Witneffes of it, to whom he had appear'd, could have all agreed together to run violently on their own Ruin and Destruction, merely to maintain a Lie? For what could their Expectation in this World be? What but Ignominy, Perfecution, and Death? And which they frequently fuffer'd accordingly, though never detected of any Falfhoods in the Propagation of this Doctrine, notwithstanding all the Attempts that were used by their moft implacable Enemies, who certainly had all the Advantages to have dif cover'd the Cheat, if there had been any; against which they maintain'd this Truth, with the Views only of future Rewards, and valued not what temporal Disadvantages they met with, but couragiously proceeded to promote the Intereft of Chrift's fpiritual Kingdom, in fpite of all worldly Oppofition.

Now can it be reasonably supposed, that any Number of Men in the World would thus unanimously agree in one Defign, without any Hopes but those of Futurity, unlefst they had all the Affurance that could poffibly be given of the Truth of what they propagated?

I might here add, that the antient Prophecies, concerning the Meffiah to come, were all fully accomplish'd in our Lord Je fus, together with their refpective Circumftances: But thefe being largely fhewn by

feveral

feveral Authors, who have profeffedly wrote upon that Subject, 'tis needlefs for me to repeat them.

I might alfo obferve befides that most convincing Evidence of his Resurrection, his visible Afcenfion, and the wonderful Descent of the Holy Ghoft, empowering his unlearned Difciples to fpeak all Sorts of Languages, and to perform divers Miracles, as he himfelf did; all which leave no room for any Doubt or Scruple of his being the true Meffias, that fhould come to fave Mankind, and to bring them to Immortality.

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SECT. VII.

Religion and Virtue recommended.

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ND now from the Whole it appears, that we have all the Encouragements we can defire or expect, to be virtuous and religious, fince the Practice leads to fuch glorious Rewards. Let us therefore look upon Vice in its true Deformity, and upon Virtue in its true Lovelinefs and Beauty, and then make our Choice of that which offers the better Rewards. Vice can offer nothing but the present Gratifications of the fenfual Appetite, and leaves behind it nothing but a

guilty

guilty terrified Confcience, and exposes the Practifer thereof to endless Horror and Deftruction: But Virtue offers Peace and Tranquillity of Mind in all the Affairs and Occurrences of this Life, with a full and fatisfactory Completion of all the Defires and Expectations of the Soul in a future State to all Eternity. And now the vaft Difpropor tion of these Offers, one would think, would be fufficient to determine every one's Choice: For what has Vice in it to recommend itfelf? Will the prefent Gratifications of a fenfual Appetite recompenfe the future Terrors and Torments that will attend it? Will it, O Man, enable thee to bear thy Sufferings in a future State with Eafe and Patience? Will not the Remembrance of thy fenfual Gratifications be an Addition to thy Torments? Was it not an Aggravation to Dives's Miferies, when Abraham bad him remember that in the World he enjoy'd his good things, when he could not obtain only one Drop of Water to cool his Tongue? In this State there will not be the Gratification of any one fenfual Defire, nothing that can be delightful or entertaining: Vice will leave the Soul void of all true Satisfaction and Happiness; but Virtue will give it a Satisfaction that is unbounded: And as the Satisfaction of our Defires is the main End and Aim of all our Purfuits, and we think no Pains too much we can use to attain them; and

F

and as nothing short of the Enjoyment of God can yield a full Satisfaction to the Defires of the Soul; with what unwearied Diligence then should we purfue the eternal Concerns of it, in this fhort and uncertain Life, efpecially when we confider, that in doing fo we gratify every rational Defire both of Body and Soul? Then let us not trifle with our Happiness any longer; let us not flatter our felves to our own eternal Undoing; let us now repent of all our Deviations from Virtue and Religion; let us for the future make them our Choice; let us affure our felves we must do this, or we can never obtain Mercy: Let us make no Delay in a Matter of fo vaft Importance, left. we come to wish we had done it when it will be too late, and we are undone for ever: To day if thou wilt hear his voice, harden not thy heart; affure thy felf that the longer thou accustomeft thy felf to Vice, the harder it will be to repent: Remember that an old habitual Sinner is liken'd in Scripture to the Ethiopian changing his Skin, or the Leopard his Spots, fo difficult is his Repentance. That fome have obtain'd Mercy, by Repentance, in old Age, I will not go about to deny; but then probably they have been fuch as were before ignorant of the Nature, of Religion and Virtue,, and the Neceffity of Repentance: But without all Doubt, an

early

२.

early Piety is the only fafe Foundation whereon to build our Hopes of future Hap piness; and for this Reafon it is judg'd very neceffary to inculcate the Principles of Religion to Children betimes, in their Days of Innocency, and to guard them against Vice and Profanenefs; to inftil into their Minds the true Notions of God's Mercy and Goodnefs, with his Love to the Virtuous, and the Rewards he has laid up for them, and his Hatred of Vice, and the Punishments that attend it; to encourage them in every virtuous Action with Praise, and every vitious one to discountenance.

Whoever therefore has trifled away his former Time, let him fpeedily return to a better Mind, and redouble his Diligence in the Way of Religion and Virtue: And tho' he may at first meet with a Reluctancy upon the Entrance of a religious Course, let him remember, that the longer he neglects it, the greater will the Reluctancy be. Wherefore now strive to overcome it, by leaving off thy vitious Habits, always remembring that it will never be fo eafily done as now; and if once thou overcomeft the Reluctancy of this Entrance into a religious Life, thou wilt thenceforth confefs, that the ways of Chrift are pleasantness, and that all his paths are peace: For if we live agreeably to his Commands, we may then affure our felves of his Favour,

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