and the Redeemer of the World This I will briefly open There are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy-Ghost and these three are one And there are three that bear witness in Earth The Spirit and the Water and the Blood and these three agree in one All the Divinity gave testimony of this important Truth The Father not only by the Miracles wrought by his Power to confirm the Mission of Christ but which is here principally intended by a voice from Heaven First at his Baptism This is my well-beloved Son in whom I am well pleased And at his Transfiguration before some of his Disciples a Shining Cloud the sign of the Divine Presence encompast them and a voice came forth of the Cloud This is my well beloved Son hear him Upon this glorious Voice they were struck with such an impression of fear that they fell on their faces And when our Saviour near his Passion prayed Father glorifie thy Name a voice came from Heaven I have glorified it and will glorifie it Now can there remain any doubt after such an high attestation from the most Soveraign Authority The Son also besides the perfect holiness of his life the exquisite Wisdom of his Doctrine the Wonders of his Works his Resurrection from the dead that were authentick proofs of his Celestial Person and Calling after his Ascension gloriously appear'd from Heaven in diverse Visions to the Preachers of his Gospel To Saul in his Journey to Damascus calling to him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me It is hard for thee to kick against the Pricks This is an unexceptionable testimony that he is the Son of God being risen from the dead and returned to Heaven from whence he thus discover'd himself Now that this was real and no fantastick illusion is evident by the marvelous effects of it Those who were companions in the journey were seiz'd with great terror and himself struck blind by the overpowering splendor of the Apparition But especially the effects of it upon his Soul are convincing who it was that spake to him For Saul was by Sect a Pharisee that of all others most passionately adher'd to the Jewish Religion by Temper hot and violent by Profession a persecutor of the Christians One that breathed forth Threatning and Slaughter that excited the Fury of the High-Priests sollicited their Cruelty In short a fierce spirit that envied Nero the title of the first Persecutor of the Church Yet this Man by this Vision and Voice from Heaven of a furious Persecutor in an instant became a zealous Apostle of a Wolf became a Pastor He presently exprest his entire submission Lord what wilt thou have me to do There is nothing so hard to do nothing so dreadful to suffer but I will readily undertake for thine honour and the propagating thy Truth Now from whence came this Change so strange so new in a person confirm'd in the opposite party from whence this resignation of will so entire and perfect so unexpected and sudden What gave him courage to contradict to their faces the High-Priests whose instrument he was and declare that Jesus whom they called a Deceiver was the Son of God and their Judge What animated him to appear before Kings and Emperours to testifie this dangerous Truth What made him with unparallel'd activity with the most ardent affections propagate the Gospel and after a thousand perils by Sea and Land a thousand disgraces and injuries at last to confirm the Faith of Christ with his Blood It is therefore past all contradiction that he had the greatest assurance that the Son of God spake to him Another Vision of the WORD from Heaven was to St. John when he was pleas'd to reveal to him the future state of his Church its Combats and Victories He then appear'd in a form expressive of his Majesty Power and Providence requisite for the ordering all the great Events that should befal it And said I am the first and the last I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I live for ever and have the Keys of Hell and of Death wherein he appropriates to himself the incommunicable titles of the Deity and then declares those two astonishing Miracles that the Prince of Life that had an Eternal Principle of it in himself was dead and that one who had been dead was alive This Riddle the Gospel unfolds The Son of God was made Man and by that admirable union allied Eternity and Time Life and Death together As 't is a common form of speech that a Man dies when the Body is depriv'd of Life though the Soul be immortal So it was true the Son of God died when his Body was crucified though he was uncapable of the least diminution of his Divine life And after three days he rose by the Divine Power to enjoy an Immortal Life And have the Keys of Hell and Death The irresistible force of Death all Men must yield to and from the Grave there 's no redemption by finite power But Jesus Christ has Soveraign Authority and Power to open the Grave and raise the Dead to an happy Immortality This glorious Appearance made St. John to fall as dead at his Feet and could not recover himself till assured by the reviving words of his favour The Spirit also appear'd from Heaven to give Testimony concerning the divine Person and Office of Christ First by descending as a Dove on him when he was baptised This was the completion of the Prophecy The Spirit of the Lord is upon me He has anointed me to preach the Gospel to the Poor to publish Deliverance to the Captives And in the second of the Acts the Spirit descended in the form of Fiery Tongues upon the Apostles to qualifie them for preaching the Gospel to the World And 't is worthy of observation that the Apostles were before this very defective in Wisdom and Courage so that their Divine Master though Goodness it self yet tax'd them for their stupidity and in his Sufferings they all forsook him But after the effusion of the Spirit upon them they were endowed with that admirable Wisdom and Resolution that nothing could gainsay and overcome They presently spake in various Languages the things concerning Iesus Christ that the World was astonish'd and many converted by this Testimony from God for the honour of our Saviour and others confounded in their obstinacy Now since this miraculous descent of the Spirit was to ratify the Promise that he made to them If I go away I will send to you another Comforter What more clear and valuable Testimony can we have that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the World If Infidelity should reply If we had heard these Voices and seen those glorious Visions we should be convinc'd but what assurance have we there is no deceit in these Relations I answer There never was clearer Grounds of the belief of any thing done without the compass of our own senses than of what
the mournful remembrance of his lost felicity and harden'd in dispair 1. The Christian Religion gives a full account of the depravation and misery of humane Nature in its first Causes The Heathens felt an insuperable permanent discord in Man between the upper Faculties and the lower Appetites but were utterly ignorant of the Cause of it Now the Scripture reveals that Man in the original frame of his Nature was regular and holy a piece of workmanship worthy the Perfections of his Creator but he abus'd his liberty to break the first Command which was given for the tryal of his Obedience He yeelded to the inticements of a fallen Spirit who was a Liar that he might be a Murderer and by his revolt from God lost his Holiness and made a forfeiture of all the priviledges of his happy State Thus the Fountain was tainted and who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean By the offence of one Judgment came upon all to condemnation Every Man is now born a slave of Sin a tributary of Death From hence it follows that the most deformed Monsters in villany the most fierce enemies of Religion serve to confirm its Truth as well as the most eminent Saints These shew the vertue of Redemption by the sanctity of their Lives the other the corruption of Nature by their obstinate wickedness 2. The Christian Religion instructs us that God sent his own Son into the World in the humane nature that he might offer up himself an expiatory Sacrifice for the Sins of Men to restore them to his Favour This is a Mystery above the flight of any created understanding yet 't is so temper'd and fram'd there is such an uniformity of Wisdom in all its parts it presents such a full and glorious Image of the Deity in all his perfections that it causes the highest admiration and commands belief in those who duly consider it The whole oeconomy becoms the Majesty the Goodness the Holiness and Justice of God His supreme Majesty appears in his pardoning the guilty for the sufferings of another For this is an infallible proof that he is above Law And his inconceiveable Mercy is the only principle and fountain of our Pardon For Man was absolutely uncapable to merit the Favour or to repair the Honour of God so injur'd by his inexcusable disobedience Repentance cannot produce such great effects What merit can there be in the sorrowful sense and confession of that which deserves Eternal Death Besides an extream hatred of Sin an ardent love of Holiness serious Resolutions to follow it what ever it costs which is the best part of Repentance was due to God before the commission of Sin therefore cannot be satisfaction So that pure Mercy is the cause of our forgiveness Moreover God to glorifie his Holiness in declaring his vehement and irreconcileable hatred to Sin and to preserve the Rights of Justice was pleas'd to appoint an all-sufficient Mediator capable to offer himself an expiatory Sacrifice for Sin and to give an infinite value to it This was done by the Incarnation of the Son of God The Flesh and Bloud he took of our humanity was made Divine by union with him and offer'd on the Cross was full payment for our offences Thus Justice and Mercy triumph with equal Glory being equally Victorious For what is more honourable to Justice than satisfaction equal to the offence And what can more commend Mercy than the most free and undeserved bestowing the high price requisit for it Thus the Gospel affords to us a just and compleat Idea of the Divine excellencies in the Redemption of Man The design manner and the effect are most worthy of God Where might such a contrivance of Wisdom be fram'd but in the Divine mind where could such an excess of compassion be found but in the heart of God Thus it became God who is Love to magnifie his Love to advance his dearest Glory and overcome our guilty disaffection to himself For while terrible apprehensions of the Deity possess the heart 't is frozen with a stony rigor which the hope of Mercy only can dissolve Thus it appears that the Doctrine of the Gospel is worthy of all acceptation 2. The Christian Religion sets before us a rule of life pur and perspicuous in nothing superfluous or defective but comprehending the intire duty of Man This was necessary in order to his recovery For in his fallen state the Law of Nature is active in some things but dormant in others The best Morals of the Heathens are dasht with impure permissions But the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation teaches us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present World It forbids all Sin in all its degrees not only the consummation of it in the act but the first conception of it in the thoughts and desires Which argues that the Lawgiver was more than a Man having an inspection into the heart which is only visible to God and only accountable to him It teaches us to worship God the supream and purest Spirit with the highest esteem and with purity of affections It enjoyns all relative duties to Men in a most perfect manner What things we would have others to do unto us supposing our selves in their circumstances we are obliged to do to them This one Law of Christ eminently contains all others that respect society This is the primitive rule of commerce and directs our carriage towards all persons with justice and equity kindness and decence The Gospel also with respect to our selves gives a perfect rule to make us holy and blessed It teaches us the contempt of the World the valuation of Heaven the restraint of corrupted sense and the Angelical exercise of our affections In short it commands the practice of all Vertues and that we should aspire to the most eminent degrees in them But especially it enjoyns humility and love to God the foundation and perfection of all vertues of which the precepts of Philosophy take little notice Humility that is a lively deep sense that nothing is properly ours but sin and misery arises from the consideration of our absolute dependance upon God for our being and all the benefits we enjoy in Nature or Grace From hence gratitude springs 'T is most reasonable that our lives should be a continual expression of Obedience from a noble and free principle of love to God and be design'd for his Honour and that for all our advantages temporal or spiritual we should only glory in him In this Philosophers were very defective They consider'd Man with respect to himself or to other Creatures without him and accordingly the product of their Precepts was a certain moral honesty to do nothing unbecoming the reasonable Nature nor to break the civil Peace But they did not consider duly his relation to the Creator in whom he lives moves and has his being from whom proceeds every good and perfect gift And by
not discover the deceit Nay that it should inspire them with invincible courage to assert that Christ was truely risen Or who can with the least colour of reason accuse the Apostles of simplicity or any disorder of mind when such are equal uniform and strong light shines in all their Writings whereas the discourses of Fools or distracted Persons are unshapt Abortions of the mind beginnings without a regular progress or if there be any coherence 't is short and alwayes attended with some notable extravagance Besides the constant order of their Lives and Actions was a certain proof of the composedness and wisdom of their minds To sum up briefly what is convincing that the Apostles were sincere and certain in their Testimony How could they be deceived when they say him do Miracles or by his power did the like Did they all dream in a night that they saw him appear after his Resurrection what could impress on them such a strong belief of that of which the Senses were the proper Judges Or could they conspire to invent such a falshood and so easily to be convinc'd with the least rational hope that the World should believe them How was it likely considering the variable humors of Men but that some of themselves either by violent fears or attractive hopes should be prevailed on to discover the Fiction and leave their Party What could inspire them with such a false security to despise the greatest Dangers and such a foolish presumption to undertake the greatest difficulties How could they expect to induce the World to believe in and worship One ignominiously put to death After such a convincing evidence what can Reason nay suspicion object with any colour to weaken their testimony The motives of credibility are so strong that we may be as truly satisfied of the reality of the things related by the Apostles as if we had been spectators of them our selves CHAP. IV. The accomplishment of Prophecies concerning the Messiah in Jesus of Nazareth is an unanswerable proof that he was sent from God to redeem the World The circumstances of his Birth the actions of his Life his Sufferings and Death clearly foretold The irreparable destruction of the State of the Jews was foretold as the just punishment for their rejecting of the Messiah That terrible Event is a continual Proof that Jesus Christ was what he declar'd himself to be the Son of God The Converting of the Gentile World to the Knowledge and Service of the true God by the Messiah was foretold in the Scriptures and is visibly fulfill'd The Accomplishment of this Prophecy by the most unlikely means against the strongest Opposition is manifestly the effect of Divine Power and is sufficient to convince the Jewish and Heathen Infidelity of the truth of Christianity THE Accomplishment of Prophecies concerning the MESSIAH his coming into the World the Work he should do his Sufferings and the Consequences of them afford undeniable proof that Jesus of Nazareth came from God for our Salvation Prescience of things to come and independent on the setled course and order of Natural Causes is an incommunicable Prerogative of God His Eye only can pierce the thick vail of futurity He has an open unconfin'd prospect of all things that were are and shall be Such perfection of Knowledge transcends Angelical Minds 'T is more easy for the Devil by an adventurous imitation to counterfeit Miracles than to give a clear and distinct prediction of things to come that depend on free Agents From hence it was that he gave responsals ambiguously to conceal his ignorance of future events and left those who consulted his Oracles dubious and hovering in what sense to understand them God alone could instruct the Prophets to foretel things at such a distance especially considering some of them are supernatural and others contingent from the wavering of second Causes Now the several Prophecies of Jesus Christ if united together make such an entire description of him that they seem rather Historical Narratives of what is past than Predictions of what was to come According to the Prophecies he was born of a Virgin a branch of the almost extinguish'd Family of David born in Bethlehem usher'd in by a forerunner meek lowly just and a worker of Miracles Therefore when John the Baptist sent some of his Disciples to enquire whether he was the Messiah that should come Our Saviour gave no direct Answer in words but referred them to his Works that gave a full and real testimony concerning him Go tell John the things which ye do hear and see the Blind receive their Sight the Lame walk the Lepers are cleansed the Deaf hear the Dead are raised up and the Poor have the Gospel preached to them That comparing his Miraculous Operations for the recovery of humane Bodies with the Prophecies there being a perfect Agreement between them and both undoubtedly from God They might by that clear and certain Caracter acknowledg him to be the Promised Messiah 'T is an Observation of St. Austin That the Son of God foreseeing the perverse Interpretations that his Enemies would make use of to darken the lustre of his Miracles accusing him as a solemn Magician that wrought by force of Inchantment that such a false Perswasion might not prevail sent the Prophets before his coming into the World From hence the Saint argues to repress those impious calumnies If by Magical Arts he did such Wonders as to conciliate Divine Honour to him even since his Death was he a Magician before he was born and did he know the succession of all things in his Life before he lived that by an impossible Miracle he predicted them to Moses David Esay Daniel and others Having thus argued the Saint turns himself to those Infidels as Christ to the Pharisees looking round about on them with anger being grieved for the hardness of their hearts and said O dead wretch hear the Prophets But above all His Death and Passion the substance of the Gospel is most exquisitly drawn with the lines of his own Blood Daniel foretels the time Zachary as if present at the execrable contract between Judas and the High-Priests tels us exactly the price of the Treason and then as if transported to Calvary he saw his Side open'd with the Spear and notes it in these words they shall look on him whom they have pierced David as if he had stood at the foot of the Cross in the hour of his Sufferings relates the manner of them in the Person of our Crucified Redeemer They peirced my Hands and my Feet Then the disjoynting of his Parts by the Torture I may tell all my Bones they look and stare upon me His hanging naked on the Cross they part my Garments among them and cast lots upon my Vesture the bitter draught they offer'd him they gave me also Gall for my Meat and in my thirst they gave me Vinegar to drink The blasphemous derision of the Priests and People
the spectators of his Death All that see me laugh me to scorn they shoot out the lip they shake the head saying He trusted in the Lord that he would deliver him let him deliver him seeing he delighted in him His words spoken in the heighth of his distress My God my God why hast thou forsaken me The Prophet Isaiah represents the Ignominy and Torments of his Passion I gave my back to the smiters and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair I hid not my face from shame and spitting and by the eyes of his mind saw him crucified between two Thieves He was named with Transgressors and as present at his most affectionate dying prayer for his enemies Father forgive them they know not what they do observe that he made intercession for Transgressors Thus as several Painters that would draw divers Copies from the same excellent Original are intent to view its various Aspects some directly some on this and the other side so the Prophets as if they had been the Spectators of his cruel Sufferings copied from the life every one that part that the Holy Spirit assigned to them Now how was it possible if not instructed by Omniscience that being so distant in time and place and so long before the Accomplishment they should concur in such an exact description of what should befal the Messiah Men are not Prophets by the light of Reason as Nature is not subjected to their power to work Miracles neither is Futurity open to their view to compose an History of things to come The Death of Christ depended on several Causes Men Devils and God himself concurr'd for divers Ends in the same Event The two prime Conspirators against his Life Lucifer and Caiphas were moved both from Reasons of State to secure their own The Devil to maintain his cruel Empire which for so many Ages he had usurp'd in the World For our Saviour having with Authority cast out Legions of his ministring Spirits from those who were miserably possest by them he was in fear of losing his Power Besides he foresaw that if Christ were the Son of God the killing of him would bring such a crimson guilt upon the Jews that no less punishment than their Rejection would follow And so God should lose his peculiar People Caiaphas excited the Council to devote him as a Sacrifice to preserve their Nation from ruine for their safety depending on their homage to the Romans to prevent the jealousies that might arise by the fame of his mighty Works and by the Peoples attendance on him that were fed by his Miracles they concluded on it as a necessary expedient that Christ should dy and all suspicions be removed with him Thus Men and Devils were the instruments but God appointed that great Event The storm fell from Heaven upon Him for our Sins 'T is therefore expresly said He was delivered by the determinate Counsel and foreknowledge of God who over-ruled the train of disorders the work of their cruel malice for contrary ends than were design'd by them For the Devils were cast out of their Kingdom the Jews depriv'd of their Liberty and the Kingdom of Christ establish'd for ever Now who could read in the Mind of God his free Decrees even the Angels of Light that always see his face cannot without a revelation of them None but the Spirit that searches the deep things of God could make the discovery And who could foresee that the Messiah so often promised to the Jews so impatiently expected and ardently desir'd should be so fiercely rejected by them that his Death should be the effect as of his own love so of their hatred None but God to whom all the periods of time are equally present and who is more intimate with the Counsels and Passions of Men than their own Souls are could predict it He communicated some rays of his Prescience to holy Men who foretold that obscurest Contingency From hence it follows that the clear Testimonies of the Prophets exactly fulfill'd in Jesus Christ are an unanswerable demonstration that He was the expected Deliverer to restore the World 2. The universal and irreparable Destruction of the State of the Jews foretold as the just punishment of their rejecting the Messiah is another illustrious proof of the Divinity of his Person and Doctrine To represent all the Characters of that Vengeance as they are set down by Josephus an Eye-Witness and Historian of it would lengthen this Discourse beyond the limits intended It is sufficient to observe 1. That all the severe Scourges of God met in a direful conjunction against them The most affrighting Prodigies were his forerunners A flaming-Sword brandish'd in the Heavens and Monsters born on the Earth And War Famine Pestilence and Fire were his Attendants Those who escap't the Sword were consum'd by Famine and those who were preserved from cruel War and Famine were swept away by the Pestilence or devour'd by the merciless Flames Wherever they turn'd their eyes Death in terrible shapes appear'd 2. All these Judgments were inflicted at once upon them in the heaviest degrees The Sword never made a greater destruction of Men than in Jerusalem here were Rivers of Blood there Mountains of Carcasses In some places nothing but silence and horrour amongst the dead in others the crys and groans of the dying Innumerable were massacred by the rage of Sedition amongst themselves And when the mild Conquerour would have spared them yet by an unparallel'd fierceness they would rather perish in an obstinate resistance The Famine was so extreme as compell'd even tender Mothers to eat the flesh of their miserable Children The Fire consum'd the City from one end to the other without leaving any part entire The Temple the Sanctuary of Religion and Image of Heaven where God so long had dwelt had been serv'd and prais'd and rendred his Oracles was not exempted from the fury of the Fire 3. Their Calamity was extreme and irreparable The first Desolation by the Chaldeans so compassionately recorded by Jeremiah was not comparable in the degrees and continuance to this second by the Romans of which CHRIST himself was the Chief Mourner and made lamentation Then they were transported together and not to a very rigorous nor perpetual servitude in Babylon After seventy years they recover'd their Liberty and were restored to their Native Land But in the last the Captives were dispers'd among divers People a sad Prognostick that they should never be joyned again in one Society The Ruines of the Nation were so great that the pieces of it are scatter'd all over the World Where ever a Jew is found there is a stone of ruin'd Jerusalem never to be rebuilt In short that wretched Nation is rent into innumerable parts and expos'd to the contempt and hatred of all As the Body of a Traitor is quarter'd and the parts hung up in several places of publick view to signify the horrour of his Crimes in the severity of his
perfect Humility to the World 'T is the special Character of his Religion that distinguishes it from all other Institutions that it preserves the Divine Glory entire that it makes the profoundest impressions in the hearts of Men of their meanness and vanity and inspires them with an humble sense of their infinit distance from God And for the holiness of his Life I shall produce a Testimony that can be liable to no exception 't is of Porphiry a Platonic Philosopher who excelled as in Learning and Eloquence so in Malignity the most furious Enemies of Christianity yet he was by irresistible evidence compell'd to acknowledge That Jesus Christ was a most pious and Excellent Person and that after his Death he ascended into Heaven And is it credible that the same Person whose Life was a glorious Example of Holiness and Righteousness should be guilty of the most transcendent Wickedness 'T is not possible for an unprejudic'd mind to entertain such a suspicion 4. That the Son of God was here below in a mean state that he was expos'd to the most cruel and ignominious death if we consider the great end of his condescending goodness it will appear to be most worthy of him and that there is no contradiction in the things themselves but in the perverse minds of Infidels For First He was to redeem the World not in the way of Majesty but by humble Obedience and Sufferings Thus it was ordered by Divine Wisdom for the honour of God's Attributes and Government Now if he had appear'd in sensible Glory the design of his coming had been frustrated who would have dared to condemn him to the infamous death of the Cross who would have shed his Blood the price of our Redemption And 't is very observable that our Saviour made no use of his Supernatural Power when the doing a Miracle before Herod would have struck him with the reverence of him as a Divine Man and might have preserved him from Death Nay when the glittering Host of Heaven all the Orders of Angels were in Arms ready upon his least Call to have come swifter than Lightning for his rescue yet he meekly yeelded himself up a bloody Sacrifice to God and an ignominious Spectacle to Men. For thus it became him to fulfil all Righteousness Secondly Another great End of his Coming was to found a Spiritual Eternal Kingdom He was constituted a new Adam to regenerate Men to an holy blessed Life that were condemned in the first Adam to Death and Misery Therefore his Life was a continual exercise of Self-denyal a pattern of Innocence and Patience of doing good and suffering evil Thus he convinces us that nothing is valuable in God's account but Holiness Thus by his own Example he instructs us in the divine Philosophy to despise the good and evil things here in order to our everlasting happiness He ascended to Heaven by the way of sufferings and calls us to follow him The fruit of Blessedness is ingrafted on the thorns of Poverty and Persecution for his Name-sake The Laws of his Kingdom are inscribed on the Body of his Cross and must be copyed in the Hearts of his Subjects And for this Reason when the Apostles who after his Resurrection had some reliques of their carnal conceit that the Kingdom of GOD should come with observation for its external splendor ask'd him Lord wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdom of Israel to raise their Thoughts and Affections above Earthly things he answered The Holy-Ghost shall come upon you and ye shall be Witnesses of me both in Jerusalem and in Judea and in Samaria and unto the utmost ends of the Earth Their preaching his Life and Death should be attended with the power of the Spirit to dispense a vigorous Influence into the hearts of Men for his Imitation And certainly his Example is of admirable use and profit For thus he sweetens and makes honourable those Vertues the exercise of which were very difficult and unpleasing either in respect of their quality being contrary to fleshly lusts or as they expose to Contempt in the opinion of the World For who can refuse or be asham'd to practise the most severe Self-denyal when in that he is made a Copy of so Divine an Original as the Son of God Now considering what an influence his Afflicted state has to procure Eternal Happiness for fallen Man and to prepare Man for it was it unbecoming him to descend thus low Is it unbecoming that God loves as God that as infinite Wisdom and Power appear'd in the Creation so Infinite Mercy appears in our Redemption What is more Divine than infinitely to exceed all the Ideas we can frame of Perfect Love To do greater things for his Enemies than Men are willing to do for their dearest Friends and where Sin abounds that Grace superabounds Thus the Eye of Reason clear'd by Revelation sees that the voluntary Humiliation of the Son of God for a time is so far from diminishing that it exalts his Majesty This is the great Argument and Motive of the Adoration and solemn Praise that Reasonable Creatures shall for ever pay unto him wherein his derivative Glory consists From what has been discours'd we may see the just grounds of our firm Assent and perfect Adherence to the Doctrine of the Gospel There are not only sufficient but abundant Motives to induce our belief so that it is an extreme Wonder that any to whom it is revealed should not see the Truth so illustriously visible The only account of such Infidelity is given by the Apostle The God of this World hath blinded the eyes of them which believe not lest the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine upon them The love of some Lust fleshly or spiritual render Men averse from receiving it The Mysteries of Godliness are not confin'd to the speculative mind but are for moral ends to regulate our lives From hence it is that the cordial belief of them very much depends on the temper and disposition of the Soul The sincere humble Enquirer has an eminent advantage in the discovery of the truth and spiritual excellencies of the Gospel above those who are over-rul'd by corrupt habits For the carnal heart either wholly turns the mind from thinking on those most sacred and concerning objects or weakens its intention that it does not seriously and duly consider them Men will studiously apply themselves to secular Arts and can discern the truth of abstruse Mathematical Theorems that are not distastful to their evil affections yet though the Principles of Christian Faith are as unquestionable as the clearest Propositions in Geometry they will not ponder those things that may convince and perswade them to believe what is directly opposite to their Lusts. Besides as corrupt humours vitiate the palate and make what is pleasant bitter to the taste so vicious desires darken and deprave the mind and incline it to judge of Doctrines to
be true or false as they are favourable or disagreeing to them Carnal persons fortify every Objection that may render the Mysteries of Godliness unlikely and incredible and will be partial for Sensuality Of this we have a great instance in the first rejection of the Gospel The Jews expected the Messiah would come with pompous Wonders and external Magnificence that he would deliver them from the Roman Yoke and found an Universal Monarchy for them and according to those carnal fancies they would understand the Promises concerning him Now though JESUS CHRIST approved himself to be the Son of God the true Messiah by the Sanctity of his Life the Rectitude of his Doctrine and the Divinity of his Miracles yet for the poverty and meanness of his Condition being without any sensible shew of Greatness and Glory they despised him as most unworthy that Divine Relation and Office Tho in him all the Characters of the Messiah were conspicuous and the Scriptures declare expresly that the Messiah the Prince should be cut off but not for himself but to make reconciliation for Iniquity and to bring in everlasting Righteousness yet they were so prepossest with the Ideas of a Terrene Felicity that they would interpret all the Scriptures by that measure as if the Messiah should come into the World to repair no other ruines but of their Temporal State and Liberty Therefore they spake of him with scornful titles as for this Fellow we know not from whence he is And is not this the Carpenter Shall the glorious Prophecies of the Messiah be accomplish'd in him Shall he have Dominion from Sea to Sea and from the River to the ends of the Earth Shall all Kings bow down before him and all Nations serve him There was nothing to satisfie their sight in his outward appearance and Retinue and his Miraculous Condescention so much below their expectations was more powerful to harden them in unbelief than all his supernatural Operations to induce them to believe in him And as the Jews from their affection to Secular things were enemies to the Gospel so the Heathen Philosophers from Spiritual Pride for they vainly affected the praise of Knowledge and Vertue as the fruit of their own mind and the product of their own will They did not consider God as the Fountain of Truth and whether the Ray of his Knowledg comes directly and immediately into us or by reflection from others the glory of it is entirely due to him Besides the great Mysteries of Godliness not being suitable to their first Opinions were rejected with disdain as foolish Impossibilities And in every Age since even in the pale of the Church there are some secret Infidels that esteem the Gospel a Fable and some who peremtorily deny the fundamental Articles of Christianity Those who are slaves to their eyes and appetites will raise Clouds to obscure that Truth that forbids their dear Lusts upon pain of Damnation The pretended difficulty of Belief is but a thin transparent pretence the difficulty of Practice is the true cause of their rejecting the Gospel They would not have the Precepts of it to be their duty and therfore are unwilling to acknowledg the Doctrines of it to be true And those who set up a Tribunal in their own Understandings to which Divine Revelation must submit will not believe what is above their presumptuous Reason But that the Soul exempt from passions and prejudice has no just temptation to disbeleive the Christian Doctrine is evident in that so many Persons in whom the concurrence of Wisdom and Vertue was equally flourishing and excellent after the most exact discussion imbrac'd it as the Heavenly Truth If there were falseness in its Principles or weakness in its Proof how could it scape their discovery And that they were sincere in their belief is above all doubt for they willingly sacrificed all that is valuable and dear in this life for the profession of it Now was it ever known that any person would knowingly choose an Errour so destructive The Will seduc'd by Sense imbraces sometimes that that is condemn'd by Reason but it never adheres to those things that are contrary both to Reason and Sense By this it appears that Infidelity has no just plea from the insufficiency of the proofs of the Christian Religion which have fully satisfied the wisest the most considerate and sincere part of Mankind A corrupt Heart is the spring and principle of the illusions of the mind in things that concern Salvation 2. The Gospel propounds to us the most proper and powerful motives of love to God In the visible World there is a Representation so conspicuous and full of his Divine Majesty Power Wisdom that form'd and regulates all things that 't is not possible but the attentive regarding of it will make impressions of reverence and fear will raise our esteem and admiration But those are dead sentiments without Love And that in the guilty Creature fearful of God's Wrath must be first excited by the hopes of his Pardoning Mercy Now the Love and Kindness of God our Saviour appear'd to Man in his Redemption in the most eminent manner Though in that blessed Work the Divine Perfections are relucent in various effects Wisdom design'd it Power accomplish'd it Holiness and Righteousness was gloriously declar'd in it yet as 't is applied to the benefit of Man 't is the sole effect of Wise Almighty Holy Tender Love Mercy soften'd God's Bowels open'd Heaven sent down his Son to be one with us in nature that he might exchange his Merits and Blessedness for our guilt and misery Miraculous Love to make his only begotten Son our Brother to humble him to the condition of a Servant that we most unworthy to be his Servants should be advanc'd to be his Children Nay to expose him to the death of a Malefactor equally ignominious and painful that we Malefactors might obtain Life and Glory If ever Love deserv'd the title of Excess 't is this for though not without Reason yet 't is without all bounds and measure 'T is so far above our thought that 't is hard to have a firm belief of it What the Psalmist speaks of the temporal Deliverance of the Church is more justly applicable to its Spiritual Eternal Deliverance When the Lord turned again the Captivity of Sion we were like to them that dream As if a poor man fancying in a dream that he is a King adorn'd with the Ensigns of Royalty and between hopes and fears should enquire of himself Am I awake and in my right mind Is this Scepter this Robe this Crown real Or is it all the pleasant deceit of Imagination And how can we reflect upon the amazing Grace of God that brings Salvation but such thoughts will arise Is it true that God did not spare his most innocent and dear Son to absolve us guilty Rebels Did he dye for his Father's Enemies and his own Unparallel'd Love only to be fully conceiv'd by an
infinite Understanding That the Divine Father should seem to love us more than his only begotten Son in giving him up to death for us that the Son of God should love us more than his own Life in dying to reconcile us to his Father were incredible but for the Testimony of God himself Who can resist the sweet Violence the powerful Attractives of this Love How can any person that has the use of Reason to consider this great Love not be inflam'd with affection towards his Saviour How is it possible that these wide extremes should be found united The infinite Goodness of God and the equal unthankfulness of Men that they hate and offend whom they are obliged by the dearest titles to love and serve Methinks such unnatural Ingratitude should only be found in Hell where despair of Redemption has blotted out in those lost Souls the memory of the Love and Merits of the Redeemer But that on Earth where his most precious Blood was shed and is applicable for the Salvation of all that will receive him by Faith and Love that here injuries are returned for his inestimable Benefits is the most enormous Impiety What shall we render unto him for our Evils which he hath suffered for his Benefits which he gives to us All that we can endure for his sake is not comparable to one Thorn of his bleeding Crown Let us return Love that is so infinitely due to him Wo to us if we do not love him Consider further that the same most free Love that gave the Redeemer for us has reveal'd him to us For who could have imagined that the Son of God should descend from his Throne in Heaven and from the Bosom of his Father into the Womb of a Virgin-Mother and become Man to save us by his Sufferings Who could have any hopes that the human nature our low and heavy earth should ascend above the Heavens The World by natural light knew no more of his coming to recover it from misery than it perceived when the same Word in the Creation rais'd it from the Abyss of Nothing This should make us most sensible of his favour But every one will pretend to love his Saviour Now that we may not deceive our selves with a flashy Affection the Rule of Tryal is plain Our love to him must correspond in its kind and quality with his love to us And that was declar'd in doing and suffering what was requisit for our Salvation The precious Tree does not heal the Sore by its fragrancy but must be wounded to give it Soveraign Balm Our Saviour did not only express in words his compassionate sense of our misery that alone had been sufficient but loved us and washt us from our Sins in his Blood After his Resurrection he shewed his pierced Hands and Side to the Disciples not only the real proofs that he was Jesus that suffered but of his Love They might see his Heart open and Hands rent for them And such a love is due to him That which is only productive of Leaves and Blosoms of affectionate words of our Saviour but unfruitful in the works of Holiness may deceive Men by a fair appearance but not his eye who judges of the truth and strength of our love to him by our keeping his Commandments In short as an active Heat proceeds by an emanation from the Fire so a chearful Readiness and Zeal to do the Will of Christ naturally flows from Love consecrated to him But to enforce this the more let us further consider 3. We are obliged by all the titles of Gratitude and Justice of natural Divine Reason to walk as becomes the Gospel of Christ. First The dignity of the Author requires this of us The Son of God came down from Heaven and if the Allusion may be allowed circum caput omne micantes Deposuit radios propiusque accedere jussit laid down his Glory that he might familiarly teach us our Duty in order to our happiness And if the Word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation which as the first began to be spoken by the Lord Secondly The perfection and plainness of this Rule 'T is a wise observation That those Laws are best for Government that are so clear and particular that nothing is left to the will of the inferiour Judg who is not usually so capable and pure from by-respects as the Lawgiver The Gospel is a Light wherein all Vertues shine in their bright eminence and all Vices blush in their odious deformity It excludes all obscurity that the meanest understandings may see the way to happiness There can be no palliations and excuses for those who will rather argue than obey For the revelation of God's Will is so full and open in it that 't is direct Rebellion not to yeeld entire subjection to it And they who know their Masters Will and do it not shall be beaten with many stripes Thirdly To commend it to our practice we have an Example of perfect obedience set before us If Jesus Christ had represented in the World no other person but of the Word and Wisdom of his Father as a Master to regulate and guide us by his Commands had revealed to us the Secrets of another World and then ascended to Heaven the highest Reverence and Observance had been due to his Laws But to â—â—â—â—urage and edge our industry he was pleased to exhibit in his Life a Patern of universal Obedience He gave us Rules of such perfect Holiness that there seemed no necessity of his practice for our instruction And the living image of his Laws was so visible in his Actions that his sole Example affords us a Model of entire Sanctity There is no kind of Vertue from the lowest to the most Heroick of which he might not say as he did to his Disciples in his last Supper I have given you an Example that ye should do as I have done to you And what should be more powerful in the breasts of Christians than a sacred Ambition to be like the Son of God than a dear Affection to be conform'd to their Saviour Fourthly To excite us to our Duty the Gospel offers such a Reward to encourage Obedience and threateneth such prepar'd Plagues against Disobedience that unless a Man be miraculously transform'd into a stupid Beast he cannot but be moved by them Now what darkness of mind or rather what perversness of heart is it if the great Interest of the one and the other Eternity the Blessed and the Miserable be not sufficient to work upon us But alas how many who pretend to be the Disciples of Christ do not obey him as their Master love him as their Redeemer nor fear him as their Judge They live as if Christ had commanded them to please not to crucify the flesh and the lusts thereof as if he had bid them