rule of faith, is not one fcripture, but all. And there fore, tho' I have taken advantage from these words, yet all along I have laid fuch certain and fuch in. fallible grounds, tending to give fatisfaction in the matters of reafon and faith, as the feveral points are capable of.

And now I proceed to a fourth argument, which is this,

IV. The proportion that divine truth (both natural and revealed) hath, and the fitness it bears to man in his condition; take him either as he comes into the world, or as he hath used himself the fuitableness of natural truth to man, in the state of his creation; and the fuitableness of revealed truth to man, in his lapfed and fallen condition, in order to his reftitution and recovery.

And firft, for the suitableness of that which we call natural religion. Natural religion was the very temper, complexion, and conftitution of man's foul in the moment of his creation; it was his natural temper, and the very difpofition of his mind; it was as connatural to his foul, as health to any man's body; fo that man forc'd himself, offered violence to himself and his principles, went againft his very make and conftitution, when he departed from God, and confented to iniquity. It is the fame thing in moral agents, to obferve and comply with the order and dictates of reafon, as it is in inferior creatures, to act according to the fenfe and impetus of their natures. It is the fame thing with the world of intelligent and voluntary agents, to do that which right reafon doth demand and require, as it is

in fenfitives, to follow the guidance of their senses, or in vegetatives, to be according to their natures. This is concluded univerfally by all moralifts. It is as natural for a man, in refpect of the principles of God's creation in him, to live in regard, reverence, and obfervance of Deity; to govern himself according to the rule of fobriety and temperance, of prudence and moderation; to live in love, and to carry himself well in God's family; this, I fay, is as natural for him, as for a beaft to be guided by his fenfes, or for the fun to give light, the fire to give heat, heavy things to fall downwards, light things to be carried upwards. How far therefore are we degenerated and fallen below the state in which God created us; fince it is fo rare a thing for us to comply with the reafon of things! Nothing is more certainly true, than that all vice is unnatural and contrary to the nature of man. All that wę call fin, that which is naught, and contrary to the reason of things, is deftructive of human nature; and a man forceth himself when he doth it; so that, to comply with thefe principles of natural light and knowledge, which God did implant in us in the moment of our creation; and exactly to be obedient to the ducture of reafon, is connatural to man, in respect of the state of God's creation: and it may be as well expected from an intelligent agent to obferve God, and to live righteoufly and foberly, as from any fenfitive agent to follow its appetite. Humility, patience, meekness, and fuch like virtues, they do favour nature; whereas, paffion, pride, and envy do waste and destroy

D 3

nature.

nature. Nature's defires are all moderate and limited; but luft is violent and exorbitant. Nature is content with a very few things; but if a man give way. to inordinate defires, then there is no fatisfaction to be obtained. Luft is not a thing that will be fatisfied by adding and adding; but he that would be fatisfied, must abate and moderate his defires, and undue affections. It is certain, that all natural truth, all that is founded in reason, and that derives from the principles of God's creation, that all of thefe do agree with man's conftitution in the ftate of innocency.

And for revealed truth; that fits and fupplies man in his lapsed state. Every man that knows his ftate feels want in himself of health and ftrength, and revealed truth is that which doth fupply this want; and is that which he would have wifh'd for from God. Then reading the tenor of revealed truth, he will be ready to fay, fic expectavi, fic inveni, I found as I have expected. In this he hath terms proposed to him of pardon and reconciliation, upon repentance, and returning to God. Never did patient and physician meet more happily, disease and phyfick; than man in a lapfed condition, and the proposals that are through the grace of God in the gospel, viz. bafeness on our part (for every fin is a base act) and the spirit of ingenuity in the grace of the gofpel. In the one, there is man full of mifery; in the other the grace of God for mercy and forgivenefs. Man's language in that state is, O wretched man, who fhall deliver me from this body of death! Rom. vii. 24. The grace of the gospel puts these words into his mouth; I thank God, through

Jefus

There

Jefus Chrift my Lord that he hath delivered me. And he is bid to have no evil heart of unbelief. is a state of guilt on the one fide, a fstate of justification on the other. A ftate of fin, and a state of holinefs fear of eternal death, and a promise of

:

eternal life. So that the grace of the gofpel is fitted to man in his lapfed ftate and condition, in order to his restoration and recovery.

This is now my fourth argument. The fitness of natural truth to man in the ftate of God's creation and the fitness of revealed truth to him in his lapfed state and condition. Truth of the first in. fcription establisheth the foul's health, complexion and conftitution. Truth of after-revelation is the foul's cure and remedy, the mind's ease and relief.

V. The fifth and laft argument is, the agency of the divine spirit in pursuance of what God hath done in the way of divine truth, and before laid the foundation of. For God fends not his truth into the world alone and unaccompanied, but having done one thing, will also do another to make the former effectual. Now they that have not the divine spirit, want the great interpreter upon the words of God, the great commentator upon divine truth in the world; and therefore their minds are left unfatisfied and unrefolved. And therefore let fuch men look after it. For this is a great and a certain truth, that God, in his grace and goodness, will give his fpirit to guide, and teach, and affure the minds of good men ; tho' none know it but those that feel him. But they who have the spirit of God, know nothing more certain; for they have fatisfaction,

and

and inward peace, and joy in believing; they perceive fuch operations of God in themselves, whereof the world cannot receive any account: the divine spirit doth open their understandings, as it did the apoftles; brings things to their remembrance; makes them confider the inwards of things, and calls them to advertency and confideration. The great work of the divine fpirit is to lead men into right apprehenfions, and ftay a man's thoughts in confideration, till the principles do receive admittance, and become a temper and conftitution; till they infufe and inftill themselves, and make a lasting impreffion. This for my part, I do believe, that the fcripture is clear and full of light, as to all matters of conscience, as to all rules of life, as to all neceffary matters of faith, so that any wellminded man that takes up the bible and reads, may come to understanding and fatisfaction. And hence it is that we have fufficiency from God, to preserve us from cheats of all forts. So that a well minded man, that hath this inftrument of God, need not be mistaken in any neceffary matters of faith. For the bible is fufficient and intelligible in the way of religion, and for all the purposes thereof, as any other book, for the learning of any other art or fcience. And upon this account God hath done that which will justify him; and at our peril be it, if we be found ignorant, or have been deceived: for we needed not ever have been ignorant, or mistaken in any thing that is vital in religion. And to this purpose there is also the divine spirit still to attend upon this inftrument of God: fo that they

who