of Coloffe, not only their order, but their ftedfaftnefs in the faith of Chrift, in the doctrine of the gofpel; for, when a church fails in this, then all goes to wreck. If the apostle Paul were on earth, and to write an epiftle to the church of Scotland, would any think that he would have this to commend us for, our order and ftedfaftnefs in the faith? O for fuch a profpect of affairs in this island, that we who have been Corinthians, in refpect of our diforders and divifions, and Galatians, in refpect of our unftedfaftnefs in the right faith of Chrift, and the revolt of many from Reformation-truth, may become Coloffians in refpect of our order and ftcdfaftnefs in the faith; "I joy to behold your order and ftedfaftnefs," faith the apostle. Now, as there are two things in that preceding verfe that fhew the good conftitution of a church in general; fo, in this text, there are two things that fhow and fet forth the good state of any church-member in particular, or of a true Chriftian; the firft is, the receiving of Chrift Jefus the Lord; the fecond is, a walking in him. And we may conceive these two as having a reference to two things mentioned in the preceding verfe, namely, order and ftedfaftnefs; for, as there is no order, but all in confufion in that foul where there is no faith, or receiving of Chrift; fo there is no ftedfastness in faith, where there is no walking in him. And as the text ftands properly connected with the former verfe by the particle THEREFORE; As ye have THEREFORE received Chrift Jefus the Lord, fo walk ye in bim: From the connection of these two verfes, I fay, you may observe, That 'churches of the beft conftitution, both for the order and ftedfaftnefs of their faith, had need to be exhorted to hold fast their principles and to keep their way.' This obfervation, I think, may be obvious to you at the firft view; it is the fcope of the apoftle all along in the chapter to fortify this church against fwerving and declining from the truths of Chrift; and why does he fo? even because truth is but one, and when received is all reduceable to this one word, the receiving of Christ Jefus, the Lord, who is the centre of truth. Truth, I fay, is but one, let all the men of the world fay what they can about THE SERMONS, AND OTHER PRACTICAL WORKS, Of the Late REVEREND and LEARNED MR. RALPH ERSKINE, Minister of the Gofpel in DUNFERMLINE. CONSISTING O F Above One Hundred and Fifty SERMONS, befides his POETICAL PIECES. IN TEN LARGE VOLUMES OCTAVO. To which is prefixed, An ACCOUNT of the AUTHOR'S LIFE and WRITINGS, with an ELEGIAC POEM, and large CONTENTS. Chrift is all, and in all, CoL. iii. II. VOL. III. FALKIRK: PRINTED BY PATRICK MAIR, For HUGH MITCHELL, Bookfeller, PETER MUIRHEAD, Merchant, and the Revd. JOHN STEWART, the Publishers. M.DCC.XCV. TENTS. CONT SERMON XXXIV,-XLVI. Gofpel-Principle the Foundation of Gofpel-Practice; or, the great Duty of receiving Chrift, and walking in him, opened, 7 COL. ii. 6. As ye bave received Chrift fefus, the Lord, fo walk ye in him. After a copious introduction and fuccinct divifion of the words, fhewing the fcope of the apoftle, and fenfe of the verfe, the following general topics are handled at great length, viz. I. The believer's character and dignity, as a receiver of Chrift Jefus the Lord, delineated, The act of faith, as it is a receiving Chrift, opened, What is fuppofed in it, That Chrift is offered in the gofpel, To whom he is offered, 14 ibid. ibid. 14, 15 15 18 20 Upon what grounds, In what capacities, What the act of faith confifts in, Its nature and qualities opened, 2. The object of this act, viz. CHRIST, confidered, Both doctrinally and perfonally, 3. The capacities Chrift is received As a Jefus and as a Lord, in, II. The believer's duty, viz.. to walk in Chrift, opened, I. The denomination of the duty, It denotes practice, It imports progrefs, It implies permanency, 2. The qualifications of the duty, What this walk fuppofes, What it excludes, What it includes, What it infers, III. The rule of the believer's duty, and the proportion it should bear to the reception of Chrift, evinced, 66 1. The proportion of this walk confidered, both as to the act and manner of the reception, ibid. 2. The proportion of it as to the object received, in the text, 70 71 As a Jefus, to walk in him before God and the world, 73 74 The proportion of the believer's walk is to be fuitable to all the particulars deduceable from thefe three generals, 79 |