to that Standard or Rule of Faith which the Apoftles have left us.

But for the fuller Explication hereof, we must note that this Branch of our Vow obliges to all the Articles of our Faith.

1. Extenfive; that is, we must believe them All.

2. Exclufive; that is, we must believe Them and no

more.

1. I fay, our Faith muft extend to all thefe Articles : and that as was before obferv'd, because they are all grounded upon the fame Authority, being all equally the Dictates of a Divine Infallible Spirit. Infomuch that what St. James affirms concerning the Law, is true likewife of the Chriftian Faith; He that offendeth in one Point, is guilty of all. In like manner, he that rejects one Article, is guilty of the whole; becaufe in disbelieving one, he contemns that Authority that reveal'd and requires all the rest. The Apostles had the Holy Spirit fent to them, to lead them into all, and nothing but Truth; and therefore what they deliver'd must be embrac'd as true, and counted worthy of all acceptation. By rejecting any part of our Creed, our Faith becomes maim'd and imperfect, and may make us fall fhort of Salvation.

In a word, we engage here not to fhrink from the Confeffion or Belief of any one Article handed down from the Apoftles, or any one Truth contain'd in them.

2. Our believing all the Articles of the Christian Faith, here implies the Belief of thofe and no other: we may not coin new Articles of Faith of our own, nor yet receive any for current that are new-coin'd by others. Chrift is the fole Lord and Mafter of our Faith and Confcience, and therefore we must not become the Servants of Men, and enflave our Minds to their new-invented Doctrines. The Pharifees were rebuk'd by our Saviour for their teaching for Doctrines, or neceffary Points of Faith, the Commandments of Men; and laying heavy Burdens on other Mens Confciences, which themfelves would not touch with the leaft of their Fingers; Mat. 15. 9. & 23. 4. St. Paul declares, that if an Angel from Heaven fhould preach any other Gofpel, or add any new Articles of Faith to those we have recciv'd, we are to account him accurfed, Gal. 1. 8, 9. where we find this weighty Caution twice repeated and inculcated upon us.

We

We may indeed, and ought, to obcy fome external and alterable Rules of Order and Decency, for the greater Reverence and Solemnity of publick Worship; but we may not receive any new Points of Doctrine as neceffary to Salvation, nor fuffer doubtful Problems to advance into Articles of Faith. And therefore the new-coin'd Articles of Purgagatory, Tranfubftantiation, and the like, invented by the Church of Rome, are grofs Impofitions on the Faith of Chrif tians, and ought neither to be obtruded upon, or admitted by any.

and

Moreover, to believe it neceffary to Salvation, to abstain from fome forts of Meats, or fome indifferent Rites and Ceremonies in the Worship of God; to prohibit them as fimply unlawful, and not to be us'd upon peril of Damnation; are Additions to Religion, and making new Points of Faith. Such was theirs in the Apoftles days, who faid, in indifferent matters, Touch not, tafte not, handle not; of the fame kind is theirs in ours, who fay, Kneel not, ufe not a Form of Prayer, wear not a fuch a Garment, and the like; which being no where forbidden, may not be believ'd or abftain'd from as unlawful. Such Doctrines or Prohibitions as thefe, where they are urg'd upon our Belief or Practice, are grofs Infringements of Chriftian Liberty, and unwarrantable Additions to the Chriftian Faith; and confequently this Branch of our Vow wills us not to liften to, or be led away by them. Thus we fee the Senfe of what is requir'd and engag'd by us, when we promife to believe all the Articles of our Chriftian Faith; which is carefully to be obferv'd by all that are baptiz'd, upon pain of forfeiting all the Benefits and Privileges of Baptifm. To this we have farther Encouragement,

3. From the exceeding great Reward annex'd to our keeping to the Chriftian Faith. Our Bleffed Saviour, the Author and Finisher of our Faith, affures us, That he that believeth fhall be faved, Mark 16. 16. meaning, that he fhall partake of that great Salvation which he has purchas'd and promis'd to all his faithful Followers. Hence we find St. Paul declaring of himfelf, That he had fought the good Fight; which was his fulfilling of the first part of his Vow, by warring against thofe ghoftly Enemies: He had kept the Faith, which was his performing the fecond part of it, by believing all the Articles of the Chriftian Faith; and therefore, Henceforth (faith he) is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness, which God the Righteous Fudge shall give me

at

at the last Day, and not to me only, but to all that by Faith look for his Appearance.

Laftly, The Danger of deferting the Faith is no less dreadful and inexpreffible; for our Saviour in the fame place tells us, That he that believeth not, fhall be damn'd: where Hell is made the Portion of Unbelievers, and the hottest place of it is prepar'd for fuch as revolt from the Chriftian Faith.

DISCOURSE XV.

糕

MAT. xix. latter part of the 17th Verfe. If thou wilt enter into Life, keep the Command

I

ments.

Difcours'd the last time of the Second Condition requir'd and promis'd in the Baptifmal Covenant, which taught us what to believe, viz. All the Articles of the Chrif tian Faith. I proceed now to the

Third Condition requir'd in it, which directs us what we are to do; and that is, To keep God's holy Will and Commandments, and to walk in the fame all the days of our Life. Whereas the former gave us the great Rule of Faith to direct our Belief; this inftructs us in the great Rule of Life and Manners to regulate our Practice. Of this I fhall treat at this time from these words of our Saviour, If thou wilt enter into Life, keep the Commandments.

The Words are part of an Anfwer to a Queftion put to our Saviour by a certain Man, who, in the Verse before the Text, came to him and ask'd him, faying, Good Master, what good thing fhall I do, that I may have eternal Life? To whom our Saviour replies in the words read, If thou wilt enter into Life, keep the Commandments. To the fame purpofe our Catechifm teaches us, If we will enter into Life by the Door of Baptifm, we must keep God's holy Will and Commandments, and walk in the fame all the days of our Life.

For the Explication of this part of our Vow, we must enquire,

First, What is meant here by God's holy Will and Commandments.

Secondly, What by keeping his holy Will and Commandments.

Thirdly, What by walking in the fame all the days of our Life.

Fourthly, I muft fhew this to be a neceffary Condition of Life and Salvation,

:

For the First By God's holy Will we are to understand his reveal'd Will, as 'tis made known to us, either by the Light of Nature, or by the Light of Scripture; for both thefe ways he hath discover'd his Mind and Will unto Mankind. By the Light of Nature we are taught many great and important Truths; as, That there is a God, That he is to be worship'd, That Right and Juftice is to be done to all Men, and that we fhould do to others as we would be done by ourselves. These and many other Principles of Religion are engraven on our very Natures, and may be learn'd by the plain Deductions of common Reafon. This is a good Rule as far as it reaches, and helps to direct us in many weighty Duties both towards God and Man. Indeed this was all the Rule the Gentile World had to walk by, for they having no written Law, were (as the Apostle tells us) a Law unto themselves, having the Law of God written in their Hearts; their Thoughts the mean while bearing witness, and their Confcience accufing or excufing one another: Rom. 2. For which reafon they were faid to be left without Excufe, in Matters wherein they acted contrary to this natural Light.

But where this was defective, God Almighty hath fupply'd it to the Chriftian World by the Light of Scripture; he hath spoken to us in thefe latter days by his Son, whom he hath made Heir of all things, by whom also he made the World. This Son of God, who lay in the Bofom of the Father, hath reveal'd to us his whole Mind and Will; fo that we are not left to the blind and uncertain Conduct of Nature, but have a more fure Word of Prophecy, whereunto we do well to take heed, as to a Light fhining in a dark place. He hath given us his Word, to be a Light unto our Feet, and a Lanthorn unto our Paths; by this he hath directed us how to walk, fo as to please him and profit ourfelves. This is the holy Will of God.

By

By his Commandments, we are to understand that Law which was first given by Mofes on Mount Sinai, and after enlarg'd and expounded by Chrift on the Mount of Olives; in which he hath fully inftructed us in our Duty, and given us Precepts that far furpafs not only the dark Directions of natural Light, but the obfcure Revelation of Mofes's Law. In a word, we have there the moft excellent Rules for the Conduct of our Lives here, and to bring us to eternal Life and Happiness hereafter. These are his Commandments.

But, Secondly, What is it to keep God's holy Will and Commandments? In anfwer to which, 'Tis not barely to know the Will of God, or to keep his Commandments in remembrance, but to live in obedience to the one, and obfervation of the other; to make God's Will the Guide of our Lives, and his Commandments the Rule of our Actions. So that the great Duty here requir'd and expected from us, is Obedience; which being the laft and great Condition of the baptifmal Covenant, must be unfolded to you. which end I fhall, as briefly as I can, explain the Nature and Qualifications of true Obedience. For the Nature of it; 'tis the conforming our Lives and Actions to the Will and Ways of God: for his Will being the Measure and Standard of all Virtue and Goodnefs, is to be the Rule of our Lives, and the Meafure of our Obedience.

Το

Accor

dingly his Commandments teach us to demean ourselves towards God with all Piety and Devotion, to put our whole Truft in him, and to honour his holy Name and his Word. Towards Men they direct to all Acts of Justice, Honefty, and Charity; and likewife to all Sobriety, Meeknefs, Patience, and Contentedness towards ourselves. Now when we lead our Lives by thefe Directions, and fquare our Actions by these Rules, then do we fhew ourselves to be his Servants. So that as we are to try the Soundness of our Doctrines by the Touchftone of the Creed, fo are we to examine the Goodness of our Doings by the Standard of the Commandments. But how is our Obedience to God's Will and Commandments to be qualify'd, to render it acceptable? Why it must have three Qualifications to that end, viz. Sincerity, Integrity, and Conftancy.

ift, I fay, our Obedience must be accompany'd with Sincerity; that is, it must be true undiffembled Service, void of all Hypocrify or corrupt Defigns in ferving him: To this end, it must proceed from an inward Principle of Love, in

2

clining