84 to Declaration of the Glorious My ST E uY through him, be not the principle whereby the whole is animated and guided, chriflianity is renounced, and the vain cloud of natural religion em- braced in the room of it. Not a verbal mention of him, but the real in- tention ofheart to come unto God by him is required of us, and in that all expectation of acceptance with God, as unto our perfons pr duties is xefolved. We have had great endeavours Of late by theSocinians to ft forth and adorn a natural religion, as if it were fufticient unto all ends ofour living unto God. But as moll of its pretended ornaments are Molten from the gofpel, or are framed in an emanation of light from ir, fuel as nature of it felfcould not rife up unto i fo the whole proceeds from a dnlike of the mediation ofChrift, and even wearinefs of the profeflion of faith in him. So is it with the mindsof men, who were never affected with fupernarural revelations, with the myflery of the gofpel, beyond the owningof foute notions of truth, who never had experience of its power in the life of God. But here lies the trial of faith truly evangelical. Its heady beholding of the fun ofrighteoufnefs proves it genuine and from above. And let mein takeheed who find their hearts remifsor cold in thisexercife of ir. When men begin to Grisly themfelves with general hopes of mercy in God, whithout a continual refpett unto the interpofition and mediation of Chrift, whereinto their hope and truft is refolved, there is a decay in their faith, and proportionably in all other evangelical graces alto. Herein lies the myflery of chriftian religion, which the world feems to be aimed weary of. ;.11:11.8535.0 ' 04 t*qfiKkt.'li;s=.:s1's CHAP. XI. Obedience unto CH It i s r, the Nature and Cafes of it. 2 L L holyobedience both internal and external is that which 0,y,,,,¡ ry the propofed ofsChriftco His great injunct religious n regardunto difc 1Y pies is that they keep bis commandments, without which, none are fo. Some fay the Lord Chrift is to be confidered as a lawgiver and the gofpel as a new law given by him, whereby our obedienceunto him is to be regulated. Some abfolutely deny it and will not grant the gofpel in any fenfe to be a new law. And many difpute about thefe things, whileft obedience it felf is on all hands generallyneg- lected. But this is that wherein our principal concernment doth lie. LMall not therefore at prefent immix my felf in any needlefs difputarions. Thofe things wherein the nature and neceffityof our obedience unto him is concer- ned, Gall be briefly declared. The law under the Old Teftament taken generally had two parts. [t.] The moral preceptive part of it. [a.] The inftitutions of worfhip appointed
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