CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…

¹Secondly, They are not of this world because they walk not after the rudiments or elements of the world, Col. 2.8, 20. The Apostle there showeth how inconsistent such a life is with an heavenly life, When we are risen with Christ; Now what are those Elements of the world, Even all such principles of Religion as men by humane and carnal wisdom take up to worship God by; He calls them Elements or principles, because the Jews made their traditional worship, the very foundation and beginning of all, as if godliness were not able to consist ⟨p. 173⟩it, and Elements of the world, because men by humane wisdom without the Scripture do press them and do not walk by the light of Gods Word; This then is an excellent discovery that we are not of the world, when in the matters of Religion especially in our worship of God, and the way of our justification, we are not carried by the principles of a worldly Religion but by divine direction, when we do not worship God according to custom, to universality and such rudiments of the world as most do; The Pagan, the Papist discovers a very worldly Spirit in his Religion, being able to say no more for it then Heathens have done, and so in the matters of justification; They say but very little more then Aristotle and the Philosophers of the world have done about righteousness, whereas the righteousness and grace of the Gospel is wholly different from such principles, manifest then by thy adoration of the fullness of the Scripture, and sufficiency thereof, that thy religion, thy worship, thy hopes of salvation are not merely upon worldly principles, and not supernatural.

¹Secondly, They are not of this world because they walk not after the rudiments or elements of the world, Col. 2.8, 20. The Apostle there sheweth how inconsistent such a life is with an heavenly life, When we are risen with Christ; Now what are those Elements of the world, Even all such principles of Religion as men by humane and carnall wisedom take up to worship God by; He cals them Elements or principles, because the Jews made their traditionall worship, the very foundation and beginning of all, as if godlinesse were not able to consist