246'. Sincere Obedience the bell Preparation SERm. our Saviour, of promifes, of threatnings, and X. rules of life. Thèfe all being delivered by vvv the divine author himfelf, or by his imme- diate meffengers, the apoftles guided by his Spirit, are according to his intention to be embraced by his difciples. But they are not all equally underftood, either becaufe they are not alike clearly revealed ; which in fart was the cafe in the firft age of chriftianity; force principles were but obfcurely hinted by our Saviour himfelf which are now articles of his religion. The belt of his difciples who upon clear conviction embraced this grand truth, which was the nthe fum of the chri- ftian creed, that he was the Was, a teacher fent from God, feem in a great meafure, and for a long time, ignorant of his dying on the crofs, as important as that dottrine now ap- pears to be by the declarations of the New Teftament. And when he was dead they were ignorant of his refurrettion. For St., 'John fays exprefsly *, that as yet they knew trot the fcripture, that he mi! rife again from the dead. Or, the cafe may be, that though the revelation of Chriftianity is compleated, yet force of its particular doctrines are not alike clearly and intelligibly propounded to * Joan xx. 9. men.
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