2. Knowledge of the grounds of religion much enricheth ilie mind; it is a lamp to our feet ; it directs us in the whole course of Christianity, as the eye directs the body. Knowledge of fundamentals is the golden key that opens the chief mysteries of reli- gion ; it gives us a whole system and body of divinity exactly drawn in all its linea- ments and lively colours ; it helps us to un- derstand many of those difficult things which do occur in the reading of the word; it helps to untie many scripture-knots.
3. Armour of proof; it doth furnish us with weapons to fight against the adversa- ries of the truth.
4. It is the holy seed of which grace is formed ; It is semen Jidei, ' the seed of faith,' Ps. ix. 10. It is radix amorisy ' the root of love,' Eph. iii. 17., " Being rooted and grounded in love." The knowledge of principles conducetli to the making of a complete Christian.
2d. That this grounding is the best way to settling : ' grounded and settled.' A tree that it may be well settled, must be well rooted ; so, if you be well settled in religion, you must be rooted in the principles of it. He, in Plutarch, set up a dead man, and he would not stand : " O," saith he, " there must be something within ;" so, that we may stand in shaking times, there must be a prin- ciple of knowledge within, — first gi'ound- cd, and then settled. That the ship may be kept from overturning, it must lun e its anchor fastened; knowledge of principles is to the soul as the anchor to the ship, that holds it steady in the midst of all tlie roll- ing waves of error, or the violent winds of persecution. First grounded and then set- tled.
Use I. See the reason why so many peo- ple are unsettled, ready to embrace CAcry novel opinion, and dress themselves in a« many religions as they do fashions ; it is because they are ungrounded. See how the aj)ostlc joins tJiese two together, ' iiu-
8
MAN'S CHIEF END IS TO GLORIFY GOD.
learned and unstable,' 2 Pet. iii. 16. Such as are unlearned in the main points of di- vinity, will be unstable. As the body can- not be strong that hath the sinews shrunk ; so neither can that Christian be stronjr in reli^on wlio wants the grounds of know- ledge, wliich are the sinews to strengthen and stablish liim.
Use II. See then what great necessity there is of laying down all the main grounds of religion in a catechetical form, that the weakest judgment may be instructed in the knowledge of the truth, and strengthened in the love of it. Catechising is the best expedient for the grou!:ding»and settling of people. I fear, one reason why there hath been no more good done by preaching, hath been because the chief heads and articles in religion liave not been explained in a cate- chistical way. Catechising is the laying the foundation, Heb. vi. 1. To preach, and not to catechise, is to build without a foun- dation. This way of catechising is not novel, it is apostolical. The primitive church had their forms of catechism: so much those phrases imply, a ' form of sound
words,' 2 Tim. i. 13. and ' the first princi- ples of the oracles of God,' Heb. v. 12. ; and since the church had their catechume- noi, as Grotius and Erasmus observe, many of the ancient fathers have written for it, Fulgentius, Austin, Theodoret, Lactantius, and others. God hath given great success to it. By this laying down of grounds of religion catechistically. Christians have been clearly instructed and wondrously built up in the Christian faith ; insomuch, that Ju- lian the apostate, seeing the great success of catechising, did put down all schools and places of public literature, and instructing of youth. It is my design therefore (with the blessing of God) to begin this work of catechising the next sabbath-day ; and I in- tend every other sabbath, in the afternoon, to make it my whole work to lay down the grounds and fundamentals of religion in a catechistical way. If I am hindered in this work by men, or taken away by death, I lioj)e God will raise up some other laboiu'er in the vineyard among you, that may per- fect this work which I am now beirin- ning.
MAN'S CHIEF END IS TO GLORIFY GOD.
Quest. 1. WHAT is the chief end of man ?
Ans. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him for ever.
Here are two ends of life specified : 1st. The glorifying of God. 2d. The enjoying of God.