the polity and government of that Church and nation only as it then stood; which therefore are not necessary to be received or observed in any other, no more than those Ordinances are, about sacrifices and the service of the Tabernacle, which He instituted only to represent and typify the great work of man's Salvation, as it should be transacted by Jesus Christ; which therefore were only temporary, and expired in course at His death. But then He was pleased to command all men to believe in the said Jesus as the Christ and Saviour of the world; and to ordain two Sacraments, the one for the admission of all men into His Church, by baptizing them in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost: the other for the perpetual memory of His death, whereby He took away the sins of the world; that as it was foreshewn by sacrifices all along from the beginning of the world until it happened; so from that time forward to the end of the world, it might be commemorated by this Sacrament.

This is the sum of those great truths, which Almighty God hath revealed, and of the laws which He hath given to all mankind; which being all taught in the Scripture, and can be learned nowhere but there, therefore the Scripture is here said to be profitable for doctrine. And "if any man 1Tim.6.3,4. teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing," nothing that belongs to his peace and happiness.

The Scripture being thus profitable for doctrine, it must needs be so for reproof too, or as the word signifies also, for conviction, or such reproof whereby a man may be convinced of his error, or sin; for seeing all necessary truths are revealed in Scripture, whatsoever opinion a man espouseth, if there be nothing plainly revealed one way or other concerning it, it is unnecessary, and they sin against the laws of peace and charity who contend about it. If it be agreeable to what is there revealed, it is certainly true; and false, if contrary. So that if it can be proved, that the opinion which a man holds, is contrary to what God Himself hath said in Scripture, he must be convinced that he is in an error; it being as impossible for God to be so, as it is for both sides of a contradiction to be true. If this doth not convince him,

LX.

ver. 34.

SERM. nothing in the world can: this being the strongest, and most demonstrative way of arguing that can be used; which none can offer to withstand, without falling into the grossest absurdities that mankind can be guilty of. Hence our Saviour Himself took this course to convince the Jews of their Matt.22.29. errors, and particularly the Sadducees: "Ye do err," said He," not knowing the Scriptures;" and then proved from thence that the dead shall rise again, so as to put them to Luke 24. 27. silence. And it was out of Moses and the Prophets, that He convinced His Apostles that He ought to suffer. In this, as in other things, His Apostles also followed His steps; as we find in their Epistles and Acts, where it is said, Acts 17. 2. that St. Paul "reasoned with the Jews out of the Scriptures." And this certainly, which is founded upon the Word of God Himself, is the highest way of reasoning that can be used, whereby to convince men of their errors in opinion.

As likewise of their sins or transgressions of God's law, which can never be done any other way, than from that law Rom. 7. 7. which they transgress: as, "I had not known sin but by the Law: for I had not known lust or concupiscence, except the Law had said, Thou shalt not covet." So neither could I convince another that what he doth is a sin, or unlawful, except I prove it to be contrary to some law which he is bound to observe. But if I can prove that he either doth that which Almighty God hath forbidden him to do, or leaves that undone which He commands him to do; if I can demonstrate this to him from God's own Word, or which is the same, from the Scripture, whether he will own it or no, he must be convinced in his conscience that it is a sin. And therefore the Scripture is so highly profitable for reproof or conviction, that nothing can do it but that; but that will do it so effectually, as to leave men without all excuse.

And seeing the Scripture is thus profitable for reproof and conviction, it follows in course, that it is profitable also for correction; that is, for amendment or reformation: for when a man is once thoroughly convinced of his sin, he is in the ready way to forsake it, and can never be easy in his own mind until he doth so. As we see in St. Peter's auditors upon the day of Pentecost, when he out of Scripture. had reproved them for their sin in denying and crucifying

the Lord of Glory, "They were pricked in their heart, and Acts 2. 37. said to Peter and to the rest of the Apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" They were no sooner convinced of their sin, but they were presently solicitous what to do, whereby to shew their repentance of it, and their resolution never to fall into the like again. And upon the Apostles directing them what to do, they believed in Him whom they had before crucified, and became His disciples. Such mighty force had the Word preached upon the minds of those who attentively hearkened to it.

But to make it still more profitable for correction or reformation, it hath pleased God in Holy Scripture, to threaten such dreadful punishments to those who continue in sin and unbelief, and to promise such glorious rewards to those who repent and believe the Gospel, that nothing could ever have been invented of greater power upon the hearts of men, to take them off from sin, and turn them unto God: for there we find that they "who know not God, and that 2 Thess. 1. obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power." That they shall be condemned to that everlasting "fire, which is pre- Matt.25.41. pared for the Devil and his angels." That "they shall be ver. 30. cast into utter darkness, where there is weeping and gnash

8, 9.

ing of teeth; where their worm dieth not, and the fire is Mark 9. 44. not quenched." "Wherefore knowing from the Scripture 2 Cor. 5.11. this terror of the Lord, we may well persuade men to leave their sins." If such terrible punishments as these, denounced by Almighty God Himself, will not do it, what can?

Especially if we consider also on the other side, that it is

there written, that "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nei- 1 Cor. 2. 9. ther have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him." That they shall be made like to the "Holy Angels." And live with Luke 20.36. Christ Himself, and behold the glory which the Father hath John 17. 24. given Him. That "they shall shine forth as the sun in the Matt.13.43. Kingdom of their Father;"" in the Kingdom prepared for ch. 25. 34. them from the foundation of the world." So that as "the ver. 46. wicked must go into everlasting punishment, and the rightcous shall go into life eternal," what stronger motive, what

LX.

SERM. greater encouragement can there be than this which the Scripture affords, for all men to leave their sins, amend their ways, and come into the number of the righteous?

How they may do that, is the last thing which the Apostle here saith, the Scripture is profitable for: "It is profitable for instruction in righteousness;" i. e. to teach us what we must do, that we may become such as shall be accepted of, and accounted righteous, not only before men, but God Himself. This no man could ever learn any other way, but only by the Scripture; but there we are fully taught it.

For there we are taught all the Commandments of God, in doing of which, that righteousness consisteth which His Deut. 6. 25. Law requires. "It shall be our righteousness," saith Moses, "if we observe to do all these Commandments before the Lord our God, as He hath commanded us."

But we are taught withal by the Scripture, as well as by our own experience, that of ourselves, or by our own natural strength, we can never do all these commandments, at least, not so as we are there commanded to do them. Wherefore we are further taught in the Holy Scripture, how to obtain the grace and assistance of God Himself in doing whatsoever He hath commanded, even by faith in Jesus Christ; that if we believe in Him, and accordingly trust on the promises which God hath made in Him to that purpose, His Spirit [2 Cor. 12. shall be always ready to assist us, His "grace shall be suffi9.] cient for us, and His strength made perfect in our weakness; so that we can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth us."

Phil. 4. 13.

2 Cor. 5. 21.

Phil. 3. 9.

But notwithstanding the strength and assistance which we receive from Christ to do all that God commands, yet such is the weakness and corruption of our nature, that we do nothing so exactly as He commands it to be done: and therefore nothing that in strictness of law can be termed righteous. But in this also the Scripture helps us out, teaching us that Jesus Christ, who knew no sin, was made sin, or a sin-offering for us, "that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him;"" that we may be found in Him, not having our own righteousness which is of the Law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." Whereby we are given to

understand, that by our faith in Christ, besides our own righteousness which we have in ourselves, we have another in Him whose members we are, that most perfect righteousness which He fulfilled in our nature being reckoned ours, whereby all the defects of our own are perfectly made up, and ours, though in itself imperfect, yet is acceptable to God 1 Pet. 2. 5. by Jesus Christ; who is therefore "the end of the Law for Rom. 10. 4. righteousness to every one that believeth;" the whole Law being accomplished by Him, and in Him, by all that truly believe in Him, for the righteousness which is there required. All which being taught in the Scripture, that is so profitable for instruction in righteousness, as well as for doctrine, reproof and correction, that any servant or man of God, though he be a Prophet or Apostle, much more he that is of a lower rank, may thereby be as perfect as he is now required to be, being thoroughly furnished from thence to every good work that God commands him to do, and to [2 Tim. 3. 17.] his doing it so as that God will accept of it as good through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Having thus expressed our thoughts upon the Holy Scripture, as given by inspiration of God, and as profitable for all things requisite to our being holy here, and happy for ever; how can we forbear to admire and adore the infinite goodness and mercy of the Almighty Creator of the world, to us poor sinful creatures upon earth, in that, notwithstanding our unworthiness of the least of all His favours, He hath been graciously pleased to reveal Himself and His holy will to us in writing; and that too in so wonderful a manner, that we have His own Word, His Divine infallible Word for every thing that is there written, which, next to the Word incarnate, is certainly the greatest blessing that could be bestowed upon us, and we ought to value it accordingly; by preferring the Holy Scripture, not only before all other books that ever were or can be written; but likewise before all things else that we have, or ever can have in this world. "The law of Thy mouth," saith David, Ps. 119. 72. "is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver." So it really is, and ought to be so esteemed by every one of us. It is our unspeakable happiness that we have it in our language so common among us. We must take heed that we