Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me." Eph. iv. 30. "Grieve not the holy spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

3. That the everliving and holy Lord God, by his Almighty power and infinite wisdom, created the world and all things therein out of nothing; and by his effectual providence doth sustain and preserve them in being, and doth likewise govern and dispose of all things to his own glory. Neh. ix. 6. "Thou art Lord alone, who hast made heaven, and the heaven of heavens, with all their host; the earth, and all things that are therein; the seas, and all that is therein; and thou preservest them all."

II. Concerning Man.

We are to know and believe,

1. That Almighty God created Man (Adam) after his own image, which consisted in knowledge, righteousness and true holiness; giving him an holy law for the rule of his obedience, with power to keep it and a promise of life upon condition of keeping it. Gen. i. 27. "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him." Eccles. vii. 29. "This only have I found, that God made man upright."

2. That man (Adam) being created in an holy state, yet in a changeable condition, and under possibility of falling, being tempted by Satan, and left to the freedom of his own will, did actually fall from his estate of innocency and integrity, into a state of sin and misery. Gen. iii. 6. "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasant to the eye, she took thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband, and he did eat.". Eccles. vii.

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29. "God hath made man upright; but he hath found out many inventions."

3. That by reason of man's fall, his nature is wholly corrupted with original sin, which is the seed root of all other sins, derived upon us by natural generation, whereby we are disabled to that which is spiritually good, and inclined to that which is evil and sinful. Gen. v. 3. "And Adam begat a son in his own likeness, after his image." Psal. li. 5. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me." Rom. viii. 8. "So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.".

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4. That the punishment due to every sin is death and hell; all miseries, temporal, spiritual and eternal. Rom. vi. 23. "The wages of sin is Death." 2 Thess. i. 9. They shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.'

5. That Almighty God, pitying the deplorable misery of our fallen state, has found out a way, and appointed a means for our deliverance from the power and punishment of sin, by a mediator and redeemer ; Titus iii. 4, 5. "After that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards men appeared, according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."

III. Concerning Christ the Mediator between

We ought to know and believe,

1. That Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, the second person in the Trinity, is the only redeemer of lost man, and the only mediator betwixt God and man, from whom alone we are to expect life and salvation, 1 Tim. ii. 5. "There is one God, and one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Je

sus." Acts iv. 12. "Neither is there salvation in any other For there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved."

2. That Jesus Christ our Redeemer was both God. and man, having two natures in one person; a divine nature as he was God, and an human nature as man; in which human nature he suffered for sinners, and in his divine nature satisfied the justice of God for sin; Acts xx. 28, "Feed the church of God, which he has purchased with his own blood." Heb. x. 10. By the which will we are sanctified, through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

3. That Christ our redeemer having taken upon him our nature, lived here upon earth above three and thirty years, and did in our stead, and for our sin, give full satisfaction to the justice of his father, by enduring most grievous torments in his soul, and by undergoing most painful sufferings in his body; was crucified, died, and was buried, and by his death did conquer sin and Satan, death and hell. Read the xxvith and xxviith Chapters of St. Matthew, which give a large account of our Saviour's sufferings.

4. That Jesus Christ on the third day arose again from the dead, with the same body in which he suffered, with which body also he ascended into heaven, and there sitteth at the right hand of the father, to intercede for us; and by his intercession in heaven making application of that redemption which he wrought on earth; from whence, at the end of the world, he shall come again to judge both men and devils, and to determine their final and eternal state; see Rom. viii. 34. "Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." St. Matt. xiii. 41, 42. "The son of man shall send forth his angels, and

they shall gather out of his kingdom all things which offend; and them that do iniquity: and shall cast them into a furnace of fire, where shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

IV. Concerning the Way and Means to obtain Salvation by Christ.

1. That the way and means appointed by God for the sinner's salvation, through Jesus Christ the redeemer, is by faith, repentance, and sincere obedience so saith the apostle, Eph. ii. 8. "By grace are ye saved through faith." Acts xi. 18. "Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." Heb. v. 9. "Christ became the author of eternal salvation to them that obey him."

2. That saving faith is a grace of the holy spirit, wrought in us by the ministry of the word, whereby we do in our understandings assent to the doctrine of the gospel as true, and with our wills embrace it as good and according to that revelation, do depend upon the merits of Christ alone for pardon of sin and eternal life, on such conditions as the gospel has assured them upon. Rom. x. 10. "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness." St. John vi..68, 69. "We believe and are sure that thou art Christ, the son of the living God. To whom shall we go?

Thou hast the words of eternal life."

3. That true repentance consists in an hearty trouble and sorrow for sin past, in an humble acknowledgment and penitential confession of sin both past and present, but chiefly in such stedfast purposes and. resolutions against sin for the time to come, as do produce actual reformation and amendment of life. 2. Cor. vii. 11. "Ye sorrowed after a godly sort; what carefulness it wrought in you; yea, what clearing of yourselves; yea, what indignation; yea, what

fear; yea, what vehement desire; yea, what zeal; yea, what revenge!" Isa. lv. 7. "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."

4. That repentance being a real change and refor mation of our lives, to defer it to a sick bed and a dying hour, puts the soul upon a mighty hazard; it being then impossible to know the truth of our repentance, when we want time and opportunity to make trial of the sincerity of it. St. Matt. iii. 8. Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance." Isa. lv. 6 "Seek ye the Lord whilst he may be found, call upon him whilst he is near." Behold, now

is the accepted time."

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5. That sincere obedience consists in a conformity of heart and life to the word and will of God, from an unfeigned love to God, and a sincere delight in keeping his commandments, Psal. xl. 8. “I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart." Acts xxiv. 16. "Herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence, towards God and towards men."

6. That the obedience of the best of christians in this life is but imperfect, attended with much weakness, and accompanied with manifold imperfections; which yet upon our humble acknowledgment God will graciously pardon, and for Christ's sake mercifully accept, Job ix. 20. "If I justify myself, my own mouth shall condemn me. If I say I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse." 2 Chron. xxx. 18, 19, 20. "The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God; though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary. And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people."