ay often intrude by
violence upon him, but he is in a hostile posture of affection and
endeavour against them. I beseech you, since the Lord is one, and there is
none beside him, O let this be engraven on your hearts, that your inward
affections and outward actions may express that one Lord to be your God,
and none other beside him! It is a great shame and reproach to Christians
that they do not carry the stamp of the first principle of religion upon
their walking. The condition and conversation of many declare how little
account they make of the true God. Why do ye enslave your souls to your
lusts and the service of the flesh, if ye believe in this one God? Why do
ye all things to please yourselves, if this one Lord be your one God? As
for you, the Israel of God, who are called by Jesus Christ to partake with
the commonwealth of Israel in the covenant of promises hear, I beseech
you, this, and let your souls incline to it, and receive it. Your God is
one Lord; have, then, no other lords over your souls and consciences, not
yourselves, not others.

But in the next place: Let us consider to what purpose John leads such
three witnesses, that we may draw some consolation from it. The thing
testified and witnessed unto is the ground work of all a Christian's hope
and consolation, that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God and Saviour
of the world--one, able to save to the uttermost all that put their trust
in him, so that every soul that finds itself lost, and not able to
subsist, nor abide the judgment of God, may repose their confidence in
him, and lay the weight of their eternal welfare upon his death and
sufferings, with assurance to find rest and peace in him to their souls.
He is such an one as faith may triumph in him over the world, and all
things beside. A believer may triumph in his victory, and in the faith of
his victory, over hell and death and the grave may overcome personally,
"For this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith," ver.
4. And how could a soul conquer by faith, if he in whom it believes were
not "declared to be the Son of God with power?" There is nothing so mean
and weakly as faith in itself. It is a poor despicable thing of itself,
and that it sees, and that it acknowledges. Yea, faith is a very act of
its self denial. It is a renouncing of all help without and within itself,
save only that which is laid on Christ Jesus. Therefore it were the most
unsuitable mean of prevailing