they are but few, and thefe not burthenfome in their obfervance. not pompous and coftly, not tending to and encouraging of fuperfition; but plain and fignificant, defigned either to reprefent the peculiar purity of the chriftian profeffion, when men take it on them, or as memorials to perpetuate the remembrance of thofe important facts, upon the certainty and knowledge of which the authority and efficacy of Chriftianity doth entirely depend: and at the fame time fuited in every part of them to promote the purpofes of piety, and univerfak fervent charity; appointed as obligations upon men to be more careful and exemplary in their behaviour, and to abound in all the virtues of a good life; and to affure them on the part of God, that if they act agreeable to their obligations and profeffions as chriftians, they fhall be made partakers of the most valuable and durable blessings in his everlasting kingdom and glory.

And the thefe inftitutions are fupported by the authority of an exprefs command, yet in order to prevent all poffible abufe of them, the Chriftian Religion farther expressly declares, that whatever claims men may hereafter make to the rewards of a better world, from their having worn the name of Chrift, or enjoy'd the external privileges of his religion, they shall not be accepted upon this foundation; but that they themselves fhall be rejected, if they are found workers of iniquity; and that none but fuch as fear God and work-righteousness, fhall receive the recompence of righteoufnefs and glory.

And therefore I am pleafed farther to obferve, that as the Christian Religion places the worthip of God in the exercise of fuitable affections, and in the regular piety and virtue of a good life, it farther lays down and inculcates fuch rules and precepts of substantial holinefs, as are reasonable in themselves, perfect in their kind, and well approved of by my judgment and confcience. Such which I find are in their nature conducive to promote the health, the honour, the reputation, the usefulness, the worldly profperity, the peace and fatisfaction of every individual perfon living and dying; fuch which are fuited to the par ticular ftations, characters, and circumftances of men in life; and which are therefore calculated to promote the ends of civil government, and the peace and welfare of civil fociety; enjoining all to cultvate and maintain the most fervent charity and love, to be merciful in difpofition and practice, to follow the things that make for peace, nor to receive mea to doubtful difputations, not to cenfure or judge one another upon account of differences in opinions, but that fuch as are fiong fhould bear with the weak, and all endeavour to maintain the unity of the fpirit in the bond of peace; doing good for evil, loving and praying for our enemies, and chearfully forgiving offences and injuries against us. So that however Chriftianity may have been abused by fome, to fupport a fecular intereft, I am abundantly convinced 'tis not from any tendency of its precepts to disturb the order of civil government, or alter the conftitution and form of it amongst any nations of the world; the great view of it being to engage men to govern their paffions, to be of the most juft, generous and friendly difpofitions to others, to discharge the duties of their refpective ftations, either employing themfelves in honeft labours, or publick fervices; magiftrates

ruling

ruling diligently as minifters of God for good, and fubjects living quiet lives in all godliness and honesty.

VII. As the worship which the Chriftian Religion enjoins is thus worthy of God, and all its precepts for the conduct of life thus rational and perfect; fo I farther find the motives it propofes are weighty and fufficient, if duly confidered and attended to, to determine men in the choice of that courfe which it recommends, all of them worthy the perfections of the bleffed God, and fuited to the circumftances of his degenerate, offending and guilty creatures.

The affurance of pardon thro' the Blood of Chrift, and of the affiftance of his good fpirit under all the difficulties of our prefent duty, are exceedingly favourable, and carry in them the noblest encouragement to obnoxious and difabled finners, when they entertain the thoughts of returning to God their fovereign and happiness; and indeed abfolutely neceffary to reconcile them to, and render them fuccefsful in fuch an attempt. For what heart can any one have to begin the difficult work of breaking off his fins, and to enter upon a life of holiness; or what profpect of fuccefs, but under the comfortable affurance that his paft offences shall be forgiven, and that he fhall receive all necessary affiftances from God for the future, in ftruggling with the difficulties that attend the practice of virtue?

The interceffion of fo compaffionate and powerful a friend with God, as Jefus Chrift is reprefented to be, is a very firm ground of fupport, and infpires confiderate minds with a chearful hope of having their perfons and fervices accepted, and of receiving all the neceffary fupports and bleffings of life, whatever oppofition they may meet with from the enemies of true religion, and even tho' they fhould be exposed to the fevereft perfecutions upon account of their adherence

to it.

. The profpect and full affurance of his coming to raise the dead, and judge the world, and give eternal life, to reward his faithful followers with everlasting happiness, and to punish the wicked with an everlasting deftruction, is an argument abundantly fufficient to perfuade men immediately to enter upon the ways of holiness and virtue, and to engage them to perfevere in them with chearfulness to the laft. Efpecially confidering, that good men are affured that all the inconveniences of life thall be made tolerable and useful to them, and death, the dread of nature, fhall be their introduction into reft, and the commencement of their felicity. In a word, the Gofpel fets before men every confideration to encourage virtue, and deter from vice, and gives them particularly fuch affurances of retributions in the other world, as that no ftronger motives whatsoever can be defired or needed to make them wife, and good, and happy, if they will but fuffer them to have their proper and natural influence upon their minds.

VIII. As the Gospel precepts of religion and virtue, and the motives fet before men to engage them to the love and practice of it, are worthy of God, and fuitable to their circumstances and defires, fo the peculiar doctrines of Chriftianity relating to Jefus Chrift, the great author and difpenfer of it, are fuch as demand the higheft regard; fuch as no founder of any other religion could ever pretend to, and yet fuch as are

entirely

entirely confiftent with the principles of natural religion, and all the certain discoveries of reason; fuch as are fublime and grand in themfelves, uniform and confiftent with each other, plain and intelligible in the main and effential points; and fuch as add great ftrength and force to natural religion, as they have an entire and absolute tendency to promote godlinefs and virtue.

Thus 'tis declared of him, that he was before the formation of the world, the word that was with God, and God, the brightness of his father's glory, and the exprefs image of his perfon, that the father by him created all things, that by him all things confift; that he came down from a ftate of heavenly glory to be made flesh, and dwell amongst us; that he came from the very bofom of his father, and had that perfect and compleat knowledge of his father's will, that no other meffenger from him ever had or could have; that to enable him the better to reveal it to mankind, he had a body miraculoufly prepared for him, which was conceived, 'and born without fin, but in all finlefs infirmities like unto his brethren, in the prefent fuffering, afflicted state of the human nature; that in this body he chofe fuch a condition of life, as gave him an opportunity of converfing most familiarly with all forts of perfons, became an example of the most perfect purity and goodness, by his own lowlinefs and meeknefs difgracing the pride and paffions of the world, and teaching men to place all real excellency and greatnefs, in honouring the great God and father of all, and doing good to their fellow-creatures, even to the worst and meanest of mankind.

That fo much greatness should condefcend to put on fuch a veil, and fo glorious a being give fuch amazing proofs of goodness, is beyond all parallel. It is indeed peculiar to the character of Jefus Chrift, to be poffefs'd of the glories of deity, and yet to ftoop to the lowest state of human nature; to be lord of lords, and yet the meekeft, humbleft man, that ever dwelt on earth; to appear amongst men under the form of a fervant, and to be made of no reputation, and yet at the fame time to be honoured by a voice from heaven, declaring this is my bes loved fon, in whom I am well pleafed.

However, notwithstanding this amazing condefcenfion, great humility, and meannefs of outward form, he is reprefented as affuming an authority worthy the fon of God; an authority and right to fettle the terms of men's acceptance with God, according as he had received power from his father; an authority to forgive fins on earth, fo as that they fhould be forgiven in heaven, and fo to retain fins, as that they fhould remain unpardonable in a future ftate; and authority and power to fend the fpirit of his father, and conftitute him the prime minifter of his kingdom amongst men; that by his extraordinary and miracu lous gifts he might confirm the gofpel, and make it fuccefsful upon its first publication; and afterwards, in every age, continually accompany it with fuch impreffions on the hearts of men, as, in the efficacy and defign of them, fhould correfpond to thofe more extraordinary gifts, which were poured out on Chriftians in common, at their firft embracing the gofpel: And finally, an authority to raise the dead, and judge them when reftored to life; to fend all the workers of iniquity VOL. III.

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into everlasting punishment, and to reward all who fincerely believe in him and obey him, with eternal happiness.

But notwithstanding thefe high pretenfions, 'tis farther declared of him; that he died the ignominious and accurfed death of the cross, that he died a facrifice for the fins, of the world, that by his death he drew all men to himself, and brought to pafs that great mystery of calling in the Gentiles, taking away the difference between them and the Jews, making them one houthold and family; thus founding his kingdom upon his own blood, and not on the blood of his enemies and opposers.

But tho' he died to answer thefe ends, yet the fame records teftify, that in fpite of all the malice and oppofition of his enemies, he rofe again the third day, effectually to remove the offence and fcandal of his own crofs, and to give an exemplar and fure proof of the refurrection of others by his power, at the end of the world: That after his -refurrection he abode forty days on earth, to fettle the affairs of his kingdom with his difciples, commanding them to preach his gospel, fending them forth in fuch a ftyle of majefty, as could never be equall'd by any earthly monarch, or author of any other revelation: All power is given me in heaven and in earth; and affuring them that the terms upon which they should declare men acquitted or condemned, partakers of eternal life or death, under the infallible conduct of his fpirit, fhould be ratified and confirmed in heaven: in this fenfe entrusting them with, -not only the erection and ordering his kingdom upon earth, but also with the keys of heaven and hell.

After this commiffion granted to his Apoftles, 'tis declared of him, that in their prefence he afcended into the heavens, a cloud receiving him out of their fight, leading captivity captive, triumphing over those powers of darkness, whofe works he came into the world to deftroy, fpoiling, thofe principalities and powers, thofe fpiritual wickedneffes in high places; that he was feated on his father's right hand, angels being made fubject to him, and the God of this world, the spirit that works in the children of difobedience, being put under his feet, and referved by him to be finally bruifed at the judgment of the great day.

And lastly, the fame records that give an account of his inveftiture with this high dignity and office, do with great confiftency and propriety declare, that the father hath committed all judgment to him, that all fhall appear before his judgment feat; that when he fhall come to execute this important truft, he fhall appear in his own glory, and in his original form of God, all the holy Angels attending him, and folemnly waiting round his tribunal. That then he fhall be feated on the throne of his glory, that all nations fhall be gathered before him, that he fhall feparate them one from another on his right hand, and on his left, pafs fentence on them, and thereby determine their everlasting ftate; that the wicked fhall go away into everlasting punishment, and the righteous be adjudged to life eternal; that he fhall prefent them blameless before his father's glory, and that, as the conclufion of all, he himself fhall lay down ail rule, and all authority and power, deliver up the kingdom to God even the father, become fubject unto him who put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

A fcheme

A fcheme fo fublime and grand, fo confiftent with the prerogatives of the great God, fo fuitable to the high dignity and infinite merits of the Son of God, so calculated to awaken men to virtue and piety, carries in it all the characters of probability and truth, and highly deserves the moft attentive confideration and regard.

IX. As thefe peculiar doctrines of Chriftianity carry their own recommendation along with them, and appear worthy to be received for their intrinfick excellency, fo they come to us attended with many clear and convincing demonftrations, that it is the will of God we should regard them as truths coming from him, and as revealed to us by his special order and appointment, for our recovery, improvement and perfection.

Jefus of Nazareth, the perfon from whom thefe doctrines receive their general name, and are called chriftian, was called the Chrift, becaufe he made pretenfions to a divine miffion, and always thought and spoke of himself as anointed and impowered by God to make these discoveries of his will to men, declaring himself the Son of God, and that perfon whom the Jews, with whom he lived and converfed, had been all along trained up and taught to look for. And of the truth of thefe pretenfions he gave fufficient evidence to every unprejudiced and attentive observer.

It was very wifely ordered that, juft before his appearance in the world, there fhould arife one who fhould prepare men for his coming, and give notice of his approach. This John the Baptift did, preaching in the fpirit and power of Elias, and faying, Prepare ye the way of the Lord; and tho' he did no miracle, yet by his virtuous and ftrict deportment, his felf-denial, his pathetick exhortations, his bold and impartial admonitions and reproofs, he obtained the character of a great prophet. This man bare witnefs concerning Jefus, and the things he faid of him could not but attract the eyes of men towards him, and raife great expectations from him; and the gradual accomplishment of feveral things which John had foretold of him was at least fome evidence that Jefus was a very extraordinary perfon, and was fuited to keep every honest and impartial mind open to any farther proofs that Jefus might produce of his pretenfions and miffion from God.

And of thefe he gave many during his life and miniftry that were beyond all reasonable exception. He wrought many great miracles, i. e. did many things evidently and confeffedly above all human power and fkill to effect. He healed the fick and cured all manner of diseases, fuch as by all the art and efficacy of medicine had been found incur able; inveterate palfies and lunacies. He opened the ears of the deaf, loofed the tongues of the dumb, made the lame to walk, rendred the maimed perfect, opened the eyes of those that had been born blind, and raised the dead. Thefe amazing works he performed in an inftant, even by the speaking of a word, in the cities and towns of the country where he lived, in places of the most publick refort, before multitudes of his enemies as well as friends, and at fuch feafons, and fuch particular places, on the fabbath, and in the fynagogues, as he well knew would occafion the moft critical and narrow enquiry into all the circumstances of the facts. All these things he performed withGg 2 out