the Practice and Obfervation of it. 'Tis the keeping of the Commandments that leads to eternal Life; and if ye know these things, ye are only Happy if ye do them. By this Law we have the Knowledge of Sin, not barely to entertain our Speculation, but to regulate our Practice, and to help us to steer our Course aright. In short, This Law being given to be a Light unto our Feet, and a Lanthorn to our Paths; it will not be amifs to hang it out unto the People, to make their way plain before them, and to guide their Feet into the ways of Truth and Peace, which is the fole Design of the following Expofition. I am fufficiently fenfible how far it must fall short of the Dignity of the Subject; for who can reach the Perfection of the Divine Law, or fully comprehend the Mind of fo great a Lawgiver? However, fuch as it is, 'tis humbly tender'd to the Fudgment and Practice of the honeft Reader, who, 'tis to be hop'd will accept the good Intention of the Author, and cover the Failings and Imperfections of the Undertaking. It remains only, that we in good earnest fet ourselves to the Practice of our Duty, as 'tis here difcover'd to us; and implore the Bleffing of Heaven to affist us in it, which will never be wanting to our hearty and fincere Endeavours. Farewel. The Commandments. DD spake these words, and laid, I am the Lozd thy God, that brought thee out of the Land of Egypt, and out of the House of Bondage. Thou shalt have no othez Gods but me. Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven Image, no? the likeness of any thing that is in Heaven above, ol in the Earth beneath, oz in the Water under the Earth: thou shalt not bow down to them, oz wolfhip them; for I the Low thy God am a Jealous God, vifiting the iniquities of the Fathers upon the Children, to the third and fourth Generation of them that hate me, and New Mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my Commandments. Thou shalt not take the Mame of the Low thy God in vain, fog the Lod will not hold them guiltless that take his Name in vain. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy : fir Days shalt thou labour, and do all that thou half to do, but the leventh day is the Sabbath of the Low thy God; foy in fir days the Lozd made heaven and Earth, the Sea and all that is therein, and reffed the seventh day; wherefoze the Loz blefled the leventh day, and hallowed it. Honour thy Father and thy Mother, that thy Days may be long in the Land, which the Low thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt do no Hurder. Thou shalt not commit Adultery. Thou shalt not bear falle Witness again thy Neighbour. Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours Houle, thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours Wife, no? his Man-fervant, nog his Maid-servant, noz his Dx, na his Als, no? any thing that is his. A fanctified, but ye are juftified in the Name of Chrift, by the Spirit of God; 1 Cor. 6, 11. Where the washing away the Guilt and Filth of their Sins, together with the Sanctification and Juftification that follow'd it, are all afcrib'd to the bleffed Influence of the Holy Spirit. So that as the Angels ftirring the Waters of Bethesda, made them fanative to the curing of all Diseases of the Body; fo the Holy Spirit's moving upon the Waters of Baptifm, makes them falutary to the healing of all Diftempers of the Soul. 2. The Holy Ghoft, by that other Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Chrift, confirms, quickens and improves the Graces confer'd in Baptifm: his fanctifying Influence first infpires us with a fpiritual Life, and then proceeds to cherifh and preferve it: the one is done by Baptifm, the other by the Lord's Supper. Hence we read of living by the Spirit, and walking by the Spirit, Gal. 5. 25. The former relates to our entrance upon a new Life; the latter to our continuing and improving in it; in both which we are directed and affifted by the Spirit of God. Hence the Sons of God are faid to be led by the Spirit of God, Rom. 8. 14. that is, being baptiz'd into one Spirit, they are led by it to the fame Holy Table to obtain Grace and Strength to walk in it. 3. The Holy Ghoft is faid to fanctify us by the Word, call'd therefore the Word of Sanctification; fo our Saviour pray'd in the behalf of his Followers, Sanctify them thro' thy Truth, thy Word is Truth, John 17. 17. 19. For their fakes I fanctify myself, that they also might be fanctified thro' the Truth. The Word of Truth by which we are fanctify'd was dictated by the Holy Spirit, and the fame Spirit hath qualify'd and fet apart an Order of Men to expound and apply it to us; and thereby made it the means both of our Sanctification and Salvation: for which reafon, St. Paul gave Thanks unto God in the behalf of the Theffalonians, that he had chofen them unto Salvation, thro' Sanctification of the Spirit, and Belief of the Truth; 2 Theff. 2. 13. Laftly, The Holy Ghoft fanctifies by the fecret Motions and Suggeftions which he ftirs up within us; whereby he inwardly and effectually calls and excites to Holiness, checking and reprehending us when we do amifs, and likewife comforting and commending us when we do that which is good. Thefe are the fecret Motions and Whispers of the Holy Spirit, which if hearken'd to, tend much to the turning Men from Darkness to Light, and from the Power of Satan Satan unto God. "Tis that Voice behind our backs, which fays, This is the way, walk in it, when we are turning to the right Hand or to the left. Some, indeed, turn the deaf Ear to all its Calls, and like the deaf Adder refufe to hear the voice of this Charmer, tho he charm never fo wifely. Thefe are they that quench and refift the Holy Spirit of God, who therefore leaves them to the fury of thofe evil Spirits, to whofe Conduct they have yielded themfelves: but they who liften to the pious Admonitions of this divine Monitor, are faid to be led by the Spirit, who will guide them into the ways of Truth and Holinefs here, and after bring them to Glory. Thus we fee the Nature of Sanctification, together with the Author and Manner of it; From whence I proceed, Thirdly, To the Perfans who are faid to be thus fanctified; and they are, in the Language of the Catechism, Me, and all the elect People of God. Where every one is taught to apply this fanctifying Grace to himfelf in particular, and to ufe his beft endeavours to find and feel it in his own Soul; faying, he fanctified me. But who are the elect People of God, that are faid to be fanctify'd by the Holy Ghoft? In anfwer whereunto, by the Elect here, we understand not fuch as by an abfolute and eternal Decree were elected unto Glory, as fome are pleas'd to fpeak; for the Scripture gives us no ground to build upon any fuch thing: we are not bid to climb up to Heaven, to fearch the Regifter of God's Decrees, to fee whether our Names are written in the Book of Life, or wę inroll'd in the number of Perfons predeftinated to Salvation thefe fecret Things are too high for us, and belong to God only they are reveal'd things alone that belong to us, and come within the ken and reach of our Knowledge. Accordingly therefore, by the elect People of God, we are to understand fuch as are elected unto Grace: that is, fuch as are call'd and chofen out of the World, to be the Members of Christ's Church, and thereby to have the great Bleffing and Privilege of living under the means of Grace, and having the Gospel-Myfteries reveal'd and publifh'd to them; together with the Influence and Affiftance of God's Holy Spirit, to render them effectual and beneficial to them. This is the Scripture-Notion of Election: and they that are thus fingled out of the unfanctify'd Herd of wicked Men, and taken into the number of Chrift's Flock, are the Elect People of God, ftyl'd therefore a chofen Generation, a holy Nation, a peculiar People, zealous of good Works. Put on therefore as the Elect of God, Holy and Beloved, (faith the Apoftle) Bowels of Mercy, Kindness, Meekness, Long-fuffering; Col. 3. 12. That is, you that are chofen out for the Servants and Followers of Chrift, labour to imitate the Goodnefs and Compaffion of your Master, and walk in Love as he also hath loved you. They that do fo, are the choice felect People of God, mark'd out for Veffels of Grace here, and thereby fitted and prepar'd for, Glory hereafter. In fhort, all the true Followers of Chrift, that have given up their Names to him, and are taken into the Number of his Difciples, are in the Scripture-Language ftyl'd the elect People of God. And these are they that are fanctified by the Holy Ghost; that is, they have Grace wrought in their Hearts by the Holy Spirit of God, whereby their Ears are open'd to hear Inftructions, their Hearts foften'd to receive the Impreffion of divine Truths, and their Minds purify'd from the Pollutions of the World. Thus we fee what it is to be fanctified, who they are that are faid to be fanctified, and likewife how, and by whom this pious Work is effected and wrought in us. It remains only, that we make fome good Ufe and Application hereof to ourselves. And, 1. If it be the proper work of the Holy Ghoft to fanctify us and all the elect People of God; then let us beware of grieving the Holy Spirit of God, and doing defpight to this Spirit of Grace: and this is done chiefly by refifting or ftifling thofe good Motions which the Spirit of God ftirs up within us, and turning the deaf Ear to its Calls and Admonitions. The Spirit is faid to ftrive with us, both outwardly by the Miniftry of the Word, and inwardly by the Calls and Whispers of Conscience, which are the Voice of God fpeaking within us. If we obferve it, we fhall find and feel fomething within us, moving and loudly prompting us to that which is good, and fecretly whifpering and dif fuading us from that which is evil; and there are none, but fome time or other experience the Truth of both. Now, thefe are the ftrivings of the Holy Spirit within us, who fills us with Joy and Peace in well-doing, and ftings us with Fears and Terrors upon doing Evil: and both these to deAtroy the Power and Dominion of Sin, and to make way for |