R3.

Cor. 1. every part of the Doctrine of Faith; For 1 have received of the Lord that which alfo I deliver'd unto you. He never taught for Doctrine the Commandments of Men: Nor did he thro Cowardice conceal, or for Intereft corrupt any Branch of the Doctrine of Faith that was committed to him. Therefore in his valedictory Aas 20. 26, Difcourfe to the Ephefian Chriftians, he takes 'em to record that he was pure from the Blood of all Men. For (fays he) I have not shunned to declare unto you all the Counsel of God.

27.

And tho fome thro Ignorance, and others thro Malice, might misinterpret what he spoke to an end quite different from what he defign'd, yet he testifies for himself and his Brethren, & Cor, 4.2. That they had not handled the Word of God deceitfully, but by manifeftation of the Truth, commending themselves to every Man's Confcience in the fight of God. In all the Sermons of our Apostle the unfophisticated Doctrine of Faith was delivered with the greatest Clearness and Strength. But,

2. By the Apostle's keeping the Doctrine of Faith, may be intended his Defence of it against the bold Encroachments of falfe Teachers, who did their utmost to corrupt the Chriftian Faith. I have not time to take notice of the

Dogmata that were broach'd by Simon, and afterwards propagated by the Gnofticks, with a defign to debauch and fubvert the Chriftian Religion. I can only fay in general, that it was the unwearied Endeavour of this excellent Apostle in his Epiftles to the Churches, as well

Vid. The Opinions of Simon and the Gnofticks, recited by Echard in his General Ecclefiaftical History, p. 233.

as

as in publick Difputes, to detect the Errors both of Jews and Pagans, and to defend the Doctrine that he deliver'd from the Exceptions that were made against it by all forts of Enemies; that neither the antiquated Ceremonies of the Jews, nor the fuperftitious Rites of the Gentiles might be mix'd with the pure Doctrine of Faith, which was deliver'd to the Saints. Indeed in things of an indifferent nature, he became all things to all Men, that by any means he might gain fome. But when the great Articles of the Chriftian Faith were ftruck at, he was fo far from complying with the Humour and Design of the falfe Apostles, that he would not give place by fubjection, no Gal, 2. Sà not for an hour.

3. The Apoftle's keeping the Doctrine of Faith, may refer to that special Care that he took to hand it down uncorrupted to Pofterity. Thus much may be collected from the Charge this Apostle gives to Timothy in the fecond Chapter of this fecond Epiftle, ver. 1. Thou therefore, my Son, be strong in the Grace that is in Chrift Fefus; and the things that thou haft heard of me among many Witneffes, the fame commit thou to faithful Men, who fhall be able to teach others alfo. So that when the Apostle fays he has kept the Faith, 'tis as if he had faid, I have not only preached it in its Purity, and defended it against the Attempts of others to adulterate it; but I have taken care that it fhall be tranfmitted uncorrupt to Pofterity after my Decease.

4. By keeping the Faith, may be intended that farther Teftimony the Apostle was just ready to give to the Doctrine which he had preach'd, by fealing it with his Blood. For

he

he had before fignified how well he was reconcil'd to the Death of a Martyr for the Chrif tian Caufe. For tho many Brethren befought him with a Flood of Tears not to go up to Jerufalem, because of the Prophecy of Agabus; A&s 21. 10, Paul answered and said, What mean ye to weep 11, 12, 13. and break my Heart? For I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerufalem for the Name of the Lord Jefus. And 'twas the flaming Zeal of this Apostle to promote and spread the pure Doctrine of Faith when he was at Rome, that provok'd the Emperor to haften his Death: For by his preaching there, 'tis reported that God made him an Inftrument to convert one of the Emperor's Concubines, and his Cupbearer, to the Chriftian Faith. So that this Lion refolv'd to wreek his Malice upon the Holy Apostle, who being a Roman, was beheaded immediately after by Nero's Command. And as this Great Doctor of the Gentiles fought in Faith, and run in Faith, fo at length he died not only in the Faith, but for it; fealing the Truth of that Faith which he preach'd with his own Blood; being born up under all his Trials by the eye he had to the Recompence of Reward. And this leads me to the Second part of the Text,

The joyful Expectation which the Apostle had of confummate Happiness in the other World. Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteoufnefs, which the Lord the Righteous Fudg fhall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his Appearing. Wherein are thefe Six things confiderable to be infifted on

I. What

I. What the Apostle expected, and that was a Crown of Righteousness.

II. From whom he expected it, and that was from the Lord the Righteous Judg.

III. Under what Confideration he expected this Crown, and that was as a free Gift: The Lord the Righteous Judg fhall give me. IV. The Time when he expected to receive it; that was, at that Day, i, e. the Great Day of Judgment.

V. The Certainty and Ground of his Expectation: Henceforth is laid up for me. VI. The Intereft that other Saints have in a Crown of Righteoufnefs: It fhall be given (fays he) not only to me, but to all them also that love his Appearing.

1. What the Apostle expected, and that was a Crown of Righteousness.

By which Expreffion he can intend no less than the compleat Happiness of the future State. We may obferve, that in the Holy Scriptures there are several chofen Comparifons made use of by the Holy Ghost to set forth the Excellency and Glory of the Life to come. Sometimes 'tis reprefented by the Streams of a pure River; by the Joys of a Marriage-Feftival; by a magnificent Structure that has in it many Manfions; by an Inheritance in Light; by a uniform City; by a glorious Kingdom, and in my Text by a glittering Crown.

In the former part of the Text I told you, that the Apostle alludes to the Olympick Exercifes in ufe among the Greeks: In this latter part, when he comes to speak of the Reward of the Faithful, he feems alfo to allude to that

Reward

Reward that was bestow'd on fuch as fucceeded in the afore-mentioned Exercises, which was a Crown compos'd of the Branches of fome Tree, which is therefore called by Lucian quaλ séquv☺, a leafy Crown. But the Crown mention'd in my Text is more excellent and more durable; for elsewhere it is called, an incorruptible Crown, a Crown of Life, a Crown of Glory; but in the Text a Crown of Righteousness. So that it will be neceffary briefly to answer these two Questions:

1. Why the Happiness of the Saints in the other World is represented by a Crown?

2. Why 'tis called a Crown of Righteousness ?

1. Why the Happiness of the Saints in the other World is fet forth by a Crown?

ift. This is to fignify the Recovery of that Dominion which we loft by our Apoftacy from God. We were at firft created with a Dominion over the Creatures; but they in a great measure shook off their Subjection to Man upon his Difobedience to God: Now our Saviour recovers us from our abject State by his Obedience and Sufferings, thereby purchafing for us a Crown, i. e. a future State of Happiness, wherein we shall have as much Dignity and Dominion as becomes Creatures of our Order. A Crown is an Emblem of Majefty, and notes the Imperial Honour and Kingly Dignity to which the Saints fhall be rais'd in the other World. The Apostle lets us know that the Children of God on Earth are joint Heirs with Chrift; but the Expreffion in the Text fignifies, that in Heaven they fhall be joint Regents with him: And fo he has elfewhere promis'd,

That