tions, nor their refined Phrases ; it is not any affected, new fangled Way of expreffing the awful and tremendous Truths of the Gofpel; it is not their contemning the Weakneffes of fome, nor their judging the Miscarriages of others: But it is the careful and confciencious Pra&tice of these mean and flighted Duties of a Christian Life, that gives a Luftre to Religion, and makes the Face of it look beautiful and amiable. And therefore the Apostle, after he had given fuch a ftrict and particular Charge concerning these fundry Duties, fubjoins the Reason why he would have him so inftant in exhorting them to these; and that is in the Words of my Text, That they may adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour in all Things.

Now here I fhall,

First, Confider what is meant by the Doctrine of God our Saviour. And then,

Secondly, What it is to adorn this Do&rine.

To the First briefly. Though God be an effential Name, and therefore common to each glorious Perfon of the ever

bleffed

bleffed Trinity, yet that Addition of [our Saviour] feems to restrain it to the Second Perfon, our Lord Jefus Chrift, who is God our Saviour in a most efpecial Manner. And this Doctrine of God our Saviour, here fpoken of, is nothing else but the Gospel of Chrift; containing, both those Truths which Chrift himself immediately taught, and those also which he by the Holy Ghost inspired the Apoftles and Penmen of the Scripture to reveal unto the World.

Now the whole Sum of this Doctrine of Christ confists in these Two Things: First, In Principles, containing the Mysteries of Faith.

Secondly, In Precepts, enjoining the Duties of Obedience.

Some Things in the Doctrine of our Sa viour we are to know and believe, which could never have been difcovered to us, but by Divine Revelation. Such are, the Myfteries of the Trinity, the Incarnation of the Son of God, the Redemption of the World by his Death and Paffion, the Way of obtaining Juftification and eternal Salvation by believing; and fuch other profound Truths, which neither Reason, nor the Works of Creation and Provi→ dence could ever have disclosed to us, but are now made known only by the Gospel. R 2 Other

Other Things in this Doctrine, we are commanded not only to know and believe, but to practife: And those are, not only all the Duties of the Moral Law, refpecting both God and Man, which are now taken into the Pale, and within the Protection of the Gofpel; but also the Duties that immediately belong unto the Covenant of Grace; fuch as our Believing on Jefus Chrift, Accepting him in all his Offices, and Relying upon him alone for Life, and eternal Happiness. This in Sum is the Doctrine of God our Saviour: And by this, we may the easier give a Refolu

tion to

The Second Thing propounded; What it is to adorn this Doctrine: And that I fhall do both Negatively, and Pofitively.

First, Negatively: It is not to add any new Beauty or Excellency unto it, which was not in it before: For this Doctrine is every Way perfect and compleat. And fo it is affirmed to be, Jam. 1. 25. Whoso looketh into the perfect Law of Liberty. There is nothing fuperfluous, nothing defective in it, but a perfect Symmetry, and Harmony of Parts, each of them (as it is in a beautiful Body) lovely in it felf; and all of them taken together, mutually fet

ting off, and making each other more
beautiful and lovely. Here need no un-
written Traditions, to which the Roma-
nifts give an equal Veneration with the
Scriptures: For either their Traditions are
confonant to Scripture, and fo are unne-
ceffary; or contrary to Scripture, and fo
are pernicious. And if it be faid, They
may be divers from Scripture, and yet
not contrary to it; as delivering down
to the World thofe Truths, and those
Duties, concerning which the Scripture
hath made no mention: I answer; This
is not to be divers only, but contrary;
for the Scripture it felf hath `faid
2Tim.3. 16,17. that it is all given by Infpira
tion of God, and is profitable for Doctrine, for
Reproof, for Correction, for Instruction in
Righteousness: That the Man of God
perfect, throughly furnish'd unto all good Works.
There can therefore be no unwritten Tra-
ditions joined in Commiffion with the
Scriptures; but if they speak according
to that Word, they may be received as
Truths rightly collected from it; but if
they lay down Doctrines repugnant to
Scripture, or teach any Thing as necef-
fary to be believed and imbraced which
is not contained in those facred Oracles,
they ought to be rejected as old Lies, and
Tales forged by the old Father of Lies,
only

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R 3

may

be

only to deceive the Minds of the Simple. And those that think their Religion beautiful because of these, take Trash and Dung for Ornaments, and Monftrousness for Beauty: And in their Opinion, that Giant mentioned 1 Sam. 21. 20. that had fix Fingers on each Hand (more than Nature intended), muft pass for the most comely Perfon. Certainly the Doctrine of Chrift is so entire and perfect, that it needs no new Additions to eek it out, nor any of the Paint of the Antichriftian Jezebel to beautify and adorn it.

Secondly, To adorn the Doctrine of Chrift, is not to dress it up in any new Fashion, or new Mode of Religion. Truly, there is a kind of Garb of Religion now Abroad: We must not speak, and I am fure we do not act like the Chriftians of elder Times. Their Simplicity and Plainnefs, both of Speech and of Converfation, is now worn as much out of Requeft, as their Cloaths are: And those Truths which warm'd their Hearts, and fav'd their Souls; thofe Truths by which they liv'd, and for which they would have died; are now look'd upon by the fprucer Chriftians of our Age, as old-fafhion'd Things, and fo laid afide. Some trim it up in uncouth Phrafes, and never think they speak like the Oracles of God,

unless