authority, that divine truth hath over the minds and confciences of men. This I take for the certaineft matter of experience: all things are according to the difpofition of the receiver; one man will interpret into a courtesy that which another turns into an injury. According as men are in preparation and difpofition of mind, fo will things be entertained that are offered to confideration, and proposed. But truth if it doth appear, if it be represented and fairly propofed; it will find entertainment in a man's mind; if a man's mind be not by contrary indifpofition made in an incapacity. Truth is the foul's health and ftrength, natural and true perfection. Truth if it be fairly proposed, it will find entertainment in a man's mind, if a man's mind be not by indisposition made incapable: and that for two reafons. 1. Because of it's descent from God. The foul and truth have both one father therefore he is called the father of Spirits, Heb. xii. 9. and the God of truth, Pfal. xxxi. 5. He teaches the mind of man knowledge. The infpiration of the almighty gives underftanding. 2. Because of the relation that truth hath to a man's foul. Truth is a-kin to man's mind, fo that you may fay, as Adam did of Eve, thou art bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh, Gen. ii. 23. So faith the mind of man of truth. Thou art near of kin to me; or as increated wisdom fpeaks to God, fo truth fpeaks the fame language to man's foul, I was with thee as one brought up with thee, I was daily thy delight, Prov. viii. 30. Truth is fo near to the foul; fo much the very image and form of it; that it may be faid of truth; that as the foul is by deVOL. III.

B

rivation

rivation from God fo truth by communication. No fooner doth the truth of God come into the foul's fight, but the foul knows her to be her firft and old acquaintance which tho' they have been by fome accident unhappily parted a great while yet having now thro' the divine providence happy met, they greet one another and renew their acquaintance as thofe that were first and ancient friends If truth doth but appear, the foul refigns up it felf to it; nothing is more natural to man's foul than to receive truth from any perfon.

This you may obferve, confidering the words as they refer to the fpeakers. Take either of these accounts, take them in what confideration you will, we may conclude thus from what these men fay that the doctrine of Chrift comes with great evidence and affurance of truth. For these they were moft probably persons either prejudiced already; or mere ftrangers, yet these men, who expected not, are overpowered and convinced, and forced to make this acknowledgment; never man fpake like this man.

II. But I will not lay the stress of my argument upon the credit of those who spake these words, for they were I know not whom; and I will make no more advantage than I will give to the devil himfelf, who is related to speak many things that are reported in fcripture: but I will found my argument on the quality of the matter. Yet it is confiderable that they who are either engaged in the contrary party, are declared enemies, and have a contrary interest, or strangers; that even they are overborn, and fo far fubdued, as to make an ac knowledgment.

There

There are among us, perfons that are sensual and outright brutish; that put off human nature, and discharge themselves of principles of reafon and understanding. I think no man doubts of this. It feems to be evident and undeniable, yea they themfelves are felf-condemned in what they do: and men that do diftemper themselves and put themselves out of the use of their reason; when they do recover; they wish they could do otherwise.

But then, there are those that pretend to dispute against Deity, and under excuse of reason pretend to be atheists. These make a great bluster and noise in the world, and undertake to defend themselves with fhew and colour of reafon and argument.

And again: there are thofe who will admit of principles of reason to the full, and all the immediate neceflary refults and unavoidable deductions from it; and yet they stick at revealed truth; pretending want of evidence and a failure in point of affurance, and of infallible conviction and confirmation, these men avoid atheism; but stick in infidelity.Now with him that pretends to atheism, or who if he doth acknowledge Deity, is an infidel and sticks at revealed truth; these two last I will deal with, from this fcripture; for as for the firft fort, they being felf-condemned are easily convinc'd. Now the doctrine of Chrift comprehends two forts of things.

1. It doth reinforce and further acknowledge the indubitable principles of God's creation. Thus it comprehendeth all moral notices; all piety to God,

B 2

good

good government in man's own person, and all equitable dealing with men.

2. Or else it doth confift of pardon of fin and recovery; and upon what terms we are reconcileable to God. Truth is of a different emanation, for I cannot diftinguifh truth in itself; but in way of defcent to us ;) truth either of firft infcription, or of after-revelation from God.

Concerning the former; nothing is more knowáble than the great inftances of natural truth, viz. to do justly, to love mercy and walk humbly with God; Mic. v. 8. to live godly, righteously and foberly in this prefent world, Tit. ii. 12. The truth of firft infcription is connatural to man, it is the light of God's creation, and it flows from the principles of which man doth confift, in his very firft make. This is the foul's complexion.

Concerning the latter: nothing more credible and worthy of belief than the great matters of faith; viz. pardon of fin in and thro' Christ, upon our repentance and faith in him. The truth of after-revelation is the foul's cure, the remedy for the mind's eafe and relief. The great expectation of souls, is the promife of God's Meffiah. They wait for the confolation of Ifrael. For this hath been the state of the world: man in degeneracy and apoftacy difabled himself, prejudiced his intereft in God: losing his intereft by his degeneracy and apoftacy, he is in hope and expectation of fome revelation from God, concerning terms of reconciliation and recovery; and when these did appear, then was it faid; Lord, now letteft thou thy fervant depart in peace.

Here

Here comes truth of after-revelation for the recovery of man, when he was apoftatiz'd from the truth of first infcription.

The former of thefe, is of things neceffary in themselves, in their nature and quality; fo, immutable and indifpenfable. The latter is the voluntary refults and determinations of the divine will. Things that are of an immutable and indifpenfable nature, we have knowledge of them by the light of firft impreffion. The voluntary results of the divine will we have by revelation from God. Man's obfervance of God in all inftances of morality; these are truths of firft infcription, Now thefe are abundantly knowable if we confider ourselves; thefe have a deeper foundation, greater ground for them, than that God gave the law on mount Sinai; or that he did after engrave it on tables of stone ; or that we find the ten commandments in the bible. For God made man to them, and did write them upon the heart of man before he did declare them upon mount Sinai, before he engraved them upon the tables of stone, or before they were writ in our bibles; God made man to them, and wrought his law upon mens hearts; and as it were, interwove it into the principles of our reafon; and the things thereof are the very sense of man's foul, and the image of his mind: fo that a man doth undo his own being, departs from himself, and unmakes himfelf, confounds his own principles, when he is difobedient and unconformable to them; and must neceffarily be felf-condemned.The law externally given was to revive, awaken man, after his