directly tends to difpel these errors, and refcue mankind from the mifery that attends them. For all that the gospel contains may be reduced to these three heads: First, the affertion of one only true God, with a bright and full revelation of his divine Attributes and Perfection. Secondly, an account of the will of God, or the worhip he delights in, which is a fpiritual one, together with fuitable means and motives; in which laft is contained a full declaration of man's fupreme happiness. Thirdly, the revelation of one Mediator between God and man, the man Chrift Fefus; through whom we have access with boldness to the throne of grace; through whom we have obtained from the Father, grace, and pardon, and adoption; and through whom, lastly, all our oblations and performances are acceptable to him. The defign of this glorious manifeftation was to open mens eyes, to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to the living God: that they might obtain remiffion of fins, and an inheritance of glory. Thefe then are the truths which illuminated the Gentile and Jewish world: and thefe are the truths which muft illuminate us at this day. Thefe difpel all deftructive errors that lead us to vice or mifery: These point out our fupreme felicity, and the direct way to it: thefe open and enlarge the

eye

eye of the foul, enable it to distinguish and judge with an unerring exactness between good and evil, between fubftantial and fuperficial, temporal and eternal good. And I wifh from my foul, whatever light we pretend to at this day, we were well grounded and established in these truths. I doubt notwithstanding our belief of one God, and one Mediator; and notwithstanding we are well enough affured, that God, who is a Spirit, must be worshipped in spirit and in truth; and notwithstanding our pretending to believe a life to come; I fay, I am afraid, that notwithstanding these things, we do generally err in two main points; namely, in the notion we ought to have of religion, and the value we are to fet upon the world and the body. For who, that reflects upon the pomp and pride of life, upon the ease, the softness and the luxury of it, upon the frothiness and the freedom, the vanity and impertinence, to fay no worse, of converfation, will not conclude, that either we have renounced our religion, or form to our felves too complaifant and indulgent a notion of it? for is this the imitation of Jefus ? is this to walk as he walked in the world? can this be the deportment of men to whom the world and the body is crucified? can fuch a life as this is flow from thofe divine fountains, faith, love, and hope ? who

again can reflect upon the paffion we difcover for fuperiority and precedence, our thirst of power, or ravenous defire of wealth, and not conclude, that we have miftaken our main end, that we fet a wrong value upon things; and that whatever we talk of an eternity, we look upon this preJent world as our portion, and most valuable good? for can fuch a tender concern for, fuch an eager pursuit after, temporal things, flow from, nay consist with, purity of heart, and poverty of spirit, the love of God, and a defire of heaven? Whoever then will be perfect or happy, must carefully avoid both these errors: he must never think that religion can fubfift, without the ftrength and vigour of our affections: or, that the bent and vigour of our fouls can be pointed towards God, and yet.the air of our deportment and converfation be earthly, fenfual, and vain, conformed even to a pagan pride, and fhew of life. Next, he must never cherish in himself the love of this world: he must never look upon himfelf other than a stranger and pilgrim in it: he must never be fond of the pleasure of it: he must never form vain defigns and projects about it; nor look upon the best things in it, as ingredients of our happiness, but only as inftruments of virtue, or fhort repafts and refreshments in our journey. And because all our mistakes about the na

ture

ture and Perfection of religion, and the value of temporal things do generally arite from περις] άκαρπα. that peculiar Gin to which our conftitution betrays us; therefore the knowledge of our felves, an intimate acquaintance with all our natural propenfions and infirmities, is no inconfiderable part of illumination. For we fhall never addrefs our felves heartily to the cure of a difeafe which we know nothing of, or to the rectifying any inclination, till we are thoroughly convinced that 'tis irregular and dangerous.

2. The fecond character of illuminating truths is, that they are fuch as feed and nourish, corroborate and improve the mind of man. Now the properties of bodily ftrength are fuch as thefe: it enables us to baffle and repel injuries, to bear toil and travel, to perform difficult works with fpeed and ease; and finally, it prolongs life to a much further date, than weak and crazy constitutions can arrive at. And of all these we find fome refemblances in Spiritual ftrength; but as much more perfect and excellent, as the fpirit is above the body. Thefe truths then are indeed illuminating, which enable us to vanquish temptations, to endure with conftancy and patience the toils and hardships of our Chriftian warfare, to discharge the duties of our station with zeal and vigour; and M

which,

which, laftly, render us firm, fteddy, and immortal. And thefe are the glorious effects which are attributed to the truths of God. Hence is the gospel called the power of God unto falvation, Rom. i. 16. And hence it is, that we read of the armour of God, Ephef. vi. II. The fword of the fpirit, the field of faith, the breaft-plate of righte oufness, &c. to intimate to us the strength and virtue of the word of God, and that it brings with it fafety and fuccefs. And hence it is, that the word of God is faid to quicken and strengthen; that man is faid to live, not by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God; that righteousness is called everlasting; and that he that doth the will of God is affirmed to abide for ever: to teach us plainly, that there is nothing steddy and unalterable, nothing durable, nothing eternal, but God, divine truths, and thofe that are formed and moulded by them.

There are truths indeed which are merely barren and unactive, which amuse and fufpend the mind, but never benefit it but there are others which are, in the language of Solomon, like health to the navel, and marrow to the bones: wisdom and virtue, life and honour, the favour of God and man, attend them where'er they dwell. And these are the truths which illuminate: truths that are active and fruitful; that make us wife