head. They were fully convinced of the extraor dinary excellence of his Myfteries and the perfection of his Holiness. They themselves received the Gifts of that fame Spirit in which God himself was justified. They faw Angels afcending and defcending to minifter unto him. They preached it themselves to the Gentiles, and fo compelled the World to believe in him by their Patience and Preaching, which was continually attended with the Demonftration of that Spirit and the Evidence of those Miracles performed by them in the Name of Jefus. Lastly he afcended into Heaven in their fight. So that these are all fure and certain proofs of the Truth of that great Mystery which can't in the leaft be fufpected,

Second Epistle to Timothy.

Chap. III, 15, 16. And that from a Child thou haft known the holy Scriptures, &c. All Scripture is given by infpiration. There is no maintaining falfe Religions in the World but by the help of Ignorance, Negli gence, and a blind Submiffion, But the Christian Reli gion can't be fufpected of any fach defects, becaufe it is wholly founded upon Inftruction and Knowledge. Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal Life, John 5. 39.

Chap. IV. 7,8, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my courfe, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness. St. Paul was drawing nigh toward his latter end; and the words of a dying Man are always to be regarded. Whence then comes that chearful Joy, the Apostle fo naturally expresses in this occafion? His Hopes,had they been of this World, must have been soon buried with him in his Grave,and his Happiness too at an end. Whence then derived he that great Confidence which he seems to have had? Was it from the inward fenfe of a guilty, Conscience

Confcience,which reproach'd him for having betray'd the Synagogue, blemished his Country Men, deceived Mankind, teftified of a Seducer, and forg'd fuch fictitious Visions by the most signal Impofture that ever was? Let any one believe it if he can.

Firft Epiftle of St. Peter.

Chap. I. 3. Bleffed be the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, which according to his abundant mercy bath begotten us again unto a lively Hope, by the refurrection of Fefus Chrift from the Dead. The Mind of those Writers was fo full of the Salvation that was revealed to them, that they were never weary of returning thanks to God for it.

Chap. II. 17, 18, 19, 20. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the King. Servants be fubject to your Mafters, with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward, &c. For what glory. is it, if when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? But if when ye do well, and fuffer for it, ye take it patiently; this is acceptable with God, &c. It is a ftrange thing, we fhould be defired to own that a mutual Agreement of Malice and Falfhood, which really is a wonderful Agreement of Piety, Charity, Obedience,and Righteousness. Paul expreffed himself like Peter, and Peter spoke like Paul. They both acted and fuffered alike; nay they bore the very fame Teftimony, being endowed with the fame Patience, practifing the very fame Virtues, and difcovering one and the fame Wisdom in all their words. Now what have we any reafon to fufpect in all this?

Second Epistle of St. Pet

Chap. I. 16, 17, 18. For we have ningly devifed fables, when we made k

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power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were Eyewitneffes of his Majefty. For he received from God the Father, Honour and Glory, when there came fuch a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my well beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from Heaven, we heard when we were with him in the boly Mount, &c. This is a Witnefs who spoke of what he had feen; who fuffered Death in defence of the Truth of his. Teftimony; who faw it not alone, for feveral others had feen the fame thing; who spoke not out of any principle of Intereft, or concealed what he knew through any fear, or apprehenfion of Death; and who for all that did his utmost endeavours to fanctifie Mankind, and bestowed all bis Time, his Labour and his Life in advancing fuch an extraordinary work, which is fo little to be fufpected. And if fo, what Man is there that can rea fonably mistrust him?

First Epistle of St. John.

Chap. I. 1, 3. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our Eyes, which we bave looked upon, and our hands have handled of the word of Life, declare we unto you, &c. If you fhould doubt whether the Apostles did really go about teftifying every where that they had seen with their Eyes, both the Miracles and Refurrection of Chrift, 'tis but learning it from their Epiftles, and their own words too.

Chap. II. 1. My little Children, these things write I unto you, that ye fin not. But what was it to him whether Men finned, or not? Did ever the design of fanctifying Mankind and contributing to their Salvation at the cost of ones Blood, ones Liberty, ones Life, enter before into any Man's Heart but theirs?

Thefe

Thefe and the like Reflexions are of themselves fufficient to give the Reader a relish of those Truths, and incite him to make fome of his own, as fhall more effectually inftru&t, and convince him: For my part I have made feveral, which perhaps fatisfy me better than they would any body else. And no queftion but he will also make several of his own that will convince him far better than thofe of another. In the mean while let us pafs on to the confideration of the Substance of that Religion which Christ himself did bring into the World. For after having confi dered the outside, tis very neceffary to look into the inward part of the Building.

SECT.

SECTION IV.

Wherein we shall prove the Truth of the Chriftian Religion by the Confideration of it's Nature and Properties.

Several Portraitures in which is may be confi dered.

Itherto we have infifted as it were upon the Shell and Bark of Religion; we have examined the proofs taken from matters of fact, being the first that offered themselves to our mind: It seems therefore now Expedient we should discover as it were the Subftance and Spirit of Christianity, and so proceed to those other proofs drawn from the Nature of it, and that by fhewing the truth of it by it's Beauties and proper Excellencies. But because this is too copious a Subject for us who ftudy Brevity, we fhall endeavour to reduce what we have to say into as small a Compass as we can; and fince we cannot allow our Reflexions their due and proper Extent, to give at leaft fome Plan or Draught of the fame, as fhall fupply that defect.

And tho the Chriftian Religion may be considered under several different Faces, because in this respect 'tis like unto its Object, which has no Bounds to com fine it's Extent; yet methinks we may give ar just and adequate enough to our prefent defign confidering it in eleven different Draughts or traitures. I. In the Multitude of Teftimonies in favour of it; which we shall touch upon cur

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