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XI.

and are heavie-laden.... Take my yoke upon SERM. you, and learn of me, and ye shall find rest for your fouls. The meaning of which can be no other, than that men should become his difciples, fubmit themselves to his inftructions, and embrace the doctrine taught by him with divine authority.

They who believed in Jefus, as fent from God, and received his doctrine as a rule of life, became his difciples: a word that includes all his followers in general, and is equivalent to believers: though the twelve, whom he also named Apostles, are sometimes called his disciples, by way of eminence and diftinction. But in the general, all who owned him for their mafter in things of religion, are his difciples. As the disciples of Mofes, or Plato, or Ariftotle, are fuch as take them for their masters, and receive their scheme of religion, or philofophie as true: fo it is here, as we perceive from the stile of the Gospels in many places. Luke vi. 13. And when it was day, he called unto him his difciples and of them he chose twelve, whom be named Apoftles. Jofeph of Arimathea is Matt. called a difciple of Jefus: that is, he was John xix. one who believed in him, as a great Pro- 38.

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xxvii. 57.

SERM.

XI.

John ix.

26...28.

phet, even the Meffiah, and received his doctrine, as true, and from heaven. In the debate between the Jewish Rulers, and the man born blind, whom our Lord had miraculoufly healed, after many enquiries and answers, they faid to him again: What did he unto thee? how opened he thy eyes? He answered them: I have told

did not hear. ye you, and Wherefore would you hear it again? Will ye alfo be bis difciples? Then they reviled him, and faid: Thou art his difciple.

But we are Mark ii. Mofes's difciples. And long before this: The difciples of John, and of the Pharifees, fast: but thy difciples faft not.

18.

That word is often used in the Acts as equivalent to believer. vi. 1. 2. In those days when the number of the difciples was multiplied, there arofe a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews. Then the twelve called the multitude of the difciples unto them: Ver. 7. And the word of the Lord encreased, and the number of the difciples multiplied in Jerufalem greatly. ix. 36. Now there was at Joppa a certain difciple named Tabitha. Ananias, at Damafcus, by whom Paul was baptifed, is faid to be a difciple. ix. 10. Mnafon is called an old difciple. xxi. 16. I al

lege

XI.

lege but one place more. xi. 25. 26. And SERM. when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they affembled with the church, and taught much people. And the difciples, or believers, were firft called Chriftians at Antioch.

This then, is faith in Jefus Chrift. To. believe in him is to receive him as a divine teacher, and his doctrine as true: or to embrace the religion of Chrift, and become his difciples and followers.

14.

But, then, two things are here fuppofed. First, that men be inftructed in the things concerning the Lord Jefus, or be taught his doctrine. And fecondly, that they attend to it, and understand it. As St. Paul fays. How shall they Rom. x. believe in him, of whom they have not heard? And bow shall they bear without a preacher? So here. They said: Believe on the Lord Jefus Chrift: and thou shalt be faved, thou and thy boufe. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And doubtless he attended diligently. It is true of him, which is faid of Lydia. ver. 14. She heard us: whofe heart the Lord opened, that she attended to the things that were spoken of Paul.

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SERM.

XI. Matt. ix.

35. Mark vi. 6. 56. Luke xiii.

22.

For this reafon, that men might know the will of God, our Lord went over the cities and villages of the land of Ifrael, preaching the doctrine of the kingdom, laying hold of every opportunity, and affecting occurrence, to excite attention: calling to men, to hearken and understand, fpeaking in a familiar manner, fometimes ufing well-contrived parables and fimilitudes, teaching the word to all forts of men, as they were able to bear it, in their fynagogues, at the temple, at the houfes of Pharifees, when they made entertainments, and much company was present.

For this end he fent forth the twelve, and the feventy, to go over the land of Ifrael, and prepare men for him and afterwards he enlarged the commiffion of the twelve, to go and teach all nations.

II. In the next place we are to confider the benefit proposed to them who believe in Jefus: And thou shalt be faved: or, you shall know, what you ought to do in order to be faved: and if you obferve it, you will obtain falvation. This is evidently the defign of the words, as they stand here in connection. And it is

con

77.

XI.

confirmed by other texts. Cornelius, at Ce- SERM. farea, was directed by an angel, who should tell him words, whereby he and all his houfe Acts xi. Should be faved. Our Lord tells the Jews: 14. These things I fay, that ye might be faved. John v. Zacharie prophefying over John the Baptist 34. says: Thou shalt go before the face of the Lord, Luke i. to prepare bis ways, to give knowledge of falvation, by the remiffion of their fins. And the Evangelift Mark affures us, that after his refurrection our Lord faid to the Apoftles: Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth, and is baptifed fhall be faved. And he that believeth not Shall be damned.

III. We should now observe the truth and
certainty of this: that he who believes
in the Lord Jefus Chrift, fhall have
knowledge of the way of falvation: or
know what he ought to do, in order to
be faved. And if he attend to the in-
ftructions contained in the doctrine of
Christ, he shall be saved.

1. This is evident from the doctrine itself. For it teaches men how they may approve them felves to God, the creator and governour

Mark xvi.

15. 16.

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