atry, and Darkness. We owe it only to him SERM. that made us, who is the Rock of our Salvation. VII. 'Tis not a Tribute to Principalities, Powers, and Dominions in heavenly Places; but to Him whofe Name alone is Jehovah, the moft High over all the Earth.

(2.) By this Form of found Words that we are to hold fast, it appears that this God is no more than One, and therefore we are faid to be baptized not into Names as of many; but we are given up to Jehovah who is One, and his Name Zech. one in all the Earth. They who call us Tritheifts xiv. 9. are guilty of belying both the Lord and his People: If we are fo, this Sentence will not fit our Mouths.

(3.) There are neither more nor fewer than three comprehended in the glorious individual Name that is called upon us. When Chrift told them how it was to be adminiftred, he acted,

as it is faid in that Day he would do, not give them Proverbs, or Parables, or rhetorical Fi- John xvi. gures, and Words of a dubious Meaning, but he 25. • showed them plainly from the Father.

(4.) These three are diftinguished in the divine Nature, as Perfons are in the human; one is not, John another. There are three that bear Record in v. 7. Heaven. 'Tis no Objection, that we cannot explain Perfonality in God; alas! you know not the Principle of Individuation in any thing.

(5.) 'Tis plain from the whole Form, that if there is but one God and three diftin&t Perfons, then these three must be the fame in one Nature, and equal in Power and Glory. The Question is not whether we are able to conceive of fuch a Being, and much lefs whether it lies in our Power to unfold it; but whether this is the Meaning of those wholfome Words that the Lord Jefus Chrift has given us? Don't the People that hate L 4

our

SERM. Our Religion understand them thus ? Is not our VII. Baptifm an Abomination to the learned Heathen, because the Doctrine involved and established in it is incomprehenfible?

Thefe feveral Propofitions I have defended and maintained as the Defign of this Ordinance, and the perpetual Revelation of the Bible. This was the Profeffion of Faith that we made in Bap-. tifm, and from that Period are obliged to hold it faft without wavering, that we do not profane Matt.. the Covenant of our Fathers.

10.

The Words that I have now chofen will let us fee the Glory and Importance of that Faith into which you were baptized, and the Neceffity that is upon us to hold faft, not only the Faith itself, but the Profeffion we have made of it before all the World.

There are two Things that a little furprize me in our Tranflation.

1. The Connexion of the Words. That Claufe, baving our Bodies washed with pure Water comes in at the End of a Sentence that we had before, as if it was an Argument for drawing nigh to God with a true Heart, and a full Affurance of Faith. And in that View we muft range the whole Paragraph to this Purpofe, that this Duty is confidered three Ways, in our Encouragement for it, our Temper in it, and our Obligations to it And each of these are twofold.

Firft, our Encouragement for this Privilege is derived from two Things; first, the Sufferings of Chrift; we have Boldnefs to enter into the holieft of all through the Blood of Jefus ; fecondly, his Exaltation, we have an High-Priest over the House of God.

Secondly,

Secondly, our Temper in drawing near to God SERm. includes two Things; ft, Sincerity towards him, VII. which is called a true Heart. 2dly, Satisfaction in him, or a full Affurance of Faith.

Thirdly, The Obligation to this Work arifes alfo from two Particulars; 1ft, The Nature of our Privilege in the Duty of Prayer; we have Hearts sprinkled from an evil Confcience; 2dly, the Defign of the Profeffion that we made in Baptism, our Bodies are washed with pure Water.

This is the Difpofition that our Translators have made of the Context; but I have lately confulted eight or nine feveral Editions of the Greek Teftament, and I find no more than one of them, that agrees to it. For these Words, having our Bodies washed with pure Water, are brought in at the beginning of the 23d Verfe, and connected, not to what went before, but to what follows, let us hold faft the Profeffion of our Faith without wavering.

2

. I fhall therefore caft the whole Argument into another Scheme. We read of the full Atonement that Chrift made by his Death, of which we have the greatest Evidence from his being an High-Prieft at the Right Hand of God. Now, there are two Things all along quite through the Epiftle deduced from this Doctrine, a Liberty of Prayer before God, and a Boldness in Profeffion before Men.

(1.) From the Blood of Jefus upon the Crofs, and the Exaltation of his Perfon in Heaven, the Apostle pleads in this Chapter as he had done in the 4th, that we may come boldly to the Throne of Grace: We do it, as he had faid before in Hopes of obtaining Mercy, or with a full Affurance of Faith; and that we may find

Grace

SERM. Grace to help in a Time of Need, that is with a VII. true Heart really defirous of this Grace.

(2.) The other Duty that he always impreffed from these Confiderations, is a Profeffion of our Faith; as you fee in the 4th Chapter, feeing that we have a great High-Prieft who is paffed into the Heavens, Jefus the Son of God, let us bold faft our Profeffion; and here he does it again, hold faft the Profeffion of your Faith without Wavering. 'Tis not enough that we may speak to God, but we muft fpeak for him. The Interceffion of this great High-Prieft has made the former our Privilege, and the latter our Duty. He is our Advocate in Heaven, we are his upon Earth.

This range of the Particulars contained in the Text, does not only agree with most of the Greek Teftaments that I have feen, but feems the most uniform and regular. First, the Argument is open and clear, why you draw nigh with a full Affurance of Faith, because of what is done within you; your Hearts are fprinkled from an evil Confcience. Secondly, your Obligation is equal, to hold faft your Profeffion from what is done upon you in the Eyes of the World, your Bodies are washed with pure Water. The former is internal, the Operation of the Holy Spirit; the latter is external, your own voluntary Action. When you were baptized, you made that Profeffion; and he in whofe Name you did it, expects you will hold it faft, and not let it go, keep it, for it is your Life.

2. There is another thing that furprizes me in our Translation, and that is, the Word Faith óμonoyía iaπídos, is a Profeffion of Hope: There is no falfe Doctrine in the Alteration; the Thing is altogether the fame.

The

The two Graces of Faith and Hope may be SERM. distinguished, but I cannot fay that in the Scrip- VII. ture they always are fo. They are different Names from one Employment of the Soul. The Object of Faith is fomething invifible, the Object of Hope is something future. The Glory that fhall be revealed is expofed to them both. As it is not yet revealed we believe it, as it shall be revealed we hope for it; as it's unfeen our Faith is employed upon it, as it's future our Hope is drawing towards it, Looking for and bafting to.

2 Pet. iii.

But the Holy Spirit has not always obferved 12. this Distinction. Hope is defcribed as Faith fhould be. Hope that is feen is not Hope, for Rom. viii. what a Man fees why does he yet hope for? But 24if we hope for that we fee not, then do we with Patience wait for it. On the other Hand, Faith

is a Substance of Things hoped for, and the Evi- Heb.xi. 1. dence of Things not feen.

Sometimes they are each of them taken objectively, not for the Principle, but the Things believed and hoped for. Thus Paul faith, he was an Apostle of Jefus Chrift, according to the Faith of God's Elect, and the acknowledging of Tit. i. 1. the Truth that is after Godlinefs. His Labours, his Commiffions, his Qualifications, were agreeable to what he calls elfewhere αναλογία πίσεως, the Analogy, Rule, or Syftem of Faith. And thus he ends that Epiftle to Titus, greet them that love us in the Faith; that is, in the Doctrine that we believe; the Matter of our Gospel and of their Adherence. For as he faith in another Place, whofoever is the Preacher, fo we preach, 1 Cor. xv. and fo ye believe.

II.

Thus has the Scripture revealed our Hope, not only as a Grace in the Heart, but as an Object upon which it fixes. Sometimes Chrift Jefus is called our Hope, and no wonder, when it! Tim.

i. 1.