and all attempts, independent of the divine prescription, utterly fail. But when the soul doth really close with the gospel plan, when it "mixeth it with faith as a word of righteousness," the authority of the word in the conscience prevails, and the believer's peace is firm and stable. It satisfies the heart in its preferring spiritual, invisible, and eternal things before those that are present. When we are satisfied that it is good for us, that it is best for us, to forego present earthly things, for those things which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, merely on the authority of the word, testifying to the excellency and certainty of these invisible things; then we have an experiment of its divine

power.

§17. Obs. 9. The word of the gospel, in the dispensation of it, is "food" provided for the souls of men. There is a new spiritual life wrought in all that believe the life by virtue, of which, they live to God. The outward means of communicating this life is the word of the gospel, 1 Pet., i, 23, and God takes care to preserve it. Now as every thing is increased by the same means whereby it is ingenerated, the food God prepareth for this new creature is his word, 1 Pet. ii, 1-3. Hence wherever God will have a church there he will preserve his word. And where he abso lutely takes this away he hath no more family, no more church. So when the woman through the persecu tion of the dragon, was driven into the wilderness, in an obscure distressed condition, God took care that there she should be fed, Rev. xii, 6. He will never suffer this heavenly provision to be so removed from any that are truly his, but that a diligent hand shall find bread enough. Hence,

(1.) No judgment is so to be feared and deprecated, as being deprived of the "dispensation of the word.""

No judgment is like famine. "They that are slain with the sword, are better than they that are slain with hunger; for these pine away stricken through for want of the fruit of the field," Lam. iv, 9. And no famine like that of the word, which God threat-eneth as the sorest of his judgments, Amos viii, 11.

(2.) As no temporal mercy is so liable to be abus-. ed, as fulness of bread; which joined with pride and idleness, its usual companions, produced the sins of Sodom; Ezek xvi, 49. So is it with the fulness of this spiritual food; spiritual pride and spiritual sloth are apt to grow up with it, to corrupt and abuse it. Some are apparently proud and delicate, waxing wanton under their enjoyments, so that wholesome food is despised by them; nothing will serve them but some poisonous dainties. And some are slothful, thinking all pains and charge about the word too muchthough the word of eternal life. The curiosity and sloth of these days bode no good,

(3.) Those who, by any means, endeavor to obstruct the dispensation of the word, do their endeavor to famish the souls of men. They keep their "food" from them, without which they cannot live. Whether this be done by negligence, ignorance, or disability in those who take upon them to be God's stewards, but have none of his provision under their disposal; or whether it be done out of a real hatred to the word; the cruelty is dreadful, and the crime will be avenged.

(4.) The word is to be esteemed and sought after, as our daily food. Negligence and carelessness about the food of our souls are too great an evidence that there is no principle of life in us. Think not too much about your pains..

§18. Obs. 10. It is an evidence of a thriving and healthy state of soul, to have an appetite to the deep

est mysteries of the gospel, or most solid doctrines of truth, and to be able profitably to digest them. Whereas if you take others beyond milk, or first principles, ordinarily they are at a loss, and very little benefited by any provision you can make for them. But yet sometimes it falls out in these spiritual, as it doth in natural things. Some persons under distempers, having a false appetite, and their taste vitiated, greatly desire strong food, which is no way meet for them, and which, when they have eaten it, doth but heighten their distemper. That we may not be deceived, nor deceive ourselves in this matter, I shall give some differences between this property of thriving, healthy souls, and the inordinate longing of spiritually sick and distempered minds, after those things which are not meet for them.

(1.) The desires of the former are kept always within the bounds of what is plainly revealed in the written word; they have learned in all things to think soberly, "according to the analogy of faith." Rom. xii, 3. As for the other sort,-if any thing be new, curious, seemingly mystical, removed from the common sense and apprehensions of Christians without any due consideration whether it be a truth of God or no, are sure instantly to run greedily after it, and catch at the empty cloud.

(2.) The one, upon discovering any important mystery of the gospel, are greatly taken up with an holy admiration and reverence of God, whose these things are; the other sort satisfy themselves in their own speculation, without being much affected about the greatness and glory of God in the things which they imagine they know.

(3.) The former sort find real food and nourishment in this strong meat, so that their faith is strength.

ened, their love increased and holiness promoted in their souls by them; the others, whose desires proceed from the distempers of pride and curiosity, find none of these things. Hence it is, that we hardly ever see one of these notional persons either fruitful in themselves, or useful to others; neither can they bear that part of the yoke of Christ, which makes necessary the constant exercise of faith and love.

(4.) The former are always more and more humbled, the latter more and more puffed up by their fancied attainments, Col, ii, 18.

§19. To the foregoing observations we may add,

1. The assiduous exercise of our minds about spiritual things, in a spiritual manner, is the only means to make us profit in hearing the word. When our spritual senses are exercised, by reason of constant use, they are properly qualified to embrace and improve

what is offered them.

2. The spiritual sense of believers well exercised in the word of truth, is the best help in judging of what is good or evil, what is true or false, when proposed to them.

CHAPTER VI.

VERSE 1-3,

Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith towards God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do if God permit.

$1. The subject stated. $2 (1.) The general proposition. 3. (II.) The amplification of it. $4, 5 Repentance from dead works. $6 Faith towards God. $7,8 The resurrection of the dead. $9, 11 Eternal judgment. $12. The doctrine of baptisms. $13. The imposition of hands $14 (III.) The apostle's resolution of going on to perfection as before proposed. $15, 25. IV. Observations.

§1. In the first part of this chapter, comprised in the three first verses, there are three things considera

ble: A general proposition, containing the apostle's resolution to proceed to the more perfect doctrines of the gospel, and his passing over the first principles of Christianity: an amplification of this proposition:and a renovation of his resolution, with submission to the divine pleasure.

$2. (I.) The general proposition is; "therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection."

(410) Wherefore-This illative manifests that there is a dependence in what ensues, or what was discoursed on before; and that which follows may be either an inference from it, or be the effect of resolution occasioned by it; either this duty will hence follow, or seeing it is so, I am thus resolved to do. If the words be taken the former way, they declare his resolution in teaching; if in the latter, their duty in learning. It may be the apostle intends both; that he should proceed to their farther instruction, and that they should stir up themselves to profit accordingly, (AQɛvies) we leaving; omitting those discourses; laying aside farther speech concerning these things. But it deserves particular notice, that the signification of the word is to be limited to the present occasion. For consider the things here spoken of absolutely, and they are never to be left either by teachers or hear ers. There is a necessity that teachers should often insist on the rudiments, or first principles of religion; not only with respect to them who are continually to be trained up in knowledge from their infancy, but also those who have made a farther progress in knowledge. And this course we find our apostle to have steered in all his epistles. Nor are any hearers so to leave these principles. as to forget them, or not duly to make use of them. Cast aside a constant regard to