2 5 2 . Honey the heft Prefervative, &c. Vol. I, Nay, I will go farther yet ; That there are no other Promifes made in Scri- pture, of Direftion or Afìiflance, or Security from Miftake, to any Church ; but the fame are made in at full and exprefs Terms to every good Man that fincerely defires to know the Truth, and to praaife it. Is it promifed to the Church, or to the Paftors of it, I will he withyou always ? And hath not our Saviour promifed the fame to every one that is obedient to his Word ? fohn 14. 23. If a Man love me, be will keep my words ; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. And does not the Apoftle apply the faine Promife to every good Chriftian, Heb. 13. 5. I will never leave thee, nor forfake thee ? For where is thedifference between thefe Expreffions ? I will be withyou, and Iwill make my abode with him ? I will be withyou always, and Iwill never leave thee, norforfake thee ? Is it promifed to the Church, that the Spirit fhall lead her into all Truth ? And is not the faine Promife made to every good Man ? John 14. 21. He that bath my Commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me : And he that loveth me, (hall be loved of my Father ; and I will love him, andwill manifeft my felf to him ; that is, God will reveal his Will to thofe that love him, and keep his Commandments. Hath God promifed to build his Church upon a Rock ? And doth not our Saviour ufe the fame Metaphor concerning every Man that doth the Will of God ? Mat. 7. 24. Whofoever heareth thefe Sayings of mine, and doth them, is like a Wife Man that built his houfe upon a Rock. So that if to be built upon a Rock fignifies Infallibility, it belongs to every good Man, who fincerely pradifeth what he knows, as much as to any Church. When Men are enabled by God to work Miracles for the Confirmation of the Doctrines which they deliver, there is great Reafon to believe that they are Infal- libly affifted in the delivery of thofe Do&rines : But without this, 'tis the vaineft thing in the World, for any Perfon or Church to pretend to it ; becaufe they offer no Evidence fit to fatisfie any Man, that they are fo affifted : And I do not hear that thePope, amongall his Priviledges, does pretend to the Power of Miracles. Secondly, From hence likewife we may infer the great Reafon of Error and In- fidelity in the World. Ifany Man be an Infidel, it is not the fault of his Under- ftanding, but of his Will ; it is not becaufe there is not fufficient Evidence that the Chriftian Religion is from God, but becaufe Mens Interefts and Lulls make them partial and incompetent Judges of Matters ofReligion. TheEvidence of the Chri- ftian Religion is fuch, as recommends it to every Man's Reafon and Confcience; fo that (as St. Paul argues) if the Gofpel be bid, it is hid to them that are loft; In whom theGod of this World bath blinded the minds of them that believe not, left the Light of the Glorious Gofpel of Chr f, who is the Image of God, fhould fhine unto them, 2 Cor. 4. 3, 4. If Men did but ftand indifferent for the entertainment of Truth, and were not fwayed by the Intereft of any Luft or Paffion, I am confident that no Man that hath theGofpel fairly propofed to him, would continue an Infidel. If Men did but truly live up to the Principles ofNatural Religion, they would eafily be con- vinc'd, that the ChriftianReligion, which is fo fuitable thereto is from God. Thirdly, and Laflly, What hathbeen faid, is a great Argument and Encourage- ment to Obedience, and Holinefs of Life. Do we defire not to be rniftaken about the Mind of God ? Let us heartily 'endeavour to do his Will. If we would not be feduced by the Error of the Wicked, let us take heedof their Vicious Pra&ices. The belt way certainly to preferve a right Judgment in Matters of Religion, is to take great care of a good Life. God's Goodnefs is fuck, that he will not fuller any Man's Judgment to be betrayed into a Damnable Error, without fome Vice and Fault of his Will. The Principles of Natural Religion are born with us, and imprinted upon our Minds, fo that no Man can be ignorant of them, nor need to be'miftaken about them ; and asfor thofe Revelations which God bath made of himfelf to the World, he bath been pleafed to accompany them with fo much E- vidence, that an honeft and fincereMind mayeafily difcern them from Error, and Impofture. So our Saviour hath affured us, That if any Man defire to do his Will; he(hall know of the Doctrine whether it he of'God.
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