. what great Influence the Belief of this Doctrine will have upon our Practice; fince thereby our Faith, and Hope, and Love, and Fear of God will be more excited and enlarged; and the Powers and Faculties of our Souls be more difpofed to the Obedience of the Gospel. Laftly. A firm Belief of this Doctrine is needful to create in us right Difpofitions proper for that State, which we hope to enjoy hereafter. Good Difpofitions here are our Qualifications for the Happiness of the Life to come. If, therefore, we would qualify ourselves for any high Degree of Happiness and Bleffednefs in Heaven, we fhould make it our Endeavour to raise and refine, as much as we can, our good Difpofitions here. Now if Father, Son, and Holy Ghost be all alike divine, all of equal Glory, and Majefty and Power, our Happiness in the World to come must confift in the beatific Enjoyment of all Three. But if we do not believe them to be God, we shall go out of this World, not fo properly qualified to be taken into their Friend ship, as we ought to be. But if we are trained up to a right Faith in them all; and have befides made it our Study and Endeavour to live according to this Belief, we shall doubtlefs be the more fitly difpofed for their Enjoyment and Friendship. Since, then, our Happiness in the World to come, doth in fo great a Measure depend upon our good Difpofitions here, which cannot be acquired without a right Faith, it is plain that the Doctrine of the blessed Trinity is no empty Speculation, but a Truth of the utmost Concern and Importance. My dear Brethren, do not give Heed to evil Men, and Seducers, who would perfuade you to deny the Lord that bought you with his own Blood; and the Holy Ghoft, by whom you are fanctified. Keep yourselves ftedfaft in the Faith, and suffer it to direct your Practice. Shew by your whole Converfation that you look upon yourselves as bound to live like thofe who are created by God the Father, redeemed by the precious Blood of God the Son, and fanctified by the gracious Influences of God the Holy Holy Ghoft. Diftinguish yourselves by Obedience and Gratitude to your Maker and Saviour; and pay an awful Regard to the good Motions of the blessed Spirit. Confider with your felves how greatly you are honoured by the peculiar Offices of each divine Perfon. That befides being created and preferved by God the Father, you are faved from your Sins by his eternal Son; and that the eternal Spirit helpeth your Infirmities, and fanctifieth your Hearts. And let this Confideration excite your utmost Endeavours to live up to that high Value which through the Redemption of his Son, and the Sanctification of the Spirit, God hath ftamped on you. And may God Almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, three Perfons and one God, take you under his good Protection; preferve you from all Error, both of Faith and Practice; keep you from all Evil here, and crown you with everlasting Glory hereafter. SERMON IV. THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY. MATTH. xxviii. 19. GO YE, THEREFORE, AND TEACH ALL NATIONS, BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY CHOST. IN this Form of Words, our Saviour Jefus Chrift, the Son of God most high, commanded his Apostles to make Disciples of all Nations; thereby teaching them, that in their very first Admiffion into his Church, they were to acknowledge a Trinity of Perfons in the Unity of the Godhead, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, of equal Glory, Majefty, and Power. This Form of found Words hath been conftantly used by the Church |