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Ir is sufficiently known to all that have any acquaintance with the histories of the Church, that many valuable and useful ministers were ejected for nonconformity, by the Act of Uniformity in the reign of king Charles II. which took place August 24th, 1662. Among others, the Reverend Mr THOMAS WATSON was ejected from his charge, at St Stephen's, Walbrook, London ; whose character is given by the Reverend Dr Edmund Calamy, in his Abridgements, Vol. II. p. 37; and is as follows:

"From St Stephen's, Walbrook. Mr Thomas Watson; he was of Emanuel College in Cambridge, where he was noted for being a hard student, one so well known in the city, viz. London, for his piety and usefulness, that though he was singled out by the Friendly Debate, he yet carried a general respect for all sober persons along with him to his grave. A memorable passage, which I have from good hands, must not be passed by: When Mr Watson was in the pulpit, on a lecture day, before the Bartholomew act took place, among other hearers there came in that Reverend and learned prelate, Bishop Richardson, who was so well pleased with his sermon, but especially with his prayer after it, that he followed him home, to give him thanks, and earnestly desired a copy of his prayer. 'Alas!' said Mr Waton, 'that is what I cannot give, for I do not use to pen my prayers; it was no studied thing, but uttered as God enabled me from the abundance of my heart and affections-pro re nata.' Upon which the good Bishop went away, wondering that any man could pray in that manner, ex tempore. After his ejectment, he continued in the exercise of the ministry in the city, as Providence gave opportunity, for many years: but his strength wearing away, he retired into Essex, and there died suddenly, in his closet, at prayer."

A PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE

ΤΟ

CATECHISING.

If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, CoL. i. 23.

INTENDING the next Lord's day to enter able heresies,' 2 Pet. ii. 1. A man may

upon the work of catechising, it will not be amiss to give you this preliminary discourse, as preparatory to it; showing you how needful it is for Christians to be well instructed in the grounds of religion.

go to hell as well for heresy as adultery. To be unsettled in religion, argues want of judgment; if their heads were not giddy, they would not reel so fast from one opinion to another. It argues lightness: feathers

"If ye continue in the faith grounded and will be blown every way,-so will feathery settled,"-Two propositions: Christians,-Triticum non rapit ventus,

First, It is the duty of Christians to be inanes palæ jactantur, CVPR. Therefore settled in the doctrine of faith. such are compared to children, Eph. iv. "That we be no more children tossed to and fro." Children are fickle,-some

Second, The best way for Christians to be 14. settled, is to be well grounded.

Christians are childish; those truths they embrace at one time, they reject at another; sometimes they like the Protestant religion, and soon after they have a good mind to Now, that you may labour to

1st. It is the great end of the word

DOCT. I. That it is the duty of Christians times of one mind, sometimes of another; to be settled in the doctrine of faith. It nothing pleases them long; so unsettled is the apostle's prayer, 1 Pet. v. 10. "The God of all grace, stablish, strengthen, settle you." That they might not be meteors in the air, but fixed stars. The apostle Jude speaks of 'wandering stars,' v. 13. They turn Papists. are called wandering stars, because, as Aris-be settled (as Ignatius) in the faith, in untotle saith, "They do leap up and down, settled times of settled judgments: and wander into several parts of the heaven; and being but dry exhalations, not made of preached, to bring us to a settlement in rethat pure celestial matter-as the fixed stars ligion. Eph. iv. 11, 13. "And he gave are-they often fall to the earth." Now, some, evangelists; and some, pastors and such as are not settled in religion, will, at teachers; for the edifying of the body of one time or other, prove wandering stars; Christ; that we henceforth be no more they will lose their former strictness, and children." The word is called 'an hamwander from one opinion to another. Such mer,' Jer. xxiii. 29. Every blow of the as are unsettled are of the tribe of Reuben, hammer is to fasten the nails of the build'unstable as water,' Gen. xlix. 4; like ing; the preacher's words are but to fasten a ship without ballast, overturned with you the more to Christ,-they weaken every wind of doctrine. Beza writes of themselves to strengthen and settle you. one Belfectius, whose religion changed as This is the grand design of preaching,the moon. The Arians had every year not only for the enlightening, but for the a new faith. These are not 'pillars' in establishing of souls,-not only to guide the temple of God, but 'reeds' shaken them in the right way, but to keep them every way. The apostle calls them 'damn- in it. Now, if you be not settled, you do

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not answer God's end in giving you the the truth. Seducers are abroad, whose ministry.

work is to draw away people from the principles of religion: 1 John ii. 26, "These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you." Seducers are the devil's factors; they are of all others the greatest felons, that would rob you of the truth; seducers have silver

2d. To be settled in religion is both a Christian's excellency and honour. It is his excellency; when the milk is settled it turns to cream; now he will be something zealous for the truth, walk in close communion with God; and his honour, Prov. xvi. 31. "The hoary head is a crown of tongues; a fair tongue can put off bad glory, if it be found in the way of righteous-wares; they have a slight to deceive, Eph. ness." It is one of the best sights, to see iv. 14. The Greek word there is taken an old disciple, to see silver hairs adorned from those that can cog a dye, and cast it with golden virtues. for the best advantage; so seducers are impostors,-they can cog a dye,--they can so dissemble and sophisticate the truth, that they can deceive others. Now, the style by which seducers use to deceive, is:

3d. Such as are not settled in the faith can never suffer for it; sceptics in religion will hardly ever prove martyrs; they that are not settled do hang in suspense,-when they think of the joys of heaven, then they will espouse the gospel,-but when they think of persecution, then they desert it. Unsettled Christians do not consult what is best, but what is safest: "The apostate (saith Tertullian) seems to put God and Satan in balance, and having weighed both their services, prefers the devil's service, and proclaims him to be the best master; and in this sense, may be said to 'put Christ to open shame.'” Heb. vi. 6. They will never suffer for the truth, but be as a soldier that leaves his colours, and runs over to the enemy's side; he will fight on the devil's side for pay.

4th. Not to be settled in the faith, is

1. By wisdom of words: Rom. xvi. 18, "By good words and fair speeches they deceive the hearts of the simple." They have fine elegant phrases, flattering language, whereby they work on the weaker sort, as being christed with Christ, and the light within them.

2. Another slight is a pretence of extraordinary piety, that so people may admire them and suck in their doctrine. They seem to be men of zeal and sanctity, and to be divinely inspired; they pretend revelations, as Munster, Michael Servetus, and others of the Anabaptists in Germany, though they were tainted with pride, lust and avarice.

highly provoking to God. To espouse the 3. A third slight or cheat seducers have truth, and then to fall away, brings an ill re- is a labouring to villify and nullify sound orport upon the gospel, which will not go un-thodox teachers; they would eclipse those punished: Ps. lxxviii. 57, 59. "They turn- that bring the truth, like unto the black vaed back, and dealt unfaithfully; when God pours that darken the light of heaven; they heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhor- would defame others, that themselves may red Israel." The apostate drops as a wind- be more admired. Thus the false teachers fall into the devil's mouth. cried down Paul, that they might be received, Gal. iv. 17.

5th. If ye are not settled in religion, you will never grow. We are commanded 'to grow up into the head, even Christ,' Eph. iv. 15. But if we are unsettled, no growing: "the plant which is continually removing never thrives." He can no more grow in godliness, who is unsettled, than a bone can grow in the body that is out of joint. 6th. What great need is there to be settled; because there are so many things to unsettle us, and make us fall away from

4. The fourth slight or cheat of seducers is by "preaching doctrine of liberty:" as the Antinomian preacheth that men are freed from the moral law, the rule as well as the curse. He preached that Christ hath done all for them, and they need to do nothing. So he makes the doctrine of free grace a key to open the door to all licentiousness.

5. Another thing to unsettle Christians

is persecutors, 2 Tim. ii. 12. The gospel | knowledge of the grounds and principles of is a rose; it cannot be plucked without religion is exceeding useful:

prickles. The legacy Christ hath bequeathed is the CROSS. While there is a devil and a wicked man in the world, never expect a charter of exemption from trouble; and how many fall away in an hour of persecution? Rev. xii. 3, 4, "There appeared a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns: and his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven :" the red dragon, the heathenish empire,-and his tail, viz. his power and subtlety, drew away stars, viz. eminent professors that seemed to shine as stars in the firmament of the church. Therefore we see what need there is to be settled in the truth, for fear the tail of the dragon cast us to the earth.

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6. To be unsettled in good is the sin of the devils, Jude 6. They are called 'morning stars,' Job. xxxviii. 7, but falling stars;' they were holy, but mutable. As the vessel is overturned with the sail, so their sails, being swelled with pride, were overturned, 1 Tim. iii. 6. By unsettledness, who dost thou imitate but lapsed angels? The devil was the first apostate. So much for the first proposition, that it is a great duty of Christians to be settled; the sons of Sion should be like mount Sion, which cannot be removed. DocT. II. The second proposition is, that the way for Christians to be settled, is to be well grounded: if ye continue grounded and settled.' The Greek word for grounded, a metaphor; it alludes to a building that hath the foundation well laid; so Christians should be grounded in the essential points of religion, and have their foundation well laid.

Here let me speak to two things: 1 That we should be grounded in the knowledge of fundamentals. 2. That this grounding is the best way to settling.

1. Else we cannot serve God aright; we can never worship God acceptably, unless we worship him regularly; and how can we do that, if we are ignorant of the rules and elements of religion? We are bid to give God a reasonable service,' Rom. xii. 1. If we understand not the grounds of religion, how can it be a reasonable service?

2. Knowledge of the grounds of religion much enricheth the mind; it is a lamp to our feet; it directs us in the whole course of Christianity, as the eye directs the body. Knowledge of fundamentals is the golden key that opens the chief mysteries of religion; it gives us a whole system and body of divinity exactly drawn in all its lineaments and lively colours; it helps us to understand many of those difficult things which do occur in the reading of the word; it helps to untie many scripture-knots.

3. Armour of proof; it doth furnish us with weapons to fight against the adversaries of the truth.

4. It is the holy seed of which grace is formed; It is semen fidei, 'the seed of faith,' Ps. ix. 10. It is radix amoris, 'the root of love,' Eph. iii. 17, "Being rooted and grounded in love." The knowledge of principles conduceth to the making of a complete Christian.

2d. That this grounding is the best way to settling: 'grounded and settled.' A tree, that may be well settled, must be well rooted; so, if you be well settled in religion, you must be rooted in the principles of it. He, in Plutarch, set up a dead man, and he would not stand; "O," saith he, "there must be something within ;" so, that we may stand in shaking times, there must be a principle of knowledge within,-first ground1st. That we should be grounded in the ed, and then settled. That the ship may knowledge of fundamentals. The apostle be kept from overturning, it must have its speaks of the first principles of the oracles anchor fastened; knowledge of principles is of God,' Heb. v. 13. In all arts and sci- to the soul as the anchor to the ship, that ences, logic, physic, mathematics, there are holds it steady in the midst of all the rolling some præcognita, some rules and principles waves of error, or the violent winds of perthat must necessarily be known to the prac-secution. First grounded and then settled. tice of those arts: so, in divinity, there USE I. See the reason why so many peomust be the first principles laid down. The ple are unsettled, ready to embrace every

novel opinion, and dress themselves in as many religions as they do fashions; it is because they are ungrounded. See how the apostle joins these two together, unlearned and unstable,' 2 Pet. iii. 16. Such as are unlearned in the main points of divinity, will be unstable. As the body cannot be strong that hath the sinews shrunk; so neither can that Christian be strong in religion who wants the grounds of knowledge, which are the sinews to strengthen and establish him.

forms of catechism: so much those phrases imply, a 'form of sound words,' 2 Tim. i. 13, and "the first principles of the oracles of God,' Heb. v. 12; and since the church had their catechumenoi, as Grotius and Erasmus observe, many of the ancient fathers have written for it, Fulgentius, Austin, Theodoret, Lactantius, and others. God hath given great success to it. By this laying down of grounds of religion catechistically, Christians have been clearly instructed and wondrously USE II. See then what great necessity built up in the Christian faith; insomuch, there is of laying down all the main grounds that Julian the apostate, seeing the great of religion in a catechetical form, that the success of catechising, did put down all weakest judgment may be instructed in the schools and places of public literature, and knowledge of the truth, and strengthened in instructing of youth. It is my design therethe love of it. Catechising is the best expe- fore (with the blessing of God) to begin this dient for the grounding and settling of peo-work of catechising the next sabbath-day; ple. I fear, one reason why there hath been and I intend every other sabbath, in the no more good done by preaching, hath been afternoon, to make it my whole work to lay because the chief heads and articles in reli- down the grounds and fundamentals of religion have not been explained in a catechisti-gion in a catechistical way. If I am hincal way. Catechising is the laying the foun-dered in this work by men, or taken away by dation, Heb. vi. 1. To preach and not to death, I hope God will raise up some other catechise, is to build without a foundation. labourer in the vineyard among you, that This way of catechising is not novel, it is may perfect this work which I am now beapostolical. The primitive church had their ginning.

man?

MAN'S CHIEF END IS TO GLORIFY GOD.

QUEST. 1. WHAT is the chief end of glorify God; this is the yearly rent that is paid to the crown of heaven. Glorifying of ANS. Man's chief end is to glorify God, God hath respect to all the persons in the Trinity; it respects God the Father, who and to enjoy Him for ever. gave us our life; it respects God the Son, who lost his life for us; it respects God the Holy Ghost, who produceth a new life in us ; we must bring glory to the whole Trinity.

Here are two ends of life specified: 1st. The glorifying of God. 2d. The enjoying of

God.

When we speak of God's glory, the question will be moved,

Q. What we are to understand by God's glory?

ANS. There is a twofold glory: 1. The glory that God hath in himself, his intrinsical

1. I begin with the first, the glorifying of God, 1 Pet. iv. 11, "That God in all things may be glorified." The glory of God is a silver thread which must run through all our actions; 1 Cor. x. 31, "Whether, therefore, ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." Every thing works to some end in things natural and glory. Glory is essential to the Godhead, as artificial; now man being a rational creature, light is to the sun; he is called the God of must propose some end to himself, and that glory,' Acts vii. 2. Glory is the sparkling of is, that he may lift up God in the world; and the Deity; glory is so co-natural to the Godbetter lose his life than lose the end of his head, that God cannot be God without it. living; so then, the great truth asserted is The creature's honour is not essential to his this, that the end of every man's living is, to being; a king is a man without his regal or

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