y92 Thefifth Sign VART 11. appear .to -the Soul, only by imparting that fpiritual Tafte of divine Beauty, which has been fpoken of. They being hidden Things to the Soul before. And befides all this, the Truth of all thofe Things which the Scrip- ture Pays about experimental Religion, is hereby known ; for they are now experienced. And this convinces the Soul that one who knew the Heart of Man, better than we know our own Hearts, and per- fec`Ily knew the Nature of Vertue and Holinefs, was the Author of the Scriptures. And the opening to View, with fuch Clearnefs, fuch a World of wonderful and glorious Truth in the Gofpel, that before was unknown, being quite above the View of a natural Eye, but now appearing fo clear and bright, has a powerful and invincibleInfluence on the Soul, to perfwade of the Divinity of the Gofpel. UnlefsMen may come to a reafonabie folidPerfvfaion &Conviction of the Truth of the Gofpel, by the internal Evidences of it, in the Way that has been fpoken, viz. By a Sight of it's Glory ; 'tis im- pofiible that thofe who are illiterate, and unacquainted with Hiftory, fhould have any thorough and effectual Convicjtion of it at all. They may without this, fee a great deal of Probability of it ; it may be reafonable for them to give much Credit to what learned Men, and Hiftorians tell 'cm ; and they may tell them fo much, that it may look very probable and rational to them, that the chriftian Religion is true ; and fo much that they would be very unreafonable not to en- tertain this Opinion. But to have a Conviaion, fo clear, and evi- dent, and affuring, as to be fufficient to induce them, with Boldnefs, to fell all, confidently and fearlefsly to run the Venture of the Lofs of all Things, and of enduring the molt exquifite and long- continued Torments, and to trample the World under Foot, and count all Things but Dung, for Chrift ; the Evidence they can have from Hif- tory, cannot be fufficient. It is impoflible that Men, who have not fomething of a general View of the hiftorical World, or the Series of Hiffory from Age to Age, fhould come at the Force of Arguments for the Truth of Chriftianity, drawn from Hiftory, to that Degree, as effectually to induce them to venture their all upon it. After all that learned Men have faid to them, there will remain innumerable Doubts on their Minds : They willbe ready, when pinched with tbme great Trial of their Faith, to fay, " How do I know this, or that? How do i know when thefe Hiftories were written ? Learn s ed Men tell me thefe Hiftories were fo and fo attefted in the Day of them ; but how do I know that there were fuch Atteflations then ? They tell me there is equal Reafon to believe thefe Fats, " as any whatfoever that are related at fuch a Diltance ; but how " do I know that other Fads which are related of thofe Ages, ever " were ? " Thofe who have not fomething of a general View of the Series of hifforical Events; and of the State of Mankind from Age
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