! 6 The Advantages of Truth, Vol. It Thirdly, fhere is a greater an .,.ore immediate Afíitlance accompanies the Truth of God, and they who entertain it are ailed by a more powerful Principle than that which is in the World. Firß, Divine Truth carries greater Evidence along with ir. As will appear, if we confider there Three things. I The Doü rines that are fromGod, have more intrinfickgoodnefs in them, and teach fuck things as are more worthy of God, and more likely to proceed from him. II. The external Confirmation of theft' Doctrines is greater, and hash more Conviction in it. III. The Spirit of God doch illuminate the Minds of good Men, and is concern'd to lead them into the Truth,, and to fecure from dangerous and damnable Errors. L The Do trines which are from God, have a more intrinfical goodnefs in them, and teach fuch things as are more worthy of God, and more likely CO proceed from him. Whoever fuppofeth God to make a Revelation of himfelf to Men, whereby CO conduét them to Happinefs, muff in all reafon fuppofe fuch a Divine Doe-trine to contain plain Rules and Direétions to that End, and powerful Helps, Motives, and Encouragements to enable and excite Men to theobfervation of thofe Rules. For a Man would naturally reafon, that God who is fo infinitely Good, would in revealing his will to Men, aim at no other End, but the Happinefs of his Creatures; and that he being infinitely Wifeas well as Good, the Means would be proportionable, and confequently that the Laws and Precepts which he gives wotild apparently tend to the Happinefs ofMankind : and becaufe, if Men have immortal Souls, and are defigned to live for ever, their greateft Happinefs is that of another world : therefore it is reafonable to conclude, that thofeRules and Di- re&ions fhould principally regard the Eternal Happinefs of Men in another Life, and in fubferviency to that, fhould refpe& likewife the Temporal Happinels of Men in this World. And fuch Laws and Rules being fuppofed, the next thing to be expelled, is, that God fhould confider the Condition and Circumftances of Perfons to whom thofe Laws are given ; and if they be averfe to them, that they fhould be awaken'd and quickned to the obfervanceof them, by fuch Motives and Encouragements as are proper and powerful to that End ; and if theybe weak and impotent to the per- formance of what God's Laws require; that they fhould be enabled and shifted by a proportionable Strength. Now the Do&rineof the Chriftian Religion, which our bleffed Saviour reveal'd to the World, and (as we Chriftians fay) by Divine Commillion and Authority, bath all thefe Marks and Chara&ers of Divinity upon it. The Laws of it are plain and obvious to the common underftanding of Mankind; all Men know what the Precepts of Piety, and Goodnefs, and Mercy, and Righteoufnefs, and Integrity, and Truth, and Faithfulnefs, of Meeknefs, and Humility, and Patience, and For- givenefs, and Forbearance, and Charity, mean and fo I might inftance in Tem- perance and Chaftity, and all thofe other Virtues and Graces which the Chrifban Religion requires of us, and recommends to us, Thefe all tend to the Advance, nient and Perfe&ion of our Natures, andmake us like to God, and capable of the enjoyment of him in the next Life: and betides this, they do apparently conduce in all refpeds to our temporal Happinefs in this World. And excepting the Cafe of Perfecution, (to which God had promifed abundant recompence in another World) thePractice of thefe Virtues is evidently to the Advantage of particular Perfons in this World, and to thePeace and Happinefs of Human Society. And becaufe of the great corruption of Human Nature, and the ftrong inclina- tion of it to Vice, the Gofpel offersproportionable Arguments and Encouragements to Men to perf wade them to their Duty; an Adof Oblivion and Pardon for what is paft ; per£eél Reconciliation to God in and through the Merits and Mediation of our bleffed Saviour; and theEternal Rewards and Punifhments of another World; which toMen that believethe Immortality of their Souls, and are not flupidly in fenfible of their Intereft, árc the molt powerful Confiderations in the World to take Men off from Sin, and `to bring them to Goodnefs, And
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