The truly blessed man, or, The way to be happy here, and forever being…

1. That all the truths of the Christian Religion are Practical. The design of it is to teach men to live to God; and so every Rule of it is a Rule of life; ⟨p. 425⟩this being the end of the Gospel, every part of it must lead hereunto. We have the design of it set forth, Tit 2. 11, 12. Mans great end is to glorify God; he must have a Rule to direct him how to do it; and this is the Christian Religion; and that consists in practice; all the Theory of Divinity leads to practice.

2. Hence Christians are no further profited by these Truths, than as they apply them to practice. That they may so do, they must know them: and its vain for men to pretend that though they know less than others, yet they live as well; for without knowledge the mind cannot be good; but on the other hand, if men only study to know that they may talk, and be admired by their neighbours for men of understanding, but lead a loose and ungirt life, they deceive themselves, and their knowledge will aggravate their Guilt, and procure them the more wrath, Luk. 12. 47. Hence that, Joh. 13. 17.

3. Hence it is certainly the duty of every one that bears the Gospel, to apply the truths of it to himself. It is not enough for us to receive them into our heads, but we must let them sink into our hearts; there are many sorts of hearers, but there is but one of them that get good by hearing, compared to good ground, and these bear fruit,