THE WORK S O F The late REVEREND ROBERT TRAILL, A. M. Minifter of the Gospel in LONDON. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. II. CONTAINING Sixteen SERMONS on the LORD'S PRAYER in John Cui veritas comperta, fine Deo? Cui Deus cognitus, fine Chrifto ? TERTULLIAN? GLASGOW: Printed and Sold by JOHN BRYCE, at his Shop, MDCCLXXV. THE PREF A CE. HREE things are fimply necessary unto any man's hav principles of divine truth known, the favoury of that knowledge in the heart, and the power of that favoury in a man's worship and walk. There are no found principles of faving truth, but in and from God's written word. There is no right favour of thofe principles, but in and by faith and love, which is in Chrift Jefus, 2 Tim. i. 13. and iii. 15. It is by this favour of the knowledge of Christ, as it is called, 2 Cor. ii. 14. that the power of godliness is impressed on the heart, and expreffed in the life of a believer. If the principles of truth be not from God's word, there can be no true religion; if the truth profeffed be confonant to God's word, and faith and love be wanting, it may be a man's notion and opinion, but it is not the man's religion; and if the power of known truth be not in his walk and converfation, neither should he himself, nor ought any other think, that fuch a man hath any religion at all. They have done good service to the common-wealth of learning, who, leaving the unprofitable, Speculative, and notional philofophy, have fet upon the experimental. And any man may fee, that theology hath been, especially by the fchool-men, as much corrupted; and that it is to be cured by reducing it unto practice and experience. For certainly religion confifts not fo much in the notions of truth in the mind, (in which the devils, the most irreligious of all creatures, exceed all men), as in the faith and love of truth in the heart, and in the fruits of that faith in the life. There are two forts of myfteries spoke of in the New Teftament; the mystery of godlinefs, which centers in Jefus Chrift, the Son of God, 1 Tim. iii. 16.; and the mystery of iniquity, which centers in Antichrift, the man of fin, and the son of perdition, 2 Theff. ii. 3. 7. These two mysteries are conftant and direct contraries. Whoever is ignorant, or an unbeliever of the mystery of godlinefs, may easily be drawn, or driven, to be a believer of the mystery of iniquity. So it was foretold, 2 Theff. ii. 10, 11, 12.; and accordingly we daily fee this awful judgment of God executed upon many. Neither is any thing more needful to make a man a real hater of Popery, than to be a fincere believer on Jefus Chrift. It is true, that the exceffive pride of the Pope, and his prelates, the cruelty of his domination, the frontless profaneness of his fynagogue, and the vifible worldly craft of his religion, is more than enough to make him and it hateful to Pagans, Jews, Turks, and Infidels. Yet to hate Popery Spiritually, as it is a grofs corrupti, on of true Christianity (of which he falfly arrogates the name), is only found with the elect of God: Rev. xiii. 8. And all that dwell upon the earth fhall worship him, (that is, the beaft), whofe names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb. flain from the foundation of the world. Andto the fame purpofe is that in Rev. xvii. 8. It was not the clearness of light and knowledge, (in which this age, doth much exceed the former), but the power of known truth on the hearts of Chrift's witnesses against Antichrift, that carried them so honourably through the fiery trial. It is unaccountable hypocrify and folly in fuch as pretend to be followers of fuch martyrs for Chrift, in their caufe and teftimony, and yet do mock that faith, and love, and communion with God, which were their support in their fufferings for it. If it be poffible, it is very rare, and highly improba ble, that a ftranger to, much more a mocker at the power of godliness, fhould fuffer extremity, and that chearfully, for the form of it. We have alfo in thefe laft and perilous times, fome antichrifts, that do deride both the mystery of godliness, and the myftery of iniquity. They have no faith to take up the glory of the myflery of godliness: but they have fenfe and reafon enough to take up the folly and knavery of the mystery of iniqui-, ty: A fort of men, to whom may be applied what the evil fpirit faid to the vagabond Jews, exorcifts, Acts xix. 15. Jefus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? Which a witty minifter took for his text, and raised this, more ingenious than grave, dottrine from it, "That there are fome men fo " bad bad, that the devil bimfelf does not know what to make of them." Thefe men İ mean, do not halt betwixt God and Baal, betwixt Chrift and Antichrift; but oppose both. If they efcape Antichrif's rage in this world, they fhall not escape the wrath of the Son of God in the next. They are such as have bath heaven and hell against them, and fight against both. But whatever disturbance the church of Chrift may meet with, and whatever danger and lofs particular mens fouls may fuftain by other damnable hereftes; yet the grand trial of the New Testament church, and the chief plague of the latter days, is from Antichrift. And no wife Chriftian can expect the fulfilment of the prophecies of the glory of the church of Christ, but in and by the ruin of Antichrift, and of his throne of iniquity. And though Antichrift's intereft in this nation feems to be pretty well excluded by Proteftant laws and rulers, and yet more by the plain intereft of the nation, as to all its valuable concerns; yet where the mystery of godlinefs is not duly ef teemed, no man nor nation is fecured from the malignant influence of the mystery of iniquity. And though Antichrift's throne feems to be fixed by long poffeffion, and the blindness of most of the kings in Europe; yet there is that rottennefs in its foundations, and that weight of wrath threatened in the word of God, as will fink it as a milftone in the fea, in due time. It was with an eye to both these mysteries, that what read, was preached fome years fince, and is now publifhed. you It is neither from unacquaintedness with the genius of the prefent age, nor with my small talent, that I put forth these plain ordinary fermons ; I well know, that they are not fuited to the Spirit of the day. Nor should any importunity have prevailed (though I was not without some of the nearest and most preffing kind), if I had not fome confidence towards God, that his truth is herein declared, (how weakly fsever), and fome hope that this work may be accepted with God through Jefus Chrift, and may be of fome ufe to his people; which I leave with the Lord, who alone giveth the increase. It was praife worthy charity in a great divine, now at reft with the Lord, to fay, "He hoped that fome were much oblig. "ed to the grace of God to whom the grace of God was little ob "liged," |