Counsel of his own Will, Eph. i. 11. It is Juftice in us to act according to God's Word; but 'tis Juftice in God to act according to his own Will. He hath prescribed Laws to us, but never yet tied himself to the Obfervance of his own Laws. He made the Scriptures for us, not for himself, to walk by; his own Divine Will being both the Fountain and Rule of all Juftice, both in himself and his Creatures too; fo that fhould he be pleased, that we should act juft contrary to what he hath commanded in his Holy Scriptures, it would then be as much our Duty to act contrary, as now it is to act accor ding to them. As Abraham, when commanded to kill his Son, though it was an Act abfolutely forbidden by the Law of God, yet he adjudged it to be Juft and Righteous, and therefore without any Scruple fets about it; Why? But because he understood it was the fpecial Will of God, and therefore to be obeyed, tho' never fo contrary to the Laws he had enjoined for his Creatures Actions; his Will being not only always Juft, but the very Rule of all Juftice in the World: So that it is as impoffible for him to be Unjuft and Unrighteous in his Will, as it is impoffible for him to will what he doth not will. And therefore only because God wills it, any Thing is Juft and Righteous; his revealed Will being the Rule of his Creatures, and his fecret Will the Rule of his own Actions, and fo his Will ftill the Rule of both.

2. In his Word. And this neceffarily follows from the former. For the Word of God is nothing else but the Will of God revealed. And therefore if he be fo Righteous in his Will, he cannot but be as Righteous in his Word too.

A Man

keth the Righteous more righteous, and so more happy. Tell me therefore, my Brethren, Whether Prosperity may not often be a dreadful Judgment, and Adverfity as glorious a Reward; and therefore, Whether God may not be infinitely Juft, in giving Profperity as a Punifhment to the Wicked, and in beftowing Adverfity as a Reward upon the Righteous ?

2. Redemption. God from Eternity had Decreed to redeem fome Perfons to live with him in Heaven: Thefe very Perfons provoke him upon Earth. Yet he would be merciful, fo as to fave their Souls; yet he is fo juft, as to punifh their Sins: And therefore, tho' he does not punish them in their own, yet he doth in the Perfon of their Surety, though his own Son, Wherein his Juftice fhined forth most clearly, in that rather than Sin fhould go unpunished, or his Juftice unfatisfied, he'll require the Punifhment of the one, and Satisfaction of the other, at the Hands of his only begotten Son; fo that Chrift muft either die, or no Sinner must ever live, Pfal. xcix. 8.

USE.

1. Stand in Awe of God's Juftice, and Sin not; for every Sin that is committed by you, is committed against a God whofe very Nature is Juftice and Righteoufnefs, and therefore cannot but take Vengeance of your Sins.

2. Truft in God's Promises, and fear not: If you can but throw your felves upon him, you need not fear but he will be Juft and Righteous unto you: Trust in him for the Pardon and

purging

purging of your Sins, Job. i. 9. And for the Accomplishment of all other Promises, he is juft.!

3. Submit to God's Judgments, and murmur not: 'Tis impoffible he fhould lay more Judgments upon you then you have deferved from him, Lam, iii. 39.

4. Rejoyce in God's Providences, and grieve not: Rejoyce to fee God, your God, lo juft and righteous.

5. Imitate God's Righteousness and Err not: As he doth every Thing according to his Secret, do you every Thing according to his revealed Will.

6: Long for the Sight of God, and faint not, when you shall behold the Juftice of God in all his Ways and Works.

H&E

was given, and fo that we are Christians, and therefore ought to depart from Iniquity. 1. From Iniquity as Iniquity. 2. From all Iniquity, Act. iii. 26.

For, Art thou a Chriftian? Then,

1. Thou didst Promife and Vow in thy Baptifm to renounce the Devil and all his Works.

2. Thou can'ft not Sin at fo cheap a Rate as others. All fhall pay dear for their Sins, but Chriftians much more; because they Sin against greater Light and Mercies, Ifai. i. 2, 3, 4.

Matt. xi. 22.

3. Thou doft not only disobey God, but dif honoureft Chrift by thy Sins, Heb. vi. 6.

4. Thou art none of thy, own, but wholly Chrift's, 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20.

5. Thou waft buried with Chrift in Baptifm, and therefore oughteft to rife with him to newnefs of Life, Rom. vi. 3, 4

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JOHN

JOHN iii. 5.

Except a Man be born again of Water and the Spirit.

P Godfathers and Godmothers in my

M® Baptifm.

Three Things here to be treated on, Baptifm, Godfathers in Baptifm, and the Effects of Baptifm.

1. Baptifm.

Queft. 1. What is Baptifm?

A Sacrament of Regeneration, wherein we are born again and made Members of Chrift, Tit. iii. 5. Διὰ λετρι παλιγγενεσίας.

Queft. 2. What need is there of Baptifm? Without it we cannot enter into the Kingdom,

1. Of God's Grace here: That is, his Church into which we are admitted only by Baptifm.

2. Of his Glory hereafter. For we must be born again of Water, before we can be born again of the Spirit, A. ii. 38. And be of the Church Militant, before we can be of the Church Triumphant, A&t. ii. 47.

Queft. 3. What Ground have we for InfantBaptifm? 1. Thefe Words of our Saviour, 'Funn jeni Sdatos Job. iii. 5.

E z

2. Chil