376 NECESSITY OF HOLINESS FROM therefore a perfect rule of holiness and obedience. (3.) Clearness, perspicuity, and evidence, of divine truth and authority in all. Sect. 11.(First,) I-hereby, I say, the doctrine of Christ, for universal obedience, in all the duties of it, becomes to be absolute, everyway complete and perfect. And it is a notable effect of the atheistical pride of men, that pretending to design obedience (at least in moral duties) unto God, they betake themselves unto other rules and directions, as either more plain, or full, or efficacious, than those of the gospel, which are the teachings of Christ himself, as the great prophet and a- postle, sent of God to instruct us in our duty. Some go to the light of nature, and the use of right reason, that is, their own, as their guide; and some add the additional documents of the philosophers: they think a saying of Epictetus, or Seneca, or Arrianus, being wittily suited to their fancies and affections, to have more life and power in it than any precepts of the gos- pel. The reason why these things are more pleasing unto them than thecommands and instructions ofChrist, is because proceeding from the spring of natural light, they are suited to the workings of natural fancy and understanding; but those of Christ proceedingfrom the fountain of eternal spiritual light, are not comprehend- ed in their beauty and excellency, without a principle of the samelight in us, guiding our understandings, and influencing our affections. Hence, take any precept, general or particular, about moral duties, that is mate- rially the same, in the writing of philosophers, and in the doctrineof the gospel, not a few prefer it as deliv- ered inthe first way, before the latter. Such a contempt have men risen unto of Jesus Christ, the wisdom of God, and the great prophet of the church. When he entered upon his office, the voice came from the excel- lent glory, This is nay beloved Son, hear him. This succeeded into the room of all those terrible appearan- ces and dreadful preparations which God made use of in the giving of the law: for he gave the law by the ministryof angels, who being mere creatures, he mani- fested the dread of his own presence among them, to give authority unto their ministrations. But when he came to reveal his will under the gospel, it being to be done by him in whomdwelt the fulness of the Godhead bodily, and whowas intrusted himself with all divine power, he did nomore but indigitateor declare which was the person, and gave us a command in general to hear him. And this he did with respect unto what he had fixed beforeas a fundamental ordinance of Heaven, namely, that when he should raise up, andsend the great prophet ofthe church, whosoever would not _hear him should be cut of/from the people. A compliance there- fore with this command, in hearing the voice of Christ, is the foundation of all holiness and gospel-obedience. And if men will be moved neither with the wisdom, nor authority, nor goodness of God, in giving us this com- mand and direction for our good, nor with the consi- deration of the endowments and faithfulness of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in the discharge of his pro- phetical office, nor from the remembrance that it is 11E, and not Epictetus, or Seneca, or Plato, to whom, at the last day, they must give their account, so as to take him alone for their guide in all obedience unto God, and duty among themselves; they will find, when it is too late, that they have been mistaken in their choice. Sect. 12. Let us suppose, if you please, at present, for the sake of them who would have it so, that all our obedience consists in morality or the duties of it, which is the opinion of (as one well calls them) our modern heathens; from whence or whom shall we learn it, or to whom shall we go for teaching and instruction about it? Certainly where the instruction or system of pre, cepts is most plain, full, perfect, and free from mis- takes; where the manner of teaching is most powerful and efficacious, and where the authority of the teacher is greatest and most unquestionable, there we ought to apply ourselves to learn and be guided. In all these respects we may say of Christ as Job said of God, Who teacheth like him? Job xxxvi. 22. Then, probably, shall we be taught of God, when we are taught by him. The commands and precepts of duties themselves, which are given us by the light of nature, however improved by the wits and reasons of contemplative men, are many ways defective. Sect. 13. For, (1.) The utmost imaginations of men never reached unto that wherein the life and soul of ho.., liness doth consist, namely, the renovation ofour lapsed natures into the image and likeness of God. Without this, whatever precepts are given about the moderation of affections and duties of moral holiness, they are life- less, andwill prove useless. And hence it is, that by all
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