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SER M. go beyond these bounds, is prefumptuous VI. and unwarrantable. Those things which

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God has revealed to us, we may know,
because God has difcovered them to us;
and we are bound with all diligence to
fearch after the knowledge of them, be-
cause they are propofed to us as the rule
of our life, and the condition of our
happiness. More than God has made
known to us of this kind, we cannot dif-
cover; and to pretend to understand, and
confidently impofe upon each other what
God has not thought fit clearly to re-
veal, is no lefs foolish and abfurd, than it
is unreasonable and finful. For who has
known the mind of the Lord, or who hath
been his Counsellour? Rom. xi. 34.
34. Only
in general this one thing we may depend
upon as certain, that no fecret Counsel or
Purpose or Decree of God can be con-
trary to his Will revealed in his Word.
Upon what conditions God has appointed
that men fhould be happy or miserable,
he has clearly and fully revealed to us
in his Holy Scriptures; and more than
this, it is neither neceffary nor poffible for
us to know.

VI.

W

3dly and lastly; AN over earnest Defire S ER M. of knowing things fubtle and unneceffary to be known, so as in the purfuit of the knowledge of these things, to neglect the Study of that which more nearly concerns us; is alfo a fort of that fearch after knowledge which is forbidden in the Scripture. Whatever hath no relation to the Honour and true Worship of God, and promotes not righteoufnefs and charity among Men: Whatever tends not fo to inform our judgments, as to rectify our practice and reform our lives, is ufelefs and unprofitable. Let us then in the first place endeavour to attain that Knowledge which may make us wife unto Salvation; and always fo regulate our inquiries after other things, as not to neglect the Study of that, which is our interest and our life. I conclude with the words of the wife Son of Sirach: Ecclus. iii. 21; Many are in high places and of rebut myfteries are revealed to the Seek not out the things that are too hard for thee, nor fearch the things that are above thy firength: But what is commanded

nown; meek.

VI.

SERM.commanded thee, think thereon with reverence; for it is not needful for thee to fee with thine Eyes the things that are in fi

cret.

SERMON

SERMON VII.

Of the Teftimony of our SA-
VIOUR'S Doctrines.

[Preached on Trinity-Sunday. ]

1 Јон. v. 8.

And there are Three that bear Witness in Earth, the Spirit and the Water and the Blood; And thefe Three agree in

One.

VI.

W

HE Words of the foregoing SBR M
Verfe, which have no rela-
tion to the Argument the A-
postle is here infifting upon,
I fhall not take into confi-

deration at this time; for a Reason Now
well-known to all who carefully ftudy

the

VII.

SER M. the Scriptures, and not needful to be men tioned in This place. But confining my Difcourfe to the words of the Text itself. I fhall it endeavour to explain diftinctly, their connexion with the whole Thread of the Apostle's reasoning in this chapter; and 2dly, I fhall confider, the Doctrine particularly contained in the words themfelves.

I. IN the first verfe of This Chapter, St John lays down the General Doctrine, which is the Subject of this whole epiftle: Whosoever (fays he) believeth that Jefus is the Chrift, is born of God. To be born of God, fignifies, by an eafy Figure of Speech, to be what the Scripture calls a Child of God, a regenerate perfon, one that loves God and keeps his Commandments; living in the habitual Practice of univerfal Virtue and Righteousness. And fuch a perfon is every one, who believeth that Jefus is the Chrift: Not every one who profees to believe, but who does believe: Not every one who pretends to be, but who really is, a fincere Chriftian. The reason why the Apostle expreffes fincere Christianity by this particular phrase of be

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