Will "loquimur, fed patimur," as well as vivimus, i. e. the christians did not speak great things, but do and suffer them; and this gained not only great reputation of integrity to themselves, but advanced the honour of their religion in the world, when it was fo apparently feen that no force or power was able to withstand it. Will not this perswade and convince you that the christian religion comes from God, (is divine) confequently infallibly true? You fee that no fears, penalties or torments were able to make a chriftian alter his profeffion, who with chearfulness would rather bid adieu to life, than to his Saviour. This Origen likewife frequently takes notice of, when Celfus had objected against the novelty of christianity," the more wonderful it is, (faith Origen) that in fo fhort a time it should fo largely spread itself in the world; for if the cure of men's bodies is not wrought without a divine permiffive providence, how much less the cure of fo many thousands of souls, which have been converted at once to humanity and chriftianity; especially when all the powers in the world were, from the first propagation of it, engaged to hinder the growth and progrefs of this glorious doctrine of the bleffed Jefus? And yet, notwithstanding all the oppofition of men and devils, the word of God grew and multiplied greatly, Acts vi. 7. and increased in number daily, Acts xvi. 5. and at length became masters over all its enemies, and not only spread itself quite through Greece, but through a great part of the world befides, and converted an innumerable company of fouls to the true worship and service of God. Thus ་ Thus it is manifeft to every reflecting, rational mind, from all the concomitant circumftances of the propagation of the glorious gospel of the bleffed Jefus, that nothing less then a divine power accompaning it was fufficient to oppose and deftroy the fury of worldly power and policy, and the prejudice, obftinacy and malice of unbelievers, and to prevail on fuch an innumerable number of perfons, contrary to the principles of their education, and to their indulged paffions and vices, to their pride and coveteousness, to shake off all these their golden chains and fetters, and put on the yoke of Chrift, "and learn of him to be meek and lowly in heart, Matt. xi. 29. crucifying their flesh, with the affections and .. lufts, Gal. v. 24. " mortifying their members which "are upon the earth: fornication, uncleannefs, inordi"nate affection, evil concupifcence and coveteousness; "putting off anger, wrath, malice, blafphemy, and fil 46 thy communication, having put off the old man with “his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is re"newed in knowledge, after the image of him that "created him, Coloff. iii. 5. 8, 9, 10. The eyes of their understanding being opened, and turned from dark"nefs to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, "that they may receive forgiveness of fins, and inheri"tance among them which are fanctified by faith that " is in the bleffed Jefus," Acts xxvi. 18. God grant this may be your happy condition, that you may in reality. know so as to experience with great pleasure and delight, in this your day, the things that belong to your peace and comfort in this world, and thofe which will be for your unfpeakable joy and happiness in the world to come, before they are for ever hid from your eyes, Therefore let me earnestly befeech you so as to prevail with you not to wander any longer in the ftupid, wild, ridiculous mazes of infidelity," but feek the Lord "while he may be found; call upon him while he is "near," Ifa. lv. 6. Labour to procure the knowledge of God's will, and to obtain his grace and favour. Search after the light of life, the Lord Jefus Christ; bearken to his inftructions, obey his precepts. Do you not judge it fit and rational to follow after righteousness, in order to obtain everlasting happinefs? If so, look unto the rock whence ye are ❝hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are dig 66 ged, Ifa. li. 1. Have you not changed your glory for "that which doth not profit? Be astonished, O ye hea"vens! at this, and be horribly afraid; be ye very defolate, faith the Lord, for my people hath commit"ted two evils; they have forfaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cifterns, broken "cifterns, that can hold no water, Jer. ii. 12, 13. There"fore henceforth be no more children, toffed to and "fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine "by the flight of men, and cunning craftiness, where 66 by they lie in wait to deceive," Eph. iv. 14. Beware of falfe teachers, whom St. Peter hath prophefied "fhall privily bring in damnable herefies, "even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves fwift deftruction, 2 Peter ii. 1. who "were before of old ordained to this condemnation, t ungodly men turning the grace of our God into lafcivioufnefs, and denying the only Lord God, and " our our Lord Jefus Chrift, Jude iv. Let no man deceive you with vain words, for because of these things "cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobe"dience; be not ye therefore partakers with them," Eph. v. 6, 7. but open your minds and hearts to conviction; root out, extricate from thence all obftinacy; shake off prejudices of every kind, in order that you may receive the truth in the love of it. You that have heard of the grand embaffy of the only begotten Son of God: you that have given little or no attention to it; you that have read the glorious gofpel of Chrift curforily, with lefs credulity than you give to a common blundering, right or wrong news-paper, do not trifle away your precious time any longer. "Wherefore do you spend your money for that which is not bread; and your labour for that which fatisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, "and let your foul delight itfelf in fatnefs. Incline 66 66 66 your ear, and go unto Chrift, and your foul fhall “live," Ifa. lv. 2, 3. Receive the divine word of his grace with humility and reverence, attention and candour, with an honeft upright heart, defirous of believing and knowing the truth. Make it your principal study frequently and feriously to meditate on it. Impartially view and well weigh the whole design and tendency of christianity, and you will find it entirely calculated to make mankind holy and good, like God himself, who fent redemption to his people; "who fo loved the "world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that who"foever believeth in him should not perifh, but have everlasting life, John iii. 16. Who gave himself for our fins, that he might deliver us from this prefent 66 K 3 evil. " evil world, according to the will of God and our Fa"ther, Gal. i. 4. who was wounded for our tranfgre£ "fions, and bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement "of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes are "we healed," Ifa. liii. 5. difpelling the sting of death out of our corrupted polluted nature, who bore our fins in his own body on the tree, and that for no other reafon, confideration, or motive whatever," than that "mankind might become dead to fin, and might live "unto righteoufnefs, 1 Peter ii. 24. in order to make "us meet partakers of the faints in light, Colof. 1. 12. "and to receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away, "I Peter v. 4. a crown of righteousness, which the "Lord the righteous Judge fhall give unto all them "that love his appearing, 2 Tim. iv. 8. who will ren"der unto every man according to his deeds; to them "who by patient continuance in well doing feek for glory, honour, and immortality; eternal life: but "unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the "the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and "wrath, tribulation and anguish, unto every foul of "man that doeth evil, of the Jew first and alfo of the "Gentile; but glory honour and peace to every man "that worketh good; to the Jew first, and also to the "Gentile for there is no refpect of perfons with tr God, Rom. ii. 6. to 12. Be not deceived, God is not "mocked, for whatsoever a man foweth, that shall he "alfo reap; for he that foweth to his flefh fhall of his "flesh reap corruption, but he that foweth to the fpi"rit, fhall of the spirit reap life everlasting," Gal. vi. 7, 8. Therefore let me befeech you to examine your own hearts, |