Ver. 3. the 17th Chapter of St. JI O H N. 3 i to the juft extent of the Rule of Faith. As in the. Commandments, where all moral Duties are reduced to ten words ; fo in the Summaries of the Gape], far more is in- tended than is expreffed. As for inftance : There are two things in the Teat, the Means, and the Object The Means, know ; the Obje &, Thee, and Jefiar Chrift. I. The Pt/leans, Know. It implieth Acknowledgment, Faith, Fear, Reverence, Love, Worship, and the glorifyingGod in our Converfations. For it is eafy to prove, out of Scripture, the neceffary concurrence of all thefe things, in their Order and Place. For if I know God to be the only true God, I mutt fear, reverence, and obey him, or elk I do not glorify him as God ; as it is laid of the Heathens, Rom. I. 21. When they knew God, they glorified himnot as God. It is not a naked fight of his Effence that will fave a Man ; I mull know him for a pra&ical End, to chufe him, and carry my felt to him as an Allfuflìcient Portion : I mull honour him, as the Giver of all things ; revere and worlhip him, as the juft Governor of theWorld ; and live purely, as he is pure ; and worlhip him in a way fuitable to the Infinitenefs, Perfe &nefs, and Simplicity of his Nature. A Man is not Caved by holding a tight Opinion of God. A Man may be a Chriltian in Opinion, and a Pagan in Life. So, if I know jefes Chrift to be lent of God as Mediator, I am to dole with him, receive him as fuch by an a&ive Faith. A&s 4. I a. There is no Salvation in any other : not only by no other, but in him, it noteth Union and dole Adherence , and not only that I fhóuld be of this Opinion. As when a Man is ready to perilh in the Floods, it is not enough to fee Land, but he mull reach it, ftand upon it, if he would be fate : fo we mutt get into the Ark ; many law it, and fcoffed, but all others were drowned in that general Wrack, that were not in it. There was no fecurity for the Man - (layer, till he got into the City of Refuge. Phil. 3.9. That I may be found in him. It is not enough to cry, Lord, Lord, to have a naked Opinion, or general and look Deliires. 2. For the Obje 1. To know thee the only true God. There are many Articles com- prized, that are neceffary to Salvation ; as that God is but one. Deut. 6. 4. Hear, 0 Ifrael, the Lord thy God is one Lord. One in three Perlons, 1 John 5.7. There are three that bear record in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Iloly Ghofl ; and thefe Three are One. This God is a Spirit, John 4.24. God is a Spirit, and they that worlhip him; muß worfhip him in Spirit and in Truth. He is Holy, Juft, Infinite, the Creator of all things; that he upholdeth all things in his Eternal Decree, railing Tome to Glory, leaving others, by their Sins, to come to Judgment. Rom. 9. 22, 23. What if God, willing to fbew his Wrath, and to make his Power known, endured with much long fufering the'Peffels of Wrath fitted to defirutlion 5 and that he might make known the Riches of his Glory on the Veldt of Mercy, which he had afore prepared unta Glory ? All thefe Articles concerning God. So concerning Chrifl,that he is the Second Perlon, incarnate, anoin- ted to be a Saviour, to convincethe World of Sin, of Righteoufnefs, of Judgment, John 16.8. Of Man's mifery by Nature, Redemptionby Chrift, neceflity of Holinefs, as Foundation of Glory: All the Articles of the pra &ical Catechifm. It is a peftilent Opinion to think, that every Man may be laved, if he do in the general acknowledg Chrift. It is Caid, Alin 2.21. Whofoever f/sall call on the Name of the Lord, (hall be fa- ved ; not on the Lord, but on the Name of the Lord ;.by the Name of the Lord is meant, all that which (hall be revealed to us of the Lord Jefus in the Scriptures : The meaning is, whofoever doth receive, acknowledg and wor(hip Chrift, according to what the Scriptures do reveal, and teftify of him, (hall be faired Many think the dif- ferences of Chriftendom vain, and this general Faith enough : but if a general Ac- knowledgment were enough, why bath God revealed fo many things, and givén us fuch an ample Rule, if with fafety to Salvation we may be ignorant, whether he were true God, and true Man ; whether he redeemed us by Satisfa &ion, or juftified us by Works, yea or no ? They teem to tax the Scriptures of Redondances, and the Apoftles of ralh Zeal, for difputing with fuch earneftnefs for the Faith of the Saints,as Paulagainft Jußitiaries, James againft the Antinomißs and Libertines ; if a general Profeffton of Chrilt was enough. So they tax the Martyrs of Folly, that would (hed their Blood for lets - concerning Articles. So all be refolved into Chrift, Men think it is enough ; we need not inquire into the manner of the Application of his Righteoufnefs, the Efficacy and Merit of his Patiion : as if it were enough to hold a few Generals; and the more implicit our Faith, the better. Whereas the Lord would have us to abound in Knowledg ; and if we perftfi in any particuitr Error againft Light, or do not fearch it out, our Cafe is dangetoús, if not datiniable F Iheli not take upon me td determine;
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