Ver. i 7. the 17th Chapter of St. j O H N , 231 of Sins, Regeneration, the Gifts of the Spirit. t John 5. 8. There are three that bear Witnef in Earth, the Spirit, the Water, and the 'Blood. Every Office fboUld have a fd= lemn Confecration. Vfe i. Miniflers thould look to their inward Call. They that are defigned to ferve God in a fpecial manner, mull look after fpecial Purity. It breedeth Atheifm, when we do not live up to our Do&rine. People will fay, they mutt fay fomething for their Living. 2. Let People look to their choice of Miniflers. There is a great deal of difference between an Eloquent and an Experienced Pallor. Secondly, We now còme to the Means or Manner, how Chrifl's Requetl is to be ac complifhed by thy Truth, iv Ti) &1nOdq, it may be rendred in thy Truth, or by thy Truth, or through thy Truth, as Verf, 19. iv eiNntel , without an Article, that they may be fanflifed through the Truth ; or, as in the Margent,trny fanFíifed : but we better ren- der it by the Truth there is an Article T, not in Truth, but in the Truth; and it is pre, . fently added, thy Word is Truth. So that it noteth not the kind of their San&ificatí- on, but the Inflrument and Means. Now thefe words, by thy Truth, may be under - flood, either of God's Faithfulnefs, or his revealed Will, both which are called his Truth. Of God's Faithfulnefs, as Verf, t t. Tpaoav v o'vo'ee s= sP; fo here, &.yfamv iv Ti &1 ste'ce, as keep them by thy Power ; fo fanefify them by, or according to thy Truth and Eaithfulnefs. But this Exposition, tho plaufible, yet is not fo proper, becaufe it is prefently added, thy Word is Truth. By Truth then is meant, not his Faithfulnefs, but his revealed Will. Now God hath revealed his Will by the Light of Nature, or by the Light of his Word. That Will of God which is revealed by the Light of Nature, is called Truth ; fo the Gentiles are charged, Rom. 1.8. With holding the Truth in Vn- riihteoufnefs, Tl yvíä,sov, that which may be known of God, Verf. 19. is called Truth. How came the Gentiles by the Truth, who are orangers to the Covenant of Promife ? The Apotile anlwereth, much of God was known to them. But this Truth that is here fpoken of, is the Will of God made known in his Word, or the Knowledg of things neceffary to Salvation, concerning God and his Worlbip, firfl delivered by the Pro. phets, afterwards explained by Chrift himfelf to the Apoftles, and by them conftgned to the Church. Now the Truths delivered in the Word, may be referred to two Heads, Law, and Gofpel. The diflin&ion in Chri(l's Time, was Law and Prophets. In this placé Chrift chiefly intendeth the Gofpel, the Truth which they were fent to preach to others, Chrift would have them to have an experience of it themfelves: And it is notable, that in many places of Scripture, the Gofpel is called Truth ; not on. lyin oppoition to humane Writings, but alfo with refpe &to the Law, and other parts of Scripture, becaufe it is [ the Truth] by way of eminency ; as we call the Plague; the Sicknefs, as being the chief of the kind. Before I come to the Obfervations, I mutt clear up the latter part of the Text, Thy Word is Truth. Why is this added ? I Anfwer, Either by way of Explication, or by way of Argument and Keafon. r. By way of Explication. Chrift would pray intelligibly ; force might ask, as Pi- late did, What is Truth ? John a 8.38. Chrift anfweretb, Thy VVord is Troth. The Word is the autbentick and publick Record of the Church ; the Truth whereby we are fandified, is no-where elfe to be found; all pretended Truths are hereby to be ex- amined. 2. Or elfe by way of Argument, and Reafon, why Chrifi would have them to be fan&ified by the Truth, that they might have a Caving experience of the Power of it, and fo the better preach it to others : then we know the Truth of the Word, when it fanllifieth. This premifed, I come to the Point. Do&rine; That God fantlifietb by his Truth. I thall open the Point in thefe Pro, pofitions. r. God's way of working is by Light; anti in infufing Grace, he beginneth with the Underflanding. He dealeth with Man as a rational Creature ; and therefore not only teacheth, but draweth, and fandifieth the Heart by enlightning the Mind. As the t,
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