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ducers are the devil's factors; well as the curse. He preachthey are of all others the great- eth that Christ hath done all for est felons, that would rob you of them, and they need to do nothe truth; seducers have silver thing. So he makes the doctrine tongues; a fair tongue can put of free grace a key to open the off bad wares; they have a slight door to all licentiousness. to deceive, Eph. iv. 14. The Greek word there is taken from those that can cog a dye, and cast it for the best advantage; so seducers are imposters, they can cog a die,-they can so dissemble and sophisticate the truth that they can deceive others. Now, the style by which seducers use to deceive, is:

5. Another thing to unsettle Christians is persecutors, 2 Tim. ii. 12. The gospel is a rose; it cannot be plucked without prickles. The legacy Christ hath bequeathed is the CROSS. While there is a devil and a wicked man in the world, never expect a charter of exemption from trouble; and how many fall away in an hour of persecution? Rev. xii. 3. 4.,

1. By wisdom of words: Rom. xvi. 18.," By good words and There appeared a great red drafair speeches they deceive the gon, having seven heads and ten hearts of the simple." They have horns: and his tail drew the third fine elegant phrases, flattering part of the stars of heaven:" the language, whereby they work on red dragon the heathenish empire, the weaker sort, as being christed-and his tail, viz. his power and with Christ, and the light within subtlety, drew away stars, viz. them. eminent professors that seemed to shine as stars in the firmament of the church. Therefore we what need there is to be settled in the truth, for fear the tail of the dragon cast us to the earth.

2. Another slight is a pretence of extraordinay piety, that so people may admire them, and suck in their doctrine. They seem to be men of zeal and sanctity, and to be divinely inspired; they pretend revelations, as Munster, Michael Servetus, and others of the Anabaptists in Germany, though they were tainted with pride, lust, and avarice.

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6. To be unsettled in good is the sin of the devils, Jude 6. They are called morning stars,' Job xxxviii. 7., but 'falling stars;' they were holy, but mutable. As the vessel is overturned with the sail, so their sails, being swelled with pride, were overturned, 1 Tim. iii. 6. By unsettledness, who dost thou imitate but lapsed angels? The devil was the first apostate. So much for the first proposition, that it is a great duty of Christians to be settled; the sons of Sion should be like mount Sion, which cannot be

3. A third slight or cheat seducers have is a labouring to vilify and nullify sound orthodox teachers; they would eclipse those that bring the truth, like unto the black vapours that darken the light of heaven; they would defame others, that themselves may be more admired. Thus the false teachers cried down Paul, that they might be received, Gal. iv. 17. removed. 4. The fourth slight or cheat DocT. II. The second proof seducers is by "preaching doc-position is, that the way for Christrine of liberty:" as the Antino- tians to be settled, is to be well mian preacheth that men are freed grounded: "If ye continue from the moral law,-the rule as grounded and settled." The Greek

word for grounded, a metaphor ;| it alludes to a building that hath the foundation well laid; so Christians should be grounded in the essential points of religion, and have their foundation well laid.

Here let me speak to two things: 1. That we should be grounded in the knowledge of fundamentals. 2. That this grounding is the best way to settling.

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1st. That we should be grounded 2d. That this grounding is the in the knowledge of fundamentals. best way to settling : grounded The apostle speaks of the first and settled. A tree that it may principles of the oracles of God,' be well settled, must be well rootHeb. v. 13. In all arts and sci- ed; so, if you be well settled in ences, logic, physic, mathematics, religion, you must be rooted in there are some præcognita,-some the principles of it. He, in Plurules and principles that must tarch, set up a dead man, and he necessarily be known to the prac-would not stand: "O," saith he, tice of those arts: so, in divinity, there must be the first principles laid down. The knowledge of the grounds and principles of religion is exceeding useful:

1. Else we cannot serve God aright; we can never worship God acceptably, unless we worship him regularly; and how can we do that, if we are ignorant of the rules and elements of religion: We are bid to give God a reasonable service,' Rom. xii. 1. If we understand not the grounds of religion, how can it be a reasonable service?

2. Knowledge of the grounds of religion much enricheth the mind; it is a lamp to our feet; it directs us in the whole course of Christianity, as the eye directs the body. Knowledge of fundamentals is the golden key that opens the chief mysteries of religion; it gives us a whole system and body of divinity exactly drawn in all its lineaments and lively colours; it helps us to understand many of those difficult things which do occur in the reading of the word; it helps to untie many scripture-knots.

"there must be something within ;" so, that we may stand in shaking times, there must be a principle of knowledge within,-first grounded, and then settled. That the ship may be kept from overturning, it must have its anchor fastened; knowledge of principles is to the soul as the anchor to the ship, that holds it steady in the midst of all the rolling waves of error, or the violent winds of persecution. First grounded, and then settled.

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USE 1. See the reason why so many people are unsettled, ready to embrace every novel opinion, and dress themselves in as many religions as they do fashions; It is because they are ungrounded. See how the apostle joins these two together, unlearned and unstable,' 2 Pet. iii. 16. Such as are unlearned in the main points of divinity, will be unstable. As the body cannot be strong that hath the sinews shrunk; so neither can that Christian be strong in religion who wants the grounds of knowledge, which are the sinews to strengthen and stablish him.

USE. II. See then what great necessity there is of laying down all the main grounds of religion in a catechetical form, that the weakest judgment may be instructed in the knowledge of the truth, and strengthened in the love of it. Catechising is the best expedient for the grounding and settling of people. I fear, one reason why there hath been no more good done by preaching, hath been because the chief heads and articles in religion have not been explained in a catechistical way. Catechising is the laying the foundation, Heb. vi. 1. To preach, and not to catechise, is to build without a foundation. This way of catechising is not novel, it is apostolical. The primitive church had their forms of catechism: so much those phrases imply, a form of sound words,' 2 Tim. i. 13., and the first principles of the oracles of God,' Heb. v. 12.; and since the church had their catechumenoi, as Grotius and Eras

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mus observe, many of the ancient fathers have written for it, Fulgentius, Austin, Theodoret, Lactantius, and others. God hath given great success to it. By this laying down of grounds of religion catechistically, Christians have been clearly instructed and wondrously built up in the christian faith; insomuch, that Julian the apostate, seeing the great success of catechising, did put down all schools and places of public literature, and instructing of youth. It is my design therefore (with the blessing of God) to begin this work of catechising the next sabbathday; and I intend every other sabbath, in the afternoon, to make it my whole work to lay down the grounds and fundamentals of religion in a catechistical way. If I am hindered in this work by men, or taken away by death, I hope God will raise up some other labourer in the vineyard among you, that may perfect this work which I am now beginning.

MAN'S CHIEF END IS TO GLORIFY GOD.

QUEST. 1. What is the chief being a rational creature, must end of man?

Ans. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him for

ever.

Here are two ends of life specified: 1st. The glorifying of God. 2d. The enjoying of God.

I. I begin with the first, the glorifying of God, 1 Pet. iv. 11., "That God in all things may be glorified." The glory of God is a silver thread which must run through all our actions: 1 Cor. x. 31., "Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." Every thing works to some end in things natural and artificial; now man,

propose some end to himself, and that is, that he may lift up God in the world; and better lose his life than lose the end of his living; so then, the great truth asserted is this, that the end of every man's living is to glorify God; this is the yearly rent that is paid to the crown of heaven. Glorifying of God hath respect to all the persons in the Trinity; it respects God the Father, who gave us our life; it respects God the Son, who lost his life for us: it respects God the Holy Ghost, who produceth a new life in us; we must bring glory to the whole Trinity.

When we speak of God's glory, the question will be moved, Q. What we are to understand by God's glory?

the glory due unto his name," and, 1 Cor. vi. 20., "Glorify God in your body and in your spirit." The glory we give God, is nothing else but our lifting up his name in the world, and magnifying him in the eyes of others: Phil. i. 20., "Christ shall be magnified in my body."

Q. What is it to glorify God, or wherein doth it consist?

A. Glorifying of God consists in four things: 1st. Appreciation, 2d. Adoration, 3d. Affection, 4th. Subjection. This is the yearly rent we pay to the crown of heaven.

1. Appreciation. To glorify God, is to set God highest in our thoughts,—to have a venerable esteem of him: Ps. xcii. 8.,

Ans. There is a twofold glory: 1. The glory that God hath in himself, his intrinsical glory. Glory is essential to the Godhead, as light is to the sun: he is called the God of glory,' Acts vii. 2. Glory is the sparkling of the Deity; glory is so co-natural to the Godhead, that God cannot be God without it. The creature's honour is not essential to his being; a king is a man without his regal ornaments, when his crown and royal robe are taken away; but God's glory is such an essential part of his being, that he cannot be God without it; God's very life" Thou, Lord, art most high for lies in his glory. This glory can evermore;" Ps. xcvii. 9., "Thou receive no addition, because it is infinite; this glory is that which God is most tender of, and which he will not part with, Isa. xlviii. 11., "My glory I will not give to another." God will give temporal blessings to his children, such as wisdom, riches, honour; he will give them spiritual blessings, he will give them grace,he will give them his love, he will give them heaven,-but his essential glory he will not give to another. King Pharaoh parted with a ring off his finger to Joseph, and a gold chain, but he would not part with his throne, Gen. xli. 40., Only in the throne will I be greater than thou.' So God will do much for his people; will give them the inheritance; he will put some of Christ's glory, as mediator, upon them; but his essential glory he will not part with; in the throne he will be greater.'

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2. The glory which is ascribed to God, or which his creatures labour to bring to him: 1 Chron. xvi. 29., "Give unto the Lord

art exalted far above all gods."
There is in God all that may draw
forth both wonder and delight;
there is in him a constellation of
all beauties; he is prima causa,
the original and spring-head of
being, who sheds a glory upon
the creature. This is to glorify
God, when we are God-admirers;
we admire God in his attributes,
which are the glistering beams by
which the divine nature shines
forth; we admire him in his pro-
mises, which are the charter of
free grace, and the spiritual ca-
binet where the pearl of price is
hid; we admire God in the noble
effects of his power and wisdom,
viz. the making of the world, this
is called the work of his fingers,'
Ps. viii. 3., such curious needle-
work it was, that none but a God
could work. This is to glorify
God, to have God-admiring
thoughts; we esteem him most
excellent, and search for diamonds
only in this rock.

2. Glorifying of God consists in adoration, or worship: P's. xxix. 2., "Give unto the Lord the glory

2d.

due unto his name; worship the blessing than to love God. Lord in the beauty of holiness.' Amor amicitiæ, a love of delight, There is a twofold worship: 1st. as a man takes delight in a friend; A civil reverence we give to per- this is indeed to love God; the sons of honour: Gen. xxiii. 7., heart is set upon God, as a man's "Abraham stood up and bowed heart is set upon his treasure. himself to the children of Heth," And this love is, 1st. Exuberant, -Piety is no enemy to Courtesy. not a few drops but a stream; 2d. 2d. A divine worship which we It is superlative; we give God the give to God, is his prerogative best of our love, the cream of it, royal: Neh. viii. 6., "They bow- Cant. viii. 2., "I would cause thee ed their heads, and worshipped to drink of spiced wine, of the the Lord with their faces towards juice of my pomegranate." If the ground." This divine wor- the spouse had a cup more juicy ship God is very jealous of; this and spiced, Christ must drink of it. is the apple of his eye, this is the 3d. It is intense and ardent; true pearl of his crown, which he saints are seraphims, burning in guards, as he did the tree of life, holy love to God. The spouse with cherubims and a flaming was amore perculsa,-in fainting sword, that no man may come fits, sick of love,' Cant. ii. 5. near it to violate it; divine wor-Thus to love God is to glorify him; ship must be such as God him- he who is the chief of our happiself hath appointed, else it is of-ness, hath the chief of our affecfering strange fire, Lev. x. 2. The tions. Lord would have Moses make the tabernacle, "according to the pattern in the Mount,' Exod. xxv. 40.; he must not leave out any thing in the pattern, nor add to it. If God was so exact and curious about the place of worship, how exact will he be about the matter of his worship? Surely here every thing must be according to the pattern prescribed in his word.

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4th. Subjection. When we dedicate ourselves to God, and stand ready dressed for his service. Thus the angels in heaven glorify him; they wait on his throne, and are ready to take a commission from him; therefore they are represented by the cherubims with their wings displayed, to show how swift the angels are in their obedience. This is to glorify God when we are devoted to his service,-our head studies for God,-our tongue pleads for him,—our hands relieve his members. The wise

3. Affection. This is a part of the glory we give to God." God counts himself glorified when he is loved: Deut. vi. 5., "Thou men that came to Christ did not shalt love the Lord thy God with only bow the knee to him, but all thy heart, and with all thy presented him with gold and soul." There is a twofold love. myrrh, Matth. ii. 11.; so we 1st. Amor concupiscentiæ, a love must not only bow the knee, give of concupiscence, which is self- God worship, but bring presents, love, as when we love another, golden obedience. This is to globecause he doth us a good turn: rify God, when we stick at no thus a wicked man may be said to service,-when we fight under the love God. because he hath given banner of his gospel against regihim a good crop, or filled his cup ments, and say to him as David with wine, and, to speak pro- to king Saul, 1 Sam. xvii. 32., perly, this is rather to love God's" Thy servant will go and fight

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