II.

CHAP. fons, or in the good Order, and Decency of religious Societies for the publick Worship of God, and the minifterial Parts of Religion, indifpenfibly fubfervient to the Furtherance of Religion, as we are fociable Creatures; The contrary Remedies are just so many edifying Things, or fo many Fundamentals, either to those private Perfons, or to thofe Societies.

SOME Things, therefore are more fundamental than otherfome; and to fome Perfons, and Societies, more than others; and at one Time, and Place, more than another; juft in Proportion as Defects and Disorders call for them; and the Knowledge of the Remedy becomes applicaple according to the Measure of the Revelation of it at different Times, and Places. Thus the first Fundamental fuppofed, viz. the Being of a God, which being the prime Ground of all Religion, all are agreed in it in Pretence or Reality, who have any Religion in Pretence or Reality: The Second is like unto it, viz. Belief in Christ, the Mediator in Behalf of every Man that finneth, and standeth in need of Repentance and Prayer, i. e. all Men. Ye believe in God, believe alfo in

me.

This is Life eternal, to know thee the only true God, and Jefus Chrift, who was fent by him; and upon the Rock of that Confeffion that Chrift was the Son of the living God; (Peter's Perfon was not, could not be a Rock, though his Name alluded to it) he would build his Church; and the Gates of Hell, Death and the Grave, fhould not be able to hinder it from a Refurrection and eternal Life *

THIS, by the Way, helps us to the true and perfect Notion of Chriftian Perfection.

Mat. xvi. 18.

When

II.

When and where any thing is lacking and im- CHAP. perfect in Understanding, Faith, Manners, it be comes an Occafional Perfection to fupply and make good that Defect. (1.) In Understanding we are bid to go on to Perfection, Heb. vi. 1.-v. 14. 1 Cor. xi. 6. Phil. iii. 15. Col. iv. 12. 2 Tim. iii. 17. (2.) Faith; Eph. iv. 13. as the Fulness of Chrift, or the Measure of the Stature of Chrift as a perfect Mediator, is taken from the equal Fulness of his being Son of God, and Son of Man Perfonally united, fo, to be perfect in that Faith, is to be perfect in Christ Jefus, Col. i. 28. The Fruits of that Faith are well known to be perfected only by Works, James ii. 22. (3) Works or Manners; Is a perfect Example wanting of the Love of Enemies? be ye perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect, Mat. v. 48. Would ye perfect your Love of God [in Chrift?] it is to be done, by cafting out Fear, 1 John iv. 18. Or furround your Soul with the Bond of all Perfectness of Duty owing to God, and Man? Love and Charity to both ties you to your good Behaviour to each, and with your own Confent, Col. iii. 14. Is there an Emulation among the Virtues, which is the greateft? Let Patience have its perfect Work, for that makes perfect, lacking nothing. If any Man offend not in Word, the fame is a perfect Man, and able to bridle all Appetites and Members of the Body, James iii. 2. He is, or may be, as perfect, as much Mafter of leffer Difficulties, as he that lifts a hundred Weight has no Occafion to strain at fifty. Is the Heart, the Seat of Integrity, enquir'd into? What Thoughts, Intentions, and Conduct are to perfect that, fecure Singleness and Sincerity of Heart, and exclude double Mindednefs? Walk before me and be perfect, Gen. xvii. 1. i. e. Let

III

CHAP. the Pleafing of God, as always in the Sight of God, be the Measure of your Actions, that will give Uprightnefs, as it did to fob, who feared God and efchewed Evil, Job. i. 1, 8. ii. 3. Does any rich Man pretend to justify himself, as perfect in loving God and his Neighbour? Mat. xix. 20. &c. If thou wilt be perfect, fell all, giving his Word and Promife of having Treasure in Heaven: Founded upon that known Criterion of the Love of God and Godliness, Man liveth not by Bread alone, or the Abundance of the Things he poffeffeth, but by every Word [or Promife] that proceedeth out of the Mouth of God doth Man live. A Perfection peculiarly recommendable to fcrutinize none but thofe who would justify themselves as above. Thus every good Work has its feveral and respective Perfection, Heb. xiii. 21. And as the Lord Jefus Christ gains the paffable Perfection to all our Imperfections, St. Peter,

Ep. v. 10. prays that we may be perfected, ftablished, ftrengthened, fettled by that Means.

THEREFORE Faith in him is the Head of all the Religion of the Means, of Repentance, Prayer, which are abfolutely neceffary; of Baptifm, and the Lord's Supper, which are generally neceffary or exceeding useful; for operating the Religion of the End, the keeping the Commandments in that Uprightness, which frail peccant Mortals are capable of: Called the Foundation of God ftanding fure; he that nameth the Name of Christ, i. e. on whom his Name is called by being baptized into his Name for Affurance of Remiffion of Sins, which invigorates Repentance; or he that either names or invokes him, as Mediator in Prayer, should depart from all Iniquity

CHAP.

As then the End of Chriftian Faith is the Salvation of our Souls, and that Salvation is the Remiffion of Sins through Christ, the Mediator, as has been fhewn; the other fubordinate Fundamentals of this common Salvation are fundamental, and to be estimated more or less fo by this Criterion, as they fupport and influence this Belief. The New Teftament accordingly declares what Particulars are moft fubfervient, by Way of Fundamental to the other, by exprefly affixing eternal Life, or Salvation to them alfo ; as his being the Son of Good*, at the fame Time he is Son of Man, being fent from the Father; his dying for Sin, his Refurrection to the Right Hand of God: All which directly and immediately qualify him the fittest, moft adequate, and moft potent Mediator between God and Man. The two former declared fundamental by our Saviour; the two latter by St. Paul év púτois. All thefe being conftitutive of the Notion of fuch a Mediator, are fet forth in Holy Scripture in all Plainnefs, and therefore must be believed by all, who would have the best Benefit from their Faith in Chrift. Other Truths or Doctrines are more or lefs important as they approach to, or recede from these chief Points concerning the Author and Finisher of our Faith. St. Paul, Heb. vi. 1, 2. fums up the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ, or the Foundations that are not to be renewing, but to be proceeded on to Perfection, in Repentance from dead Works, Faith towards God, Baptifms, laying on of Hands, Refurrection from the Dead, and eternal Judgment.

* John iii. 18. John xvii. 3. Heb, vi. 1, 2g

t1 Cor. xv. 3, 4,

II.

CHAP.

CHAP.

III.

CHA P. III.

Of PRAYER, the other Means of Natural

Religion.

RAYER is the laft Inftance of the Religion of the Means to be shewn, how it operates on the other Parts of Religion, and how Faith in the Mediator Chrift operates upon that, before I draw the general Conclufion touching the Neceffity of that Faith, where it is promulg'd. That Prayer in all its extent, (as diftinct from Thanksgiving, containing poreux, Supplication for the Good that is wanted: denois, Deprecation of Evil felt or feared; EVTEVIS, Interceffion in behalf of others) is the Religion of the Means, is very evident: Becaufe, had Man continued in the State of Innocence, and pursued the original Ends of his Being for which he was made, there had been no Want of any Good, nor the Sense of any Evil felt, nor the Apprehenfion of any feared; having done nothing to forfeit it, he was fure of the Continuance of every Thing, to make hiin perfectly happy. No Occafion therefore for Supplication, Deprecation, or Interceffion; no praying for Forgiveness of our Trefpaffes against God, nor any Opportunity of forgiving Trefpaffes against himself, when neither of them were in Being: Nor yet for Governors and thofe in Authority, fuppofing the

Increase