SECTION I. 247' TDoctrìne.All our pains to obtain the heavenly prize will he lost unless we seek it in the right way and manner : we shall not be crownedexcept we strive lawfully. To render this doctrine useful and practical, I shall I. Endeavour to showwhat is the right way by which God has appointedus to.seek eternal salvation, or what are the rules and laws of this sacred exercise, in order to obtain the heavenly crown. II. I shall lay down some considerations to enforce and prove this doctrine, viz. that heaven must be sought only in this appointed way.III. I would answer several queries and ob- jections, which are commonly raised against it in our day, chief- ly by such as disbelieve the gospel. IV. I shall offer two or three general exhortations to christians, derived from this dis- course.V. Propose some preservatives against apostacy, or a departure from the true way of salvation. SECT. I.The Rules to obtain Salvation proposed, and theDuties required in the Gospel, or the Necessary Articles of Christianity. The first enquiry is this, viz. " What is the right way to obtain heaven ? What are the appointed rules whereby we must govern our belief and practice ? The great and general rule is the divine revelation or word of God : For when man had lost his original state of innocency, and the favour of God by sin, God knew that his feeble reason, or, the light of nature was not, sufficient to inform him, what was necessary to recover his fa- vour, and to direct him in the way to happiness ; and therefore be took the first opportunity to acquaint his fallen creature man, that he would not for ever abandon him and all his race, but that there was somehope of his recovery.; and he told him of a Me- diator or Saviour, even the seed of the woman that should break the serpent's head ; Gen. iii. 15. that is, he should destroy the works of the devil, and repair the ruin which the temptations of Satan had brought in : Anddoubtless at the same time, the blessedGod assisted the reason and .conscience of Adam in his enqui- ries, what duties were to be performed on his part towards his recovering an interest in the love of his Creator. Nor has God been wanting ever since that time to give various discoveriesof the right way of salvation in several successive ages, that man- kind might be restored to his favour and image again. The last, thebrightest and the best of all these discoveries is that which he. has made in the gospel, by his Son Jesus Christ, and by the evangelists and apostles in the writings of the New Testament : This book therefore contains the rules of that sacred exercise or contest, in which we must now be enga- ged to obtain the crown of glory. No pretences to the light of reason, no vain fancies of new revelations, no devices of our own heart must dare to 'oppose, or contradict the rules givenus in this
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