Elibu thought it dangerous that the great Men SER M. about him fhould fay, we have found out Wisdom. X.

I fear 'tis too much that a certain Author has

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faid of his Scheme. "If we fuppofe the Mef- Job xxxii. fiah or Logos in his pre-exiftent State, as well Page 46. as after his Incarnation, to be a complex or compounded Perfon; and that divine Logos, eternal Word, affumed a fuper-angelick or inferior Nature, called alfo Logos, into Union with himself, before he took Flesh upon him: "This would reconcile all the Ideas which feem "inconfiftent, and fcatter the Darkness that hangs

over the ancient Writers, and over the Scripture itself, if this Opinion is not admitted." To this I cannot forbear to answer in the Words of Eliphaz. Art thou the firft Man that was born? Job xv. Or waft thou made before the Hills? Haft thou 7, 8, 9, beard the Secret of God, or reftraineft thou Wisdom 11, 12. to thyself? What knoweft thou that we know not, what understandeft thou that is not with us? Is there any fecret Thing with thee? Why does thine Heart carry thee away, or what do thine Eyes wink at?

By this Account the Divinity of Chrift is only an Attribute, his Perfon is a Creature; his buman Soul is an angelical Spirit. He has no more of God than a Property, and no more of Man than Flesh and Blood. This Logos, as we are of ten told in that Book, is the effential Power of the Deity, and has no more than a figurative Perfonality.

We are bid to confider" to what a fuperior "Height this Doctrine advances the whole Per"fon of Chrift; " but the little Fling that follows might have been spared, "Let not those "who love the Lord Jefus in Sincerity be afraid

to hear of his various Glories." They who love the Lord Jefus in Sincerity delight to hear

SERM. of his being humbled, and made in all Things X. like to themselves. They think that the human Nature confifts of a human Soul as well as Body; and yet,

We are farther told, that "this Scheme lays "a Foundation for reconciling the Contentions that "have troubled the Church in all Ages: And as "it would be a mighty Happiness if there was any Poffibility of uniting the contending Par"ties into one Scheme of Trinitarian Doctrine ; "fo the Author fays, He knows no Hypothefts "bids fo fair for it as this." And yet,

At the End of his Book he falls off from this fame confident Boafting, and fays, that "he is not "fo vain as to think this Hypothesis will imme"diately relieve every Difficulty that attends the "facred Doctrine of the Trinity." Thus he leaves us as confufed and undetermined as he found us, alas, for those who truft in a Covering, which the very Man that brought it owns to be too narrow.

3. Another Principle of Wavering is a vain Suppofition that God stands in Need of our Help, to make what he has faid more eafy or evident. I think the Words made ufe of in the Form of Baptism are plain enough. Chrift either defigned to fet them out in the Light of one of these Schemes, or he did not: If he did, why has he not given it himself; if he did not, why are we to have it from others?

All our Difpute is about the plain Meaning of a Sentence. I am fure here is nothing in the Terms of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to make us think of one Agent and two Powers, or of one God and two Creatures. No Mortal upon the Face of the Earth would fuppose that we intended by it any other than three Perfons, who are diftinct, and yet who are equal.

God

X.

Exod. xx.

God appointed, when they made him an Al- SERM. tar, it fhould not be of hewn Stone, for which he gives this Reason, that reaches to every thing in Revelation, if thou lifteft up thy Tool upon it, thou hast polluted my Altar. But with thefe Tools is the great Altar of all polluted.

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4. Sometimes we are tempted to waver from carnal Eafe and a Love of Reputation. How can John v. ye believe, who receive Honour one from another, 44. and neglect the Honour that comes from God

only? Many of the Rulers believed on Christ, John xii. but because of the Pharifees they did not confefs 42, 43him; for they loved the Praife of Men more than the Praise of God.

These vile Principles can eafily cover themfelves with the Names of Temper, Charity, Moderation, and Forbearance; but thofe glorious Things are not to be confounded with Lukewarmnefs, Self-feeking, Lazinefs, or Ignorance. The fearful and unbelieving go together. Such Rev. xxi. Profeffors as thefe Chrift is fick of, and therefore 8. threatens to spew them out of his Mouth. As Rev. iii. there is a Cloke of Covetoufnefs, fo there is a 17. Cloke of Fear and Cowardice: And you are to be stript before you are tried: Not he who com- 2 Cor. x. mends himself is approved, but he whom the Lord commends. The Pharifees were they who justified themselves before Men, but God knew Luke xvi. their Hearts, for what is highly esteemed among 15. Men, is an Abomination in the Sight of God.

Many of us could have been as easy in Zion, as well as our Brethren, and given up the Name of Chrift to have preferved our own. There is no Pleasure in Reproaches, and being separated from the Company of Men. These are Trials that we would have kept out of, if it could have been with a clear Confcience. But I believe Christ never defigned that a Christian Preacher

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fhould

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16.

SERM. fhould be an Arian Favourite; the Man, whom X. the Enemy admires, is fome way treacherous. There is no Communion between Chrift and Be2 Cor. vi. lial, nor between him that believes and an Infidel. 5. There is a falfe ungodly Charity that gives up the Honour of Religion, merely because it will not be at the Pains to defend it. You're never to make Peace with Men at the Expence of any Truth, that is revealed to you by the , great God; because that is offering up his Glory in Sacrifice to your own. Let us aim at the Rom. ii. Praife that is not of Men, but of God. And therefore let no Man deceive you with vain Words.

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Don't difmember the Chriftian Religion, but take it all together; Charity was never defigned to be the Tool of Unbelief. See how the Spirit has connected both our Principles and Duties. Heb. xii. Follow Peace with all Men, and Holiness, without which no Man fhall fee the Lord. Seek after Rom. xiv the Things that make for Peace, and those wherein one may edify another.

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XV. 2.

We are to please all Men in all Things to their Edification. But there is a feeking to please Men which is inconfiftent with our Service to Chrift; whether it is poffible, or indeed defirable to find out a Scheme that will reconcile the contending Parties, Arians, Sabellians, Athanafians, and Socinians, is what I fhall confider in another Ser

mon.

6. There is the Pride of a wrangling Humour, which I take to be very dangerous, because 'tis ufually carried on without any Reverence or godly Fear. By fome Books that are lately printed, we fhould be led to think the New Teftament Doctrine of the Trinity to be the most impertinent and volatile Speculation that ever the Mind of Man could be diverted with. They will argue with a thoufand Times more Gravity about

the

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the Motion of the Earth or the Sun, the Caufe SERM. of the Tide, the World in the Moon; and feveral other Subjects that make a Man neither wifer nor better.

In order to fet out the Article of one God in three Perfons to the Ridicule of the World, they drefs it up in barbarous Questions, about confcious Minds, fpecifical and numerical Identity, and then having turned a Windmill into a Giant, they begin the Battle. Whereas after all the rumbling and moulding they are able to give the Doctrine, the practical View we must have of it is this;

Is Chrift to be worshiped as the most high God or no? If not, what is the Length of our Duty to him, how far must it go, and where fhall it ftop? Has the Scripture encouraged me to bow down before any more Gods than one? And yet is it not plain that upon Christ I am called to reft, and depend that I may be saved ?

Is it an Indifference, whether I adore the Holy Spirit as an Attribute of the Father, or a distinct Perfon from him? Is it the fame Thing whether I own him as a fuper-angelick Spirit, or as the moft high God? If he is more than the former, I must be guilty of Irreligion, if he is less than the latter, I muft be guilty of Idolatry.

7. Above all there is an Indifference or Chilnefs of Confcience to the great Doctrines of Godlinefs. What fignifies it to a Man who lives in Lafciviousness, Lufts, Excefs of Wine, Revellings, Banquettings, and abominable Idolatries, whether Chrift is a God or a Creature? He owns no God but his Belly. What's the Deity or Derivation of the Spirit to one who defpifes all his Influence from the first Conviction of Sin, quite up to Faith in dying and Perfection in Heaven? When Men caft off Fear and reftrain Prayer beP 4 fore