^aS(D[L(DQ[l(Ba[k ssEuaa^ia^ PRINCETON, N. J. SAMUEL AQNEW", ^ • OK PHILADELPHIA, PA. \i ^V-4922 .064 TTlSD Goldney, Edward, fl. 1759- 17 70. :'.->/// A friendly epistle to the ^^; ><| m^.^. ¥ /^-i V (^nm/d L/jolcui^^^ *4^ '-e/d. //>^Z y//. TkeTear of xS^&LOKDis the 3eg:i'ni'ng-o£^WifdSii^ A FRIENDLY EPISTLE TO THE DEISTS, AND A Rational Prayer recommended to them. In order for their Conversion to the CHRISTIAN RELIGION. Humbly Dedicated ; T O H I S Mcft Excellent MAJESTY, KING GEORGE. By EDWARD'^GOLDNEY, Sen^ Gent. LONDON, Printed for the AUTHOR, and Sold by HIS SON, EdwArd Goldney, Stationer, in St. Paul's Church-Tard^ the fecond Door from Watling- Street, [Price 2s, 6d. unbound without the Copper-Plates.J MDCC LX. d /i^ /fni}^> of\ ll^^^y a^ I I'^/or^yyf/ie^^ yf'J of^/r^'y LORD a?iJ ^ ^ Chap. m.-y. 6.7 u/'.?/J.jA^// ^/irecta ^ ^ Chap. Ill t/iy (Art/ij .7 ^c ni-t iof.je 777' /y^v>/^- > v/ ^n c ^ :Xy'ea?-m£-lOfrv. V.4^ L0f/7',yA&&/?7/ ^/ie^ 7/i\ ^U^7 Jej ( yt 7^/1 771^ 'Jy^('f7 7-^ ^.v. 34 4J'alt 7?ri tA^l/hm^ V ^^ Clr777 77i7Y /-/u/ tPo?7^J 77 7lfo t/ie..4<^7^7/^7lfYt/77/ mcr77^/7fi) ^{^,^1^ \, Ae ejta/'Alj/L/ ^.vM.-Ah,t^ieJ^^^^^^ V.72. »j/t 7^ /1 7 1 //'/'7?77i7 7l/Th\y7i^ ^O ^ Chap .XXLV.^. 5.6'/ F. 5? t / fl 7lu' t //^7/7 /j 0^7'^77a, 'f/^7l 77 € /^/// 7y //i.^^AAlt//7'/777/l' r/ /'^7y77 7ldr//(y7\J /^/VV /j O^^T^ . /zv" t/ie^ ^i77U2<) tiy 7-0777 77? /f il '7l'/t\^a77iy'd 't/' A7/-£yi7'77/7te7r77J 7U'/^ . ' o/ /"?? (777 ^ /('cy 5 That each of them might mend their Ways, the Evil of their Doings, that Almighty God might caufe the Cloud and Mift that is before the Eye of their Underftanding to vanifh, " that they might ** believe on the Lord Jcfus Chrift, and be faved/ ABsxwx. 31. That they may know that the Sort of God is come, that He might give them an Underftanding, that they might know Him that ig True, even Jefus Chrift, who is the true God, and Eternal Life, i John v. 20. Likewife that meer nominal ProfefTors of Chriflj- anity, (both of the Clergy and Laity,) might not deceive themfelves by relying on a Speculative, or Head Belief, and complying with Modes and A ForiBS PREFACE. Forms of R E L I G I O N, while they are defli- tate of the Power of it, its Holy Influences, the Sou! and Life of Chriftianity, its very QuintejSence, RELIGION IT S E L F, as was theCafc of the Hypocritical Pharifees and Scribes, "who '' honoured God with Their Lips, while their Heart *' was far from Him," Mark vii. 2. to 7. I have exemplify 'd both from Reafon end Re- velation, that if Profeflbrs of Chriftianity, would be Difciples indeed of the Blefled Jefus, their very 1 houghts. Words and A(fl:ions, the whole Courfe and Tenor of their Lives and Converfations muft be moved or influenced by the Gofpel of ChriA, as Watches and Clocks are by their Main Springy which fets a going all its mechanical Powers in due Order and Regulation. I have notchofen a florid Language, or a formal concife Method of writing, not endeavouring to tickle the Ear, but to mend the Heart, and have proved from many Paffages of Holy Writ, that thofe Happy Souls, who experience that their corrupted polluted Natures are in a Degree fandi- fied, that have a Tafte and Relifh for Righteoufnefs, will earneftly defire and endeavour to grow in Grace, that they w^ill hunger and thirft after it. For the greater Proficiencies Mankind marke ia the Spiritual and Divine Life, they will continu- ally preface; ally 2pply to if\lmlghty God for further Degrees of His Rich Grace, in order to make greater Progrefs, that they may increafe in the Fruits of Rightc- oufnefs, that they may be inriched with every Thing to all Bountifulnefs, 2 Cor, ix. ir. To be * filled with the Knowledge of God's Will in all * Wifdom and fpiritual Underflanding, that they * might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleaL * ing, being fruitful in every good Work, and * increafing in the Knowledge of Godj flrength- * ned with all Might, according to his glorious * Power, to all Patience and long-fuffering with Joyfulnefs 5 Giving Thanks unto the Father which hath made them meet to be Partakers * of the Inheritance of the Saints inLight ; who hath * delivered them from the Power of Darknefs, and * hath tranllated them into the Kingdom of His * Dear Son, in v/hom They have Redemption * through his Blood, even the Forgivenefs of Sins, Cclojf. i. 9 to 1 5, If any of my fellow Mortals fliall receive the leafl: Degree of Spiritual Benefit or Advantage from any of thefe Works, I mod humbly andearneftly befeech them to give Almighty God all the Honour and Praife. '' Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but *^ unto thy Name give Glory. Pf. cxv, i. for it is the Work of Omnipotence only, that caufeth real PREFACE. real Good to proceed forth from any Human En- deavours whatfoever, yea even from a Paul or an jlpoUo, I Cor, iii. 6, 7. '' By Grace IMankind are ** faved through Faith, and that not of themfelves, " it is the Gift of God". Eph, ii. 8. " By the Grace of God I am what I am (fays humble holy Heroick St Paid) *' and his Grace " which w^as beitowcd on me, was not in vain -, but " I laboured more abundantly than they all, yet not •' I, but the Grace of God, which was with me,'* I Cof\ XV. 10. The Principal Human Affiflance, I have had to compofe my followingWorks, was a Concordance to the Holy Scriptures, By Alexander Crude?!, M. A, which very ufeful valuable Book, (without the leaft worldly Advantage) I moft fincerely and earneftly recommend to the perufal of all thofe who would willingly take Pleafure and Delight, by being Honoured with a very intimate Correfpondence, a beneficial Acquaintance with the Word of God, Vvhich is able to m.ake them Wife unto Salvation, through Faith, which is in Chrifljefus, 2 Ti;;;. iii. 1 5. Almiehty God grant that this m.ay be the happy Cafe of us all, is the hearty fincere Prayer of your mod Humble Servant at Command, in Chrifl, Edvvard GoldneVj &;r London, the Joyous /i^e^ijt^^^cu;^' y£>^^ . reT^Pe 4-4- • v?W TVO^l ^ cUjJ^rou, ^HtJ-^tu^t/y . Ve r^re ^ y . rt.-^,y6c^y6'Le/^ny m^ctctj,^y y.ou,,c&a^HH^ % ^nyyornxcJi cceJ^u^deJ^AM'y^/^uie/ /2^ot^ cl^^-^jIjP-. 7; .77J1/ /;,^n^/:' /i^/nA!zS d-oi/i/ tn^ yU^-tJ^ onrrv^J'aSie/i' ^ uy^t^yoJyi/rv /keM^z^^rt^ . St.3da ttheio VIL. Ver and Rewards and Punifhments after Death.) Dear Fellow^Creatures> IT is with the greatelt fmcerity of foulj and a real love and affeclion from my heart, that I make this addrefs to you, for the benefit of your immor- tal fouls^ which you ar6 confcious will be deftined to unlpeakable happinefs or mifery at the grand and awful day of judgment J when the whole world will be lum- moned to give an account of their behaviour in it as ,rational and accountable creatures. All mankind, by creation, are the fons and daughters of God, wlio are m.ade of one blood ^ confequently B of [ i J t s J Judaifm, as the facred eftablifhed laws under the old difpenfation^ and their facred records, do tellify the truth of the new difpenfation^ under the glorious gof- pel of the MelTiah, which is foretold and prophefied of in the Old Teilament in many places. Therefore you will do yourfelves juftice^ if you will be very careful to examine and compare the prophe^ fies that are there of the MelTiah, with the hilfilment of them, as recorded by the four poor honeft difinterelled erangelifls, relating to time, place, and all other circum- ftances in the perfon, birth, hfe, death, refurredion andaf- cenfion of the blefled Jefus, as recorded in the New Te- flament, in which there is no polTibility of deceit or impoflure. Old prophefies, recorded for two thou- fand years, (and all fo agreeing) could not have been contrived to countenance a falfity ; therefore no^ thing could be a falfity that could fo compleatly fulfil all thofe things relating to the Meffiah, the Son of the living God, Jefus of Nazareth, in the days of king Herod. That there were fuch perfons in his reign as John, whofe firname was Baptiil, and one whom they called Jefus, is manifefl and evident from Flavius Jofephus, a faithful Jewifh hiilorian, who recorded, " That it was " the opinion of numbers of the Jews, that Herod's " army was overthrown by the juft vengeance of God, " who punilhed him mofl defervedly, by reafon of the " execution he caufed to be done on John, firnamed '' Baptift, by putting him to d^ath: a mai> who w^as « re- [ 9 ] *^ replenlflied with all virtue, and who exhorted" the *' Jews to addict themfelves thereto, and to execute *' juftice towards man, and piety towards God. Ex- *' horting them to be baptized ; telling them that bap- " tifm ihould at that time be agreeable unto God, if " they fhould not only renounce their fins ; but if, " to the purity of their bodies, they fhould annex the " cleannefs of their fouls, repurified by juflice : and *' whereas it came to pals that divers flocked and fol- " lowed him, to hear his do<5lrine, Hefcd feared left ^^ his fubjeds, allured by his dodrine and perfwa- " fions, fhould be drawn to revolt : for it feems they " would fubfcribe in all things to his advice. There^ " fore he thought it better, (to prevent any ill con- " fequence) to put him to death •, than to expedl; fomc *' fudden commotion, which afterwards he might re- " pent of. Upon this fufpicion Herod caufed him to *' be bound, and fent to die caftle of Macheron, and " there he was put to death." (Vid. Lodge's Jofephus Antiq. bookxviii. chap. 7,) And in the fame book (ch. 4.) relating to the rebellion of the Jews, againfh Pontius Pilate, who was at the fame time governor of Judea, the fame hiftorian, has recorded, '" At " that dme was Jefus, a wife man, (if it be lawful to " call him a man) for he wajs the performer of divers " adhiirable works, and the inftrucler of thofe whowil- " lingly entertained the truth, and he drew unto him " divers Jews and Greeks to be his followers. This *' was Chrift, who being accufed by the princes of ou? *' nation before Pilate, and afterwards condemned to " the crofs by him, yet did not thofe who followed him ** from the beginning, forbear to k)ve him, for notv/ith- C " Handing [ 10 ] «' ftaiiding the ignominy of his death : for he appeared " to them aHve the third day after, according as the " prophets had before teftified the fame, and divers " divine wonderful things of him, and from that time " forward the race of the Chrillians, who have de- «' rived their nam.e from him, hath never ceafed." This faithful Jewifh hiftori an was a difinterefted author, therefore muft be very reafonably fuppofed to write no- thing but truth, which agrees with the four EvangeUfls ; two of whom, viz. St. Matthew and St. John, were eye and car witnelTes : the others, St. Mark and St. Luke, wrote what they had perfed: knowledge of, from thofe who were eye and ear witnefles, St. Mark from St. Peter's mouth, he being the difciple and companion of St. Peter. St. Luke, the beloved phyfician and companion of St. Paul, in the firfl four verfes of hisgofpel, acquaints us with the reafons which induced him to write, which were, becaufe divers perfons in that age, had imprudently and inconfiderately fet upon writing of gofpels, without direction from the fpirit of God, whofe errors and miftakes were to be cor- reded by a true narrative : this St. Luke declares he was able to make, having had perfed underflanding and knowledge of the truth of thofe things he was about to relate, partly by his familiarity with St. Paul, and partly by his converfation with the other apoftles, who con- ilantly attended the bleffed Jefus, and were eye and ear witnefles of thofe things that are the fubjed matter of his gofpel. And in the three other gofpels of the evangelifts tliere can be nothing of falHbility or uncertainty in them. [ 11 ] tliem, by reafon they wrote nothing but what they ei- ther heard or faw themfelves ; and what they heard, they received from thofe that were eye and ear witnefTes of the matter of fad it contains : Pleafe to refled, and confider impartially and feri- oufly, that thefe four hiftorians had not the leaft worldly intereft or advantage to be anfwered by writ- ing, publilhing and propagating the gofpel of their defpifed lord and mailer JefusChrift-, but on the contrary they were forewarned by him, that they fhould be hated by mankind for his name's fake, and be perfecuted and delivered up to the fynagogue, and fcourged, and fenC to prifon, and brought before kings and rulers. Therefore he moil tenderly cautions them, for to be- ware of men : " Behold (fays he) I fend you forth as " fheep in the midil of wolves : be ye therefore wife *' as ferpents, and harmleis as doves," Matt. x. i6. They were to provide " neither gold, nor filver, nor " brais in their purfes -, nor fcrip for their journey j *' neither two coats, neither ihoes, nor yet ilaves,'* Matt. V. 10, They were not commilTioned by their lord and mailer to fet out in the world for the reformation of mankind on any lucrative views, but quite the contrary ; which they readily and cheat- fully embraced with magnanimity and fortitude, going through numberlefs fatigues and hardihips, per- fecutions, imprifonments and Icourgings, and at lail fealed the truth of their gofpels with their blood ; attefting it by the facrifice of all that was near and dear to them, even their own lives. C 2 Therefore [ 12 1 Therefore the authenticalnefs of their wrlthigs mufl: be out of all doubt with every upright, fincere^ unpre- judiced mind, who attentively and thoroughly weighs all circumftances concomitant. The propagation of tlie glorious gofpel of the blefled Jefus, the benefits and advantages which accrue to mankind from his grand embaffy j the tendency his moll pure and holy doctrines has to make them happy in this world, and to qualify them to be meet partakers for unfpeakable glory and happinefs, " fuch has eye hath not feen nor ear heard, '' neither have entered into the heart of m^n, the *' things which God hath prepared for them that love ** him," I Cor. ii. 9. are arguments, one would think, fufficient to convince any reafonable mind of the truth of Chriflianity. At the augufl proclamation of the blefled Jefus's na- tivity^ the harmlefs fliepherds were ftruck with a pannic at fuch a fitidden vifit of the heavenly meflenger, attended with fuch briUiancy, who faid unto them, *' Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of " great joy, which fliall be to all people, for unto " you is born this day, in the city of David, a Sa- " viour, which is Chriil the Lord," Luk. ii. 9, 10, 11. *' At which joyful occafion immediately a multitude of *'' the lieavenly hod joined chorus, praifing God, and *' %ing, " Glory to God in the highefl, and on earth « peace, good-will towards men," ver. 13, 14. Soon after tlie inhuman tyrant, bloody king Herod, appre- hended that he was born, lie endeavoured to have him murdered by a general mafilicre, which he caufed to be executed [ 13 ] executed on all the children that were in Bethlehem, ^' and in all the coafts thereof, from two years old and " under," Matt. ii. i6. So likewife the hypocritical magiilrates and fuperftitious high priefts with great rage and malice did all in their power to flifleChriftianity in its dawn, which evidently appears in the following facred hiftory, as recorded in Ad:s iv. 6 to 13. which I carneflly recommend to your examination, it containing undeniable evidences of the veracity of the Chriftian religion. For if thefe narratives had been fpurious, worldly power and policy would have deteded and fupprefled them : " but all things muft be fulfilled *' which were written in the law of Mofes, and in the " prophets, and in the pfalms concerning him," Luke xxiv. 44, Therefore the angel of the Lord proclaimed his name Jefus, becaufe he was to fave his people from their fins. Agreeable thereto, as a preparatory for this moft gracious defign, John the Baptiil, as a prefage, preached repentance, baptifing thofe who confefTed their fms, Matthew iii. 2. 6. Declaring to them, " he " only baptized them with water unto repentance, *' but he that cometh after me, is mightier than I, *' whofe Ihoes I am not worthy to bear; he fhall bap- " tife you with the Holy Ghofl and with fire," Matthew iii. II. When the felf-conceited fuperftitious Pharifees faw that the blefTed Jefus did not dildain and rejed the company of publicans and fmners, they afked his difciples the meaning of it : on which he difcovered a moft friendly good [ H ] good difpofition, afluring them, " he came not to call *' the righteous, but Tinners to repentance," Matth. ix. 13. that is, his bufinefs was to a<5t as a wife, ikilful phyfician, to endeavour the cure of thofe who were really fpiritually Tick. " They that be whole need not a *' phyfician, but they that are fick, ver. 12. In his moft excellent fermon on the mount he in- formed his auditory, that he would by no means have them to imagine he came to difannul any moral obliga- tion, or fet afide any of the predidlions of the holy pro- phets, but to compleat them, and to give mankind more exalted ideas of the moral precepts, then what was generally underftood to be implied in them, by thofe who regarded principally the letter, or ritual part of them. The blelTed Jefus always undeceived hypocritical pre- tenders to religion, afTuring mankind, " That except " their righteoufnefs fhould exceed the righteoufnefs of *' the fcribes and pharifees, they Ihould in no cafe enter " into the kingdom of heaven. Matt. v. 20. and that " not every one that faith unto him Lord, Lord, fhall '^ enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth " the will of his father which is heaven. Matt. vii. 21. *' For the grace of God that bringeth falvation hath ^' appeared to all men, teaching us that denying un- " godlinefs and worldly lufls, we lliould live foberly, " righteoufly and godly in this prefent world, look- <^' ing for the bleffed hope and the glorious appearing of " the great God and Saviour Jefus Chrift, who gave hiir.fclf for us, that he mi.£!;ht redeem us from all ini- _^' quity. i ^S ] *' quity, and purify unto himfelf a peculiar people zea^ " lous of good works," Titus ii. ii, 12, 13, 14. For as " he which hath called you is holy, fo be ye holy in all " manner of converfation, i Peter i. 15. Therefore *' mankind is precautioned of receiving any mifrepre- " fentation of the gofpel of Chrifl. Let no man de- *' ceive you, he that doeth righteoufnefs, is righteous, *' even as he is righteous. He that committeth fin is of " the devil j for the devil finneth from the beginning ; " for this purpofe the fon of God was manifefled that *' he might deilroy the works of the devil, i John iii. 7, *' 8, that through death, he might deftroy him that " had the power of death, that is the devil, and deli- *' ver them who through fear of death were all their *' life-time fubjedl to bondage, Heb. ii. 14. 15. where- *' fore as by one man fm entered into the world, and " death by fin, and fo death pafled on all men, for " that all finned, Rom. v. 12. That as fin hath reigned *' unto death, even fo might grace reign through righ- " teoufnefs, unto eternal life by Jefus Chrift our lord, *' ver. 21. Who hath abolillied death, and brouglu life *' and immortality to light through the gofpel, 2 Tim. *' i. 10. For this corruptible muftput on incorruption, " and this mortal muft put on immortality : fo when " this corruptible (hall have put on incorruption, and *' this mortal fliall have put on immortality, then fliall " be brought to pafs the faying that is written. Death *' is fwallowed up invidory. O death, where is thy fling? *' O grave, where is thy victory ? the fling of death " is fm, and the flrenffth of fin is the law •, but thanks " be to God which giveth us the vidory through our *' lord Jefus Chrifl," i Cor. xv. s^ to 5S, Thus death [ i6 ] death Is fubdued, overcome and conquered, and life aitd immortality brought to light by the gofpel. Therefore you mufl acknowledge, that if you believed thefe decla- rations to be of divine authority, you would think them very comfortable, glorious, beneficial difcoveries in- deed, as they gracioufly point out a moft admirable method to extricate mankind from their fins, and to obtain the favour of God, and free them from the fear of death, removing its mofl dreadful fling ; thereby giving them a right and title to heaven vi6lorioufly through our lord Jefus Chrift ; which is an infinitely greater conquefb than all the heathen philofophers pre- tended to, or even had any idea of. If you think jullly, you mufl be fenfible that mere natural religion is very deficient in thefe mofl important concerns. How you fhould get above the fears of death ; how the Deity will be appeafed for your lins ; whether happinefs or mifery will be the portion of your immor* tal fouls. You know the wifefl men among the heathens difco- vered but a very faint glimmering light, which now and then darted out from their mofl abflraded reafon- ings. If you are fincere and honefl, yon will acknow- ledge that natural religion has received great advantage by the moonlight of Mofes and the prophets, and the funfhine of Chrifl and his apofliles : therefore let me be- feech you not to deceive your own fouls, vainly ima- gining that reafon has not been enlightened by re- velation. Well [ ^7 J Well might St. Paul fay, " That this is a faithful *' faying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jefus " Chrift came into the world to fave finners," i Tim. i. 15. How infignificant and tafllefs are all the refined dif- coveries of philofophy, compared to this fingle divine declaration ! Therefore St. Paul came to an excellent de- termination, built on a folid foundation, " Not to know any thing fave Jefus Chrift, and him crucified," i Cor. ii. 2. Chrifl crucified will be the divine them.e, which vi6lorious fouls will be contemplating on to all eternity. This cures the foul of all its maladies and diilem- pers : other knowledge makes mens minds fiighty, giddy and unfteady : this fettles and compofes them. Other knowledge is apt to fv/ell mankind with high conceits and opinions of their own abilities : this brings them to the juft apprehenfion of themfelves, makes them meek and lowly in heart. Other knowledge leaves mens hearts as they found them^ This changes them and makes them better. Such a tranfcendent excellency is there in the know- ledge of Chrift Jefus our lord. Therefore good old Sime- on, as foon as he faw him, proclaimed God's falvation, who was to be a light to lighten the Gentiles, by difco- vering to them righteoufnefs and true holinefs, and to be the glory of the people Ifrael, If you will carefully examine the docftrines and pre- cepts of the golpel, you will find them^ to have a ten- D dency r i8 ] dency to make mankind comfortable in this life, and to render them compleatly happy after death. Read the New Teflament with a candid difpofition, and you will find tliroughout the whole, that both the affirmative and negative precept have this tendency; the affirmative commanding holinefs in general, inculcating one or more particular virtues or habits, or means and helps to the acquiring, fupporting or increafing them ; fuch as reading, hearing the word of God, prayer, meditation, a good confcience, watchfulnefs againft temptations, avoiding the occafions of evil. The negative precepts of the goipel do forbid the contrary, to fome or other of thofe duties either diredly or indirecily, immediately or mediately, in its own na- ture, or by reafon of fome circumllance, to the deprava- tion of our fouls in rendering us wicked, or in fomedegree or other lefs holy ; for there is not any thing in itfelf in all refpeds innocent or harmlefs that is forbidden ; and there is not one thing commanded, that is not upon its own account, or fome one or other account, greatly for our advantage, ornamenting human nature, raifing its dignity towards her original rectitude, even to the higheil degree of perfedion. If thefe affiertions are true, which I will loon demon- flrate to every rational mind, you mud acknowledge the religion of the blelTed Jefus comes from God only, becaufc God is the origin of all goodnefs; who is goodnefs itfelf, all perfedlion ; confequently any difco- very which hath a tendency to promote godhkenefs in ajiy Qf his reafonable creatures, who were originally made after [ 19 ] after his own likencfs, muit neceflarily come from him ; confequently it mull be well pleafing to him that all his reafonable creatures attend to it as his voice, and obey it as his command. The clearer any difcovery of the divine mind and will is communicated to mankind, a more near refemblance of it muft reafonably, yea neceflarily, be expeded by him from us. When one of the fcribes perceived the blefl*ed Jefus anfwered the fadduces, relating to the refurreiftion fo well, he enquired of him which was the firfl command- ment of all. The blefled Jefus informed him, the firfl of all the commandments is this : " Hear, O Ifrael, the Lord our God is one Lord -, and thou fhall love the " Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy foul, ■'^ and with all thy mind, and with all thy flirength." This is the firfl commandment, and the fecond is like, namely this, " Thou fhalt love thy neighbour as thyfelf." " There is none other commandment greater than thefe,'* Mark xii. 28 to ^^. To love God with all our heart, with all our foul, with all our mind, and with all our ftrength, is to love him in the greatefl degree polTible, and with every power, faculty and ability we are in- vefled with. This is the firfl principle both of natural and revealed religion. The bleffed Jefus told the Icribe the fecond was like it, but did not fay equal to it, though the duty is of the fame authority, of the fame need. For as no one can be faved without the love of God, fo neither can any one be faved without the love of their neighbour : the fupremacy of our love un- D 2 doubte^' €oubtedly is due to God, and the greatefl fervency of all our affe6lions, and our thoughts and defires, ought ever to be towards him, our minds and underftandings me- ditating on him, our wills voluntarily choofing him, and delighting to obey him* To love God fupremely is to love him without any manner of reftridlion, above all degree, and is a duty of f-ich abfolute necelTity, and fo indifpenfible, that he himfelf cannot exempt us from the obligation of it. So long as he is God, and we are dependent creatures, we fhall always lie under a natural and necefiary obligation to love and obey him. This therefor-e is the greatefl commandment, and our highefl duty. And we are certain that when faith Ihall be turned into vifion, and hope into fruition, that love to God will then be in its greateil perfedion, or be compleated in enjoyment. To love our neighbour as ourfelves, is to be under- ftood after the like manner that we love ourfelves ; but not in the fame degree, tho' with the fame kind of love that we love ourfelves. As we love ourfelves freely and readily, fincerely and unfeignedly, tenderly, compalTionately, and conftantly •, fo fhould we love our neio-hbour alfo. Though we love him not as much as we love ourfelves, yet we ought to love him as truly as we love ourfelves. Therefore love to God, our neigh- bour, and felves, are things infeparable. There is no command in divine revelation which ex- prelTes a man fliould love himfelf^ for the light of nature C 21 ] nature di " .not but fpeak the things which v/e have feen and heard," Ads iv. 19, 20. And when they reafoned with the high- prieft and others, (the grand fanhedrim) perfifting intlieir duty, obeying God rather than man, declai-ed unto them, " The God of their fathers raifed up Jefus, whom they " flew, and hanged on a tree •, whom God had ex- " alted to be a prince and Saviour, for to give '* repentance unto Ifrael, and forgivenefs of fins •, and " that they were witnefTes of thefe things, as alfo the ." Holy Ghoft, whom God hath given to them that •*' obey him,'' A(5ls v. 30, 31, 32. In which declara- tion is contained a two- fold evidence, which mani- fefted the truth of what they fpake to every unpre- judiced mind ; for they delivered nothing but v/hat they ihemfelves were eye and ear-witneiTes to, and withal F 2 artellvvi I 52 ] attcilicd it to be true by the power of the Holy Ghofi i^ the miracles which were wrought by Chrift and his apodles. Their preaching was rational and convinc- ing to every unprejudiced mind ; and the method they made vSt^ of tended to perfuade mankind of the truth of their gofpel, referring them to their underftandings and confcience. " Yea, and why even of yourfelves /' judge ye not what is right ?" Luke xii. ^y, ■ Part of the conference which St. Peter had with Cor- nelius the centurion was, " That God anointed Jefus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghoil, and with power 5 " who went about doing good, and healing all that " were oppreiTed of the devil -, for God was with " him, and w^e are witneifes of all things which " he did, both in the land of the Jews, and in *' Jerufalem : whom they flew and hanged on a tree, " him God raifed up the third day, and fliewed him " openly; not to all the people, but unto witnefles «t chofen before of God, even us, who did eat and *■' drink with him, after he rofe from the dead ; and *' he commanded us to preach unto the people, that it ^' is he which was ordained of God to be the judge *' of the quick and the dead ; to whom gave all the pro- '' phets witnefs, that through his name whofoever be- *' lieveth fliall receive remiflion of fins," Adls x. 3 8 to 44. Thefe are rational and demonflrable evidences of the truth of the fa6ts relating to the crucifixion, refurredion, and afcenflon of the bleiTed Jefus, attefted by thofe v/ho were both eye and ear witnefles -, and who were the beft able to make known the truth of them to a v^'icked, cenforious, unbelieving world. For where the [ 53 ] the truth of a doiflrine depends upon a niatter of fad, the truth of that do6trine is fufRciently manifefled, if the matter of fa<5t be evidently proved in the moil ra- tional and cleareft manner it is capable of. Thus it is in reference to the dodrine of Chrifl ; the truth of it being intei*woven with the truth of the whole hiflory of our Lord •, therefore if the fa<^s relating to him be true, his dodrine mufl neceffarily be divine -, confequently infallible, for if it be unexceptionably true •(as it really is) that there was fuch a perfon as Jems, born at Bethlehem, who did fo many miracles, and at laft fuffered the death of the crofs, and after he had lain almofl three days in the grave, role again from the dead, and appeared to many inconteftible witneiTes, fuch as had no worldly views to anfwer by their attefration of it, but on the contrary fuffered reproach and difgrace, hatred, envy, and malice, fcourges and imprifonment, perfecution, and even death itfelf ; what (hadow of rea- fon can there pollibly be to call in queftion the teftimony of this divine perfon Jefus of Nazareth ? Certainly there can be no reafon ; for there were the greatefl evidences which pofTibly could be to thefe matters of fa(5l •, for thefe difmterefled men were both eye and ear witneffes of it. Thefe fadis were of fuch a nature, that their fenfes could not poflibly be deceived, for Chrift was m^ade of flefh and blood as well as. themfelves ; therefore they had as con- vincing evidences that they faw him, and converfed with him, and felt his flefh, as any man in the world can be im- fible they converfed, faw, and felt one of their own fpe- cies, their fellow mortals, who is likewife m.ade of fiefli and blood. Chrift appeared openly to the worlds and his miracles were not performed in fecret, they were F 2 real [ 54 ] i-cal and vifible miracles ; the truth of which he challenged even his enemies to gainfay. For " when " the high prieft of the Jews asked Jefus of his dif- *-' ciples, and of his do6lrine, Jefus anfvvTred him very ^^ plainly, viz.^ that he fpake openly to the world ; " that he ever taught in the fynas^os-ue, and in the tern- '' pie, whither the Jews always reforted, and in fecret " that he faid nothing," John xviii. ij, 20. The man v/ho was born blirid, and cured by our Sa- viour v/as known by rich and poor throughout the, country to have been born blind, as attefled by his parents ; and as his blindnefs from his birth was pub- lickly known, fo alfo was his cure -, which was declared by the man iiimfelf, on whom this grand miracle was v/roijght. and by his parents alfo-, alio to the hypocri- tical unbelieving pharifees, John ix. 9 to 35. When the bleiTed Jejlis raifed a dead corps, (the widovy^'s fon of Nain) it was done before numbers of perfons. Many who faw the miracle, or at leafl: fome (in all probability) were prefent at his death, Luke vii, to xviii. Lazarus, who was well known to be dead four days, his rcfiuTeclion could not polTibly be a deception, becaufe when our Lord ordered his grave-lfone to be taken away, Lazarus immediately arofe and came forth, in the prefence of them all. I'he death, pafTion and refurreclion of the bleiTed Jefus himfeif was an evidence of ft^nf^ty done in the prefence of his greateil adverfaries. The foldiers themfelves were fufficlent v/itncffes of his being really dead, when they came to break his bones, before he was taken dow^n from the crofs, who did not do it, by rcafon they found him [ 55 ] him already dead, which they acknowledged. At his re- furredlion the (lone was rolled away from the fepulchre, and no body found therein, although the fepulchre was conftantly guarded by foidiers, who fhook, and became as dead men, at the earthquake, when the angel of the Lord defcended from heaven, and came and rolled back the ilone from the door of Chrift's fepulchre. Match, xxviii. 2, 3, 4. And his very difciples were alfo terrified and affrighted, and fuppofed they had feen a fpi- rit, Luke xxiv. ^y. therefore difperfed themfelves up and down in feveral places, till the blelTed Jefus convinced them of the truth of his rcfurredion. But after all, Thomas was not fatisfied unlefs he put his hands in the holes of the bleffed Jefus's fides, and faw in his hands the print of his nails ; all which he did, and then acknow- ledged him to be Iiis Lord and his God, Johnxx. 28. The bfefled Jefus condefcending to fatisfy the in- credulity of Thomas, and others of his difciples, hatli made it moft evident, that the body which he arofe from the grave in, was that very identical body wliich was crucified and laid in the fepulchre. The more fufpicious and incredulous the apoflles themfelves were at firfl, the greater evidence is it, how far they were from any the lead defign of impofing upon the world by the dodtrines they preached. When many witnefi"es concur fo flrong in the fame tcfi:imony, nothing can difparage more the truth of a teftim.ony, than the counter- witnefi^es of fuch who were prefent at the fame time. But when all the witnefic'i F 4 fall^ [ 56 ] fully agree, not only in the fubflance, but in all mate- rial circumflances relating to it. This mufl appear to be a true and valid teilimony to every thinking unprejudiced mind. Now there is no real diflention in any of the witnefTes who wrote the birth, life, miracles, death, refurredlion and afcenfion of the blelTed Jefus. All of them at- tefling the very fame things, though they wrote at dif- ferent times, different places, and on different occafions. Yet there is no real difference in any one material or eifenrial circumflance of the whole hiflory : not only his apoftles, but numbers of people befides, yea, many of his enemies, were witnelfes to moll of the bleffed Jefus's miracles. As for his refurredlion, it would be very flrange and unaccountable indeed, that five hundred perfons Ihould all agree in the fame thing, if it wajs not true : there- fore there is no reafon to fufped fuch teilimonies which are given by eye and ear witnefTes, without quellioning their knov/ledge of the things they relate, or their fide- lity in relating them. Now there is not the leaft ground to doubt of either of thefe, in reference to thofe perfons who gave tefti- mony to the world concerning the perfon and adlions of the blelTed Jefjs, for they were llich as were inti- mately converfant both with "his perfon, life and beha- viour, and whom he had chofe and trained up for that very end, that they might be fulKciently qualified to ac- quaint the world with the truth of things concerning himfclf, after his refurredion from the dead ; and ac- cordingly [ 57 ] cordingly they followed him up and down the world wherever he went : they were alfo with him in his foli- tude and retirements, and thereby had an opportunity of feeing all his actions, and to obferve the unfpotted in- nocency of his life. Some of them were with him in his transfiguration, others in his agony and bloody fweat, and they heard the expreffions which came from his mouth-, in all which he difcovered a mod wonderful fubmiffion to the will of God, and a great readinefs of mind to fuffer for the good of mankind : the means they had of know- ing the truth relating to the bleffed Jefus cannot there- fore be reafonably queflioned, neither their fidelity in reporting what they knew. The truth of the dodrines they preached wrought fo far upon themfelves, that they parted with all their worldly comfort and fubfiflence for the fake of it. Al- though their worldly fubflance were not great, yet they left their all, what was near and dear to them, their houfes, their wives and children, for Chrift, and that not in order to gain any higher preferment in this world, but quitted an eafy and quiet life, for one moil troublefome and dangerous : and it is to be admired with what readi- nefs and chearfulnefs they all underwent difgraces and perfecutions, nay, the moil: cruel and ihocking deaths, for the truth of the gofpel. Therefore it cannot be reafonably fuppofed, that ever men ihould be fo prodi- gal of their eafe and lives, as to throw both of them away, for teftifying fuch things, which themfelves were not fully aiTured of the truth of. Would [ 58 ] Would it not be the Iiigheft folly imaginable, to have deceived themfelves in an affiiir of fo great moment. to them as the truth of that dodrine which they preached? efpecially as all their hopes and happinefs depended on it, even to all eternity ; '' who declared themfelves to *' be the moil; miferablc of all perfons, if their hopes *' was to be confined only to this prcfent life,'* i Cor. Can vrc now think that any, who had the common reafon of men, would part with all the contentments of this Avorld, and expofe themfelves to continual hazards, and at iait readily undergo death itfelf, for the fake of fomerhing which v/as but the iid:ion of their own brains? "What fnould caule them to be fo fedulous and induftri- OU3 in preaching fuch things, that they could fay, ne- ceility was laid upon them, '' yea, woe was to them if *' they preached not the gofpel," i Cor. ix. 16. and alfo wlien they fiw and experienced fuch difficul- ties and troubles in preaching of it, had there not been fome more powerful attra6live in the beauty and excellency of the doctrine they preached, than any could be in the eafe and tranquillity of the world. Tlius we evidently fee the fidelity of the apoftles ma- ififefled in fjch a way and manner, as no other wit- nelTes were ever yet willing to hazard their lives for. And therefore Origen juftly condemns Celfus (a hea- then philofoplicr) of a very ridiculous impertinency, when [ 59 ] when he would have parallelled the relations of Herodo- tus a;id Pindarus, concerning Arifteus Proconnefius, with thofe of the apoilles concerning Chriftj for faith he, did either of thefe two venture their lives upon tlie truth of what they writ concerning him, as the apoflles did to atteft the truth of what they preached concerning our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift? L. 3. C, Celfum, p. 127. The faithfulnefs of the apoflles appears in their man- ner of reporting the things which they delivered, for there ever may be fomething gathered from the manner of expreffion, concerning the particular temper and dif- pofition of the perfons from whom it comes. We may certainly read the greateft fidelity in the apoflles, from the peculiar manner of their exprefTing themfelves to the world, which they do with the greatefl impartiality, not declaring only what was glorious and admirable to the world, but what they Icnew would be accounted foolilhnefs by it. They who had only fought to have been admired for the rare difcoveries which they brought to the world, would be fure to conceal every thing which might be accounted ridiculous \ but the apoflles fixed themfelves principally on what was m.ofl contemptible in the eyes of the world, and what they were mofl mocked and de- rided for J and that which they delighted mofl in the preaching of, was the crofs of Chrifl. St, [ 6o ] St. Paul was fo much in love with this moft glorious topick, (which was a ftumbling block to the Jews, and foolifhnefs to the Greeks) that he valued the knowledge of nothing elfe in comparifon of Chrifb, and him cru- cified : " God forbid (fays he) that I fliould glory, fav- *' ing the crofs of Chrift." Philip, iii. 8. Gal. vi. 14. I fmcerely afk you in the name of truth, what fhould be the reafon that they fhould rejoyce in that moil, which was mofl dcfpicable to the world, amongfl all ranks and orders of men, and for which they fuffered fo much, had not they feen far greater truth and ex- cellency in it, of infinitely more value than the mofl fublime fpeculations concerning God and the fouls of men, in the fchool of Plato, or any other heathen phi* lofopher. That all mankind fhould be obliged, in order to ob- tain falvation, to believe in one who was crucified with- out the gates of Jerufalem, was a very flrange dodlrine to the unbelieving world, and is to this hour. If the apoflles had artfully fuited their doctrines to the fchool of Plato, what fame might they have gained among the heathen philofophers ? an univerfal fame they would have met with, and have had numbers of followers more than they had : and if they favoured the vices of mankind, we fhould at this day have few, if any, profefTmg unbelievers. If, in general terms, they had difcovered of the be- nignity of the divine nature, and the manifeflations of the goodnefs of God in the world, and reprefented that he was all merciful, and therefore all mankind mufl be neceffarily happy in a future world. And in order [ 6i ] order to qualify mankind to participate of the divine nature, the perfedl idea of true goodnefs, and the ex- prefs image of the perfon of God, the refplendency of his glory, had vailed himfelf in human nature, and had every where fcattered fuch beams of light and good- nefs, as warmed and invigorated the frozen fpirits of mankind with higher fentiments of God and them- felves, and raifed them up above the flatulency of this terreflial matter to breathe in a purer air, and converfe with more noble objeds, and fo by degrees to fit the Ibuls of mankind for thofe more refined illapfes of real goodnefs, which might always fatisfy the foul's de- fires, and yet be always keeping them up, till the foul fhould be funning itfelf to all eternity, under the imme- diate beams of light and love ; and that after this incar- nate Deity had fpread abroad the wings of his love for a while upon this lower world, till by his gentle heat and incubation he had quickened the more tradable part of mankind to fome degree of a divine life : he then withdrew himfelf back again into the fuperior world, and put off' that vail by which he made himfelf known to thofe who are here confined to the prifon of their bodies. I fay, fuch do6lrines as thefe would have better fuited the tafle of the generality of mankind. Had the apoftles regarded applaufe among the famous philofophers of the heathens, who were fo very much admired in the age they lived in, and even now to this day among many unthinking, gay, flighty libertines, who prefer their maxims and writings to thofe of Chrift and his apoftles, or any odier, relating to that grand and important affair -, the redemption of man- kind, t 62 ] kind, in and through the Lord Jefus Chrift. How eaiy iiad it been for them to have made very confiderable additions to the moil lofty and fubUme fpeculations they had attained to, efpecially if they had omitted fo mean and contemptible a dodrine as the curfed crofs, the fufferings and death of the Son of God ? but this they were fo far from, that the main thing which they preached to the world was the infufficiency and vanity of all human wifdom and learning, without the know- ledge of Chrift, and the necelTity of all mankind's be- lieving in, and relying on Jefus of Nazareth, who was crucitied, in order to lave mankind from the wrath to come. The apoilles indeed difcovered veiy much, infinitely more than the moll lofty Platoniil could do, concerning the goodnefs and love of God to mankind ; which was, that '' he gave his only begotten fon, that whofoever " believeth in him Hiould not perifli, but have everlall- *' ing life." John iii. 16. " And that herein was " the love of God manifefled, that while we were *' yet fmners, Chrifl died for us,'* Rom. v. 8. And that this v/as the greatell truth, " and worthy of all *' acceptation, that Jefus Chrifl came into the world " to fave finners," i Tim. i. 15. They never dreamt of any divine goodnefs, which fhould make mankind happy, without a faving interell in the Lord Jefus Chrifl. No^ no, it was their defign to perfuade mankind, that all the communications of God's good- nefs to the world, were wholly in and through him, al- ledging, that " there is none other name under heaven ^' given among men, whereby they mufl be faved." Afti iv. 12. And i: is impofTible any rational mind Ihoald t 63 1 fnoilld judge otherwlfe, iinlefs they imagine Plato was a greater favourite of heaven, and knew more of the mind and will of God than the blefled Jefus •, and that tlie Platonifts had greater revelations from heaven than St. Patil. Is it reafonable to believe the apoftles would hazard their -owti reputation, and be accounted babblers, tools and madmen, for preaching the way of falvation to be only attainable in and through a perfon crucified be- tween two thieves, had they not been convinced, not only of the truth, but importance of it, and that it Concerned mankind as much to believe it, as it did to avoid eternal mifery ? Let me afk you aferious queflion. Did St. Paul preacli ever the lefs the words of truth and fobernefs, becauie he was told to his face that his learning had made him mad ? who afllired them, " if he was Co, it is to " God," 2 Cor. V. 13. And pray what great v/onder was it, if the love of Chrift in the apoftles jQiould make them h willing and chearful to lofe their reputation among the unthinking and prejudiced, ob- ftinate, wicked part of mankind, for that dear God-Man, ** who was the way, the truth and the life, and by «* whom alone they muft find acceptance with God,** John xiv. 6, " and count all things but lofs, for '-^ the excellency of the knowledge of Cliriit Jefus their " Lord -, for whom they fuffered the lofs of all things^ *' and counted them but dung, that they miight win *' Chrifl," Philip iii. 8. " That this mind might " be in them, which was alfo in Chriil JefuS;, who be> « ing [ 64 ] •=' ing in the form of God, tliought it not robbery to " be equal with God, but made himfelf of no reputa- *' tion, and took upon him the form of a fervant, and '' was made in the Hkenefs of man, and being found *' in fafhion as a man, he humbled himfelf, and be- ** came obedient unto death, even the death of the *' crofs.'* Philip, ii, 5, 6, 7, 8. Therefore the apof- tles were not afhamed of the golpel of Chrift, on any confideration whatfoever ; becaufe they knew it was the power of God to falvation, to every one that believeth, i Peter i. 5. Neither in their preachings or their writings would they omit any of thofe pafTages relating to our Saviour's death, though they were accounted the moft difhonourable to his perfon ; which is certainly as great an evidence of their fidelity, as any unprejudiced reafonable mind can expert : and this made Origen to fay, the difciples of Chrift wrote all things with a great deal of candour and love of truth, not concealing from the world thofe paflages of the life of Chrift, which would be accounted moft foolifti and ridiculous. Impoftors and defigning men caft a mift of many dark and cloudy words before their hearers, but when once they are detedkd and brought to open light, their vizards fall off, and their deformity appears. Such per- fons take delight in fwerving quite out of the appre- henfion of thofe v/ho follow them, and never think themfelves better recompenced for their pains, than when they are moft admired and leaft underftood : but never was chriftianity more diftionoured, than when men [ 65 ] men turned It from its native rimplidty and plainnefs, into a number of cloudy and infignificant exprefTions, which are fo far from making men better underfland the truth of it, that it v/as certainly die devil's hellifli defign (by fuch obfcure terms) to make way for a myf- tery iniquity •, and foon after we faw and found the ef- feds of it in an oracle fet up at Rome inftead of Delphos, and all the pretence of it was the obfcurity fuppoled in fcripture. Therefore all who are and would be the difciples indeed of the bleffed Jefus, would do well not to imagine there is infallibility in any private or public interpretation of holy writ explicable by mankind : *' for the prophecy came not in old time by the will of *' man, but holy men of God fpake as they were mov^ed *' by the Holy Ghoft,'* 2 Peter i. 21. Pray, does dark- nefs appear or difappear at the rdfing of the fun ? Is the &n at laft grown fo beggarly, that he is fain to borrow light of the earth ? Muft the holy fcriptures be be- holden to the church for its clearnefs, and Chrill himfelf not fpeak intelligible, unlefs his holinefs the pope be his interpreter ? Did Chrifl reveal to the world the way to falvation, and yet leave mankind to feek it in the mazes of darknefs and obfcurity ? Which was it ? was it till a guide reliding at Rome was commif- fioned to dire6t them in the way to it ? This St. Peter (his pretended predeceflbr) never gave the leafl hint of, or was it ever heatd of in fcripture. What ftrange witnefTes were the apofUes, if they did not fpeak and write all the eflential truths of the gofpej with plainnefs, who afliires mankind they did ? 2 Cor. iii. ver, 12, And for that very end purpofely laid afide G ail [ 66 ] nil the excellency of words of human wlfdom, i Con ii. ver. i. that mankind might not be to feek for their meaning in a miatter of fo great moment. That the gofpel was hid to none but fuch as are loft, " whofe " eyes are blinded by the God of this world/' 2 Cor. iv. ver. 3, 4. How had mankind been to feek, as to the truth of chriftianity, if the apoflles had not de- clared the dod:rine of the gofpel with all evidence and perlpicuity ? Whom mufl unbelievers or chriflians be- lieve in, in this cafe, which is an affair of an infinite importance, the apoflles of Chrill, or the pope at Rome ? The do6trines revealed by the gofpel are a light to mankind, diredingthem in their way to heaven, which is an infallible rule to walk by. It is a (Irange quality of light to be obfcure, and of a rule to be crooked. It is not only evident, from the apoflles own affir- mations, that they laid afide all affe(5led obfcurity, and ambiguous exprefTions, and philofophical terms, where- by the world might have been to feek for what they were to believe, but it is likewife very evident and clear, from the very nature of the docftrine they preached, and the defign of their preaching of it, that they mads ufe of no fuch falfe arts. Pray what occafion is there for Rhetoric in plain truths, or affecfled phrafes. in- giving evidence ? How in- congruous would obfcur.e expreffions have been to the defign of* faring of fouls, by the fooliflmefs of preach- ing ? if they had artfully fpoken in their preaching above the capacities of thofe they Ipoke to, they cer- tainly [ 67 ] tainly could never have converted a foul without a mi- racle. For the common and ordinary way of converfion, is to convince the mind and judgment, and to illuminate the underftanding : but what good efFecl can that preaching have, which is fo much above either ? Tlie polite modern preachers imour days, of all deno- minations, would do well' to take this argument into their ferious conrideratiQn,^ that vtherr orations might be of greater edification to their hearers, than as if a barba- rian chattered to them, i Cor. xiv. ii. St. Paul tells us, " He that prophefieth, fpeaketh " unto m.en to edification, and exhortation and com- " fort, I Cor. xiv. ver. 3. We preach not ourfelves, " (faith the fame apofllef but Chrifl Jefus the Lord, " and- ourfelves your fervants for Jefus Jake," 2 Cor. iv. 5'. If they had fought themfelves, or their own credit and reputation, there might have been fome reafon that they ihould have ufed the like method of the fophifls, among the Greeks : but they difowned and rejeded all thefe poor artifices of mean low-fpirited men, " Their fpeech and preaching, v/as not with en- " ticing words of man's wifdom, but in demonftration " of the fpirit, and of power, that their faith fhould *' not fland in the wifdom of mian, but in the power of " God," I Cor. ii. ver. 4, 5. They declared the tef- timony of God with fpiritual evidence : they renounced the hidden things of difhonefty, not walking in crafti- nefs, " nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but " by manifeilation of the truth, commending them- *' felves to every man's confcience, in the fight of G 2 "^God," t 68 ] ^- 6od,*' 2 Cor. iv. lo. What could be more fuit- able to fucli a defign, than that great plainnefs and faithfuhiefs with which they fpake ? We find in the teflimonies of the apoftles, (as Origen juilly obferves) nothing that is fpurious or counterfeit, nothing favour- ing of the cunning craftiriefs of fuch as he in wait tp deceive. It is impoflibk (faith he) to think that men, never bred up in the fophiflry of the Greeks, nor experi- enced in the rhetorical infinuations ufed among them, could ever be able fo fuddenly to perfuadc the world to embrace that which had been a fidion of their own brains. The truth isy the apoftles Ipcak like men very confi- dent of the truth of what they fpeak, and not like fuch, who were fain to fetch in the help of all their fkill, to find out fome probable arguments, to make mankind believe that, which, it is probable, they dkl not believe themfelves, which was frequently the cafe of the great orators among the heathens* We find no pedantic flourifbes, no flattering infi* nuations, no affe6led cadencies, no fuch great care of the rifmg and falling of the words, in the feveral fen* tences which make up fo great part of that which was accounted eloquence in the apoftles times : no, every thing they faid was grave and ferious ; every word had its due weight, every fentence brim full of fpiritual doquence, Their whole difcourfe was moft becoming tilt majefty and authority of die holy Spirit of God, V/liich r 69 ] which they fpake by. And herein was difcovered ^ great part of the infinite wifdom of God, in the choice he made of theperfons who were to propagate the doc- trine of Chrifl in the world : that they were not fuch,, who, by their great repute and fame in the world, might eafily draw whole multitudes to embrace their didates ; but (that there might not be the leaft foun- dation for an implicit faith) they were of fo mean a rank and condition in the world, that in all probability their names had never been heard of, had not their dodrine made them famous. To this purpofe Origen excellently fpeaks : I am of opinion, (fays he) that Jefus did purpofely make ufe of fuch preachers of his do&ine, that there might be no room for fufpicion, that they came inilruded in the arts of fophiftry, but that it be clearly manifell to thofe who might confider of it, that there was no defign in thofe who difco- vered fo much fimplicity in their writings, and that they had a more divine power, which was mope effica- dous than the greatcil volubility of ^xpreifion, or or- naments of fpeech, or the artifices which were ufed in the Grecian compofitions, Vid, C, Celliim, 1. 3, You may be fure the apollles delivered their dodlrines with the greateft opennefs and freedom of Ipeech ; they di4 pot give out one thing to the w^orld, and another to their private difciples : but with great freedom and boldnefs declared their dodrine in the moft public places, and before their greatell enemies. They knew they were looked on as deceivers by the world, but yet they knew themfdves to be true, 2 Cor. vu 8. G 2 Thli [ 7° ] This is the ufual requital good men have from the world, that they are looked on as the greatefl deceivers of it. If it be lb with others, we have much lefs caufe to wonder at it, when he,- who ^ by the. prophet is- ftiled " the defire of all natians/* Haggai H. 7. "and' who is by another prophet - foretold, ''- as defpifed' -aiiy by their open car- riage and free fp.eaking ta the faces ^of their greatefl adveriaries. . - ... ' ~ . "■ ' . . t- • The apoilles neither feared the ; Jews..-fkil-l in their law, nor the wifdom and fubtilty 01 the Greejcs. St, Paul preached Chrift openly among the Jews, in their fynagogues : and. he encountered the epicureans and ftoics among . the Athenians^ Acls xvii. 18. and preached to them Jefus and the refurrcdion.- If the apoflles had any thing of deceit in them, as to things they related concerning Chrift, they would not cer- ■ tainly have Ipoken with ,fo much confidence in him, in the prefence of thofe wlio had been his murderers -, but we find they appealed to themfelves i as alfo to the mi- > racks which he wrought among them •, and for the ■ truth of his refurrection, they were ready to lay down their lives. That his body was gone, was evident : that his dif- ciples fhould take it was impofTible, as they had fuch a ftrong guard of Ibldiers v/atching it, who would have [ 71 ] have been glad to have difcovered any attempt of it. But on the contrary, all his difciples were exceeding fearful and timorous, infomuch that they fled upon Chrifl*s being apprehended. Now v/hat could it be ^to make fuch fearful perfons afterwards fo courageous and relblute as they were, had there not been fomething more than ordinary to convince and encourage them ? The apoflles delivered their tefliimonies with the greateft particularity, as to all circumflances : they do not change or alter any of them upon different examina- tions before feveral perfons •, they all agree in the greatefl conftancy to themfelves, and uniformity with each other* As to matters of indifferency, we find the apoflles very yielding and condefcending, but as to any thino- which concerned their teftimony, they were mofl con- llant and fledfafl:. Had the gofpel been fome cunningly contrived fancy, it had been impofTible but fo many different perfons, in fuch different places, and under fuch different conditions, would have varied as to fome very material circumflancc of it \ or elfe they would have been fo wife as to have delivered it in general terms, without infifting much on fuch particular circumflances, which if they had been falfe, might have been very eafily difproved : but with what particular enumeration of circumflances do the apoflles preach Chrifl to the world ? Peter tells the Jews, ''-'it was Jefus of Nazareth whom he preached, " a man approved of God among you, by miracles, " and wonders, and figns, which God did by him, in G 4 th4. [ 72 ] " the midll: of you -, as ye yourfelvcs alfo know him, *' being delivered by the determinate council and fore- " knowledge of God : ye have taken, and by wicked *' hands have crucified and flain whom God hath raifed *' up, having loofed the pains of death, becaufe it was *' not poiTible that he fhould be holden of it," Ads ii. 22, 23, 24. And left they fhould think it was not the fame perfon who rofe again, with great boldnefs and freedom of fpirit he faith to them, " Therefore let all " the houfe of Ifrael know afluredly, that God had " made that fame Jefus, whom ye have crucified, both " Lord andChrift,'* ver. 36. Yea, that fame indivi- dual perfon, " him hath God exalted with his right " hand to be a Prince and Saviour, for to give repefi- " tance to Ifrael, and forgivenefs of fins," A(5ls v. 31. Now if there had been any ground of fufpicion, as to the truth of thefe facts, who had been fo able to difprove them, or fo willing and ready to do it, as thofe perfons v*^ho had crucified him ? For we cannot but conceive that thofe who had a hand in his death, would have endeavoured by all polTible means to dif- prove his refurrecftion from the dead. For what a cafe were they likely to be in, if thefe things which the apoftles conftantly preached were true ? If Chrift had all the power in his hands, and there was no falvation in any other name but only in his, whom they crucified, they were like to be in a moft deplorable condition. Therefore if any fet of men can be fuppofed to be inquifitive after the truth of tliefc circumftances, no doubt but they were -, and d they [ 73 ] they could have found the leaft flaw in their teflimony, the world had foon been alarmed of it. The Jews, who were then fo much difperfed all over the nation, would have divulged it in all parts. The apoftles would have been told of it, as they preached Chrift in the public ''■iynagogues. And can we in any reafon think, but thefe Jews wbo perfecuted St. Paul, as he preached in the fynagogues at Afia, and afterwards impeache-d him fo openly at Je- rufalem, would have enquired into all the circumftances concerning Chrift : and all the other Jews would have wrote to their friends at Jerufalem to be fully informed of thofe ftrange things, which were told them openly in all places in their fynagogues, by men of their own nation and language, concerning one Jefus who was crucified, and rofe again from the dead, had there been fo much as any the leaft plaufible pretext, that any of thefe circumftances were not true ? Is it not moft rea- fonable to believe, that fuch an obftinate people, who were full of refentment and malice, who were fo vaftly bigotted to their own ways and traditions, had propa- gated any thing that might have tended to the difpa- ragement of Chrift and his difciples ? But we find ma- lice itfelf could not find any flaw in the apoftles tefti- mony; for if they had, we fliould have aflljredly heard of it from the Jews, or fome other great oppofers of chriftianity among the heathens, who pretended to be curious and inquifitive perfons, fuch as Celfus, JuHan, Hierocles and Porphyry. In the name of truth, what reafon can any one have to fufped fuch a teftimony, which pafTed uncontroiJed at that [ 74 ] that time, when it was alone capable of being dilprov- cd, and when men's intereil and defign would have put them fo much upon it ? No teiiimony ought to be taken againft a matter of facfl thus attefted, but from fuch perfons who- had equal or greater knov/Iedge of the things attelkd, and mani- fefl greater fidelity in reporting them. It is eafy to make it appear that, fuppofing any perfons at that time had contradifted the teiiimony of the apoflles concern- ing our Saviour, yet there had been no reafon in the world to have hearkened to their teflimony, in oppofi- tiontothatof the apofrles •, and that on thefe accounts the apoflles witneffed the aflirmative, which is more ca- pable of being attefled than any negative can be. The apoflles were converfant with Chrifl much more than any other perfons were, by reafon they were chofen for that very end by Chrill, to be, conflantly with him. Could any therefore be as capable -of knowing the truth of all particulars concerning Chrifl then as they were ? Had there been any ground of fufpicion concern- ing the defign of Chrifl, in the name of truth, why could not the Jews have prevailed with Judas to dif- cover it, as well as to betray his perfon ? Judas had done but a good work, if Chrill had been fuch an im- poflor as the Jews malicioufly and blafphemoufly faid he was. What made Judas fo little fatisfied with what he had done ? he grew weary of his life upon it, fhock- ingly deilroying himfelf on the reflexion of his horrid crime. [ 75 ] crime. Certainly no perfon had been fo fit to have been produced as a witnefs againfl the blefled Jefus, as Judas, who had been fo long attending him both in pubhc and private,- and had heard his fayings, and faw his miracles, but had not patience enough to flay, after. that abominable and moft deteflable crime, to be a witnefe againft him. But Providence ordered it fo that he was the greatefl witnefs at that time for himi -, for he confelTed to the chief priefls and elders that he had finned, by betraying innocent blood. They faid to him, ." What is that to us ?, fee thou to that," Matth. xxvii^,4. which anfwer of theirs amounts to an ac- knowledgment of the. truth of his confefnon. What pofTible evidence could have been given more in be- half of our Saviour. than Judas, and the chief priefls and elders tliemfelves ? .^ • When a perfon fo' covetous as to betray his miafler for thirty pieces of filver, v/as fo fick of his bargain, that he goes and returns the money to the chief priefls and elders v/-ho had bribed him, declaring pubUcly, that the perfon was innocent whom he had betrayed ; who alfo confirmed it by ^being immediately himfelf confcious of his atrocious _ guilt ; and inflead of the chief priefls and elders telling him that he had done a good deed in betraying his mafcer, (when he confefTed ^ to them he was innocent, could not gainfay it, or dif- prove it) otherwife would have readily done it for their own JLiflification. Confider that vile mifcreant Judas was one intimately acquainted with the blefTed Jefus, and much better than any of the witnefTes whom after- wards they fuborned againfl him j v'ho yet contradidl- ed [ 76 ] ed each other, and at laft could produce nothing in the judgment of Pilate, the heathen governor, to believe Chrift worthy of death j " Who took water, and walhed *' his hands before the multitude, faying, I am inno- *' cent of the blood of this juft perfon •, fee ye to it,'* Matth. xxvii, 24. The apoflles were more free from defign than any counter witnefs could be, becaufe they could not pofTibly have any other motive to affirm what they did, but full conviAion of the truth of what they fpoke. Therefore if any of the Jews at that time had afferted any thing contrary to the apoflles, it would have been on account of preferving their honour and reputation with the people, and for fupporting their traditions •, and on the account to defend themfelves in their enmity againll the blefled Jefus, though they had not the leaft foundation or reafon for it. Who would believe the teftimony ot the fcribes and pharifees, who had fo great authority among the peo- ple, which they were like to lofe, if Chrifl's dodrine was true, before that of the apoflles, who parted with their all for the fake of him, and ventured themfelves wholly on the truth of his dodrine ? None ever did fo much to attefl the negative as the Apoflles did, to prove their fidelity to the affirmative. Had a fufficient witnefs been timely produced, it can- not be reafonably thought that the apoflles would have run fo many confiderable hazards in preaching the things which related to the perfon and atflions of Chrifl, Did ever any lay down their lives to undeceive the world ? If the apoflles wxre guilty of afcufing it, the number I 77 ] humber of fuch perfons had been inconfiderable, in comparifon of thofe who were fo fully perfwaded of the truth of thofe things which concern our Saviour : who were all of them ready (as moft of them did) to atteft the truth of it with their lives. Whence fhould fo many perfons fuddenly grow fo confident of the truth of fuch things which were contrary to their former perfwa- fions, education and intereft, had they not been de- livered in fuch a way, that they were alTured of the undoubted truth of them ? matters of fa6l being firll: believed, on account of the eye and ear witnelTes, and received with an univerfal and uncantrouled alTent by all fuch perfons who have thought themfelves concerned in knowing the truth of them, is a fufficient foundation for a firm aflent to be built upon. Such perfons there- fore who thus became believers, had both liberty and opportunity to be fully convinced of the truth of them before they believed them \ confequently no reafon or motive can be afTigned on which they fhould be in^ duced to believe thefe things, but the undoubted evi- dence of truth, which were along with them. It mufl be acknowledged that in Mahometifm vafl numbers of per- fons have for feveral centuries continued in the belief of that vile impoftor Mahomet \ but there is a very fufii- cient reafon to be given for it •, the arbitrary power of the fword kept them in awe, and flricfUy forbad all the followers of Mahomet to difpute their religion at all, or compare it with any other; confequently it is not to be wondered at to find fo great part of the world is under the tyranny of the Turk. Neither is it at all to be wondered at that fuch a number of thofe pro- felling [ 7S ]' felling chrlflians fliould : believe a great number of erroneous dodlrines, and live in the practice o'f abfurd fuperllitions, becaufe it is to be confidered that the prevalency of education has a mighty and powerful elred: on mankind, clpecially on weak heads and obfli- nate hearts. ^ •• - And when v/e confider what an awe an Inquifition mufl have upon timorous and irrefolved perfonsyyeaupon ftout hearts, (liberty being dear and precious to all manldnd) it is not to be wondered at : but now when a great number ofperfons who are fober and inquifitive, fhall, contrary to the principles of their education, and without fear of any human power and force, (which they before- hand are fenfible will perfecute and punifli them) and after diligent enquiry made into the ground on which they believe, forfake all their former perfwafions, and refolvedly adhere to the truth of the doctrine propound- ed to them, though it cofl them their lives -, if this is not a fufficient reafon to think their doftrine true, we mufl believe mankind to be the mod filly, miferable, unhappy creatures in the world, that will, with fo much refolution, part with all the advantage of this life, for the fake of one to come, if that be not undoubtedly certain, and the dodlrine propofing it infallibly true. It is an obfervable circumflance In the propagation of the chriflian religion, that though God made choice at firft of perfons generally of mean rank and condition in the world, to be preachers of the gofpel, " Choofing the weak things of the world, as the apoHlc faid, to confound the things that are { 79 3 *' are mighty," i Cor. i. 27. God thereby making *' it clearly appear that " our faith doth not fland ♦' in the wifdom of men, but in the power of God," I Cor. ii. 5. yet foon ' after the gofpel was preached abroad in the world, we find per ions of great rank and reputation for great p^rts and abilities, engaged in the profeflion of the chrillian faith. In the hiiloryof the a6ls of the apoflles we read of Sergius, a procehful of Dionyfius the Areopagite, con- verted to the faith of Chrifl. And in the fucceeding ages of the church, many perfons of great eminency for their excellent learning and abilities, fuch as Juflin martyr ; one, who before he became a chriflian, was very converfant with, all the fedls of the philofophers, ftoics, peripatetics, pythagoreans, and at laft was a profefTed platonift, till he was converted from Plato to Chrifb, and then found that true which he fpeaks of, in his dialogue with Trypho : that after all his enqui- ries into philofophy (fpeaking of the docftrine of Chrifl) that he found chriflianity to be the only fure and pro- fitable philofophy. And when Trypho derides him as a man of very eafy faith, for leaving the dodrlne of Plato for that of Chriil, (for we find by him, the Jews then had a more favourable opinion of the Platonifls than of the chriftians) Juftin Martyr is fo far from be- ing moved with fuch reproaches, that he tells him, he wpujd undertake to demonflrate to him, that the chrill- ians did not give credit to empty fables, or any afTer- tions that were not to be proved, but to fuch a doflrinc as was full of a divine fpirit and power, and flourillied with grace. At [ 8o ] At Alexandria we meet with a fucceflion of excellent perfons, who not only embraced chriflianity themfelves^ but became defenders of the faith. Eufebius informs us, that Pantoenus was an excel- lent floick before he became a chriftian, who after- wards was very zealous for the caufe of Chrifl : that, in imitation of the apollles, he went into India, in or- der to convert the inhabitants to chriflianity, and at his return was made redor of the fchool at Alexandria, which (as the fame author informs us) was much fre- qiTcnted by fuch, who were well ikilled in human, as well as divine learning. The learning of Origen is fufficientiy known, which was in fuch great reputation, in his own time, that not only chriftians but philofophers flocked to his le<5lures at Alexandria, as Eufebius informs us, where he read the mathematicks and other parts of philofophy, as well as the facred fcriptures. And the fame author in- forms us, that the philofophers dedicated their books to him, and frequently chofe him as arbitrator, relating to matters of difpute. And Porphyry himfelf, in his book againfl: the chriftians, fpeaks with great refpedl and veneration of Origen, and makes a high encomium ©n him for his excellent learning. In Origen's time, Hercules, a prefbyter of Alexan- dria, for five years together, frequented the fchools of the philofophers, and put on the philofophic pallium, and was very converfant in the books of the Grecian learning. At [ 8i ] At Cacfaraca among the chriflians, there was an emi- nent fchool of learning for all branches of literature : fuch were the famous Pamphilus : and Eufebius was fo great an admirer of him, that ever after he was called Eufebius Pamphili. At Antioch was Doro- theus, as Nicephorus informs us, a perfon verfed in all kinds of ingenious literature. Anetolius, bifhop of Laodicea, one verfed in geometry, aflronomy, and all kinds of philofophy, as well as in the do6lrine of Chrill. We find in thofe early days of the Greek church, what excellent perforis many of thofe were, who were zealous profelTors of chriflianity. As to the Latin churh, St. Auftin was a flar of the firft magnitude among them. Tertullian, Arnobius, and feveral others, may be defervedly added to them. St. Auflin juftly obferves, that though the Ifraelites went rich out of Egypt, yet it v/as their eating the pafT- over, which faved them from deilru6lion. And though thefe men had the ornaments of human learning, yet it was their eating the true pafTover, (which was Chrift, by their adhering to his do(5lrine) that was of more advantage to them, than ail their other accomplifli- ments. Therefore as we find in the firil ages of chrifl- ianity, not only innumerable multitudes of perfons of great integrity and fobriety in their lives and conver- fations, who embraced the do6lrine of Chrift, but alio many perfons diat were very inquifitive enquirers after truth, and the reafon and nature of things ; we can find no jiiil caufe to diftruftfuch a teflimony, which was received in fo unanimous a manner, by perfons as well II qualilied [ 82 ] qualified to judge of the truth and reality of it, and as fearful of being deceived with reference to them, as any one in that prefent age pofTibly can be, yea much better, by reafon of their living almoil fixteen hundred centuries nearer the time of the blelTed Jefus's appear- ance in the world. Therefore as this teilimony was received by perfons who v/ere very curious fearchers after the truth and nature of things, fo the do6lrine conveyed by it was a matter of the highefl moment. Confequently we cannot but conceive, that perfons ori- ginally inquifitive about other things, would be more than ordinary fo about this, becaufe their eternal v/el- fare and happinefs did depend upon it. All perfons that are in reality truly religious, muft at lead be fup- pofed to be very inquifitive after the ftate and condition of their fouls, elpecially upon a teftimony, if they had little or no affurance of the truth of it. That none of all thefe perfons who were rational and judicious in all human knowledge, lliould be able to difcover the falfity, if any. It is not reconcilable with the general prefumption of mankind concerning Divine Providence, and the care God takes of them, to fup- pofe fo many perfons who fincerely defire to ferve God in that v/ay and manner v/hich is mioil pleafing to him, to go on in fuch a continual delufion, and never have it at all difcovered to them. If all thofe who have be- lieved in the doflrine of Chrifl to be the only vv^ay to falvation have been deceived, v/e mud either deny al- together a Divine Providence, or fay, the devil hatli more power to deceive mankind, than God to dired: them, which is worfe than the former j or elfe ailerr, that [ 83 ] that there are no fuch beings as eitlier God or Devil, but that all things came to pafs by blind chance and fortune. If fo, it makes it flill more inexplicable why fuch multitudes of rational creatures, the thoughful, ferious, inquifitive part of mankind, as to fuch things, fhould all be pofTefTed with the truth and certainty of them ; and the greater the reprobate, the more igno- rant, wicked, and profane any perfons are, the more prone they are to mock and deride the religious and inquifitive part of mankind, who believe them. If fuch perfons fee miOre into reafon and truth than the fober and judicious part of mankind, let us bid adieu to humanity, and adore the brutes, if we admire their judgments moft, who come the nearell to them. The multitudes of the beforementioned peribns con- fenting to the truths of the gofpel of Chril, could have no other engagements to this confent, but only their firm perfwafion of the truth of the dodlrine conveyed by it, by reafon they who unanimouQy agree in it, are fuch perfons whofe other defign and intereft in the world differ as much as men's do. If it had only been a confent of Jews, there might have been fome probable pretence to have fufpected a matter of interefl in it. But as to this thing, we find the Jews divided amongft themfelves concerning it, do yet in- violably preferve thofe facred records amongft them, from which the truth of the dodrine of Chrifl may be undoubtedly proved. Had the chriftian religion been enforced upon th£ world by the Roman emperors at the time of its pro- mulgation, there would have been fome fufHcient fuf- H 2 plCQV [ H ] picion of a particular defign in it -, but on the contraiy, though it came with no other authority or ftrcngth but the evidence of its own truth, yet it made a flrange and fudden alteration among perfons of all nations and degrees of men in a very Ihort time, making its way into the very heart of the Roman empire, fpreading itfelf fo much, as that all forts and conditions of men, in innumerable places, were faddenly become chriflians. What common tye could there be to unite all thefe perfons, if the undoubted truth and certainty of the dodlrine of Chrift had not, which was hrft preached to them by thofe perfons who were eye witnelTes of Chrifl's a(51;ions, and had left facred records concerning the very quinteifence of the do6trines of Chrift, thofe admira- ble inftrudions, which were their only fure and certain guide to heaven. There are innumerable perfons who do acknowledge the truth of chriftianity, and yet could heartily wifh that the dodirines of it were not true : fuch are all thofe perfons who are fenfual in their lives, and walk not agreeable to the rules of the gofpel, yet dare not quef- tion or deny the truth of it. Such who could heartily wifh there was no future ftate, nor judgment to come, that they miight indulge themfelves in this world with- out fear of another : and yet their confciences are fo far convinced of, and awed by the truth of it, that they raife many perplexities and anxieties in their minds, which they v/ould be m.oft willingly rid of, and which they never thoroughly can be, till inftead of having the namx of chrifcians, or being profefTors ©nly, they come to live the life of chriftians, and are the [ 8j ] the difciples indeed of the blelTed JeHis ; and are be- come experimentally acquainted with the truth and power of the holy religion of Jefus, which he has af- fured mankind ihall be the happy cafe of all thofe who " hath his commandments and keepeth them, by ma- " nifefting himfelf to fuch in a very peculiar way and " manner," as promifed by him, recorded in John xiv. 21. " who fhall know the truth fo as to make *' them free," John viii. 32. and be fully fatisfied in themfelves, *' the dofbrine is from God,'* vii. 17. Therefore we find the more mankind have been ac- quainted with the praflice of chriftianity, the greater evidence they have had of the truth of it, and confe- quently have been more fully and rationally perfuaded of its veracity. There are fuch powerful evidences of the truth of the do6lrine of Chriil, by the effedlual workings of the fpirit of God upon their fouls, that all other arguments, as to their own fatisfadion, may and do fall fhort of thefe. The poet Dautes is very per- tinent and fignificant, when he had introduced St, Peter, afking him what it was his faith was founded on, he anfwers, that the fpirit of God doth fo fully dif- cover itfelf both in the Old and Nev/ Teftament, that all other arguments are but dull and heavy, if com- pared with it. A truly enlightened confcience, a real vital chrifbian, difcovers fo much beauty, excellency, and dignity in the facred fcriptures, that they charm and ravilh the foul, which is unable to give a juft idea of it to others, wko are not thus experienced, by reafon the eyes of tlieir underltandings, are not illuminated to H :? f€C [ 86 ] fee Its beauty and excellency, which a mind truly gra- cious is invefted with. How common is it in the world to find the attraction of beauty to be an unaccountable thing ? One perfon does difcover beauty and charms in fome thinas, which others look on as mean and ordi- nary, if not contemptible ; and why may not it be much more fo in fpiritual and divine things, by thofe who want fpiritual eyes to difcover them ? Therefore it is, that good men enjoy that fatisfadion in their own confcience, relating to the truth of the gofpel, which others do not attain to, though they likewife fee the mofl rational, fhrong, and convincing evidences, which induces them to believe its divine authority ; which evidence is then mofl convincing, when it is fe- conded by the peculiar energy of the fpirit of God upon their fouls : but yet we fee the power and force of the truth of thefe things may be fo great, even upon fuch munds which are not yet moulded into the fafhion of true goodnefs, that it does awe v/ith its light and clearnefs, where it does not foften and alter by its heat and influence. Therefore whence com*eth to pafs that fuch povverful convidlions Hiould ftick fo clofc to the confciences of thofe who would fain pull out thofe piercing arrows, but that they find a greater power in them than they are maflers of ? therefore they cannot (land againfl the force with which they come upon them, neither find any falve to cure the wounds which are made within them, but by thofe very v/eapons which were the caufes of them : and therefore v/hen wicked perfons under conflicts of confcience, cannot eafe themfelves by direct atheifm, or fmding reafons to cafl off fuch conviclions, by difcovering any invalidity in the [ S7 ] the tefdmony whereon the truth of thefe things depend, it is a certain and fure argument that there is abundance of truth in that tefliniony, when mankind would endea- vour to perfuade themfelves to beheve the contran^ and yet cannot. The truth of this confent appears from the unanimity of it among thofe perfons who have yet ilrangely differed from each other in many con- troverfies in rehgion. We fee hereby that this unanimity is no forced or defigned thing, becaufe we fee the per- fons agreeing in this, do verv much difagree from each other in other things •, and the fame grounds and rea- fons wherein they diiagree as to other things, vrould have held as thefe too, was there no greater evidence of the certainrr of thefe things than of thofe they difagree in. It is not a queftion among thofe who differ fo much about the fenfe of fcripture, whether the fcrip- ture itfelf be the word of God, although the very ac- counts on which mankind believe it to be fb hath been the fubject of no mean controverfy. All the different denominations of chriftians in the Vv'hole world do agree in the matters of fact relative to it. That there was fuch aperfon as Jefus Chrifl, and that he did many great and wonderful miracles ; that he was crucified at Jerufalem, and rofe again from the dead the third day -, now thefe fads contain the great fuperflruclure of the chrillian faith : and tlierefore the multitude of other conrroverfies in the v.orld ought to be fo far from weakeninp; our faith as to the tnilh. of the do which was then grown a common cuflom. Nay, the primitive chriflians were very fcrupulous of calhng the Emperor Dominus, or Lord, becaufe the venerable name Lord was an attri- bute of God's, appUed as a name to him only in holy writ. The reafon of their fcrupulofity was not from any queflion they made of the fovereignty of princes, or their obligation to their obedience to them, (which they were very free in the acknowledgment of) but from a jealoufy and juft fufpicion that fomething of divine ho- nour might be implied in it ; efpecially as the adoration of princes was grown a cuftom. Neither would the chriflians obferve their public feflivals in the way and manner others did, which was attended with abundance of loofenefs and debauchery, by all forts of perfons, and was deemed and accounted by them a piece of real loy- alty \ which made the chriflians choofe the hazard of lofing their reputation of loyalty, than bear a part in fuch wickednefTes then ufed. They would have nothing to do either with the mad- nefs of the cirque, or the immodefly of the theatre, or the cruelty of the ampitheatrc, or the vanity of the public wrefllings. Therefore we fee what a hard tafk the primitive chriflians had, when fo many laws were laid, as birdlime or traps in their way, to catch them ; fo that it was impofTible for them to profefs thcmfelves chriflians, and not run into a praemunire by their laws j and therefore it cannot be conceived that many, out of afFcdation of novelty, Ihould then declare themfelves chriflians, [ 99 ]• chriftians, when fo much hazard attended the profcfTing of chriftlanity. Soft fpirited men, and lovers of their own eafe, would have found fome fine diflindlions and nice evafions to have reconciled themfelves to the public laws, by fuch things as the primitive chriftians fo unanimoufly refufed, becaufe tending to profanenefs or idolatry. Therefore the weapons whereby the apoftles ajid pri- mitive chriftians encountered the heathen world, were not fleftily or weak, but exceeding ftrong and power- ful, in that they obtained fo great a conqueft, 2 Cor. X. 4, 5. oyer the imaginations and carnal reafoning of men, (which were their ftrong holds they feaired them- felves in) as to make them readily forfake their heathen worfhip, and become chearful fervants of Chrift. Thus we fee the power of the do6i;rine of Chrift, which prevailed over the principles of education, though backed with pretended antiquity, univerfality, and though eftablifhed by civil lav/s : which will appear if we confider that not only the matters of faith were con- trary to the principles of their education, but becaufe many of them feemed to be incredible to the natural reafon of mankind, that we cannot think perfons would be ever forward to believe fuch things. Every one almoft being fo very ready to take any advantage againft a religion which did fo little flatter corrupt nature, either as to its power or capacity ; in-' fomuch that thofe who preached this do(51rine, declared openly to the world that fuch perfons who would judge of tjie chriftian dodrine by fuch principles v.^hich merQ I 2 natural [ lOO ] natural reafon did proceed upon, (thofc whom St. Paul declared acknowledged nothing fuperior to natural rea- fon, whereby to judge of divine truths) could >not en- tertain matters of faith, or of divine revelation. But fuch things would feem but folly to them that owned no higher principles than philofophy, or that did not believe fuch a divine revelation. Such perfons cannot know them by or from their, philofophy. See i Cor. ii. 14. becaufe a divine revelation is the only way to come to a thorough underftanding of them. And to fuch perfons who do not believe fuch a divine revelation, it is impoffible they fliould be competent judges of the dodrine of Chrifl: j fo that the only ground of receiving the do6trine of the gofpel is upon a divine revelation or declaration, that God himfelf, by his only begotten and well-beloved fon, and his apollles, hath revealed or declared thefe grand and im- portant myfteries to the world as truth. On which ac- count it is, we are in duty and gratitude bound to re- ceive them, although they are infinitely fuperior to our poor, fliort-fighted, hmited underftandings and com- prehenfions. But we fee generally in tlie world how few of thofe did believe the dodlrine of Chriil, in comparifon to thofe who were the great admirers of the philofophy and way of learning which was then in vogue, and fo much cried up. The reafon v/as, becaufe chriflianity not only contained far deeper truths and myfteries than any they were acquainted with, but were delivered too in a way of great authority, commanding them to believe the dodrinc dextrine they preached, on the account of the divine authority of the revealers of it. Such manner of pro- pofal of dodlrines to the world die philofophers of the Greeks were unacquainted with, which on that account they derided, not being fuited to the exa6l method which their fcienccs proceeded on. No doubt, if the apoflles had come among the Greeks with a great deal of pomp and oilentation, and had fed men's curiofities with vain and unnecefTary fpe- culations, they might have had as many followers among the Greeks, for their fakes, as Chrift had among the Jews for the lake of the loaves and fifhes. But the affairs of the gofpel being of more inward worth and moment, than of outward pomp and fhow, the vain and empty Greeks prefently had a quarrel with the manner of propofing them, as that they came not in a way of clear demonilration, but infilled fo much upon faith as foon as they were delivered. Thence Celfus and Galen thought they had reafon enough to rejecft the laws of Mofes, and of Chrift, becaufe Celfus found that they were fuch dodrines which required faith and obedience, without giving the reafon of mankind (as they thought) an ' account of the things commanded ; as if the authority of the great legiflator Chriil, fufficiendy manifeiled, was not enough to enforce a law, unlefs a fufficient account were given of the things required, to the purblind reafon of every individual perfon's aduated pafTions and private interefls, as to the juflice and equity of it. And fo the primary obligations to faith and obe- I 3 dience> [ 102 ] dience, on the part of mankind, muft arife not from the evidence of divine authority, but of the thing itfelf, which is revealed to the mofl impartial judgment of every one to whom it is propofed : which thofe who are fenfible how fhort and limited the flock of reafon is, at the befl, in mankind, and how eafily that which they have, is moulded and falhioned, according to pre- judices and intereft already entertained, will look upon only as a defign to comply with the carnal delires of mankind, in that thereby none fhall be bound to go any further than their blind and corrupted mind Ihall lead them. Now thefe being the terms on which the gofpel of Chrifl mufl have expeded entertainment in the gentile world, how impofTible had it been ever to have found any fuccefs amongft mankind, had there not been a fuf- ficient evidence given to it, by the power of miracles ? That however flrange and incredible the dodrine might have feemed, yet it was to be believed, becaufe there was fufficient means to convince mankind it was of divine revelation. Neither were thofe matters of faith contrary only to the corrupt inclinations of the world, but likewife were the precepts of life j fo alfo are thofe things in chrillianity which concerned pradlice. There are two grand things which are the main fcope and defign of chriflianity, neceflary to take mankind off from their fins and the world, and of all things thefe are they which the hearts of mankind are fo in- cumbered with. For r 103 ] For the precepts of the gofpel are fuch which re- quire the greatefl purity of heart and hfe, Matth. v. 8. and which call upon mankind to deny themfelves, Matth. xvi. 24. " and all ungodlinefs and worldly lulls, and to " live foberly, and righteoufly, and godly, in this pre- " fent world, Titus ii. 12. " That they muft be " cleanfed from all filth inefs both of flefh and fpirit, " and muft perfe<5l holinefs in the fear of God, 2 Cor. " vii. I, Having named the name of Chrift, they " muft depart from all iniquity, 2 Tim. ii. 19. That *' they muft fet their afFe6lions on things above, not on " things on the earth," CololT. iii. 2. and that the gof- pel enforceth thefe precepts of holinefs with the moft terrible denunciations of the wrath of God on thofe who difobey them. That " the Lord Jefus Chrift " ftiall be revealed from heaven, with his mighty an- " gels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that " know not God, and that obey not the gofpel of Jefus " Chrift ; who ftiall be puniftied with everlafting de- " ftrudion from the prefence of the Lord, and from " the glory of his power," 2 Theft: i. 7, 8, 9. That " the wrath of God is revealed from heaven againft all '* ungodlinefs, and unrighteoufnefs of men, who hold " the truth in unrighteoufnefs," Rom. i. 18. That no perfon who lives in the habitual pradtice of any- known fm^ Ihall inherit the kingdom of God, i Con vi. 9, 10. " That no man ftiould deceive them with " vain words : for becaufe of thefe things cometh the '' wrath of God upon the children of difobedience," Eph. V. 6. That mankind do but vainly flatter them- felves, when they feek to reconcile unholy lives with I 4 the [ 104 ] the hopes of future happinefs : for the dodrinc of the gofpel pofitively declares, " that without holinefs no *' man (hall fee the Lord," Heb. xii. 14. And then in reference to things of this prefent hfe, which mankind bufy themfelves fo much about, the gofpel pofitively declares, that " they who love this world, the love of " the Father is not in them, i John ii. 15. That the '•' friendlliip of this world is enmity with God. Who- " foever therefore will be a friend of the world, is " enmity with God, James iv. 4. That they mufl not " look at the things which are feen, but at the things '' v/hich are not feen j for the things w^hich are {qcw " are temporal ; but the things which are not feen arc " eternal, 2 Cor. iv. 18. For the converfadon of real *' chriilians is in heaven," Philip, iii. 20. Therefore the bleffed Jefus hath commanded them to " lay up " for themfelves treafures in heaven, where neither *' moth nor ruft doth corrupt, and where thieves do not <« break through and fleal," Matt. vi. 20. Now die whole defign of the doclrine of Chrift being to per- fuade mankind to lead a holy and heavenly life while they are in this world, " thereby to be made meet par- '' takers of the inheritance with the faints in light^'* ColofT. i. 12. Therefore can we think fuch numbers of perfons whofe hearts were wedded to fm and the world, could fo fuddenly have been brought off from both thefe enchantments, without a divine power accompa- nying that doctrine w^hich was preached to them ? St. Paul declared, " He was not afhamed of the gofpel " of Chrifl, it being the power of God unto falvation," " Rom. [ 105 3 Rom. 1. 1 6. for indeed, no other power could be thus prevalent. Though the gofpel of Chrift be the only true myftery, yet the propagators of it do not do by it as the hea- thens are wont to do with their famous Eleufinian m.y- lleries, which was kept fo fecret by all the myft^. St. Paul declares he knew no reafon he had to be afhamed of any thing in the eyes of the gofpel, that he fhould labour its concealment, or fhould not advance its vene- ration ; for the more public the gofpel is, the more It manifefls its power, for through it God is pleafed mightily to work, in order to the falvation both of Jev/ and Gentile : and of all the fuccefs of the gofpel, that upon the lives of mankind deferves the greateil confideration. The great efficacy and power of the gofpel was abundantly feen in that great alteration v/hich it wrought in all thofe who were the hearty em- bracers of it. The philofophers did very frequently and defervedly complain of the great inefficacy of all their moral pre- cepts upon the minds of mankind, and that by all their inflruclions they improved more in knowledge than in real goodnefs. But now chriflianity not only enforced greater duties on mankind with greater power and au- thority ; for the fcriptures does, as St. Auflin fpeaks, not make fome obflreperous, or clamorous, like thofe tinkling cymbals the philofophers, but it awes the fouls of mankind with the majefly of that God from whom they come. Neither was it a great and empty found, which was heard in the preaching of the gofpel ; but v/hen [ io6 ] when God thundered therein, he " broke down the *' ftately cedars, and fhook the wildernefs, and made *' the hind to calve, and difcovered the forefts : and in *' his temple doth every one fpeak his glory," Pf. xxix. 5. 8^ 9. He humbled the pride of mankind, unfettled the gentile world from its former foundations, and wrought great alterations on all thofe who attended it, fo as to obey it. The whole defign of the gofpel is comprized in thofe words which St. Paul afllires us were fpoken to him by the blefled Jcfas himfelf, when he ordained him to be his apoflle, which was, " to open men's eyes, and to *^ turn them from darknefs to light, and from the *' powTr of Satan unto God j that they might receive *^ forgivenefs of fins, and an inheritance among them *' which are fan6lified by faith in Jefus Chrift,*' A6ls xxvi. 18. And the efficacy of this dodrine, in order to thefe great ends, was abundandy feen in the preach- ing of that apoftle, who was moil inftrumental in converting mankind to fobriety and holinefs. What flrange perfons were the Corinthians, before they were converted to chriftianity ? for when St. Paul had enumerated many or mod of the vilell and moll abominable pradices of mankind, he immediately adds, *' and fuch were fome of you ; but yc are walhed, but *' ye are fandlified, but ye are juilified in the name of <« the Lord Jefus, and by the fpirit of our God,'* i Cor. vi. 10, 1 1. The more dangerous any diflemper is, the more malignant is its nature, the more inveterate its continu- ance. [ 107 ] ance, the greater muft be the efficacy of the remedy, which works the cure of it, and the power of grace is therefore certainly the more feen in converfion, the greater the lins have been before it. It is an eafier matter for to remove a difeafe on its firft onfet, than it is to cure if, when it is of a very long continuance. Now the grand power and efficacy of the gofpel wrought upon all forts and kinds of perfons, to mani- feft to the world there was no diftemper of men's Ibuls fo great but there was a poffibility of a remedy for it; and not only fo, but pregnant and vifible inftances were given of the power and efficacy of it ; for they themfelves fhew oft, faith St. Paul, " what manner of " entering in we had among you, and how ye turned " unto God from idols to ferve the living and true *' God, and to wait for his fon from heaven, whom he *' raifed from the dead ; even Jefus, which delivered us " from the wrath to come," i ThefT. i. 9, 10. Now that which manifelled the exceeding great power and excellency of the gofpel was, that it not only turned men from one way of worihip to another, which is an affair of fome difficulty, but that it turned men alio together with that, from their lulls and fenfuality, to a holy and unblameable life : for iinners being more in love with their fins than opinions, it muft necelTa- rily be a greater power which draws mankind from the pradtice of habitual fins, than that which makes them only change their opinions, or alter the way of worfhip they were brought up in. This [ io8 3 This is that which Origen, throughout his works againft Celfus, triumphs in, as the mofl fignal evidence of a divine power in the dodrine of Chrift, that it wrought fo great an alteration in all thofe that truly embraced it : thofe who were vicious, debauched and difTolute, it made them temperate, fober and religious. The do(5trine of Chrift converted the moft wicked who villified it, (from all their debaucheries) to a life moft fuitable to nature and reafon, and to the pra6lice of all virtues •, therefore certainly the gofpel could not want that commendation among all the ingenuous mo- ralifts, that it v/as the moft excellent inftrument in the world to reform the lives of mankind, and to promote real goodnefs in it, when they could not but take no- tice of fo many perfons continually fo brought off from their vain converfations and folly, to a life feri- ous, fober, and unblameable •, nay, and fome of the chriftians were perfons of fo much integrity and good- nefs, that their greateft enemies were forced to fay that their only fault was that they were real chriftians. " Bonus " vir cujus tantum quod chriftianus, (a very good man, '' only a chriftian) :" but one would have thought this Ihould have made them have a higher opinion of chriftia- nity, when it did fo fuddenly make fo many good men in the world *, efpecially when this power was fo manifefted on perfons who were fuppofed incapable of being re- formed by philofophy \ young, illiterate, mean-fpirited perfons. Therefore it may be juftly fuppofed that it was not by the ftrcngth of their own reafon that this alteration was [ I09 3 was wrought within them, but by that divine power which was able to tame the mod unruly, to inftruc^ the mofl ignorant, to raife up the mofl fordid perfons to fuch a generous temper, as to flight the good things of this life, in comparifon of thofe which are to come. And fo remarkable was the difference of life then between thofe who were chriftians, and thofe who were not, (as there is now between a real vital chriftian and a libertine, a free-thinker) that Origen therefore dares Celfus for to compare them, in point of morality, with any other focieties of mankind in the world;, for the churches of God which are difcipled to Chrifl, when compared with other focieties, fhine among them like hghts in the world ; for who can but confefs that even the very worft part of the chriftian churches exceeds the beft of the popular aflemblies ? for he allures him that the church of God which was at Athens was very quiet and peaceable, becaufe it fought to approve itfelf only to God -, but the popular affemblies at Athens were feditious and quarrelfome, and in nothing comparable to the church of Chrift there : fo it is, if we compare the churches of Corinth and Alexandria v/ith the affemblies of the people there. So that any candid enquirer after truth will exceedingly wonder, (how fuch a fair ifland fhould appear in the midft of fuch a fea of wickednefs as was in thefe cities ; and how thefe churches of God fhould be planted in fuch rude and profane places : fo the fame author goes on to compare the church's fenate with that of the city's. The church officers, with theirs of the affembly, appealed and declared that thofe among them who v/ere moft lukewarm in their office, did yet far ex- ceed [ no ] ceed all the city magiftrates in all manner of virtues. Now if thefe things be fo, how reafonable and becoming is it that all vital chriftians fhould admire and adore the divine power and goodnefs of God, who brought about and accompliflied fuch glorious defigns and ends by his only begotten Son, and that not only for the converfion and falvation of a few, but of great multitudes ? The twelve apoftles were the firfl fruits of this plentiful har- veft of converts which afterwards fucceeded ; and al- though Celfus (an Epicurean) feems to deny the pofTi- bility of any fuch thing as converfion, by reafon cuflo- mary fins become a fecond nature, that no punifhment can reform them, yet, faith Origen, he not only contra- dicted us chriftians, but all fuch who acknowledged any generous principles of philofophy, and did not defpair of recovering virtue, as a thing feafible by human na- ture ; and gives inflances to prove the polTibility of it from the antient heroes, Hercules and Ulyfles, and from the two philofophers Socrates and Mufonius, and the two famous converts to philofophy, Phasden and Poleman : but yet, faith he, thefe are not fo much to be wondered at, that the eloquence and reafon of the phi- lofophers fhould prevail on fome very few perfons, but that the mean and contemptible language of the apofbles Ihould convert fuch multitudes from intemperance to fobriety, from injuftice to fair dealing, from cowardice to the higheft conflancy, yea, fo great too as to lay down their very lives for the fake of virtue. How then can we but admire fo divine a power as was feen in it ! therefore it is fo far from being impoffible, that it is not at all difficult for corrupt nature to be al- tered [ III ] t^red and changed by the rich grace of God, in preach- ing the glorious gofpel of Chrifl. Ladantius excellently manifefls, that philolbphy could never do lb much good in the world as chriftianity did, by reafon that was not fuited at all to common ca- pacities, and did require fo much Rill in the adls to pre- pare men for it ; therefore it was impoflible all fhould be well fkilled in it, who yet are as capable of being happy as any others are •, and how inefficacious the prin- ciples of philofophy were to make them completely happy appeared by the philofophers themfelves, who were very far from having conquered their mafterly paflions, and were frequently obliged to acknowledge that nature was too headftrong to be helped by fuch weak reins as the precepts of philofophy were. The great influence that divine precepts have upon the fouls of mankind daily experience convinces every rational mind of i for thofe who before were palTionate, covetous, fearful, luflful, cruel, unjufl:, vicious, upon their being chriftians became mild, liberal, courageous, temperate, merciful, jufl, unblameable, which never any were brought to by mere philofophy, but rather taught the art of concealing vices, than of healing them. But now when chrillianity was fo effedual in the cure of thefe diftempers, which philofophy gave over as in-i curable, and cured them with fo great fuccefs, and that not in a Paracelfian way, for them to relapfe afterwards with greater violence ; but it did fo thoroughly unfettle the fomes morbi, that it fhould never get fo great a head [ 112 ] head again. Does not this argue a power more than phl» lolbphical,which could be nothing lefs than divine power, that tended fo much to reform all mankind, and pro- mote real virtue and goodnefs throughout the world ? When we confider what continual oppofition chriflia- nity met with fromi worldly power and policy, we ihall find it impolTible, that if it had been a cunningly divif- ed fable, or any mere contrivance of impoflors, but that it mufb have been difcovered, when the mofl potent and fubtile perfons bent their whole v/its to difcover it. It was the mafter defign of the Roman em.perors Julian and Dioclefian, to root out and abolifh chrifliianity. And was it only the fubtilty of the chriftians which made thefe potentates give over their purfuit in defpair of accom- plifhing it ? If the chriftians were fuch fubtile people, whence came all their enemies to agree in one common calumny, that they were a company of poor, weak, ignorant, inconfiderate mjcn ; and if they were fo, how came it to pafs that by all the power and wifdom of magiflracy and philofophy they could never exterminate thefe poor filly chriftians, but on the contrary, as they cut them down, they grew up the fafter, and fo in- creafed by perfecution, as was furprifing truly ? Therefore it mud neceflarily follow, that there muft be fomething more tlian ordinary, and very peculiar, in chriflianity, from all other religions, it not being ad- vanced or promoted by any civil powers, but on the contrary oppofed by them, and yet it gained ground by tlws tyranny. Therefore it is an obfervable circumftance, that the iirfl chrillian Emperor (who a6led as Emperor in de- fence [ n3 ] ferxce of the chrillian faith) viz. Conftantine, who did not appear in the world till chrillianity had fpread itfelf over moil parts of the habitable world : God thereby letting us fee that though the civil power, when be«» come chriftian, might be very ufeful for the protecting of chriilianity, yet that he flood in no need at all of it, in order to propagate it abroad in the world. But we find it was quite otherwife in that religion which had Mars its afcendant, (Mahometifm) for, like Para- celfus his dasmon, it always fat upon the pummel of the fword, and made its w^ay in the world merely by force and violence -, and as its firfl conflitution had much of blood in it, fo by the fame v/ay hath it been fed and nourifhed ever fince. But it was quite otherwife with the chriflian religion : this never thrived better than in the mofl barren places, nor triumphed more than when it fuffered mofr •, nor fpread itfelf farther than when it encountered the greatefl oppofition. And herein was feen the great force and efficacy of the dodlrine of Chrifl, that it bore up men's fpirits under the greatefl miferies of life, and made them with chearfulnels to undergo the mofl exquifite torments, which the cruelty of tyrants could invent or inflidl. The Stoics and Epicureans boafl that their wife men wuuld be happy in the bull of Phalaris, were but em.pty and Thrifonical words -, which none would venture the truth of by an experiment upon themfelves. It was the Chriflian alone, and not the Epicurean, that could truly fay, in the midfl of torments, " Suave efl ^ nihil euro :" and miglu juflly alter a little of that common faying of the chriflians. and fay, '* Non magna K ^' loquimur. [ "4 ] ** loquiniiir, fed patiniur," as well as vivimus^ i. e. tke chriflians did not fpeak great things, but do and fufFer them; and this gained not onh/ great reputation of inte- grity to themfelve^, but advanced the honour of their rehgion in the world, when it was fo apparently {ctn. that no force or power was able to withttand it. Will not this perfwade and convince you that the chriftian re- ligion comes from God, (is divine) confequently infallibly true ? You fee that no fears, penalties or torments were able to make a chriftian alter his profeilion, who widi chearflilnefs would rather bid adieu to life, than to his Saviour. This Origen likev/ife frequently takes notice of, v/hen Celfus had objected againft the novelty of chriftianity, " the more wonderful it is, (faith Origen) that in fo fhort a dme it fhould fo largely fpread itfelf in the world ; for if the cure of men's bodies is not wrought without a divine permifTive providence, how much lefs tlie cure of fo many thoufands of fouls, which have been converted at once to humanity and chriftia- nity •, efpecially when all the powers in the v/orld were, from the firft propagation of it, engaged to hinder the growth and progrefs of this glorious doftrine of the bleftedjefus? Andyet, notwithftandingall the oppofition of men and devils, the v/crd of God grew and multi- plied greatly, Ads vi. 7. and increafed in number daily, •A(5ls xvi. 5. and at length became mafters over all its enemies, and not only fpread itfelf quite through Greece, but through a great part of the world befides, and con- verted an innumerable company of fouls to the true w^orfliip and fervice of God. Thus [ ii5 ] Thus it is manifefl to every refleding, rational mind, from all the concomitant circiimftances of the propaga- tion of the glorious gofpel of the bieffed Jefus, that no- thing lefs then a divine power accompaning it was fuffi- cient to oppofe and defcroy the fury of worldly power and policy, and the prejudice, obltinacy and mialice of unbelievers, and to prevail on fuch an innumerable num- ber of perfons, contrary to the principles of their educa- tion, and to their indulged paffions and vices^ to their pride and coveteoufnefs, to fhake off all thefe their gol- den chains and fetters, and put 'on the yoke of Chrifi, '' and learn of him to be mcd<. and lowly in heart, Matt, " xi. 29. crucifying their fiefn, with the affections and " luits, Gal. V, 24. " m.ottifying their members v/hich " are upon the earth : fornication, uncleannefs, inordi- " nate affedlicn, evil ccncupifcence and coveteoufnefs •, " putting oft anger, wi-ath, malice, blafphemy, and fil- *' thy communication, having put off the eld man vvith " his deeds, and have put on the nev/ m.an, v/hich is re- "^ newed in knowledo-e, after the imao-e of him that '' created him, ColofT. iii. 5. 8, 9, 10. The eyes of their " underflanding being opened, and turned from dark- " nefs to light, and from the po\yer of Satan unto God, " that they may receive forgivenefs of fins, and inheri- " tance among them which are fandified by faith that " is in the bieffed Jefus," Acfls xxvi. iS. God grant this maybe your happy condition, that you m.ay in reality know fo as to experience with great pleafureand delight, in this your day, the things that belong to your peace and comfort in this world, and thofc which will be f'^'V your unfpeakable joy and happlnefs in tlie Vv'crld tc> K 2 come. [ "6 ] come, before they are for ever hid from yoiir eyes,' Therefore let me earneilly befeech you fo as to prevail with you not to wander any longer in the ftupid, wild, ridiculous mazes of infidelity, '' but feek the Lord " while he may be found •, call upon him while he is *' near," Ifa. Iv. 6. Labour to procure the knowledge of God's will, and to obtain his grace and favour. Search after the light of life, the Lord Jefus Chrift ; hearken to his inllrudions, obey his precepts. Do you not judge it fit and rational to follow after righteoufnefs, in order to obtain everlafting happi- nefs ? If fo, " look unto the rock whence ye are " hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are dig- « ged, Ifa. li. i. Have you not changed your glory for " that which doth not profit ? Be allonillied, O ye hea- «' vens! at this, and be horribly afraid •, be ye veiy de- " folate, faith the Lord, for my people hath commit- " ted two evils -, they have forfaken me the fountain of " living waters, and hev/ed them out cifterns, broken " cifterns, that can hold no v/ater, Jer.ii. 12, 13. There- *' fore henceforth be no more children, tolled to and '' fro, and carried about with every wind of dodrine " by the flight of men, and cunning craftinefs, where- " by they lie in v/ait to deceive," Eph. iv. 14. Beware of falfe teachers, whom St. Peter hath pro- phefied " fhall privily bring in damnable herefies, *' even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring *' upon themfelves fwift deflru6lion, 2 Peter ii. i. who " v/ere before of old ordained to this condemnation, " ungodly men turning the grace of our God into la- '^ fcivioufnefs, and denying the only Lord God, and " our ["7 3 " our Lord Jcfus Chrift, Jude iv. Let no man deceive *' you with vain words, for becaufe of thefe things '^ Cometh the wrath of God upon the children of difobe- " dience ♦, be not ye therefore partakers with them,'* Eph. V. 6, 7. but open your minds and hearts to con- viftion •, root out, extricate from thence all obilinacy ; Ihake off prejudices of every kind, in order that you may receive the truth in the love of it. You that have heard of the grand cmbafTy of the only begotten Son of God : you that have given little or no attention to it •, you that have read the glorious gofpel of Chrifl curfo- rily, with lefs credulity than you give to a common blun- dering, right or wrong news-paper, do not trifle away your precious time any longer. '' Wherefore do you ** fpend your money for that which is not bread ; and *' your labour for that which fatisfieth not ? hearken " diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, " and let your foul delight itfelf in fatnefs. Incline " your ear, and go unto Chrifl, and your foul Ihall *' live," ifa. Iv. 2, 3. Receive the divine word of his grace with humility and reverence, attention and can- dour, with an honefl upright heart, defirous of believ- ing and knowing the truth. Make it your principal Hudy frequendy and ferioufly to meditate on it. Impar- tially view and well weigh the whole defign and tenden- cy of chriflianity, and you will find it entirely calculat- ed to make mankind holy and good, Hke God himfelf, who fent redemption to his people -, " who fo loved the " world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that who- " foever believcth in him Ihould not perifh, but have " everlafling Hfe, John iii. 16. Who gave himfelf for " our fins, that he might deliver us from this prefent K 3 ^' evil [ ii8 } evil world, according to the will of God and our Fa- ther, Gal. i. 4. w^ho was wounded for our tranfgref- fions, and bruifed for our inicjuities, the chaftifement of our peace was upon him, and with his ftripes are we healed," lia. liii. 5. difpelling the fling of death t of our corrupted polluted nature, v/ho bore our fins his own body on the tree, and that for no other reafon, confideration, or motive whatever, " than that mankind might become dead to fin, and might live unto righteoufnefs, i Peter ii. 24. in order to make us meet partakers of the faints in light, Colof. r. 12. and to receive a crown of glory that fadetli not away, I peter v. 4. a crown of righteoufnefs, which the Lord the righteous Tudse fliall mvt unto all them that love his appearing, 2 Tim. iv. 8. who v/ill ren- der unto every man according to his deeds ; to them wiio by patient continuance in well doing feek for glory, honour, and immortality -, eternal life : but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the the truth, but obey unrighteoufnefs^ indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguilh, unto every foul of man that doeth evil^ of the Jew firfl and alfo of the Gentile -, but glory honour and peace to every man that worketh good •, to the Jew firfl, and alfo to the Gentile : for there is no refpe^t of perfons v/ith God, Rom. ii. 6. to 12. Be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatfoever a man fov/eth, that fliall he alfo reap-, for he that fow^eth to his flefh fliall of his flefli reap corruption, but he that foweth to the fpi- rit, fliall of the fpirit reap life everlafting," Gal. vi. 7, 8, Therefore let me befeech you to examine your own hearts^ [ "9 ] hearts whether it is your incUnation and defire to be fuch perfons in all refpedls as the fublime religion of the bleiTed Jefiis requires mankind to be, which your con- fciences mull tell you is rational. Would you be befl pleafed to find his religion tme or falie ? are you willing to reft latisfied in your increduli- ty, and lb think no more about it ? Confider, if you have any beloved, accufcomed, favourite paffions which you like to indulge, and that are contrary to the purity and holinefs of the do6lrine of Chrift, and which you vainly imagine the religion of nature does not forbid you, but may indulge without incurring the difplea- fure of almighty God, If this is your real cafe, which is very much to be feared is the cafe of many, what will be the confequence of all fuch Deifts or Freethinkers, who defire and en- deavour not to believe in divine revelation. I anfwer, the confequence of all fuch v/ill be, that they will not be at any pains in order to find it true : they will not fo much as pray to almighty God to enlighten their underilandings in order to receive the truth in the love of it, by reafon they do not deiire the chriftian religion to be true, the morals of it being too refined for them ; they don't indulge brutiili fenfuality. Chriftianity requires purity of heart and holinefs of life. It commands men to fet bounds to all their palTions, to the luft of their fielli, the luft of the eyes, and the pride of life, and requires them to be humbled, mortified, and fubdued in heart, which is not at all pleafing to carnal minds, " who love darknefs rather that light, becaufe ^' their deeds are evil, John iii. 19. for they hated the K 4 " %ht. f 120 ] " light, neither cometh to the light, left their deeds " fhcjuld be reproved,'* ver. 20. Therefore in order to llifle and filence their confcience, they will and do fur- nifh their minds with every loofe iinreftrained principle, which has the leaft Ihadow of reafon to favour their dar- ling fins, their beloved vices. They v^ill readily and chearfully embrace every audacious author that endea- vours to undermine and invalidate the authenticity of the divine oracles, and love dearly the company of thofe that burlefque them, that are fatyrical, witty in their vain imaginations, are wife in their own conceits : their favourites fhall be thofe who can bring moft argu- ments in order to ridicule chrillianity. Tis to be feared this is the difpofition and practice of many of our mo- dern failiionabledeiflical freethinkers, or, to fpeak more properly, inflaved thinkers : becaufe they are tied and chained with their lulls and pafTions, and therefore can't think freely, no more than a Have can a6l freely. To fuch pitiful perfons, all the moft cogent arguments chriftians are capable to bring, though fet off with the greateft reafon and eloquence, in order to recommicnd the refined, pure religion of the bleffed Jefus, are of no fervice to thofe who are thus wilfully enflaved, blind and deaf. You Deifts would do well, exceeding well, and ad rationally, thoroughly to confider and well weigh the reafons which the bleffed Jefus has given, why fo many unbelievers continue in their blindnefs and wil- ful obftinacy, which is as follows : " This is the con- " demnation, that light is come into the world, and *' men loved darknefs rather than light, becaufe their " deeds are evil," John iii. 19. No wonder then that fuch [ 121 ] fuch enflavcd thinkers and adlors do not embrace the truth in the love of it, fince their deeds or a«5tions, and truth and goodnefsjis at fuch variance and enmity one with another. Therefore now my hearty and fincere prayer to almighty God is, that he would permit fome fore afHidlion to befall all fuch enflaved thinkers and aftors, in order to alarm, roufe and frighten them, fo as that they might come to their right fenfes, and ihake off their chains and fetters, which is the principal caufe of their incredulity, that they may be defirous and willing to come to the knowledge of the truth, fo as to be thoroughly convinced and con- verted, and become the difciples indeed of the blefTed Jefus, vital chriflians, real believers. Almighty God has declared that " in the timeof trou-^ ^ ble mankind will fay, arife and fave us, Jer. ii. 27. in " their affli6lion they will feekme early," Hofea v. 15. The royal pfalmift m,ofl pioufly acknowledged that before " he was afflicted he went aflray, but afterwards he " kept God's word -, and again he abfolutely declares " that it was good for him that he had been afliidled, " that he might learn the ilatutcs of God. And that the *' law of his mouth was better unto him than thoufands " of gold and filver," Pfalms cxix. 71, 72. God al- mighty grant afflidions and calam.ities may have this genuine and happy effed on you ; then you will think yourfelves obliged to me for praying for afflidions for you, and be exceeding thankful to God for permitting them to befall you. O that you may fee with your eyes and hear with your ears, and be converted and healed, which will be in reality your happy cafe, if with humility and fin- cerity, and fervency of foul, you pray to God, and hearken to [ 122 ] to Ills word, and feck him, and fearch for him witli all your he3.rt, then he will be found of you, Jer. xxix. 12,13, 14. God grant that you may know in this your day the things which belong to your everlafting peace, before the night of death comes, when they will be for ever hid from your eyes. '' Behold, now is the accepted time ; " behold, now is the day of falvation, 2 Cor. vi, 2. '^ Whatfoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy *' might, for there is no work, nor device, nor know- " ledge, nor vs^ifdom in the grave, whither thou goeft," Eccl. ix. 10. Therefore delay not a momicnt to repent, and forfake your fins. Is not this the voice both of natural and revealed religion ? Does not the voice of God and his provi- dence fiy now, and command you above all things to take hold of the prefent time ? " Acquaint now thyfelf " and be at peace •, thereby good Hiall comiC unto " thee, Job xxii. 21. Young people, remember nov7 *■' thy Creator in the days of thy youth, Eccl. xii. i. " Turn ye all from your evil ways, and from your evil *' doings," Zech. i. 4. Delay not a moment on yourperil. Let a heathen Ihame you into a greater fpeed in this moft abfolutely neceflary work : " IIov/ long (faith " he) will you defer looking after the beft things ? " how long will you abufe your reafon ?" Epid. En. '' c. 75. Confider that a very few hours^ weeks, or months hence may be too late -, thy day of grace over, death may have fealed thy irrevocable character. God will not always ftrive with the children of men ; therefore how infinitely doth it concern you to im- prove the important Now ; to accept of God's graci- ous ofiers and tender of mercy now. If you refufe now, this [ ^23 ] this may be the lafl offer. This may be the very mo- mentous decifive crifis. Confider, your Hfe ilands on a very flippery foundation. A fingle breath, and you are gone. As death leaves you, judgment will find you. Here refledl lerioufiy. Paufe a while. God grant it may anfwer the befl of ends. The blefied Jefus hath declared to mankind, that *' they fhall die in their fins, if they believe not in " him," John viii. 24. And St. Peter affures us, *' there is no other name under heaven given among *' men, whereby we muft be faved," A6ls iv. 12. And St. Paul tells us, thofe who receive not the love of the truth, that they may be faved, God fhall fend ftrong delufion tliat they fhould believe a lie : that " they all might be damned who believed not the truth, *' but had pleafure in unrighteoufnefs," 2 ThelT. ii. 10, II, 12. and to thofe who believed not, " God fv/ore, *' they fhould not enter into his reft," and Chrift com- milTioned his difciples " to go into all the world, and *' preach the gofpel to every creature : he that believeth " and is baptized fliall be faved, but he that believeth " not fhall be dam.ned," Mark xvi. 15, 16. O let thefe terrible denunciations to all unbelievers awaken and roufe you out of your lethargic incredulity, your dread- ful ftupidity. The pofTibility of being miferable to all eternity, one would think, is a fufficient argument for eveiy rational mind, to make them in good earneft in relation to their ipiritual condition, fo as to caufe them not to be eafy and reft fatisfied till they are thoroughly fenfible and well alTured that they are in the favour and friendfliip of al- mighty God, whofe loving kindnefs is better than life, whofe hatred is worfe than death ; which is confonant to [ '24 ] to the principles of natural religion, v/hich you profefs to believe in, as the exiftence of a God, his providence, vir- tue and vice, the immortality of the foul, and rewards and punilhments after death. That God made man* kind rational and accountable creatures, capable of do- ing good or evil, and confequently of pleafing or dif- pleafing him, who v/ill reward or punifh them in a fu- ture flate of being, as their behaviour have been in this world virtuous or vicious, all rational creatures are very fenfible of. Natural and revealed religion both acquiefce in thefc truths. St. Paul in his epiftle to the Romans, (which I look Oil as the key of the New Tellament, if I may be allowed the exprefiion) afilires us '' that God will render to every *^ man according to his deeds : to them who by patient ''- continuance in well doing, feek for glory, and honour, " and immortality -, eternal life : but unto them that *' are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey " righteoufnefs, indignation and wrath, tribulation and *' anguifh upon every foul of man that doeth evil, of *' the Jew firfl, and alfo of the Gentile. But glory, ho- " nour, and peace, to every man that worketh good ; to " the Jew firil, and alfo to the Gentile; for there is no *' refped of perfons with God : for as many as have '' fmned without the law, fhall perifh. without law ^ and '' as many as have finned in the law, fhall be judged " by the law : for not the hearers of the law are jufl *' before God, but the doers of the law fhall be juftified : *' for when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by *' nature the thir.gs contained in the law, thofe having ^' not the law, are a law unto themfelves, which " fhew the work of the law written in their hearts ; " their [ 125 ] «« their confcience alfo bearing witnefs, and their « thoughts the mean while actufing, or elfe excufing " one another," Rom. ii. 6 to i6. and the blefled Jefus has informed mankind, that " that fervant which " knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himfelf, nei- " ther did according to his will, ihall be beaten with " many flripes : but he that knew not and did com- " mit things worthy of flripes, ihall be beaten with " few fli-ipes, Luke xii. 47, 48. for the Lord will " judge the world with righteoufnefs, and the people " with is truth," Pfalms xcvi. 13. You that do not believe in divine revelation muft acknowledge and con- fefs, thefe are all equitable and juft declarations, and the facred fcriptures hath afTured mankind that they will be put in execution at the grand and awful day of judgment: for they exactly agree with the voice of reafon, and natu- ral religion. If you are not tinclured with infanity, you muft believe it. I importunately befeech you (if you are in your right fenfes) to recoiled and fcrutinize your paft thoughts, words and actions, relating to your obedi- ence or difobedience of the laws, rules, and diredlions of natural rehgion •, your behaviour towards God, your neighbour, and yourfelves. Then, and not till then, you will ad rationally, becoming a reaibnable foul, as thofe that know muft be called to a ftrict and folemn account before the awful and tremendous bar of God, the fearcher of all hearts ; who Icnows the moft fecret recefTes of the foul. " For there is not a crea- " ture that is not manifeft in lijs fight, but all things " are naked, and open unto the eyes of him with v;hom " we have to do, Heb. iv. 13. for in him we live and move. r 126 1 *■' move, and have our being i" as certain alfo fomc of your own poets have declared, Acts xvii. 28. If your thoughts accufe you, God is greater than your thoughts, and knoweth all things. Reiledl, confider, the heart is deceitful above all things *' delperately wicked ; who can know it ? but the Lord *' fearcheth the heart, and trieth the reins, even to give " every man according to his ways and according to " the fruit of his doing,'* Jer. xvii, 9, 10. All thefe declarations ycu knov/ are both juft and reafonable, agree- able to your natural fentiments of God, and his future proceedings with mankind: therefore permit me as a iincere, hearty fi-iend, one that earneilly defires to be of real fervice, to put the following queilions with upright- nefs and impartiality to your ov/n confciences, with a fin- cere defign you fhouldknow your fpiritual flate and con- dition, in probing your ways to the bottom, in order that you may be enabled, by the grace of God, to redlify your paft errors and mifcarriages •, and for the future part of your life to live foberly, righteoufly, and godly 'm this prefent world, which natural religion muil tell you is afting rational. Do you confiantly reverence almighty God, the great preferver, and munificent benefadlor of all mankind, and blefs him for every thing you enjoy ? Have you an awful and amiable apprehenfion of him always on your mind, fo as to beget in you a filial fear of offending him ? are you ever grateful to him for the innumerable mer- cies you miomentarily receive from him. You know the crime of ingratitude of one mortal to another is looked on by mankind in a very defpicable, heinous, aggravating light, how much more fo then, mult [ 1^7 ] mvifb it be to our God, our condant unwearied friend, who is always doing of good, " fending us rain from " heaven and fruitful feafons, hlUng our hearts with food " and gladnefsr" A6t3 xiv. 17. Do you each morning when awake from Pxeep (the emblem of death) return your fmcere and hearty thanks that you have not flept the fleep of death, but are comfortably refreflied with health and ftrength ? do you humbly recommend your- felves and all your concerns to his kind over-ruling pro- vidence the following day, begging of him to preferve you from all evil, efpecially the evil of fin, and in particular from thofe fms which have the eafiefi accefs to you, and thegreatefl predominance over you ? do you humbly and fmcerely, and earneftly requeft of him wifdom and un- derflanding, that you may do all the good your natures are capable of, both to the bodies and ibuls of your fel- low creatures, as your capacity, fituation, and circum- fiances in life vrlll admit of? or do you not go forth and enter upon the affairs of life on your own ftrength, vainly imagining fo highly of your reafon and under- ftanding, that that is fuincient to guide you in all things without the alTiftance of almighty God ? are you always in a thankful frame of mind when you par- take of any of the good creatures of God ? are you humble contented and thankful in the fituation and condition of life providence has permitted you to be in ? do you do to all mankind, in every circumftance and degree, what you are willing they in the like cir- cumftances fliould do to you ? do you do every thing for the honour and glory of God, and the good of your fellow-mortals ? are you very circumfpedl and watchful over*your own heart, and do you harbour no hard or unbecoming [ 128 ] unbecoming thoughts of God, or fecrct refentment, ma- lice or revenge againft your neighbour ? do you abftain from excefs botli in eating and drinking ? do you keep your bodies pure and chafte ? is marriage honourable in your eflimation, and whoredom defpicable ? at the clofe of every day do your return ahiiighty God unfeign- ed thanks for each mercy received the day pad, humbly committing your whole felves, foul and body, to his moil gracious care and protedion the night following, that your fleep may be fv/eet, comfortable, and refrefhing ; that if you awake at m.idniglit, or at cock-crowing, your thoughts and de fires may be ever towards God ? Or ra- ther on the contrary, do you not boafl of your hearts de- fire, and m.ake coveteoufnefs your gold, and through pride will not feek after God> not fo much as having him in all your thoughts, much lefs in your defires and your hearts ? are not the thoughts of piety and grati- tude to God, benevolence and charity to your neigh- bours grievous to your foul ? are not God's judgments or mercies far out of your fight ? and have you not faid in your heart, you Ihall not be moved? are not your mouths full of blafphemies to your Maker •, or curling, deceit, fraud, and mifchief to your neighbour ? do you not take delight in vain, profane chattering, and hate and abhor everything in converfation that is ferious ; that has a tendency to do good, to promote fpiritual know- ledge •, that is really edifying, both for your own and others falvation ? do you not deep and awake, eat and drink, go about your worldly employments, or trifle and idle away your precious hours, without having a grateful thought to almighty God, in whom the heathen poets [ 129 ] poets have faid mankind live, move, and have their being. If you will honeftly and impartially examine your hearts, it is very pofTible, if not probable, you will have reafon to humble yourfelves before the great Searcher of them, for fome one or other of thefe aggravating fins committed by you, either of omiflion or comm.iffion. Let me advife you to follow the example of the poor publican in the gofpel, v/lio cried cut, " God be mer- " ciful to me a finner," Luke xviii. 13. With the greatefb fmcerity and importunity I intreat you to examine the real flate of your fouls, by prob- ing your hearts to the bottom. I now recom.m.end to you retirement from the world one hour or tv/o every day, to humble yourfelves in the more immediate pre- fence of God, in order to be made thoroughly fenfible of all your tranfgrefllons, v/hich is a duty refulting from natural religion. Therefore tremble before him. at the fenfe of the guilt v/hich you have contracced by break- ing the laws of natural religion, the obligations v/hich you are under to God, and the duties neceflarily flow- ing from thence, which are engraven on your heart. Expoftulate with yourfelves in fomc fuch language as this : O my foul, v/hat Ihall I do to avert the punifli- ment fo juftly due to me, for the manifold neglects of duty to God and my neighbour ! O how innum.erable are the inilances v/herein I have tranfgrelTed ? How have I permitted my lufcs and pafTions to obtain vidory over my reafon and confcience ! Humbly and eai-neilly proftrate yourfelves before God, feeking pardon and for- givcnefs, and for the grace of repentance andfmcere obe- L dience [ ^3^ J dience. If you are truly fenfible of your fins and fol- lies, you will then be humble and felf-diffidcnt of your reafon and judgment, and concerning the maxims and tenets of religion you im.bibcd from education : or for the want of education, or from your own wild imagi- nations and indigefted thoughts •, or from the company and convei-fation of libertines, enilaved thinkers -, or from the poifonous v/ritings of infidels j deiltical, enthu- fiaftical triilcrs. You will alfo have great reafon to believe, that by fom.e one or other of thefe caufes you have provoked almighty God, for not thoroughly examining his mofl gracious tenders of mercy and pardon in his holy word, v/ith an upright and honefc heart, defirous of informa- tion and inflruclion, that you might believe and know the truth, hov/ever contrary and oppofite to your viti- ated inchnations and corrupted pairions,and be prevailed with no longer to contemn the difpenfations of his rich kindnefs and goodnefs manifeiled to all poor, frail, in- digent, fnort-fighted mortals. Pray, is it fitting and reafonable that becaufe fome of the hiilorical parts of facred writ does feem to your fallible, fhort-fighted underftandings, to clafh or dif- agree with other parts of it, that you fhould defpife and difregard the whole of it ? or that becaufe there are fome myflerious clodlrines in it, far above your compre- henfion, or the comprehenfion of the m.ofl refined un- derftanding, thr.t yet you v/ill not believe it ? I defire you would exercife your reafon, and examine the reli- o^ion Oi nature. Is [ 13^ 3 Is not all nature itsfelf one grand my fiery ; the hea- vens above us, the earth beneath us, the waters under the earth ? Is not the production and fuftinence of an in- finite variety of creatures, both animate and vegeta- tive, by one only invifible, omnifcient, omniprefent Being, very myfterious, yea, incomprehenfible ? Is not your own exiilence itfelf incomprehenfible to you ? Can you comprehend how fpirit and matter, your foul r.nd body is united, and what your foul is, and in what way and manner it nov/cxifts, and how it pofTibly can exifc when depsirted out of the body ? or how, and in what manner it will be reunited to the body at the refur- redlion, when the body has been crumbled to duil, and fcattered about in the earth and air in m.iUions and millions of atom-particles ? Can you comprehend im- mortality or eternity ? Are not thefe myflerious unfathomable things to our finite, limjted underflandings ; v/hich is comprehended by almighty God only, who is infinite in wifdom, knowledge, and power ? Are they lefs true, or lefs to be believed, for that they cannot be comprehended by us poor Hiort-fighted mor- tals, who are but of yefterday, and know nothing, " whofe days upon earth are as a iliadow r" Job viii. 9. Is not God almighty all-pov;erful ? Is he not truth itfelf? He certainly is ; and therefore it is mofl reafbn- able for us to believe that thofe things that are pro- nounced and declared true by him, merely on the ve- racity of his infallible v/ord, though we cannot pofTibly conceive how or in v/hat manner they are fb. L 2 He [ 132 ] He does not require us to believe any one thing ■which contradidls our fenfes, but only to believe there are things true, which are fuperior to our reafon and un- flanding, above our comprehenfion ; which all man- kind will agree to, if they are not infatuated, and have not a tincPcure of infanity in them. . In the name of the God of nature then, why do you a6l fo vain and feif-conceited as not to fubmit your proud reafon to his infallible declarations ? " Why doll thou flrive againfl him Vvho giveth not any account of his matters ?'' Job xxxiii. 13. Does not natural reafon, or the religion of nature, teflify the tmth of divine reve- lation, " that as the heavens are higher than the earth, " fo are God's v/ays higher than our ways, and his " thoughts higher than our thoughts, ?" Ifa. Iv. 9, " Do not all the works of God, and his difpenfations " of Providence, proclaim this infallible truth ? They adually do, and therefore it is rational and meet for you to argue thus with yourfelves. If the religion of Jefus of Nazareth is true, and he was commiffioned by God to come from heaven to earth to publifh it, and I Ihould die in my prefent ftate of unbelief, I muft confequently die in my fins, John viii. 24. and therefore rnufl ne- cefTarily be miferable to all eternity ? Chrifb commanded his eleven difciples, and does now command all fuc- ceeding miiniflers to publilli, and teach his gofpel to every creature in the world 5 moft pofitively declaring, *' that he that believeth and is baptized, Ihall be faved 5 " but he that believeth not ihall be damned, Mark xvi. *' 16. Teaching them to obferve all things whatfoever he [ 133 ] *^ he hath commanded them, alTuring them he wcxild " always be with them to the end of the world," Matt. xxviii. 19, 20. Now you Deills can make no fort of exciife or plea whatfoever, at the awful and tremendous day of judg- ment, nor can alledge that the gofpel of the blefTed Jefus did not reach you; for you were born and bred in a chriflian country, and where the gofpel v/as preaclied on the firll day of every wxek, in com.m.em.oration of the truth of it, and eflabiillied by civil authority, by King, Lords, and Commons, v/ho has commanded it to be printed in your m.other tongue, and have given all men free liberty to perufe it, as oft as they pleafe, none making them afraid : and all may v^orfliip God in that way and manner as their confciences di6lates to them is mofl agreeable to his holy word, without being fo much as interrupted or molefted, mAich lefs perfecuted for it. All of you Deiits, as well as us Chriilians, live under the bed and mildeit of laws and governments, having the royal proclamation for your and our fe- curity, corroborated by the lords fpiritual and tempo- ral in parliament : which is not like living under an ar- bitrary, tyrannical, popifh government, v/ho perfecutes, imprifons and gibbets, racks and burns thofe proteflant chriftians who will not deny the ufe of their fenfes, by not believing bread to be the identical body of the blef- fed Jefas, and wine to be his blood. But blefied be God proteflant chriftians have not fo learned Chrift ; they do obey his commands by commemorating his dying love, facramentally partaking of bread and wine, in order to *' ihew forth the Lord's death till he come, i Cor. xi. L 3 " 26. t 134 ] '* 26. Take heed, brethren, fays the apodle, left there bs " in you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the " hving God, but exhort one anocher daily, while it is " called to-day ^ left any of you be hardened through " the deceitfulnefs of fin, Heb. iii. 12, 13. Therefore " fear left a promife being left you of entering his reft, " any of you fliould feem to come ftiort of it, for unto '' you is the golpel preached, as Vv^ell as unto them ; but **- the word preached did not profit, not being mixed " with faith in them that heard it," Heb. iv. 1,2. This is your unhappy lamentable cafe •, but fee to get out of it, I befeech you, and take St. Paul's council, " follow righteoufnefs, faith, charity, peace, with them " that call on the Lord out of a pure heart," 2 Tim. ii. 22. which is love unfeigned. The blcfTed Jefus hath aiTured us, his do-flrine was not his own but God's that fent him, and that if any man will do God's Vvqll, '-^ he fliall know of the doctrine " whether it be of God, or whether he fpake of him- '' felf," Johnvii. 17. Natural religion tells you, that there is no furer or fafer way to difcover or find out truth, than doing the vv'ill of God. If you v/ill be honeft, fincere and upright in the examination of yourfelves, in your humiHations to God, with a full purpofe of heart and determination of v/ill, (by the afiiftance of his grace) to forfake every thing that has the leaft tendency to difpleafe him ; and on the contrary, to be very afTiduous to do all things that are acceptable and well pleafing in his fight •, to fearch after fpiritual underftanding, as you would for hid treafures, mines [ ^35] mines of filver and gold, " then you would underftand *' the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of " God," Prov. ii. 4, 5. Therefore let me prevail with you, " to trufl in the Lord with all your heart, and " lean not unto your own underftanding. In all your *' v/ays acknowledge him, and he will direcl your " paths. Be not wife in your own eyes ; fear the Lord, " and depart from evil, Pro. iii. 5, 6, 7. For in every " nation, he that feareth him and worketh riG;hteouf- *' nefs, is accepted with himx," A6ls x. 0^. Thus pra6lifing is doing the will of God. Then you will know the bleffed Jefus's dodrine is from God : and when you know it, do it •, for he has declared thofe are his friends only, that do v/hatfoever he commands them, John XV. 14. Be not eafy and contented with a fpecu- lative knowledge of the will of God, nor refb fatisned till you know it vitally, that is, experimentally, and you find the yoke of Chrifl to be eafy, and his burthen light, as he has afilared you. Matt. xi. 30. and that his com.- mandments are not grievous, i John v. 3, then he will fulfil his moil gracious beneficial promife to you recorded, John xiv. 21. by mianifefting himfelf to your fouls -, that is, all fuch obedient chriftians dial! not only enjoy the fruit and benefit of Ch rift's love, but they fhall enjoy the fenfe of his love, and experi- ence the fenfible manifefliations, and inward diffufions, of his love in their own fouls. Therefore the only method to procure the favour of God and Chrift, and to be in reality fenfible of it, is to be very careful and diligent in obediential walking with him, and before him. Mankind may as well, and with as m.uch reafon, think L 4 tc [ 136 ] to nourifii their bodies with poifon, as to enjoy the fa- vour and friendfhip of God and Chrift in a finful courfe of life : " for he that finneth is of the devil, for *' the devil finneth from the beginning. For this pur- " pofe the Son of God v/as manifeft, that he might de- '' flroy the Vv^orks of the devil, i John iii. 8. Whofo- " ever is born of God, doth not comimfit fin ; for his '' feed remaineth in him, and he cannot fin, becaufe " he is born of God," ver. 9. That is, he is no evil doer, no worker of iniquity, no habitual cuftomary finner : he goes not on in any way or courfe of fm, as the re- folutely wicked do, who make a trade of it. He doth not tolerate or allow himfelf in any one fingle adl of fm : he has not his will bent for it, neither his heart or mind fet upon fin, as the refolved finner has •, but he has a heart and will oppofite to, and fet againft, all manner of fin, by reafon he has an inward principle inclining and difpoling him to hate and oppofe fin, (which is the fandlifying grace of God, that caufes him daily miore and more to die unto fin, and live unto right- eoufnefs.) Therefore in this " the children of God are manifefl, and the children of the devil. Whofoever doth " not righteoufnefs is not of God; neither he that " loveth not his brother, i John iii. 10. Let no man " deceive you ; he that doeth righteoufnefs is righteous, " even as he is righteous, ver. 7. For whofoever abideth " in Chridr, finneth not : whofoever finneth, hath not '' feen him or known him," ver. 6. that is, whofoever lives in fin, and goes on in a courfe of finning, is the fervant and Have of fm ; and although his reafon con- demns him, and his confcience boggles at fin, and his will [ 137 ] will is fomewhat averfe to it, and not by any means tho- roughly reconciled to it, yet if he yeilds his members in- flruments of unrighteoufnefs unto fin, he is a young flave and fervant of fin, and whatfoevcr his pretences may be he has no right knowledge of the blelTed Jefus, no vital faith in him : but thofe that abideth in Chrift are by faith united to him : thofe have a living faith who are taught and governed by him, who make it their conflant care and contmual endeavour to fhun and avoid all fin : for bleffed are they " that " do his com.mandments, that they may have a right *' to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates " into the city. Rev. xxii. 14. of the living God, the *' heavenly Jerufalcm, v/herein dwelleth an innume- " rable company of angels, the general afTembly, and " church of the firfl-born, v/hich are written in heaven ; '' and to God the judge of all, and to the ipirits of " jufl m.en made perfect, and to Jefus the mediator of " the New Covenant, and to the blood of fprinkling, *' that fpeaketh better things than that of Abel : there- " fore fee that you refufe not him that fpeaketh ; for " if they efcaped not, who refufed him that fpake on " earth, much m.ore iliall we not efcape, if we turn " away from him that fpeaketh from heaven," Heb. *' xii. 22 to 26. Now I would challenge the whole world to produce fuch a book as the Holy Bible ; the book of books; the moft antient of all books ; teilifying of Chrift 5 fore- tellino- the time and all the munute circumftances of his coming; with his fufferings and deatji; and all thofe prophecies exadly fulfilled andaccompliihedinhim. But [ 158 ] But itls very much to be lamented, that many per- ions, who profefs to believe in natural religion, and Vv^ho call themfelves rational creatures, will not be at the trouble and pains to enquire into the grounds and authority of the chriflian religion ; therefore it will be a jufl: judgment upon fuch, as faut their eyes againfl all the clear evidence of the religion of the blelTed Jefus, if they fhould be given up to believe a lie -, that " they " all might be damned who believe not the truth, but " had pleallire in unrighteoufnefs," 2 ThefT. ii. 12. For the blelTed Jefus aiTured mankind, that, " This " is the condemnation, that light is come into the *' world ; and men loved darknefs rather than light, " becaufe their deeds were evil," John iii. 19. The doctrine of the gofpel of Chrifl is too pure and holy for a carnal mind ; therefore no evidence of the truth of it, how clear foever, will be received by fuch. God cannot enter into their hearts, till Mamm.on is rooted cut of themi. " We cannot ferve two mafters.'* Thofe who have a clear fight of heaven v/ill put but very little value on the unfatisfadlory, fhort-liv'd plea- fures of this life •, and, on the contrary, it is impoffi- ble, that thofe whole whole concern is about them, who are drowned in carnal, fenfual enjoyments, can have any true tafle and relifh for fpiritual, intelle6lual pleafures. For the love of this world, and " the friendfhip of it, " is enmity to God, James iv, 4. The carnal mind is " enmity againfl God," Rom. viii. 7. It [ 139 ] It was a temptation of fenfe which caufed the firft fm to be committed by our firft parents ; and the way of reparation is, to open the eyes of their corrupted, pol- luted poilerity, and to give them a thorough fenfe of their iin, and terrible lofs of the enjoyment of God. Vice and wickednefs clouds and darkens the eyes of our underilandings, and makes them blind to the only true and real good pleafure. The gofpel is foclilhnefs to fuch perfons. But it is not for v/ant of evidence that caufes mankind not to embrace the religion of Jefus ; but it is for v/ant of confideration, for want of humi- lity, for v/ant of a fpiritual tafte, for want of real good- nefs, fuch perfons have rendered themfelves unquaUfi- ed i therefore not proper objedls to receive the truth in the love of it. The Holy Spirit by the royal pfalmifl: declares, that to " him that ordererh his converfation aright will be Ihewn the falvation of God," Pfalm 1. 23. And the blefled Jefus hath allured mankind, that " No man " can come unto him, except the father that fent him, " draw him," John vi. 44. This was the realbn why John the Baptifl was fent as a forerunner, to prepare the way for the bleifed Jefus, by preaching the duty of re- pentance, to qualify mankind for their receiving and be- lieving in his holy doflrine : therefore fuch perfons, who repented of their fins, upon his preaching, did with joy embrace this glorious doctrine 5 and, on the contrary, thofe who would not part with their beloved fins, rem.ained obdurate, though in other points- and things were men of fenfe and learnixng. As Chrid: told [ HO ] told the priefls and elders, as recorded in Matt. xxi. 32. " John came unto you in the way of righteouf- " nefs, and ye believed him not, but the publicans " and the harlots believed him ; and ye when ye had " fecn it, repented not afterwards, that ye might be- " lieve him." And v/hcn the blelTed Jefus fought to prepare them for his dodlrine, by forewarning them that they could not ferve God and Mammon, it is recorded by St. Luke that the Pharifees alfo, " who were co- '* vetous, heard thefe things, derided him," Luke xvi. 14. But he immediately inflruded them (if their proud hearts had permitted them to regard it) that what is highly " efleemcd amongil men, is abominati- on in the fight of God," ver. 15. And he fet forth the truth of his dodrine, by the example of rich, hard- hearted Dives, and poor, humble Lazarus -, and de- clared, it was " eafier for a camel to go through the *' eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the *' kingdom of God," Luke xviii. 25. And that who- foever he be that " forfaketh not all that he hath, he " cannot be his difciple," Luke xiv. 33. Now, if all mankind would explain this feeming harfli do(flrine in its jufl fenfe ; which is, that thofe who are not ready and willing to forfake all the pleafures and enjoyments of fenfe, worldly profits and advantages, as if they adually hated them (as Chriil declared in a very particular and pofitive manner, as recor.lcd in the 26th verfe of this chapter) when they come in com.petition with any one of his commands, and do not take up the crofs and follow him, they can- not poflibly be his difciples ; it would not appear the leail iibfurd, but v^ry ratignal. [ HI ] If Jelus of Nazareth was now on earth, propofing thefe conditions of faith and obedience, what a fmall number of difciples, among the generality of profef-' fors, would he have ? Many, many, it is much to be feared, would think heaven too hard to be obtained or thole terms, thofe carnal reftriftions. Now the root and caufe of all infidelity is the love of the v/orld, the luft of the flelli, and the pride of life ; thefe gratifications of fcnfe blind the underftand- ing, darken the heart, and fo obftinately prevent fpiri- tual and divine light to (hine upon it: therefore, till thefe obflacles are removed, the truth of the gofpel cannot be received, the commands of the blelTed Jefus cannot be obeyed : for the fpirit of God, which is a fpirit of purity and hohnefs, will not enter and dwell in a heart intoxicated with fenfuality and covetoufnefs ; thefe embarraffments mull be firil extricated, before the holy fpirit will accept of any invitation from them ; but the extricating of evil thoughts, evil defires, evil habits, out of our hearts, muft be from God : for who can fay, " I have made my heart clean, I am pure " from my fin," Prov. xx. 9. The royal pfalmifl was very fenfible of it, when he fo earnefrly prayed to God to create " in him a clean heart, and to renew a *' right fpirit within him," Pf. H. 10. And to ''open his " eyes that he might behold the wondrous things out " of his law," Pf. cxix. 18. And to " give him under- " (landing that he might live," ver. 144. And St. Paul afiures us, that it is by " grace v/e are faved, '' through faith, and that not of ourfc^ves : it is the gift [ 142 ] '' gift of God," Eph. ii. 8. And that no man can fay that " Jefus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghoft,*' i Cor. xii. 3. But though to obtain thefe things our- felves is out of our power, yet the means in order thereto the blelTed Jefus hath aiTured us is not out of our power, v/hich is to afK, to feek, and knock for it. Therefore, " afk and you fhail receive, feek and you " fhall find, knock and it fliall be opened unto you,'* Matt. vii. 7. For if mankind, " being evil, know " hov/ to give good gifts unto their children, how *' much m.ore fiiali their heavenly father give the Holy " Spirit to them that aflc him?" Luke xi. 13. But mankind mufl not aflc, petition, or feek with lukewarm- nefs and indifference, but they mud do it with all the powers and faculties of their fouls -, exerting themfelves v/ith all pofTible vigour, both ardently and inceifantly, as the im.portance of the cafe demands ; their great all being at flake, which is notliing lefs than their pre- cious and immortal fouls ; falvatlcn or dam.nation, ever- lailing, unfpeakable happinefs, or everlafling, unfpeak- able mifery : but God is gracious and mierciful, long- fuifering, and of great goodnefs, and thofe who come to him in fmcerity, he will *' in no wife call out," John vi. ^y. For thofe that " feek him iliall find him, when " they Hiall fearch for him v/ith all their heart," Jer. xxix. 13. " For there is no difference betv/een the Jew '' and the Greek •, for the fame Lord over all is rich '' unto all that call upon him," Rom. x. 12. Therefore I conclude ; earneftly befeeching you to be frequently addrelTing yourfelves to almighty God, with tl:e prcfoundefl reverence and humuiity, with the utmofi; •[ 143 ] utmofl fincerity of foul, in fome fuch like expreflions as in the following prayer, which I have compofed, in or- der to beget in you a true fpirit of fupplication, a hearty, honefl defire to know the truth, that ycu may be converted to the faith of Chrill, which v/as once de- livered to the faints. And now, dear fellov/ creatures, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them v/hich are fandified :'* at the fame time forewarning you, v/ith the utmoll fincerity, in the fpirit of meeknefs, with an unfeigned, difinterelled love and affedion, that if you flight, ne- gledl, defpife thefe offers of rich grace, made to you in the glorious gofpel of Chrift j will not accept of him, his m.ercy, his ealy yoke, and light burthen, his patlis and ways, v^^hich are all pleafant and agreea- ble, peaceable and joyous •, but will follow the didates of your corrupted nature -, finful, fhort-Iived, ima- ginary pleafures, unfatisfadlory enjoyments, that God's fpirit will not always flriv^e v/ith you ; that he v/ill not oblige, or force you to be qualified to be meet par- takers of his heavenly kingdom ; the moft cxquifite, refined, unfpeakable, eternal joys of heaven, v/netlicr you v/ill or not. Therefore I conclude my hearty, fmcere, affcdi- onate, difinterefted, pleafant, pains-taking, long epif- ftle to you, carneftly praying and befeeching you in this your day of grace, to corXider io as to believe and obey in the things which belong unto your cverl::ifling peace and happinefg, before de:;:h l^als your cr.ar.ijier. [ 144 ] character, and fo are irrevocably hid from your eyes ; which I pray God may not be' the nnfpeakable mife- rable condition of any of you. But if fo, you will, at the grand and awful day of judgment, charge the fault to no one but yourfelves ; becaufe you v/ilfully difre- garded and difobeyed the means of God's rich tenders of grace and mercy, fo freely, invitingly, and alluringly offered you in the glorious gofpel of his Son : which gofpel (if you are in your right underflandings) you mud acknowledge is exceeding kind and beneficent, jufl: and equitable, calculated for the good order of all rational focial creatures, for their mutual advantage, comfort and happinefs in this world, and their exquifite eternal happinefs in the world to come. Therefore, " if you fm " wilfully, after that you have received the knowledge '' of the truth, there remaineth no more facrifices for " iins, but a certain fearful looking-for of judgment, and " fiery indignation, which fhall devour the adverfa- *' ries. He that defpifed Mofes's law, died without ''•mercy, under two or three witneffes : of how much *' forer punifhment, fuppofe ye, iliall he be thought " worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of *' God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant *' wherewith he was fan6lified an unholy thing, and " hath done defpight unto the Spirit of grace ?" Heb. X. 26 to 30. VALE & CAVE. Edward Goldney, fen^ Easter Monday, LONDON, April 16, 1759. POETICAL ESSAY ON The Awful and Tremendous Day of Judgment, in order to Awaken and Roufe the Deifts out of their Stupid, Dreadful Incredulity. OH ! think you Deifts, how you'll avoid Hell's foam. How fee the S a v i o u r feated on his Throne I A Cloud his Chariot, and fill'd with burning Beams Full Blaze of Glory ! like the North it flreams ! One mighty Shechinah ! refulgent Ray ! That fcatters Darknefs o'er the dimmer Day. The Sun feeks Shelter in the wafting Flood ; The confcious Moon blufhes herfelf to Blood -, Old Chaos now in double State returnsj With double Ardour evVy Comet burns, M Furious ( 146 ) Furious they whirl before the Saviour's Throne j In dreadful Riflings fpeak the eternal Son : As wide as Space pale Terror fpreads her Reign, Of Orders buril the indiffoluble Chain : To Christ for fuccour all Mankind will pray ; But all Mankind can't avert the awful Day. What Horror feize Mankind, which were to Reafon blind, Tho' Deifts once, yet not in Hell fo found : How will they then with Wrath and Anguilli preft. The Worm all gnawing on their relenting Breaft, Rave, Curfe, Weep, Gnafh, Groan, and Curfe again. And Foam, and Roar, tumultuous like the Ocean j Rend with their Groans Damnation's dark Retreat : Their Groans are- loft, nor reach the Mercy Seat. Know then this Truth, ye Deifts, this believe. In difbelieving, you yourfelves deceive. And now the Judge defcends, the Saviour comes, RendHeav'n, grOan Hell, break, burft; ye Iron Tombs ! The ( 147) The living Chariot rattles thro* the Air, * He flalks before, who ufed to dart Defpair, Death conquer'd, after crawls in mad Difmay, Whole Fields of Light'ning round the Conqu'ror play. And rufhing Whirlwinds rufh along the blazing Way. Celeftial Glory circles all his Head, In Heaven enthroned, and on Hell doth tread. As rufhing Torrents pour their rapid Streams, / So fierce his Fury burns, fo full his glory Beams : Millions of Myriads wait upon his Nod, Saints, Angels, eccho the defcending God, Ah ! what Difference now from what he once appearM, When Unbelievers fcorn'd him, whom Angels rever'd i When bloody Drops pour'd forth from every Pore, And Beings groan'd that never groan'd before. Lo ! view the Crofs on high, the Signal's made, (Now Wealth and Tides, Crowns and Honours, fade) For all to liflen, and their Sentence hear. From the Atheifl, to the Deifl's Ear. Believers then, will with a Shout profound Proclaim their Joy, exprefs their Blifs around : ^ Ezek. iii. i^, M 2 With ( 148) With Pleafufe now they fee the Race they run, Theii" Labours ended, and their BUfs begun. Blefs'd Jesus fmiles, pleas*d with their glowing liOve, Approach (he fays, in foft and gentle Strains Welcome to me, and to celeflial Realms j Come then, receive your unfpeakable Reward, Angels condud: them to the Favour of their Lord, Ye Cherubs, fly before, with chearful Voice, Bid Heavens, Dominions, Powers, and Thrones rejoiced Now with dejeded Looks, the Deifts fears. Trembles, but no more mocks or jeers, Slowly they move to meet their dreadful Fate, And now they howl, and now lament too late : To thefe in Thunder the Judge prepares to fpeak, The Thunders know his Will, and all around him break. Then darts a Frown that fhakes all Nature's Frame, The incarnate God now becomes a burning Flamc^ Wretches acourll, ungrateful, and forlorn, The Jefl of Devils, and the heavenly Scorn > No ( H9 ) No Prayers, no Sighs, no Tears wil now avail. Returning Juftice lifts aloft her Scale j Mercy rejefted will not ever laft, A Day was once, but oh ! that Day is paft : In vain for you I liv'd, I bled, I dy'd : Deifts begone, tafte Vengeance you defpis'd, Confcience diftra(fls them. Devils mock their Cries, And point with flaming Fingers to the Skies : Then hurl the Wretches where Flames ever flalh, AndSmoak, Shrieks, Light'ning, Thunders, always clafh, Where every Curfe, and every Plague's confin'dj, Where dies all Hope, the cordial of the Mind, And ever lives the confcious, guilty. Self-deceiver, Banilhed in everlafling Torments from his defpifed, Rejeded Saviour, The Grand Affize Compleatly Ended ; Chrift the Judge is Reafcended ; The Heavenly Hoft their Lord Attended With Shouts of Joy,— Time is Ended, FINIS. [ 15° ] TO The GOD of Univerfal Nature, R A Y E R, Compofed by the Author of the foregoing Epiflle, for the life of thofe DEISTS who are honeft, fincere» and induftrious in fearching after Truth, in order to embrace it in the love of it -, who are very willing and defirous to part with every pre-conceived fenti- ment, that does or may obilrudt their finding it. OT H O U Almighty, incomprehen- lible God of univerfal nature ! Thou great firft caufe and fupport of all worlds, creatures, and things vifible and invifible ! O Thou only good, beneficent, generous Being, who haft fo excellently diftinguifh- ed mankind from all the other of thy creatures on earth, with that noble faculty of reafon and underftanding, with which I adore [ 151 1 I adore and worfliip Thee, in profound reverence and proftration of foul, and with the moft hearty, unfeigned lince- rity and gratitude ojffer up unto thee my thankfgivings and praife, in the higheft ftrains of devotion a jfinite creature poffibly can pay to his Creator, Preferver, and conftant, unwearied, muni- ficent Benefador : at the fame time with the utmoft humility of heart and abafe- ment of foul, (to my unlpeakable fhame and forrow) I acknowledge and confefs before thee, that I have acSled very un- becoming the dignity. of a rational crea- ture, both toward thee, my neighbour, and myfelf ; having very frequently permitted my reafon and underftanding to be baffled and conquered by my almoft ungovern- able headftrong lufts and paffions ; for even when I found myfelf fomewhat in- clined to do good, evil was prefent with me with great prevalency ; and I find M 4 my [ 15^ ] my heart and mind much more prone to vice than virtue, to evil than good. How I came by this corrupted deprav- ed nature, my judgment is not yet con- vinced of: my reafon and underftajnding dictates to me, it could not poffibly be derived from thee, w^ho art the very fpring and fountain of all goodnefs, perfedion and knowledge ; confequently thou muft have accefs to the very thoughts of my heart, the delires of my foul, the in- tentions of my mind, and the actions of my life, from whom no fecret can poffi- bly be concealed. Therefore I moft hum- bly and importunately befeech thee that thou wouldeft, in the courfe of thy Provi- dence, teach me what I do not perceive, for my fpiritual advantage, by diredting my thoughts, illuminating my underftand- ing, conveying to me the knowledge and caufe of my corrupted vitiated nature, and informing me through what channel I received [ ^53 ] received it, and what remedy I fhall make ufe of, in order to mafter and con- quer it, fo as to be freed from it. I fre- quently find my heart cold and luke- warm, languid and lifelefs, very far from being fired with that love and gratitude to thee my God, which my reafon and underftanding di6lates is thy juft unalien- able right, due from rational creatures to their great Creator. Therefore I moft humbly befeech thee to beget in me a hearty and fincere afFedion to love thee, and an earneft defire to pleafe thee in all things, being confcious I have in innu- merable inftances tranfgreffed the laws of natural religion, and violated the dictates of reafon and confcience, which thou haft engraven on all the hearts of thy reafona- ble creatures. * * Here call to remembrance the particular fins you have been guilty of, efpecially that fin or fins that do moft eafily befet you, praying for grace and ftrength to con-» quer and overcome them in the future part of life. I [ 154 1 I would willingly and chearf ully embrace and obey every command that comes from thee, and believe every declaration of thy divine mind and will, that thou haft been pleafed to communicate to mankind. I im- portunately befeechthee, O Lord, to open my underftanding, to unlock every power and faculty of my foul, to free me from prejudices of all kinds and degrees whatfoever, which poffibly have prevent- ed, or may prevent, my believing in a book, which chriftians call the Holy Bi- ble, the word of God ; which book I have perufed, but finding declarations in it, which appears to me inconfiftent with thy divine perfedions, and mxoral goodnefs, and feeming contradidions ; (here with an upright, honeft, fincere heart recite the particulars) therefore I do not believe thy fpirit to be the author of them : but whe- ther it is owing to the length of time fince the Bible was originally wrote, or whe- ther [ 155] tker through the revolution of ages and different cuftoms and languages, and ways and manner of exprefTion, by which means ideas may have been conveyed foreign to what they were intended, I cannot be certain of, therefore am at doubt con- cerning it; and whether my preconceived maxims of religion, or the indulgence of my unruly, headftrong paffions is a prin- cipal caufe of my unbelief, I am not cer- tain of; I find declarations in this Bible relating to faith, which my reafon and underftanding do not comprehend, in par- ticular fuch as thefe, viz. that thy only begotten Son, the brightnefs of thy glory, the exprefs image of thy perfon, partaker of thy very effence, the maker of heaven and earth, and all things in it, whom the very angels worfhipand adore : that Deity fhould condefcend and humble himfelf^^ and leave the regions of blifs and glory, and come down to earth, and unite his divine divine nature, to the nature of poor fin- ful man, and fhould be born of a poor virgin, and have a ftable for his chamber, and a manger for his cradle, and be brought up in his infancy and childhood by the direc- tion of a poor carpenter's family, and when arrived at maturity to travel up and down our wricked world doing good, both to the bodies and fouls of mankind, giving of them the befl and wifefl: inftrudlion, who permited many of them (though their Creator) to treat him with all the maHce, and ill nature, and injuftice poili- ble, yea, to be murthered by them in a mofi: cruel fhocking manner, yet at the fame time to pray for them : all which things I muft confefs are very far above my compreheniion, and what appears to me to be incredible. However,. I fincere- ly confefs and acknowledge, there are very excellent maxims and rules of life (in this antient book, which the chriftians call t 157 J call the Holy Bible of the Old and New Teftament) which has and muft necefla- rily have a very great tendency to make mankind comfortable and happy in this world, and to qualify them for the enjoy- ment of perfed: happinefs in heaven. The do6h*ines of this thy only begotten Son are fuch as thefe, that mankind mnft be born again, or they cannot enter the king- dom of heaven, which confifts in righteouf- nefs, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft, and that it is eafier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God, and that if any man come to this thy reputed only be- gotten Son, and hate not his father and mo- ther, and wife and children, and brethren and fifters, and yea his own life alfo, he can- not be his difciple, who has com manded them to love their very enemies, to blcfs thofc that [ 158 ] that curfed them, and to pray for them which defpitefuUy ufed them aiid perfe- cuted them; the meaning of all which I acknowledge I do not comprehend, there- fore can't believe. However, as I am fenfible that my underftanding is limited and finite, O my God, I humbly befeech thee, if thefe declarations are agreeable to thy divine mind and will ; and that if Jefiis Chrift is thy only begotten Son, and commiffi- oned by thee, from heaven, as a Saviour and Redeemer of mankind; and that whofoever believeth in him, fliould not perifh, but have everlafting life: Be pleafed to give me a vital faith in him, this Bible declaring that it is by grace mankind are faved, through faith, and that not of themfelves, but 'tis thy gift: if it be fo, I earneftly implore thee for this gift, as the moft valuable of all blef- fings, [ 159 ] " lings, infinitely fuperior to thoufands and millions of filver and gold, yea, to all the riches in the world. But on the contrary, if he is not thy only begotten Son, but an impoftor, a deceiver, the very vileft of wretches ; I befeech thee to give me wifdom and underftanding to difcover this very grand cheat and impof- ture ; that I may be enabled to gainfay and argue with, and write againft all his advocates, who have moft artfully wrote to fupport the truth of his holy miffion and dodrines ; that I may be en- abled by thee, to convince all the differ- ent denominations of chriftians in the world, of thefe deceptions and impofi- tions that have been foftered on them and their forefathers, for upwards of feventeen hundred and fifty eight years; which concludes my very imperfedl peti- tions ; with humility and fincerity fup^ .plicating thy divine Majcfty to remove all [ i6o ] all my prejudices, obftinacy, and felf- conceit, and make me entirely flexible, lioneft, upright, and fincere ; open and free to receive convidion from thee of the truth in the love of it ; and that it may influence my heart, foul and mind, and govern my thoughts, words, and adlions, that they may be uniformly and exaftly agreeable and conformable to thy divine unerring mind and will, both in time and to eternity. Amen. N. B. If the Author of the foregoing Works fhould be fo ex- ceeding fortunate as to be a Means in the Hands of Provi- dence of the Converfion of any fpeculative or pra6lical Atheifts, and Deifts, or any Profeflbrs of Religion of any Denomi- nation, that are pra6^ical Unbelievers of Chriftianity, fo as to become the Difciples indeed of the blefled Jefus, He moft humbly and earneftly requefts that fuch happy new-born Souls would return Almighty God their unfeigned Thankf- giving and repeated Gratitude of Praife, for inclining and en- abling him to cpmpofe them, and to publifh them to the World ; and that he may continually do all poffible Good both to the Souls and Bodies of his Fellow Mortals univer- fally, as extenfive as his Capacity, Circumftances, and Situa- tion in Life will admit of, even to the very laft Breath He Ihall draw. The Protestant Hero ,_ TsJE IXF^xj.-r£JC£ Wojis or Tjhttm. -