paration to restore Mankind to Holiness and ESSAY Happiness, might at last be ineffectual, and V. might all be perform'd in vain, unless he took one Step further; and therefore to fecure this Salvation to many be gave them into the Hands of his Son Jefus Christ, and committed the Care of their Salvation to him, he gave them to Chrift, or entrusted him with the Care of them, that he might fulfil his whole Commiffion, and all his various Offices, in a most effectual and powerful manner with regard to them; appointing alfo that this fame Gofpel fhould be preached to the reft of Mankind, and the Offers of this Salvation fhould be made to them fome way or other, in various Seafons, in plainer or darker Discoveries thereof. Therefore though the Gospel be sent to be preached to all the World in general, and Salvation to be offer'd them through Jefus Christ, yet we are told often by the Evangelift John, of thofe particular Perfons whom the Father had given unto Chrift, that they might be his, i. e. his Seed, his Subjects, and his willing People.

In Conformity to this great Act of the Father in committing the Souls of Men into the Hands of Christ, we also having feen him all-fufficient for this Work, must commit our Souls into his Hand, as one able to keep what we commit to him until the laft Day: We must refign ourselves unto him,

as

ESSAY as a glorious Undertaker for our Salvation: V. We must receive him, or be willing to fubmit to him, in all his appointed Offices of Prophet, Priest, King, Example, Head of Influence, &c. that we may receive from him every thing that we ftand in need of, in order to our being brought home to God in Heaven. We muft truft in him as a Prince and Saviour, exalted to give Repentance to Sinners, and Forgiveness of Sins. We must trust in him as the great Propitiation for our Sins, our Peace-Maker, and the Procurer of our Pardon; we must live upon him as our Head of vital Influence, to change our finful Natures, and to work the Principles of all Grace in us by his holy Spirit, and to preferve them in oppofition to all our Corruptions: We muft depend on what he hath done and fuffer'd for us, as the ground of our Acceptance with God, and we must feek to him to form our Natures fo far in the Likeness of God, as to fit us for Happiness in the Enjoyment of God for ever. We must commit the important Affairs of our Souls to him, as one that is able to take care of them, and to carry them fafely through all the Temptations and Dangers of the prefent Life; and we must trust in him to receive our departing Spirits at Death, to raise our Bodies from the Duft at the last Day, and to make our whole Natures completely holy and happy, in the Favour and

Image of God for ever: All this belongs ESSAY to his Commiffion which he received from V. the Father.

This is that great A&t of Chriftian Faith, Truft, Hope or Dependance, which we are fo often called to perform in the New Testament, which is foretold by the Prophets of old, and upon which our Salvation is fo much represented to depend, in the Writings of the Evangelifts and the Apostles.

8. If I were to add any thing to what has been already faid, it fhould be this, (viz.) that as God the Father has appointed his Son Jefus Chrift to be the great and general Medium of our Reftoration and Return to his Favour, Image and Happiness, fo he has appointed that in all our particular Addrefes, and Applications to himself, in a way of Prayer or Truft, Thanksgiving or Praife, we should make ufe of the Name of his Son Jefus, as the only valuable and worthy Foundation for our hope of Acceptance that fo Jefus Chrift the Son, as well as the Father, may be honour'd and glorified throughout the whole Courfe of our Religion in our way to Heaven.

And fince this is the conftant Defign, and the express Appointment of the Father, 'tis neceffary that we comply therewith, in all our Addreffes to God: We must come unto the Father by him in every part of Worfip: By him we must believe, or trust in God;

ESSAY we must pray to the Father in his Name, V. we muft afk Forgiveness of our Sins for his Sake: It is by him we must offer up our Sacrifices of Thanksgiving and Praise; and by him we must prefent all our Services of Obedience, and whatfoever we do in Word or Deed, must be all in the Name of our Lord Jefus Chrift, that we may be accepted of the Father, and that the Father may be glorified in his Son.

This is the Appointment of the blessed God, and this must be our Practice till we come to the Fulnefs of this Salvation in Heaven, where we fhall dwell for ever in the Prefence of God, and where we fhall join with all the holy and happy Tribes of Mankind, of every Age and Nation, in afcribing Bleffing, and Honour, and Glory, and Praise, to him that fits upon the Throne, as our reconciled God, and to the Lamb for ever, as our glorious and fuccefsful MediaAmen.

tor.

ESSAY

ESSAY VI.

A Viers of the manifold Salvation of Man by JESUS CHRIST, reprefented in order to reconcile ChriAtians of different Sentiments.

INTRODUCTION.

Ankind by Nature lies under the Ruins of the Fall, both as Guilty and as Sinful. We are guilty in our Perfons, and exposed to the divine Anger, as well as finful in our Natures, and ever ready to break his holy Law. Whofoever therefore becomes our complete Saviour must relieve us under both these Diftreffes.

As we are guilty in the Sight of God, we are condemned in the Court of his Law and Juftice, we are liable to bear the Punishment due to our Sins, and we have loft all Pretence of Right to the Favour of God and Eternal Life. Now our bleffed Lord Jefus Chrift, who has undertaken the Work of our Salvation, is an all-fufficient Saviour in every Respect; by his Obedience, Death Q 3

and