(1) THE Christian Institutes : OR THE Sincere Word of God. CHAP. I. Shewing what RELIGION is, and how the KNOWLEDGE of it is to be obtained. NDER the Name of Religion is comprehended all that Worship and Service, which is due from Men to God: Whatever we ought or are bound to do in Obedience to him: Whatever he will reward us for Doing, or punish us for not Doing. a. In order therefore, to worship and ferve God as we ought to do; we mult, first, Believe that he is; That he hath given us Laws and Commandments to keep; That he is a Rewarder of them that diligently feek him, and of fuch as do according to all that he hath commanded them ; And, That he taketh Vengeance on them that obey him not. b. And, for the better Understanding the nature and extent of our Duty, in all refpects, together with the Grounds and Reafons of our Obligation, it behoves us, in the next place, to inform our felues, as truly and particularly as we can, who the Lord is whom we are to serve what Attributes and Perfections belong to him, and what Works he bath wrought: As alfo, what manner of Beings we our felves are, who are commanded to ferve him; what Capacities and Inclinations we have; what State and Condition we are in, and in what Relation we stand to God. After which, it will be neceffary for us to en quire, bow and in what manner God is to be WorShipped, and what thofe Laws and Ordinances are, which he hath commanded us to observe. c. And then, for our greater Encouragement to ferve God, in all fuch things as we shall find to be enjoyned us, and to perfevere in our Obedience to him. It is requisite for us to know what Happinefs God hath prepared for them that love (a) Heb. 11. 6. Ex. 24. 12. Joh. 13. 34. Ex. 16. 28. Heb. 11. 6. 1 King. 9. 4. 2 Theff. 1. 8. (b) Ex 5. 2. Joh. 9. 36. Josh. 24. 15. (c) 1 Cor. 2. 9. and pro and obey him, and what Mifery he hath vided for fuch as tranfgrefs his Commandments: How great, how certain, and of what continuance both the Joy, and the Terror of the Lord are? The Neceffity of Searching the Scriptures. a. These are the things which every Man is concerned to be well inftructed in; and the truest and shortest way of attaining to fuch Knowledge as this, is, by Searching the Scriptures. b. For They are they, which teftify of God; which fhew us, what is good, and what the Lord doth require of us; which fet before us the way of life, and the way of Death and which teach us what we must do, to be faved, from the Wrath to come, and to inherit eternal Life. c. The way of Man is not now in himself It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. Tho' we can by Nature, do many things contained in the Law of God; and tho' we can in many cafes, even of our felves, judge what is right, our Confcience bearing witness, to what is Good or Evil, either, by excufing, or 2 Chr. 24. 20. Neh. 8. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 11. B 2 Mic. 6. 8. Mar. 10. 17. Rom. 2. 15. elfe |