88 Cbrijlian Religion proved byReafon. ~ tin t .the mcancft Underfl:andings may fee the \\.:ay w Happinefs. There can be bo Chap. 5· pJl!iations and _excuies for thofewho will rather argue than obey. For the Revelation ~ of God's Will JS fo full and open in it, that 'tis ditell: Rebellton not to yield entire Subj .CTion to it: A11dtheywho/:,powtbeirMa.fter's Will, and do it not, foaU be beaten withmtUIJ Str.ipe.r. , "! hitdly, To commend it to our Prall:ice we have an Example of perfell:Obedience fet before us. If Jefus Chrirt had reprefented in the World no other perfon but of the Word and Wifdomofhi<Fathcr; as a Maflerto regulate andguideusbyhisCommands, had revealedto us the Secrets of another World, and then afcendcd to Heaven; the highefl Reverence and Obrervance had been due to his Laws. But to encourage and edge onr indufiry he was pleafed to exhibit in his Life a Pattern of Univerf.1l Obedience.. He gave us Rules of fuch perfell: Holinefs, that there feemcd no neceffity of his prall:tce for our mitrull:ion: And the living Image ofhis L1ws was fo vifible in his All:ions, that his foie Example affords us a Model of enti re Sanll:ity. There is no kind of Vcrtue from the lowe!'cto the mo!'c Heroick, of which he might not fay as he did to his Difciples in his lafl Supper, I have given you mz Ex11mple, that ye fboulddo M I httve donc.IOJOII. And what fhould be more powerful in theBreaftsof Chri!'tians than a Sacred Ambition to be like the Son of God, than a dearAffeCbon to beconform'd to their Saviour? Fourthly, To exc'Jte usto our Duty, the Gofpel offers fuch o Reward to encourage Obedience, and threatneth foch prepar'd Plagues again(\: DifobedJence, that unlefs a Man be miraculoufly transform'd into a !'cupid Beaft, he cannot but he moved by them. ter~no;:?;f~=~~:~~~~ ~f1 ~~t~~~~te~~[;;,h:rl~v~~~;{;~dr~1~~s~fce1 ::b~~:s 1~~ ~~~11fuft~~~:~~ work upon us? But alas! l:ow many who pretend to be theDifciplesof Chrift,do not obey 11 R_u.Humit.1_ him astheirMarter, love him as _their Redeemer, nor fear him as their Judge? They live ji11r_, magna 'tit· as if Chrifr had commanded them to pleafe, not to crucijie the Flejh, and the Lufts thereof: ::!::~/:;:~~~- As if he had bid them fet all their AffeB:ions, their Loves, Defires, Hopes, Joys in prefent chrifl!a!litatis peri{hing things, and not jn everlafiing to come ; to labour for the Riches of this bla~!dn~pcj[u- World, as ifthey were Eternal Inhabitants on the Earth, and not Strangers and Pilgrims ~~;s:'~/':i: in the way to Heaven. Thefe are worfe Enemies ofour Saviour than the Heathens that do ~~~~~?~ ~h~~~~d~f~:'h~rn~~fr il~~ ;~r~:, ~b1fcur~0~is;;~~~,nga~~e~~f~~e~~ ~1;~si~v:~:~ d;dm~, •!P'~ Lives. If Infidels that never heard the found of the Gofpel, !hould fee their Converfati- :;;::;~;;t:r. on, what judgment would they m~ke of the Exc~llence of Chrift, and rhe Holin~r~ of his • A'.fUm,; ' ' Law? They would • blafpheme IllS Goodnefs without defence. Unholy Chnftians are ~::ft'~:;:~:7 the mofrguilty Sinners in the World. And their Punifhment will be heightned accorcolitll!'· ~om~- dingly: For they exafperate Mercy, and make the Blood of Atonement to rry for Vengr:- :;_p"~:~~~- anee again[!: them. Hit be exrream perverfnefs ~o disbeli~v~ the Gofpel afier fo clear~ Rev_ei'"'~m'"" lati<mfromGod; what degree of folly and WJckednefs JS 1t, for tbofe whofe believe m ~~ru~i:-~· J;~:~fa~fe~~fst;adiCl: rhe evidence and defign of it in their Lives, as if there were no doubt lib.4· THE
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