fhall foon be made to fee, how little need we have of fuch an one as Lazarus to be fent to testify unto us. We shall find very plain and eafy directions, very weighty and cogent motives, and all the encouragement we can defire to be good, and to Serve God faithfully. O, but we ftill want Arguments to convince us of the truth of what is called the Holy Scripture. We question not its Holiness, that's apparent enough; and, indeed, is the main thing that makes us ftrongly prejudic'd against it. The truth of it is that which we would fain fee clear'd beyond difpute, tho' it would make us very uneafy to fee this done. And yet were it done to our fatisfaction, how uneafy foever it would be to us, we think that for our own fakes, in regard to our fafety, we could be content to live according to it. Now I fear all this is but fhuffle. For feeing the Holineß of the Scripture is evidently the thing we are moft offended at, let the truth of it be never fo clearly demonftrated, we fhould ftill retain the fame prejudice against it. Nay more, the Holinefs of it being the beft argument of its truth, if by it we are not convinc'd, we fhall never be fo. However, if we refolve not to believe it, till we have better evidence of the truth of it, than it brings along with it, I fee no remedy but we must be as we are, and perish at laft by our infidelity. God, who at fundry times, and in divers manners, fpake in time paft unto the Fathers by the Prophets, bath in thefe last days fpoken unto us by his Son. Heb, 1, 1, 2. And therefore ought we to give the more earnest heed to the things we have beard, left at any time we should let them flip. For N A If the word spoken by Angels was stedfaft, and every tranfgreffion and difobedience, receiv'd a just recompence of Reward; how shall we escape if we neglect fo great Salvation, which at the first begun to be Spoken by the Lord, and was confirm'd unto us by them that heard him: God alfo bearing them witness with Signs and Wonders, and with divers Miracles, and Gifts of the Holy Ghoft, according to his own Will. Heb. 2. 1. and. 5. When in the Tranf figuration on the Mount, Mofes and Elias were vanifh'd, a Voice from the Father teftified thus of Chrift, faying, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleas'd, hear ye him. Mat. 17, 5. Mat. 17, 5. And becaufe, notwithstanding this Command, fome would ftill be bufy to bring in New Doctrine, and think a boast of New light, a fufficient Confirmation of them, St. Paul hath given us a very fair warning to beware of them, faying, Gal. 1. 8. Not tho' Lazarus, but tho' we, or an Angel from Heaven Preach any other Gospel unto you, than that which we have Preach'd unto you, let him be accurfed. Yea, but it is not another Gospel that we would have, but only a better Confirmation of the truth of this, thapwe have yet met with. And if this be it we would have, we are not like to have it, for we have all that God thinks fit to give us. What is it we would have more than what we have? Can we imagine that an infinitely Holy God, fhould give us any other Rule of Life, but the moft Holy that can be? And is it not a juft exception against the Gods of the Heathen World, and a good evidence that they are no Gods, but Devils; That they delight in, or give way to unboliness in their worshippers? Nothing can be a better better Argument of a Doctrine's being Divine, than its purity. Now, was there ever a more Holy Doctrine taught among Men? Is it poffible for the Wit of Man to invent or conceive any thing purer? Can we think of any thing, which preach'd and believ'd through the World, could make mankind more univerfally or perfectly good or happy? Is there any one tittle of it, that being believ'd and practis'd would do the World, or any part of it, any hurt? Doth not all the Evil or Hurt that Men fuffer in the World arise from the not believing and practifing of it in all its Branches? Can any Doctrine therefore ever be believ'd to come from the God of purity, if this do not? If it were the Invention of a Man, was there ever Man that did oblige the World to thank him, as that Man had done? Were it not even on this one account worthy of all acceptation? And ought we not for this to wish that all would believe it? Whatever we will believe, as to its coming from God; this is certain, that no Man can, with any fhew of reafon, reject it, as an ill Rule of Life, but he muft declare himself void of the principles of Morality, and an Enemy to the hap- . pinefs of mankind. Again, was ever any Doctrine better confirm'd, by many wonderful works wrought in the Name of the Author of it, than this? Could ever any wonders wrought in Confirmation of a Doctrine be better attefted to all Pofterity, than this hath been? Or hath any atteftation given at any time to Matters of Fact been more generally receiv'd, or been more univerfally convincing and, fatisfactory to wife and inquifitive Men than this hath been? Was ever record fo miraculously preferved against all the malicious attempts of Devils and Men to abolish it, as the holy Scripture hath been? What then I ask again is it, that we would have to fatisfy us? Is it fuch Evidence as cannot be gainfaid, or contradicted; will this, and nothing lefs ferve our turn? And truly, if we mean no more but fuch an evidence as cannot with any reafon be gainsaid or contradicted, fuch it is that we have. But if we mean fuch evidence as cannot be gainfaid or contradicted by unreasonable Men, who are refolved to cavil against every thing that doth not please them, we muft never expect to find what we would have. The truth is,we cannot endure to gainsay and contradict our Lufts, and to deny our Selves, which the holy Gospel of Chrift has made the chief part of the Chriftian's Character. This is a thing we are not able to hear of with patience. Such boline as God calls for in all whom he will make happy, is a thing we will never yield to, fo long as we can conceive that there is a poffibility of efcaping Torments without it. The bleedness of Abraham's Children in Heaven we are little concern'd for; there is fo much of holineß implied in it, that we have no kind of relifh of it, nor appetite to it; and therefore could be well enough content to go without it, fo that we may efcape the Rich-man's Torments in Hell. And whilft we can perfuade our felves, that it is poffible to efcape them, for the love of Sin, we will venture at it. Nothing therefore but Demonftrations, and an evident impoffibility of escaping eternal Torments, will have any force upon us. Tho' when things are well confidered, one would think, that one who hath the faculty of reasoning, and contriving for his own good, fhould hardly be perfwaded fwaded to venture on fuch a thing as damnation to eternal Torments, where there is but fome prabability, that if he live as he doth, he cannot efcape them. Suppose it but probable I maybe happy, living an holy and religious Life; and on the other fide, that if I do not fo I fhall be eternally miferable, fhall I not be a very fool, if against fuch probability, I will rather chufe an unholy life, and not be in a fair and probable way of safety and blessedness; but of eternal Torments, only because I am not affured, beyond all poffibility of the contrary, that I fhall be tormented? Should we be fo mad in all other Cafes, as we are in this, what would become of us? Would not all the great Affairs and Bufinefs of the World be neglected, and all Men rot in floth and folly, were they fo unreasonable as to venture on nothing, where is but a poffibility of mifcarrying, or being disappointed? Will we not abridge our felves of a little Eafe, Sleep and Play, and be at the pains and charge to Plow and Sowe in hopes of a good Harvest, and for fear of a Famine, merely becaufe 'tis not evident beyond all impoffibility, either that we may have no Harveft, or that if we have none, God may rain down Manna for us to feed upon? Will not the Merchant venture a confiderable Summe for but a probable advantage, because there is a poffibility that all may be loft, and again a poffibility too that he may grow as rich fome other way without fuch a venture? Will we not provide Eftates for our Children to live upon, and labour to prevent their going a Begging or Famishing hereafter; only because 'tis not impoffible, that they may die before they need fuch Estates, or may wafte them when they have them, or may find for themselves fome way |