peace, long-fuffering, gentleness, goodness, fidelity, meekness and temperance; thofe neceffary and amiable virtues, that are fo ornamental to men, fo promotive of their peace, fo acceptable to God, and fo promotive of their eternal happinefs in his favour. This is that falvation which it pleases God to make men partakers of by the gofpel of his fon, this that blessed change he introduces into the moral ftate and character of all who believe it; and there is fuch a life and power, fuch an authority, fpirit and efficacy that accompanies, and is conveyed by it, as is capable of removing the moft inveterate prejudices, and fubduing the ftrongest habits of fin, and as will render thofe, who are under the influence of its principles and motives, equal to all the most important obligations of human life, and fuperior to all the difficulties that may attend the practice of religion and virtue. But in this refpect, mere philofophy is lifeless as a ftone, and cold as death, as to any efficacy it hath to make men partakers of this falvation, in comparison with the word of God; which the author to the Hebrews defcribes, as † quick and powerful,. fharper than any two-edged fword, and as piercing to the dividing afunder of foul and Spirit, and as a difcerner of the very inmoft thoughts and intents of the heart; i. e. capable of reachg the confcience, of purifying the heart, fiparating men from their long accuftomvices, and forming them into the love, the life

Lactant. lib. 3. §. 26. + Heb, iv. 12.

life and practice of universal piety and goodness, in order to train them up for eternal falvation in the kingdom and prefence of God, according to the fixed conftitution of God by Chrift, that if we have our fruit unto bolinefs, the end fhall be life everlasting,

In the beginning of chriftianity our apoftle, whom God employ'd to make manifeft the favour of his knowledge amongst the Gentiles, had abundant reafon to cry out with triumph: It pleafed God to fave them that believe; inafmuch as he was the inftrument of the providence and grace of God, to prevail with multitudes amongst the Gentiles, to accept of the falvation he offered them; and because the change in their religious and moral behaviour was fuch, as excited the wonder of mankind in general, and the hatred and malice of thofe, who continued the inveterate enemies of Chrift, both amongst the Jews and Gentiles. St. Paul often speaks of his fuccefs, and the free course by which the word of God was glorified, with triumph and thankfulness to God; infomuch that in his time he could fay, that it was gone into all the world, and brought forth fruit, i. e. had been preached to almost all nations, and had every where made numerous converts; opening men's eyes, turning them from darkness to light, from the power of fin and fatan to God, that they might ferve the living and true God, refeive the forgiveness of fins, and an inheritance amongst

*

amongst them that are fanctified by faith. And there are remains even in Heathen writers that confirm the Apoftle's account; both as to the number of converts to the religion of Chrift, and the excellent nature of that change which their converfion produced in them. The teftimony of Pliny, in his letter to. Trajan the emperor, is remarkable, and full to this point, who informs him; that the only fault or error of which the Chriftians could be convicted was, that they fung praifes to Chrift as a God amongst themselves, oblig. ed themselves by a facrament or oath, to commit no wickedness, thefts, robberies, or adulteries, to betray no truft, and to withhold no depofit; that there were many of every age, and order, of both fexes, that were accufed; that the towns and villages were infected with their fuperftition, that the temples of the gods were almost defolate, and that there were few to buy the facrifices of the gods. And another, an ancient heathen, and a long while an enemy to Chrift, about the end of the fecond century, reproaches the Chriftians in thefe terms. "You defpife our temples "as fepulchres; you treat our gods with

indignity; you deride all our facred rites;

you contemn the honours and purples of "our priefts. Why do you worship an invi"fible, concealed God? You have no altars, "no temples, no known images; through "fear you abstain from fashionable pleasures;

" you

* Epift. lib. 10. Epift. 97. + Minut. Fel. cap, 8, 9. 12.

you come not to our fpectacles and pub"lick fhews; you are present at none of our folemnities, at our publick feafts you are "abfent; our facred games, the feasts we "make on our facrifices, our libations upon "our altars you abhor; your heads ye do "not crown with flowers; your bodies not perfume with ointments; these you re"ferve for funerals, you deny garlands to your fepulchres, and on these accounts are

"

worthy of our pity." Oh! how causeless was this pity! how truly honourable were thefe reproaches, to those who really deserved them! How worthy of imitation was that fingularity, which was imputed to them as their unhappiness and crime! How clearly doth it demonftrate the efficacy and power of the doctrine of Chrift over their hearts and lives, the influence of their principles, and their steadiness to them; the fanctity of their manners, and their real falvation from the idolatries of the world, and the numerous corruptions of the times in which they lived! And let me add upon this head:

That all those, who. in our own times, are brought to the belief and obedience of the gofpel, are fubftantial proofs of the efficacy of the doctrine of Chrift, and that it is the power of God to their falvation. And indeed Chrift is the fame yesterday, to-day, and for evermore. The principles of his religion are eternal and immutable truths, and have ftill their original facred influence and ten

dency.

dency. The motives to repentance and con→ verfion, which his gofpel offers, retain their native intrinsick weight and efficacy, and will convince and fave men to the end of time, if they receive, and heartily attend to them. The worship it prefcribes, and the duties of piety and virtue which it enforces, are reasonable in their nature, cannot but be acceptable to the greatest and best of beings, and muft gain the approbation and efteem of all who are acquainted with them; and on all these accounts the gofpel of our Lord is, in its whole conftitution, the most powerful and certain means of faving those who believe it from every deftructive practice, and preparing them for, and rendring them finally partakers of eternal falvation. And whofoever bath learnt of Christ, and been taught the truth as it is in him; hath been prevented from entring into the criminal practices of the world, or recovered from them by the influence of his word and fpirit, and effectually perfuaded by the grace of his gofpel to live. a fober, righteous and godly life; all fuch are become wife in the most effential points of knowledge, and to them Chrift is actually made of God, wisdom, righteousness, fanctifica tion and eternal redemption. They are a continued evidence of the great excellency of the gospel scheme, that it is ftill owned and fucceeded by God, and that the means which he hath appointed to convey the knowledge of it, and render it effectual to promote the falvation