SERM. fore God, then any new Scheme may ferve as X. a Bawble for the Confcience, to keep it at play, because they dare not keep it at work.

8. We begin to waver when we grow infenfible of our Neceffity to be taught of God, and enlightened with the Spirit of Truth. Our beft way to keep out of Danger, is ftill to believe that we may be in it. The prudent forefees the Evil and hides himself, but the Fool rages, and is confident. 'Tis the Office of the Spirit to lead into all Truth; and if we think there can be any Advances this way without him, he may leave us to the Vanity of our own Experiment. With fuch Principles as these do we either waver in the Faith, or buffle in a Profeffion.

SER

SERMON XI.

The

People waver from Unfteddiness and Ignorance. Pride and Vanity, an Inclination to Error, Fear, and Cowardice. Pretenfions answered, of our living in a polite Age, that will allow nothing myfterious. But 'tis an Age in which the Proteftant Religion and practical Holiness are finking. Our Obligations to grow in the Knowledge of Chrift. This does not suppose new Schemes, but a Steddiness in the old Ones, for our Faith is bounded. Clearer Ideas. The Unity of the Godhead. The reconciling of all Parties. Antiquity pleaded in vain.

HAVE shown you what thofe Prin- SERM. ciples are that lead Men to waver in XI. the great Articles of Chriftianity which we profefs in Baptifm. And by the Account you have had, it is easy to see that there may be a wavering.

1. From Unfteddinefs and Ignorance. They who ought to be Teachers of others, have Need to be taught again the first Principles of the Heb. v.

Oracles 12.

It

SERM. Oracles of God. God complains, my People are XI. deftroyed for lack of Knowledge; because thou haft rejected Knowledge, the Lord has rejected Hof. iv. 6. thee, that thou fhalt not be a Priest to him. Heb. xiii. is a good Thing that the Heart is eftablished with Grace, and not with Meats, i. e. with Doctrines of the Gospel, which are called the Grace of God bringing Salvation, and not in those Opinions about Meats or Drinks, which, whether they are right or wrong, have not profited them who were occupied therein.

9.

Tit. ii.

II.

Rom.

xiv. 22.

Ver. 14.

Tim. iv. 6.

What is it to the good of my Soul, to the Pardon of my Sins, the Peace of my Conscience, or the Compafs of my Duty, whether it be lawful to eat Blood? Not but that every one ought to be fully perfuaded in his own Mind, and happy is he who condemns not himself in the Thing that he allows. There fhould be no Strain upon Confcience as the Apoftle fays, I know, and am perfuaded that there is nothing unclean of itfelf, but to him who efteens any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. But whether my Opinion be right or wrong in this Matter, it neither promotes Holiness nor hinders it; as the Error is of no great Danger, fo the Truth is of no great Value. 'Tis not one of thofe Things in which I am either accepted of God, or approved of Men,

4

T

But what is this to the Deity of the Son and Spirit, which are Doctrines that my Soul is to be nourished up in! in: The Godhead of the Son makes him the Object of my Reverence, the ftrong hold of my Faith, the Hope that is fet before me. From his Divinity, and from nothing elfe, do I argue the Satisfaction he has made, the Interceffion that he now purfues, and indeed his CapaHeb. vii. city of faving to the uttermoft. 'Tis becaufe be continues for ever, that he has an unchangeable

24.

2

Prieft

Priesthood; 'tis from this that he brings in an SERM. ever lafting Righteoufnefs, and becomes Head over XI. all Things unto the Church, becaufe he has the Fulnefs of him who fills all in all.

Eph. i.

ult.

I am therefore baptized in the Name of the Holy Ghoft, that I may depend upon him, as the God who reftores my Soul, the Father of Lights, the Fountain of Confolation; He of whom I am John iii. born, and by whom I am fecured and prepared 3. for eternal Life.

What fignifies all the Orthodoxy in the World' to a Man who wavers in the Foundation? And therefore they who are more zealous in commanding to abstain from Meats, than they are for 1 Tim. iv. the grand Inherent of Baptifm, the Truth that 2. enters into the Soul of it, only make a God of their Belly; as if what is to be offered there was a thing of more Importance, than the real Divinity and diftin&t Perfonality of those three to whom we are equally devoted. What fignifies it to make a Noife about the Blood of Beafts and Heb. x. Fowls, whilft the Blood of the Covenant is a 29; common Thing? But we have not fo learned Chrift, if fo be we have heard him and been taught by him, as the Truth is in Jefus. Befides this, there is a wavering that arifes.

Eph. iv.

20, 21.

I

2. From Pride and Vanity. Men love to have fomething of their own. But where is the Wife, where is the Scribe, where is the Difputer of this 1 Cor. i. World? Has not God made foolish the Wisdom 20. of this World? There is no Reputation got by standing in the good old way: And therefore, they fall a doting about Questions, and ftriving, Tim. vi. about Words, to no Profit. But fhall we speak 3. wickedly for God, and talk deceitfully for him? Job xiii. Is it good that he fhould fearch us out, or as one Man mocks another, do we so mock him?

Has

7,

8.

SERM.
XI.

Has Christ appointed a Form of Words 1700 Years ago, by which he defigned his People fhould own, and all the World fhould bear, that there are three Perfons in one Nature; and must they have a new Senfe put upon them in our Age? Are we defirous of Gods whom our Fathers xxxii. 17. knew not, derived Gods, figurative Perfons? Are we for more than one Lord, one Faith, and one Baptifm?

Deut.

That all who went before us were fallible Men, is true; and I don't fee, but they who come after may take the Liberty to throw us into the Number; we are not better than our Fathers. But does that prove they were actually deceived, in the greatest Article of their Faith, and the perpetual Dependance of their Souls ? Did they live in a Mift and die in a Dream? Are antient Land-marks to be removed, which they of old Time have fet? Had the Spirit who leads into all Truth no Favour towards them? Is it but in our Days, that he has begun to do his Office?

I may take the Liberty to repeat what has been formerly published. 'Tis a Paffage that I read with an Awe a great many Years ago, and I hope it has been like Ballast to my Soul; 'tis calculated for them who become vain in their Imaginations, by profeffing themfelves to be wife. I found it among the Directions that Dr. Owen gives to those who are engaged against Arians, Socinians, or any other Enemies to the Deity of the Son and Spirit. "Above all Things, fays be, "take Heed of the Snare of Satan in affect"ing Eminency by way of Singularity. We "fhould strive to excel in Knowledge and Light 66 as well as Holinefs and Obedience. To do "this in the Road is difficult. Ahimaar had not outrun Cubis, but that he took a By-path.

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