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APPENDIX.

DEIST. It is strange, if the case be thus plain, as you have made it, that the whole world is not immediately convinced.

CHRISTIAN. If the seed be ever so good, yet, if it be sown upon stones or among thorns, it will bring forth nothing. There are hearts of stone, and others so filled with the love of riches, with the cares and pleasures of this life, that they will not see; they have not a mind to know any thing, which would disturb them in their enjoyments, or lessen their opinion of them. Therefore it is no easy matter to persuade men to place their happiness in future expectations, which is the import of the Gospel. In pressing this, and bidding the worldly minded abandon their beloved vices, and in telling the fatal consequences of them, we must expect to meet not only their scorn and contempt, but their utmost rage and impatience, to get rid of us, as so many enemies of their lusts and pleasures. This is the cross, which our Saviour prepared all his disciples to bear, who were to fight against flesh and blood, and all the allurements of the world; and it is a greater miracle, that they have had so many followers in this, than that they have gained to themselves so many enemies. The world is a

strong man; and, till a stronger than he come, he will keep possession; and this is the victory, that overcometh the world, even our faith. But we are told also, that this faith is the gift of God; for all the evidence in the world will not reach the heart, unless it be prepared, like the good ground, to receive the doctrine, that is taught. Till then prejudice will create obstinacy, which will harden the heart like a rock. Under this head also you must consider many, who have not yet heard of the Gospel; and of those, who have, the far greater number have not capacity or opportunity to examine the evidences of Christianity; but take things upon trust, just as they are taught. How many others are careless, and will not be at the pains, though they want not capacity, to enquire into the truth? These classes include the greatest part of mankind; the ignorant, the careless, the vicious, the obstinate, the ambitious, and the covetous; whose minds the god of this world hath blinded.

But yet in the midst of this darkness God hath not left himself without witness, which will be apparent to every diligent and sober inquirer who is willing and prepared to receive the truth.

Good Sir, let me ask, would you not think me very brutal, if I should deny that ever there was such a man, as Alexander, or Cæsar, or that they did such things? If I should deny all history, or that Homer or Virgil, Demosthenes or Cicero, ever wrote such books? Would you not think me perfectly obstinate, seized with a

spirit of contradiction, and not fit for human conversation? Yet these things are of no consequence to me, whether they are true or false.

Will you then think yourself a reasonable man, if in matters of the greatest importance, even your eternal state, you will not believe those facts, which have a thousand times more certain evidence? Were there any prophecies of Cæsar or Pompey? Were there any types of them, or public institutions appointed by law, to prefigure the great things, that they should do? Any persons, who went before them, to bear a resemblance of these things, and bid us expect the great event? Was there a general expectation in the world of their coming, before they came?

Were the Greek and Roman histories written by the persons, who did the facts, or by eye witnesses ?

A

Must we believe these, on pain of not being thought reasonable men? And are we then unreasonable and credulous, if we believe the facts of the Holy Bible?

Are there such prophecies extant in any profane history so long before the facts recorded, as there are in the Holy Scriptures of the coming of the Messiah? Were there any types or forerunners of the heathen gods, or of Mahomet? Is there the like evidence of the truth and sincerity of the Greek and Roman historians, as of the penmen of the Holy Scriptures? Would these historians have given their lives for the truth of all they wrote ?

DE. But Christ has foretold, that false Christs

shall arise, who shall show great wonders, to deceive, if possible, the very elect. of these shall we believe?

Which

CHR. The first, no doubt. For God cannot contradict himself, nor will show signs and wonders in opposition to that law, which he has established by so many signs and wonders.

But we have a more sure word of prophecy. Let then any false Christ, who shall pretend to come hereafter, show such a book, as our Bible, which has been so long in the world testifying of him, foretelling the time, and all other circumstances of his coming, with his sufferings and death, and all these prophecies exactly fulfilled in him. Till he can do this, he cannot have that evidence, which our Christ has, and he must be a false Christ to me.

But it may be a trial too strong for those careless ones, who will not be at the pains to inquire into the grounds of their religion, but take it upon trust, and mind not to frame their lives according to it, but are immersed in the world and the pleasures of it. And it will be a just judgment upon these, that they, who shut their eyes against the clear evidences of the gospel, be given up to believe a lie ; because they "have pleasure in unrighteousness. They love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil."

So that I must repeat it, that there is a preparation of the heart (as of the ground) to receive the truth. Where the doctrine does not please, no evidence, how clear soever, will be received. God cannot enter, before mammon

be dispossessed.

We cannot serve these two masters. He, who has a clear sight of heaven, cannot value the dull pleasures of this life; and it is impossible that he, who is drowned in sense, can relish spiritual things. The love of this world is enmity against God. The first sin was a temptation of sense; and the reparation is to open our eyes to the enjoyment of God. Vice clouds this eye, and makes it blind to the only true and eternal pleasure.

This, sir, is the remora, that keeps men from Christianity. It is not want of evidence, but it is want of consideration. I would not this say of to you, before I had gone through the topics reason with you, that you might not call it cant. But this is the truth. As David says, "To him, that ordereth his conversation aright, will I show the salvation of God." And our Saviour says, "If any man will do the will of God, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself."

prepare

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But

This was the reason, why St. John the Baptist was sent, as a forerunner, to way for Christ, by preaching repentance, to fit men for receiving the Gospel; and they, who repented of their sins upon his preaching, did gladly embrace the doctrine of Christ. they, who would not forsake their sins, remained obdurate, though otherwise men of sense and learning. As our Saviour told the Priests and Elders, "John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not; but the publicans and harlots believed him. And

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