one Time, and five thoufand at another, were converted upon the Conviction of what themfelves had Aas iv. 4. feen, what had been done publicly before their Eyes, wherein it was impoffible to have impofed upon them. Then for the two laft Rules, we find Baptifm and the Lord's Supper were inftituted as perpetual Memorials of thefe Things, and this at the very Time when thefe Things were faid to be done; and have been obferved without Interruption in all Ages through the whole Chriftian World, down all the Way from that Time to this: And Chrift himfelf did ordain Apoftles and other Minifters of his Gofpel to preach and adminifter thefe Sacraments, and to govern his Church, and that always unto the End of the World; and they have accordingly continued to this Day, and confequently are as notorious a Matter of Fact, as the Tribe of Levi was among the Jews. So that if the Gofpel were a Fiction, and invented, as it must be in fome Ages after Chrift, then at that Time when it was firft invented, there could be no fuch Sacraments, nor Order of Clergy, as derived themfelves from the Inftitution of Christ: Which muft give the Lie to the Gospel, and demonftrate the whole to be false; and, therefore, by the last two Rules, it was as impoffible to have impofed upon Mankind in this Matter, by inventing it in After-ages, as at the Time when thofe Things were faid to be done. Q. How doth the intrinfic Evidence of the Chriftian Revelation confirm the external Evidence that was given to it? A. In that it excels all other Inftitutions of Religion that ever appeared in the World. It is every Way worthy of God, and entirely beneficial to his Creatures, and agreeable to the beft Reafon and Senfeof Mankind. And where any Doctrine is fuperadded, which natural Reafon could not dif S 3. cover, cover, it is so far from contradicting the plain and evident Senfe of Mankind, that upon Confideration it appears highly ufeful to us in the State in which we now are. The great Fears and Doubts of Mankind concerning the Way of appeafing the offended Juftice of God are removed and fatisfied; and the Wifdom of God did fo difpofe the Method of our Salvation, that by the Sacrifice of the Cross, both the Difhonour that was done to his Juftice and Holinefs was fatisfied, and the guilty Fears of Men relieved. The Reward the Chriftian Religion proposes is excellent in itself, and lafting in its Duration; and clearly and plainly revealed. The Precepts laid down for the Direction of our Lives, comprehends all Sorts of Virtue that relate either to God, our Neighbour, or ourselves; they have cleared what was doubtful by the Light of Nature, and have made the Improvements of it neceffary Parts of our Duty. It fupplics us with powerful Affiftance for the Performance of our Obedience; Light for our dark Minds, Strength for our weak Refolutions, and Courage for all our Difficulties: And above all, fets before us an exact and perfect Pattern for our Inftruction and Encouragement. Sa that the Chriftian Revelation itself, as well as the external Evidence, proves its Original to be from above. Q. Wherein appears the great Guilt of thofe that reject the Chriftian Revelation? A. In that they refift the utmost Evidence that any Religion is capable of receiving, both from its intrinfic Value, and from that external Atteftation that God has been pleased to give it by Miracles and Prophecies; and, confequently, by this Act of theirs they condemn themselves, because they reject the only Means of their Salvation. Q. What Q. What may we learn from the Christian Revelation in general. A. The infinite Goodness of God, who was pleafed to take the Cafe of miferable fallen Man into Confideration, and to provide fuch a wonderful Remedy as his only-begotten Son, that all that believe in him fhould not perish, but have everlafting Life: The Inexcufableness of Mankind in perifhing in their Folly; after fuch a loud Call to Repentance, after fuch Encouragements to return to their Duty, and fuch plain Discoveries of true Happiness, and of the fureft Methods to obtain it: The Perverseness of Unbelievers, who refift the Force of fuch clear Evidence as the Gofpel received in those miraculous Gifts and Graces, which at this Time were beftowed upon the Apoftles, of which we have all the Affurance that a Matter of that Nature is capable of: The Sufficiency of the ftanding Revelation of the Gofpel: So that fince the Canon of Scripture is fealed, the Neceffity of fupernatural Dreams, Vifions, and Miracles feem to be vacated; and we ought rather to suspect Delufion in them, than Direction from them: The Reasonableness of believing, that in Cafes of Neceffity God may still communicate himself to his Creatures by fupernatural Manifeftations; for though he has tied us up to his written Word, as the perpetual Rule of our Faith and Practice, yet he has no where abridged himself of that Power and Liberty, if at any Time either the Propagation of the Gospel among Infidels, the Want of ordinary Means of Grace, the Word, Sacraments, and Priesthood, the Neceffities of his Church, or fome Part thereof, fhould make it expedient in his Sight. Though he hath prefcribed to us, he hath not limited himself. For the Thankf giving for the De fcent of G.oft. Go The PRAYERS. I. OD, who as at this Time didft teach the Hearts of thy faithful People, by fending to them the Light of thy Holy Spirit; grant me by the fame Spirit to have a right Understanding in all Things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy Comfort, through the Merits of Chrift Jefus our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee in Unity of the fame Spirit, one God, World without End. Amen. II. Tis very meet, right, and my bounden Duty, that I fhould at all Times, and in all Places, give Thanks unto thee, O Lord, holy Father, Almighty the Holy Everlasting God, through Jefus Christ our Lord, according to whofe molt true Promife, the Holy Ghoft came down as at this Time from Heaven, with a fudden great Sound, as it had been a mighty Wind, in the Likenefs of fiery Tongues lighting upon the Apoftles, to teach them and to lead them into all Truth; giving them both the Gift of divers Languages, and alfo Boldnefs, with fervent Zeal, conftantly to preach the Gospel unto all Nations, whereby we have been brought out of Darkness and Error into the clear Light and true Knowledge of thee, and thy Son Jefus Chrift: Therefore with Angels and Archangels, and with all the Company of Heaven I laud and magnify thy glorious Name, evermore praifing thee, and faying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hofts, Heaven and Earth are full of thy Glory. Glory be to thee, O Lord most High. Amen. III, III. MOS OST gracious God, with all Joy and Thank- For an fulness I adore thy infinite Goodnefs, mani- effectual fefted to the Children of Men in the Revelation of the Chrif Belief of tian Reli thy holy Gospel. Bleffed be thy great Love and gion. Compaffion, which took Pity upon us, when by wilful Tranfgreffions, we had loft ourselves, and didft fend thy only-begotten Son into the World, that we might live through him. any I believe, O God, that the bleffed Jefus condefcended to take upon him human Nature, with all the Infirmities and Frailties of it, Sin only excepted. I believe, O God, that he was the great Prophet fent from thee to inftruct us in all the Particulars of our Duty, to give us right Apprehenfions of thy Divine Majefty, and to improve our Natures to the greatest Perfection they were capable of. I believe, O God, that he confirmed his Divine Miffion, by greater Miracles than any other Man ever did, and by Prophecies which lay beyond the Reach of created Understanding, the fulfilling of which convince me beyond Doubt that he was fent by thee. I believe, O God, that thou didft, by a Voice from Heaven, declare him to be thy beloved Son, in whom thou art well pleafed, and that all the Prophecies concerning the Melias were fulfilled in him. I believe, O God, that he fuffered Death upon the Crofs for our Redemption, and made there a full, perfect, and fufficient Sacrifice, Oblation, and Satiffaction for the Sins of the whole World; that he has fatisfied thy Juftice, and made Reconciliation for us. I believe, O God, that he rose from the Dead the third Day, according to his own infallible Prediction, that he converfed forty Days with his Difciples, that in their Sight he afcended up into Heaven, where he fits at thy right Hand, inter |