of Action; not a State of lasting Joy, but a tranfient Course of Probation; and our Faculties imperfect as they are, are sufficient to anfwer all our present Purposes, and direct us in all Things that are necessary and convenient for us. Let not vain Man then pretend to be wiser than his Maker! Let him not foolishly disbelieve what the Scriptures affirm, purely for want of that Knowledge which he cannot have! His Folly in so doing will yet farther appear, if it be con fidered. Thirdly, That these Doctrines, though mysterious, cannot justly be charged with implying any Contradiction or Impoffibility. It neither implies a Contradiction, nor is it impoffible in itself, that God has assumed the Nature of Man; we know not enough of him and his Power to be able to prove it does. All that can fairly be objected in this Case is, that such an Union may be impoffible: And to this it may as readily and forcibly be answered, that it may not. And if then the Thing were dubious, how reasonable and how just is it to submit to the Words of unerring Truth, in all doubtful Cafes; how absurd and foolish to reject what we have all the Reason in the World to believe is affirmed by Persons divinely inspired, merely because we are not able to judge whether the Thing afserted be impoffible, or not! 5 Would : Would the Unbeliever do Justice to him filf, as well as to the Christian Cause? He ought first to enquire coolly and impartially into the Reafons, upon which the Divine Authority of the Scriptures is built; weigh deliberately the Principles, and all the different Sorts of Evidence, upon which it stands; allow each Argument and Objection its proper Force; and determine as the Truth shall to him appear, upon a just Examination of the Whole. 'Tis a mighty easy Matter to start Objections against particular Parts of any System of Religion, and still eafier to ridicule sacred Things, that is, fet them in a ludicrous, or rather profane Light: But it is not altogether so easy fairly to get rid of the Reafons on which the Christian Religion stands; and whoever duly weighs them will, I prefume, find it just to have fome Dependance in dubious Cafes, on the Authority of God. - If upon this Enquiry a Man is not convinced, he will at least have acquitted himself like a Man. But I doubt not that such an Enquiry would end in a full and fincere Perfuafion of the whole Christian Scheme. - For it is to be feared that this is very rarely the Cafe; and that the true Reafon of the Infidels Scepticism is, neither a Perfuafion of the Falshood of Christianity, built upon a Trial of the Evidence of it, nor barely the Mysteriousness of its Doctrines. Few Men are able, fewer willing, to go through through the Labour of a fair Examination; and fewer still are over-scrupulous of affenting to Propofitions which they do not understand; unless there be some other Motive to refuse their Assent, than barely the Difficulty of the Speculation. The true Objection against the Christian Religion is, that it is not speculative enough; that its Doctrines are not only mysterious but practical. Where there is not something of this Kind in the Cafe, we find Men ready enough to swallow even Absurdities and Contradictions; and, I fear, the real Stumbling-Block in the Way of believing the Article alluded to in the Text is this, that we are obliged to confider it, not only as a Mystery, but likewise IV. Fourthly, As a Mystery of Godliness. Such it is, whether we confider the Purity required of those who embrace it; or the powerful Tendency of the Doctrine itself to an holy Life. The God who assumed our Nature requires that we should imitate the Perfections of his. A daily Progress in Virtue is the indispensible Duty of every Disciple of the blessed Jesus, who must be thoroughly furnished to every good Word and Work; and whoever attentively confiders the wonderful Display of God's Mercy to us in his Incarnation, can want no Motive to Praise, Adoration, and Love. VOL. I. K Let Let us then contemplate a little on this amazing Instance of Divine Goodness. As the Book of Nature furnishes us with the clearest and most convincing Manifestations of God's Wisdom and Power; so does his Divine Word supply us with the most ample Testimonies of the Wonders of his Love. That the Son of God should become Man, that the Children of Men might become the Sons of God; should clothe himself with our Infirmities, to raise us to a Participation of his Perfcations; should fuffer Want, that we might abound; make himself an Offering for Sin, to free his rebellious Creatures from the Guilt and Dominion of it; and die the Death of a Malefactor, that we might live for ever with him in eternal Glory: These are such Instances of infinite Love as could be learned only from himself. This is such a Method of Salvation as wretched Mortals could never have expected; such as the most sanguine Mind could not have hoped for. What Breaft does not glow with grateful Resentments, upon the bare Mention of it? Who can confider it without being loft in Adoration, Praise, and Thanksgiving ? Who can view this wonderful Condescention, and these Sufferings for Sin, without loathing and detesting himself for the Commiffion of it? Who does not say within himself, with the warmest Indignation, bow can I, who am redeemed from my Iniqui ties by the Blood of Christ, live any longer therein? Well therefore might our Apostle call this Doctrine a Mystery of Godliness. A Mystery which gives us the most exalted Notions of Divine Love to warm our Hearts with a due Sense of it; which, if there be any Spark of Ingenuity or Gratitude in our Souls, must kindle it into a divine Flame, reciprocral Love, unfeigned and pure Affection! A Mystery which must depress the Man as much as it exalts the Christian; make him defirous of purifying himself; and thirst for nothing so much as to become a new Creature! A Mystery, in fine, which by shewing us our Approach to, and Deliverance from, the Jaws of Hell, gives us the nearest Prospect of the Joys of Heaven, and the surest Pledge and Afsurance to us, that he, who has already done so much towards it, will not stop till he has completed the great Work of our Salvation. If the Son of God spared not himself for us, shall be not alfo freely give us all Things? All Things that tend to our Happiness, or can complete it, no Doubt, he will; provided past Mercies produce future Amendment; and we walk not after the Flesh, but after the Spirit. To conclude then, in the Words of our Apostle, If therefore there be any Confolation in Chrift; if any Comfort in his Love ; if any Fellowship K2 |