SERM. that we have among the Philofophers is from IX. thofe who talk of 30,000 Gods and Goddeffes;

16. Job xi.

fo wild and wanton was the Reason of Man under the least Attainments of Learning: And leaft of all can I think they had any Imagination about a Trinity of Perfons. The Quotations I have met with from thofe who ftudied their Writings, are poor, confused, and empty Fancies. So that a Perfon who believes, as he is called to do, that there is but one Name belonging to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, does not receive it as a Thing that Man's Wisdom teaches.

There's no Book in all the World that would reveal it, but one; and our Affent to it is upon no other Ground than the Teftimony of God. We don't believe it as we do many Things upon ocular Demonftrations, for he is one whom no f Tim. vi. Man has feen, nor can fee: Nor is it by rational Deduction, and a Train of Thinking; for can'ft thou by fearching find out God, can't thou find out the Almighty to Perfection? No, it's higher than Heaven and deeper than Hell, what can'ft thou know? But it's the Account that God, who alone comprehends his own Nature, is pleased to give us of it: And though I would neither have Juppofed it, nor am I able to explain it, yet he has faid it who cannot lye.

7,8.

In many Cafes the Character of the Witness depends upon the Evidence of the Teftimony: If he fays a true Thing we know him to be a true Perfon; but here the Evidence of the Teftimony depends upon the Character of the Witnefs: We cannot prove he fays it, because it's true; (we have no Ideas of it antecedent to his John iii. Teftimony) but it is true because he has faid it. He that receives the Teftimony has fet to his Seal that God is true. His meer Authority.

33.

goes

goes as far in a Doctrine as it does in a Com- SERM. mand. IX.

I'll not let my Thoughts loofe upon a copious Argument, whether the Scripture has revealed to us a Trinity of Perfons in the Unity of the Godhead. Keep but to the Form of Baptifm. Here's a Man called to this Ordinance; he does it in Obedience to Jefus Chrift, who has all Power both in Heaven and Earth and is head over all Things in the Church. Well, Chrift, in directing him to the Practice, has told him what he means by it.

This Form must be intelligible. He has given me no Explication of it, which fuppofes that he thought it plain enough. Now, if there had been never a Syllable in all the Bible about the Equality of the Son and Spirit with the Father, and their Diftinction from him; the very Declaration that I make in Baptifm by his own Appointment is enough. I must conclude this is the Faith delivered to the Saints, because it was fo early profeffed by the Saints. If the Doctrine is falfe, Chrift has put a Lye in my Mouth, if the Words are not easy, he has put a Trifle there. He has called me to a Profeffion that I cannot believe, and that others cannot understand. But that be far from him, the Words of the Lord are pure Words; we receive the Truth as it is in Jefus. We know that the Son of God is come, and has given us an Understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is 1 John true; this is the true God, and this is eternal v. 20. Life.

2. Holding faft this Profeffion fuppofes that we know it to be the Doctrine of the Scriptures, from a particular Trial and Examination. 'Till you have proved all Things you will never hold faft that which is good. The Bereans are migh

IX.

SER M. tily extolled by fome in our Days, (I wish they were as much imitated) for taking nothing upon Truft. For obferve what is faid of them, upon which they are more noble than those of Theffalonica.

A&ts xvii.

II.

First, That they received the Word with all Readiness of Mind: They were glad to hear it; they did not call the Preachers a Company of Impoftors and Enthusiasts, or reject the Doctrine without Enquiry; for though they received nothing upon Truft, yet they admitted every Thing upon Trial.

Secondly, They fearched the Scriptures daily whether the Things were fo or no, which is an Argument that they looked for no higher Authority, and no greater Evidence. If they found the Doctrines there, they never brought them to the Bar of human Reason, or ftrained them upon Maxims of Philofophy, but were glad to own whatever God was pleased to say.

We have had, through the gracious Hand of Providence, the first Principles of the Oracles of God in a proper Light. Ours has been the Valley of Vifion. Our ferious Parents had the best Catechifm in all the World in their Hands, and it was early put into our Mouths: But without any Defign to diminish the Reputation of the Bible; the People that say this are as foolish as they are rude. There's not a Child that has learned two Answers in that Catechifm but is able to confront them: For the fecond Answer is, that the Word of God contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Teftament is the ONLY RULE (not meerly a good one, or the beft, but the only Rule) that God has given us, how we may glorify and enjoy him. And therefore,

Men

Men who infinuate that we fet up this Form SEMR. of found Words as a Rival to the Bible, have IX. taught us not to heed what they fay, for it's plain they do not heed it themfelves. The feveral Propofitions there have a Guard of Scriptures fet about them, which every one that reads the Book calls by no other Name than Proofs. The Catechifm itself is proved and tried, and after this we hold it fast.

And

iii. 14.

I may therefore apply to any one who was brought up in this Nurture and Admonition of the Lord, as Paul did to Timothy; continue in the Things that thou haft beard and been affured of, 2 Tim. knowing of whom thou haft learned them. who were these? Not the Apostle himself, for he fpeaks of what Timothy had learned antecedent to their Acquaintance. Though I know the Liberty that fome have taken with our Education, yet Timothy's was from his Mother and Grandmother, for his Father was a Greek; and 2 Tim. he puts it at laft upon this, that from a Child 5. thou haft known the holy Scriptures, which are 2.

able to make thee wife.

i.

Acts xvi,

We must be able to speak from perfonal Enquiries as they did to the Woman of Samaria; now we believe, not because of thy faying, for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this John iv. is indeed the Chrift, the Saviour of the World.

That Propofition, [There are three Perfons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, and thefe three are one God, the fame in Subftance, equal in Power and Glory,] is commenfurate to the Form of Baptifm. If the Words are taken in their eafy genuine Senfe, they fignify neither more nor lefs, than that we are baptized into the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. If there had not been three Perfons in the Godhead we should never have made mention

5

42.

SERM. mention of them in Baptifm: And if thefe three IX. were not one God, we fhould never have been

1 Tim.

iv. 6.

vi. 3.

baptized into one Name. If they had not been three Perfons, they would never have been diftinguished in the fame way of speaking that three Perfons always are. And if they had not been the fame in Nature, Subftance, or Effence, then we must conceive of more Gods than one. And if they are not equal in Power and Glory, their Inequality ought to be expreffed in the greatest Act of Surrender, that we can poffibly make of ourselves or our Children.

3. 'Tis fuppofed in holding faft this Profeffion of Faith, that we find the Concernment our Souls have in it. We are nourished up in the Words of Faith and good Doctrine; they are wholfome Words. We are not called in Baptifm to declare, whether the Sun or the Earth moves, whether fome of the Stars are not bigger than either of our great Lights; because, though thefe Things may be true, they make us neither better nor worse. But 'tis of the last Importance to my Religion now and my Happiness for ever, to know with whom I have to do; whether I am to worship one God or three; I am fenfible the latter is Idolatry. Whether I am devoted to three Perfons, or only to one, I fee that the latter of these is Impiety. I have as much Reason to Heb. xii. think that Jefus is the Author and Finisher of my Faith, as I have that it is only God who works in me both to will and do. I depend upon the Holy Spirit for Light and Grace, for Comfort and James i. Heaven, as I do upon the Father of Light, the God of all Grace, the God of all Confolations, the Lord of Heaven and Earth. And therefore,

2.

Phil. ii.

14.

17. 2 Cor.

i 3.

Matt. xi. 25.

I exprefs by the very Words that Chrift has given me the equal Confidence and Intereft of my Soul in all the Three. I cannot do without

the