fince the creation of the world; and, moft probably, there never will happen fuch another. It was, therefore, an event which was out of the reach of all human conjecture, or forefight. And yet experience hath fhewn that the prediction was exact. -Neither enthu

fiafts nor impoftors could poffibly have gueffed fo agreeably to fo uncommon an event. Nor can we, who have lived to fee and know so much of the accomplishment, defcribe this apoftafy in a more concife, juft, or lively manner, than St. Paul hath here done, in a few verses; and St. John, more largely, in the Revelations.-They therefore must have been true prophets, or else they never could have delivered fuch remarkable predictions, which time and fact have fo amazingly verified.

Some other arguments for the truth of the Chriftian religion, though juft and conclufive, may be of a more fubtle and difficult nature. But the rife and progrefs of this apoftasy is a fact; a plain, notorious, and well-known fact; an argument, which cannot eafily be evaded; but muft ftrike the virtuous and attentive !--All churchhistory, for several paft centuries, is full of it. And we need only open our eyes, and we may behold too much of it. For the man of fin is even now upon his throne; exalting himself, as much as he can, above all the kings of the earth; and with fuch ftrong delufions feducing the nations, as to make many of them to believe a lie.

They may pretend, among us, that Popery is altered, and become a meek and harmlefs religion. They may mifreprefent its tenets, and alledge that they have now thrown off that perfecuting fpirit, which they have formerly discovered. But is not tranfubftantiation one of her doctrines? and does not the hellish court of inquifition ftill fubfift in Spain, Portugal, Italy, and other Popish coun-. tries? And the repeated perfecutions of the Proteftants in France, Germany, and other places, are fufficient to convince us that the church of Rome, where he has power, is ftill the fame perfecuting church, and her religion the fame bloody religion, as ever; and, though dreffed up in fheep's clothing, fhe is no other than a ravenous wolf.

Our ancestors felt the tremendous effects of her perfecuting power, and experienced her tender mercies to be the most dreadful cruelty, Nay, we ourselves were in imminent danger; but, by a very merciful interpofition of the divine providence, the fnare was broken, and we moft happily escaped, Yet all pious and benevolent perfons are daily mourning over this antichriftian corruption and tyranny;

and

* Eftius, in 1 Johan. v. 21. having represented the danger there was, of the first Chrif tians falling into fome acts of idolatry, practifed among their Heathen neighbours, adds, "Nunc (ah dolor!) nonnulli catholici, habitantes inter hæreticos, rerum per diverfas pro"vincias potientes, interdum quædam faciunt, aut dicunt, fidei catholicæ, aut inftitutis "ecclefiæ, diffentanea." So that the Papifts difguifing and mifreprefenting, in Proteftant countries, the doctrines and practices of the Romish church, is no new thing; as is here plainly teftified, and lamented, by one of their own communion.

and ready to fay, “How long, O Lord, holy, juft, and true, wilt thou not deliver thine elect, who cry unto thee, day and night?

Chriftianity is a religion reasonable and excellent in itself, promotes the pureft and moft exalted virtue, was at first planted by inspiration and miracles; and here is a moft remarkable prophecy, which, after so many hundred years, is exactly verified by a notorious event. What evidences would be fufficient, where all thefe are rejected?

IV. We ought not to be shocked at the prefent ftate of the Chriftian church, because the Apoftles of our bleffed Lord prophefied that fuch it would be.

Though the best things are liable to corruption; yet one would hardly have thought it poffible, that fo great, fo notorious a corruption could (by any pretence) have fprung out of the Chriftian religion. Look into the New Teftament, which contains the religion of Jefus, and look into the doctrine, difcipline, and worship, the whole polity and conftitution, of the church of Rome; and you may easily perceive that light and darknefs are not more oppofite. The doctrine of Chriftianity is all rational, its worship free from fuperftition and idolatry, and its laws require the greatest virtue and purity. But the doctrine of the church of Rome is abfurd, her worfhip over-run with fuperftition and idolatry. And that wicked church (which fchifmatically calls herfelf the catholic and only true church) hath invented fo many arts to make men very religious, without any virtue or true goodnefs, that (wherever it is established and prevails) it encourages almost all manner of wickedness and

abominations.

Daniel prophefied *, that the God of heaven would erect a kingdom, which should be fubject to the fon of man. And we fay "that this kingdom of righteoufnefs was actually erected by our "Lord Jefus Chrift." Now, upon looking abroad, into a great part of Christendom, it is natural to enquire," Is this the kingdom which Daniel prophefied of?"-No! to prevent the anxiety and diftrefs which might arife in the minds of true Chriftians, from fuch a dark and gloomy appearance, it was alfo prophefied that, out of this fpiritual kingdom, there would arife one of the greatest apostafies and corruptions that ever appeared in the world; though true Christianity, as contained in the Scriptures, has all along been invariably the fame.

V. "How ought we to rejoice, that this unrighteous and tyran"nical power fhall come to an end? and think ourfelves obliged "(from a fenfe of duty to God, and of benevolence to mankind) "to do every thing in our power towards bringing about so happy 66 an event.

Bleffed be God that we are delivered from this worse than Egyptian darkness and flavery. Particularly, let us reflect with gratitude, upon our narrow and almost miraculous escape, at the ever-memorable Revolution, under the auspicious conduct of the glorious prince

* Dan. ii. 44. and vii. 13, 14.

of

of Orange, King WILLIAM, of immortal memory: which" (by the favor of a kind and watchful Providence) laid the foundation of a later efcape; when by the contrivance of a perfecuting, reftlefs, and bigoted faction, a Popish pretender was ready to afcend the throne. Then it was, that King William's noble legacy took place, by the coming-in of the illuftrious House of Hanover; a family which were among the firft Protefters against Popery, and who have ever fince continued Proteftants: and (which has been, in a diftinguishing manner, the duty of that illuftrious houfe, and attended with the greatest and moft diffufive bleffings) they have, upon many occafions, been ftrenuous affertors of the liberties of mankind, both civil and religious.

The happy effects of this they themselves faw and experienced during the rebellion, 1745, when their enemies were intimidated, by the remarkable zeal and number of their friends when perfons of all ranks and orders, and of almost all fects and parties, so zealoufly entered into affociations against a Popifh, abjured pretender, and his highland banditti; and in the fupport of our Proteftant royal family in the poffeffion of the British crown.-Bleffed be God for fuch a royal family; and let all the people fay, Amen! May they and their defcendants continue friends to mankind throughout all coming generations; and experience the joys and ample bleffings which attend the fincere love of truth, virtue, religion, and liberty!

It is faid that this corrupt and perfecuting religion gains ground in this Proteftant nation; and even in this day of light, liberty, and freedom of inquiry. But, furely, this muft proceed from fome neglect among Proteftants. And what madnefs muft poffefs fuch as would bring us back again into this fpiritual Egypt, when all wife men would carefully avoid her crimes, for fear of at last partaking in her plagues!

It is the duty of parents and tutors, in the education of children; and of minifters, in the inftructions which they give to their people; diligently to train them up in the true principles of the Proteftant religion. And it is the duty of all Proteftants to give up whatever abfurd doctrines, or impofing principles, they may have hitherto mixed with what is truly reafonable and Chriftian. Till thefe things be done, it must be expected that Popery will always be thrufting in its cloven. foot among us.

Thanks be to God, that we have the Scriptures fo common, not only in the original, but in our own language; that we are allowed the liberty of private judginent, and bleffed with fo many, and fuch excellent helps to understand our Bible! that fuch a spirit of liberty and free enquiry hath, in this laft age, gone out into the land! May kind Heaven diffufe this happy fpirit every where, and grant it the most lafting duration!

It is not three hundred years fince our ancestors were required to believe the groffeft abfurdities, and to practife the moft flagrant fuperftition and idolatry; and that upon pain of forfeiting all that was dear to them in this world, and of being fentenced to eternal dam

nation in the world to come.-Though the firft Reformers made a noble stand, and went great lengths, in a little time; yet they could not fhake off one of the worst parts of Popery, viz. the fpirit of infallibility and perfecution. And a race of tyrannical kings, fupported by covetous and ambitious priefts, continued to practife upon their fellow-proteftants, that cruelty which all Proteftants fo much and fo justly exclaimed againft, when practifed by Papifts upon themfelves. By these means, it has come to pass that true liberty and free enquiry are but of yesterday, a bleffing referved by Providence for us!

The most acceptable way of teftifying our gratitude to Almighty God, for fo great, fo ineftimable a bleffing, is to ftudy the Scriptures with care and diligence; and to form our faith and worship, our temper and practice, accordingly; freely to allow others that liberty of private judgment, which we ourselves fo ardently and reasonably defire; to avoid uncharitablenefs towards fuch as differ from us; and to fhew our good-will even to the perfons of the Papifts, whilft we fo much and fo juftly abhor their religion. Let us do all we can to carry on the reformation to greater purity and perfection; and particularly take care to watch against a narrow, bigotted, perfe cuting fpirit, in all the branches and degrees of it. Let us lay the ftrefs in religion where reafon and fcripture have laid it (not in abftrufe notions and unintelligible fubtleties, not in forms and ceremonies of human invention, nor in an empty profeffion of the pureft and beft religion in the world; but) upon the fincere love of God and of one another; upcn a due government of our paffions, affections, and appetites; and the habitual love and practice of univerfal holinefs. For what avails it, what church any man belongs to, what advantages he enjoys, or what profeffion of religion he makes, if he does not love God and keep his commandments; if he abufes his liberty to licentioufnefs; and, in the midft of fuch marvellous light, manifefts that he prefers darkness, by leading a wicked life; which, of all others, is the blackest herefy, or the moft flagrant and most notorious corruption and apostasy ?

OBSER

OBSERVATIONS

UPON THE

HISTORY

OF THE

RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST, &c.

THE

$1. JOHN, Chap. xx.

HE firft day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the fepulchre, and feeth "the ftone taken away from the fepulchre. Then the runneth "and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other difciple whom "Jefus loved, and faith unto them, They have taken away the "Lord out of the fepulchre, and we know not where they have laid "him. Peter therefore went forth, and that other difciple, and "came to the fepulchre. So they ran both together; and the other "difciple did out-run Peter, and came first to the fepulchre; and "he stooping down, and looking in, faw the linen clothes lying, yet went he not in. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, "and went into the fepulchre, and feeth the linen clothes lie, and "the napkin that was about his head, not lying with the linen "clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in "alfo that other difciple, which came first to the fepulchre, and he "faw and he believed; for as yet they knew not the scripture that "he muft rife again from the dead: Then the difciples went away again unto their own homes. But Mary flood without, at the "fepulchre, weeping and, as fhe wept, fhe ftooped down, and "looked into the fepulchre, and feeth two angels in white, fitting, "the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body "of Jefus had lain; and they fay unto her, Woman, why weepett "thou? She faith unto them, Because they have taken away my "Lord, and I know not where they have lain him. And when the "had thus faid, fhe turned herself back, and faw Jefus ftanding," "and knew not that it was Jefus. Jefus faith unto her, Woman, why weepeft thou? whom seekeft thou? She, fuppofing him to "be the Gardener, faith unto him, Sir, if thou haft borné him. "hence, tell me where thou haft laid him, and I will take him away.' "Jefus faid unto her, Mary! She turned herself, and faith unto "him, Rabboni! which is to fay, Mafter. Jefus faith unto her, "Touch me not, for I am not yet afcended unto my Father: But go to my brethren, and say unto them, I afcend unto my Father and VOL. V. "your

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