injurious to the Chriftian Life. One makes a CHA P. good Foundation to be the whole Building, without XVIII fuperstructing what is required upon it; the other builds without a Foundation. The latter over-values and miftakes the Design of Faith, making the Means feparate from the End to be all the Yoke of Chrift; the former undervalues and fuperfedes it, by placing all in the End independent of the other. And therefore one and the other are manifeft Deviations from the true Christian Religion; which is therefore true, because it requires them both, and hath connected the Means to the End, and commanded one for the furtherance of the other. And each of them are a notorious putting asunder what God and Chrift, his Gospel and the Reason of Things have join'd together in great Wisdom and Prudence. My present Concern is with the first Extreme. And for the Conviction of thofe, who retain fuch pernicious Opinions, I propofe to fhew the Religion and Neceffity of this Faith, in order to incite Endeavours for good Works in the Performance of the Religion of the End; and to point the Way how to gain Acceptance with God for fuch Endeavours, that Way, as have been hitherto form'd independent, or rather in contempt of that Faith. The NECESSITY of which Faith I would be always understood to mean, as confin'd to thofe Places where the Gospel is fufficiently promulged to those who are to act upon it. This I fhall do, after I have first answered the remaining Objections of the Rejecters and Undervaluers of this Faith. CHAP. 1 I HAVE already fhewn, in proper Place, the Wisdom and the Love of God in appointing a Mediator, and his great Love and Condefcenfion in offering himself, and coming into the World; and that the Bafis of this Mediatorship (fince it is revealed) is, to the Admiration of all intelligent Beings in the World, folidly and most effectually built in the Nature of Things, by the perfonal Union of the Divine, and Human Nature; for impartially confulting the Intereft of each, and making a perfect Reconciliation between God and Man; by giving the World a new Transcript of the Divine Will, after it had been obliterated and neglected, ftamping it with the Authority of God, and facilitating the conveying it, by degrees, into the Hands of every body; by dying for the Sins of Men; and interceding for their Pardon and for all Bleffings, upon Newnefs of Life. I have fet forth the Profufion of the Wisdom and Goodness of God, in the Death of the Mediator, and fhewn the Weakness of the Exceptions to that Method of God's pardoning and faving Sinners. And likewife the true Ufe, and Defign of Baptism, and the Lord's-Supper, the two Pofitives, as they are called, of Chriftianity; That one is a foederal Initiation and Engagement, to have always a faithful Regard both to the Religion of the Means, and of the End, and to apply one to the Promotion of the other; and the other Sacrament is a frequent invigorating Recruit of the otherwife languishing Difpofitions and Refolutions of the Mind, towards each of them. And in answering the Objections, I clear'd the Divine Appointment from the Imputation of Arbitrarinefs and mere Will, which vanishes as foon as the the religious Ufe and Tendency appears. I have CHA P. likewife made it appear, that all Parts of Human, XVIII. Nature are confulted and affifted in their moral Disorders by the healing Methods of the great Physician of Souls; the Understanding, Will, Memory, and Affections by the internal Aids, profpering and giving Increase to the Application of the Helps and Inftruments to those Powers, in publick Worship. And as bodily Affections after falfe Happiness chiefly fway and feduce the Man, I have particularly fhewn their defign'd Balance, and religious Controul, from the Motives of true Gain and Lofs; Happiness and Mifery, the Rewards and Punishments of a future Life, in the Re-union of both Parts of our Nature, Body and Soul; and that the affected Neglect of future Rewards in the Authors I have been anfwering, is an artificial, real Subverfion of Natural Religion as well as Revealed. THERE remain fome Objections, which I proceed to confider. 1. Is of Mystery ;, which the Author of Christianity as old, &c. treats as an Inconfiftency, errant Jumble*, Orthodox Paradoxes +, abfurd, contradictory, facred Nonfenfe- to "fuppofe it dark and myfterious in any Part, is "to reprefent it as unworthy of having God for its Author t I. Of the Mystery of Faith. 66 ALL thofe fpiteful Accufations of the Rejecters and Diminishers of the Chriftian Faith will foon vanifh, if fuch Readers, to whom this Anfwer is addrefs'd, will be fo fair as to look Pag. 74. + Pag. 183. Pag. 198. Pag. 199. CHA P. into the New Teftament, they will plainly fee XVIII, their own Mistakes, and as plainly find that Christianity is, in itself, entirely clear of those Imputations; and that they ought to afk God's, and all Chriftian People's Pardon for fuch unjust Calumny. And, because this reviling is so very frequent, and injurious to the true Purport and Defign of the real Myftery, I fhall endeavour in the Spirit of Meeknefs to convince them of it. It will be requifite in the firft Place to give the plain Senfe and Importance of the Word as it occurs in the Scripture, (1.) In all the particular Paffages (2.) In the general Meaning and Idea refulting from them. . FIRST, it occurs and is applied to various Things, twenty-fix times, in the Singular, or Plural Number. To the Delivery of Doctrine in Parables; whence the Teachable might learn enough, whilft the Incorrigible were taught in a manner they deferv'd, and was at the fame time leaft prejudicial to the Publisher *. To Types and Symbols t. To Iniquity: Even in St. Paul's Days fome began to corrupt the Gospel, and fhew themselves, in part, Perverters of its Defign of Godliness, unto Iniquity. To fome particular Doctrine of the Gofpel, explain'd only in part; as the Refurrection of the Body ; the Manifeftation of the Son of God in the Flesh; the Calling and Converfion of the Jews, when the Fulness of the Gentiles is come in §. To the speaking Things in an unknown Tongue ; which was, contrary to the Defign of the Gofpel, concealing them utterly and totally. To the CHA P. Doctrines of Chriftianity in general +. IN many Places it imports the Revelation of the Gospel and Preaching of Chrift (whereon all the other Myfteries of Chriftianity depend) as a Thing before fecret, unknown, and hid, but afterwards revealed and made manifest to Gentiles, as well as Jews. According to the Revelation of the Mystery which was kept fecret fince the World began, but now is made manifeft, and by the Scriptures of the Prophets according to the Commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all Nations for the Obedience of the Faith*. We Speak the Wisdom of God in a Mystery, even the bidden Wisdom which God ordained before the World t. In whom [the Beloved, Jefus Chrift] we have Redemption thro' bis Blood, the Forgivenefs of Sins according to the Riches of his Grace wherein he hath abounded towards us in all Wisdom and Prudence, having made known unto us the Mystery of bis Will according to his good Pleasure. By Revelation he made known unto me the Mystery (as I wrote afore in few Words, [recited from chap. i. 7, 8, 9. juft before] whereby when ye read ye may understand MY KNOWLEDGE in the Mystery of Chrift, [i. e. Redemption thro' his Blood, the Forgiveness of Sins, the Mystery of God's Will in Christ, chap. i. 7-9.] which in other Ages was not made known unto the Sons of Men, as it is now revealed unto his holy Apoftles and Prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles fhould be Fellow-beirs to make all Men SEE, φωτίσαι πάντας, illuminate ALL, a Word allo +1 Cor. iv. 1. -xiii. 2. 1 Tim. iii. 9: 25, 26. iii. 3, 4, 5, 6. * Rom. xvi. Eph. i. 7, 8. XVIII. often |