credit and reputation destitute of all humane strength and had only a Crucified Person for their leader Christianity was exposed naked in the day of its birth without any shelter from secular Powers 2. They had not the advantage of Art and Eloquence to commend their Religion There is a kind of charm in Rhetorick that makes things appear otherwise than they are the best cause it ruins the worst it confirms Truth though in its self invincible yet by it seems to be overcome and Errour obtains a false triumph We have a visible proof of this in the Writings of Celsus Symmachus Caecilius and others for Paganism against Christianity What a vast difference is there between the lyes and filthiness of the one and the Truth and Sanctity of the other Yet with what admirable address did they manage that Infamous Subject Although it seem'd incapable of any defence yet they gave such colours to it by the beauty of their expressions and their apparent reasons that it seem'd plausible and Christianity notwithstanding its brightness and purity was made odious to the people But the Apostles were most of them wholly unlearned St. Paul himself acknowledges that he was weak in presence and his Speech was not with the enticing words of Mans Wisdome A crucified Christ was all their Rhetorick Now these impotent despicable Persons were imployed to subdue the World to the Cross of Christ and in that season when the Roman Empire was at its height when the most rigorous Severities were used against all Innovations when Philosophy and Eloquence were in their flower and Vigour so that Truth unless adorn'd with the dress and artifice of falshood was despis'd and a Message from God himself unless eloquently convey'd had no force to perswade Therefore the Apostles debased themselves in the sense of their own weakness We have this treasure in earthen vessels That the excellency of the power may be of God not of us 'T was from distrust of themselves their true confidence in God proceeded They were onely so far powerful as he enabled them like inâ—â—ruments in which there is not Vertue sufficient for the carving of a Statute if they do not receive it imprest from the Artificer that uses them Briefly as God the Author of Wonders uses that which is weak in Nature to conquer the most rebellious parts of it He makes the weak sand a more powerful bridle to the impetuous Element of Waters than the strongest banks rais'd by the industry of Men and compos'd of the most solid materials so he was pleased by a few artless impotent persons to confound the wisdom and overcome the power of the World 3. The great sudden and lasting Change that was made in the World by the Preaching of the Gospel is a certain Argument of the Divine Power that animated those mean appearances and that no instrument is weak in Gods hands 1. The greatness of the Change is such that it was only possible to Divine Power 'T is a great Miracle to render sight to the Blind but 't is more miraculous to inlighten the Dark mind to see the truth and beauty of Supernatural Mysteries when they are disguis'd under reproach sad representations and effectually to believe them especially when the inferiour appetite is so contrary to Faith 'T is a prodigy to raise the Dead but 't is more admirable to sanctify an habituated sinner For in comparing the quality of those Miracles that is the greatest in the performing whereof God is discover'd to be the absolute Lord of the greater Nature Now the intellectual Nature is superiour to the corporeal Besides there is no contradiction from a Dead body against the Divine Power in raising it on the contrary if any sense were remaining it would ardently desire to be restor'd to the full enjoyment of Life but corrupt Nature is most opposite to renewing Grace Now these marvelous effects were produced by the Revelation of Jesus Christ to the Heathens The glorious light of Truth scattered the thick and terrible darkness of Ignorance and errour that was so universal The Gospel in its power and the quality of its effects was like those words Let there be Light which the Eternal Word pronounced upon the confused Chaos and infused a Soul and Life into the World The clear knowledge of God in his Nature and Glorious Works of Creation and Redemption of the duty of Man of the future state was communicated to the meanest understandings And in proportion to the Light of Faith such was the measure of Piety and Holiness Idolatry that had Number Antiquity Authority of its side was intirely abolisht The false Deities were cast out of the Temple and the Cross of Christ was planted in the Hearts of Men. Accordingly the Apostle tells the Thessalonians For they themselves shew of us what manner of entring in we had unto you and how ye turned to God from Idols to serve the Living and true God and to wait for his Son from Heaven whom he raised from the Dead even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come Innumerable from secret Atheism publick Gentilism were converted to acknowledg and accept of the Redeemer for their Lord. What could produce such a marvelous change in the World but an Almighty power How seemingly impossible was it to bring so many who were proud in their natures perverse in their customs and indubitably assenting to their false Religions from such a distance as the Worship of innumerable Deities to adore a Crucified God 'T was admirable that Alexander broke the Persian Empire with an Army of Thirty Thousand but what is there comparable in that Conquest to the Acts of the Apostles How much less difficult is it for some Nations to change their Kings than for all to change their Gods How far more easie is it to overcome the bodies of Men than subdue their Souls Upon the most exact inquiry there will never be found in humane nature any cause capable to produce such an effect nor in the Records of all Ages any example like it Add to this the excellent Reformation in the hearts and lives of Men. As their understandings so their wills and affections the sources of action were miraculously alter'd What the Sages of the World could not effect in a few select Persons The Gospel hath done in great numbers nay rais'd them above all their feigned Ideas above the higest pitch of their Proud Philosophy Those strong and furious passions which Natural Reason was as unable to restrain as a threed of silk is to govern a fierce beast the Gospel hath tamed and brought into order It hath executed what Philosophy durst never enterprise despairing of Success The Gospel hath made the Wise Men of the World resign their Reason to Faith it hath perswaded Carnal Men to mortify the Flesh the Ambitious to despise secular Honours the Voluptuous to renounce their Pleasures the Covetous to distribute their Goods to the Poor the
something although 't is rather a Twilight than clear But when 't is brought from the narrow sphere of things sensible to contemplate the immensity of things Spiritual and Supernatural its light declines and is turn'd into darkness 2. The Pride of the Humane Understanding which disdains to stoop to the height of these mysteries 'T is observable that those who most excell'd in Natural Wisdom were the greatest despisers of Evangelical Truths The proud Wits of the World chose rather to be Masters of their own than Scholars to another They made Reason their Supreme Rule and Philosophy their highest Principle and would not believe what they could not comprehend They derided Christians as captives of a blind Belief and their Faith as the effect of Folly and rejected Revelation the only means to conveigh the knowledg of Divine Mysteries to them Therefore the Apostle by way of upbraiding enquires Where is the wise man Where is the Scribe Where is the Disputer of this world God hath made the wisdome of the world foolishness As those who are really poor and would appear rich in the Pomp of their Habits and Attendants are made poorer by that expence so those who were destitute of true Wisdom and would appear wise in making Reason the Judg of Divine Revelation and the last resolution of all things by that false affectation of Wisdom they became more foolish By all their Disputes against the appearing absurdities of the Christian Religion they were brought into a more learned Darkness 3. The prejudices which arose from Sensual Lusts hindered the Belief of the Gospel As the carnal Understanding rebels against the sublimity of its Doctrine so the carnal Appetite against the purity of its Precepts And according to the Dispositions of Men from whence they act such light they desire to direct them in acting The Gospel is a Mystery of Godliness and those who are under the love of Sin cherish an affected Ignorance lest the Light should enflame Conscience by representing to them the deadly guilt that cleaves to Sin and thereby make it uneasie This account our Saviour gives of the Infidelity of the world That men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil And that this was the real cause what ever was pretended is clear in that the Gentiles who opposed Christ adored those impure Deities whose infamous Lusts were acknowledged by them And with what colour then could they reject our Redeemer because crucified As if Vice were not more incompatible with the Deity than Sufferings Now though Reason enslav'd by prejudice and corrupted by Passion despises the Gospel yet when 't is enlightned by Faith it discovers such a wise oeconomy in it that were it not true it would transcend the most noble created Mind to invent it 'T is so much above our most excellent Thoughts that no Humane Understanding would ever attempt to feign it with confidence of persuading the world into a Belief of it How is it possible that it should be contriv'd by natural Reason since no man can believe it sincerely when 't is reveal'd without a supernatural Faith To confirm our Belief of these great and saving Mysteries I will shew how just it is that the Understanding should resign itself to Divine Revelation which hath made them known In order to this we must consider 1. There are some Doctrines in the Gospel the Understanding could not discover but when they are reveal'd it hath a clear apprehension of them upon a rational account and sees the characters of Truth visibly stampt on their Forehead As the Doctrine of Satisfaction to Divine Justice that Pardon might be dispens'd to repenting Sinners For our natural conception of God includes his infinite Purity and Justice And when the design of the Gospel is made known whereby he hath provided abundantly for the honour of those Attributes so that He doth the greatest Good without encouraging the least Evil Reason acquiesces and acknowledges this I sought but could not find Now although the primary Obligation to believe such Doctrines ariseth from Revelation yet being ratified by Reason they are embraced with more Clearness by the Mind 2. There are some Doctrines which as Reason by its light could not discover so when they are made known it cannot comprehend but they are by a clear and necessary connexion joyn'd with the other that Reason approves As the Mystery of the Trinity and the Incarnation of the Son of God which are the Foundations of the whole work of our Redemption The Nature of God is repugnant to Plurality there can be but one Essence and the nature of Satisfaction requires a distinction of Persons for he that suffers as guilty must be distinguish'd from the person of the Judg that exacts Satisfaction and no meer Creature is able by his obedient sufferings to repair the Honour of God so that a Divine Person assuming the Nature of Man was alone capable to make that satisfaction which the Gospel propounds and Reason consents to Besides 't is clear that the Doctrine of the Trinity that is of three glorious Relations in the Godhead and of the Incarnation are most firmly connected with all the parts of the Christian Religion left in the Writings of the Apostles which as they were confirmed by Miracles the Divine Signatures of their certainty so they contain such authentick marks of their Divinity that right Reason cannot reject them 3. Whereas there are three Principles by which we apprehend things Sense Reason and Faith these lights have their different objects that must not be confounded Sense is confin'd to things material Reason considers things abstracted from matter Faith regards the Mysteries revealed from Heaven and these must not transgress their order Sense is an incompetent judg of things about which Reason is only conversant It can only make a report of those objects which by their natural characters are exposed to it And Reason can only discourse of things within its sphere Supernatural things which derive from Revelation and are purely the objects of Faith are not within its territories and jurisdiction Those Superlative Mysteries exceed all our intellectual Abilities 'T is true the Understanding is a rational Faculty and every act of it is really or in appearance grounded on Reason But there is a wide difference between the proving a Doctrine by Reason and the giving a reason why we believe the truth of it For instance we cannot prove the Trinity by natural Reason and the subtilty of the Schoolmen who affect to give some reason of all things is here more prejudicial than advantageous to the Truth For he that pretends to maintain a point by Reason and is unsuccessful doth weaken the credit which the Authority of Revelation gives And 't is considerable that the Scripture in delivering supernatural truths produce God's Authority as their only proof without using any other way of arguing But although we cannot demonstrate these Mysteries by Reason yet we may give
infinitly above the ordinary course of Nature The Maxims of Philosophy are not to be extended to Him We must adore what we cannot fully understand But those things are against Reason and utterly inconceivable that involve a contradiction and have a natural repugnancy to our Understandings which cannot conceive any thing that is formally impossible And there is no such Doctrine in the Christian Religion 2. We must distinguish between Reason corrupted and right Reason Since the Fall the clearness of the Humane Understanding is lost and the light that remains is eclipsed by the interposition of sensual lusts The carnal Mind cannot out of Ignorance and will not from Pride and other malignant habits receive things spiritual And from hence ariseth many suspicions and doubts concerning supernatural Verities the shadows of darkned Reason and of dying Faith If any Divine Mystery seems incredible 't is from the corruption of our Reason not from Reason it self from its darkness not its light And as Reason is obliged to correct the Errors of Sense when 't is deceived either by some vicious quality in the organ or by the distance of the object or by the falsness of the medium that corrupts the image in conveying of it So 't is the office of Faith to reform the judgment of Reason when either from its own weakness or the height of things Spiritual 't is mistaken about them For this end supernatural Revelation was given not to extinguish Reason but to redress it and enrich it with the discovery of Heavenly things Faith is called Wisdom and Knowledg it doth not quench the vigour of the Faculty wherein 't is seated but elevates it and gives it a spiritual preception of those things that are most distant from its commerce It doth not lead us through a mist to the inheritance of the Saints in light Faith is a rational Light For 1. It arises from the consideration of those Arguments which convince the Mind that the Scripture is a Divine Revelation I know saith the Apostle whom I have believed And we are commanded Alwaies to be ready to give an account of the hope that is in us Those that owe their Christianity meerly to the Felicity of their Birth without a sight of that transcendent excellency in our Religion which evidences that it came from Heaven do not believe aright As the Eye that is clouded with a Suffusion so that all things appear yellow to it when it judges things to be yellow that are so its judgment is vitious Because it proceeds not from the quality of the object but from its own indisposition So those that believe the Gospel upon a false Principle because 't is the Religion of their Country though in its self the word of Truth yet they are not right Believers 'T is not Judgment but Chance that enclines them to embrace it The Turks upon the same reason are zealous votaries of Mahomet as they are Disciples of Christ. 2. Faith makes use of Reason to consider what Doctrines are revealed in the Scripture and to deduce those Consequences which have a clear connexion with supernatural Principles Thus Reason is an excellent instrument to distinguish those things which are of a Divine Original from what is spurious and counterfeit For sometimes that is pretended to be a Mystery of Religion which is only the fruit of Fancy and that is defended by the sacred respect of Faith that Reason ought not to violate which is but a groundless imagination so that we remain in an Error by the sole apprehensions of falling into one as those that die for fear of Death The Bereans are commended for their searching the Scriptures whether the Doctrines they heard were consentaneous to them But 't is a necessary Duty that Reason how stiff soever should fully comply with God where it appears reasonable that He hath spoken Briefly The richest Ornament of the Creature is Humility and the most excellent effect of it is the sense of the weakness of our Understanding This is the temper of Soul that prepares it for Faith partly as it puts us on a serious consideration of those things which are reveal'd to us in the Word Infidelity proceeds from the want of consideration and nothing hinders that so much as Pride Partly as it stops all curious enquiries into those things which are unsearchable and principally as it entitles to the Promise God will instruct and give Grace to the humble The knowledg of Heaven as well as the Kingdom of Heaven is the inheritance of the poor in spirit A greater progress is made in the knowledg and belief of these Mysteries by humble Prayer than by the most anxious study As at Court an hour of Favour is worth a years attendance Man cannot acquire so much as God can give And as Humility so Holiness prepares the Soul for the receiving of Supernatural Truths The Understanding is clarified by the purification of the Heart 'T is not the difficulty and obscurity of things reveal'd that is the real cause of Infidelity since men believe other things upon far less Evidence but 't is the prejudice of the lower Faculties that hinders them When all Affections to sin are mortified the Soul is in the best disposition to receive Divine Revelation He that doth the will of God shall know whether the Doctrine of the Gospel came from Heaven The Spirit of God is the alone Instructer of the Spirit of Man in these Mysteries so as to produce a Saving Belief of them That Knowledg is more clear and satisfying that we have by his Teaching than by our own Learning The Rational Mind may discern the Literal Sense of the Propositions in the Gospel and may yield a naked assent to the truth of them but without supernatural irradiation by the Spirit of Life there can be no transforming and saving Knowledg and Belief of them And as the vast expansion of Air that is about us doth not preserve Life but that part which we breath in so 't is not the compass of our Knowledg and Belief though it were equal to the whole revealed Will of God that is vital to the Soul but that which is practised by us The Apostle saith Though he had the understanding of all Mysteries and all Knowledg and all Faith yet if it were not joyned with Love the Principle of Obedience it were unprofitable There is the same difference between the Speculative Knowledg of these Mysteries and that which is Affectionate and Operative as between the wearing of Pearls for Ornament and the taking of them as a Cordial to revive the fainting spirits In short Such a Belief is required as prevails upon the Will and draws the Affections and 〈◊〉 the whole Man obsequious to the Gospel For 〈◊〉 a Faith is alone answerable to the quality of the Revelation The Gospel is not a meer Narrative but a Promise Christ is not represented only as an innocent Person dying but as the Son
in the flaming Bush to Moses but 't is never said with respect to those Apparitions that the Word was made Flame or Man But when He came into the World to save us He assum'd the compleat Nature of Man into an Hypostatical Union with himself That admirable Person possesses the Titles Qualities and Natures of God and Man In that ineffable Union each of the Natures preserves its proper form with all the necessary consequents proceeding from it The Humane Nature is joyn'd to the Eternal Word but not chang'd into its Divinity 't is not infinite and impassible The Deity is united to Flesh but not transformed into its Nature 't is not finite and passible But although there is a distinction yet no separation Although there are two Natures yet but one sole Jesus In the same Subsistence the Creator and the Creature are miraculously allied Now this is a work fully responsible to Omnipotence and expresses whatever is signified by that Title The Apostle mentions it with an Attribute of excellency Without controversie great is the Mystery of Godliness God manifest in the Flesh. 'T is as sublime as holy In this the Divine Power appears in its Magnificence and in some respect more gloriously than in the Creation For there is incomparably a greater disparity between the Majesty Greatness and Infiniteness of God and the Meanness of Man than between the whole World and Nothing The degrees of disparity between the World and Nothing are not actually infinite but between the most excellent creature and the Glorious Creator they are absolutely infinite From hence it is that that which in other things resolves our doubts here increases the wonder and in appearance makes it more incredible Ye do erre saith Christ to the Sadduces who denied the Resurrection not knowing the Power of God But the more raised thoughts we have of his immense Power the more unlikely his conjunction with a nature so far beneath him will seem to be 2. The Divine Power was magnified in our Redeemers Supernatural Conception 'T was requisite his Body should be miraculously form'd of the substance of a Woman by the operation of the Holy Ghost not only in respect of its singular Dignity and that he might be the pattern of our Regeneration that is performed by the Efficacy of the Spirit not of the Flesh but in respect of his Office For he was the Heavenly Adam and therefore allied to us and absolutely pure from the stain of Sin Heaven and Earth concurr'd to form that Divine Man the King of both the Earth furnishing matter and Heaven the principle of his conception Accordingly the Angel told Mary who questioned how she could be a Mother not having known a Man The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee therefore also that Holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God This was foretold many Ages as an admirable Effect of God's Power When Judah was opprest by two potent Kings despair'd of an escape to raise their drooping Spirits the Prophet tells them the Lord himself would give them a sign of their future Deliverance Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call his Name Immanuel The Argument is from the greater to the less for 't is apparently more difficult that a Virgin without injury or blemish to her purity and integrity should conceive and bring forth Immanuel than the defeating humane forces how great soever If God will accomplish that Stupendious unheard of wonder much more would he rescue his People from the fury of their adversaries 3. The Divine Power was eminently declar'd in the Miracles our Saviour wrought during the time of his publick Ministry to verifie his Divine Mission that He was the great Prophet sent from God to instruct Men in the way of Life In discoursing of this I will briefly shew that Miracles were a convincing proof of his Celestial Calling and that the performance of them was necessary in order to the conviction of the World and consider particularly those He wrought 1. A Miracle is an extraordinary Operation of God in Nature either in stopping its course or in producing some effects that are above its Laws and Power So that when He is pleased to work any they are his Seal to authorise the Person and Doctrine to which they are annext By them Faith is made visible The Unbeliever is convinc'd by his Senses the only witnesses above reproach in his account From hence Nicodemus addresses himself to Christ Master we know that thou art a Teacher come from God for no man can do those Miracles that thou dost except God be with him That is No inferiour Agent can perform them without the special assistance of the Divine Power And 't is not to be supposed that God will lend his Omnipotency to the Devil to work a real Miracle to confirm a falsity and thereby necessarily induce Men into errour in a matter of infinite moment fâ—r such is the Doctrine of Salvation that Christ Preach'd 2. The working of Miracles was necessary to convince the World that Jesus Christ was sent from God whether we consider the Jews or the Gentiles To convince the Jews upon a double account 1. Because the performance of them was one of the characters of the promised Messiah For this reason when two of Johns Disciples came to inquire whether he were the expected Prophet he returns this answer to the question Go and shew John those things which ye do hear and see the Blind receive their Sight and the Lame walk the Lepers are cleansed and the Deaf hear the Dead are raised up and the poor have the Gospel preach'd to them Thus he described his Office and verified the Commission he had from God by representing his Miracles in the Words of the Prophecy 2. Our Saviour came to alter the Religion of the Jews that had been confirmed by many illustrious Miracles therefore to assure them that he was Authoris'd from Heaven he wrought such and so many that for their greatness clearness and number exceeded all that were done before his coming Our Saviour tells the Jews If I had not done among them the Works which none other man did they had not had sin that is in rejecting him For if he had exercised only a Power like unto that of Moses and the Prophets in his Miraculous Actions they had been obliged to have honoured him as one of their rank but not to have attributed an incomparable Dignity to him But he did those which neither Moses nor the Prophets had performed and in those that had been done Christ excell'd them in the manner of doing them This the Jews could not contradict and from hence their infidelity was made culpable Secondly Miracles were necessary to convince the Gentiles 1. For the Gospel forbids the various Religions among them and commands all to worship God alone in Jesus
the aged and infirm of tender Youths of delicate Women of the Honourable and obscure Yet in that difference of Ages and Sexes and States there appear'd such an equality of Vertue that it was Visible the same Heavenly Spirit inspir'd them all with Courage and by assuring them of Eternal Life made them despise present Death Such Heroical and frequent Constancy must be ascribed to the Breast-plate of Faith and Love of a Coelestial temper wherewith the Almighty had Arm'd them If it be said that some have died for a false Religion so that the extraordinary assistance of Heaven was not necessary to encourage the Christian Martyrs The Answer is clear There is a vast difference between the number of the Sufferers and manner of their Sufferings 1. Some few moved by Vanity and Melancholy or compell'd have suffered for a false Religion that was authorised by the Custom of their Country for many Ages But innumerable Christians animated by the example of their Crucified King freely sacrificed themselves for the testimony of the Gospel upon the first Revelation of it before any humane respects gave colour to it 2. In those who suffer'd for a false Religion were visible either Fear or Vain-glory Stubbornness or Rage But the Christians in their greatest Sufferings exprest Magnanimity without Pride Constancy without Fierceness Patience without Stupidity and such an admirable Compassion to their Enemies as persuaded some of their Tormentors to be companions with them in Martyrdom 2. The suddainness and universality of the change effected by the Gospel is a signal Evidence of the Divine Power that attended it The Apostle declares the admirable progress of it in all the world during his time In a few years with incredible swiftness it past through Judea Samaria Syria Greece and all the parts of the known habitable World Tacitus acknowledges that in the eleventh year of Nero great numbers of Christians were at Rome at a great distance from the place where the Gospel was first preach'd It appears from the Writings of the Primitive Christians that in the Second Century after the Death of Christ the Roman Empire was fill'd with Christian Churches The World was peopled with a new Generation Now what Secret Power produced that suddain and universal Change How came it to pass that the Gospel contrary to the order of new Things should be so readily receiv'd and in those places where the most insuperable obstacles oppos'd it In Corinth the Seat of Luxury and Voluptuousness in Ephesus where Idolatry had its Throne in Rome it self where Honours Riches Pleasures were ador'd Moses with all his great Miracles never conquer'd one Nation to the true God The Pharisees compast Sea and Land to make a Proselyte But the Gospel in a little time converted many Nations from their Opinions and Manners wherein they had been instructed and educated to those that were not only different but contrary The wonder in Esay was exceeded That a Nation was born in a day For the World was renewed as it were in a moment Such a quickening universal Efficacy was join'd with the Preaching of the Gospel that the Power of God was â—ver more visibly manifested in any work Therefore the Apostle mentions it as one part of the great Mystery of Godliness that Christ was believed oâ— in the World There is nothing but Supernatural as in the birth so in the progress of Christianity 3. The lasting Change made by the Gospel is the Effect of Infinite Power Philosophy though maintain'd by the successive force of the greatest Wits yet declin'd and came to nothing But Christianity attended only by its own Authority establisht its Dominion and rais'd an Eternal Empire of Truth and Holiness in the World The Reason of Man cannot inspire into its Productions a Principle of Life only that Power which conveys to Man an immortal Soul can derive to its Institutions a Spirit to Animate and preserve them And this Victorious Permanent Efficacy of the Gospel is more admirable in regard it prevail'd without the assistance and against the opposition of all The more it was opprest the more it prosper'd It gain'd credit and Disciples by Contradiction and Persecution it was multiplied by the Deaths of its followers The Cloud of Witnesses dissolving in a shower of Blood made the Church Fruitful Although some Persecutors have boasted of their utter abolishing the Christian Name in all parts of the Empire yet those inscriptions are the Proud Monuments of their Vanity not Victory Tyrants are perisht but Truth remains for ever By which 't is evident that as the Gospel had a higher Principle than what is from below so it was assisted with more than Humane Power To sum up in short what hath been amplified how Gloriously was the Arm of the Lord revealed in raising the World that for four thousand years lay in Wickednesse What less than a Divine Power could soften such an obstinate hardnesse as long custome in Sin brings What could pluck up errours that had taken such deep root in the Spirits of Men and were Naturaliz'd to them and plant a Discipline so austere and thorny to sense Who but the Almighty could cast out the Devil from his Empire and withdraw his Subjects that were captivated by the terrour of Laws and by the delights of the flesh What invisible Power made innumerable of the tender sex who were not by temper couragious nor by obstinacy inflexible nay who were so fearful that they could not see a drawn sword without affrightment yet so resolute as to despise all the instruments of Cruelty What is more astonishing than to see a flock of sheep encounter and overcome an Army of Lyons This was the Lords doing and ought to be marvelous in our Eyes Briefly the making a Crucified Person to Reign in the midst of his Enemies and to give Laws to the whole Earth is a Victory worthy the Lord of Hosts The Conversion of the World to Christianity was the effect of infinite Mercy and equal Power Lastly The Divine Power shall be Gloriously manifested in the compleat Salvation of the Church at the end of the World Jesus Christ as Mediatour is invested with Sovereign Power in Heaven and Earth and in that quality he shall exercise it till our Salvation is finisht For he must reign till he hath put all Enemies under his feet But we see not yet all things put under him Although those Persons and things that never degenerated from their Original are intirely subject to him the Angels obey his Will Universal Nature is Govern'd by his Providence The Heavens the Earth the Waters and all things produc'â— from them never resist the Direction of his hand yet there are others that fell from their Integrity and some things consequent to Mans Rebellion which either oppose the Power of Christ or are not yet actually subdued and they are the Enemies of our Salvation Satan Sin and Death Now the perfect Freedom of