taught, the virtues I have practifed, the miracles I have wrought, prove my Divinity that I am the true Redeemer they expect, and no impoftor.

Yet, to confound their obdurate hearts, or at leaft to foften them, I will give farther proofs that I come from God: for the Holy Ghoft, and even you, fhall bear teftimony of me: When the Comforter is come, whom I will fend unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father; he fhall teftify of me and ye alfo fhall bear witness. Yet this teftimony of the apoftles was nothing but an invincible patience in afflictions for immediately our Saviour declares, that all the world fhall confpire against them : that they fhall be drag'd to tribunals, laugh'd at as fools; tormented as criminals; reviled as nufances to nature, and publick enemies to heaven. Yet, by the affiftance of the Holy Ghoft, they fhall fubdue their enemies by their doctrine, or their patience, and either overcome them by fuffering the utmost effects of their rage with joy, or by dying with courage. No doubt but this fortitude of the apostles was an invincible demonftration of Chrift's Divinity. For how could weak men, without a divine fupport, overcome a confederacy fo universal against them? How could they break through fo many oppofitions, and endure fuch cruel, fuch unheard of torments, without an interior fpirit, that either fufpended the operation of fenfe, or buoyed up the imbecility of nature? So that at once the Holy Ghost, according to Chrift's prediction, gave teftimony of our Saviour, by ftrengthening the apoftles to fupport, and thereby conquering perfecutions.

What our Saviour foretold the apoftles, St. Paul has declared to all Chriftians: Yea, and all that will live godly in Chrift Jefus, fball fuffer perfecution, 2 Tim. iii. 12. And thofe, who behave themselves,

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themselves, in the midst of preffures, as the bleffed apostles did, not only teftify they believe in Chrift; but also, that they fincerely love him. They exercife all thofe virtues Chrift commands, and fly those vices he forbids.

A true patient, that fuffers for Chrift on racks and wheels, acknowledges his Mafter's power to fupport him he adores his juftice in the very tormentor's rage, and his goodness in their fury: if God ftrikes him with the leprofy of Job, he kiffes the hand that ftrikes him: if he deprives him of an eftate, he fits down as content in poverty, as he was in abundance. Tho' he feels no confolation from within, and nothing but diffatisfaction from without, he bows to God's appointment, and adores his providence. And tho' his pains are exceffive, he confeffes his fins deferve greater and at the fame time a patient Chriftian not only gives a teftimony of his faith in Chrift, but of his love. For who will fuffer for Chrift, unlefs he believes he is able to reward his courage, or punifh his cowardice? Who will for his fake exchange prefent pleasures for the most fenfible torments, unlefs he loves him; or who can lay afide all the fentiments of nature, without the supply of fupernatural grace ?

Let us then, dear readers, if providence fo ordains, give this teftimony of our belief and of our love, not by preaching, as the apostles, but by fuffering all calamities with patience. Follow rather the light of faith, than the faint glimmering of reafon; and let grace triumph over the repugnance of nature. God is omnipotent; he can release you from those misfortunes that opprefs you. He is merciful, and therefore has no greater paffion, no stronger inclination, than to ease the distress'd. If therefore he does not, you must conclude he looks upon thofe things as good, which you esteem

evils; and that it is a greater favour to leave you happily miserable, than to make you miserably happy.

It is ftrange that the world fhould immediately raise all its forces against the apoftles; and that paffion fhould caft all men into fo defperate a blindnefs, as to perfuade themselves they pleased God by murdering his creatures, and obeyed his commands by violating those of nature. But the time cometh, that whofoever killeth you, fhall think that be doth God fervice, John xvi. 2. Was their conduct irregular? their lives fcandalous? their doctrine destructive to human society, or inconfiftent with government? no: they preached up fanctity, and practifed it. They taught love to our neighbour, obedience to magiftrates, and charity to all mankind. They fhewed them the danger they walked in; a heaven above to reward virtue; a hell below to punish vice. They pointed out the way to avoid this, and to arrive to that. Indeed they divulged a new religion; but then they confirmed it with fo frequent miracles, that the moft rational did conclude it came from heaven; and the most obftinate could not with any colour of reason accuse it of impofture. What ground was here for fuch rage? what cause for fuch hatred against the apoftles, fo inveterate, fo univerfal? how could they think it meritorious to deftroy thofe men, whofe lives were innocent, and whofe religion was stamp'd with all the marks of a divine approbation ?.

Alas! the world was hardened in crimes it had no mind to leave; inured to the worship of deities, that abetted impiety, and allowed all abominations. Men loved not to hear of a religion that reftrained their ancient liberties, that confined their understandings to the belief of abftrufe myfteries above reason, and their wills to the practice

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of

Thefe

of morality, contrary to the bent of nature. Pre-engagements prefented every thing in a falfe light. Their wills blinded their understandings; and, tho' they could not hinder them from doubts, they diverted them from an affent to the doctrine propofed by the apoftles, and from a ferious examination of the motives. Whence their ignorance was merely affected, their zeal for their old religion criminal, and their confcience wickedly erroneous. So that, tho' they thought to please God by perfecuting his minifters, they really offended him.

How many Chriftians imitate these Jews and Pagans! They affect an ignorance of their duty, that they may dispense with the practice of it, without fcruple. They fear to look into a fpiritual book, left they should be difabused of their error; and will not afk advice, left it fhould abridge their liberty. Hence they frame confciences a-lamode, that is, erroneous: they act upon false principles, and fuppofe they lie under no mistake, because they will not take the pains to discover it. Hence fometimes they fancy they execute God's commands, whilft they tranfgrefs them: them: that they comply with thofe of the church, whilst they break them. They take great fins for fmall imperfections, and often perfuade themselves those offences at most are only venial, which, notwithstanding, unrepented, will plunge them into hell. An inveterate rancour against their neighbour, paffes for a juft refentment; a natural antipathy, for a mere indifference; the moft malicious detraction, for pleasantry; dangerous diverfions, for innocent recreations. And And you will fee many confound criminal amours with friendship, and indecent liberties with the blamelefs name of familiarity and upon this erroneous ground, they lull their consciences afleep; approach the throne of grace with

out confeffing thefe tranfgreffions; and then profane the holy facrament of Christ's body and blood without remorse. Nay, like the Jews, they think, they do God fervice, whilft they abufe his holy Ordinances.

Whence comes this ftrange conduct, this deplorable blindness? From an affected ignorance; from a confcience guided by delufive principles; from a corrupt judgment and a debauch'd heart. They doubt whether fuch an action be lawful; if it either flatters their inclination, or fuits with their intereft, they neither afk counsel of scripture nor of reafon; for they are afraid to find (what they have no mind to know) that it is finful in the mean time, they do it, firft without remorfe, and in process of time without fcruple; and then fuppofe it no fin, because an acquired habit has wore out the doubt; and they repeat the action without reluctancy. But they lie under a mistake: the first criminal negligence influences all the fubfequent actions, and renders them no lefs finful than the first.

We must, therefore, pray to God every day to pardon our ignorance; and, in all our doubts, have recourfe to thofe, whom God has fet over us for our guides. Rely not upon your own judgment: felf-love will more eafily bend it to what is pleafing, than to what is true. Our Saviour would not tell St. Paul what he was to do, nor leave him to his own conduct; but fent him to Ananias for inftruction, to teach us, that all men are unfit to be their own mafters, and improper cafuifts in their own concerns. Give me therefore, O Lord, a docile understanding, rather prepared to learn than to difpute; and a fincere heart, ready to comply with all those duties, that are incumbent on my profeffion.

O let