A Preservative Against Deism, Conclusion
The CLOSE.
I Cannot Conclude without making a little Reflection upon what has been ſaid. And,
1. How ſhould we love, and value, and adhere to, the Goſpel of Chriſt, and the Bleſſed Author of ſuch a Revelation! How are Writers eſteemed, who treat of Matters which are of very great Uſe and Service to Mankind, in the things of this Life; And what a Price do Men ſet upon thoſe Books, wherein Difficulties are cleared up, and thoſe profitable Inventions are contained. Now what is there of ſo great Importance, as Pardon of Sin, and Immortal Life, the Doctrine whereof is encumber'd with ſo many Difficulties, which are too hard for Natural Light and Reaſon; but are ſo clearly, plainly, and fully, Solved by the Holy Scriptures? How are Men pleaſed with an exact Deſcription of a Foreign Country, tho' they do not ſo much as dream of dwelling in it, nor have any thoughts or hopes of having ſo much as one Foot of Land there! How then ſhould we value the Goſpel, that gives us ſo full and plain an Account of the Heavenly Country, and how we may be poſſeſſed of all the Glory of it! What an Eſteem have ingenious Men for a Book of Aſtronomy, that gives an Account of the orderly Motions of the Sun, Moon, and Stars! What an happy Invention is that of thoſe Glaſſes, whereby they diſcover ſome leſſer Bodies, which the naked and unaſſiſted Eye is not able to perceive; tho' thereby they have no more Benefit from their Light and Influence, than thoſe who are the moſt ignorant of theſe Affairs. How ſhould we value the Sacred Oracles, which do diſcover the Heavenly State to us, which is not to be known by mere Reaſon; and how we may ſo order our own Motions, as to get above, and out-ſhine any of thoſe glorious Luminaries. Let us adhere to the Bible; for if once we give up that, we are off from our Center, we ſhall find nothing whereon our Soul can reſt, but ſhall be at our Wits-end. Methinks that Courtier ſpoke like a Man of Senſe to the Pagan King Edwin, whilſt he was conſidering whether he had beſt to turn Chriſtian, or no, when he ſaid thus to him: *Bede's Eccleſ. Hiſt. Gentis Angl. l. 2. cap. 13.The preſent Life of Man upon Earth, Sir, if compared with that Time which is to us unknown, ſeems to me to reſemble a little Sparrow; which, while your Majeſty was feaſting within with your Royal Retinue in your warm Parlour, during the roaring of the bluſtering Winds, and the falling of great Quantities of Rain and Snow without, flew in at one Door, and preſently flew out at another. All the time it was in the Houſe, it was well ſhelter'd from Wind and Weather: but as ſoon as it got out into the cold Air, we were altogether as ignorant whither it went, as we were, whence it came. Thus we can give ſome Account of our Soul during its Abode in the Body, while it was houſed and harboured therein: but where it was Before, and how it fares with it Afterwards, is to us altogether unknown. If therefore Paulinus (he was the Chriſtian Biſhop who laboured to Convert thoſe Heathens) by his Preaching can certainly inform us herein, he deſerves, in my Opinion, to be followed. And the King, after he had heard Paulinus's Sermon, ſpoke like an Underſtanding Man, when he ſaid, I have long ago been convinced that the Idols we have Worſhipped were meer Nothings; becauſe the more diligently I have ſought for the Truth in this way of Religion, ſo much the farther was I from finding it. But now I openly profeſs, that by this Preaching, the way of obtaining Eternal Life and Happineſs is clearly laid before us. Whereupon he immediately gave Orders for the Demoliſhing the Heathen Temples and Altars.
2. Let us take heed that we do not fall ſhort of Pardon and Heaven. Sad was the Caſe of that wicked and prophane Lord at Samaria, who barely ſaw the great Plenty with his Eyes, but never taſted of it; he ſtood at the Gate to let in others, but was trampled to Death by the Multitude preſſing in upon him. Much worſe will be our Caſe, if we only hear of the great Proviſion which God has made for us in the other State, and never feed upon it, but be trodden down to Hell in the Crowd of our own unpardoned Sins. It is a double Miſery, to be drowned within ſight of Shore; to miſs of that Pardon, and of that Heaven, that are ſo plainly revealed, and of which we have heard ſo much, and ſo often.
3. Let us clear up our Right and Title to both of them. How long have we remained in Doubts and Fears? and ſhall we always continue in that uneaſy Poſture, like a Door on its Hinges, moving this way and that, but ſtill hanging in the ſame Place where it was many Years ago?
To clear up our Right, 'tis neceſſary that the following Rules be obſerv'd.
(1.) Don't give Way to immoderate Worldly Sorrow. If we be like a Carkaſs that lies under the Weight of that Earth which preſſes upon it, and never ſtirs Hand or Foot to help it ſelf: If we lie down under our Burdens, only mourning, and complaining, and indulging our ſelves in black and gloomy Thoughts; we can never expect that God ſhould help us; eſpecially, if we do worſe than this, if we ſinfully afflict our ſelves, we can't reaſonably hope that God ſhould comfort us, and raiſe up them who madly caſt or bow themſelves down. If with our own Hands we plunge the Dagger into our Breaſt, it would be a Miracle if we did not loſe our Blood and Spirits, faint, and feel a great deal of Pain. They that will chew upon nothing but Wormwood and Gall, and delight in rolling it up and down in their Mouths, are likely to walk in the Bitterneſs of their Souls all their Days.
(2.) Watch againſt the Encroachments of Bodily Melancholy. This naturally diſpoſes a Man to Fears and Jealouſies, is the black Root of many idle but vexatious Scruples and perverſe Cavillings, and will make him refuſe to be comforted, tho' there be ever ſo great Reaſon for it. If a Stander-by convince him of ſome ſaving Work of God on his Soul, and of his Right to Pardon and Eternal Life; yet as ſoon as he is gone, all is undone again: the Melancholy Chriſtian being like a faulty Watch, which may be wound up and go a little, while ones Hand is upon it; but no ſooner is that removed off, but it runs down in an Inſtant, and ſtands ſtill again. When ſuch meet with Worldly Croſſes, (from which none are exempted) it caſts them into deep Fits of Sorrow, which in a Serious Perſon preſently runs into dreadful and amazing Fears about his Soul, and the ſuppoſed miſerable and forlorn State thereof. As Peter, when he was over-ſhadowed with a Bright Cloud; ſo any other of the Diſciples of Chriſt when cover'd with a Black one, Luke 9.33.are apt to ſpeak they know not what, eſpecially againſt themſelves. All proper Natural Means therefore muſt be made uſe of to ſubdue and keep under this evil Humour, which is ſo great an Enemy to a Life both of Grace and Peace.
(3.) Be skilful, diligent, and ſerious in Examining and Obſerving your ſelves. We muſt diſtinctly know the Marks and Characters of thoſe that ſhall be pardoned and ſaved according to the Scriptures. We muſt underſtand how methodically to go to Work, to find whether they are in us or no. We muſt narrowly obſerve the main drift of our Actions, and the ſecret Springs, Ends, and Principles, of all that we do; and deal by our own Hearts, as Learned Men by an Obſcure and Profound Author, or an ill-written and blotted Manuſcript, which they carefully read over again and again, with a very curious and critical Eye, that they may rightly and thoroughly underſtand them. And unleſs we do this, we ſhall never be able to attain to any ſolid and ſtable Comfort.
(4.) Be much in the Exerciſe of Grace, and endeavour daily to grow in it. Grace in the Habit, is like Fire in the Flint or Steel; which is not diſcern'd, but by the Colliſion of one againſt the other with ſome Force and Strength; nor the good Principle in the Heart, but as it ſallies forth into vigorous and lively Exerciſe in the Life. Stir up the ſleepy Habit, blow up the Heavenly Spark into a bright Flame, and thine own Eyes ſhall ſee it, and thy own Soul ſhall feel the warmth of it, and thou wilt be no longer in perplexing Doubts concerning it.
(5.) Laſtly, Be more exact and circumſpect in your Walk.
Bring Matters to an Head, ſee what it is, that is the Cauſe of your Jealouſies and Fears, ſome Sin of Omiſſion or Commiſſion; and deſtroy the Root, as ever you would have no more of this bitter Fruit. If you do theſe things you ſhall no longer ſuffer any dark Eclipſes; or if you ſhould, they will be but ſhort ones, and you will preſently emerge out of them; you will live in Comfort, and die in Peace. You will have no Temptation to cleave to this World, when God calls you away; like green Fruit, that ſticks to that Tree whereon it grows, and muſt be violently plucked and torn thence: But you will depart with great Freedom and Willingneſs, be like Ripe Fruit, that preſently and eaſily Drops from the Tree whereon it does but looſely hang: And an entrance will be adminiſtred to you abundantly into the everlaſting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour.