The Chapter begins thus, Finally Brethren, Pray for us, That the Word of the Lord may have free Course, and be Glo­rified even as it is with You; and that we may, &c.

WHen God had finished the Fa­brick of this World, and had Formed innumerable Living Creatures to dwell thereon,Gen. 1. [...]6. He at last Created Man to be Lord and Ruler of them all: Whom He also Dig­nified above the rest of the visible Creation, [Page 2]by making Him like Himself, by Adorn­ing his Person with a reasonable Soul, a noble Understanding, a distinguishing Judg­ment, and a free Will. Wherefore, that these noble Faculties might not be wholly useless in the Grand concernment of his Religion, God hath ever vouchsafed to Rule and Govern him after an Intelligible, and a Rational manner. And hence it is, that God doth so often appeal to the Children of Israel concerning the Equity of his Commands,Ezeck. 18.25.29. Ezek. 33.17, 20. Isa. 5.4. and the Justice of His Pro­ceedings with them: Nor is the case now al­tered under the Dispensation of the Gospel; our Saviour came not to Plant an Arbitrary un­accountable Religion amongst us; but, on the contrary, (since He found the World was grown Old enough to understand it, and fit to embrace it) He came to Improve our Rea­son, and our Religion too, to the highest Pitch; To fill up the Vacancies, and lop off the Super­fluities of it; and almost wholly to reduce it to matters of Eternal Obligation, and Indis­pensible Necessity. Wherefore our Saviour, and after Him the Apostles,Luke 12.57. Acts 18.4. did not insist alone upon the Power, Authority, and Sovereignty of God that sent them: but also upon the Reason of the thing, and the right of the case; being always ready to hear what any Adversaries, [Page 3]whether Jews or Greeks, from revealed or na­tural knowledge, could object against those Doctrines which they had taught. St. Luke, Acts 17.2. saith, That Paul reasoned with the Jews Three Sabbath Days in the Synagogue; and that it was his manner so to do. Thus also with Heathens, v. 18. And 'tis remarkable that with these weapons of reason and discourse they Conquered all Opposers who had not the Shield and Buckler of Irrationality,Acts 17.5, 13. and Cla­mour to defend them from Submission and Mo­desty: And such as these were the principal Men who daunted the courage of the Apostles,Acts 17.5.13. and repelled the violence of their keenest Darts. But innumerable Companies of these there were in all those Cities and Countries where the Apostles endeavoured to Plant the Gospel. And these are the Men of whom my Text re­ports. That they had not Faith, that is, they were not of the Christian Perswasion and Be­lief; and St. Paul in my Text gives us the causes of their Infidelity. First, Because they were Un­reasonable. Secondly, Because they were Wick­ed. And that we may be delivered from Ʋnreason­able and Wicked Men; for all Men have not Faith.

These two words [...] (which signifies De­bauched and Wicked) and [...] (which sig­nifies Men of no Topicks; such as will stick [Page 4]to no Propositions; and is most properly ren­dred Absurd and Prodigiously Unreasonable) may most properly refer to two sorts of Peo­ple; The latter to the Unbelieving Jews; The other to the sensual Gnosticks.

The Jews were proof against all Argument, [...]. and Submitted themselved to be wholly Gover­ned by Prejudice and Passion; who would never debate the Controversie with a free Judgment; but, on the contrary, when the Apostles began to Preach, then they endea­voured to Inrage the People against them;Acts 17.5, 13. that so by Violence and Tumult they might procure their Ruine.

The other were the Sensual and Wicked Gnosticks; [...]. who endeavoured by all the Arts and Pretensions they could invent,Jud. v. 18, 19. 2 Tim. 3.1. to Reconcile Christianity with a Wicked Life; and the stedfast belief of the Gospel, with a Cowardly Complyance, with any Adversaries, whensoe­ver their Lives or Fortunes lay at Stake.Gal. 6.12. Phil. 3.18. These therefore did Oppose the Apostles wherever they came, in all their Discourses of Intensive Holyness, and Christian Patience, taking up the Cross, suffering Torment and Death it self for Christ and the Gospels sake; and having the advantage of Mens Natural Inclinations, and worse Habits, they Converted Swarms of [Page 5]Proselytes to their own most filthy Doctrines; and thereby hindred the Reception and Enter­tainment of that most Holy Faith, which the Apostles had both Learnt themselves & Taught to others. Wherefore St. Paul desires the Church, that in order to the progress of the Christian Religion, he may meet with Persons whose Qualifications are quite different from these Men; that is to say, that he may meet with Persons who are willing to be perswaded by Argument, and desire impartially to Weigh Propositions in the Ballance of their Under­standings. And that he may find them also of an upright mind, endowed with probity and honesty of disposition; such who are as the Apostle styles them, [...],Act. 13.48. fore disposed to Eternal Life. Now unto all such as these who are Rational Men, and Virtuously inclined, the Apostle doubteth not but the Doctrine which he Preacheth will be acceptable; That the Word of the Lord will have free Course, and be Glorified as it was in the Church of Thessalonica. And this I take to be the mean­of the Words; And, thus explained, they af­ford us these two Propositions.

First,First, That to Embrace the Christian Reli­gion is highly agreeable to the Dictates of Right Reason.

Secondly,Secondly. That the Christian Religion is a most Holy and Pure Religion. For if nothing but want of Reason and Judgment, Goodness and Integrity can hinder the Progress and Glo­rification of this Gospel: then both these Pro­positions clearly follow; the latter whereof being self-evident, I shall wholly insist upon the former, viz. That to Embrace the Chri­stian Religion is highly Agreeable to the Di­ctates of right Reason; And this will suffici­ently appear to be true when we have consi­dered these three things.

• 1. Its Author and Original.
• 2. The Religion it self.
• 3. The ultimate end and scope thereof as it relates to us, with the natural tendency of the means propounded to attain that end.

First,First, If we consider its Author and Origi­nal.

That there is a God we take for granted in all discourses of Religion; whereof his Being and Existence is the Foundation. Now if there be a God that is a Being infinitely per­fect, then a little Reason will be sufficient to instruct us, (that since we find in our selves so many Imperfections; insomuch, that we are sometimes most deceived in our own Choice, and our own Judgments, through false Appear­ances, [Page 7]and Misapprehensions of things, even then when we think our selves most sure) that we submit our selves to be guided by Him in all our affairs, especially in so grand a con­cernment as our Religion is: For God is our Maker, and therefore may command us; He is infinitely Wise, and therefore knows best what is good for us. He is infinitely Good, and therefore designs our Happiness. He is Omnipotent, and therefore can Effect it. He is infinitely Gracious, and therefore will not make the Conditions on our part too difficult to be done, or intolerable to be born. He is infinitely Gracious, and therefore will assist our Endeavours, pass by our Imperfections, and at last reward our Labour. Those then do Act like Rational Men, who Believe what God Reveals, and Practice that which God Commands; and Confidently Expect and Hope for that which God hath promised; be­cause in so doing, we prefer Wisdom it self before Ignorance and Folly; Infinite Perfecti­on before that which is less then nothing. Upon this account it is highly Reasonable to embrace the Christian Religion; since God hath been pleased to give us all the Demonstration, whereof the thing is capable, to Convince and Satisfie us that He himself is the Author of it. For,

[Page 8] 1. He sent his only begotten Son from Heaven to Earth on purpose to Reveal this Do­ctrine to us,Heb. 12.25 Joh. 3.31, 34. and gave Him Power in his Life­time to Vindicate his Divine Commission by Innumerable, Eminent, and undeniable Mira­cles: And before his Death, as a Token and Sign of the Truth of His Doctrine, He promi­seth to rise again from the Dead within three Days; and is content the Credit of his Do­ctrine should depend upon it.Joh. 3.18, 1. Now God ha­ving been pleased to Effect our Saviours Word, and to Raise Him from the Dead, as Christ foretold. His Resurrection proved all His Doctrines to come from God, and His Mira­cles to be True Miracles, against all reasonable Objections. And the Apostle St. Paul upon this Ground, maketh no Scruple to conclude with the greatest Assurance Imaginable, Rom. 1.4. That Christ by His Resurrection, was by the Spirit of Holyness, mightily declared to be the Son of God. And well he might,

1. For what can be more Senseless, then to Imagine that God would suffer the Token of a Grand Impostor to come to pass? What can be more contradictory to the Wisdom of God, then thus to Countenance one who Rivall'd his own Perfections, and pretended an Equa­lity with Himself.

[Page 9] 2. What can be more Repugnant to the Di­vine Goodness, in respect of us, who by his own rule are bound to believe a Prophet whose Token comes to pass, unless his Doctrine be apparently Wicked or Idolatrous, Deut. 18. v. last?

3. What can be more contrary to the Ju­stice of God? Whose Threatnings and De­nunciations against Impostors are so severe, and the Punishments formerly as duely Execu­ted; as appears in the fearful end of Ahab the Son of Kolajah, and Zedekiah, Jer. 29.21 22, 23. two False Pro­phets; and the Entailment of a curse upon their Issue? What therefore can be more absurd, then to Imagine God to be so regardless both of His Word and Honour, and also of His Peo­ples Good, as to make himself the Instrument of their Ruine and Seduction; to drive and force them from Him, who are (as He oft complains) too apt to forsake Him of their own Accords.Jer. 7.2, 13.

But this is not all the Demonstration that we have of our Saviours Divine Commission, it hath been also Attested by the Voice of the Prophets of Old, (For to him saith St. Paul, Act. 10.43. Act. 13.29. Gave all the Prophets Witness) all whose Marks and Tokens, which were Universally received as relating to the Messias, were ful­filled [Page 10]in him, Acts 13.29. telleth us further, that they took Him not down from the Cross until all things were fulfilled that were Written of Him. And therefore our Saviour and the Apostles, as those Marks became fulfilled in Christ, were wont to urge them to the Jews with this Preamble, That this or that was done, That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophets, Mat. 1.23. Mat. 2.1. to 6. Mat. 4.12. to 16. Mat. 21.5. Joh. 13.18 Mat. 27.35 &c. Which they would never have done, but that they knew the Jews themselves, both received and taught them to be tokens of the Messias; because otherwise their Argument would not have been so much as Argumentum ad Hominem.

Thirdly, God hath further attested our Sa­viour to be sent from Him by the Voice of His Ambassadors, the holy Angels; Who first appeared to Zachary, to tell him that his Wife was to be the happy Mother of Elias, the fore-runner of the Messias: Luke 1.13 17. And then to the Blessed Virgin,Luke 1.26 to inform her of that mighty Favour which was designed unto her, that out of her Womb should Issue the Saviour of Mankind. And after that to Joseph in a Dream,Mat. 1.20. to remove his Jealousies, and retrieve her Reputation; by discovering unto him that which was conceived in her was of the holy Ghost. And, last of all, to the Shepheards after [Page 11]His Birth, to tell them these joyful Tidings,Luke 2 9. That unto them was Born a Saviour. And as this was heretofore an ordinary way of Re­velation amongst the Jews; Gen. 22.1 [...] so it was also of great Credibility, insomuch that Zachary was strucken Dumb;Exod. 3.2. Judg. 12.6. because he did not pre­sently believe the Message of an Angel:Luke 1.20 notwithstanding, it seemed to be Naturally Impossible.

4. God hath also Declared our Saviour to be sent from Him by the Voice of the holy Spirit, in Just and Holy Persons: Which way of Revelation of Gods Will, as it was ordina­ry, so was it of great Force amongst the Jews; and by them it was called [...] the holy Spirit, which was a kind of Raptur or Extasie, which Holy Men were sometimes cast into, and whatsoever they then spoke, was by the standers by, accounted the Oracles or Mind of God. Thus also hath our Saviour been declared to be the True Messiah, the Prophet that came from God: As appears by these Examples:

1. When the Blessed Virgin perceived her self to be with Child, she made hast to be the glad Messenger of this Heavenly News to her Cousin Elizabeth; who rejoyced at the sight of the B. V. and Being filled with the Ho­ly [Page 12]Ghost, Luke 1.41. she spake with a loud Voice, saying, Blessed art thou amongst Women, &c. And Blessed is she that believed; for there shall be a performance of those things which was told her of the Lord, viz. That out of her Womb should come the Saviour of the World.

And Secondly, Mary answered her Cou­sin with an Extatick Hymn of Praise, That God had now performed the Promise to Abra­ham and his Seed for ever; That is, That the Promised Messias so long expected, would shortly come into the World.

And Thirdly, At the Circumcision of John the Baptist, Luke 1.67. Zacharias was filled with the Spirit, and he Sang a Hymn of praise to the same Effect; wherein he testifies that the Saviour was now coming, and that the Promises to Abraham were shortly to be ful­filled, as you will find in the following Verses.

And Fourthly, When our Saviour was Born, and the Days of his Mothers Purificati­on were accomplished. When according to Custom He was brought into the Temple with the accustomed Offering; there meets Him good Old Simeon, Who being filled with the Holy Ghost, took Jesus into his Arms, and was most willing to die, since He had lived to [Page 13]see the Salvation of Israel, &c. Luke 2.25. vid. Thus hath the Voice of God in the Un­spotted Virgin, in the Blameless Couple, in Devout Simeon declared our Saviour to be the great Messiah; the Prophet which came from God. And we may observe that all these Persons which did thus Testifie concerning our Saviour, were Recorded and Commen­ded for Piety and Goodness; which was the Qualification requisite to render their Extati­cal Revelations Authentical and Credible a­mongst the People. But this way of Revela­tion, with divers others, ceased with our Savi­our; because it became useless after God had declared his whole Mind and Will by our.Heb. 1.1 [...] Sa­viour and the Apostles; and caused it to be Written.

5. God hath still more plainly declared our Saviour to be sent from Him by His own im­mediate Voice from Heaven, which by the Jews was called [...] the Daughter of Voice or Thunder. Thus, both at our Saviours Bap­tism, and His Transfiguration, There came a Voice from Heaven, saying, This is my Be­loved Son, Hear ye Him. And when he came to Dye, He Prayed his Father to Glorifie Him; And his Prayer was Answered by an Audible Voice, I have both Glorified thee, and I will [Page 14]Glorifie thee again. The two former gave Him Authority to Preach, and us Authority to hear his Doctrine. The latter approves of what he hath said, and Demonstrates unto us that he hath not Exceeded his Commission; that is, that our Saviour hath taught us no more then what he had Received from the Father. And Jesus himself, after his departure hence (when, had he been an Impostor, he should have been in Hell) surrounds St. Paul with Brightness,Acts 9.3. and saith unto him, Why persecu­test thou me? Which Revelation was of so much Force and Power with him: Notwithstanding he was prejudiced against the Religion before­hand, that he now becomes a most Zealous promoter of it; and at last Esteems it his chiefest Honour to lay down his Life in At­testation of this Truth.

6. Unto all this let be added in the. last place, That Jesus Christ had the Spirit of Pro­phesie in his own Person, whereby he foretold abundance of things, all which came to pass accordingly: For (besides the prophecy of his own Death and Resurrection, fulfilled the third Day) he foretold the famous coming of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles after his As­cension.Luk. 24.49 And accordingly it came to pass on the day of Pentecost, Acts 2. v. 3, 4, 7. to the Wonder and A­mazement [Page 15]of all Men.Mat. 24.2. Luk. 19.43 Mat. 24.14 He foretold the De­struction of the Temple and City of Jerusa­lem. The Scattering of the Jews. The pro­gress of the Gospel, And many other things, All which are come to pass.

Nothing therefore but prodigious Absurdity and Unreasonableness can hinder the Enter­tainment of this Religion, which Undoubtedly and Undenyably hath God himself for the Author of it.

And so we pass on to the second Conside­ration,Secondly. viz. The Religion it self, and I doubt not but we shall find it worthy to be embraced by rational Men; whether we con­sider those things it requires us to believe, to practice, or to expect hereafter.

1. That which it requires us to believe, which is either matters of Fact, or propositi­ons of pure Faith.

First, Matters of Fact, as what our Savi­our did and Taught, how he was Born, how he Lived, and how he Died, &c. All which we have as much reason to believe, as that Julius Caesar was Killed in the Senate, or that Mar­cus Tullius Cicero was an Oratour at Rome; or any other History whatsoever: Yea, and far more, since this was never contradicted, but universally confessed by the Adversaries of [Page 16]this Religion, who lived at the same time, and would have been glad of the least Advanta­ges, if they could but have found any conside­rable mistakes.

Or else Secondly, Propositions of Pure Faith; either relating unto our selves, as the Immortality of our Souls, the Resurrection of our Bodies, and a future Judgment: Or relating unto our Saviour, either in respect of his Natures, or the relation which he bears to God. To which we may add the Duties which are consequent upon these Propositions, as relying upon him, trusting in him, and put­ting up our Prayers to God the Father in his Name, &c. All which I refer to the former Consideration; since it is enough in Reason to Justifie our assent to any Proposition, and our consent to the Practice of any Duty; if we are but undoubtedly sure that God hath plainly revealed; and commanded both the one and the other; Notwithstanding, we should not be able to comprehend the Notion of the former, or understand the reason of the latter. And all this doth arise from this undeniable Principle; That what God saith, must needs be true; and what God Com­mands, His Creatures are obliged to do.

And so we go on to consider the second part of the Religion it self, (viz.) What it requires of us to Practice.

The Commands of the Gospel are either those which are of External Necessity, or those of External Institution.

Those which are of Eternal Necessity are therefore reasonable; because they are always good, and tend to preserve and enoble our Beings: Because they do arise from the Nature of things, and those Relations which we bear unto God, and to one another. And because without the practice of these Duties it were impossible we should ever attain to that which every Plant, and every Creature doth Aspire unto, viz. That Happiness and that Perfection whereof it is Capable.

Who can doubt the truth of these three Propositions?

• 1. That it is our Interest and our Happiness to preserve our Bodies from Diseases,
  First,
  and our Minds from Madness and Diliriums.
• 2. That it is better to be in Friendship and Amity with all the World,
  Secondly,
  by the practice of unspotted Righteousness and a constant Chari­ty, then to be at continual Discord with out Neighbours, and disturb Society by the want of these: Especially since their Natural Power [Page 18]over us is as great as we can pretend to have over them; and theirs may be accidentally greater.
• 3. That it is both our Duty and our Inte­rest to pay unto God all the immediate Wor­ship which he requires of us,
  Thirdly,
  both out of a principle Love and Gratitude; because He made us what we are, and is also able to do yet more for us; and out of a principle of Fear, since if we flight Him, He can presently reduce us to nothing, or (which is worse) continue us Miserable.

Yet to one of these three are all the Precepts of the Gospel to be referred (excepting only those few of which I shall treat anon.) There is nothing else required of us to do, but what relates to the immediate Worship of God, or to our own Well fare, as we are single, or in community; nor there is any thing (through­out the whole New Testament) forbidden, but what doth apparently, or by consequence tend to make us unhappy in one of these Rela­tions. And this is the same account which St. Paul gives us, Tit 2.12. The grace of God (that is) the Gospel hath appeared to all Ʋngod­lines and Worldly lust, and to Live Soberly, Righteously and Godly in this present World, &c. [Page 19]The Equity therefore of these Commands doth appear in this, that if we our selves had been permitted to chuse the Laws by which we would be governed; we must either have chosen those unto which we are now obliged, or we must have embraced Unhappiness and Misery; since that only is our Duty, which is also our Inte­rest and Felicity. There is nothing which ever was or can be, with any show of Reason, objected against those Precepts of our Saviour, whereof we are now discoursing; excepting only those which concern the restraint of our thoughts, the forgiveness of injuries, and the love of our Enemies. Yet these are so far from being unreasonable, that thus to do is in­comparably our wisest way. As for the first, it is so far from being an Act of Severity, that it is a great Instance of our Saviours Wisdom, Humanity and Love; For had He forbad Adultery, and yet given liberty to Lascivious Thoughts; both His Wisdom as a Law-giver, and His Goodness as a Friend, had been justly liable to Exception; because He would have forbad the Vice, and yet have indulged us in the use of those means which naturally tend to produce it; which is equally irrational, as to command a Duty, and at the same time for­bid us the use of those means by which we [Page 20]should be enabled to perform it: But besides, it is one of the first Principles we understand, to remove our selves as far as ever we can from any thing which we apprehend to be Evil or Destructive; and this is the rule we naturally walk by, both in respect of Persons and Things. Wherefore it follows, that were we but throughly apprehensive of the Evil Nature of Sin, and the danger of coming near it; we, of our own accords, would stifle this Viper in the Womb, whether our Saviour had com­manded it or no. As for the other, that No­ble and Generous Precept of forgiveness, (where we are not obliged by our Office, or in Conscience to punish the Offender) is so far from being unreasonable, that it founded upon undeniable Axioms; which even those who remonstrate to the Duty, must be forced to Assent unto: As, First, That no Man in Rea­son or Equity should be Plaintiff, Witness, Judge and Executioner in the same cause; es­pecially since every Man is naturally apt to be partial in his own concernments: Yet thus doth he who takes upon him to revenge an in­jury. Again, Secondly, To molest and hurt another when we can promise no advantage to our selves thereby, is contrary to all Sense and Prudence; we are not wont to do it to a [Page 21]Dog, or if we do, it is Cruelty. But Thirdly, It is yet more contrary to the Reason of a Man, to hurt another when we can Prudently promise nothing to our selves thereby but mis­chief: Yet those who revenge an Injury, do Exasperate those Irascible Passions; the mis­chievous effects whereof they have already felt; which is no better then to vex and inrage that Serpent, who without the least provocation Stung them before. And as to forgive, so to Love our Enemies is highly agreeable to right reason: First, Because it is the most probable way to obtain the Victory and Conquest over them.Rom. 12. And thus Civility to a Conquered Prince, did once unite two differing Empires. And Tertullian telleth us, that by the exercise of this Grace, the first Christians found it at length a difficult matter to obtain Martyrdom for want of an Executioner. But Secondly, By the practice of this Virtue we assimilate the Deity, (which according to the general sense of Mankind) is our chiefest Happiness. And it is our Saviours own Argument in the same case, Be ye perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect. Mat. 5. last And thus have I shown, that those precepts of the Gospel which are propounded as eternally good, are really so; and therefore necessary and reasonable to be performed by us. [Page 22]And now if we consider those which are there­fore necessary to be done by us, only because they are commanded, we shall find that they are also reasonable.

1. Because they are but few in number.

2. Because they are Obvious and Significant in their Nature.

3. Because they are advantagious to the grand designs of Religion in their use. Now this is enough to render any Humane, much more Divine Institutions reasonable.

First, Because they are but few in number. That they are so is evident, since they are but just a number, Two. (I speak of the Ritual In­stitutions) the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lords Supper. Now, that this renders them reasonable will appear from hence, viz. That in all Religions there must be some; but yet from the nature of the thing, and by the uni­versal experience of all Mankind, it hath been found that too many of them drowns Religion in right and shadow. This Argument will be brighter if we look into the Religions of the World when our Saviour came. God was forced to Hedge in the Jews by the Pomp and Gaiety of outward Worship, thereby to pre­vent their Apostacy from Him to other Religi­ons; The Splendor of whose External Solem­nities [Page 23]would have had so strong an influence upon their juvenile senses and affections, that they would have been more apt for, and in­clined upon all occasions to Idolatry; but yet they were so numerous, and hard to be remem­bred; so difficult to be done, and intolerable to be born; and the punishment of their neg­lect so severe,Act. 15.10 that St. Peter complains of the Legal Institutions as a Yoke which neither they nor their Fathers were able to bear. And as the Jews to the Heathens throughout the World did abound in Rite and Ceremony, as were easie to be shown; insomuch that when our Saviour came, Internal Religion was wholly lost or clouded. But He was so far from continuing or increasing their number, that on the contrary, it was one chief part of His Bu­siness to Spiritualize Religion, to release us from our Fetters, and to reduce us to our pri­maeval state of Liberty. Wherefore the In­stitutions which he hath appointed, or rather, those two, of many, which He hath continued, are therefore reasonable, because they are but few.

Especially if we consider in the second place that they are Obvious and Significant in their Nature. Nothing more justly renders an In­stitution obnoxious then Insignificancy. Either [Page 24]when there is no relation between the Sign and the thing to be thereby signified: Or else, when the thing represented is not worth remem­brance, or a meer Chimaera, (as the Forni­cations at the Heathen Solemnities in comme­moration of the Conjunctions between their fancied Gods and Goddesses. Or Thirdly, when the signification of a reality, or a Duty is so Mystical and Clouded that it cannot pre­sently, and naturally be discerned. These are likely to leave but cold Impressions upon the mind.

But the Institutions of the Gospel are plainly significant, both of our chiefest Duties; and our greatest Priviledges; and are naturally apt to signifie what they intend.

1. The Sacrament of Baptism or washing with Water; both in its own Nature, as also by the general sense of Mankind, doth sig­nifie Purification and Cleansing: And was also used to the same purpose both by Jews and Heathens, in publick, at the Initiation of Proselytes, in token that they should forsake the filth of their former ways; and also in pri­vate whensoever they apprehended themselves to be polluted.

2. The Holy Mystery of our Saviours Sup­per was intended as a Rite of Joy and Glad­ness, [Page 25]which could not be better expressed then by the participation of Bread and Wine, which ever were, and are still the constant Appenda­ges of Festivity in all the Countreys of the World. It was intended also as an Expressi­on and Representation of our Saviours Death and Passion, and an Admonition of our Co­venant, Relation to God, and that Union, Love and Charity which we ought to have one towards another. Now what would be more natural to express the former then the breaking of Bread, and the pouring out of the Wine? And what could be better to express the latter? since Eating and Drinking at the Table of God is a natural token of Love and Friendship between God and one another: which tye is of it self sufficient to ingage us to the performance of Gods Commands, and an universal Charity. But besides, it is also a natural, because a uni­versally received manner of entring into, or re­newing any solemn Vow or Covenant. And as from the natural congruity between the Sign and the thing signified. So Secondly, From the great advantage which accrues to us by the due reception of those holy Mysteries will it farther appear that they are reasonable. By the former we are made Christians, the Chil­dren of God, and Heirs of Eternal Life. By the [Page 26]latter we are strengthened against sin, and con­firmed in all those graces we have begun; and by both together we have all those good things which our Saviour purchased upon the Cross, in general made over to our particular persons, provided we keep the conditions of the Cove­nant on our part to be performed. The Insti­tutions of Men can at the best be only Moni­tory; but these are Operative and Efficacious. Would you therefore be convinced that the Institutions of our Saviour are reasonable, do but perform the Duties required on your part, and then your Senses and Faculties being fill'd with the pleasure and comfort of them, will soon inform you.

And so we go on to consider the last part of the Religion it self, viz. The Promises and Threatnings which are annexed to the perfor­mance or the neglect of the Commands thereof.

Promises and Threatnings in all Constituti­ons both Divine and Humane, have been the constant concomitants of Commands; & that it should be so, is founded upon the highest reason; because without these no Law-giver can rationally expect Obedience. For if Men were apt and willing to perform the Duties commanded, then were there no need of Laws to bind them, no more then there is of an Act of [Page 27]Parliament to command the hungry, weary Traveller to eat or sleep. But if Men are unruly and troublesome (as the generality of mankind are) then what do Laws with rewards and pu­nishments signifie in order to the ends of Go­vernment, more then the perswasions of Friends or the discourses of ordinary Men. These there­fore in all constitutions are essentially requisite. Now then, that the promises and threatnings of the constitution of the Gospel are reasonable, comes now in order to be proved.

And first, The promises of the Gospel are highly reasonable. There are but two things can render the promise of a future reward une­quall, and our performance of the condition, with an eye to the reward, simple and irratio­nal; First, When it is so small that it bears no proportion to the work. Secondly, When it is so great that it is incredible it should ever be performed unto us; that is, when we have not good security that we shall receive our Wages upon the finishing of our Work. But

1. The rewards promised in the Gospel are infinitely beyond our work; and what in reason or equity can we desire more? The work it self is Wages according to the sense of the best Philosophers, and of all good Christians. But God was not pleased to think this enough, He [Page 28]hath prepared a Heaven to gratifie the Souls of those who by the Divine Life have made them­selves capable of Bliss and Happiness; where there shall be an External absence of all ills, and a continual confluence of every thing that is good. Here are no Aenigmatical Fables of Ely­sium shades, or Platonick Love. Nothing can be plainer revealed, them that our Souls shall be ex­alted, our Reasons uneclipsed, our Understand­ings bright and clear,1 Cor. 13.12. our Wills complying, our Affections strong and regular, and our Bodies Glorified.Phil. 3.21. And is not this sufficient to render, no only the promises themselves, but our most industrious pursuance of them reasonable, ac­cording to the common rules of Profit and Loss.

But Secondly, We are fully assured that if we perform the Duty required of us, we shall be made partakers of them. And that first by Sense, because we have an Antepast thereof before-hand.1 Pet. 1.8. Gal 6.4. Prov. 14.14. The pleasure and peace of a holy Life is but Heaven in other words; there is nothing wanting to make it perfect, but the Souls dismission out of this earthly Prison, where, for the present, it is so pent up that it cannot act as it will do when it hath room enough in the Heavenly Paradise; where it shall be so filled with Joy and Pleasure, that [Page 29]there shall be nothing which it can desire, but it shall enjoy; which is the essence and for­mality of Happiness. But Secondly, We are as well secured by reason as by sense: For God himself hath told us so by His Son Christ Jesus, who came out of His bosom, & knew all things;Joh. 1.18 who had himself been a partaker of this Glory from the beginning;Joh. 15.5. and therefore was the best able to inform us: Who was of an unstained integrity;1 Pet. 2.22 Isa. 53.9. in whose mouth was never any guile found, and therefore it is rational to believe Him. So that to question the performance of these promises, is to charge the Almighty God with Falsehood; which no Man can do who believes there is one. God hath promised, and He will most certainly perform. He is truth it self, and therefore will; He is omnipotent, & therefore can. His Goodness caused Him at first to make the promises of the Gospel, which St. Peter calleth exceeding great & precious Pro­mises;2 Pet. 1.4. but now His Wisdom, Justice and Fide­lity do all stand bound to see them performed.

2. And as the Promises, so also the Threat­nings of the Gospel are highly reasonable, both those which relate to this life, and those which relate to the other. Of the first sort are these, That Tribulation and Anguish,Ifa. 57.20, 21. Trouble and Sorrow, shall be the constant concomitants of [Page 30]Sin and Wickedness, &c. And what can be more reasonable? not only if we consider the nature of Sin, and consequently the disparity between the offence and punishment which makes it very favourable; but also if we ob­serve what an instance of mercy it is in God, by our present temporal punishments, to prevent our Souls everlasting ruine. And this is the true intention and design thereof (where the grace of God is not wholly withdrawn) even to awaken us out of the death of Sin, to the life of Righteousness. Heb. 12.11 And this must needs be rea­sonable from this undeniable truth, that he is my true friend who saves my Life, though it be by the breaking of a Bone.

But when this Life is ended, the Gospel threatneth, that those who will not be brought to Obedience by all those arts and methods of Wisdom, Justice & Mercy, which God hath used unto them, shall themselves for ever live to be punished with exquisite and intolerable Tor­ments,Joh. 5.29. Mat. 25.46 which shall also be everlasting. And this, (though it may seem unequal) is very reasona­ble. For,

1. There was a necessity that it should be thus in order to the bringing to pass His great desigus of mercy, viz. the Salvation of all Men. And is not this reasonable, that God should use [Page 31]all the ways he can to make us happy? God foresaw the perverseness of the humane nature was such, that there was no hopes to work upon it, had not His threatnings been thus severe. And we our selves perceive it in the event, that not­withstanding they are so terrible, yet Men will not be scared out of the practice of their Vices; Whence it evidently follows, that not so much the Justice and Severity, as the Goodness and Wisdom of God were engaged to have made them more severe if it had been possible; His goodness, because we find de facto, that as they are, such is the horrid depravity of the humane nature: they are not effectual to fright us into the Regions of Felicity. His Wisdom to pre­vent the pleas of sinners at the day of Judgment; who might have murmured against the Almigh­ty, and have said unto Him, if you had told me the worst of it; If your threatning had been dismal and frightful; If I had no reasonable ground to believe them tolerable, or else that they would never be Executed; I should der­tainly have abandoned my corruptions, and ne­ver have enjoyed a pleasant hour till I had cut off my right hand, or plucked out my right eye; but now these subterges are all prevented.

2. The threatnings of the Gospel are rea­sonable, because they are avoidable. Paradise [Page 32]was prepared for Man; Hell for the Devil and his Angels.Mat. 25.34 41. It is the grief of Almighty God that Men will hug & embrace their misery,Ezek. 18.23. Ezek. 33.11. Luk. 19.41 and fall in love with Torment. Had God indeed out of a partial kindness to some few, bestowed Eternal Bliss & Happiness upon them, and thereby made Heaven their fate, their destitny and not their Reward; and had He decreed the rest to Eter­nal ruine, and thereby made Himself the Author both of their Sin and destruction; I should most easily be derswaded to renounce my Pro­position, and doubt my Religion too, since He­rod, Nero, Dioclesian and Maximilian, with the rest of the Tyrant Persecutors of Innocence, and of this Religion, had been the most brave and worthy Men, because the most Pious Imi­tators of their God; and therefore had better deserved a Saintship then the holy Martyrs, who would have been only Witnesses of their own folly. But on the contrary, since Heaven and Hell are set before us; And the latter, not out of the least design that we should suffer the mi­sery of it, but contrary wise, to prevent it. It evidently follovvs, that not only the threatnings themselves, but the execution of them too are reasonable; since it is no more then vvhat vve chuse: And is it not pity that vve should miss of that,Rom. 6.23. for vvhich vve toil, and drudge, and la­bour. [Page 33]And we shall find at the day of Judg­ment, the mouths of sinners will be stopped, so that they shall have nothing to answer to Al­mighty God when He shall appeal to them,Mat. 22.12 Rom. 3.19. as He did to the Children of Israel, Are not my ways equal? Whether God will not or cannot suspend the severest execution of these Threat­nings is not necessary to inquire into; but this we may conclude, that no man (especially a wicked Man) can reasonably expect such a re­dundance of the divine Goodness, as shall make Him better then His word; since God hath no where been pleased to reveal it to us: And for Men to argue from the non-execution of Tem­poral threatnings, passed upon particular Per­sons, or Cities, or Nations in this life, to the mitigation or non-execution of those which re­late to the other, is not good arguing; because here the Hands of the Almighty may be stay­ed by Repentance; but in Hell there can be no such thing. Nor is there one Instance throughout the Bible where God did repent Him of the Evil, unless they repented them of the Sin. And it is so far from being a Virtue, that it is an imperfection in a good Man, to threaten and not to punish, unless the reason of his threatning be taken away. This is only spoken by the by, to show that wicked Men [Page 34]have little reason to please themselves with this contemplation, that God will be better then his word. And now I have considered the Chri­stian Religion it self; and I hope we perceive it worthy to be entertained by all rational men.

Especially in the third and last place, if we consider the ultimate end and design thereof, as it relates to us, which is our own happiness, with the natural tendency of the means pro­pounded to attain the end.

If a Man doth but intend my happiness, I am bound in honour and gratitude to love him for that; and his designs of love and kindness are sufficient to justifie my hearkning to his Councils: But if I find that the means and methods which he lays down, do naturally tend to produce the end; then am I bound in rea­son, as I tender my own happiness, to embrace and vigorously pursue them. But the design of God and our Saviour, in the planting of the Christian Religion, was to make all men happy; by turning us from our iniquities to the wisdom of the Just;Acts 3.20. Mat. 1.21. Luke 1.17 by conforming our minds to the Eternal Laws of Righteousness: And this is that account which St. Paul gives us in the 2 d. of Titus, from the 12th to the last. And this will be obvious to any man who reads our Sa­viours Sermon upon the Mount.Mat. 5. And this is a [Page 35]design which is truly worthy of God, and most advantagious unto us; because Sin and Wick­edness, from which it designs to deliver us, are the worst of evils;Rom. 12.11. it is that which is most un­like our Maker; it is the only thing which de­grades and transforms us into Beasts; who are naturally so much inferiour to us;Psal. 49.20 James 3.14, 15. and some sins make us like the Devil. But on the con­trary, Holiness or Goodness (with which the Gospel designs to endow us) is the best of blessings, because it is the very Image of God,Eph 4.23, 24. the life and health of our Souls, the peace of our lives;Psal. 119.165. which only can give a Relish to whatsoever else we do enjoy. It is Heaven in other words, which doth not consist so much in beholding the glory of God, or in adoring the divine Attributes, or in continual Songs of Praise (though this shall be our employment too) but that which makes it Heaven to us, is the conformity of our Souls to God, and a par­ticipation of His perfections. What therefore can be more noble and generous then this de­sign? And besides the conviction of our own minds, and the natural possibility of attaining the thing, our Saviour hath omitted no acciden­tal means and advantages, whereby to inflame our desires, or assist our endeavours in the pur­suance of this our happiness. He lived Him­self [Page 36]above 30 years on Earth, to show us the possibility of the thing, by an excellent Exam­ple. And after his departure hence,Eph. 4.8. Acts 2.4. He endow­ed His immediate Ministers with supernatural gifts, for the planting of this Religion in all the parts of the Earth; and hath appointed an order of Men to Preach the same to the end of the World.Mat. 28.19.20. And more then this, He hath sent the Comforter to abide in His Church for ever,John 16. Phil. 2.12. to work this excellent work within us, and to do the whole business for us, excepting only, that He forces no Mans will, that so our Christian Spirit, and our Pious Conversation may become a Virtue capable of Reward, by being the Result of our own Choice. Those therefore who will not suffer the design of the Gospel to take effect upon them; notwith­standing all these advantages, will find cause enough at the great day, to confess their De­struction was of themselves. And now from all that I have said, I hope it doth sufficiently appear, that to embrace the Christian Religion is highly agreeable to the dictates of right reason. No wonder then that the solemnity of the Tabernacles was mis-timed by the Jews, at the approach of our Saviour, as upon this day to Jerusalem. It had been but an ordinary expression of gladness, if the Trees of the [Page 37]field themselves had clapt their hands for joy; since no Hosannahs can be loud enough to pray unto God and our Saviour,Tit. 2.1 [...], 12. whose Doctrine brings Salvation to all Men.

And now I should come to make some Infe­rences; but I will be very brief.

1. How strong is the Argument from the Reasonableness of the Christian Religion, to a pious and holy Conversation?

And Secondly, How irrational and unmanly a thing it is to be wicked; since such is the goodness and equity of the Divine Law, that it is impossible to be a transgressour and a man at the same time? There can be nothing ob­jected against the entertainment and practise of the Christian Religion, unless you will ima­gine that God is infinitely more kind to Brutes then he is to us; and that it was a great un­kindness to make us reasonable and understan­ding Creatures. That Beasts are truly objects of our envy, because their sensual capacities are larger then our own. If we thought it our happiness that we are created men, we should soon become good Christians, because the Chri­stian Religion is reasonable.

3. If my Proposition be true, then we see what false and unworthy notions they have of God, who take Him to be a Tyrant Law-giver; [Page 38]and of Religion, who imagine their reason is not at all concerned in it. Since it is impossi­ble we should understand that there is a God, that there is any such thing as Religion, that the Scriptures are Divinely inspired, &c. without the use of our discursive faculties. Nothing, undoubtedly, hath done so great dis­service to the Christian Religion, as Enthusi­asm; when Men do therefore dis-believe Pro­positions, because they may be understood: When they never imagine themselves to be Orthodox Christians, till they have transub­stantiated the common Creed into unaccoun­table and inexplicable Problems; and never believe themselves to be good Men, till they have brought their Bodies and Minds into that frame, that they can with ease be extatical in all their devotions and expressions of Religion. Prophaneness is a bare-fac'd enemy; but this doth secretly undermine Christianity. This condemns the parties affected to perpetual Ig­norance; which is never more effectually done, then by dethroning our understanding, and a high conceit of our own fancies; both which are the inevitable consequences of Enthusiasm. But the Injury is yet greater to the Religion in the main; because it naturally rends to hin­der Infidels from embracing it: If they are [Page 39]ignorant they will rather continue in the Pro­fession and Practise of what they have been used to, then entertain a Novelty which they can never be made to apprehend. If they be wise, then will they account it an affront, to propound a Theorem to be believed by them; whereof there can be rendred no rational ac­count. But who can object against this Reli­gion, when God is represented as a Loving Father, who heartily desires our Happiness, and is willing and able to effect it? and there­fore commands us nothing but what we our selves, whether we will or no, must be forced to confess is equal, just and reasonable; with­all, propounding and promising great rewards for small services. Is not this more like to gain Proselytes, then to make hard uncouth, unaccountable representations of God, and of Religion to the World. Will not all wise Men, as they are such, have a natural Antipathy to flat contradictions, and unworthy notions of God; they can believe nothing, as revealed, which contradicts what they know of God, if He had never been pleased to reveal His mind at all.

Lastly, Is the Christian Religion Reasonable, then, as we desire to be wiser Men then others, so let us endeavour to be better Christians then [Page 40]others are; upon the same account that we de­sire to improve in Knowledge and Learning, should we also desire to improve in Piety and Virtue: since this is one of the best demon­strations that can be given of our being wise and rational Men. Let us then express one grateful sense of the Divine Love, in giving us such generous and easie Laws; by our hearty endeavours, with all exactness, to transcribe our Saviours copy into our own Lives: that so at last we may not fail to be made partakers of those inexpressible rewards which are laid up for those that love and fear Him. Now to the one Eternal, only Wise and Incomprehensible God, our Lord, and the blessed Spirit, be given all Honour, Adoration and Obedience, now and for evermore. Amen.