Monster or Prodigie, and like a putrified Member cut off, as being not only dangerous, but noisome to the Body: but alas, the Scene is so chang'd, that the Church is now made up of fuch as she would then have caft out; and 'tis now as remarkable an Occurrent to find a good Chriftian, as it was there to see a bad: and fince every thing is estimated not according to its rare and cafual, but frequent ufual Operations, 'tis eafie to conclude, that Christianity has lost as much in its Repute, as it appears to have done in its Efficacy: nor will there be any way of repairing it, till Webe generally rendred fo malleable to its impreffions, that our Lives may attest, its Force and Energy.

NAY indeed 'tis not only its honour, but its being is concern'd in it, active Principles ceafe to be when they ceafe to act. You cannot hinder the fire to burn but by putting it out and to fupprefs the Operation of our Religion is indeed to extinguish it; at least to deprive it of its proper and specifick act: fo that if it can be faid to be; 'tis only by that abufe of Speech which calls a dead or painted man, a Man: It may perhaps be a vizor for the Hypocrite, a Stale for the Ambitious, a wash or tincture for the Covetous; but where it is thefe, it ceafes to be its felf. The effènce and being of Chriftianity is practice; and according to that Test and proof thereof, where almoft can it be faid to Exift in the world? we have indeed fome images and shadows of it: Some have taken its picture, but the fubftance and folid body is vanished, refolv'd into Air, and Seems fadly to have moraliz'd the poetick Fable of Sybills

Sybills being worn into a voice, we have turn'd it into a meer noise and found; nay, which is worse, into an Eccho, that flattering complying voice, which reverberates every mans own language to him: Men dictate to their Religion, and then will needs perfwade themselves and others, that their Religion dictates to them, will have the rebounds of their own Fancy or Luft pafs for Divine Oracles; fo fuborning this Aiery fantastick ChriStianity to legitimate thofe practices, which the real folid one forbids and Execrates.

TO this difmal forlorn eftate have we brought that which was defigned to bring us to bliss, herein far exceeding the barbarity of the brutish Sodomites, they would have violated the Messengers of their ruine, but we thofe of our fafety: We having not only neglected, but vilified and reproacht the Embaffy fent us from Heaven, and instead of embracing that purity and peace it recommended to us, have done our Parts to make it forgotten that ever it was fent upon any fuch Errand; and indeed so it is like to be, if fome Heroick piety do not revive its Memory, and teach us to record it not so much in our books as lives: There, and there only it will be univerfally legible, there it would indeed appear, what it is in its own nature, the power of God unto Salvation.

AND now why should we not all Emulously contend, who shall firft put off that ugly vizor we have put upon our Religion, and restore it to its native form; efpecially confidering that with its Beauty we lofe its Dowry too; forfeit all thofe glorious Re

wards

› wards which it promises to them that preferve it immaculate. 'Tis only a pure and undefiled Religion that will inveft us in thofe white robes, wherein we are to follow the Lamb. And fure those who have bere endeavoured to darken and extinguish all the rays of Spiritual Light, that have lived as if they profeft Chriftianity meerly in fight to defame it, must never hope it shall bring them to fhine as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father, or procure them the reward of blameless Souls. No, it promifes no other Crown than that of Righteousness, and therefore they that want the Righteousness must want the Crown alfo: Nay, befides that fo inestimable a Reversion, they lose all those present Joys and fatisfactions which true Christian practice would afford them, and which both in respect of the intenseness and duration, infinitely exceed the most profuse fenfualities the World ever tafted.

THESE are interefts that are fure Important enough, and yet we must be woed to confider them, nay, that does not prevail neither, but with a perverfe Goynefs we hold off; all the folicitations and importunate Calls of God are lookt upon as Artifices and Defigns, as if he had fome Ends of his own to Serve upon us, and (as the Corinthians fufpected St. Paul) meant to make a gain of us; we treat with him as if he were the Perfon to be advantaged, and barter for Heaven with fuch an Indifference, as if It would want us more than We It; never confidering that'tis impoffible for him to have any other Concern, than that which his Compaffion to us creates, Ff

and

and the more carneft and paffionate That is, the more it should excite our own care, it being the Extremest degree of perverfe Folly, to abandon and defpife our own Interest meerly because a Friend or Patron confiders and prizes it. And this brand

must lye upon every one of us, who still refuse to dif cern the things that belong to our Peace, after God has done fo much to render them not only visible but attainable.

WHAT fhall I fay more, but conclude with Chrifts paffionate wifh, that we might in this our day, understand the things that belong to our Peace, and Q that the Spirit of Peace and Light would defcend among us, illuminate us with that true practical Wifdom, which may convince us, that our Duty and Interest are the fame thing under feveral forms, and that while we impiously caft off the one, we do as foolishly betray the other. That fo thofe ineftimable advantages our Chriftianity gives towards both, may not be thus madly loft, ferve only as a price in the hand of a Fool, who hath no heart to it, Prov. 17. And to this end let us humbly and earnestly invoke the Father of lights, to illuminate all those whom the God of this world hath blinded, that after he hath fent into the world the Image of his own eternal brightness; caufed the Sun of Righteousness fo long to fine upon us, it may not ferve only to involve us in that most dreadful condemnation, which awaits thofe who love darkness more than light; but that anfwering the purpofe of our holy calling, walking as Children of light,

light, we may vindicate that Christian profession which we have fo defamed, fecure to our felves the light of Gods countenance here, and that of his glory hereafter.

PAge 12. Line 19. for taught Read fought, p. 97.1.9. fordiverts r. divests, p. 99.1. 7. for infiduous r. infidious, p. 105.

1. 27. for them r. him, p. 114.. 14. for one r. own, p. 118. l. 6. for owes r. owns, p. 164.1.27. for affimulation r. affimilation, p. 165.

1. 17. for fhouls r.fhoals, p. 171,1. 16, for avow r. difavow.