and are heavie-laden.... Take my yoke upon SERM. you, and learn of me, and ye shall find rest XI. for your fouls. The meaning of which can be no other, than that men should become his difciples, fubmit themselves to his instructions, 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 alfo named Apoftles, are fometimes. called his disciples, by way of eminence and diftinction. But in the general, all who owned him for their master in things of religion, are his disciples. As the disciples of Mofes, or Plato, or Ariftotle, are fuch as take them for their mafters, 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.

xxvii. 57.

R

phet,

John ix.

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 26...28. thee? bow opened he thy eyes? He answered them: I have told you, and ye did not hear. 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, faft: 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 arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them. Ver. 7. And the word of the Lord encreased, and the number of the difciples multiplied in Jerusalem 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 disciple. xxi. 16. I allege

SERM.
XI.

lege but one place more. xi. 25. 26. And SERM. when he had found him, he brought him unto XI. Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled with the church, and taught much people. And the difciples, or believers, were first 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 how shall they bear without a preacher? So here. They faid: 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.

R 2

For

SERM.
XI.

རྐ

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 heark-
en and understand, fpeaking in a familiar
manner, fometimes ufing well-contrived para-
bles 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
houses of Pharifees, when they made enter-
tainments, and much company was prefent.

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.

6.

II. In the next place we are to confider
the benefit proposed to them whọ be-
lieve in Jefus: And thou shalt be faved:
or, you shall know, what you ought to
do in order to be faved: and if you ob-
ferve it, you will obtain falvation.

This is evidently the defign of the words, as they ftand here in connection. And it is

con

34.

confirmed by other texts. Cornelius, at Ce- SERM. XI. 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 Baptift fays: 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 Apostles: Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth, and is baptifed shall be faved. And he that believeth not Shall be damned.

77.

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
Chrift, he shall be saved.

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

Mark xvi.

15. 16.