John 5.43.

verfe and ftrange doctrines, diverfe in colour from the truth, and ftrange to the Scripture-language, or meaning of the Spirit fpeaking in the Scripture. Beware of wheeling to the right band, or to the left. Take heed what you hear, and how you bear. Beware of the leaven of the Quaking Pharisees and Sadduces. It argues weakness at the best, and childishness in the beft,if they be toffed to and fro with every wind of doctrine. Children will run after a bubble in the wind,or on the water; a feather on the ground, or froth upon the waves: Be not like them, or as giddy bearers that have no mould but what the next Novellift cafts them into. Diverse and strange doctrines (such as these men I deal with especially open out of their packs) tend much to the unfetling of the judgement, and difJohn 10.5. quiet of the confcience. It is a Character of Christs sheep to keep the ear close to his voice; they know not the voice of ftrangers, whereas goats will receive those that come in their own name; and they whose names are not written in the Lambs Booke of Life, will wonder and wander after the beast and the Rev. 13.8. falfe prophet; the Doctors and Doctrines of Antichrift. But *Heb.13.9. it is a good thing* (faith the Holy Spirit) that the heart be eftablished with grace: It is eminently beneficial against all diftrafting opinions,to have your fouls and confciences established with the doctrine, faith and fenfe of Gods free Favor in Christ, and with the experimental exercife of Grace in GospelWorship. 1. The doctrine of his redeeming, purchafing grace, his pardoning of finners, and reconciling them to himself, ac cording to his free electing love, establisbeth against the thoughts of our greatest unworthiness; for the free gift of Chrift and his righteou(nefs for juftification of life, reigneth over all your guilt, and the defign of Grace is to bring all that obey the doctrine of Grace, into a kingdom of Grace, and to fettle a crown of Life, and Glory upon the poor unworthy finner. Hold fast to this, as not onely it is free, but full. The Gospel of our falvation is fo full, as it answereth all the fouls neceffities; partly, from the fulness of the perfon the Son of God,our Savior, God and man, in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwel leth bodily If there be all-fufficiency of power, love, will, faithfulness in God to fave, tus in Chrift, yea, the fulness of Gods vindicative fuftice is fatisfied and glorified in him. This

We

we teach for your heart-fatisfaction and fettlement: partly from the fulness of the covenant, whereby God makes over Chrift and Life to us, which is heart-eftablishing, as 'tis foun ded in the blood of Chrift, as it is the efflux and issue of Gods. everlasting love, as all the promises are Tea; and Amen in Chrift, and as the Covenant is of the nature of a Teftament (which is more abfolute then ordinary contracts) in full force Heb. 9. 16, by the death of the Teftator, written not onely in the Scriptures [the Old Copy and the New] but in the hearts of Believers. Hcb, 8, 10. God begins with promises and writes them, and then his Com mands are all inlayed and inamel'd with the promises. This Heb. 6. 17. Covenant is confirmed by an Oath, to fhew the immutability of his counsel, and to fettle the hearts and hopes of them, that flee thither for refuge, with strong confolation. In a word,the Covenant of Grace excludes works, as any condition of life, for it is the declaration of Gods way of faving by Grace, according to the Election of Grace; which if it be of Grace (as it is) then Rom. 11. 6. is it not at all of works. Thefe meditations are heart-establish· ing, you will fay, in wavering times; and all Doctrines agreeable to the fulness of Chrift and his Covenant, are fo. David found it fo, So may you. It was a foft pillow to David [God & Sam. 23 5) hath made with me an everlasting Covenant, ordered in all things, and fure] on his Death-bed, whereon to reft his head, fo it will be to all that take hold on it, and mix it with faith: For, fecondly, it is not the Doctrine of the Gospel abftractly confider. ed, but as believed, that will cftablish you. Faith eftablisheth by its object, acts, reflections and fruits. Continue in the faith Col. 1. 23. grounded and fetled, and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel which ye have heard. Confider, brethren, what you believe, and in whom ye have believed. Chrift and his righte onfness without you, is a fure foundation for your Faith to build upon : He that believeth on him shall not be ashamed,un- Isaiah 28, 18. fetled, beaten off. Faith gives you an evidence of things not feen, and makes things abfent, prefent. Every act of Faith tends to your establishment, having fome certainty in its bofom and bowels, and fo much as strives against doubting, and that Shall not mifcarry in the issue and event: But reflections of Faith help on yet more to stedfastnefs; when you know, you do believe, then you have the answer of a good confcience, where- Pet. 3,2°

Rom. 5.5.

with comes peace and liberty; Peace with God is difcerned, and peace with Confcience is fetled hereby in much ferenity, with liberty of access to the Throne of Grace, and of making your Appeals to God, by vertue of Christs blood fprinkled on the Confcience, and by reason of the Acquittance which Chrift received for the Believer at his refurrection; His discharge is ours, and hence the other benefits which Faith brings along with it, of Union with Chrift, Communion with God, Justification, Redemption, Adoption and Sanctification. But if with the Doctrine and Faith of the Gofpel, there comes thirdly, the Grace of fenfe, or the fenfe of Gods grace and love in all that is taught and believed, how is the heart established by the holy Spirit that is given us? This Spirit is both the feal of what is past, the witness of what is prefent, and the earnest of what is to come; making all that is in reverfion as fure to us,as that which is already in our poffefsion. Adde unto this, fourthly, Experimental exercife of grace in all Gospel-institutions, and what establishment shall your hearts want now or hereafter ? Communion with God in Gofpel-Ordinances gives reft and fa tisfaction, when we finde the effect of Water-baptifm, and of Infant-baptifm in Chrifts blood,and the Spirits regeneration; when we difcern the effect of Bread and wine-Lords-fupper in Chrifts prefence at his Table; and the quicknings of his Spirit in our finging Davids Pfalms and Scripture-fpiritual Jongs, ufe of publique (as private) Prayer, miniftery of the Word, &c.

Your fouls, brethren, cannot but finde it eminently helpful to be established with this Gofpel-grace: First you have hereby an Antidote against all poison of diverse and strange DoEtrines. Your hearts are as fhips well-ballafted against all con trary winds. The Doctrine of Free-grace, rightly understood, believed and adhered to, doth at once difpel and fcatter all Popish and Arminian fogs. The fulness of Christ believed, lays open the emptiness of Quakerism. The Covenant and Fromifes, grafped by Faith, are as the little ftone, which, they Say, the Bee takes up to flie with in a high wind, fo as the biggeft blafts shall not dash you to the ground. Let who will fay, that Chrift doth not justifie by a righteousness without us, the 5.21, Scripture faith, We are made the righteousness of God in him;

and

and the Grace of Faith carries out the Soul for righteousness and life in another, viz. Chrift: of this the Spirit, with the Confcience and Experience of Believers beareth witness. Let the poor Quakers Say that the Scriptures are not the word of God; the heart, that believeth and experienceth the power of the Scripture changing and transforming, will finde him a liar and blafphemer. Let them fay that will, they have no fin dwelling in them, and their warfare is at an end; a gracious heart will flight and defpife thefe Contradictions to all the Experiences of the Saints held forth in Scripture. Let them fay there is no Baptifm of water, or let them call the Lords Supper (as ufed by the Churches) a humane Invention, because they have found no comfort in it,or by it; the heart established in the faith of the Inftitution,will give them the lie; and although he findes not thefe feals always alike efficacious, yet he knows and be lieveth them always to be the Lords Ordinances, and to have a promife of efficacy annexed to them, which God will make good at his day and hour, and not at our feafon.

Secondly, The fears which falfe doctrine terrifieth the ConScience withal are removed, and made to vanish. Fears of nonacceptance by reafon of daily failings in duties; fears of falling away totally and finally, are expelled by the pure doctrine of faith, and of juftification by grace alone, and by nothing inherent in us, as a habit, or adherent to us, as an act, &c.

Thirdly, There is this advantage, all pretended Revelations are caft off, dreams are not hearked unto, leading from the Scriptures. The faith of a Promife makes things as fure to your fouls, as if God had spoken immediately from the Clouds. The fenfe of Gods Love is as sweet as a rapture into the third Heavens. Mofes and the Prophets are as fure to a gracious heart, as if one arofe from the dead; for he could not bring up greater Truths or stronger Arguments of perSwafion then are found in the Scriptures; he could not speak more pathetically, with higher ftrains, and stronger lines, with more majefty of ftile, and elegancy of phrafe, or sweeter floods of eloquence, or with more plainnefs and godly fimplicity, then the Spirit expresseth himself in the Scripture, holding forth all along an evidence and demonstration of himself, with holy harmony and efficacy.

C 2

Fourth

Fourthly, When your hearts are established with Gospelgracious Doctrine, Faith, Senfe and Experience thereof, you are fortified against all powerful temptations. Sometime the foul is tempted to forfake Ordinances, but faith of that proIfaiah 45.19. mife, that the house of Jacob shall not seek God in vain, keeps the beart close to means of Gods appointment. Sometime the Chriftian is tempted to go to a fecond Baptifm, or to deny wa ter-baptifm altogether; but the Experience of Christs blef fing Infant-Baptifm, and the un-warrantableness of Rebaptization keeps him from these extremities. If you be tempted to abfent your felves from the Lords Table, or leave Church-fellowship, the Promife and Experience of the Love of God in the use of thefe Ordinances, aws and keeps you in arder. When Chrift, until his fecond Coming in the clouds, and visible Glory, is lookt at as fpiritually prefent with his own Inftitutions, they are neither trusted to, nor neglected. Sometime you have been tempted to go hear known Seducers, but an establisht heart will not step out of doors, unless he hath the more special call, to bear witness against them, and to Strengthen others..

Laftly, Let your hearts be establisht with Gofpel-grace, and it will produce a well-ordered converfation to the end of your days; it will make patient in affliction; joyful in fuffering; even under darkness and in defertion the heart is willing to wait, and is made ready for Heaven; for it firs up to Watchfulness, to have grace in exercife, and the foul in preparation for death, and then it cannot want boldness at the day of Chrifts appearing.

Why then, my Brethren, dearly Beloved, and longed after, my joy and crown, fo stand faft in the Lord, my dearly Beloved; fee that none of you fail of the grace of God, Be not as reeds shaken with the wind, but as unshaken rocks and pillars in your profession. Prize and prefs after more of heart-establishing grace; to this end, Hold fast the purity of Doctrine about Juftification, Election, Redemption, the Covenant of Grace, and the whole pattern of found and wholefom words in the Scriptures, and in the Churches Confeffions of Faith confonant to the Scriptures. Be active in faith upon the Author and Finisher of your Salvation. Be obe