Morality, come, when delivered by a Perfon of fo Divine a Character, the only begotten of the Father, full of Grace and Truth, who was perfectly acquainted with the Divine Will, than if the fame Things had been taught by a Socrates, a Plato, an Ariftotle, or Zeno? For upon what Foundation could their Sentiments have been urged, as Laws upon Mankind? Or what Obligations would Men have thought themselves under to reverence and fubmit to their Decifions, as of Divine Authority? They would only have been looked upon at the best as the probable Opinions of this or that Philofopher or Moralist, who might be mistaken, and were often contradicted by others that pretended to be no less learned and knowing than they.

And, as it is of great Importance to us to know the Laws of God concerning our Duty, fo it no lefs concerneth us to be made acquainted with the most effectual Motives to engage our Obedience to those Laws; to which there is often a strange Averfion in our Hearts, through the Power of Temptation, and the Influence of corrupt Appetites and Paffions, and carnal worldly Interefts. The strongest Motives, and the most proper to make an Impreffion on the Generality of Mankind, are those that are drawn from the Rewards and Punishments

Punishments that fhall be difpenfed by God, according to Mens' Obedience or Difobedience to thofe Laws; concerning which, and their Nature, Kinds, and Duration, the moft learned Perfons, if left merely to their own unaffifted Reason, could fcarce advance any Thing that may be certainly depended upon, and that is capable of fatisfying the Mind. But who fo fit to reveal thefe Things to us as the Son of God, whom he hath appointed to be our Judge, the immediate Dispenser of thofe Rewards and Punishments? To be affured, by fo glorious a Perfon, of the Refurrection of the Dead, of a future general Judgment, and the important Retributions of an unfeen, eternal World, must needs have an amazing Force and Influence to engage us to a Life of holy Obedience.

Again, it is of great Importance to us to know upon what Terms God will receive his offending Creatures. Whether and how far he will accept of their Repentance, or what farther Reparation he think fit to infist upon may for vindicating the Authority of his Laws, and answering the great Ends of his Government. Whether he will pardon all their Sins, however numerous or aggravated, if fincerely repented of, or only thofe of a lefs

heinous

heinous Nature, and which had not been long and obftinately perfifted in. Whether, if he shall extend his Mercy to the greatest Sinners upon their Repentance, this is only to be understood of their being freed from the dreadful Penalties they had incurred, or at leaft having those Punishments greatly mitigated, or also of their being fully reftored to his Love and Favour; and, finally, how far he will think fit to reward the fincere, though imperfect, Obedience, they may render to him in the following Part of their Lives. There are many Things here which the wifeft Men, if left to themfelves, cannot pretend to decide with Certainty, and concerning which many Doubts will be apt to arife to the anxious Mind, when awakened to a Senfe of it's own Guilt. But how comforting is it to be affured, that God hath fent his own Son into the World, a Perfon of such infinite Dignity, and fo perfectly acquainted with his Will and Counfels, to open to us the glorious Defigns of his Wisdom and Grace for the Salvation of finful Men, and to declare the Terms upon which he is willing to reftore them to his Favour! That by him he hath been graciously pleased to give the most exprefs Affurances that he will grant a plenary Remiffion of all their Sins to all that reVOL. IV. turn

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turn to him by a fincere Repentance, how great foever their past Offences may been; but that he will inveft them with the most glorious Privileges, he will give them his Holy Spirit to affift, guide, and comfort them; he will raise their dead Bodies from the Grave, and even bestow upon them eternal Glory and Felicity in a better World as the Reward of their fincere, though imperfect, Obedience in this; a greater Reward than they could have challenged as ftrictly due to them, even though they had perfectly obeyed. To have all these Things clearly revealed to us by the Son of God himself, sent from the Father's Bofom for that Purpose, and constituted by him the Mediator or grand Inftrument in the Reconciliation and Salvation of loft Sinners, must certainly, if duly attended to, have a wonderful Effect; infinitely fuperior to what these Things would have had, if built only on the Opinions and Conjectures of fallible uninfpired Men; yea, and fuperior to the Influence they would have had, if brought to us by an inferior Meffenger, though truly fent from God.

Accordingly this Dignity and Authority of our Lord Jefus Christ is infifted upon in the Sacred Writings, as what giveth a peculiar Force and Weight to the evange

lical Difpenfation. Thus the Sacred Writer to the Hebrews begins his Epistle with obferving, That God who at fundry Times, and in divers Manners, fpake in Time paft unto the Fathers by the Prophets, hath in thefe laft Days Spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed Heir of all Things, by whom alfo he made the Worlds: Who, being the Brightness of his Glory, and the exprefs Image of his Perfon, and upholding all Things by the Word of his Power, when be bad by himself purged our Sins, fat down on the right Hand of the Majefty on High. Heb. i. 1, 2, 3. And fo he goes on to fhew his excellent Dignity and Pre-eminence, even above the highest Angels, the moft glorious Order of created Beings, and draws this Inference from it, If the Word spoken by Angels (i. e. the Law which was delivered by the Miniftry of Angels) was stedfaft, and every Tranfgreffion and Difobedience received a juft Recompence of Reward, How Shall we efcape, if we neglect fo great Salvation, which at the first began to be Spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him. Heb. ii. 2, 3. So the Apostle Peter, in his Difcourfe to Cornelius, fpeaking of the Word which God fent unto the Children of Ifrael, preaching Peace by Jefus Chrift, adds, be is Lord of all. Acts x. 36. John the D 2

Baptift,