424 Ofthe Nature of Vol.II. world, but in that which is to come, and bath given him to be bead over all things to bis Church; remembring that we and all our concernments are in the hands of his Providence,, where we are infinitely fafer than in any Counfel and Wifdom of our own. And if after all, it be theWill of God to exercife any of us with more than ordinary tryals, to lay afitlion upon our loins, and to fu/fer men to ride over our heads, as the Pfalmift expreífeth it, let us, as St. Peter ex- horts, commit the keeping of our Souls to him in well-doing, as to a faithfiel Creator, who is able to keep that which is committed to him, and to preferve us to his heavenly kingdom; which let us all humbly and earneftly beg, for the fake of Jefus Chrift ; To whomwith the Father and the Holy Ghofl, be all honour and glory, might;rnalefly and dominion now andfor ever. SERMON CLXV. Of the Nature of FAI TH in general. H E B. XI. 6. But without Faith it is impofble to pleafe God. Me fiat EFORE I come to the Words theinfelves, in order to our better iinderftan- Sermon on B ding Of them, we will take into confederation the Defign of this Epiftle, this rest. that fo we may fee more clearly the relation that thefe Words have to the fore-. going Difcourfe. Who the Penman of this Epiftle wag I Thall not tell you, be- caufe I do not know, nor is it much material to know it; but whoever wrote it, he had this very good Defign in the writingof it, to perfwade the Jews to hold fart the Profeffion of the Gofpel, notwithftanding all the Sufferings and Perfe- cutions it expofed them to. And to this purpofe he (hews at large, what Pre- rogatives the Gofpel hath above the legal Adminifiration. The Law was given by the difpofition of dingels, in the hand of a Mediator, that is, Mofes : but the Gofpel is revealed to us by the Son ofGod; a Perfon, not only above Mofes, who was a mere Man; but above Angels. The Gofpel is the fubftance and re- ality of the Types and Ceremonies, and the very good things themfelves, that were obfcurely .reprefented by thofe Shadows. It is aTefiament eflablifh'd upon better Promifes, the clear Promifes of eternal Life, which were but darkly re- vealed in the Old Teflament, that being eftablifh'd eitlír folely or principally upon temporal Promifes : and it is a perfe& and compleat Difpenfation, that bath in it all things requifite to attain its end, and therefore (hall never flan(' in need of any farther Change or Alteration. Thefe are the heads of thofe Argu- ments which the Author of this Epiftle does largely difcourfe upon. Now the Gbfpel having in thefe refpe&s the advantage of the Legal Dif- penfation , the Apoftle doth all along in this Epiftle earneftly exhort the Yews to a confiant Profeffion and ftedfaft, Belief of the Gofpel, and not to return back from Chriftianity to Judaifm , which was a far lefs perfe& Im ftitution. Chap. 2. i. Therefore we ought to give -the more earneft heed to .the
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