the Ufc of the Holy Scriptures. Chrift , SarH~tified and Scaled by the Holy Spirit, reftored to the Favour and Fricndfhip of God. rccovcrin?, the initials of his Image upon our Souls here on Earth, and expeCting rhe perfection of it in Heaven. What we fha\1 be in our final ll:ate of Glory, cloathed with Light, crown~ ed with S·ars, inebriated with pure fpiritual Joys. We fhall fee God as he is, know him as we are known by him~ love him ardently, converfe with him eternally, yea a ftate, it will be fa infinitely happy, that 'twill leave us nothing to hope for. Tbis Fourfold ftate of Man the Scripture doth evidently exprefs. Now thefc are fuch Things as wuld never have entrcd into our Hearts to have imagined, had not the Word of God defcribed them to us, and thereby inftru8ed us in the knowledge of our felves, as well as of God and Cbr ift. Now let 11s pllt thefe Six Particulars together. The Scripture inlhntl:s us in the knowledge of fuch Things as are intelligible only by Divine Revelation ; it reacheth us the moll: fublime and lofty Truths ; 'tis a molt inexbauftibk Fountain of Knowledge, the more we draw, lhe more ft ill fprings up; it teaches that Knowledge that is necelfary to Salvation ; it is of undoubted Certainty; and perpetual Truth; And Laftly, it informs us in the kllO\Vlcdge of our Selves ; and cerrainly, if there be any !hirft in you after KnmvIedge, lhere needs no more be fpoken to perfuade you to the diligen t ftudy of the Scripture, which is a rich Store and Treafury of all Wifdom ar.d Knowledge. Thus we have feen how the Scriptures inform the Judgment. Let us now brief~ Jy fee how they reform the Life, and what praCtical Influence t hey have upon t he Souls of Men. Now here illc Word of God hath a mighty Operation, and that in funday Particutars. 719 F idt, This is that Word that convinceth and humbles the ftouteft and proudeft Sinne rs. There are two forts of fecurc Sinners. Thofe who vannt it in the Con6.dencc of their own Righteoufnc[$; and thofe who are fccure through an infcnfibility of their own Wickednefs. Both tbefe the Word when it is fet home with Power, conv inceth, humbles, and brings to the Duft. It defpoils t he Self- Ju!litiary of all that falfe Righteoufi1cfs he once boa!led of and trufted to, I was alive ouce without the law ( faith St. Paul) but when the comm~tndmrnt came, fin revivrd, and I died, Rom. 7· 9· It awakens and alarms the fenfelefs, feared Sinner. How many h:~.ve there been that have fcorned God, and defpifed Religion, whom yet one Curfe or Threat of this Word hath made to tremble and fall down before the convincing Majefty and Authority of it? Secondly, This is that Word that fweetly comforts and raifeth them after their Dejctt:ions : All other Applications to a ""ounded Spirit are improper and impertinent. 'Tis only Scripture-Confolation that can cafe it. The lea'Vn of this book ~~~·e like rhe lcttves of that tret, Rev. 22· which were for the healing of the Nations. The fame Weapon that wounds muft here work the Cure. Thirdly, This is that Word that works the mighty change upon the Heart in Renovation . Take a Man that runs on in vile and defperatc Courfes, that fells himfelf to do l niqu~ty, and commits all manner Wickednefs with Greedinefs, and makes ufe of all the Arguments that Reafon can fnggeft ; thefe feldom reclaim any from their Debaucheries. Or if in fome few they do reform the Life, yet they can never change the Heart. But tlow that which no other Means can effeCt, the Word of God can, Pfal. 19. 7· The Jaw of God is perfeO con- 't.mting the s~ul . Fourthly, This is that Word that ftrcngthens and arms the People of God to endure the grcateft temporal Evils, only in hope of that future Reward which it promifeth. Fifthly, This that Word that cont:1ins in it fuch a Collection of Rules .!nd Duties, that whofoever obferves and obeys, Ihall in the end infallibly·obtain everIafting Life. Though I can but juft: mention thefe Haeds unto you, yet lhere is enough in them to perfuadc you to be diligent in the Scriptures. In rhem (faith our Saviour) ye thmk to have ttemt~l life. We arc all of us guilty Malefactors; but God hath been pleafed to afford us
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