283 / 504
GenerallOblervations- ofGofpell-
:T`Puthes.
For the making our
way
cleare
to the
demonf-
ration
of
that
influence,
227
which the Do&rine
of
the
Perfeveraece
of
the
,Saints
bath into their
Obed ence,
and
clofe -
walking with
God,
and
fo
to
manifef
-,
what weight
is
to
be
lay'd
upon
it,
on.
that Confideration;
I
than give
forte
prLvieusobjérvations, which
may direct, and give
us
light
in
our
paffage,
both
concerning
Gofpell
Truths,
Gojell
Obedience,
and
Gofpell
Motives
thereunto;
I
hope it will not be
thought
atniffe,
if
I
loóke
a
little
backwards
to
fortify and cleare this
part
of
our progrefle;
there
being no concernement
of
our Do&rine,
that
is
more
clamoured
by
the
Adverfaries
of
it; nor can
any
refpeft
of
it,
or
any
Truth
of
God,
more
caufelefsly
meet with
fuck
entertainement;
as
I
hope
will
abun-
dantly
(in
the
progreffe
ofour
bufineffe) be evinced;
to
the
confciences
of
all, who know
indeed,
what
it
is
to walke beforeGod,
in
a
courfe
of
Gof-
pell
Obedience, and who have their communion with the Father, and
his
Sonne
Jefus
Chrif
-.
For the
firft
.
t.
Every
Truth
revealed
from
God
is
to
be
received not only with Faith,
and
Love,
but
with equal!
Reverence
to
any
that
is
revealed, though
w8
are
not able
to
difcerne
fuch an immediate
tendency
unto
ufefullneftè in
our
Communion with him,as
in
forte
others
we
nay;
The
formall Reafon,where-
untoour
Faith,
Love,
and
Reverence
unto the Word
of
God
isreftblved,
is,
that
it
is
His:
Now
this
is
common
to
the
whole,
for
lie
is
the Author
of
eve
ry part, and portion
a
like; And though perhaps we may want
forte part
of
it,
at
a leffe
fatal! price
then forte other,
yet
to
reject
any
one title
or
jot of
it,
as
that
which
is
revealed
of
God,
is
a fufficient
demonftration,
that
no
one
jot
or
title
of
it,is
received, as
it
ougght;upon
whatever thisTitle
&
Infcription
is
Verbum
Phew,
there mutt
we ffoope
and bow downe our
foules
before
it
and
captivate
our
Vnderf
andings
to
the
obedience
of
Faith;
Whatfoever then
may hereafter be fpoken,concerning
the
ufefulneffe
of
theTruth
underConfi-
deration,
and
that
comparative regard,
which, in
refpeEt
of
others, ought on
that
account
to be
had thereunto, doth not
in
the
leaf-
exalt it
(
as
it
is.in
it
felfe, in refpe
t
of
Faith and
Reverence
due
thereunto )above
any
other
Truth
whatfoever,that
is
in
Scripture revealed.
2'
That
next
to
the.
Revelation
of
God,
his
Will,
and
his
Grace, the
grand
immediate tendency
of
the
whole Scripture-is,
to
worke them,
to
whom
the
Revelation
is
made, into
a
conformity
to
hiimfelfe,
and to
mould them into
his
owne Image:
All Scripture,
(the
Apoftletells
us. 2
71112.3.16.)
is
given
by
ivfpiration ofGod, and
is profitable
for
Dot`
rive, for
reproo
fe,
for
correction,
for
infiruCtion
in
righteou
fne/fe,
that
the
man ofGod
`G
may be per
fell,
thronghly fug'-
nifhed
unto
all
Good worlkes;
Hereunto
allScripture
tends, and
is
of
full
&
pro-
fitable for
this
end;
And
the
Gofpell
is
called
the
Truth,
that is,
according, to
Godlineffé.
Titus is
t.
Arthe
end'o
fthe faro
is
Charity out
of
a pure
heart, and
a
Faithunfained,s
5.That
which
in
refpec`t
of
the
prime Author
of
it,
is
x6y0-
oeg
the Word
of
God,
1
Thef
2
13.
and
in
refpe
t of
the
principal!
matter
of
it,
is
6
Aye-
á
wvt'
the Word
of
the
CrWITC
I
Cor.
t.
18.
in
refpe&
of
its
end
and
tendency towards us,
is
x6
&
iv-a:ßc+us
the
word,
or
Truth,
that
is
according
toGodlineffe.
The Word
is
that
revealed Will
of
God,
which.
is Our
San-
htification. I
Theft4.3.
and the
Inf-
rument
whereby he workes
our
Holinefl'e,
according
to
that
prayer
of
our
Saviour.
San&ifie
them
by thy
Word,
thy
Word
is
Truth.7ohn 17.19.
And
that,
which when
we
are
cat-
into the
mould
of,
ourObedience
is
in
forte
meafitre
wrought.
Roeis
6.17 the
fubf-ance
alto
or
matter
being
written
in
our hearts,
is
the Grace,
and Holineffe promifed
unto
us
in
the Covenant.
ere.3s.33. And
that
this
is
the
Improvement,whic
h
ought to be
made by
Believers,
of
every
Gofpell
Truth;
or
rather that
it
bath
an
Efficacy
to
this
purpofe,
the
Apof-le
tells
us
2
Cor.3.
18,
We
all with
open
face
beholding as
in a
glop
the
Glory
o
f
the
Lord, are
changed into the
fame
I-
G
g
2
mage