honoured, and Saints derided; the Wicked enjoying the Sun-fhine of Profperity, and the Righteous overwhelmed with the blackest Adversities? May we not often fee a Dives feeding. at a Table, and a Lazarus begging at the Door; yea, a Pilate upon the Bench, and Chrift himfelf at the Bar? 'Tis true; but let us weigh God's Judgments before we Censure them. Let us weigh them, I fay, not in the Ballance of our Fancies, but God's Word, and then we shall find that we do but Dream, when we think outward Profperity to be always real Profperity, or outward Adverfity to be real Adverfity. Nay, Profperity is often a Sinner's Ruine, and Adverfity a Saints Preferrment; God punifheth Vice with Profperity, and sometimes rewardeth Virtue with Afflictions. He therefore punifheth his People,because they are his People, Amos iii. 2. And he therefore profpereth the Wicked,because they are wicked. And verily, I cannot but look upon this as the most dreadful Judgment on this fide Hell, even to fee a wicked Man profper in his Wickedness, whereby his Heart is but fo much the more hardened, his Account fo much the more increafed, and his Condemnation heightened in another World. A Saint's Adverfity draws him nearer unto God; a Sinner's Adverfity drives him further from him: The lower a righteous Perfon is on Earth, he is commonly the nearer Heaven, tho' it be above him; the higher a wicked Man is on Earth, he is commonly the nearer Hell, tho' it be below him. In a Word, The Wicked get nothing but Sin by their Profperity; the Righteous often ger Grace by their Adverfity: Profperity makes the Wicked more wicked, and so more miserable; Adversity ma

keth

keth the Righteous more righteous, and so more happy. Tell me therefore, my Brethren, Whether Profperity may not often be a dreadful Judgment, and Adverfity as glorious a Reward; and therefore, Whether God may not be infinitely Juft, in giving Profperity as a Punishment to the Wicked, and in beftowing Adverfity as a Reward upon the Righteous ?

2. Redemption. God from Eternity had Decreed to redeem fome Perfons to live with him in Heaven: Thefe very Perfons provoke him upon Earth. Yet he would be merciful, fo as to fave their Souls; yet he is fo juft, as to pu nifh their Sins: And therefore, tho' he does not punish them in their own, yet he doth in the Perfon of their Surety, though his own Son, Wherein his Juftice fhined forth most clearly, in that rather than Sin fhould go unpunished, or his Juftice unfatisfied, he'll require the Punishment of the one, and Satisfaction of the other, at the Hands of his only begotten Son; fo that Chrift muft either die, or no Sinner must ever live, Pfal. xcix. 8.

USE.

1. Stand in Awe of God's Justice, and Sin not; for every Sin that is committed by you, is committed against a God whofe very Nature is Juftice and Righteoufnefs, and therefore cannot but take Vengeance of your Sins.

2. Truft in God's Promifes, and fear not: If you can but throw your felves upon him, you need not fear but he will be Juft and Righteous unto you Truft in him for the Pardon and

purging

purging of your Sins, Job. i. 9. And for the Accomplishment of all other Promises, he is juft.

3. Submit to God's Judgments, and murmur not: "Tis impoffible he should lay more Judgments upon you then you have deferved from him, Lam. iii. 39.

4. Rejoyce in God's Providences, and grieve not: Rejoyce to fee God, your God, so just and righteous.

5. Imitate God's Righteousness and Err not: As he doth every Thing according to his Secret, do you every Thing according to his revealed Will.

6: Long for the Sight of God, and faint not, when you fhall behold the Juftice of God in all his Ways and Works.

HEB. VI. I.

Therefore leaving the Principles of the the Doctrine of Chrift, let us go on

ito Perfection.

I.

T

Here be fome certain Principles of the Doctrine of Chrift: To disgus To Xest λόγον. Elfewhere they are called, Τα soχεια ἀρχῆς λογίων το Θεῖ, Heb. v. 12. and

Jane, Gor. iii. 1, 2, 10..

II. What are thefe Principles

The Apostle

here reduceth them to Six Heads, ver. 1, 2.

1. Repentance from dead Works, Matt. iv. 17. Act. ii. 38. which implies,

1. The Knowledge of God's Law, y

2. That Men have broken it.

3.

That they are therefore obnoxious to his Wrath and Judgment.

4. That they must be forry for their former Sins, and both promife and endeavour to amend their Lives for the future. 2. Faith towards God, Mark i. 15. 1. That he is one glorious and eternal Being

2. Three Perfons, 1 Job. v. 7. Matt. xxviii,

19.

3. The Creator, Preferver, and Governour of the World.

3. The Doctrine of Baptifms: Fluminis flaminis & fanguinis.

4. Laying on of Hands.

5. The Refurrection of the Dead.

6. Eternal Judgment.

2

III. What

III. What Neceffity is there of teaching these Principles of Religion? This is called Catechifing: Κοινωνείτω δὲ ὁ κατηχέμεν λόγον πο rn, Gal. vi. 6. "Iva ännus H x now, I Cor.

xiv. 19..

1. The Saints in all Ages have done it: Abraham, Gen. xviii. 19. Joshua, Josh. xxiv. 15. Hannah, 1 Sam. i. 24. Mary, Luc. ii. 41, 42. God commands it, Deut. vi. 6, 7, 20. Eph. vi. 4.

3. Children are born in Sin, and therefore Cannot understand to do good, or get to Heaven without Inftruction, Prov.xxii. 6. 797 Catechise a Child, &c. Mark X. 14.

4. Inftruction in the Fundamentals, is the only Way to fecure Men from Apoftacy into Herefie or Schifm, Ephef. iv. 14. 1 Pet. i.

15.

5. The understanding the Principles of Religion in adult Perfons, is indifpenfably neceffary to Salvation, Job. xvii. 3. Rom. x.

14, 17.

6. Till this be done, all Preaching is ineffe&ual.

7. Catechifing of fome will profit all.

Hence therefore,

1. Inftruct your Children and Servants at home.

2. Caufe them to come and be inftructed in the Publick too.