mingled with faith. It profits not where it is SER M not fo; and fignifies nothing, if there be not XIV. that mixture. The word of GOD, fays the Apoftle, works effectually in them that believe. But, as it is in another place, The word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that beard it. And it is never likely that men fhould practife that word, which they regard no more, than the word of a child. If any one, whofe truth you fufpect, tell you this or that, it will fignify little to determine your practice, or to guide and influence any defign you have in hand. Now to receive this word with faith, is to rely upon the authority of the speaker, or him from whom it originally comes. This "is the word of GOD. There is no more doubt "to be made of it, than whether the things be, or exift, which I fee with my own eyes." For it is faith that fupplies the room of fight, in reference to things that fall not under our eye. Faith is the fubftance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not feen ". "GOD hath faid this; and therefore it is as fure, as if my own σε eyes faw it all."The Gospel is the power of GOD unto Salvation, to every one that believes; but to them that believe not, it fignifies nothing, it has no power with them. Again,. 6. Ir. requires love; a great exercise of love that the heart may clofe with it. It is faid of fome, that they received not the love of the {== II. VOL. truth that they might be faved. They had pleasure in unrighteoufnefs. They had fo much love to wickedness, that they had none for truth. Therefore they were left under ftrong delufions to believe lyes, that they might be damned. So you find things are connected there. The love that is required here, is fuch as works out in fincere defire of the milk of the word, that so we may grow thereby ". Alfo in delight; for the foul hath a sweet and favoury relish in it. O how love I thy law ! fays David: which was the name of that revelation of the mind and will of GOD then extant; and was sweeter to him, than honey to his tafte'. Thy words (faith Jeremiah) were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy, and rejoicing of my bearts. The word of GOD is then like to be done, when there is fo dear a love to it; and the foul fo taketh complacency in it, and unites to it, that it becomes as it were consubstantiate with the foul it felf. And again, 7. IT requires fubjection; an obediential fubjection to it, and compliance of heart with it. Receive with meekness (as it is in this context) the ingrafted word, which is able to fave your fouls. There are many hearts of men fo oppofite to the word of GOD, that when they meet with that in, and from it, which is crofs and adverse to their corrupt inclinations, their fpirits fwell, and storm and tumultuate; and they are ready to fay 4 Pfal. cxix. 97. PI Pet. 11. 2. 2 Theff. 11. 10. T ver. 103. fay with those in the Prophet, The word of the SER M. Lord, which thou haft spoken to us, we will not XIV. bear". You must then receive it with meekness; that is, fo as to yield to it, how cross foever it may be to any prefent difpofition of yours. The word has been fo received by gracious hearts, when it hath spoken very terrible things. When dreadful things were foretold by the Prophet to Hezekiah, he said; Good is the word of the Lord, which thou haft spoken". Again, 8. It requires a previous transformation of the heart by it, fo as that the proper stamp and imprefs of it be upon the foul. For the word can never be done by the hearer, but from a vital principle; of which it is it self to be the productive means. So it is faid to be in the eighteenth verfe of this chapter, in which is my text; Of bis own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. If the new creature be not wrought by it in the foul, there will never be that doing of the word, which is expected and required. There must be an exemplar copied out from the word upon our hearts; and then we are to practise, and do according to that exemplar: ftill comparing it with the firft idea, to be seen in the rule, or word it felf. You obeyed (fays the Apoftle) from the heart that form of do&rine, which was delivered you*. Or, as the words are capable of being read, into which ye were delivered. That is, you were caft into the very mould of R 2 པ Jerem. XLIV. 16. w Ifai. xxxix. S. Rom. VI. 17. VOL. of the word; and have received the ftamp and II. imprefs of it upon your fouls, and so have obeyed it from the heart. Our Lord Jefus Chrift in his kingdom (in that part of it which is more appropriate and peculiar) rules over a willing people, and is not a king of flaves. He is obeyed with an inward inclination and propensity of heart. His power hath made his fubjects willing; that is, by writing his law in their hearts, which is the great promife of the evangelical covenant. When fouls are made the epiftle of Chrift, having his mind transcribed, and written out upon their hearts; then it is they obey, and do the word, and never till then. And then it requires alfo, 9. A FAITHFUL remembrance of it; that is, of its rules accommodable to particular occafions as they occur. The Apoftle fubjoins here in the words following my text a reprefentation of the man that hears, without a design of doing the word; who, fays he, is like unto a man bebolding his natural face in a glass: for be beboldeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was1. If we apply the Apostle's fimilitude fully unto the purpofe for which he brings it, it must not only have reference to fuch an idea, as we have exhibited to us in the word; or the representation of what we now actually are, but also of what we should be, both together. Looking into the word as into a glass we have a reprefentation made to us there, of the new creature in all the lively linea Jam. 1. 23, 24. ments ments of it; and fo we see what we should be: SER M. and comparing our felves therewith, we fee XIV. what we are; and wherein there is a deflexion, and difagreement from our pattern. They that do only throw a tranfient eye upon the glass, go away and forget what they fee; the image vanifheth presently out of their thought. There fore there must be a perpetual image kept up before our eyes, by a faithful and continual remembrance of what the word of GOD reprefenteth to us; to wit, of the true complexion of a Christian, and wherein our own disagreeth: that fo upon all occafions we may be able to correct thereby what is amifs; and to direct our way and courfe according thereunto. And then there must be in the LAST place, an actual application of all fuch rules in the word, to prefent cafes, as they occur. Thy word I have kept in mine heart, that I might not fin against thee". It is laid up in that repofitory and treasury for this purpose, to be used as there is need and occafion. Therefore so skilful ought we to be in the word of righteousness, which hath enough in it to make the man of GoD perfect, and throughly furnished for every good work; that upon all occafions, and whatever work we go about, we may have our rule still in readiness to apply, and actually may apply it to our cafe: 'fo as neither on the one hand to walk dubiously, nor carelefly on the other. For thofe are extremes to be avoided. A continual fcrupulofity R 3 Pfal. CXIX. II. is |