But fpeaking the Truth in Love. Our two governing Powers, the Understanding Their mutual Affiftance neceffary for each other's I. What we are to understand by speaking the It relates not only to the Act of the Tongue, but the Exercife of the Understanding. Men of all Perfuafions think themfelves in Pof- This a Reafon for obliging all Men to exa- II. What to be understood by speaking, or fearching after the Truth in Love. Love a Term of peculiar Import in the NewTeftament. an Affemblage of Virtues rather than a particular Affection. - implies that Temper of Mind which Jefus Chrift recommended to his Difciples. III. The Connexion between this Temper of Mind and the Discovery of Truth. Difficult to convince Men of Truth, who will not regulate their Difpofitions. --- without that, even their Convictions useless. To remove our Interest in Error is preparing the Mind, not only for receiving, but embracing Truth. DISCOURSE II. The Causes of Averfion to Truth. Because I tell ye the Truth, ye believe me not. Truth the natural Object of the Understanding. --- to hate it, is inverting human Nature. I. Men may fo far corrupt their Natures as to become Enemies to Truth. Falfhood as fuch, not to be embraced by the Understanding. the Power of difpofing this Faculty variously neceffary to free Agents. and in this View the great Degeneracy of Mankind furprising. Every different kind of it requires a different By the Choice of our Happiness the Faculties of A Mistake in this refpect of course multiplies --introduces by Degrees a fort of moral Necef- III. The proper Method of correcting this Evil. The Over-poife of the Affections the great Dif The Remedy must be applied here. To this Point the Gospel Revelation is ad- The Means there provided. John Baptift, the Forerunner of Jefus Chrift, taught no other Doctrine. Jefus Chrift himself teaches it. fends his Difciples to preach it, then the feventy --- on the fame Account. Hence it appears to be the Means first prefcribed. II. An Enquiry into the Nature of this Duty. Which appears evidently from the Baptift's Anfwers to the Queftions put to him. It is overcoming those particular evil Habits to which we are enflaved. This the only natural Method of beginning a There can be no Improvements without it. DISCOURSE IV. Directions for reading the Scriptures. Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal Life. Our strong Defire and Longing after Immortality. The Scriptures afford us the best and utmost Affurances of it. Rules and Regulations that thus neceffarily refult from our fearching the Scriptures. 1. We should read them with this conftant View, viz. of finding in them eternal Life. 2. We fhould look upon them as fully fufficient 3. We fhould carefully attend to thofe Duties the Scriptures lay the greateft Strefs upon. Hence we may obferve the great Sin Then Simon Peter anfwered him, Lord, to whom fhall we go? Thou b.ft the Words of eternal Life. What fort of eternal Life was made manifest by The Immortality of the Soul a Principle well The Nature of the eternal Life difcovered in the It is being like Jefus Chrift in his glorious Body. in having a Fellowship with God the Father. - - a Refemblance of his eternal Life. The Words of Chrit exhibit not only the Nature |