and how eafily Men can bring themselves to choose the Paths to Deftruction, though Demonstration may be brought (as they themselves acknowledge) of the Abfurdity of fuch a Choice.

Now where can be the Want of Equity in either Cafe in charging Men with the Confequences of their own Conduct? If their Judgment of the Truth of a Revelation depends on the free Exercife of their Faculties, as in Reason and in Fact We fee that it does, Are not the Paffions that influence and blind them in this Inftance as criminal (to fay the loweft) as in any other? Shall the Great God proclaim his Will, and shall his Creatures be thought not accountable to Him for overlooking and defpifing it, through fecular Cares, irregular Indulgencies, or vain Affectations of univerfal Knowledge and Self-Sufficiency; when a faithful diligent Enquiry would not have failed to have led them to the Difcernment and Acknowledgment of the Truth? The God, who published to us the Scheme of our Redemption, and required our Affent to it, knew that He had fo proportioned the Evidence as to convince every Lover of Truth and Virtue, and He has even enabled us to difcern the fame. He has given actual Promifes of Success to Thofe, who truly defire to know and do his Will, and has pointed out the evil Difpofitions which lead to Error and Unbelief. He has not therefore requied of any one what is not in his Power, but He has required what is in every one's Power, that They faithfully apply themselves, without Pre

judice or Partiality, to the Means of Information, which He has afforded them, and this Method He has represented as leading certainly to that Faith which is required of them.

In this Light We see the juft Ground of the Apostle's Concern and Uneafiness for the unbelieving Jews. Had the Gofpel not been proposed to them, They had not been answerable for the Want of it. But the God, who had favoured them with fome Degree of Light before, beyond the Reft of Mankind, now offered them a farther Share of that Favour, and They were not the less blameable, They were rather the more blameable, for rejecting this because of their former Privileges. Their Difpenfation had typified both the Perfon, and Sufferings, and Doctrines of the Redeemer of Mankind; and befides all the other Evidences of the Truth of the Gofpel, which were common to all Mankind, They had alfo the more fure Word of Prophecy to lead them to Christ. Those amongst them who continued Unbelievers with thefe Advantages, were guilty with great Aggravations, and fell under the Sentence of Condemnation as emphatically as any of the Gentiles, notwithstanding their Difpenfation was originally founded on a Divine Revelation. For the fame Authority, that at first established it, had now repealed it; or rather the Ceremonial Law having now anfwered the original Purpose of the Lawgiver, was thereby compleated, and the Substance being now in due Time given, the Ufe of the Shadow ceased of Course.

But

But might They not plead, and may not Others at this Time plead, that the Evidence of Christianity does not appear fatisfactory to them; that They are fincere in a contrary Perfwafion, and cannot therefore have any thing 'fo dreadful to fear, even though They should finally appear to be under a Miftake? The Solution which the Gofpel directs Us to give to this Plea is, that it is founded on Ambiguity of Words, and an Error in Fact. The Reality of a prefent Perfwafion ought not to be called by the Title of Sincerity; for it may be owing to Neglect or Partiality, to vicious Influences and criminal Prejudices. And it always is fo, when it is advanced in Opposition to the Gospel, where the Grounds and Reafons of it are offered to Examination. It is much easier to conceive, that Men may deceive One Another, or even Themselves in fuch Pretences, than that the Word of God fhould fail, which has promised Succefs to an Honeft Heart, and has afforded us fuch Evidence as has thrown Difficulties next to irresistible in the Way to Unbelief. We may therefore conclude in the happy Degree of Light which We enjoy, that real Sincerity will lead to true Chriftianity; and that if Any Man faithfully defire to do the Will of God, He fhall know of the Doctrine, whether it be of God.

There is One farther Obfervation to be offered on the Nature of the Doctrine of Chriftianity, which will fhew the Connection of its Truth and Importance, and the great Danger of refufing it,

in Case it was really given from Heaven. The Scripture has concluded all under Sin, has represented all as Tranfgreffors of the Law of God, and of Course obnoxious to the Penalty of Tranfgreffion. It has revealed Us to Ourselves, as being born in a natural State of Corruption and of Difpleasure, as being Children of Wrath, guilty of many actual Offences, indifpofed to Good, and unable of Ourselves to attain to a real, and much less to a compleat Repentance and Reformation. It has fhewn the Neceffity of a Mediator, and pointed to the only fufficient One, and has made Faith in his Blood the only covenanted Title to Favour and Acceptance, even with the Condition of the best Degree of Holiness, which We are still capable of attaining. If therefore We believe not that Chrift is He, the appointed Mediator between God and Men, We shall die in our Sins. We are left to our natural Condition of Difobedience and Punishment, and the Wrath of God abideth on us.

May the Conviction of this great Truth raise in us that Apoftolical Spirit fo warmly expreffed in the Text, to contribute to the Converfion of Others, and to be ready either to do, or to fuffer, if Occafion be, in the Service of that Cause. If We esteem our Religion in Proportion to its real Value, it must occafion great Heaviness and continual Sorrow in our Hearts, that Any should be blind to the only Foundation of Hope; more especially when, as St. Paul intimates, Thofe, to whom We have moft Reason to wish well,

choose

choose fo ill for themselves, as to reject an Offer of Pardon and Happiness, and thereby destroy the only Foundation of Comfort in this World, or in the Prospect of Another. We must not for their Sakes attempt to new model the Scheme of our Religion, or contribute to betray them into final Ruin by fo grofs a Mifrepresentation, as if it left Room for a favourable Opinion of their Condition. No: We must exprefs our Charity for their Perfons by our Zeal to establish them in this neceffary Faith, múft fairly represent the Truth as it is in Jefus, propofe his Religion with his own awful Sanctions, and leave it to reft, in the Manner which He has authorized, on the Evidences with which He has enabled us to fupport it. And may God of his infinite Mercy profper every fuch Attempt to establish and extend the Religion of his Bleffed Son for the Sake of the fame our Saviour Jefus Christ.

FINI S.