spirit in our Confciences, bearing Witnefs to our Spirits, is an affured Teftimony of this, That Jefus Chrift, in whom we believe, is the only Begotten of the Father, full of Grace and Truth. The changing, pacifying and comforting of Souls, in fuch a wonderful Manner, cries aloud, That he in whom the Soul believes, is the true and living God, whom to know is eternal Life. But mark, I pray you, the Accuracy of the Apoftle in the Change of Speech. These Three Witneffes on Earth (faith he) agree in one, in giving one common Teftimony to the Son of God, and Saviour of Sinners. But as for the heavenly Witnesses, the Father, the Word, and Holy Ghoft, however they be Three, after an inconceivable Manner, and that they do alfə agree in one common Teftimony to the Mediator of Men, yet moreover, they are one, they not only agree in one, but are one God, one fimple undivided Self. Being Infinite Spirit, holden out to us in Three Perfons, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, to whom be Praise and Glory Deut. vi. 4. and Job. v. 7. ALL Scripture is given by Inspiration of God, and it is profitable for Inftruction, for Direction, &c. There is no Refufe in it: No fimple and plain History, but it tends to fome Edification, no profound or deep Myftery but it is profitable for Salvation. Whatsoever Secrets there be in the Myfteries of God, which is referved from us, though it be given us but to know in part, and darkly through a Vail: yet as much is given to us to know, as may make the Men of God perfect in every good Work: As much is given us to know, as may build us up to esernal Salvation; if there were no more Use of these deep Myfteries of the Holy Trinity, Sc. but to filence all Flefh, and reftrain the unlimited Spirits of Men, and keep them within the Bounds of Sobriety and Faith, it were enough: That great Secret would teach as much by its Silence and. Darkness, as the plainer Truths do by fpeaking out clearly. O that this great Myftery did compofe our Hearts to fome reverend and awful Apprehenfion of that God we have to do with, and did imprint in our Soul a more feeling Senfe of our Darkness and Ignorance: This were more Advantage than all the Gain of Light, or Increase of Knowledge, that can come from the Search of Curiofity: If Men would labour to walk in that Light they have attained, rather than curiously enquire after what they cannot know by Enquiry, they should fooner attain more true Light. If Men would fet about the Practice of what they know, without doubt they would more readily come to a Refolution and the Mystery is fuch an infinite Depth, 0, but Mens Eloquence and Wisdom must be hallow, far too shallow either to find it out, or unfold it. But there is yet both more Inftruction and Confolation to be pressed out of this Myftery; and therefore, if you cannot reach it in it felf, O confider what it cor and Clearnefs in doubtful Things. Religion is now turned into Questions and School Debates; Men begin to believe nothing, but difpute every Thing, under a Pretence of fearching for Light and Refolution; but for the most part, while Men look after Light, they darken themselves; and this is the righteous Judgment of the Lord upon the World, that doth not re-cerns us, how we may be edified by it, ceive the Truth in Love, or walk in the for this is true Religion. Look upon that Light of what they have already attained; Place of Mofes, what is the great Intherefore he gives Men up to wander inftruction he draws from this Unity of God's their Search into the dark Dungeons of hu- Effence, V. 5. Thou fbak love the Lord man Wisdom and Fancy, and to lofe what thy God with all thy Heart; fince God they have already. If thofe Things which is one, then have no God but one, and are without all Controverfy (as the Apoftle that the true and living God; and this is the peaks, 1 Tim. iii- 16,) were indeed made very firft Command of God which flows as Confcience of, and embraced in Love and it wereimmediately from His abfolute Onepractifed, it were beyond all Controverfy, nefs and Perfection of Being: There is no that the moft Part of prefent Controverfies Man but he must have some God, that is, would cease: But it falls out with many, as fomething whereupon he placeth his Afwith the Dog, that catching at a Shadow fection moft; every Man hath fome one in the Water, loft the Subftance in his Thing he loves and refpects beyond all o Teeth; fo, they pursuing after new Dif ther Things, fome Lord and Mafter that coveries in controverted Things, and not commands him; therefore, faith Chrift, taking a Heart-hold and inward Grip of No Man can ferve two Mafters. Be the substantial Truths of the Gofpel, which fore a Man will want a God to love and are beyond all Controverfy, do even lofe ferve, he will make them, and then wor what they have. Thus, Even that which fhip them, yea, he will make himself, his they bave not, is taken from them, be- Belly, his Back, his Honour, and Pleasure, cause though they have it in Judgment, yet a God, and facrifice all his Affections, they have it not furely and folidly in Af and Defires, and Endeavours to thefe: fection, that it may be holden. So, to The natural Subordination of Man to God, this prefent Point, if we could learn to the Relation he hath as a Creature to adore and admire this Holy, Holy, Holy Creator, is the firft and fundamental Re One; If we could in Silence and Faith fit lation, beyond all Refpects to himself, or down and wonder at this Mystery, it other Fellow-creatures. This is the prowould be more profitable to us, and make to-natural Obligation upon the Creature, Way for a clearer Manifeftation of God, therefore it fhould have returned in a di than if we should fearch and enquire into reet Line to His Majefty all its Affecti all the Volumes that are written upon it, ons, and Endeavours: But Man's Fall thinking by this Means to fatisfle our Rea from God hath made a wretched Throw, fon. I think there is more Profoundness in and Crook in the Soul, that it cannot look the Sobriety of Faith, than in the Depths any more after Him, but bows down of humane Wisdom and Learning; when ward towards Creatures below it, or bends inwardly towards it felf, and fo fince the Fall Man hath turned his Heart from the true God, and fet it upon Vanity, upon lying Vanities, upon bafe dead Idols, which can neither help him, nor hurt him; your Hearts are gone a whoring from God, O that ye would believe it; none of you will deny, but ye have broken all the Commands; yet fuch is the brutish Ignorance and Stupidity of the moft Part, that you will not confefs that, when it comes to Particulars; and efpecially, if you should be challenged for loving other Things more than God, or having other Gods befides the true God, you will inftantly deny it, and that with an Affeveration and Averfation, God forbid that I have another God: Alas! this fhews, that what you confefs in the general is not believed in the Heart, but only is like the prating of Children, whom you may learn to day any thing. I beseech you confider, that what you give your Time, Pains, Thoughts, and Affections to, that is your God; you must give God all your Heart, and fo retain nothing of your own Will if God be your God. But do ye not know that your Care, and Grief, and Defire, and Love, vents another Way, towards bafe Things? You know, that you have a Will of your own, which goeth quite contrary to His holy Will in all Things, therefore Satan hath bewitched you, and your Hearts deceive you, when they perfwade you that you have had no other God but the true God. Christianity raises the Soul again, and advances it by Degrees to this Love of Ged, from which it had fallen; the Sout returns to its firft Husband, from whom it wen a whoring, and now the Stamp of God is fo upon it, that it is changed into His Image and Glory; 'having tafted how good this one Self-fufficient Good is, it gladly and eafily divorces from all other Lovers; it renounces former Lufts of Ignorance, and now begins to live in another; Love tranfplants the Soul into God, and in Him it lives,and with him it walks; It is true, this is done gradually, there is much of the Heart yet unbroken to this fweet and eafie Yoke of Love, much of the corrupt Nature untamed, unreclaimed, yet fo much is gained by the firft Converfion of the Soul to God, that all is given up to Him in Affection and Defire; He hath the chief Place in the Soul, the Difpofition of the Spirit hath fome Stamp and Impreffion of his Oneness and Singularity; my Beloved is one: Though a Chriftian is not wholly rid of strange Lords, yet the Tye of Subjection to them. is broken; they may often intrude by Violence upon him, but he is. in an hoftile Pofture of Affection, and Endeavour againft them. I'befeech you fince the Lord is One, and there is none befide Him.. O, let this be engraven on your Hearts, that your inward Affections and outward Actions may exprefs that orfe Lord to be your God, and none other befide Him :It is a great Shame and Reproach to Chrifti ans, that they do not carry the Stamp of the first Principle of Religion upon their walking, the Condition and Converfation of many declares how little Account they make of the true God; why do ye. your Souls to your Lufts, and the Service, of the Flesh, if ye believe in this one God? Why do ye all Things to please your felves if this one Lord be your one God? As for you the Ifrael of God who are called by Jefus Chrift to partake with the Common-wealth of Ifrael, in the Covenant of Promifes, hear I beseech you this, and let your Souls incline to it, and receive it Your God is one Lord: Have, then, no other Lords over your Souls and Consciences; not your felves, not others, But But in the next Place, Let us confider to what Purpose Jobn leads fuch three Witneffes, that we may draw fome Confolation from it. The Thing teftified and witneffed unto, is the Ground-work of all a Chriftian's Hope and Confolation, that Jefus Chrift is the eternal Son of God, and Saviour of the World, one able to fave to the utmost all that put their Truft in Him, fo that every Soul that finds it felf loft, and not able to fubfift nor abide the Judgment of God, may Repofe their Confidence in Him, and lay the Weight of their eternal Welfare upon his Death and Sufferings, with Affurance to find Reft and Peace in Him to their Souls. He is fuch a One as Faith may triumph in Him over the World, and all Things befide: A Believer may triumph in his Victory, and in the Faith of his Victory, over Hell, and Death, and the Grave; may overcome perfonally, For this is our Victory over the World, even our Faith, Ver. 4. And how could a Soul conquer by Faith, if he in whom it believes were not declared to be the Son of God with Power? There is nothing fo mean and weakly as Faith in it felf, 'tis a poor defpicable Thing of it felf, and that it fees, and that it acknowledges; yea, Faith is a very Act of its Selfdenyal, 'tis a renouncing of all Help without and within it felf, fave only that which is laid on Chrift Jefus; therefore it were the moft unfuitable Mean of prevailing, and the moft infufficient Weapon for gaining the Victory, if the Object of it were not the ftrong God, the Lord Almighty, from whom it derives and borrows all its Power and Virtue, either to pacifie the . Conscience, or to expiate Sin, or to overcome the World. Oh confider Chriftians where the Foundation of your Hopes is fituated, it is in the Divine Power of our Saviour, if he who declared fo much Love and good Will to Sinners, by becoming fo low, and fuffering fo much, have also all Power in Heaven and Earth, if He be not only Man near us, to make for us Boldness of Accefs, but God near God, to prevail effectually with God, then certainly He is a fure Foundation laid in Zion, Elect and Precious; He is an unmoveable Rock of Ages, whosoever trufts their Soul to Him fhall not be ashamed. I am fure that many of you confider not this, that Chrift Jefus, who was in due Time born of the Virgin Mary, and died for Sinners, is the Eternal Son of God, equal to his Father in all Glory and Power. O how would this make the Gofpel a great Myftery to Souls, and the Redemption of Souls a precious and wonderfull Work, if it were confidered. Would not Souls ftand at this Anchor immoveable in Temptation, if their Faith were pitched on this fure Foundation, and their Hope caft upon this folid Ground: O know your Redeemer is ftrong and mighty, and none can pluck you out of his Hand, and Himself will caft none out that comes. If the Multitude of you believed this, you would not make fo little Account of the Gofpel that comes to you, and make fo little of your Sins which behoved to be taken away by the Blood of God, and could be expiated by no other Propitiation, you would not think it so easie to fatisfie God with fome Words of Cuftom, and fome publick Services of Form as you do, you would not for all the World deal with God alone without this Mediator: And being convinced of Sin (if you believed this folidly, that He in whom Forgive nefs of Sin and Salvation is preached, is the fame Lord God whom you hear in the Old Teftament, who gave out the Law, and infpired the Prophets, the only begotten of the Father in a Way infinitely re moved from all created Capacities) you could not but find the Father well fatisfied in Him, and find a fufficient Ranfom in His Death and Doings to pacifie God, and to fettle your Consciences. lighting among the Sons of Men, Proo viii. and delighting to be imployed and to do his Will, Pfal. xl. So we have the Fa ther delighting to fend His Son, and taking Pleasure in inftructing Him, and furnishing Him for it, Ifa. xlii. 1. And therefore Christ often professed that he was not about his own Work, but the Father's Work who fent Him, and that it was not His own Will, but His Father's He was fulfilling. Therefore we should not look upon the Head-spring of our Sal vation in the Son, but rather afcend up to the Father, whose Love and Wisdom did frame all this: And thus we may be confident to come to the Father in the Son, knowing that it was the Love of the Father that fent the Son, though indeed we muft come to Him only in the Son, in the Name of Chrift, and Faith of Acceptation through a Mediator, not because the Mediator purchaseth his good Will, but because his Love and good Will only vents in His beloved Son Chrift, and therefore He will not be known nor worshipped but in Him, in whom he is near Sin But as the Thing teftified is a Matter of great Confolation, fo the Witneffes tef tifying to this Fundamental of our Religion, may be a Ground of great Encouragement to difcouraged Souls. It is ordinary, that the Apprehenfions of Chriftians takes up Jefus Chrift as very lovely, and more loving than any of the Perfons of the God-head, either the Father or the Holy Ghoft; there are fome Thoughts of Eftrangedness and Distance of the Father, as if the Son did really reconcile and gain Him to love us, who before hated us, and upon this Miftake the Soul is filled with continual Jealoufies and Sufpicions of the Love of God: But obferve, I befeech you, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, all of them first agreeing in one Teftimony, the Father declares from Heaven, that he is abundantly well pleased with His Son, not only becaufe he is His Son, but even in the Undertaking and Perners, and reconciling the World to Himforming of that Work of Redemption of felf. And then the Holy Ghoft concurs Sinners; It is therefore His moft serious in this Testimony, and as the Son had the Invitation, and peremptory Command to Work of purchafing Rights and Interests to all, to hear Him, and believe in Him, Grace and Glory, fo the great Work of Mat. iii. 17. 1 John iii. 23. Nay, applying all these Privileges to Saints, and if we speak more properly, our Salvation making them actually Partakers of the Blef it is not the Business of Chrift alone, as we fings of Chrift His Death, is committed imagine it, but the whole God-head is in- in a fpecial Way to the Holy Ghoft, I terested in it deeply, and fo deeply, that will fend the Comforter, &c. So then you cannot fay, who loves it moft, or Father, Son, and Holy Ghost all agree in likes it most. The Father is the very one, that Jefus Chrift is a fure Refuge for Fountain of it, his Love is the, Spring of Sinners,a Plank for Ship broken Men,a firm all, God fo loved the World, that be and fure Foundation to build everlasting bath fent his Son. Chrift hath not pur-Hopes upon; there is no Party diffenting chafed that eternal Love to us, but is ra- in all the Gofpel,the Business of the Salvatither the Gift, the free Gift of eternal Love.on of loft Souls is concluded in this Holy And therefore, as we have the Son de- Council of the Trinity with one Voice M |