the Paper it is written upon yet they are enjoyned to oppress Men that bear the Image of God by their Religion which breaths out nothing but Violence Fury and Oppression The Reason why Men usually refer thus every thing to their Senses is because a Worship that is corporeal and sensual is far more easie It is much easier for a Man to take the Sun for a God than to be continually taken up in seeking after a God that is invisible to solemnize Games and Festivals in honour of a pretended Deity than to renounce himself for the sake of a true one 'T is much easier for him to fast than to renounce his Vices to sing spiritual Songs or bow to a Statue than forgive his Enemies It appears then that the Christian Religion bears a more excellent Character in that it gives us for the Object of our Worship not a God under an human Shape but a God that is a Spirit in that it teaches us to honour him not with a carnal but a Spiritual Worship And this Christ himself has very elegantly told us in these Words God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth John 4. 24. Who could fill his Mind with such elevated Notions And how comes it that he so excellently sets down in that short Precept the Genius of true Religion of which Men before were wholly ignorant V. It may be said of all other Religions without Exception that they induce us to look after the Pleasures and Profits of the World in the Worship of God whereas the Christian Religion makes us glorify God by renouncing the World Thus the Heathens designing rather to please themselves than their Deities introduced into Religion whatever could any ways flatter and divert them And the Mahumatan Religion not being Incumbred with many Ceremonies at least affixes temporal Advantages to the Practice of its Worship as if the Pleasures of the World were to be the future Reward of Religion But certainly both of them are much mistaken for the Heathens should have known that the Worship of God consisted not in diverting and pleasing themselves and the Mahumetans should not have been ignorant that since temporal and worldly Advantages were insufficient in themselves to satisfy the boundless Desires of Man's Heart they could not come in Competition with those Benefits which true Religion had peculiarly designed for him But both these follow'd the Motions of Self-love which being naturally held in suspense between the World and Religion imagins that nothing can be more pleasant than to unite them both thinking thereby to reconcile its Inclination and Duty consecrate it's Pleasures and put no difference between Conscience and Interest But the first Rule of true Religion teaches us that that mutual Agreement is impossible or to use it 's own Words that Christ and Belial are incompatible one with the other that we must either glorify God at the expence of worldly Pleasures or possess the Advantages of the World with the Loss of our Religion And this certainly shews the Christian Religion to have a Divine Character VI. Other false Religions debase the Deity and exalt Man whereas the Christian Religion humbles Man and exalts the Deity The Egyptians a Nation that boasted so much of their Antiquity made Monsters of their Deities and the Romans made Deities of their Emperors who were rather Monsters than Men The most famous Philosophers were not ashamed to rank their Deities below themselves and themselves ever before Jupiter but the Christian Religion teaches us that we owe all to God who owes nothing at all to us It humbles us by the Consideration of that infinite Distance there is between God and us it shews that we are miserable despicable Creatures in comparison of God who is a Supream Being and only worthy our Love and Adoration Who then can chuse but admire so excellent a Religion VII Other Religions made us depend upon those Beings which were given us to command and saucily pretend a Power over that supream Being upon whom we ought wholly to depend They taught Men to burn Incense to the meanest Creatures and impudently to equal themselves to the Universal Monarch of the World But 't is no wonder that Men should be so impious as to desire to become Gods since they were so base as to forget that they were Men and yet how ill their Pride became them when they disdain'd not to submit to the four-footed Beasts to the Fowls of the Air the creeping Animals and Plants of the Earth as St. Paul reproaches them and how basely superstitious were they in that they were not content to Deify themselves but would also Deify their own Vices and Imperfections But the Christian Religion alone restores that equitable Order which ought to be establish'd in the World by submitting every thing to the Power of Man that he might submit himself to the Will of his God And what can be the Duty of true Religion but to restore such just and becoming Order in the World VIII We need no deep search into other Religions to find that they chiefly tend to flatter Men's corrupt Desires and efface those Principles of Justice and Vprightness which God has imprinted on their Minds But he that shall truly consider the Christian Religion will certainly find that it tends to the rooting up those corrupt Desires out of our Hearts and restoring those bright Characters of Honesty and Justice imprinted on our Minds by the hand of God The Heathens flattered their Passions to that degree as to erect Altars in Honour of them and Mahomet was so well pleas'd with temporal Prosperity that he made it the End and Reward of his Religion The Gnosticks imagined that when they had arrived to a certain degree of Knowledge which they called a State of Perfection they might commit all sorts of Actions without any Scruple of Conscience and that Sin which polluted others would be sanctified in them But what Blindness what Impiety was this How admirable is the Christian Religion which alone among all others shews us our own Wickedness and Corruption and heals it with such Remedies as are as wholsome to the Soul as unpleasing to the Body IX 'T is observable that other Religions are contrary to Policy either in favouring or restraining too much human Weakness and Corruption upon the Account of Policy Whereas the Christian Religion preserves it's Rights and Privileges inviolable independent from either The Pagan Religion was against Policy in giving too much to human Weakness and Corruption It would have been much better for the Good and Welfare of the State if Men had framed to themselves a greater Idea of the Holiness of their Gods because they would have been less licentious and more submissive to the Civil Laws whereas they were encourag'd by the Example of their Deities to violate the most sacred and inviolable Rights Mahomet desirous to avoid this Irregularity retain'd the Notion of a true
cometh after me is mightier than I c. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire Lastly John saw the Holy Ghost Descending upon Jesus under such a form as truly denoted the gentleness and mildness his Life was to be attended with and he heard that voice from Heaven this is my beloved Son c. These three matters of fact have a necessary connexion with the Principles of our Religion if they be true as they will evidently appear to be to all who shall seriously consider and reflect upon them 'T would be to no purpose to suspect the Evangelist of having forged that prediction of the Destruction of Jerusalem which he makes Jesus Christ himself utter because that Gospel was compiled long before that Event It would be as little to the purpose to pretend that that other prediction of the Baptism with the Holy Ghost and with fire was falslly inserted into the History of John the Baptist. For what likelyhood is there that the Disciples should have made John the Baptist utter such a prediction had they seen nothing like it And if they were truly baptized with the Holy Ghost and with Fire why should any body refuse to believe that St. John the Baptist foretold it Chapt. IV. 1. Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness c. Had the Evangelists proposed any other Method to themselves in all their Writings but to speak the plain truth they would never have represented Christ to us as being delivered into the power of the Devil to be tempted of him who set him one while upon the Pinacles of the Temple and another while upon an exceeding high Mountain In all this Relation we have certainly a most undeniable mark of their Truth and Sincerity Vers 19. And he saith unto them follow me and I will make you fishers of men Who is this that without Riches Arms and Authority nay without any assistance from Men pretends to convert ordinary Fishers into Fishers of Men How came any such Thoughts into his Mind What a strange Design is this What a rash undertaking Nay what confidence joined to so great a weakness For Jesus Christ to fortel and execute that project he must not only have been absolute Master of his Disciples to convert them so wonderfully but also of their minds to enlighten them of their Hearts to make them less sensible of all wordly objects He must have been an absolute Master of suturity to foretel it of time present to Dispose of it of those Men's Inclinations whom he was thus to change of their resistance and continual struglings and oppositions against him nay he must have been absolute Master of all the Enemies of his Name in a word of all Events and Junctures whatsoever Vers 24. And his fame went throughout all Syria 'T is certain that the Evangelists could never have made the World believe that Jesus Christ was become famous for his Miracles had he really neither wrought nor pretended to work any Miracles Besides herein was Jesus Christ distinguish'd from John the Baptist that the former wrought many notable Wonders and Signs but the latter was famous only for the innocency of his Life and purity of his Manners And if Jesus Christ passed for a person who really did several Miracles it remains only for us to know whether those Miracles be true or false and that solely depends upon the examination of the Witnesses that saw them the nature of the matters of fact themselves and the Enemies that so firmly opposed them c. Chap. V. 1. And seeing the multitude he went up into a mountain c. And he opened his mouth and taught them c. I shall not say any thing concerning that excellent Sermon which Jesus Christ preached on the Mount We need only read it over to be satisfied that it is an abstract of the most Sound Pure and Spiritual the most impartial sublime and surprizing Doctrine that ever was thought of Read it therefore I say and you will as much be surprized at his Doctrine as the Multitudes that heard it Chap. VIII 1. When he was come down from the mountain c. In this Chapter we read of the cleansing of Lepers of healing sick Persons that were absent and far off by the efficacy of his word of his calming the Storms and Tempests of the Sea of his casting Devils out of those that were possessed of the consternation the Gadarenes were in at the loss of their Herd of Swine and their surprize to see those healed that were possessed with Devils all which are such matters of fact as the Evangelists could not have been perswaded of by a meer Illusion nor the Disciples make others believe against their own publick Knowledge Vers 11. And I say unto you many shall come from the East and West c. Who was it that had thus enlightned the Mind of Jesus Christ as to make him so clearly foretell the calling of the Gentiles Vers 22. But Jesus said unto him follow me and let the dead bury their dead This was certainly the expression of a Man that had so deeply reflected upon the vanity of the World and was truly perswaded of the Misery and Corruption of Mankind For did ever any Man but him speak after this manner Vers 34. And behold the whole City came out to meet Jesus and when they saw him they besought him that he would depart out of their Coasts Here were a sufficient number of Witnesses who might have easily convinced the Evangelists had that matter of fact been false Chap. IX 1. And he entred into a Ship c. In this Chapter Jesus Christ calleth Matthew from the receit of custom healeth a Woman that was diseased with an Issue of Blood twelve Years restoreth sight to two blind Men raiseth a young Girl to Life again and healeth one that was possessed with a Devil Now Matthew who compiled the History of all these matters of fact and whom no interest whatsoever could have obliged to follow Jesus Christ to the prejudice of his own repose could not but know certainly what force or secret Power had compelled him to follow Christ And Jairus knew very well whether or no his Daughter had been raised to Liâ—e again his Friends and Relations had been informed of it the Neighbours and Minstrels who were already come to solemnize her funerals could not be ignorant of it In a word the Blind the Lame and the Sick of that Town could not but tell whether they really experienced that healing virtue which proceeded from his very garments But who can suppose that so many Persons should have known the certain Truth of that matter of fact and yet that the Disciples themselves should not have known it And supposing they knew it how is it possible they could have so unanimously agreed to impose upon all the World at the expence of their lives and against their own temporal interest Vers 5. For whether is
to him about eating he answered that his meat was to do the will of his Father And when he sat on the side of the Well he spoke of his divine Grace as of a Well of Water springing up into everlasting Life Who is not filled with admiration when he considers these things Vers 24. God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth This was telling Men in short what they should have known and what all till then were wholly ignorant of This was what is most conformable to a reasonable nature and the Principles of natural Revelation what distinguished true Religion from Superstition what the wisest among the Heathens had not been able to discover at a time when reasoning and speculation were at the height at least what they had but a very faint Knowledge of what the Prophets themselves had spoke of but obscurely and what the Jews who in the days of our Saviour minded nothing in Religion but the External Corporeal part of it were wholly ignorant of What manner of Man then was he who alone had so much Wisdom Chap. V. 25. Verily Verily I say unto you the hour is coming and now is when the Dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live He that could raise the Dead to Life again might well speak after this manner But such Expressions would have been extravagant in any other but him Vers 36. But I have greater witness than that of John for the works which the Father has given me to finish the same works that I do bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me Those works must have been very extraordinary indeed since he preferred the witness they bore of him before that of John the Baptist For were it otherwise he would have exposed himself to the scorn of those that heard him Vers 44. How can ye believe which receive Honour one of another and seek not the Honour that cometh from God only He that designs to deceive others does not express himself after this manner Christ should rather have made use of the vanity and weakness of Men which is nicely to be touched and delicately to be wrought upon in such cases Chap. VI. 14 15. Then those Men when they had seen the Miracle that Jesus did said this is of a Truth that Prophet that should come into the World When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force to make him a King he departed again into a mountain himself alone 'T was not out of any weakness or fear that Christ refused to put himself at the Head of those that would have made him King He that foretold his sufferings and established a memorial of them nay he who assembled together a Company of distressed Wretches whom he vouchsafed to lead about would not surely have been afraid os the fortune of War since he might have been followed by an innumerable company of People who would have daily increased being deluded by the common Opinion of those days that he was to be a great King What then deterred him from it Only his Humility Vers 35. I am the Bread of Life he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that cometh to me shall never thirst Did ever any man use an expression like this How can a Man be the Bread of Life And what can be the meaning of this expression Was going to Christ enough to satisfy hunger and thirst No one but an Enthusiast or one that was really come down from Heaven to instruct Mankind could have expressed himself thus But who is he that shall dare to Blaspheme against the Wisdom of that Divine Person Vers 63. The Flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and they are Life This Comment excellently justifies the Wisdom of that wonderful Teacher and clearly shews us what we should think of those seeming Paradoxes he advanced in the foregoing Verses so contrary to all our former Ideas and Prejudices Chap. VII 17. If any Man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self This is the best and surest Rule whereby we may judge of Christ and his Gospel And therefore for a Man to be perswaded of the Doctrine of Christ it is first requisite that his Heart be rightly disposed rather than his understanding fully enlightned Men at Christs coming into the World were wholly ignorant of this great and noble Truth They made a Science of Religion which none could understand but the learned And the Reason of Man which would know every thing but scarce knows any thing perfectly proudly assumed to itself the priviledge of judging in matters of Salvation But were that a certain Rule to go by the proud would be the greatest Favourites of God and the more Men strove out of vanity or ambition to become learned the clearer insight they would have into Revelation That indeed would be proper to make a considerable progress in humane Sciences but the Science of Salvation is not to be acquired but by Holiness and Humility For Virtue is a practical Habit. The more Simple and Ignorant we are the more our Eyes will be open The better we live the less scruples we shall entertain The more we love God the more sensible we shall grow of his admirable Precepts What great Wisdom then does this Maxim contain which Men in past Ages were wholly ignorant of and which the present Age scarce yet understands Vers 37 38 39. In the last Day that great Day of the Feast Jesus stood and cried saying If any Man thirst let him come unto me and drink He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his Belly shall flow Rivers of living Water But this spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive For the Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified How could the Evangelist have made Christ utter such words as these and a little after added this Annotation concerning the Effusion of the Gifts of the Holy Ghost had he really seen nothing happen that was like it Who sees not plainly that the Parenthesis supposes that Event to be well known since it informs us of the Reason of it Vers 40 41. Many of the People therefore when they heard this said of a Truth this is the Prophet Others said this is the Christ But some said shall Christ come out of Galilee All these Disputes and little Contests manifestly shew the great impression the Doctrine and Miracles of Christ had already made upon Peoples minds Besides they are of such a Nature as not easily to be thought of by a Person who could invent Lies Chap. VIII 7. 10 11 So when they continued asking him he lift up himself and said unto them he that is without sin among you let him first cast a Stone
I have fought with Beasts at Ephesus what advantageth it me if the Dead rise not Let us eat and drink for to morrow we die Since the beginning of the World Men of wordly Minds and carnal Appetites who aim only at the good things of this Life have always argued thus and indeed they would have a great deal of reason in arguing thus and pursuing their reasons were there no Resurrection of the dead Chap. XVI 21. The Salutation of me Paul with mine own hand If any Man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha He begun still and ended with Christ which evidently shews the strong persuasion of his Mind Second Epistle to the Corinthians Chap. I. 8 9. For we would not brethren have you ignorant of our trouble c. That we should not trust in our selves but in God which raiseth the dead By these words we perceive what troubles they underwent and what hopes they had to sustain them in their Sufferings Chap. II. 14 15 16. Now thanks be unto God which always causes us to triumph in Christ and maketh manifest the savour of his Knowledge by us in every place For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ c. To the one we are the savour of Death unto Death and to the other the savour of Life unto Life and who is sufficient for these things And who is sufficient to express all the force and energy of these words unlike the false Charms of humane Eloquence yet such as are easily discerned by an Heart rightly disposed Chap. IV. 6. For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the Knowledg of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. The Eloquence of Men which is generally above the thing it represents has usually but one Idea to represent one single object But if that Idea be a complex one then it is composed of several others proportionable and agreeable to it There cant well be in this sort of Eloquence a mixture of various Ideas and different Metaphors together in one and the same Period But on the contrary the Eloquence of the Holy Ghost which is always inferiour to those Objects it lays before us makes use of several different Images and Ideas at once because a single one could not express what it endeavours to represent As for instance in these expressions The Sun of righteousness with the healing of his wings has visited us through his tender mercies as also in this place where the Apostle thought he could never say enough this is a light which shineth which shineth into the heart which giveth the light the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. For a Man to express himself thus he must really be very strongly perswaded of what he could say The Orators of this World are usually Masters of their own Thoughts but this Writer here was as it were filled and wholly taken up with the greatness of the Object he was about to represent Vers 15. For all things are for your sakes that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God Thanksgiving Gratefulness Acknowledgement Glory of God Charity Confession of their Frailties Prayer Exhortation c. are the only Subjects that all the Writings of those pretended Impostors are full of Vers 17. For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory No Writer ever spoke with so much energy because no Writer was so strongly perswaded of the Truth of what he delivered Chap. V. 17. Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature What Teachers ever required such things of their Disciples What mean these Words and this strange Exhortation Chap. VI. 1 4 5 6. We then as workers together with him beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain c. but in all things approving our selves as the ministers of God in much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses in stripes in imprisonments in tumults in labours in watchings in fastings by pureness by knowledge by long-suffering by kindness by the Holy Ghost by love unfeigned Do such Exhortations usually come from the Men of this World or rather do they not proceed from the Holy Ghost himself Chap. VIII 18. And we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the Gospel throughout all the Churches He speaks of St. Luke in this place and what he says of him is sufficient to make us understand that the Gospel according to St. Luke was read even in those days in all the Christian Churchès which overthrows all suspicion that that Gospel had been filled with sham Stories of certain matters of fact in a time when every body had yet fresh in their Remembrance all that came to pass in those days Chap. XII 12. Truly the signs of an Apostle were wrought among you in all patience in signs and wonders and mighty deeds St. Paul wrote these things to several numerous Churches and to whole Societies And can we suppose he could perswade them that he wrought so many Wonders and Signs among them when he wrought none Chap. XIII 5. Examine your selves c. prove your own selves c. how that Jesus Christ is in you What mean these Expessions We are in Jesus Christ Jesus Christ is in us And whence come they Who first established such a strange Language And who did the Apostles learn this Stile from a Stile till then unknown to the World Had Men ever said before that time Cesar is in us No surely because they had never received the Spirit of Cesar But the Disciples had received the Spirit of Jesus Christ Epistle to the Galatians Chap. III. 4 5. O foolish Galatians c. Have ye suffered so many things in vain If it be yet in vain He therefore that ministreth to you the Spirit and worketh miracles among you doth he it by the works of the Law or by the hearing of faith What means this Interrogation If the Miracles and the miraculous and extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Ghost had been only meer Fictions Is it possible we should not perceive the Truth of that matter of fact by the ingenuous simplicity wherewith this Author takes it for granted when he makes it a Principle of his Arguments and takes an occasion from thence to censure the Galatians after so sharp and severe a manner Chap. VI. 12 14 15. As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh they constrain you to be Circumcised only lest they should suffer persecution for the Cross of Christ c. But God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the World is crucified unto me and I unto the World For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor
uncircumcision but a new Creature Great indeed was his Faith for he would not subscribe to their Maxims who constrained the faithful to be Circumcised tho he might have thereby avoided a sharp Persecution But he shews us that the Circumcision of the Heart only was acceptable to God that none but the New Creature could be for the future agreeable to him A Circumcision indeed infinitely more painful than the first and a New Creature established upon the Ruins of the World the pleasures of which are so dear to us Certainly it is impossible this Doctrine so spiritual so holy and so necessary in it self should have proceeded only from Flesh and Blood Epistle to the Ephesians Chap. III. 17 18 19. That ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth all Knowledge c. Had the Apostles been such Deceivers as the Incredulous would have them to be what mean those transports of admiration as often as they reflect on the mercy of God which every Page of this Book is full of Were they then deceived No surely because they could not be imposed upon in such certain matters of fact Had they then a mind to deceive other people That could not be neither because their Writings seem to be designed only to induce Men to fear God Chap IV. 24 25. And that ye put on the New man which after God is created in Righteousness and true holiness Wherefore putting away lying speak every Man truth with his neighbour c. A strange and surprising Discourse indeed but which would have been much more astonishing should it have been uttered by the mouth of an Impostor Epistle to the Philippians Chap. I. 29. For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake The Stoicks who had so much distinguished and raised themselves above all other Men by their sublime Morality had ever imagined that the Wise man might very well preserve a tranquil and sedate Mind in the midst of his Afflictions and they were so much intoxicated with Pride that they were altogether insensible of any Pain or Torment But the Disciples of Christ went yet higher They looked upon the most cruel Sufferings as upon so many Benefits and so many causes of Joy and Peace and Ineffable Consolation and Comfort They cried out I rejoyce in my sufferings c. I delight in Stripes in Afflictions c. Nay more than this they returned Thanks to God for having been thought worthy to suffer for his Name 's sake Their Afflictions gave rise to their Gratitude And all this because they were supported by a Divine hand and were most certain to obtain an everlasting Reward A strange thing indeed that this Certainty only should be absolutely requisite to demonstrate the truth of Religion The Apostles could never have entertained any false hopes of reward because their hopes were grounded on what they had seen and on the miraculous Gifts of God they had both received and often imparted to others We can't then doubt but that they had the hopes of a future Reward in prospect unless we will be wilfully Blind and Ignorant So blind must the Incredulous be who wilfully shut their Eyes and refuse to be convinced of so evident a Truth First Epistle to the Thessalonians Chap. I. 4. For our Gospel came not unto you in word only but also in power and in the Holy Ghost c. By these words it appears that the miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghost continually testified of the Gospel Chap. III. 4. For verily when we were with you we told you before that we should suffer tribulation even as â—t came to pass and ye know The Disciples of Christ had been prepared by him and had prepared themselves nay prepared their Successors also to suffer patiently according to the Words of this Apostle who says in another place 2 Tim. 3. 12. All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution T was therefore in cold Blood with their own choice and free deliberation they suffered such Torments Chap. V. 27. I charge you by the Lord that this Epistle be read unto all the holy brethren St. Paul feared not in the least his being contradicted or convinced of any Falsity he had advanced concerning his Afflictions and the Gifts of the Holy Ghost And therefore he commanded that his Epistles should be read to all the holy Brethren First Epistle to Timothy Chap. III. 16. And without controversy great is the mystery of Godliness God was manifest in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the World received up into glory This mystery can't be invented only by Humane understanding for several Reasons 1. Because it is so great and sublime that Men tho never so learned and quick sighted in other things yet would never have been able to find it out of themselves barely by the Scrutinies of their Reason 2. Because they were only poor Fishermen that preached it 3. Because this so sublime and magnificent Object proceeds if I may so speak from the Death and Sufferings of a Man who was condemned and punished with the most rigorous Punishments that could be thought of For t was only after the Passion of Christ that the Disciples went about preaching every where the wonderful works of God 4. And lastly because the contemplation of it depends upon Experience it self and altho this mystery appears at first view infinitely exalted above the reach of our capacity yet it must have been both seen and touched by the Disciples They certainly saw Christ and beheld his glory as the Glory of the only Son of God full of Grace and Truth They saw with their Eyes that Flesh in which corporeally dwelt an intire fulness of the glorious Godhead They were fully convinced of the extraordinary excellence of his Mysteries and the perfection of his Holiness They themselves received the Gifts of that same Spirit in which God himself was justified They saw Angels ascending and descending to minister unto him They preached it themselves to the Gentiles and so compelled the World to believe in him by their Patience and Preaching which was continually attended with the Demonstration of that Spirit and the Evidence of those Miracles performed by them in the Name of Jesus Lastly he ascended into Heaven in their sight So that these are all sure and certain proofsof the Truth of that great Mystery which can't in the least be suspected Second Epistle to Timothy Chap. III. 15 16. And that from a Child thou hast known the holy Scriptures c. All Scripture is given by inspiration There is no maintaining false Religions in the World but by the help of Ignorance Negligence and a blind Submission But the Christian Religion can't be suspected of any
such defects because it is wholly founded upon Instruction and Knowledge Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal Life John 5. 39. Chap. IV. 7 8 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness St. Paul was drawing nigh toward his latter end and the words of a dying Man are always to be regarded Whence then comes that chearful Joy the Apostle so naturally expresses in this occasion His Hopes had they been of this World must have been soon buried with him in his Grave and his Happiness too at an end Whence then derived he that great Confidence which he seems to have had Was it from the inward sense of a guilty Conscience which reproach'd him for having betray'd the Synagogue blemished his Country Men deceived Mankind testified of a Seducer and forg'd such fictitious Visions by the most signal Imposture that ever was Let any one believe it if he can First Epistle of St. Peter Chap. I. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively Hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead The Mind of those Writers was so full of the Salvation that was revealed to them that they were never weary of returning thanks to God for it Chap. II. 17 18 19 20. Honour all men Love the brotherhood Fear God Honour the King Servants be subject to your Masters with all fear not only to the good and gentle but also to the froward c. For what glory is it if when ye be buffeted for your faults ye shall take it patiently But if when ye do well and suffer for it ye take it patiently this is acceptable with God c. It is a strange thing we should be desired to own that a mutual Agreement of Malice and Falshood which really is a wonderful Agreement of Piety Charity Obedience and Righteousness Paul expressed himself like Peter and Peter spoke like Paul They both acted and suffered alike nay they bore the very same Testimony being endowed with the same Patience practising the very same Virtues and discovering one and the same Wisdom in all their words Now what have we any reason to suspect in all this Second Epistle of St. Peter Chap. I. 16 17 18. For we have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ but were Eye-witnesses of his Majesty For he received from God the Father Honour and Glory when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory This is my well beloved Son in whom I am well pleased And this voice which came from Heaven we heard when we were with him in the holy Mount c. This is a Witness who spoke of what he had seen who suffered Death in defence of the Truth of his Testimony who saw it not alone for several others had seen the same thing who spoke not out of any principle of Interest or concealed what he knew through any fear or apprehension of Death and who for all that did his utmost endeavours to sanctifie Mankind and bestowed all his Time his Labour and his Life in advancing such an extraordinary work which is so little to be suspected And if so what Man is there that can reasonably mistrust him First Epistle of St. John Chap. I. 1 3. That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our Eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of Life declare we unto you c. If you should doubt whether the Apostles did really go about testifying every where that they had seen with their Eyes both the Miracles and Resurrection of Christ 't is but learning it from their Epistles and their own words too Chap. II. 1. My little Children these things write I unto you that ye sin not But what was it to him whether Men sinned or not Did ever the design of sanctifying Mankind and contributing to their Salvation at the cost of ones Blood ones Liberty ones Life enter before into any Man's Heart but theirs These and the like Reflexions are of themselves sufficient to give the Reader a relish of those Truths and incite him to make some of his own as shall more effectually instruct and convince him For my part I have made several which perhaps satisfy me better than they would any body else And no question but he will also make several of his own that will convince him far better than those of another In the mean while let us pass on to the consideration of the Substance of that Religion which Christ himself did bring into the World For after having considered the outside t is very necessary to look into the inward part of the Building SECTION IV. Wherein we shall prove the Truth of the Christian Religion by the Consideration of it's Nature and Properties Several Portraitures in which it may be considered HItherto we have insisted as it were upon the Shell and Bark of Religion we have examined the proofs taken from matters of fact being the first that offered themselves to our mind It seems therefore now Expedient we should discover as it were the Substance and Spirit of Christianity and so proceed to those other proofs drawn from the Nature of it and that by shewing the truth of it by it's Beauties and proper Excellencies But because this is too copious a Subject for us who study Brevity we shall endeavour to reduce what we have to say into as small a Compass as we can and since we cannot allow our Reflexions their due and proper Extent to give at least some Plan or Draught of the same as shall supply that defect And tho the Christian Religion may be considered under several different Faces because in this respect 't is like unto its Object which has no Bounds to confine it's Extent yet methinks we may give an Idea just and adequate enough to our present design by considering it in eleven different Draughts or Portraitures I. In the Multitude of Testimonies given in favour of it which we shall touch upon cursorily because we have already partly examined them all II. In its essential opposition to all false Religions that ever were III. In it's Effects which can only justly be referred to a Divine and Supernatural Cause IV. In the Purity of its end V. In it's Suitableness to the Heart of Man which it undertakes to reform VI. In the Relation it has to the Glory of God which it should advance VII In it's Morality VIII In it's Mysteries IX In the conformity of it's Mysteries to the light of Reason X. In that exact proportion it bears to the Jewish Religion XI And lastly in that proportion it bears to Natural Religion I hope these Portraitures will like so many