496 Chrift the Author, and Obédience the Vol. I. venge, and forgiveing Injuries, and returning to our Enemies Good for Evil, and Love for Ill-will, and Bleffings and Prayers for Curies and Perfecutions. Thefe Virtues indeed were fometimes, and yet but very rarely, recommended before in theCounfels of wife Men; but either not in that degree of Perfe&ion, or not under that degree of Neceffìty, and as having the force of Laws, and laying an univerfal obligation of indifpenfable Duty upon all Mankind. And as our bleffedSaviour hath given a greater clearnefs, and Certainty, and Per - fe&ion, to the ruleof our Duty, fo he hath reveal'd, and brought into a clearer Light, more powerful Motives and Encouragements to the confiant and careful Pra&ice of it; for Life and immortality are brought to light by theGofjlel; theRefur- rection of Chrift from the Dead being a plain and convincing Demonftration of the Immortality ofour Souls, andanother Lifeafter this, and an Evidence to us both of his Power, and of the fidelity of his promife, to raife us from the Dead. Not but that Mankind had force obfcure Apprehenfions of thefe things before. Good Men had always good hopes of another Life and future Rewards in another World ; and the worft ofMen were not without force fearsof the Judgment and Vengeance of another World : but Men had difputed themfelves into great doubts and uncertainties about thefe things; and as Men that are indoubt, are almoft in- different which way they go; fo the uncertain apprehenfions which Men had of a future State, and of the Rewards and Punifhmentsofanother World, had but a very faint influence upon the Minds of Men, and wanted that preffing and de- termining force to Virtue and a good Life, which a firmBelief and clear Conviai- on of thefe things, would have infufed into them. Butnow the light of the GloriousGo1lel ofChrift hath fcatter'd all thefeClouds, and chafed away that grofs Darknefs which hid the other World from ourfight, and bath removed all doubts concerning the Immortality of MensSouls, and their future State; and now the Kingdom of Heaven, with all itsTreafures of Life, and Happi- nefs, and Glory, lies open to our view, and Hell isalfo nakedbeforeus, and deflrutdi- on bath no covering. So that the hopes and fears of Men are nowperfectly awakned, and all forts of Confderations that may ferve to quicken and encourage our Obe- dience, and to deter and affrighten Men from a wicked Life, are expofed to the viewof all Men, and to flare every Man's Confcience in the face. And this is that which renders the Gofpel fo admirable and powerful an Inftrument for the reform- ing ofMankind, and, as theApoftlecalls it the mighty power ofGod unte Salvation; becaufe therein Life and Immortality are fet before us, as thecertain and glorious Reward ofour Obedience; and therein alfo the wrathofGod is revealedfrom heaven, againfl all ungodlinefr andunrighteoufnefr ofmen. So that confidering the perfection of our Rule, and the powerful enforcements of it upon the.Confciences of Men, by the clear difcovery and firm affurance of the Eternal Recompence of another World ; . nothing can be imagin'd better fuited to its end, than the Doctrine of the Gofpel is tomake Men wife, andholy, and good, unto Salvation; both by inftru- ding'em perfectly in their Duty, and urging them powerfully to the pra&ice of it. adly,TheExample ofourSaviour's life is likewife anotherexcellent Means to this End. The Law lays anObligation upon us; but a Patterngives life and encourage- ment, and renders our Duty more eafie, and practicable, and familiar to us ; for here we fee obedience to theDivine Law pra&ifed in our ownNature, and perfor- med by a Man like our felves, in all things like unto ms, Sin only excepted. 'Tis true indeed, this exception makes a great difference, and feems to take off very much from the encourageingForce and Virtue of this Example. Nowonder if he that was without Sin, and was God as well as Man, perform'd allRighteoufnefs; and there- fore, where is the encouragement of thisExample? That our Nature, pure and un- corrupted, fupported andaffifted by theDivinity to which it was united, fhould be perfectly conformed to the Lawof God, as it is no ftrange thing, fo neither doth it feem to have that forceand encouragement init, which an Examplemore fuited to our weaknefs might have had. But then this cannot be deny'd, that it bath the advantageof perfe&ion, which aPattern ought tohave, and to which, though we can never attain, yet we may always beafpiring towards it; and certainly we can- not better learn, howGod would have Men to live, than by feeing howGod him- fell lived, whenhe was pleafed toaflame our Nature, and to becomeMan. And
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