(1.) From the blood of Jesus upon the cross, and the exaltation of his person in heaven, the apostle pleads in this chapter as he had done in the 4th, that we may come boldly to the throne of grace. We do it, as he had said be fore, in hopes of obtaining mercy, or with a full assurance of faith; and that we may find grace to help in a time of need; that is with a true heart, really desirous of this grace.

(2.) The other duty, that he always impressed from these considerations, is a profession of our faith, as you see in the 4th chapter. Seeing that we have a great High Priest who is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. Here he does it again, hold fast the profession of your faith without wavering. It is not enough, that we may speak to God, but we must speak for him. The intercession of this great High-Priest, has made the former our privilege, and the latter our duty. He is our advocate in heaven, we are his, upon earth.

This range of the particulars contained in the text, does not only agree with most of the Greek Testaments that I have seen, but seems the most uniform and regular. First, the argument is open and clear, why you draw nigh, with a full assurance of faith, because of what is done within you; your hearts are sprinkled from an evil conscience. Secondly, your obligation is equal, to hold fast your profession, from what is done upon you in the eyes of the world; your bodies are washed with pure water. The former is internal, the operation of the

Holy Spirit; the latter is external, your own voluntary action. When you were baptized, you made that profession; and he in whose name you did it, expects you will hold it fast, and not let it go. Keep it, for it is your life. 2. There is another thing, that surprises me in our translation, and that is, the word faith μλoyíaídos, is a profession of hope. There is no false doctrine in the alteration; the thing is altogether the same.

The two graces of faith and hope may be distinguished; but I cannot say, that in the scripture, they always are so. They are dif ferent names, from one employment of the soul. The object of faith is something invisible; the object of hope is something future. The glory that shall be revealed, is exposed to them both. As it is not yet revealed, we believe it; as it shall be revealed, we hope for it; as it is unseen, our faith is employed upon it; as it is future our hope is drawing towards it, looking for and hasting to it. 2 Pet. iii. 12.

But the Holy Spirit has not always observed this distinction. Hope is described, as faith should be. Hope that is seen is not hope, for what a man sees why does he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. Rom. viii. 24. On the other hand, faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen. Heb. xi. 1.

Sometimes they are each of them taken objectively, not for the principle, but the things believed and hoped for. Thus Paul saith, he

was an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth that is after godliness. Tit. i. 1. His labours, his commissions, his qualifications, were agreeable to what he calls elsewhere avaλoyia wisews, the analogy, rule, or system of faith. And thus he ends that epistle to Titus; greet them that love us in the faith; that is, in the doctrine that we believe; the matter of our gospel and of their adherence. For as he saith in another place, whosoever is the preacher, so we preach, and so ye believe. 1 Cor. xv.

11.

Thus has the scripture revealed our hope, not only as a grace in the heart, but as an object upon which it fixes. Sometimes Christ Jesus is called our hope; 1 Tim. i 1. and no wonder, when it was the name that the Church of old always gave to the most high God, and to no other. O, thou the hope of Israel, or the hope of our fathers. Jer. xvii. 13. To this hope, saith the apostle, our twelve tribes expected to come; Acts xxvi. 7. and he means the same in that profession, for the hope of Israel am I bound with this chain. Acts xviii. 20,

Sometimes this name is given to the joys, and immortality that shall be brought to light. We look for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour. Tit. ii. 13. Nay, it is the title of the happy dispensation we are now under. The law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did, by which hope we now draw nigh unto God. Heb. vii. 19. Or it comes to the

same thing, if you understand it of what the dispensation contains and reveals, the person or righteousness of Christ, the assurance of salvation. Thus we flee for a refuge, to lay hold on the hope set before us, which hope we have as an anchor sure and steadfast, and enters into that within the vail, whither Jesus our forerunner is for us entered,

Several times, faith and hope are names of that doctrine, that we should make known abroad. Thus we read of continuing stedfast in the faith. Col. i. 22. We are to be established and stedfast in the faith, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel. We contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. Your faith is spoken of throughout the world, i. e. not only your believing, but the thing believed; for it would have made a ridiculous story through the world, to have people spoken of as believers, and no mortal to know what they believed.

So we read of the hope laid up for us in heaven, which brings forth fruit in those who receive it. Col. i. 5. Accordingly, we must be always ready to give a reason of the hope that is in us. 1 Pet. iii. 15. In these two verses, he speaks of faith and hope as what should be known, by the boldness that we have through the blood of Jesus. As to faith, there is a

popopia, a full hearing; an assurance. It is completely laden. It carries as much as it can hold, in drawing near to God. There is boldness, access, and confidence, through the faith of Jesus. Eph. iii. 12. As to hope, there

is a uchoyla, a speaking together, a profession that it makes in common with others. The former of these, we are to have without doubting; the latter to hold fast, without wavering. So that the subject I am upon, consists of two parts.

1. Here is a needful duty recommended to us; and that is a steady, courageous, uniform, and perpetual adherence, to the doctrine of three equal persons, in one undivided nature. Hold fast the profession of your faith without wavering.

2. Here is an argument for it, drawn from the institution of Christ, with which we have complied, having our bodies washed with pure

water.

But I rather choose to take these particulars in the order, that our text has given them, and shall proceed to a distinct consideration of two things.

1. That which has been the practice and privilege of God's people; to be given up to him in baptism; their bodies are washed in pure

water.

2. Their unavoidable obligation, to hold fast the doctrine they owned in baptism; that there is, but one name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, that was called upon them.

I begin with the first of these,

Having our bodies washed with pure water. I do not see that any thing, is to be concluded from these words about the manner of baptism. I should think that man's reasoning very weak, who would pretend to prove