spreads abroad This happy and stupendous success of the Disciples of Jesus Christ consider'd in it self is an unanswerable proof that the Christian Religion came from Heaven For it was only possible to the Divine Power 'T is no wonder the Religion of Mahomet extended and establish'd its Conquests in many Countries For that Seducer perswaded the barbarous People by force of Arms they must be his Disciples or Slaves And can the Mind form a clear Judgment or the Will make a free Choice when under a tyrannous necessity of Compliance or losing all the Comforts of Life Can Violence and Cruelty produce a Rational Faith That may force them to a counterfeit complyance but cannot make Men sincerely believe 't is apt to breed Form without and Atheism within Now that a Persecuted Religion should live and flourish in the midst of flames is as truly admirable as if a little Stream should pass through an Arm of the Ocean retaining its Freshness and Purity in the midst of Salt and Turbid Waters That when the Minds of Men were prepossest with inveterate Opinions contrary to its supernatural Mysteries and their Wills over-ruled by Carnal Affections utterly averse from its Holy Precepts the World was captiv'd to the belief and obedience of it is the most noble effect of Omnipotence For other Miracles though above the Laws of Nature yet were on the lower order of creatures without life and sense but this internal Miracle was wrought on the Minds and Hearts of Men. To raise the Dead to calm a Storm to suspend the force of Fire to change Waters into Blood is not so glorious a work as the converting Rebellious Souls to God and making them a willing People to his holy Laws And if we further consider the Prophecies so many Ages before concerning it and observe the Harmony betwixt the Works and Word of God there results a Demonstration as clear and strong as is possible The Prediction and Accomplishment are equally divine The success justifies the truth of the Prophecy and the truth of the Prophecy justifies the Divinity of the Christian Religion For by the Apostles and their Successors the Heathens were turned from Idols to the Service of one God the Creator of the World which was foretold by the Prophets not only as a thing that should arrive but to be performed by the Power of God To ascribe then this glorious Work to humane Artifice as if his Providence had been prevented by others from doing that that he promised should be done by his own Power is so directly contrary to his Wisdom and his Truth that common Reason abhors the thoughts of it Therefore the Christian Religion is Divine having God for its Author Thus the Truth of the Gospel is victorious over the Jewish or the prophane Infidel It may be argued against the Jews that their God foretold his Messiah should convert the Nations No other but one authorised from above could do it Iesus Christ has done it therefore he is the Messiah And consequently they are either blind with prejudice or maliciously deny the known truth To prophane Infidels it may be urged none but the Divine Providence could foretel so great and marvellous a change of the World none but the Divine Power could effect it therefore 't was the true God that made the project and event so exactly to correspond in all things Add further that by comparing the Prophecies of Christ and his Kingdom with their accomplishment the two sorts of enemies against the Gospel are made useful to convince one another The Pagans by the Jews that these things were foretold the Jews by the Pagans that these things were fulfil'd St. Austin relates that the Heathens seeing the exact agreement between the Prophecies in the Old Testament so clear in words and their accomplishment in the New so clear in the Effects had nothing to reply but that they were written after the things were done and feigned to be Predictions of antient date As Virgil weaving Fables of Aeneas feign'd him to be in the Elisian Fields and to receive from Anchises a Prediction of his Descendents in a long succession and order of Men and Times which was the story of what was actually past when he wrote it In answer to this pretence he breaks out with wonder and joy O Gloria Regis nostri the Cause is gain'd and the Victory of Truth could not be more glorious For whereas the many Nations in Europe Asia Africa subdued by the Arms of the Romans were compelled to observe the Rites of their Religion The Jews only were permitted to enjoy their Sacred Books and their own Worship and were dispers'd into all Countries And thus by the admirable Counsel of God they give credit to the Gospel among the Gentiles For if we consider the reverence they bore to the Writings of the Prophets that with the greatest care they have preserved them as the most precious Inheritance left by their Fathers and their mortal hatred of Jesus Christ and his Gospel that willingly they would spend their Blood to deface the Memorials of it it is an invincible Argument that the Predictions concerning the state of the Christian Church recorded in their Scriptures are sincerely delivered and of Divine Authority This their Malice is an advantage to the Faith of the Gospel and by constraint they are the great Confirmers of it This is sufficient to reduce the Heathens to silence and confusion And the Pagan being convinc'd by the Books of the Jews the Jew may be convinc'd by the Testimony of the Pagans for if the Records so jealously kept by that Nation were from Divine Inspiration if they contain Antient Prophecies which the Heathens see verified in the Gospel and the Christian Church why do not the Jews acknowledge Jesus Christ to be the promised Messiah If the Vail were not taken from Moses's face and laid on their hearts they must clearly see that the Light of the Gentiles is the Glory of Israel 'T is equally unreasonable to doubt with the Atheist that the Messiah was ever promised or to believe with the Iews he is yet to come CHAP. V. The Testimony produc'd by St. John for the proof of Christianity briefly consider'd The Witness from Heaven the Father Word and Spirit The Witnesses on Earth the Spirit Water and Blood conspire in declaring JESUS CHRIST to be the Son of God and Saviour of Men. An Answer to Objections against the Doctrines of the Trinity the Divine Incarnation and the mean State and Sufferings of the Son of God in the World The Conclusion The Gospel so proved deserves our firmest Assent and Adherence to its Doctrines Carnal or spiritual Lusts hinder the belief of it It sets before us the most powerful Motives to love God We are obliged by the strongest Reasons to obey its Precepts THe Sum of all that has been said is comprised in the Testimony that St. John produces to prove that Jesus Christ is the Son of God
Nations and all sorts of persons that were converted to the Faith of Christ. Now who caused such a marvellous and holy Revolution in the World but God What less than a Divine Power could raise Men above Sense and make them victorious over the Lusts of corrupt Nature fortified by Custom a second Nature Is it conceivable supposing the Doctrine of Christ were not from Heaven that it should produce such admirable Effects And is it conceivable that God would adorn with all his Graces the Image of his own Excellency his most precious Benefits those who did not honour him according to his Will Can there be found such astonishing Contrarieties joyn'd together as the most impious Errour and Depravation of the Mind with the greatest Purity and Rectitude of the Will and Affections For if Jesus Christ were not the Son of God those who worship'd him were in a mortal Delusion The third Testimony the Apostle produces is the Blood that is Peace with God and Conscience the blessed Fruit of Justification by Faith in Christ. The Heathen World was in a dark State of fears or slept securely in the shadow of Death Some were in a Hectic Trembling continually haunted with the Apparition of their Sins as so many Infernal Furies Others though guilty of most fearful crimes were secure from stupid Atheisme Others were quiet from a presumption cherish'd by Opinions unworthy of God as if he would neglect his own Glory to shew Mercy to them Now the Gospel to conquer the fears of sensible afflicted Sinners and to establish a lively hope in God's Mercy propounds a Means of Universal Sovereign Efficacy to reconcile him to us The most precious Blood of the Son of God offer'd up as a Sacrifice to expiate Sin This sprinkles all Nations and in all Ages to the end of the World will be of undecaying Vertue This appeas'd all the unquiet Agitations of the Spirits of Believers and produc'd the Peace that passes understanding a Joy unspeakable and glorious This delivered them from the fear of Death under which the World was so long in bondage And it is worthy the observing that no Principles of Nature ever produc'd such a generous Contempt of Death as the Christian Religion did in the Professors of it The Alexanders Scipio's and Caesars had trembled at the sight of these Savage Beasts that were let loose upon the Martyrs at the preparations of Cruelty to torment them Whereas they regarded them with tranquillity nay with Joy as the matter of their Triumph This was true Valour indeed for the Confession of the most important Truth and superiour to the Courage of those who were called Fulmina Belli the most Renowned Souldiers For in a Battel by Martial Sounds by Violent Motions the Spirits are fired and Men scarce feel their Wounds and are inconsiderate of their danger But the Martyrs had nothing to heighten their Courage but in cool blood deliberately and without alteration encounter'd that terrible Enemy Besides Souldiers in the sharpest Conflicts have some hopes of Victory or else of a sudden and honourable Death Aut cita Mors aut Victoria laeta And he that rusheth into perils with a seeming bravery when there is hopes of escaping has not resolution to look Death in the face when 't is inevitable There is an eminent instance of this in a famous Captain of late memory the Duke Biron none was more bold in fight but when he was to receive the Sentence of Death for his Crimes none more disorder'd by fear sometimes he was in a rage against his Judges and after his passion was evaporated fell into the other extremity unmanly crys complaints and low submissions to obtain favour But the more than Heroick Constancy of the Martyrs contemned Death in its nearest approaches and most fearful pomp Christian Religion has often transform'd the most tender Women and Children into Men or rather into Angels making them suffer with joy that which our Nature cannot see without horrour It changed as it were Flesh and Blood into a Celestial substance insensible of Fire and Sword and the most cruel Violences Now this unshaken Resolution in Christians encountring the last Enemy was from the lively sense of God's favour reconciled by the most pure and precious Blood of his Son and the hopes of everlasting happiness in his presence To conclude this Argument 't is to be observed there is no proof more proper that Jesus Christ is the Redeemer of the World than the joynt testimony of the Spirit Water and Blood For whereas Sin was the only cause of our Ruine the Office of our Saviour is to repair that Ruine and consequently he that effectually does it is to be acknowledged believed and imbraced as our Saviour Now the worst effects of Sin are the ignorance of the Mind the depravation of the Affections and the terrors of Conscience from the apprehensions of Vengeance Therefore since the Gospel of Christ has brought Celestial Light Purity and Peace into the World it is an infallible proof that He is the Redeemer of it The Sun that visits the World with its refreshing beams has no clearer marks of the Divine Wisdom in making it and ordering its motions than the Spiritual Light of the Gospel that irradiates the minds of Men before in deep darkness The riches of the Earth in variety of Fruits is not a more convincing Argument of the Divine Goodness than to see the Souls of Men that before were as dead earth under the curse of Heaven to abound in all the fruits of Righteousness The separating the Sea from the Land and setting bounds to its impetuous Waves is not a greater effect of God's Power than the calming the tempests of an unquiet Conscience and establishing Tranquillity in it And these Blessings we entirely owe to Jesus Christ in whose Name they are obtain'd by whose Spirit they are conferr'd and for whose Glory they are design'd Now what more is requisite to afford us satisfaction that JESUS CHRIST came from God and revealed his Will in order to our happiness Can it be reasonably expected that new Miracles should be wrought to satisfy every Sceptick that is still unsatisfied Indeed the fountain of them is not dried up the Power of God is not weaken'd nor his Mercy lessened but in extraordinary Cases when the Gospel is first preach'd to a Nation it may be expected that to convert them from Gentilism to the Christian Faith he will make himself known not only by Word but Power in Supernatural Operations But the vein of Miracles is not still current in the Church there being sufficient motives of Belief for the conviction of all that are not obstinate without the performing new Must the Son of God present himself to all Men in a visible Glory Or must his Divine Father give another Majestick Testimony from Heaven concerning him If we have not such sensible Evidence we have as sure The accomplishment of Scripture-Prophecies is a permanent Miracle a more certain
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
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