pel is universally a doctrine of holiness and righteousness, allowing not the least countenance, indulgence or dispensation on any pretence, to the least sin; but condemning the inmost disorders of the heart, with the same severity that it doth, the outward perpetration of actual sin, nor allowing a discharge from any duty whatever. See Tit. ii. 11, 12. And there is no more required of us in this world, but that our conversation be such as becometh the gospel. And those who, upon any pretence do make it the ministry of sin and unrighteousness, shall bear their own judgment.

Secondly, It is the word of righteousness efficiently; as it is the instrument of communicating righteousness unto us, or of making us righteous. For, 1. Take our righteousness for that wherewith we are righteous before God, the righteousness of God in Christ, and it is tendered unto, or communicated unto us, by the promises of the gospel alone, Acts ii. 38, 39. 2. Faith, whereby we receive those promises, and Christ in them, with righteousness unto life, is wrought in us by the preaching of the gospel, Rom. x. 17. And 3. Our sanctification and holiness is wrought in us thereby, John xvii. 17. Which things ought to be more largely explained, but that I must now contract my discourse. Wherefore, on all these accounts, and with respect unto all other real concernments of it, the gospel is in itself, and unto us, the word of righteousness. Therefore,

Obs. II. It is a great aggravation of the negligence of persons under the dispensation of the gospel, that it is a word of righteousness. To evince this, it is here so called by the apostle, that such persons may know what it is that they neglect and despise. To be regardless of any message from God, not to attend unto it diligently, not to use and pursue it unto its proper end, is a high affront to the divine Majesty. But, whereas this message from God is such a word of righteousness, wherein all the concerns of God's righteousness and our own are enwrapt, this is the highest aggravation that our disobedience is capable of. Consider also,

Obs. III. That God requires of all those who live under the dispensation of the gospel, that they should be skilful in the word of righteousness. These are blamed here, who, after the time they had enjoyed in hearing, were yet unskilful in it; and this is part of that great and severe charge which the apostle, in this place, manageth against some of the Hebrews. Now, this skill in the gospel which is required of us, respecteth either doctrines or things. As the doctrine of the gospel is respected, so it is practical knowledge that is intended. As it respects things, so it is experience. And this, the word in the original casts a regard upon; whence we place in the margin, as the

true signification of it, hath no experience.' I shall not absolutely exclude either sense. And as to the first, or skill, as it is a practical knowledge, it is an ability, readiness or dexterity to use things unto their proper ends. It supposeth a notional knowledge of their nature, use and end; and asserteth an ability and dexterity to employ them accordingly. As be who is skilful in a trade or mystery, is able to manage the rules, tools and instruments of it, unto their proper end. end. Wherefore, in the duty proposed, it is supposed that a man have the knowledge of the doctrines of the gospel, and it is required that he be able readily to manage them to their proper ends. To know the nature of this duty, we must consider what are these ends of the gospel, with respect whereunto, it is required of us, that we be able skilfully to use and improve the truths of it I shall name only three of them.

First, The increase and establishment of our faith. There is nothing to us of greater concern, nor is it otherwise to be done, but by the word of the gospel. Thereby is faith first ingenerated, and thereby alone is it nourished, strengthened and increased. It is the seed, it is the food, it is the life of faith. Wherein, then, consists the dexterity and ability of using the doctrine of the gospel, unto the strengthening and preserving of our faith, which is required of us? It may be reduced unto these three heads.

1. The clearing and due application of its proper object unto it. Christ is the peculiar, immediate and proper object of faith, and through him do we believe in God, 1 Pet. i. 21. Now he is every way the proper object of faith, in his person, offices, work, righteousness, revealed, declared and propos ed unto us, in the doctrine and promises of the gospel. Herein, therefore, consists our skill in the word of righteousness, in having in a readiness and duly applying, by faith, the doctrine and promises concerning Christ and his mediation. These are the nourishment of faith, whereby it grows and gets strength, by the genuine and proper exercise of it, 2 Cor. iii. 18. And where this skill is wanting, where persons are not able, out of their own stores, to present their faith daily with suitable objects, as tendered in the doctrine and promises of the gospel, it will decay, and all the fruits of it will wither.

2. This skill in the word of righteousness, is exercised in the preservation of faith, by a resistance unto the temptations that rise up against it. The great way of preserving faith in the assaults of Satan, is to have in a readiness, some suitable and seasonable word out of the gospel, whereby it may be assisted and excited. Then will faith be able to hold up its shield, whereby the fiery darts of Satan will be quenched. So dealt

our Lord Jesus Christ himself in his temptation. No sooner did Satan make any assault upon him, but immediately he repelled his weapons, and secured his faith, by a suitable word out of the Scripture, all whose stores lay open to him, who was of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord. He, therefore, who is skilful in the gospel, will have in a readiness, and be able dextrously to manage seasonable precepts, promises, warnings, instructions, and to oppose them unto all the suggestions of Satan, unto the preservation and security of his faith. Others will be at a loss, and not know what to do when temptations do befal them; yea, commonly they are bewildered in their own darkness, and by their own reasonings, until they are taken in the snares of the evil one. There is a peculiar antidote in the Scripture against the poison of every temptation, or suggestion of Satan. If we have them in a readiness, and are skilful in the application of them, it will be our safety, or our healing.

3 Hereby alone is faith secured against the cunning crafts of men that lie in wait to deceive. It is known, how variously and continually faith is assaulted by the crafts, violences, and sophisms of seducers; as, for instance, those who have "erred concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is past already." And what is the issue of it? They overthrow the faith of some; as 2 Tim. ii. 18. The like may be said of all other important doctrines of evangelical truth. And we see what havoc hath been made among professors by this means; how not only the faith of some, but of multitudes in our days, hath been overthrown hereby. And the reason is, because they have not been skilful in the word of righteousness, nor have known how to draw out from that magazine of sacred truths, that which was necessary for the defence of their faith. The Scripture was the tower of David, built for an armoury, wherein there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men. There are wea-.' pons prepared in abundance for the defence of faith, if we are but ready and dextrous in their management. It may be spoken with a confidence, which the truth will warrant, that the reasons why so many do fall from the faith of the gospel, unto Popery, Quakerism, or the like, may be reduced unto these two heads: 1. The satisfaction of some special lust, perverse humour, or inclination. And, 2. Want of skill in the word of righteousness, as it is such: all other pretences are but shades and coverings of these true reasons of apostasy. And so there are two sorts of persons that fall from the faith.

First, Such as principally seduce themselves by their own justs and several interests. Ανθρωποι κατεφθαρμένοι τον νεν, αδοκιμοι argi TAY #IOTI, 2 Tim. iii. 8. 1 Tim. vi. 5. Men of corrupt

minds, that refuse and reject the truth for the love of their lusts and sins. And,

Secondly, Such as are deceived and seduced; and they are axaxes, not perversely evil,' Rom. xvi. 18. but unstable, because unskilful in the word.

There are two ways whereby, or two cases wherein, we have need to secure our faith against the oppositions of men, and both of them depend on our skilfulness in the word.

1. When we are to prove and confirm the truth against them. So it is said of Apollos, that " he mightily convinced the Jews, shewing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ," Acts xviii. 29. But how was he able so to do? Because he himself was mighty in the Scriptures, ver. 24. that is, he was ready and skilful in the word of righteousness, and this whilst he was only a private disciple.

2. When we are to defend it against the opposition of gainsayers. And their mouths can no otherwise be stopped. If men be but skilful and ready in the Scriptures, though destitute of all advantages of learning, it is inexpressible how able they will be, and such persons have been, in confounding all the sophistry of the most subtile adversaries of the truth; when, without this ability, men lie to be seized on as a prey by the next seducer. Wherefore, without the duty here enjoined, we may easily see what on all accounts our condition is, with respect unto our faith.

Secondly, The next end of the doctrines of the gospel, which we need this skill to manage them unto, is the guidance of us in the whole course of our duty, that we be not out of our way, nor at a loss about it. The word is our rule, our guide, our light, in all our walking before God. But if we have not an acquaintance with it, if we are not ready to use and apply it, we shall never walk steadily nor uprightly. ·

1. This is our guide in the whole course of our lives. "Thy statutes," saith David, " are the men of my counsel," those with whom he advised on all occasions. They who are skilful in the word, in the precepts, directions, and instructions of it, have their rule in a readiness for all occasions of duty, and in the whole course of their affairs. The way wherein they should walk, will still be represented unto them, whilst others wander in the dark, and at best walk at peradventure or hazard with God; which we render, walking contrary unto him,' Lev.

xxvi. 21.

2. In particular difficult cases, which often befal us in the course of our conversation in this world. Such as these, where men are unskilful in the word, do either entangle them, and fill them with perplexities, so as that they are at their wit's end.

and know not what to do; or else they violently and presumptuously break through them, to the wounding of their consciences, and the hardening of their spirits against a sense of sin. But he who is throughly acquainted with the word, and is able dextrously to apply it to all occasions of duty, will extricate himself from these straits in a due manner. For there is no case of this nature can befal us, but there are rules and directions in the Scripture that will guide us safely through it, if we are skilful in their application.

3. The right discharge of all duties towards others depends hereon, and without it we fail more or less in them all. Hence are we enabled to admonish, exhort, instruct, comfort, and reprove, those in whom we are concerned; and that with such authority, as may have an influence on their minds and consciences. Without this, we know neither the true nature, grounds nor reasons of any one duty which we perform towards others, nor can make use of those things which only will make what we say or do effectual. As therefore it is so, with respect to the increase and preservation of our faith, so also with regard to all our duties, during the whole course of our obedience, it is necessary that we should be skilful in the word of righteous

ness.

Thirdly, Consolation in distress depends hereon. Of this the Scripture is the only storehouse. Whatever is taken from any other stores and applied to that purpose, is but vanity and froth. Here all the springs, principles, causes, reasons, arguments for true consolation of mind in distresses, are treasured up. And on what various occasions, and how frequently these cases occur wherein we stand in need of especial consolation, we all know by experience. And in them all, it is unavoidable that we must either be left to darkness and sorrow, or betake ourselves to reliefs that are worse than our troubles, if we have not in a readiness those grounds of solid consolation with which the Scripture is stored. But whatever are our sorrows or troubles, however aggravated or heightened, whatever be their circumstances, from what cause soever they arise, of sins or suffering, our own, or others, in whom we are concerned, if we are skilful in the word of righteousness, we may at all times and places, in prisons, dungeons, exiles, have in readiness wherewith to support and refresh our souls. And this I thought meet to add for the discovery of the importance of that duty, a defect whereof is here blamed in the Hebrews by our a postle.

Again, The word augos, signifies want of experience,' and so it respects the things of the gospel. With respect to them it is said, " they have not experience of the word of VOL. IV.

RF