ift, Since the fcriptures are the publick and ftanding revelation of God's will to men, and the ordinary means of falvation, we may hence conclude, that people ought to have them in fuch a language as they can understand. This our Saviour plainly fuppofeth in the difcourfe which he reprefents between Abraham and the rich man, defiring that Lazarus might be fent from the dead to his brethren to testify unto them: To which request Abraham would not have given this answer and advice, They have Mofes and the Prophets, let them hear them, had he fuppofed that the fcriptures then were, or for the future ought to be, lockt up from the people in an unknown tongue; for the rich man might very well have replied, Nay, father Abraham, but they are not permitted to have Mofes and the prophets in fuch a language as they can understand; and therefore there is more need why one should be fent from the dead to teftify unto them.

Nor would Abraham have faid again, if they hear not Mofes and the Prophets, neither will they be perfuaded. For how fhould men hear what they cannot understand, fo as to be perfuaded by it?

It is evident then, that our Saviour according to the reafoning of this parable, takes it for granted, that the holy fcriptures are the ftanding and ordinary means of bringing men to faith and repentance, and that the people are to have the free ufe of them. But fince our Saviour's time, the church of Rome hath found a mighty inconvenience in this, and therefore hath taken the fcriptures out of the hands of the people. They will not now let them have Mofes and the Prophets, the gofpel of our bleffed Saviour, and the writings of his Apoftles, because they are really afraid they fhould hear them, and by hearing of them, be convinced and perfuaded of the errors and corruptions of their church; but instead of the fcriptures of the Old and New Teftament, they have put into their hands a legend of famous apparitions of men from the dead, teftifying unto them concerning purgatory and tranfubftantiation, and the worfhip of the bleffed Virgin and the faints, and the VOL. VI.

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great benefit and refreshment which fouls in purgagatory have by the indulgences of the Pope, and the prayers of the living put up to Saints and Angels on their behalf; fo that in the church of Rome, quite contrary to our Saviour's method, men are perfuaded of their religion, of their new articles of faith, and ways of worship, not by Mofes and the Prophets, not by the doctrine of the holy fcriptures, (for they every where teftify against them) but by abfurd romances, and ill-contrived fictions of apparitions from the dead. I will difmifs this matter with this one obfervation, that however interested and confident men may fet a bold face upon any thing, yet it cannot to confiderate men but feem a very hard cafe, that there fhould be no falvation to be had out of the church of Rome; and yet the ordinary, and (in our Saviour's judgment) the most effectual means of falvation are not to be had in it.

But I pafs from this, to that which does more immediately concern our practice.

2dly, Let us hear and obey that publick revelation of God's will, which, in so much mercy to mankind, he hath been pleased to afford to us. This is an ineftimable privilege and advantage which the world in many ages was deftitute of, having no other guide to conduct them to eternal happiness but the light of nature, and fome particular revelations, which now and then God was pleased to make of his will to men : But now God hath fet up a great and ftanding light in the world, the doctrines of the holy fcriptures; and by the gospel of his bleffed Son, hath given the knowledge of falvation to all men, for the remiffion of their fins, through the tender mercies of God, whereby the day-fpring from on high hath visited us; to give light to them that fit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide our feet in the way of peace, to convince us of the error of our ways, and to direct us in our duy. We upon whom the ends of the worldare come, do enjoy all the advantages of divine revelation which the world ever had, and as great as the world ever fhall have. God in these last days hath Spoken unto us by his Son, and if we will not

hear

hear him, God will employ no other extraordinary Prophet and Meffenger to us. If the wrath of God fo clearly revealed from heaven by the gospel of our bleffed Saviour against all ungodliness and unrighteoufuefs of men; if the terror of the great day, and the fear of eternal torment; if the dreadful fufferings of the Son of God for our fins, and the merciful offers of pardon and reconciliation in his blood, and the glorious hopes of eternal life and happinefs will not prevail with us to leave our fins, and to amend our lives, we have no reafon to expect that God fhould ufe any further means to reclaim us; that he should ever make any more attempts for our recovery. And therefore,

3dly, and lastly, Thofe who are not brought to repentance, and effectually perfuaded by this clear and publick revelation which God hath made of his will to men in the holy fcriptures, have reason to look upon their cafe as defperate.

Methinks it fhould not be a defirable thing to any of us to be convinced by an apparition, the thing is fo dreadful and full of terror; besides, that it argues men to be strangely hardened in a bad courfe, and obftinately bent upon their evil ways, when nothing will affright them from their fins, but what will al moft put them out of their wits; when nothing will keep them from running into hell, but a fearful and ghaftly meffenger from thence. What a terrible fight would it be to any of us, to meet one of our companions, whom we had lately known in this world, fresh come out of thofe flames, with the smell of fire and brimstone upon him! What imagination can paint to itself the dread and horror of fuch a spe

acle! The rich man here in the parable, when he was in hell, is reprefented as fenfible of the inconvenience of this; and therefore he did not defire to be fent himself to his brethren, but defired that LaHe was zarus might go and teftify unto them: apprehenfive how frightful a fight he himself mult needs have been to them; and therefore he defires that they might have a gentle warning by one, who from out of Abraham's bofom had feen the miferies

Ser. 128. miferies of the damned, but enjoyed the state of the bleffed.

But let not us tempt God by any fuch unreason. able demand, who fpeaks to us every day by the plain declarations of his word, and hath of late years called fo loudly upon us by the voice of his providence, to repent and turn to him; by fo many miracles of mercy and deliverance, as God hardly ever wrought for any Prince and people, and by fuch terrible volleys of judgments, and full viols of wrath, as have feldom been poured out upon any nation. God fpeaks to you by his minifters, men like yourfelves (God knows, poor frail and finful men!) but we are fure, that when we call you to repentance, we deliver to you the will and pleasure, the counfels and commands of the great God, which (whatever account may be made of us) do certainly challenge your most awful attention and regard. And we are fenfible that we are called to a difficult and unvery pleafant work, to contend with the lufts and vices of men, to ftrive against the ftrong and impetuous ftreams of a wicked and perverfe generation; and nothing in the world could move us to this unwelcome and grievous importunity, but a great and just fense of our own duty, and your danger. And if we will not take thefe warnings, why fhould we expect that God fhould vouchfafe to fend an exprefs meffenger to us from the other world, to certify us how all things are there, and that not fo much to help the weakness of our faith, as to humour the perverfeness of our infidelity? And why fhould we imagine that this courfe would prove more effectual? Let us not deceive ourselves, the fame lufts which now detain men fo ftrongly in impenitency and unbelief, would, in all probability, hurry them on to hell, though an Angel from heaven should meet them in their way, to give a ftop to them. This indeed might ftartle us; but nothing is like to fave us, if the word of God and his grace do not.

But are we in earneft, and would we be perfuaded if one should rife from the dead? God hath condefcended thus far to us, there is one rifen from the dead

to

to testify unto us, Jefus the Son of God, who died for our fins, and rofe again for our juftification, and is afcended into heaven, and fet down at the right hand of God, to affure us of a bleffed refurrection, and a glorious immortality. And if this will not fatisfy us, God will gratify our curiofity no farther. If we will not believe him whom God hath fent, and, to convince us that he hath fent him, hath raised him up from the dead, we shall dy in our fins, and perifh in our impenitency. God hath in great mercy to mankind done that which is abundantly fufficient to convince those who are of a teachable temper and difpofition: but in great wifdom and juftice he hath not thought fit to provide any remedy for the wilful obftinacy and intractable perverfenefs of men.

Now God, who hath the hearts of all men in his hands, perfuades us all to break off our fins by repentance, and to give glory to God, before death and darkness come, and the day of our final vifitation overtake us, when we may perhaps be furprized by a fudden stroke, or feized upon by a violent difeafe, and may have no fenfe and apprehenfion of our approaching danger; or if we have, may find no place for repentance, though we seek it with tears; which God grant may never happen to be the cafe of any of us, for his mercies fake in Chrift Jefus. To whom with the Father, &c..

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