38 SERMONS tspart Serm,27;. over ? Still all mutt be examined by the Word. John 3.21. He that doth Truth, cometh to the Light, that his Deeds may be mule manifefi that they are wrought of God ; he trioth every Attion by it : Only the Word is our Rule in all our Aáions, we feek to it as our Guide, obey it for Truth's fake. tiff 2. Exhortationb I. Beware of Error. It is a defiling thing ; the more mixture of Falfhood, the 1eí awe of God upon the Soul, and the more carnal Affeáions are gratified. A confiant ufe of theWord difcovers Sin. 2. To preis you to wait upon God for the purifying of your Hearts through the Word, in the ufe of the Word, through the Spirit, to look for the Purification and Sanaification of your Souls. Here I Ihould peels you to take heed, That you hear, How you hear, and What you hear. 1. That you hear. You need wait upon God, and hearken diligently. The Apo - file infers it, games 1. 18. Of his own Will begat he is by the Word of Truth ; What then ? therefore be fwift to hear: Continually you will find fome new Enforcement, or new Confideration to promote your Holinefs and San&ification. 2. Take heed what ye hear, Mark 4. 24. You mutt get the diftinguilhing Ears that as the Mouth talleth Meats, fo the Ear may tafte Do &rines, and you may judg of Things that differ. 3. Take heed How you hear, Luke 8.18. that is, wait for the Operations of the Spi- rit, do not hear carelefly, negligently. It is laid, Atis ro. 44. While Peter was peak - ing thole things, the Holy Ghofi fell upon them. While we are .fpeaking to you, there are many good Motions furred up in your Hearts. Take heed how you hear, that the Blefíing may not efcape from you. Tby Word is Truth. The Point which I ant now to difcufs is, The Truth of the Word. In managing this Difcourfe, I Ihall thew ; I. What Neceffity there is that God fhould give us his Word, or a Declaration of his Will. Il. Where we (hall infallibly find this Word or Declaration of his Will. III. Of what Concernment it is to be eftabli(hed in the Truth of this 'Word. IV. Whether it be poflible, that Carnal Men, remaining fo, can have any Affu- rance of this Truth ; or whether it be only left to be cleared up infallibly to the Soul, by the Light and Working of the Spirit. I. What neceffity there is of God's Word, or force outward fignificatiott of his Will. An abfolute Neceflity of an outward Rule there is not, God might imrnediatly reveal himfelf to the Heart of Man,; he who made the Heart, cari (tamp it with the full knowledg of his Will. But the written Word is heft for God's Honour, and for the fafety of Religion, and becaufe of the weakneí of our Nature. 1. For the Honour of God, that he Ihould give Man a Rule. You know all Crea- tures that God bath made, they have a Rule without rhemfelves, by which they are guided and ditched in their Operations. It is God's own Priviledg to be a Rule to himfelf. The Angels have a Rule, that is di(tiná from their Effence. And in Inno- cency, tho God (tamped the Knowledg of his Will immediatly upon Man's Heart, that Adam's Heart was as it were his Bible, yet his Rule was dillinguifhed from his Effence, gtherwife he could not have finned againfi God. If Man were his own Rule, there would be an impofftbility of finning, and fo there would be an intrenchment upon God's own Privilege. You know it is God's own Privilege, that his Aá is his Rule, and therefore it is impo(lible that God fbould fin. Look, as when a Carpenter chop - peth and fquareth a piece of Timber, there is a Line and Rule without him, by which he is guided and direáed : If it were to be fuppofed, that his Hand could never ftrike amifs, that would be his Rule, he would need no Line or Rule without him. But this is proper to nio Creature, it is God's own Privilege, that his Effence and his Rule are not diftinguifhed ; but Will a Man Ihould not (hare with him in his peculiar Privilege, therefore he hath given him a Rule. Betides, if 'Man were a Rule to himfelf, there would
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