Saviour is full of mercy, and goodness, and conde scension; and inclines us to fear Him, and to love Him

too.

This is that faith by which we must be saved. This is that knowlege of the Son of God which is recommended to us in the text, in order to support our virtue, and make us "perfect men."

Secondly, I am to shew how this faith and knowlege is to be acquired.

II. Now for this knowlege, the text directs us, first, to the "Apostles, and Prophets, and Evangelists;" that is, to the holy Scriptures. And, secondly, to "the Pastors and Teachers;" that is, to the Church, by whom these Scriptures are to be interpreted, and enforced.

We must read the Scriptures, those fountains of knowlege, whence we "draw our living waters ;" which are so deep, that they can never be exhausted; and yet rise so high, that they are obvious and ready for every Christian's use.

There we read, in most positive express terms, how the eternal Word of God, who created us in the beginning, at last took our flesh upon Himself, for the Redemption of His creatures. There we find a perfect scheme of all the mysteries, and methods, whereby the Wisdom of God has wrought out our Salvation : the knowlege of which is so very excellent, that St. Paul, justly, accounts all other things but loss, in comparison with the knowlege of Jesus Christ.

Therefore let us search the Scriptures, for in "them we, certainly, have eternal life." From thence we must fetch the knowlege of Jesus Christ; and there is nothing else either necessary, or, in comparison,

worthy

worthy to be known. According to these measures we must regulate our faith, without either adding, or diminishing; for to believe more than is there revealed, is superstition; and to believe less, is heresy; against both which corruptions in Religion, the written Word of God is an evident, and certain, rule.

But no Scripture can be so evident and plain, but that men, either through negligence, confidence, or design, may misinterpret it, and wrest it to their own "destruction." Of which, the doctrine in the text is a deplorable instance. And, therefore, besides this rule, God saw it necessary that we should have a Guide withall. And the Guide which He has provided for us, is the Church; where the Holy Ghost presides, and leads us into all truth," and has promised to be with us "unto the end of the world."

If, therefore, we would improve in the knowlege of Jesus Christ, we must "hear the Church," by whom this knowlege is, duly, taught, and these Scriptures, orthodoxly, explained. Here all the articles of the Christian Faith are collected, as it were, and incorporated into a body; that they may not lie scattered at the mercy of unbelievers, nor hang loose upon every particular believer's mind: but by wholesome discipline, and regular instruction, the Word of God may be made effectual, and both Grace and knowlege may abound. And thus it is that the Priest's lips pre"serve knowlege."

This uniting of his Church, our Saviour thought the surest way to preserve the unity of faith, and the purity of Religion. Though the wisdom of these later times has found, that a religion, such as it is, may be preserved without a Church: and, therefore, some would persuade us, that if we do but maintain the docVOL. III. trine,

P

trine, there is no discipline to be regarded: and, it is an indifferent thing, whether we are of one Church, or another; whether there be only one Church, or many more than one; nay, at last, whether there be any one Church, or no Church at all.

In answer to which heathenish positions, I shall only say at present, that Christ has appointed one, and but one holy Catholic Church throughout the world, as a guardian of the holy Scriptures, for the preservation of true doctrine, and wholesome discipline. And therefore, to forsake that Church, for preaching up those doctrines which are agreeable to Scripture, is heresy : and to forsake it, for preserving such good discipline as is not contrary to Scripture, is schism, from both which, our Church, very piously, teaches us to pray, "Good Lord deliver us."

And here I cannot but observe that, by the prodigious growth of impiety, heresy, and blasphemy, of late amongst us, we may plainly see, what we have got by neglecting the unity of the Faith, and breaking the unity of the Church. Would to God that all they, who think it so small a crime to break the unity of the Church, would, seriously, consider, what damage they do, thereby, to the unity of the Faith, and, by consequence, to the purity of manners! And that they may consider it, and understand it too,

I proceed to shew, thirdly, the necessary connexion which there is between Faith, and Virtue; and the mutual dependence which they have upon one another.

III. Now, virtue is necessary to prepare the way for faith. Some, perhaps, may think it an easy thing to be a Christian; they look upon Christianity not as a covenant, but a birth-right. And accordingly, they

consider

consider it not so much their duty, as their privilege. And as they owe the first notions of their Faith to chance, rather than to choice; so, to the same blind chance they leave all the progress which they ever

make.

Thus we see many who call themselves Christians, and live many years in the open profession of the Gospel, and yet go out of the world as ignorant, almost, as they entered in; and have nothing to shew for their Christianity at last, but a bare Christian name.

Though they make a constant confession of their faith, and duly rehearse all the articles of their Creed, yet, even this is nothing but formality, a superficial repetition of the words, without ever diving into their sense, and importance. We profess to believe in God the Father, without paying Him the reverence that is due from sons. We profess to believe in Jesus Christ our Lord, and yet deny Him the obedience that is due from servants. We say, we believe in the Holy Ghost, yet never consider the obligation which He lays upon us also to be holy. We declare "our belief in the "Resurrection of the Dead, and the Life of the World "to come;" but who can believe us, when they see us live as if we should never die, and die as if we were never to rise again?

Though the Gospel is, daily, read, and explained in our ears, yet it makes no impression upon our hearts; and that, because we come unto it with hearts unsanctified, and unprepared. For, how can we comprehend either the mysteries, or the promises, of the Gospel, when we entertain those lusts and prejudices in our bosom, to which the Gospel is a downright contradic

tion?

As for the promises, they are too glorious for a sensual man to expect, and too spiritual for him to understand. They are such a pearl as a swinish man either knows not how to value, or knows that he does not deserve.

And then, the mysteries of the Gospel are of so sublime a nature, that they are above the reach of flesh and blood; and our spirits must be purified, and disengaged, before they can soar up to Heaven, or meditate upon the deep counsels of the Almighty. These are the wonderful works of God, which the Psalmist tells us, are sought out only by those who have a "pleasure in them." But what pleasure can it be to a vicious man to hear of the mysteries of Redemption, when he neither hopes to obtain the Redemption, nor desires to understand the mystery? Sin draws a mist before our eyes, depraves our judgment, and darkens our understanding; and no man is so quick sighted, as to see the way to happiness through the clouds of vice.

But, as Virtue is necessary to prepare the way for Faith, so Faith is necessary for the perfecting of Virtue. No doubt, but every man, who reflects upon himself, must needs be sensible of great defects, and know, that he stands in need of all the supplies of Rcligion, to support him against the infirmities of his na

ture.

How great an endearment to mankind was our Saviour's birth, that God himself should vouchsafe to come down, and live among us? So generous an act of love must needs engage the affections of every grateful man, and force him to "grow in Grace," as hc. grows in this knowlege of the Son of God."

If we consider His life, it was still more endearing

than

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