Chrijlian Religionproved by Reafon. is a King, adorn'd with the Enfigns of RoJ:alty, and betwee~ hopes and fears fhould en- ~ quircofhimfelf, Ami awakeandm my nghtMmd? lsthJS Scepter, thiS Robe, th1s~ Crown real? Or, JS Jt all the plea!ant deceit of Imagination ? And how can we refleCl: upon the amning Grace of God that brings Salvation, but fuch thoughts will arife ? Js it true that God did not fpare his mofl: mnocent and dear Son to abfolve us gmlty Rebels? Did he Dye for his Father's Enemies and his own? Unparallell'd Love! only to be fully conce1v'd by an Infinite Under!landing. That the DJVJne'Father fhould feem to Love us more than his only begotten Son, in giving him up to Death for us; that the Son of God lllould Love us more than his own LifC, in Dying to reconci le us to his Father, were incredible but for the Te!limony of God himfelf: Who can refifl: the fweet Vioknce, the powerful AttraCl:ives of this Love ! How can any Perfon that has the ufe of Reafon to confider this great Love, not be inAam'd with AfleCtion towards his Saviour? How is it poflible that thefe wideextreams fhouldbe found United, the Infinite Goodnefs of God, and the Equal Unthankft1lnefs of Men? That they hate and offend whom they arecbliged by the dearefl:. Titl es to love and ferve. Methinks fecb unnatural Ingrati:ude fhould only be found in Hell; where DefJ?air of Redemption has blotted Ollt in thofe lofl: Souls the memory of the Love and Ments ofthe Redeemer. But that on Earth whue his mofl: precious Blood was fhed, and. is applicable for rhe Salvation of all that will r<ceive him by Faith and Lo':'e, that I~ ere m juries are returned for his inef\:imable Benefits, 1s the mofi: enormous lmpK·ty. 1f hat fhaU 1ve rmder rmto him for om· Paufin: Evi!J rvhicb l•e bath Jitjfered, for his flemjits which he givu to 111? All that we eau ind11re for his fa/;g, is not comparable to o11e _Thoru of hiJ Blce~ing CrowN. Let tls relltnt l.uve, ihat is Jo infinitely due to hilfl. 1¥o to M if we do not love hw1. Conftdtr further, that rhe fame mofl: free Love that gave the Redeemer for us, has reveal'd him to us. For who could have imagined that the Son of God fhould defcend from llis Throne in Heaven, and from the Bofom of his Father into the Womb of a Virgin-Motl•er, and become Man, to fave us by his Sufferings? Who could have any hopes chat the Humane Nature, our low and heavy Earth, fllould afccnd above the Heavens? The World by Natural Li~ht knew no more of his coming to recover it from Mifery, than it pcrceiv'd when the fame Word in the Creation rais'd it from the Abyfs of Nothing. This !hould make us mofl: feniible of his favour. But every one will pretend to Love his Saviour. Now that we may not deceive our felves with a Aafhy AffeCtion, the Rule of Tryal is plain, our Love to him mufl: correfpond in its kind and quality with his love to us, and that was declar'd in Doing and Suffering what was requifire for our Salvation. The precious Tree does not heal the Sore by its fragrancy, but mu!l be wounded to give it a Soveraign Balm. Our Saviour did not only exprefs in words his compaflionate fenfe of our Mif~ry, that. alone had. been fufficient? but Wved 111, and wlljbt 11:1 from o11r Sins ;, hi< Blo.d. After his Refurrettion he !hewed bis pierced Hands and Side to the Difciples, nor only the real Proofs that be was Je[ln that !offered, butofhisLove. They might fee his Heart open and Hands rent for them. And fuch a Love is due to him. That which is only produCtive of Leaves and Blofoms, of AffeCtionate Words ofour Saviour, but unfruitful in the Works of Holinefs, may deceive Men by a fair appearance, but not his Eye, ~l~~~t~g:: ~; t~ar~lt~~~1td ~;~~~~~1s ty0~1 ~ ~:;;:t7~~'fr~~11;hc~r::! h~~ a~r;;~;;~{*~:~: dinds and Zea l 10 do the Will of Chri!l naturally flows from Love con[ecratcd to him. But to enforce rh. js the more, let us further conGder. 3· . We are obliged by all the titles of Gratitude and Ju!lice, of Natural and Divine Reaton, to walk as becomes the Gofpel of Chrifl:. Firfl:, The Dignity of the Author requires this of us. The Son of God came down from Heaven; and if the Allufion may be aliowed, -----circum capHtonme micmttes Depojitit radios, propiufq11e a.ccederejufjit ; laid down_hisGlory, that he might familiarly teach us our Duty in order to our Happi· nefs: And if the Word Jf>o~m by Angels was fled(a{i , and every Tra11fgreJlio1Z a11d Difobcdi· e1tce receroed a ptft recompe11ce of Reward ; lfow fhaU we efi·ape if we tugfetf fo great Salvation, which M the jirfl, begaJZ to be fpo~en by the Lord? Secondly, The PerfeCtion and Plainnefs of this Rule. 'Ti s a wife obfervation, " !hat thofe Laws are be!l for Government; that are [o cl ea r and particular that nothing Mill. RH••: :; IS left to the will of the_inferiour Judge, \~ho is _not ufually fo capabk, and pu;e from by-rcfp;crs as the Lawgtver. TheGofpel IS a Light wherein all Vertues {hme m theJr bright emwence, and all Vices blufh in their odious deformity. It excludes all obfcurity, that
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