ligion of CHRIST in the World. Thofe therefore upon whom the Light of the glorious Gofpel fhineth, muft needs be vaftly indebted to THAT for the Happiness and Advantage they enjoy thereby.

And thus I have gone over the LAST Head of Difcourfe at firft laid down; which was to confider the Behaviour of the Apostles after the Descent of the Holy Ghost upon them. I fhall now make fome fuitable Reflections, or Obfervations from what has been deliver'd from this Paffage of Scripture before us, and then conclude. And,

First, From the Exaltation of CHRIST'S human Nature which undeservedly met with a great deal of bitter and fhameful Ufage, we may Obferve, that God hath a peculiar Regard to, and a proportionable Reward for afflicted Innocence, and diftreffed Virtue. A Reflection this, which, if duly weigh'd, may be a Spring of Pa tience and Confolation under all the Calamities which the fincere Practice of our Duty, or the ftedfaft Adherence to our Religion may at any Time bring upon us. For as CHRIST JESUS who was for a little while made lower than the Angels, for the Sufferings he underwent, is now crown'd with Happiness and Glo

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ry;

ry; fo if the Sufferings of CHRIST abound in us, our Con,olation alfo may abound in CHRIST. If we tread in the Steps of our great Mafter, and follow the Captain of our Salvation, glorioufly con quering the Powers of Hell and Darkne's; we fhall at length partake of the fame Happiness and Honour which are already beltowed upon him: For this we have his own Promife, Rev. iii. 21. To bim that overcometh, will I grant to fit with me in my Throne, even as I overcame, and am fet down with my Father in his Throne. And to the fame Purpose speaks St. Paul in 2 Tim. ii. 11, 12. It is a faithful Saying; for if we be dead with him, we fhall live with him: If we fuffer, we shall alfo reign with him. Whenever therefore it is our Lot to meet with injurious Treatment, or to be any ways afAlicted for the Sake of a good Confcience; that we may be armed with Patience and Comfort, let us call to mind the Sufferings our Redeemer underwent; the Rewards which followed them, and which we shall

if we wrongfully fuffer as he did. Let us look unto JESUS the Author and Finifher of our Faith; who for the Joy that was fet before him, endur'd the Cross, defpifing the Shame; but is now fet down

at

at the right Hand of the Throne of God; and will place us fo much the nearer to himself, by how much the deeper we have drunk of that bitter Cup which he drank of in the Days of his Humiliation.

Secondly, From what hath been faid, concerning the wonderful Defcent of the Holy Ghost after CHRIST'S Exaltation, we may observe, what fort of Evidence may be justly demanded of those Persons, who fhall teach any Doctrine in Religion, as a Revelation from God, befides what is contained in the Holy Scriptures: We may obferve, I fay, what Evidence they ought to produce to prove their Authority to teach fuch a Doctrine, and our Obligation to receive the fame; namely, the Evidence of miraculous Works.

When the Apostles by the coming of the Holy Ghost upon them, were fully Qualified to spread abroad the Revela tion of the Gospel, we have feen that they had this Evidence to confirm the Truth of their Doctrine, and Divinity of their Miffion: And if ever it should please Al mighty God to make farther Discoveries of his Will to us, by the Infpiration of others; there's the greateft Reafon in the World to expect, that he will enable them to prove the reality of fuch Infpiration, af

ter

ter the fame Manner as the Apostles did., For if we are obliged to believe any DoArine, as a Revelation from God, without fuch Proof as this, then we must believe it, upon the bare Word of thofe, who pretend they are infpired from Heaven to reveal it to us: But if we must believe in fuch a Cale, upon their bare Word, what can hinder us from being imposed upon by any deluded, or defigning Perfons, who thall boldly affirm that they are appointed by God to discover more of his Will to the World? What can preserve us from embracing Falfhood for Truth, and fwallowing down the Fancies of a diftemper'd Brain for Infpiration?

We are exhorted in the Scriptures not to believe every Spirit, but to try the Spirits, whether they are of God: The mean ing of which Exhortation is plainly this, that we fhould not believe any Doctrine which another teaches for the Dictates of the Holy Spirit, or for a Revelation from God, before we havetty'd, and found it fo to be. Now which way is this Tryal to be made, but by examining whether it is proved from the Scriptures, or by Miracles? If fuch a Doârine is not contained in the Scriptures, 'tis certain it cannot be proved from them: It remains therefore

to

to be proved by Miracles; otherwife it has no better Evidence than the confident Affirmation of thofe, who teach it; but this ought not to be valu'd at all, upon account of the bad Consequence of it; and also because we are exprefsly required not to believe every Spirit, but to try the Spirits whether they are of God.

I would not be understood here, as if I thought that Miracles were fufficient to prove the Divinity of any Doctrine whatfoever; for there may be fome Doctrines, which Miracles themselves can never eftablifh the Truth of. Such are those which be notorioufly inconfiftent with the infinite Purity, Juftice, Goodness, or any other Attribute of the Divine Nature. Such are those which promote Idolatry, by teaching us to worship Images, Saints, Angels, and the like. Such as destroy the Evidence of our Senfes ; and in short, fuch as manifeftly contradict any former Revelation of God's Will.

Doctrines of this Kind can never be reveal'd by the Holy Spirit; becaufe 'tis impoffible for the Holy Spirit, to be guilty of Self-contradiction; or to bid us difbelieve our Senfes, or to direct us to worfhip any other Object but God Almighty; or to authorize any Thing that clashes