192 An Expofttion of the Epijlle --~------~~--~~---- -~--------~to beget a!Turance in the hearts of the godly. We are all faved by the fame Faith Ser.X!V. and are capable of the fame Alfurance, and ihall have all the fame Salvation. i~ ~is calledCommmt SalvtltJolt, Jude vrrf. ~· That is the Obfervation from the'Coherence, In whomye alfo trujled, or obtained tin I11heritance, (for you may put in both) or obtawed it by Faith, or by trujling, afur; ·ott heard,f~c. Afttryo11 hrard.] He iheweth that their Faith was wrought by hearing. I will not !land upon that, only this Obfervarion I ihall give you out of it, That prefenrly, as it were, after they beard, they believed ; the Gofpel came no fooner to them but they were convened. It was the manner in the Primitive rimes, God made quick work th~n. You ihall find it backed by what is faid to the Colo.flians, Chap. 1.6. he faith there, that they had obrytdfrom the fir{/ day that they heard the Gofpd. Which, my Brethren, may ihame us; we live under the Gofpel many years; it is not after we have heard, but after we have beard and heard again, that we are turned unto God. How obedient were they! From the firjl day faith the Apol\le of the Coto.fliam, there; After you heard, faith he, here, as it were prefently upon it. I come Secondly to the E1tcomittms which here the Apo!Ue giverh the Gof– pel, by which they were converted. He calls it fir!t a word of trttlh, and fc– condly, the Gofpet of yot~r(atvatioH. I ihall but bnefly fpeak of thefe two,and f11all ihew you firft fingl y , why the Gofpel is called a word of truth, and why the Gofpel of their falvation. Secondly, I ihall ihew you joy nrly why both are here mentioned together. Firft; The Gofpel is called a word of truth, not only becaufe it is a true word, as being an He6rewi(m,but it is ,a,.&,., T.i<iM9ii«, a word oj a11 emilunt truth.The greatelt Truth that ever God uttered, or ihail utter, is tlie Gojpet of(alvation 6y Jefus Chrijl; therefore it is_called the Gojpet of that Truth,as we may fo expound it. When our Sav10ur Chnfi told them that he was the Mejfiah, John 8.40. what faith he? I te!J you the trfllh, faith he. w hich I heard of God; the greate!t fecret, the higheft truth that ever wa,, which I heard of God, and which came down from Heaven; as he telleth P J!,zte, Job. r8.~7· that f or thiuaujt he came i11to the world to fprak the tr11th. What was that truth? That he was the Son of GodandtheMe.fliahof the world, I11him (faith the Apofile, 2Cor,t,2o,) are all thePromzfes of God Tea, and in him Amm. He cloth not only fay, ilz him thry are Tea; ii Tea will not ferve, faith he, you ihall hove.Amen to it; it is a truth of Truths, it bath Te,z to it and Amm to it too. To give you an Infiance more. My Brethren, there is no Truth that ever God fwore to, but this : the Law is all truth, but tne Law was made without an Oath, for if it had been with an Oath we had been in an ill cafe, for God could then never have recalled it; what is a meer threatning he recalleth, but what is done with an Oath he never recalls. The Gofpel is fealed with an Oath(God f..veareth byhi??Jfttf,Hcb.6.r 3.) never any Truth was fealed with an Oath but the Gofpel, the Promife made to ./1/;raham. It may Secondly be called awordof Truth in oppolition to the Law, for the Law reprefented but a ihadow; but now faith he, you have the Truth, you have Cbrifi, that is the fubfiance of all the Law, you have him revealed a11d tendred to you in the Gofpel. It is a word of Truth, of Chrifi that is the Truth. The Law came hy MoJes,faithhe, but Grace andTruth hy .7e{11s Chrijl, Joh,J.I]. Let your hearts, my Brethren, get hold by faith of this Truth. There are many Controverfies in the World on foot, as ab~;mt the worihip of God and a thoufand fuch things, Though there be a truth in them, and a truth thou mu!t inquire into, yet if thou haft learned this Truth to lay hold upon falvation re– vealed in tbe Gofpel, thou halt learned the greatefi truth of all, more tbao all Truths whatfoever, And believe this Gofpel, that it is a word of Truth. The greater truth it is the more itrequireth Faith, and the greater fin it is not to believe it ; therefore the Apoale aggravateth th~ fin of Unbelief of the Gofpel, r Job.s.ro. He )hat hetieveth 1JOt thu Gojpel, fa11h he, thu record that God givuh of hts So1l, bath madr God a liar; for God bath uttered the greate!t Truth of all in the Gofpel, he bath bound it with an Oath, which he never did any Truth elfe, he bath ' rcaUy
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