way, the truth, and the life; that is, the true way to eternal life; and he ever lives, and continues to be this way; though he was dead, he is alive for evermore, and has the keys of hell and death".

[4.] It is a plain and straight way; a plain way, that is, to them that know him to be the way of peace. What wisdom fays of her words, that they are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge', is equally true of Chrift, as the way; who is fuch an one, in which wayfaring men, though fools, men of mean capacities, fhall not err. This is no round-about way; there are no mazes and labyrinths, no windings and turnings in it. Chrift is a straight way to the Father, the direct way of falvation, a near way to heaven: let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eye-lids look ftraight before thee, to Jefus the captain of falvation, the author and finisher of faith; and so press on forward to the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in him.

[5] Chrift is indeed a narrow wayd, tedriμevn n of☞, “a pressed or afflicted "way;" a way ftrewed as it were with afflictions, attended with difficulties. and distress all that walk in this way, all that will live godly in Chrift Jefus, fhall Suffer perfecution, in one fhape or another. They must expect tribulation in it; Chrift has foretold it; none have been without it: This is a path all walk in to heaven; we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. But then,

(6.) He is a safe and sure way; none ever perifhed, or ever will perish, in this way. It is faid, no lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beaft fhall go up thereon; it fhall not be found there, but the redeemed fhall walk there; that is, in fafety: for though Satan goes about like a roaring lion, feeking whom he may devour, yet he cannot devour or deftroy any that are walking in Chrift the way; and though there may be many ravenous beasts of prey, such as principalities and powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness in high places, which seek to oppress the redeemed that walk here; yet though they may disturb their outward peace, they can never take away their spiritual comforts, nor deprive them of their future happiness; for, as has been already obferved, the righteous though they are scarcely saved, yet they are certainly saved at last.

2. There are other leffer ways and paths of doctrine and duty, which agree and fall in with, and relate unto Chrift the chief and principal way, which the word directs faints to walk in: He will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths'. And,

(1.) There is the path of doctrine, of evangelical truths, which are sometimes called the way of the Lord. Apollos, an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures, is faid to be inftructed in the way of the Lord; that is, in the doctrines

and inftitutions of Chrift, of which he had got fome knowledge, though but small wherefore Aquila and Prifcilla, upon hearing of him, took him aside privately, and expounded to him the way of God more perfectly; that is, they led him more distinctly into the path of truth; by their means he became more acquainted with the doctrines of the gofpel, and the truths of the chriftian religion. This is a way which every good man defires to walk in; he makes choice of it, and takes delight and pleasure in it. I bave chofen, fays David, the way of truth'. Yea, it is a very agreeable and pleasing fight to fuch to fee others walking in this path. The apostle John tells the elect lady, that he rejoiced greatly that he found of her children walking in truth"; not only uprightly, and with integrity, in their lives and converfations, but in the truth of the gofpel. And he expreffes himself in much the fame manner to Gaius; I rejoiced greatly, fays he, when the brethren came and teftified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkeft in the truth. I have no greater joy, than to hear that my children walk in truth". Now it is the Spirit of God that is the guide of his people, and leads them into the way of truth: When be, the Spirit of truth, is come, fays Chrift, he will guide you, odynoe upas," he will lead you the way," into all truth; under whofe guidance and direction, grace, influence and affistance, the faints are sometimes enabled to make confiderable progrefs and advances in this way; for the path of the just is as the fhining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day P.

(2.) There is the path of ordinances, the way of Chrift's commandments; particularly the two gospel-inftitutions of Baptifm and the Lord's Supper; which it is the will of Chrift his people fhould attend unto, and walk in. Concerning which, the word gives plain directions.

The ordinance of Baptifm our Lord himself fubmitted to, and fo recommended it by his own example: he alfo clothed it with his authority, and gave commission to his difciples to practife it; who accordingly did adminifter it to proper fubjects, and in a proper manner. And if any perfons have any doubt or hesitation in their minds about either the subjects, or mode of baptism, let them stand in the ways and fee; look up to the way-marks, the fcriptures of truth, and there inquire, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein. Let them look over the accounts of the adminiftration of this ordinance in the times of John, Chrift, and his apoftles and as to the subjects of it, they will find that those who were baptized by John, the first administrator of this ordinance, were fuch as confessed their fins; who being made fenfible of their fins of heart and life, made an humble and ingenuous acknowledgment of them: That those who were baptized by Christ, or rather by his orders,

* As xviii. 24-26. • John xvi. 13.

1 Pfalm cxix, 30. P Prov. iv. 18.

m 2 John, ver. 4. s Jer. vi. 16.

B

for

n 3 John iii. 4. Matt. iii. 6.

for Jefus bimfelf baptized not but his difciples, were fuch who were first made difciples by him; that is, they were inftructed in the knowledge of themselves and falvation by him; they were taught to deny themfelves, take up the cross, and follow him. Jefus made and baptized more difciples than John'; he first made them difciples, and then baptized them, or ordered them to be baptized: That thofe to whom this ordinance was administered by the apoftles of Christ, after his refurrection from the dead, and afcenfion to heaven, were fuch who received the boly Ghoft as well as they, who repented of their fins, and believed in Chrift, or at least profeffed to do fo. The inftance of the eunuch is a remarkable one, to whose chariot Philip was bid to join himself, when he found him reading a paffage in the prophecy of Isaiah; from which fcripture, being taken up into the chariot with him, he preached Chrift to him, gave him an account of his perfon, offices, doctrines and ordinances, and particularly this of Baptifm: and when they were come to a place of water convenient for the adminiftration of it, the eunuch fays to Philip, See, here is water, what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip faid, If thou believeft with all thine heart, thou mayeft. And be anfwered and faid, I believe that Jefus Chrift is the Son of God': upon which profeffion of his faith he baptized him. Now this man was a profelyte to the Jewish religion, a ferious and devout man, and was employed in a religious way when Philip came up to him; and yet, notwithstanding all this, he had no right to this ordinance of Chrift without faith in him, and a profeffion of it; nor would Philip adminifter it to him without it. Look over all these accounts, I fay, and you will find the perfons now described to be the only proper fubjects of baptifm: nor will you be able to obferve, that ever any one infant was baptized by John, by Chrift, or his apoftles; or that there is either a precept or a precedent for fuch a practice, in all the word of God. And as to the mode of administration of this ordinance, if you have any scruple about that, look over the fame accounts, and you will find that the first subjects of it were baptized in rivers, in places where was a large confluence of water, and chofe for that purpose; and that they were there baptized by immerfion, or covering the whole body in water. The first that were baptized by John, were baptized in the river Jordan; as was alfo our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom it is faid, when be was baptized, he went up ftraightway out of the water"; not from the waterfide, but out of it; which fhews that he must have been in it; where he was baptized, not by sprinkling, or pouring water on him, but by immerfion into it; for that he should go into the river, in order to be baptized in any other way, is not only ridiculous, but incredible. John also baptized in Ænon, near to Salim, because there was much water" there; a large confluence of it, fit for his purpose, and པ་ John iii. 23.

• John iv. 1, 2.

Aas viii. 36, 37

Matt. iii. 6, 16..

and his way of administration. When Philip baptized the eunuch, it is faid they went down both into the water; not the declivity of the earth, to the water-fide, or bank of the river; for this little filly trifling criticifm is deftroyed by what the hiftorian obferves before, that they came unto a certain water, the river Eleutherus, as Beza conjectures: They were come to the river-fide, to the bank of it, when the eunuch defired Baptifm; and it being agreed to, they went down into the water itself, and he baptized him; and when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip. Which circumftances clearly fhew in what manner this ordinance was administered. Nor can any other mode but that of immerfion anfwer to the primary fignification of the word Barn; nor to the types of Baptifin, Noah's ark, and the paffing of the Ifraelites under the cloud, and in the fea; nor the end of baptifm, which is to represent the burial and refurrection of Chrift; nor the metaphorical baptifms of Christ's fufferings, and the extraordinary donation of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost.

The Lord's Supper is another ordinance of Chrift, which he himself inftituted and administered to his difciples, and ordered them to obferve in remembrance of him; and which they accordingly did. The first chriftians were inftructed in it, and taught to attend to it; and it is taken notice of, to their honour, that they continued fedfaftly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayer. This is an ordinance to be performed with faith and fervency, in commemoration of the fufferings and death, facrifice and fatisfaction of Chrift; and that frequently, and to be continued until the coming of Chrift. And if any man has any doubt about the ordinance itself, let him confult the facred oracles, they will direct him in this way; or about his right unto it, let him examine himself, and fo let him eat. But befides these paths of particular ordinances, the word behind us directs us to,

b

(3.) The way of divine worship in general, both public and private. The worship of God was first perfonal, and then was fet up in a family, in Adam's family; but when men increased into families, and these grew numerous, they joined together in public focial acts of worship, and began to call upon the name of the Lord conjunctly, and in a public manner. When Ifrael, the people of God's choice, became a diftinct nation, a tabernacle was fet up by divine order, at the door of which the whole congregation was at certain times to affemble; and when they were established in the land the Lord their God gave unto them, a temple was built, whither the several tribes went up to worship the Lord in his holy mountain. Prophecies were delivered out under the Old-Teftament difpenfation; that the faints under the New fhould call upon the name of the Lord to ferve him with one confent; which were remarkably fulfilled in the first chrif

tians, who met together to pray and hear the word, and were of one beart and of one foul; nor ought we to forfake the affembling of ourselves together, as the manner of fome is; but exhorting one another, and fo much the more, as we fee the day approaching. There is alfo private worship, which should be attended; the people of God ought to meet in private together, and pray with one another; build up one another in their most holy faith, and converfe together about the things of God, and their own experience. There is a family worship, which should be kept up: we ought to read the fcripture, and pray in and with, and for our families; and there is alfo a perfonal, clofet, fecret worship, which should not be neglected: When thou prayeft, fays Chrift, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast but thy door, pray to thy Father which is in fecret, and thy Father which feeth in fecret fhall reward thee openly.

(4.) The path of duty, or the way of gofpel converfation and holiness, is directed to by the word behind us. External holiness of life is what becomes the gospel of Christ, and ought to be followed by all the profeffors of it. The doctrine of the grace of God instructs them in it, and engages them to it: It teaches them how they fhould behave both in the world, and in the church; that they ought to walk in wisdom towards them that are without, circumspectly, not as fools but as wife; redeeming the time, because the days are evil; and it directs them to walk in love towards one another, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-fuffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace».

III. I am now to fhew you what is meant by walking in this way which is here exhorted to. Walking, as it refpects Chrift the way, defigns believing in him; to believe in the light, and to walk in the light, are one and the fame thing. Believing in Chrift, and walking in Chrift, are terms fynonymous. It is by faith believers walk in Chrift: We walk by faith, fays the apoftle, not by fight. Faith is the eye of the foul which looks to Chrift, and is the foot by which it goes to him, and walks in him, as it has received him.". Walking, as it respects the other ways of doctrine and duty, fignifies an embracing of them, and obedience to them; for as there is faith, and wherever it is in truth, there is and will be the obedience of faith; fuch as receive Christ and his gospel truly, obey from the heart the form of doctrine delivered to them '; and are defirous of walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless". They make Chrift the pattern and example, after whom they would copy, and would willingly walk, even as he walked". Now walking in both these senses,