8,9. now, by the word of the Lord, are kept in store, reserved unto fire, against the day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men for 2 Theff. 1.7, the Lord Jefus will be revealed from heaven, with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not his gofpel; who fhall be punished with everlasting deftruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. Eternal rewards and Matt. 25. 34-46. THEN the final everlasting state of all men punishments will be fixed, according to the decifion of the glorious Judge. He hath declared the dreadful fentence against the wicked-Depart, ye curfed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and bis angels: and this fentence will be immediately executed; for they fhall go away. into everlasting punishment. But to the righteous the King will fay-Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; and they The confum- fhall be received into life eternal. mation of all things. 1 Cor. 15. 24-28. Eph. 5. 27. Rev. chap. 21. & 22. THIS will be the end of the prefent adminiftration of Chrift's mediatorial Kingdom. When he fhall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he fhall have put down all rule, and all authority and power, and fubdued all enemies under his feet, then fhall the Son also himself be fubject unto the Father who had put all things under him as Mediator, that God may be all in all, And Chrift, having prefented his Church to himself as a glorious bride, without spot or wrinkle or any fuch thing, will advance it to the most perfect state of glory and felicity with him in heaven. PART Containing the apoftolic doctrine of falvation by believing in Jefus Christ. SECT. I. Of the importance of the Gofpel to all men as finners. THE HE revelation of a Savior to mankind plainly implies, that all are under the righteous difpleasure of the glorious Sovereign of the world, and according to the equitable administration of his government, liable to the punishment of everlafting death, as finners ; and that all must have perifhed in their fins, if God had not fent his only begotten Son, to redeem them from death by the facrifice of himfelf, and purchafe eternal 1.fe and glory for those who receive his word. under a fen Ar the first publication of the Gospel, it All men fin was very apparent that ignorance, idolatry, rers, and and all kinds of wickedness prevailed every tence of where through the world: both Jews and death. Gentiles were all evidently under fin. While Rom. chap. each judged and condemned the other, both I. II. III. were undeniably guilty of breaking that law which, by their own confeffion, they were bound to obey. And it is til true of all mankind, that all have finned, and come fort of the glory of God; there is none righteous, no not one; the whole world is become guilty before God, and his wrath is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinefs and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteoufnefs, or fmother the convictions of their own confciences by the practice of wickedness. D Rom. 5. 12, By one man fin entered into the world, and 13, 14. Repentance neceffary for all men. Act. 14. 16. 17.30, 31. iCor. 1.20,21 Matt. 3. 26 4. 17. death by fin; and fo death hath paffed upon. all men, for that all have finned. And fince death hath reigned over all men without diltinction, it is evident, that all mankind from the beginning are under a law, according to which they are judged, and punished with death as finners. BEFORE the times of the Gofpel God suffered all nations to walk in their own ways, that the finful ruined state of the world might be made evident by univerfal experience: but now he commands all men every where to re pent. The Gospel was introduced with this general doctrine-Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at band. Chrift came to call finners to repentance, and hath repeated this folemn declaration-Except ye repent, ye shall all perish. He commanded his Apofiles to Luk. 24. 46, preach repentance, and remiffion of fins in his name, among all nations; and agreable to this inftruction, they went every where, fhewing men that they should repent, and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. 9. 12, 13. Luk. 13.3,5 47. A& 26. 20. No hore of falvation but Joh. 3.16, 17, GOD fo loved the world, that he gave his only. by believing begotten Son, that whofoever believeth on the gospel. him fhould not perifh, but obtain everlafting life and all things written in the new Teftament, are written with this defign, that ment may believe that Jefus is the Chrift, and that, believing, they might have life thro' his name. This is the commiffion given to the first preach Mark 16. 15, ers of christianity by their divine mafter-Go ye into all the world, and preach the gofpel to every creature: he that believeth and is baptized fhall be faved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 16. SECT SECT. II. Juftification obtained by Faith as opposed to our own works of righteousnels, HE gofpel is the power of God unto The nature falvation to every one that believeth of faith. TH It demands our belief, as a revelation from Rom.1.16,17 heaven of the wonderful mercy of God to fin- Heb 2.1-4. ners through his only Son, Jefus Chrift, con firmed by fuch divine teftimonies as abun dantly demonftrate it to be true. Until it is believed, it can have no effect but when it 1 Theff. Be 2 Cor. 5.18 6. 1, 2. and glory of it, and is received as the word of 1 Theff.2.13. the living God, it will answer all the grand purposes of fuch a furprizing manifeftation of 1 Joh.4.9,10, the love of God to men, and fave the foul of the believer. The gospel is to be believed as good news from heaven to a world of finners, declaring that God is in Chrift reconciling the 21. world unto himfelt, not imputing unto men their trefpaffes, and that Chrift, by his obedi- Heb. 5. 8, 9. ence and fufferings, is become the author of eternal falvation unto all that obey him. lieving the gospel is of the fame general nature with believing any, other joyful news, in which we are deeply interefied, upon fufficient teftimony and full conviction of the truth; the only differ 1 Joh.5.9,10. ence lies in this, that the teftimony of God de- Joh.5.31--47 mands the highest credit, above all human Matt 16. 24, teftimony, and the eternal falvation of our 25, 20. fouls is a matter of infinitely greater moment, 2 Cor. 4. 16, and ought to ftrike more forcibly upon the 17, 18 mind, than any thing relating merely to the 5 prefent life. He that believes the gofpel unfeignedly, cannot treat it as a matter of indifference, I difference, but will find the word of God Į Theff. 2. 3. working effectually in his heart, bringing into 2 Cor. 10 4.5 captivity every thought to the obedience of Chrift. Saving faith diftinguished Joh. 1. 12. Col. 26 Aa 2 41 Joh 6 36, 37. Eph. 12,13 Ifa. 45. 22. deb. - BELIEVING in Jefus Chrift is expreffed in by the effects the fer ptures by a variety of phrafes, as-by Joh. 17. 3 knowing him- receiving him receiving bis 1 Joh 2.3.4. word coming to him trufting in himlooking to Jefus and many other luch figures all which ferve to diftinguish that full and effectual perfuafion of the truth and glory of the Gofpel, upon which men obtain a right to all the blefings of ir, from fuch a general carelefs affent as produces none of thofe wonderful effects peculiar to the word of the living Theff 2.13. GOD, which worketh effectually in them that 12. 2. Joftification Conncated believe. THE immediate infeparable effect of believ ing the gospel, is an acknowlegement of Chrift Jelus, and acceptance of him as our only Lord and Savior; inti e confidence in him, for deliverance from fin and the wrath to come, and the enjoyment of eternal life; and an hearty defire and refolution to follow and obey him as his difciples. When we believe and are fure, that Jefus is the Chrift, the Son of the living Ged, the divine glory of his perfon and character is manifefted to the mind: this faith, therefore, muft produce love to him who appears fo glorious and in the full view of Lis righteoufnels, mercy, and exalted autho Jity, we cannot but truft our falvation in his bands, and chearfully fubmit to his govern ment. We are jußified in the fight of God, when with believe our fins are forgiven, and he looks upon us and |