IV. m ticle, the Unity of God Others have SER M. contended, that they are one Perfon only, with three Modes or Denominations ; Which is the Herefy of Sabellianifm, and destroys the Perfonality both of the Son and Holy Spirit: Some, in the contrary extreme, forfaking likewife the Phrafes of Scripture, having prefumed to affirm, that there was a Time, when the Son and Holy Spirit had no Being, and were made out of Nothing even as the meanest of Creatures; which was the notion of Arizs: And Others, diminishing yet further the Dignity of our Saviour's Perfon, have made him a mere Man, and denied his having any Being before he was born of the Virgin; Which is the Error of Socinus. And now among this multiplicity of Errors, how fhall a fincere and unlearned Christian behave himself? Why, His Rule is; Let him not follow vain men, in being Wife beyond what is written; but let him adhere to what he finds plainly and expreffly delivered in Scripture : And This, as far as poffible, in the very Scripture-Terms; always remembring where That cannot be done, yet fo to H 2 under A I SER M. understand all Phrafes of human CompoIV. fition, as to mean neither more nor lefs. than the Scripture-Expreffions. Now that which the Scripture declares concerning this Matter, is This: When one of the, Scribes afked our Saviour, Which is the firft Commandment of all? Jefus answered, him, The first of all the Commandments is; Hear, O Ifrael, the Lord our God is one. Lord: To which the Scribe replied, Well, Mafter, thou haft faid the Truth; For there is One God, and there is none other but He; Mar. xii. 29, 32: and 1 Cor. viii. 6; To Us there is but One God, the Father of whom are all things and Eph. iv. 6; One God and Father of All, who is above All, and through All, and in you All. Yet the fame Scripture does likewife expreffly affirm, that the Son alfo is God; and to the Holy Spirit it afcribes Divine Powers and Attributes: How Then fhall This be reconciled? Plainly Thus The Power and Authority of the Son and Holy Spirit, is neither Another Power and Authority, oppofite to that of the Father; nor Another Power and Authority, co-ordinate to that of the Father; But it is His Power and Authority, communicated to Them, manifefted in them, and exercifed cised by them: And fo there is plainly SER M. IV. I 21. He Eph v.26. 5thly, To the Form of Baptifm, our Saviour adds in the Text, the Practice of those who are to be baptized into This Faith. Teaching them to Obferve all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And This, is the Great End and Use of the whole. As Faith without Works is dead; fo Baptifm, without the Anfwer of a good 1 Pet iii. Confcience towards God, is but the Wafb-3 ing away of the Filth of the Flesh. that is baptized, must put off, concerning the former converfation, the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lufts; and be renewed in the Spirit of his mind; and put on the new man, which after 'God is created in Righteousness and true Holinefs; Eph. iv. 22. He muft, as St Paul elsewhere expreffes it, put on the Lord Je-Rom xiii. fus Chrift. Gal. iii. 27; As many of you as 4 have been baptized into Chrift, have put on Chrift. The Meaning is: He that is baptized into the Religion of Chrift, muft conform himself to the fame pattern, muft H 3 obferve SER M. obferve all things whatsoever He has com IV. manded Us, inuft obey his Laws delivered in the Gofpel; otherwife his Baptifm is vain, and his Profeffion but Hypocrify. w 6thly and Laftly, HERE is the Promife of an effectual Alfistance, to the Disciples fent forth upon This Commiffion: And, lo, I am with you always even unto the End of the World, Being with them always, 'tis evident did not fignify his continuing perfonally with them; For this Promife was made to them at the very Time, when he had declared he was about to leave them and afcend unto the Father. But it fignifies, that he would continue with them by the guidance and direction of his Spirit; which was in ef fect the fame thing, as continuing with them himself. Thus God is in Scripture faid to dwell in us Himself, when he dwells in us by his Spirit; and he that lies to the Acts v. 4 Spirit of God, is justly accused of lying confequently to God Himself; and he who rejects the preaching of an Apoftle, is charged with rejecting Chrift; and he that rejects Chrift, with rejecting God Himself who fent him, Eph.ii.22. CHRIST'S CA IV. un CHRIST's being with his Difciples to SER M. end the End of the World therefore, is his beming with them by his Spirit. And This imports two things: 1, His giving them m the Holy Ghoft at Pentecoft, to infpire ples them with the Doctrine of Truth, and to And, enable them to confirm that Doctrine with the miraculous Gifts; according to the proal- mife; St Mar. xvi. 17; Thefe Signs fall en-follow them that believe; In my Name is fhall they caft out Devils, they fhall Speak ту with new tongues, they shall take up Sera pents; and if they drink any deadly thing, heit fhall not hurt them; they shall lay hands ld on the Sick, and they fhall recover. nd 2dly it implies, That, after this Foundaeftion of the Church, by the Teaching and th Miracles of the infpired Apoftles; the re Bleffing of Providence, and the Affiftance lls of the Divine Spirit, fhould continue to preferve it; not by raifing up infallible Guides and unerring humane Authority, which never was in any Others than the Apostles themselves; but by fupporting the Doctrine once delivered by the Apoftles, against all the Violence and Frauds of its Oppofers. Thou art Peter, fays our H 4 Saviour, And 10 |
