Seim. CLXXV.. Of the Miracles lvrottgrht, &c. 49 3 be, how Men have lived ? what good they have done, or omitted and negfelted ? and accordingly lencence will be paff upon them. Nay, fach a Faith is fo far from flying, that it will be an aggravation of our Condemnation, and fink us the deep- er into Hell. There is one that iondemnethyou, even Jefus in whom ye truja. Secondly, A Life unfuitable to our Belief is the high way to Infidelity and Athe- ifm, to bring others and our fives to ir. a. To bring others to Infidelity and Atheifm, and to confirm them in it. What can be a more cffeaual Bar to keep Heathers, and Jews, and Turks, from enter- taining the Gofpel ? What can be a greater confirmation ofthem in their infidelity, than fo to mifreprefent Chriflian Religion to them, as we dó by our unfuitable Lives ? What can be a ftronger Prejudice againft it, to Men who do not look narrowly into ir, but only fee it at a diflance, than to fee what Fruit it produces in the Lives of Chriltians ? May they not invert that proverbial Speech of our Sa- viour's, Does a Vine fend forth Thorns ? If Ghriftianitywere filch a Holy Inflitu- don, how comes it to pals that Chriftians are fo Wicked ? If yefua Chrift were fo excellent a Mailer, we fhould fee- it in his Scholars ; fs Chri(im fanc`la doculet, Chri- `ia,ri fatede vixifent, as Salvian (peaks. And it is the way to bring Men to Arhe- iftn. What more like to take Men off from all Religion, than ro fee the Religion which pretends to be the belt in the World, repréfented by the Lives of Chrilfians at filch a difadvantage, as if it were a barren, and fruitlefs, and ineffe:fual thing, and as if they whoprofefs it, did believe it to be a Lie, and P.ave no credit at a!1- CO the Do&tines of it ? 2. It is the way to bring our felves to Infidelity and Atluifm. As an erroneous Judgment and Underflanding bath ufually an evil influence upon Mons Lives, fo much more a Vicious and Corrupt Life bath a bad influence upon Mens Under-' ftandings. It is fo uneafie a thing for Men to All contrary to their Reafon, and againft the dictates of their Underftandings, that Men for their own Quiet, and in their own Defence, will bend their Judgments, and make them comply with the Interefl of their Lulls. Mens Affections, which way foever they incline. let a byafs upon their Underlfandings 5 and this doch not only proceed from the Nature of the thing, but from the jutl Judgment of God. z Theft, z. to, t a, t 2. the Apoftle tells its, that thofe who receive not the truth in the love of it, that they may be fa- ved5 Godwillfend them flrong Delufions, to believeLire; that they all may le damn'd, who believe not the truth, but have pleafure, in V rrighteeufn.fs. if Men once have pleafure in Vnri,hteoufnfs, it will not be long before they give over believing the Truth, besaufe God by his jufl Judgment will give them over to thenifelves, to follow the byafs of their own corrupt Hearts, which inclines them to believeLies. Of all Perlons in the World, a wicked and unholy Chriftian, is miff like to turn a fpcculative Infidel and Atheift; and none fa like to fall into this grofs Darknefs, as thole who refill and quench fo great a Light as that of the Gofpel is, which they profefs to believe. SERMON CLXXV Of the Miracles wrought in Confirmation of Chriftianity. ?BBB. Ii. 4. God elfo bearing them witnefs, both with Signs and Wonders, and with di- vers Miracles, and Gifts of the Holy Ghoff, according to his own will ? / JHoever impartially confiders the Chriflian Religion, cannot but acknow- ledge the Laws and Precepts of it to be fo reafonable 5 and the Practice of them fo evidently to tend, not only to the Happinefs of Perlons, but CO
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