Chriflian Religion proved by Reczfon. by St. Jo/m meerly as a circumf\ance of the Hil\ory, Ot as a certain proof of his Death, ~ but the tollowing words [He that fttw thJS, teflijies 1t, a11d h;s Tejlrmo11y a worthy of belref; Chap, 5• atid he /e1ows tl'at be Jays tr11e, that JOlt may bclieoe J declare it to be offi~gular confequence. ~ And accor...i ing.1y hefays, t?at~ur~lwi~Jtrcame by Water aud , Bloo~,. wuh .refpeCt tO t?at which was done at his CrucJfix Jon, wluch was fo ordered by D!Vlne W1fdom for b1gh ends: That is, the Water i{fuing out of his Side, was a fit Emblem of that Santlifying Grace that is given to all that have Com~union with him in his Death. . 3 . for the Teflimony of the Blood, 'tls al[o to be obferved, that .by the ?Jnfaic In f\Jtution dail y Samfices were qlfered up, and a mol\ folenm one, by the H igh-Pr~ef\ m the Day of Atonement, to expiate the Guilt of Ceremonial Uncleannefs_, and to reftore thofe who fo r that were excluded from external Communion with God m. the Sanlluary. Now as rhar L"gal Guilt arifing from thofe _outward Pollutions, and t~e fepara.tion of thofe who were [o Poll uted, from the Semce of God, was a reprefentatlon of the Moral Gui lt and Punifhment that follows the Vitious Habits and Allions of Men; [o the fh edding the Blcod of the Sacrifice and Oftering, was Typical of the true Propitiation that was to be made by the Blood ofChrift. And this is peculiarl y remark'd by the Apof\le, that JeJit~ came not only by W~tter, b11t by 11'ater and Blood~ aud 'ti.; the Spirit ~hat teflifie.r of it, .,;d the Spirit ;r the TrJrth. By which we muft underfrand f~1~1ething dill met from the former, ;. e. t~mt the fl~w:ng of b1s Blood figndied th~ reconcJIJ~g e~cacy of h1s Death, by fatisfying Divino:= Ju(\tce, and confequently the renuilion of Sms gtven to thofe who believe in him. Now briefly, to fhew t11e f~rce of their confpiring Tcf\jmony that Jefus js the Son ofGod and our Redeemer, thefe thmgs may be confidered abfolutel y in rhemfelves, or as the accomplifhmentof the Prophecies concerning the Meiliall. In the Iafl: refpeCt they afford usagreatalfuranceof thJsTrmh. For all wos expttOy foretold. AnditfhaU con1e to pafsitt theldjl Days, faith God, I rviU pour out of my Spirit upou all Flcjb, andyour Somand yourDaughtersjha/1 Prophejie , tmdyoJtr youn.~ fr!en fballjee Vi(ious, and your old Men jhall drealft Dreams: Aud on my Servatlts and Htmd-Maidms I rri/1 po11r out in ~~f,v~1:Cd{o11f./.~:r:~ 'th;11 c~~1~g tf"~h;~~~l;. i;;~isth~;o:~~;t~sr,~~~:~r~~:~ ~:,~= Ctificarion) not only the wafhing under the Law were Figu res of it, but 'twas alfo clearly Prophelied of in many places, and moft expreOy in Ezekjcl, 1 •vi// fpl'i11k,fe clearz Water upon you, and J'' ftiall be cle<Ut; from all yo11r ftlthille{; will I clearrfo you. A new Heart alfo will I give )'011, and a new Spirit will I p1tt within JOII, and I rvilt put my Spirit within JOlt, and c<Urfe.you to walk_;" my Statutes. And for the third Tel\imony, be~ des th1t the Typical Blood of the Melliah ran down from all the Sacrifices, it was al(o foretold expreOy by Efaiah what his Sulferings fhould be, and the Benefi ts accruing from them. Now i f we compare 1he Oracle with the Event, who can juf\ly doubt that the Mefliah is come? But if we confider the things themfelves they afford an uncontroulable Tefrimony of Chrif\'s Oidne Miflion. Compare the Primitive Chmch either with the Jews or the Gentiles, and fee the difference between them. The Spjrit that was communicated but as it were in a few drops to the Jews, after the Afcenfion of Chril\ fell in a ma in fhower upon the Chril\ian Church, inriching them with [upernatural Qifts : Some favoured with Revelations of Sublime Truths, above the difcovery of 1he Humane U nderfl:anding; fame .forete lling things to come that were beyond 1he difcovery of the mofr fharp-fighted Reafon; fame fpeaking diverfe Languages wherein rhey had never been infl:ruc1:ed ; fome havingfuch an extrao;-J, nary Faith in the Divine Power and Goodne('i, thati rnumerable Miracles were done by them in the Name of Chrijl. If we look into rbe fl:ate of the Gentiles, how thick and prodigious was the Darknefs that overfpread that Chaos of Impiety? In the Roman Empire , that compriz' d the flower of Wit and Learning, what Foolifu and Extravagant Opinions oftbe Deity were commonly receiv'd? What Idola tries, what Impurities, what Abominations were freely prallifed ? But by the fe:ie;~~f~~d ;h~~t:h~~; ~~~~rie :=~~~~~~~i~~!i~fL~;sn? in~~~a~~r~dt~~:~~~~n~;v~ Barren Defa_rt, was f~ddenly chang'd into a Paradife, frui tful in all good Works. Innocen.ce, Hum.th ty, _Puncy, J_ufhce, Chanty, Love to God, Rerignation to his \V ill, wen~ emmently VI ~ble m all Nat ions, and all forts of Perfons that were converted to the Faith of Chrift. NowwhocaufedfuchaMarvellousandHoly Revolution in the World but G.od ?. What lefs than a D1vine Power coul d raife Men above Senfe, and Jllake them Vl~onous. over tile Lulls of Corrupt Nature, fortified by Cuftom, a Second Nature? ls tt conceivable, fuppofing the Dourine of Chrift were not from Heaven, that it fhould produce fuch admirable Effel.ts ? And is it conceivable that God would adorn with all his Graces th~ Image of. his ow? Excellency, his mol\ precious Benefits, thofe who did n_ot Honour h1m accordmg to Ius WJll? Can there be found [uch al\oniU1ing Contranettes M joyn'cl
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