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The Scriptures the only Guide in Matters of Religion.

Being a SERMON Preached at the BAPTISM of feveral Perfons in BARBICAN, November 2, 1750.

JEREMIAH VI. 16.

Thus faith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways and fee, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein; and ye shall find reft for your fouls.

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'N this chapter the deftruction of Jerufalem by the Babylonians is threatened and foretold, and the causes of it affigned; in general, the great aboundings of fin and wickednefs among the people; and in particular, their neglect and contempt of the word of God; the fin of covetousness, which prevailed among all forts; the unfaithfulness of the prophets to the people, and the peoples impenitence and hardness of heart; their want of shame, their disregard to all inftructions and warnings from the Lord, by the mouth of his prophets, and their obftinate refufal of them; which last is expreffed in the claufe following the words read; and which, though an aggravation of it, fhew the tender regard of the Lord to his people, and may be confidered as an instruction to fuch who had their doubts and difficulties in religious matters; who were halting between two opinions, and like men in bivio, who ftand in a place where two or more ways meet, and know not which path to take; and in this light I fhall confider them; and in them may be observed,

I. A direction to fuch perfons what to do; to ftand in the ways, and fee, and afk for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein.

II. The encouragement to take this direction; and ye shall find rest for your fouls.

I. The direction given to ftand in or on the ways, &c. to do as men do when they are come to a place where two or more ways meet, make a stand, and view the roads, and fee which they fhould take; they look about them, and confider well what course they fhould steer; they look up to the way-marks, or way pofts, and read the infcriptions on them, which tell them whither fuch a road leads, and fo judge for themselves which way they should go. Now in religious matters, the way-marks or way-pofts to guide and direct men in the way, are the scriptures, the oracles of God, and they only.

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Not education-principles. It is right in parents to do as Abraham did, to teach their children to keep the way of the Lord. The direction of the wife man is an exceeding good one; Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it, that is, eafily and ordinarily and it becomes christians under the gospel-dispensation to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and a great mercy and bleffing it is to have a religious education, but then, as wrong principles may be infused as well as right ones, into perfons in their tender years, it becomes them, when come to years of maturity and discretion, to examine them, whether they are according to the word of God, and fo judge for themselves, whether they are to be abode by or rejected. I know it is a grievous thing with fome perfons to forfake the religion they have been brought up in; but upon this foot, a man that is born and brought up a Turk or a Jew, a Pagan or a Papist, must ever continue fo. Sad would have been the cafe of the apostle Paul, if he had continued in the principles of his education; and what a fhocking figure did he make whilft he abode by them? thinking, according to them, he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus".

Nor are the customs of men a rule of judgment, or a direction which way men should take in matters of religion; for the customs of the people are for the most part vain; and such as are not lawful for us, being chriftians, to receive or obferve; and concerning which we should say, We have no fuch custom, neither the churches of God. Cuftom is a tyrant, and ought to be rebelled against, and its yoke thrown off.

Nor are the traditions of men to be regarded; the Pharifees were very tena, cious of the traditions of the elders, by which they tranfgreffed the commandments of God, and made his word of no effect; and the apostle Paul, in his ftate of unregeneracy, was zealous of the fame; but neither of them are to be imitated by us it is right to obferve the exhortation which the apoftle gives,

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when a christian; beware left any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the traditions of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Take care you are not imposed upon, under the notion and pretence of an apoftolical tradition; unwritten traditions are not the rule, only the word of God is the rule of our faith and practice.

Nor do the decrees of popes and councils demand our attention and regard; it matters not what such a pope has determined, or what canons such a council under his influence has made; what have we to do with the man of fin, that exalts bimfelf above all that is called God; who fits in the temple of God, fhewing himself as if he was God? we know what will be his fate, and that of his followers i.

Nor are the examples of men, no not of the best of men, in all things to be copied after by us; we should indeed be followers of all good men as fuch, of thofe who through faith and patience inherit the promises; and especially of fuch, who are or have been spiritual guides and governors in the church; who have made the scriptures their study, and have laboured in the word and doctrine; their faith we should follow, confidering the end of their converfation; how that iffues, and when it terminates in Christ, his person, truths and ordinances, the fame to-day, yesterday and for ever*: but then we are to follow them no further than they follow Chrift; the apostle Paul defired no more than this of his Corinthians with respect to himself; and no more can be demanded of us; it should be no bias on our minds, that fuch and such a man of fo much grace and excellent gifts thought and practised so and fo. We are to call no man father or mafter on earth; we have but one father in heaven, and one master, which is Chrift, whose doctrines, rules, and ordinances we should receive and observe. We are not to be influenced by men of learning and wealth; though these should be on the other fide of the queftion, it should be no ftumbling to us; had this been a rule to be attended to, chriftianity had never got footing in the world: Have any of the rulers or of the Pharifees believed on him? But this people, who knoweth not the law, are curfed'. It pleased the Lord, in the first times of the gospel, to bide the things of it from the wife and prudent, and reveal them unto babes; and to call by his grace, not many wife men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, but the foolish, weak, and base things of the world, and things that are not, to confound the wife and mighty, and bring to nought things that are; that no flesh fhould glory in his prefence": nor fhould it concern us that the greatest number is on the oppofite fide; we are not to follow a multitude to do evil; the whole world once wondered after the beaft; Chrift's flock is but a little flock.

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The fcriptures are the only external guide in matters of religion; they are the way-pofts we fhould look up unto, and take our direction from, and should steer our course accordingly: To the law and to the teftimony: if men fpeak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them"; we should not believe every fpirit, but try them, whether they are of God; and the trial should be made according to the word of God; the fcriptures fhould be fearched, as they were by the noble Bereans, to see whether the things delivered to confideration are fo or no; the infcriptions on these way-posts should be read, which are written fo plain, that he that runs may read them; and they direct to a way, in which men, though fools, fhall not err: if therefore the inquiry is,

1st, About the way of Salvation; if that is the affair the doubt is concerning, look up to the way-pofts, look into the word of God, and read what that fays; fearch the fcriptures, for therein is the way of eternal life; life and immortality, or the way to an immortal life, is brought to light by the gospel. The fcriptures, under a divine influence, and with a divine bleffing, are able to make a man wife unto falvation, and they do point unto men the way of it it is not the light of nature, nor the law of Mofes, but the gofpel-part of the scriptures which direct to this; thefe will fhew you, that God faves and calls men with an holy calling, not according to their works, but according to his purpose and grace; that it is not by works of righteousness done by men, but according to the mercy of God, that men are saved; and that it is not by works, but by grace, left men should boaft". That it is a vain thing for men to expect falvation this way; that it is a dangerous one: fuch who encompass themselves with Sparks of their own kindling, fhall lie down in forrow: and that it is a very wicked thing; fuch facrifice to their own net, and burn incenfe to their own drag. These will inform you that Chrift is the way, the truth, and the life; that he is the only true way to eternal life; that there is salvation in him, and in no other: the language of them is, Believe on the Lord Jefus Chrift, and thou shalt be faved: thefe words, Salvation alone by Christ, falvation alone by Christ, are written as with a funbeam on them; just as the way-posts, set up in places where two or more ways met, to direct the manflayer when he was fleeing to one of the cities of refuge from the avenger of blood, had written on them in very legible characters, refuge, refuge.

2dly, If the question is about any point of Doctrine; if there is any hesitation concerning any truth of the gospel, look up to the way-pofts, look into the fcriptures, fearch them, fee and read what they fay; for they are profitable for doctrine'; for finding it out, explaining, confirming, and defending it: these will tell you

n Ifai. viii. 20.
• 1 John iv. 1.
a T. Hierof. Maccot. fol.
31.4.

whether

2 Tim. i. 9. Tit. iii. 5. Ephes. ii. 8, 9. 2 Tim. iii. 16.

whether the thing in debate is fo or no, and will direct you which fide of the queftion to take; if you feek for knowledge and understanding in gospel-truths diligently and constantly, as you would for filver, and search after them as for bid treasures, then will you understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God'. Thus, for instance,

If the inquiry is about the doctrine of the Trinity; as the light of nature and reason will tell you, that there is but one God, and which is confirmed by revelation; the fcriptures will inform you, that there are three that bear record in beaven, the Father, the Word, and the holy Spirit, and that these three are one*; are the one God: look into the first page of the Bible, and you will see how just and right is that observation of the Pfalmist"; by the word of the Lord were the beavens made, and all the boft of them by the breath or spirit of his mouth; and that Jehovah, his word and spirit, were concerned in the creation of all things: you will learn from thence that God made the heavens and the earth; that the fpirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, and brought the chaos into a beautiful order, as well as garnished the heavens; and that God the word faid, Let there be light, and there was light; and that these three are the us that made man after their image and likeness". This doctrine is frequently fuggefted in the Old Testament, but clearly revealed in the New; and no where more clearly than in the commiffion for the administration of the ordinance of baptifm; Go, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghaft *; and in the adminiftration of it itself to our Lord Jefus Chrift, at which all the three perfons appeared; the Father by a voice from heaven, declaring Chrift his beloved Son; the Son in human nature, fubmitting to the ordinance; and the holy Ghost descending as a dove upon him; this was thought to be so clear a teftimony for this doctrine, that it was ufual with the ancients to fay, "Go to Jordan, and there learn the doctrine of the trinity."

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If the question is concerning the Deity of Chrift, his eternal Sonship and diftinct perfonality, look to your way-marks; inquire into the facred records, and there you will find, that he is the mighty God, God over all, blessed for ever; the great God, the true God, and eternal life; that all divine perfections are in him; that the fulness of the Godhead dwells in him; that he is the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his perfon; to whom all divine works are ascribed, and all divine worship is given; that he is the only begotten of the Father, the first-born of every creature; or was begotten before any creature was in being; of whom the Father fays, Thou art my Son, this day have I be

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Heb. i. 3. Col. ii. 9. and i. 15.

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