And let not the Scoffs and Derifions of any of your Acquaintance make you afhamed of the Gospel of Chrift, who fuffered Death, that you night obtain Forgiveness, and everlasting Life! nor afhamed of obferving his Sabbaths, and Ordinances, nor of own ing his Caufe, and his People.

Let the Operations of the Divine Providence be compared with the Declarations of God recorded in his Word, and they are a perpetual Evidence of the Divine Authority of the facred Scriptures, and of the Truth of the Gofpel! An Evidence of the Being, Wisdom, Power, Goodnefs, and Righteoufnefs of God, and of the Unreasonableness of Atheism, and Infidelity, and indeed of all Irreligion.

Many other Things I might fitly propofe to the Confideration of the Inhabitants of Great Britain, who have long been under the Threatnings of the Word and Providence of God; but I will only add, that God, in the Time of his awful Vifitation of Cities and Countries for Sin, will make a Difference in his Dealings with the Righteous, and the Wicked. See Ifa. iii. 10, 11. Say ye to the Righteous that it fhall be well with him: For they fhall eat the Fruit of their Doings. Wo unto the Wicked, it fhall be ill with him: For the Reward of his Hands given him.

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The EN D;

LETTER III.

Containing the Introduction, with fome Thoughts of the Importance of continuing the Ufe of the Expreffions in the Sacred Scriptures among Chriftians, and a Summary of the Evidences of the Truth of the Gospel for the Conviction of fuch as are doubting of it; and the Confirmation of the Faith of Serious Chriftians; withall fhewing the fad State of Infidels, who have the Means of knowing the Truth.

N the foregoing Letters I gave a Summary of the Divine Laws, chiefly in the Order of the Ten Commandments, and confidered the Predictions relative to those Perfons, who live in wilful Difobedience to any of them; I have fhewed that the Holy God, who has denounced everlasting Punishments, and Torments on them in the next World, has likewife threatned them with horrible Punishments, and Miseries in this.

I have fhewed that the Righteous God will vifit . Cities, and Countries with his great Plagues, if the Wicked Inhabitants of them will not be reformed, either by his Methods of Mercy, or by his leffer Judgments.

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Thefe Things I have given an Account of; that fo by the Confideration of them some Persons may be brought to Repentance towards God and Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is both able, and willing to fave, even the Chief of Sinners.

The terrible Predictions of inexpreffible Miferies to be inflicted on incorrigible Sinners, collected in the foregoing Papers, may well fill the Minds of impenitent, ftubborn Perfons with Amazement and Horror. And especially fince the Righteous God is rifen out of his Place to punish the Inhabitants of the World for their Iniquities; fince by his juft Providence thro' the Courfe of feveral late Years, He has been bringing upon many Cities and Countries the Miferies of War, or of Peftilence, or of Famine; ruining Thoufands after Thousands, both Rich and Poor, and deftroying the Lives of Multitudes after Multitudes: I fay fince thefe Events, there is Reason for wilful Sinners to be afraid.

And thofe Cities and Nations, which have hitherto been preferved in Health, Tranquility and Plenty, have no Ground to imagine they fhall always efcape unpunished; but they have Reason to fear fuffering the like Judgments except they repent.

God indeed delights not in the Miseries of his difobedient Servants: Say to them, as I live faith the LORD GOD I have no Pleasure in the Death of the Wicked, but that the Wicked turn from his Way, and live. (Ezek. xxxiii. 11.) Joyful Tidings to all Sorts of Sinners! God in his infinite Mercy has provided a mighty Saviour, his only begotten and well beloved SON; and in his Gospel has revealed the Way, by which the most wretched Tranfgreffors may obtain a fure Interest in him, and Salvation by him.

This fure Way, I have likewife confidered in the former Letters, that fo none may Despair, but all may be prevailed with by the Loving-kindness of the Lord; to renounce their Sins, and with Joy accept of Chrift, and trust in him, to fave them from their Sins, and from the dreadful Wrath, which is coming on the Children of Disobedience.

I fhall in the following Papers consider those PREDICTIONS of Bleffings, which may adminifter Comfort to the Minds of ferious Chriftians at all Times; and particularly when God is vifiting the Inhabitants of any City, or Country, for their Iniquities.

I may obferve that in all Ages, and in every Town and Nation; there are in God's Account, but two Sorts of People; viz. the Righteous, and the Wicked: Into thefe general Claffes they are diftributed, in Gen. xviii. 23, 25.

The Expreffion the Righteous comprehends all thofe, who did know, love, and ferve God, all who believed his Word, and whofe Course of Life was a Practice of all Duties towards God and Man, required by the Divine Laws; and the Expreffion the Wicked includes all thofe, who would not practice the Duties they owe to God and Man, and did not believe his Word.

The Expreffions ftill retain the fame Significations. And at the End of the World people will be divided only into two Sorts. When the Son of Man fhall come in his Glory, and all the Holy Angelswith him, then fhall be fit upon the Throne of his Glory, and before him fhall be gathered all Nations, and he shall feparate them one from another, as a Shepherd divideth the Sheep from the Goats; and he shall fet the Sheep on his right Hand, and the Goats on his left. (Matt. xxv. 31, 32, 33.) By the Metaphor of Sheep are meant the faithful Servants of God, the true Difciples of Chrift; and by that of Goats

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are fignified all the Difobedient and Impenitent, who would not believe, and obey the Gospel.

Thus from the Beginning of the World to the End of it, there are only two Sorts of People.

After Chrift (the promised Meffiah) came into the World, and his Gofpel was preached! they who were convinced by it, and believed on the Holy Jefus, and accepted of him as their Saviour and Prince, were called Believers.

By this Title they were denoted in Acts v. 14. Where it is faid, and Believers were the more added to the Lord, Multitudes both of Men and Women.

Thus alfo in 1 Tim. iv. 12. where the Apostle fays to him, Be thou an Example of the Believers.

And the Believers were called Chriftians, first at Antioch. (Acts xi. 26.) and from that Time they who profeffed the Gofpel were denominated by the fame Name. But it must be faid that not all, who call themfelves Chriftians are fuch in Truth.

They who live in wilful Difobedience to the Rules of his Gofpel are not Chrift's Difciples in

deed.

The Apoftle James fays, Even fo Faith, if it bath not Works, is dead; (James ii. 17.) that is, it is as useless as a Body without Life.

No Sorts of wilful Sinners are ferious Chrif tians; Know ye not that the Unrighteous fhall not inherit the Kingdom of God? Be not deceived, neither Fornicators, nor Idolaters, nor Adulterers, nor Effeminate, nor Abufers of themselves with Monkind, nor Thieves, nor Covetous, nor Drunkards, nor Revilers, nor Extortioners fhall inherit the Kingdom of God. (1 Cor. vi. 9, 10.) Therefore none of thofe forts of People are to be reckoned ferious Chriftians.

But that we may better understand, who are truly Religious or fincere Chriftians, to whom the Predictions of Bleffings do belong, Bleffings

intended