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Vol. 1.their Hope and Confidence in worldly Things. Thus it was with Ifrael when they were full, fat and at ease ; a Stock or Stone, a molten Calf ferved their turn, as well as the living God, the God of Heaven and Earth ; but when the Storms and Calamities gathered and thicken'd from every Coast; when Fear came upon them as Defolation, and Destruction as a Whirlwind; when Diftrefs and Anguish came upon them, then they burnt their Idols, and digg'd down their Altars, and cried unto the true and living God. Ah! may it ne ver happen to us, to any one of us, as it did finally to them, God laugh'd at their calamity, and mockd when their Fear came, they call'd upon him, but he would not anfwer, they fought him early, "but he could not be found, Prov. 1. . To prevent which as much as lyes in me, and to perfwade you to a fincere and feafonable feeking of God, I will lay before you the bleffed Fruits of it, shew. ing you

II. That God produces in fuch as do Jo, Joy, Peace and Hope; which was my fecond Propofition. This he does two ways; By his Gospel and his Spi

rit.

1. By his Gospel. The direct and Vol.II. immediate Defign of the Gospel is to effect a bleffed Change in our Nature and our Fortune. Wherein this Change confifts, our Saviour has told us in very few, but very full words, Acts 26. 18. where he fends St. Paul to the Gentiles, to open the eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to the fervice of the living God. This I call a Change in our Nature: then it follows, that they may receive forgiveness of fins, and an inheritance among them which are fanctified by faith that is in me. This I call a Change in our State or Fortune. My Business then must be to fhew you how Joy, Peace and Hope, do naturally refult from this Change: that of our Nature confifting, as you fee, of two parts, the Illumination of our Minds, and Converfion of our Hearts.

I will I. confider the Influence of. the former of these, i. e. Illumination. If Knowledge be delightful to the Mind of Man, if the thirst of it be so natural, I cannot think why the Gofpel, even on this account, fhould not effect us with an extraordinary pleafure; for it is the richest and brightest

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Mani

Vol. II. Manifestation thatGod did ever vouchfate the World: It contains a System of the most glorious and most impor tant Truths. In what Writings have we ever had fo full and just an account of Human Nature, and of our truest Interests in this and another World? where was there ever to be found fuch Evidence and Demonftration of the Certainty, or fo lively and rational a Description of the ftate and nature of another Life? where do we meet with any Truths of fuch a surprising nature and vast moment, as are the Incarnation, Paffion, Refurrection and Afcenfion of the bleffed Jefus, the Effufion of the Holy Spirit, and its won derful Operation in miraculous and fanctifying Graces? Here we read of the Nature and Office of Angels, the Apoftacy, Mifery, and Stratagems of Devils, the Fall and Recovery of Man, the various Revolutions of Religion, and the different Fate of Mankind. If we come to Practical Matters, never before was the Duty of Man fo plainly prefcrib'd, or his Obligations to it fo fully discover'd and paffionately urged; never was Virtue fo effectually promoted and fecured by fuch a Divine Model

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Model of Government, fuch infallible Vol. II. Rules and Counfels, and fuch wife and efficacious Sacraments; and if there be any thing in that excellent Thought of Tully, That Virtue, if it could be feen with bodily Eyes, would capti vate and ravish the World; never was it drawn fo much to the Life, as in the Conversation of the Holy Jefus ; never did it appear in fuch Native Simplicity and Genuine Beauty,in fo much Sweetnefs and Majefty. In one word, never was the Glory of God under any Dispensation fo evidently display'd to the World, as under that of the Gospel; and never did the Power, Love, and manifold Wisdom of God appear fo illuftrious, I will not fay to Men only, but to the Angels themfelves, as in the Redemption of the world by Jefus, Eph. 3. 10. and they accordingly did express their Resentments of this Revelation in Joy and Wonder, in Doxologies and Raptures, as appears from feveral paffages in the New Teftament. Ah! why fhould those Truths, in which we have infinitely the bigger intereft, fo coldly affect us, yet transport them? It happens, tis true, amongst us, with reference

and

to

Vol. II. to thefe Truths, as it is wont to do to the richest Bleffings that commonnels and familiarity breed a neglect, if not a contempt of them; but 'tis certain that the Pagan World, as many as did believe, entertain'd the Gospel, with the fame Surprize and Joy, with which the Man born blind in the Gospel did the Light, when cured by our Saviour's Almighty word, a glorious Day broke in upon him, and a new World open'd, to his view various Scenes of Delight and Wonder; for I perfwade my felf, that the Face of Nature in the old Creation, could not appear nigh fo ftrange to him, as that of the new Creation did to the poor Pagan, who before fat in darkness, and in the region and shadow of death. Let no one object against all this, That the style of the Gospel is rude and unpolish'd; that the manner of conveying thefe Truth does diminish the Pleasure which might otherwife fpring from them, while it seems to leffen the Opinion of their being dictated by God: For, firft, he must have but a very fuperficial Sense of Things, whose Mind is diverted from the Contemplation of glorious and important Truths, by the rugged