5 0Z Of the Miracler. norm-ghriti of men educated in a contrary Religion, and which had thefecuSat Authority arid; Lawson its fide.For having this,Divine Seal given to their Commiftion,theydid as it were carry the Letters Patents of Heaven" in their hands, and an Authority para- mount o thatof humane Laws. And therefore the Wifdom of God, which does" nothing which is fuperfluous and unnecefiäry, did not think the Apoftles fuffici- ently armed and appointed for this Defign, . by a Commillìon from the Mouth of the Son of God, without this Divine Seal and Teftimonyof Miracles, as a vifible, Evidence of their Divine Comtniffion. And therefore our Saviour after he had commifl"ioned them to preach the Gofpel to all Nations, commanded them nor re enter upon this work, nor to depart from Jerufalem, till they had received the Fra- nnie of the Father ; that is, the miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghoft, Ads s. 4. And fo our. Saviour explains it, Like, 2,4. 47. where,. after he had commanded; "hat repentance and remiffion of fni fhould be preached in his Name among all Natl. ens, beginning at yerufalen, he adds, ver. 49. And behold, /lend thepromife ofmy Father, upon you : but tarryye in the city:of Jerufalem, until indued with power from on high. And to the fame purpofe, Atls s. R. But ye Jhallreceive Pother after that the Holy Ghofl iscome upon you 5 by which, he tells us, they were qualified ro be witnefes unto him, ,loth in Jerufalem, and in ail Judea, andin Samaria, and unto the uttermcfl parts of the earth. 4. And lathy, The Ccrifideration of what bath been faid, doth juftly upbraid us; that our Religion, which hash fuch evident Marks of Divinity upon it, and comes down to us confirmed by fo many Miracles, fhould yet have fo little Efficacy upon the lives of the greateft part of chofe who call themfelves Chriflians. 'Fis true, Miracles are now ceafed among Chriftians,our Religionbeing fufficientlyeflablifh'd by thofe that were wrought at firft g and now the greateft Miracle in thefe latter Ages, is a good Man, a true and fincere Chriftian : but the Laws of Chriftianity are Pill the fame g and the Motives and Arguments to a good Life are the fine ; and tho' the Miraculous Gifts ofthe Spirit have left the World, yet theSealing and Sanélifying Gifts of the Holy Ghoft do (till remain. We cannot now fpcak all Languages, as the Apoftles did : but we may do that which is much better, and more pleafing to God ; we may live Holy and Virtuous Lives. We have not that Faith which works by Miracles : but we may have that which is far more excellent, the Faith which works by Charity g which, if we believe St. Paul is more than to (peak with the tongues of Men and Angels, more than to prophetic, and to underflasiid all myfleries and all knowledge. The admirable Piety and Virtue of the Eft Chriftians, are hill upon record for our Imitation : bue I know not hots ii comes to pats, we chufe rather lazily to admire thole Patterns, than vigorcufly to imitate them; as if the Holinefs of thole times were alto Miraculous, and not icterded tor the imitation of fuccecding Ages; as if it were impofliible for us now to lead fuch Lives as they did ; as if Heaven and Earth, God and Men, and all things weiealcer'd fince that time; as if the Chriflian Religion were now quite difpirited, and bad loft all its vigour and force; and ás if the Holy Spirit of God had to all Intents andPurpefs forfaken the World, and were retired to the Father. But our Religion is Pill the fame it was; the Precepts of it as Reafonable, and the Promifes of it as Powerful as ever. God is Pill the fame he was ; and Chr'i 1 till at the right handof God making intercejon for ua ; and the Holy Spirit of God till readyto afìîft us, to every good word andwork. To conclude, We have, beyond comparifon, the bell and mofl,Reafonable Re- ligion in the World; a Religion which carries along with it the greätefl Evidence of its Truth, which contains the bell Rules and Dirce}ions for a goad Life, which offers the moil powerful affittance to the Obedience of its Law,ara gives ,:.he.greatet encouragements thereto, by theafTurance ofabided lmirsortality in another v'vòrld. -Now the better our Religion is, our Cafe is fo much the tvorfc, if we be not made good by it. Philolophy had force Effet;t upon theWorld to Make force Men Temperate and Chalk, and Juli and Hood in then:,Lives. And the cwi/ñ rte- ligion (as weak and impeded as it was, and tho' it was but the Jhadoiu ofgood things to conte,), hash yet left us many eminent Examples of Good'and Floly
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