this purpose, "That St. John, who "lived the laft of the Apoftles, did Sermon revise what they had written of the VII. "Hiftory of Christ, and added his "Gospel as an Appendix to the rest.

I have infifted the longer upon this, that no Man might think, when St. John fays, Thefe things were written that ye might believe, that his Gofpel taken alone and by it felf is a fufficient account of Chrift, and contains all that was requifite to bring men to believe on him. This is the first thing in the words, the End of committing the Gospel to writing.

Secondly, You have here the Nature of Chriftian Faith defcribed; it is a believing that Jefus is the Chrift, the Son of God; that is, that he is the true Meffias prophefied of in the Old Teftament, and promifed as the Saviour of the World; and that he is the Son of God, who came from the Father into the World, and took our Nature upon him, that he might teach us, and go before us in the way to eternal Happiness.

Thirdly,

Volume Thirdly, The bleifed Effect of this XII. Faith, or the Benefit that redounds to us upon believing, That believing, ye might have life through his Name; that is, that upon thefe Terms and Conditions, you might be made partakers of all thofe Bleffings and Benefits which Chrift,the Saviour of the World hath purchased for us, which are here fet forth to us in the Name of Life; it being ufual in the Phrafe of Scripture, to exprefs to us those things which are moft excellent and defirable by Life. Now the Principal Benefits which Chrift hath purchased, and which in Scripture we are faid to be made partakers of by believing, are Regeneration, Juftification or Pardon of fin, and eternal Life and Salvation; and the two firft of thefe, as well as the laft, are called Life in Scripture. Regeneration, (in which I include the continuance and progress of this work, which is fanctification) that is, a new life, Rom. 6. 4. it is called newness of life. And we are faid to have this Life by Faith, Gal. 2. 20. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the Faith of the

Son

Son of God. And Col. 2. 12. Buri

ed with him in Baptifm, wherein alfo Sermon you are rifen with him; that is, rege- VII. nerated and born to a new life. How? by the Faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead; that is, by believing the Power of God, who raised up Chrift from the Dead, for the confirmation of the truth of the Gospel, 1 John 5. 1. WhoJoever believeth that Jefus is the Chrift, is born of God. So likewife Juftification is call'd Life. While we are under fentence of Condemnation, we are dead in Law; but being juftified and pardon'd, we are reftored to life. So the Apostle expreffeth it, Rom. 5. 18. So by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto juftification of life. And that we are juftified by Faith, the Scripture tells us fo frequently, that I fhall not cite any Texts for it.

on;

And then eternal Life and Salvatiand this is the confummation of all, and I doubt not but is here principally intended in the Text by the word Life. So that the meaning of this expreffion, that believing, ye might have life through his Name, is, that

O'2

by

by the Faith of the Gofpel, ye might Volume be renewed, and pardoned, and faved; XII. tho' I think that the laft, viz. eternal Life and Salvation is principally, tho' not folely intended, as will appear by comparing this place with these parallel Texts, John 3. 15. That whefoever believeth in him should not perish: but have eternal life. And, ver. 36. He that believeth on the Son, hath everlafting life. John 5. 24. He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that fent me, hath everlasting life. I Pet. 1. 9. The end of your faith, even the falvation of your fouls.

Thus I have as briefly as I well could, explained to you the meaning of the words, which I have done the more fully, that you may see how these Observations which I fhall raise from them, are contained in them. The Obfervations are these.

First, That Writing is the way which the Wisdom of God hath pitched upon, as the standing way, to convey the Knowledge of the Gofpel to the World. These things are written.

Secondly,

Secondly, That all things neceffary to be believed in order to Salvation, are contained in the Gofpel. Thefe things are written that ye might believe, and believing might have life: but if any thing neceffary to be believed by Chriftians, in order to eternal Salvation, were omitted, then the Gofpel would be written to no purpose, and would fail in the end for which it was written.

Thirdly, That the Miracles related in the Gospel, are a proper and fufficient Means, or Argument, to bring men to Chriftian Faith. For this is the narroweft and moft reftrained fenfe in which we can take the words; These things, that is, Thefe miracles are written that ye might believe, &c. Now if St. John by the Spirit of God did record Miracles to this end, we may conclude that they are proper and fufficient for this end.

Fourthly, That a credible History does give men fufficient affurance of matter of fact, and fuch as we may fafely build a Divine Faith upon. For

Sermon

VII.