Chriftian Religion proved by Reafon. ~ joyn'd together, as themofr impious Errout and Depravation of the Mind , with the Chap- 5· greatdl: Punty and R.tl.btude of the Wrll and Affecbons? For rf Jelus Cbri ft were not ~ rheSon ofGod, rhofewhowodhipthimwereinamortalDelufion. ·· The Third Tefbmony the Apofl:le produces is the Blood : That i<, Peace with God and Confdence, the Blelfed Fruit of Jullification by Faith in <he Blood of Chrifr. The Heathen World was in a Dark State of Fears, or Oept fccurely in the fimdow of Death. Some were in a Hefric Trcmblmg, continually haumed with the Arpar1tion of their Sins, as fo many Infernal Furies: Others, though gu ilty of mofr fearful Crim,es were [ecure from ftupid Athcifm:. Others were quiet, from a prefmnption cherifh'd hj Opinions unwor1by of God, as 1f he would negl ect his own Glory to fhew Mercy to them. Now rheGofpel to conquer the Fears of fenfible Afllicted Sinners, and to efrablifh a Lively Hope in God's Mercy, reveals that the SJn of God became Man, and offered up his Li fe and Blood to Divi ne Jullice, as an expiatory Sacrdice for the Sins of Mtn. This reconciled God, whofe Honour was abundantly fecured by that fatistaction. This appeas'd all the unquiet Agirations of the Spmts of Believers, and produc'd the Peace that palfes Underfranding, a Joy un peakab.eand glorious. This d<i ivered them from the fear o~ Death, unJer w_hich the World was fo long in Bondage. And it is worrhy the obfervmg, tha.t ~o Prin::1~les o~ ~ature ever pr~uc'd fi1ch a generous Contempt of D{ a~b as the Chn(ban R.eltg1on dtd m the Profeflors of il. The: JJextmder.J Scipio's and C;fars had rremblcJ at the fight of the[e Savage Boafrs that were let toore' upon th~ Martyrs, at the preparations of Cruelty to torment t~em .. Whereas they regarded them with Tranquility, naywirhJoy, as rh~ marterofthc1r Trmmph. This was rmeValour indeed, for the Confellion of the mofl: Important Trmh, and fupe riour to the Courage of thofc who were called ~~~~mina Be~i, the mofl: !\enowned Souldiers. For in a Barrel, by Martial Sounds, by Vto.ent Monons rhe Spmts are fired, and Men fcarce fCd their Wounds, and are incon0deratt of their ~anger. But r.he Martyrs h~d nothing to heighten their Courage, but 111 cool blood deliberately and Without alteratlon encounter' cl that terrible Enemy. Befides, Souldiers in the fharpcfr Conflicts have fome hopes of Victory, or elfe of a. fudden. anci. honoura~le Death, Aut cita .i\1ou? ttJtt Vlaoria l£tn. And he that ru.fheth mto Penis w1~h a feemmg Brave,r_y, .whe.n there IS hopes .of efcaping, has not re[oluuon to look Death m the Face when t1s mevJtable. There 1s an eminent infiance of this in a f.:1mous Gtptain of late Memory, the Duke Binm: None was more ~o~~e ~~r!:j~~.j ~;~~;:~l~n~~1~;:~e~ohr:~!~~ei~ea s:~~~~~~~fiD~~thJ~~rg~~: <;~~n~fie~01~~ Paffion was evaporated, fell into rhe other extremity, unmanly Cries, Complaints, and low Submiflions to obtain Favour. But the more than Heroick Confrancy of the Martyrs contemned Death in itS nearefl: Approaches, and mofr fearful Pomp. Chrifrian Religion has often. transform' cl the 1:nort tender Wo~en and Children into Men, or rather into Angels, makmg th~m fuffer wnh Joy, that _whiCh our ~ature cannot .fee without Horrour. It changed as rt were Flefh and Blood mto a Celefr~al Subfrance, mfenfible of Fire and Sword, and the moO: cruel ViolenG:es. Now this unfhaken Refolution in ~hrin:ians encountring the lafl: Enemy, was from the lively fcn[e of God's favour reconoled by the mofr pme and precious Blood of his Son, and the hopes of Everlal\ing Happinds in his prefence. Toconcludethis Argument, 'tiS robe obferved there isnoproofmoreproper that Jefus Cbril\ is the Redeemer_of the World, than the joynt _tefrimony of the Spirit, Water, and Blood : For whereas Sm was the only cau[e of our Rum, the Office of our Saviour is to repair that R.uin, and con[equently he d1at effectually does it, is to be Acknowledged, Believed and Embraced as our Saviour. Now the worfr Effects of Sin are the Ignorance of the Mind, the Depravation of the Affcctrons, and the Terrors of Confcience from the apprehenfions of Vengeance: Therefore fince the Gofpel of Chrifr bas brought Ceiefrial Ltght, Purity, and Peace mto the World, It tS an mfallrblc proof that He IS the Redeemer of it. The Sun that Vifits theWorid with its refrelhing Beams, ha5 no clearer t\~~s~{ ;~; g~r~r t:,;r~~~~~~~"~;~g~inJsn~t~~~i,"te~~r~~~od:~P t~~r:~ers~pir!;~~ Riches of the Earth in variety of Fruits is not a more convincing Argument of the Divine Goodnefs, than to fee the Souls of Men that before were as Dead Earth, under the Corfe of~eaven, to abound in all the Fruits of R.ighreou[nefs. The feparating the Sea from the Land, and fetting bounds to its impetuous Waves, is not a greater effetl: of God's Power, than the calming the tempefrs of an unquiet Con[cience, ~nd el\ablifhing Tranquility in it. And thefe Bleflings we ent!tely owe to Jefus Clmfr, m whofe Name they are obtain'd, by whofe Spirit they are conferr'd, and for whofe Glory they are defign·d. Now
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