kind have certain entanglements upon their hearts and spirits, in reference to God, which none of them that are not utterly brutish do not wrestle with, and which all of them are not able, in the least, to satisfy themselves about, certainly that doctrine which is suited universally to satisfy all their perplexities, to calm and quiet their spirits in all their tumultuatings, and doth break in upon them, in its discovery, with a glorious efficacy to that purpose, must needs be from that God with whom we have to do, and none else. From whom else, I pray, should it be.

Now, there are three things, that every one of mankind, not naturally brutish, are perplexed with, in reference to their dependence on God, and relation to him.

1. How they may worship him as they ought.

2. How they may be reconciled, and at peace with him, or have an atonement for that guilt of which they are naturally sensible.

3. What is the nature of true blessedness, and how they may attain it, or how they may come to the enjoyment of God.

That all mankind is perplexed and entangled about these considerations-that all men ever were so, without exception, more or less, and continue so to be to this day-that of themselves, they miserably grope in the dark, and are never able to come to any satisfaction, neither as to what is present, nor as to what is to come, I could manifest from the state, office, and condition of conscience, and the indelible innate ideas and presumptions about them, that are in the hearts of all by nature. The whole history of all religion which hath been in the world,

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with the design of all ancient and present philosophy, do manifest this truth.

That surely, then, which shall administer to every one of them, universally, satisfaction as to all these things, to quiet their spirits, to cut off all necessity of any further inquiries, give them that wherewith they will be satisfied, unless they will cast off that relation and dependence on God, which they seek to settle,—surely, I say, this must be from the all-seeing, all-satisfying truth, and from none else. Now this is done by the doctrine of the Scripture, with such a glorious uncontrollable conviction, that every one to whom it is revealed, the eyes of whose understanding are not blinded by the god of this world, must needs cry out, I have found that which in vain I sought elsewhere in my foolish imaginations.

Take an instance in the business of atonement, reconciliation, and acceptance with God. What strange horrible fruits have men's contrivances produced on this occasion? What have they not invented? What have they not suffered, and yet continued in dread and bondage all their days? Now, with what a glorious soul-appeasing light doth the doctrine of satisfaction and atonement, by the blood of Christ, the Son of God, come in upon such men! This first astonisheth, then conquereth, then ravisheth, and satiateth the soul. This is what they looked for, were sick for, and knew it not. This is the design of the Apostle's discourse in the three first chapters of the Epistle to the Romans. Let any man read that discourse, from chap. i. 18. and onward, and he will see with what glory and

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beauty, with what ample satisfaction this doctrine breaks out.

It is no otherwise as to present worship, or future blessedness. This meets with men in all their wanderings, stops them in their disquisitions, convinces them of the darkness, uncertainty, falseness of all their reasonings about these things; and that with such an evidence and light, as at once subdues them, captivates their understanding, and quiets

their souls.

Of what hath been spoken, this is the sum. All mankind that acknowledge their dependence upon God, and relation to him, are naturally grievously perplexed in their hearts, thoughts, and reasonings about the worship of God, acceptance with him, and the future enjoyment of him; some are exercised with more clear and distinct apprehensions of these things; some under more dark and general notions of them. To extricate themselves, and to come to some issue about these inquiries, hath been the great design of their lives, the aim they had in all things they did. Notwithstanding which, they were never able to deliver themselves, no not one of them, or attain satisfaction to their souls, but waxed vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts were more and more darkened. In this state of things, the doctrine of the Scripture, coming in with full, unquestionable satisfaction, suited to the inquirings of every individual soul, with a largeness of wisdom and depth of goodness not to be fathomed, it must needs be from that God with whom we have to do. And those who are not persuaded of this, that will not cast anchor in this harbour, let them put to sea

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once more, if they dare, and try if all their perplexities do not inevitably return.

There are some doctrines of the Scripture, some revelations in it, so sublimely glorious, of so profound and mysterious an excellency, that, at the first proposal of them, nature startles, meeting with that which is above it, too great and too excellent for it, which it could' desirously avoid and decline; but yet, gathering itself up to them, it yields, and finds that unless they are accepted and submitted to, though unsearchable, not only all that hath been received must be rejected, but also the whole dependence of the creature on God be dissolved, or rendered only dreadful and destructive to nature itself. Such are the doctrines of the Trinity, of the incarnation of the Son of God, of the resurrection of the dead, of the new birth, and the like. the first revelation of these things, nature is amazed, cries, How can these things be? Or gathers up itself to opposition-this is babbling, like the Athenians; folly, as the wise Greeks. But when the eyes of reason are a little confirmed, though it can never clearly behold the glory of this sun, yet it confesseth a glory to be in it, above all that it is able to apprehend. These doctrines, though great, above and beyond the reach of reason, yet upon search are found to be such, as, without submission to them, the whole comfortable relation between God and man must needs be dissolved.

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Let us take a view in our way of one of the instances. What is there in the whole book of God, that nature at first sight, doth more recoil at, than the doctrine of the Trinity? How many do yet

stumble and fall at it? I confess the doctrine itself is but sparingly, yet it is clearly and distinctly delivered unto us in the Scripture. Here reason is entangled; yet, after a while, finds evidently, that, unless this be embraced, all other things wherein it hath to do with God, will not be of value to the soul. This will quickly be made to appear. Of all that communion which is here between God and man, founded on the revelation of his mind and will to him, which makes way for his enjoyment in glory, there are these two parts:1. God's gracious communication of his love, goodness, &c., with the fruits of them to man. 2. The obedience of man to God, in a way of gratitude for that love, according to the mind of God revealed to him. These two comprise the whole of the intercourse between God and man. Now, when the mind of man is exercised about these things, he finds at last that they are so wrapped up in the doctrine of the Trinity, that without the belief and acceptance of it, it is utterly impossible that any interest in them should be obtained or preserved.

For the first, or the communication of God to us in a way of love and goodness, it is wholly founded upon, and inwrapped in this truth, both as to the 'eternal spring and actual execution of it. A few instances will evince this assertion. The eternal fountain of all grace, flowing from love and goodness, lies in God's election. This being an act of God's will, cannot be apprehended, but as an eternal act of his wisdom or word also. All the eternal thoughts of its execution, lie in the covenant that was between the Father and the Son, as to the Son's undertaking to execute that purpose of his.