Serin,CXCIV. theprefent Opportunity. 623. Nay we have feveral advantages above them ; that the Chriftian Religiondoes not lie under thofe prejudices in.refpe& of us, . which it did with them g it hath been now for many ages received and eftablifhed among us, and the prejudice of education is on its fide ; and it hath had great and manifold confirmation given tó it, fince our Saviour's time , by the wonderful fuccefs and prevalency of it in the world, notwithftanding all the difadvantagesit lay under, and the mighty oppofiti- on that was raifed againft it, by the remarkable fulfilling of many of our Saviour's predi&ions, concerning the final deftrh&ion of the Temple at Jerufa1em, and the de- folation of that city, and the difperfion of the Jews nation over the world , and their beinghated ofall nations, which hath no* continued for above fixteen hun- dred years, and we fee it at this day, as ifthe providence ofGod had ordered it on purpofe, for a ftanding monument and teftitnony in all ages, of the truth of the ChriftianReligion. So that; Headbe God, there is no want of meads to bring tirs to the knowledge of the truth, that we may he faved ; no want of evidence to confirm to us the truth of this Religion ; there is nothing wanting on God's part ; if there be any failure and defe&, it is on ours, who will not walk in the light, while we have it nor know in this our day the things which belong to our peace, before they be bidfront our eyes. Secondly, The feafon of the continuance of thefe means of grace and favation, which are afforded to us, is uncertain to us, as well as it was to them. We know not how long they may be v'ouchfafed to us; nor how foon they may be taken away from us: Mt a little while the light is withyou , faith our Saviour to the Jews, meaning, that he himfelf fhould fhortly be put to death, and removed from them. This is not juft our cafe : but thus far it agrees, that the light of the Gof- pel, and the bleffed opportunities which thereby we enjoy, are of an uncertain continuance, and maybe of a leffer or longer duration; as God pleafeth, and accor- ding as we make ufe of them, and demean our felves under them: I retnembet there is a very odd paffage in Mr. Herbert's Poems, which whether it be only the prudent conjeaure and forefight of a wife man, or there be fomething more prow phetical in it I cannot tell ; it is this: Religionfiends on tiptoes in our Land; Ready to pafs to the American Strand. When Seine fhall (wallow Tiber, and the Thames, By letting in them both, pollute her Streams, Then fhall Religion to America flee ; They have their times of Gofpel, even a wee The meaning of it is this, that when the vices of Italy fhall pafs Into France; and the vices of both !hall overfpread England , then the Gofpel will leave thefe parts of the world, and pafs into America, to vifit thofe dark Regions; which have fo longfat in darknefs and the fhadow of death. And this is not fo improbable, if we confider, what waft Colonies in this lait age have been tranfplanted out of Europe into . thofe parts, as it were on purpofe to prepare and make way for fuch a change. But however that be, confidering how impiety and all manner of wickednefs do reign among us, we have too much caufe to apprehend, that if we do not reform and grow better, the providence of God will find fome way or other to deprive us of that light, which is fo abufed and affronted by our wicked and lewd lives; and God.feems now to fay to us, as our Lord did to the Jews; Tet a little while is the light withyou ; walk whileye have the light, left darknefs come uponyou I pro= ceed to the Third particular, That there is the fame duty and obligation upon its, that was upon the Jews, of improving the prefent advantages and opportunities of Salvati- on, which we enjoy; and our Lord fays to us, as well as to them, Walk while ye have the light. He expe&s from us; that we fhould make ufe of thofe bleffed opportunities, and.anfwer thofe manifold advantages; which are afforded to us, a- bove molt nations of the world; that we fhould improve our knowledge in Re- ligion,
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