2. Because it giveth an additional confirmation, and greater certainty to the people of God. Foundation-stones can never be laid with exact- ness and care enough. For if you mark it, you will find all doubting in your belief, all disproportion in your practice, ariseth from this, because the supreme truth is not settled in the soul. We ought to believe it more and more ; then it stirs up greater reverence, greater admiration, and makes way for your delight and joy, to have your charter cleared. It is good to look upon this argument, that it might further our comfort, and that this fire may be blown up into a flame, and that truth may have more awe upon the conscience.
3. It awakeneth them that have received the word upon slight grounds, to be better settled. Most men look no further than human authority and public countenance ; they have no other grounds to
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believe the scriptures than the Turks to believe the Alcoran, because it is the tradition of their fathers. Most men's belief is but a happy mistake, a thing at peradventure, and they are christians upon no other grounds than others are Turks. God loveth a rational worship ; he ■would have us to render Xoyov, ' a reason of the faith that is in us.' But they are christians by chance, rather than choice and solid reason ; it is because they know no other religion, not because they know no better. Well, then, that you may be able to justify your religion (' for wisdom is justified of her children,' Mat. xi. 19), that you may take up the ways of God upon a rational choice, it is good to see what grounds and confirmations we have for that holy faith we do profess.
4. That we may know the distinct excellency of our profession above all other professions in the world. The daughters of Jerusalem are brought in asking the spouse, Cant v. 9, ' What is thy beloved more than another beloved, 0 thou fairest among women ? What is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us ? ' What can you say for your Christ, and for your way of salvation, and for your scriptures, above what other men can say for their worship or their superstition ? A christian should know the distinct and special excellency of his profession: Jer. vi. 16, God bids us, 'Stand in the way, and see, and ask for the old paths, Where is the good way ? ' It is good to survey the superstitions we have in the world, and compare the excellency of our holy profession with other professions. In scrip- ture we are required, not only to glorify God, but to sanctify him : Isa. viii. 13, ' Sanctify the Lord of hosts in your hearts.' So 1 Peter iii. 15, ' Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketli you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.' Now what is it to sanctify ? It is to set apart anything from common uses. This is to sanctify God, when we can say, He is thus and thus, and none like him. Now it is fit that you should be acquainted with the grounds and reasons of your holy profession, with the distinct excellency that is in it above all other religions in the world. God counts no assemblies in the world to be like the church ; therefore we should be always studying the excellences and perfections of God, that we may see there is none like our God. That phrase, ' Who is like unto thee ? ' is twice used in scripture. Of the church : Deut. xxxiii. 29, ' Who is like unto thee, 0 people, saved by the Lord ? ' And of God : Micah vii. 18, ' Who is a God like unto thee, who pardoneth iniquity ? ' &c. The church should in gratitude return this upon God. Where is there such a pardon to be had ? such a satisfaction for conscience, and such a fountain of holiness ? Christ and the church are thus brought in mutually pleasing themselves in one another, Cant ii. 2. Christ be- gins with the church : ' As the lily among the thorns, so is my beloved among the daughters.' It is not meant in regard of scratching, as if the church were in the midst of thorns ; but by way of comparison. Look, as a lily excels thorns, so the church excels all the world. And then the church begins, ver. 3, ' As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons/ Look how much the fruit-bearing tree excels the barren and rotten trees of the forest ; so doth Jesus Christ excel all others. Upon these grounds it will not be
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amiss to enter upon the discourse concerning the divine authority of the scriptures.
Fourthly, Whether a wicked man remaining wicked, may be con- vinced of the truth of the word ? I should think they can have no absolute assurance till they have some work of grace, because that is the fruit of grace : Col, ii. 2, ' That your hearts might be comforted, and knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ ; ' 2 Cor. iv. 4, ' If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost ; ' 1 Cor. ii. 14, ' The natural man receivetli not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.' He receives not the things of God, that is, doth not perceive them with demonstration, nor receive them with acceptation. A natural man may have an opinion, a light conjecture, a slight conviction upon his heart, enough to beget an awe, so as he knows not how to contra- dict the truth of the scriptures ; but not an absolute assurance of the truth of the word. It is Christ's sheep only that are able to distin- guish his voice : John x. 27, ' My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me,' They that look upon the scripture in the light of the Spirit, they are only able to see that it is from God. We may convince them, and use pre]mrative inducements, but they cannot be absolutely assured of the truth of the doctrine, and that for two reasons : —