fhall cure again; not by deftroying SATAN, but by deftroying his Works in thee, and in thy Seed. Nor can this be, but by fulfilling that (which in thee was wanting) Obedience to the Law of GoD, impofed on Penalty of DEATH; and by fuffering DEATH, which is the Penalty due to thy Tranfgreffion, and due to all them that fhall proceed from thee: It is by this only, that high Juftice can be fully fatisfied. He fhall exactly fulfill the Law of GOD, both by Obedience and by Love; though Love alone is the fulfilling of the Law: He fhall undergo thy Punishment, by coming in the Flesh to a reproachful Life, and to a curfed Death; proclaiming Life to all thofe, who fhall believe in his Redemption; and that his Obedience is imputed to them, becoming theirs by Faith, that they are faved by his Merits, and not their own Works, though they may keep the moral Law. For this he fhall live hated, be blafphemed, feized on by Force, have Judgment paffed on him, and be condemned to a fhameful and ignominious DEATH; be nailed to a Crofs by his own Nation, and flain for having been fo gracious as to bring Life: But with him are crucified thy Enemies, that is, the Law that is against thee, and the Sins of all MANKIND; which never more fhall do them Hurt, who righteously put their Trust in this his Satisfaction. So he dies, but foon rifes again from the Dead: He fhall not remain long under the Power of DEATH; before the Morning of the third Day, he fhall be feen to rife out of his Grave, bright as the Light of Day; having paid the Ranfom which redeems MANKIND from DEATH; his Death for MAN, to as many as don't neglect the Offer of Life, and will embrace the Benefit of Faith accompanied by Works. This godlike Act repeals thy Doom, the Death thou fhouldest have died; having through Sin, loft and forfeited Life for ever : This Act fhall bruise the Head of SATAN, crufh his Strength, by defeating SIN and DEATH, the two

main Inftruments of his Power; and fix their Stings far deeper into his Head, than temporal DEATH fhall bruise the Conqueror's Heel, or theirs whom he redeems: How little will that be to fuffer? A Death like Sleep! a gentle and fafe Paffage to a glorious and immortal Life! Nor will the REDEEMER after his Refurrection ftay longer upon Earth, than to appear certain Times to his Difciples; MEN, who in his Life-time continued to follow him: To them he shall leave in Charge, to teach all Nations what they had learnt of him and his Salvation; baptizing all them who fhall believe, with Water, to be as a Sign of washing them from the Guilt of Sin to pure Life, and prepare their Minds for Death; even fuch Death (if it fhould fo happen) as the REDEEMER himself had died. They fhall teach all Nations; for, from that Day forward, Salvation fhall not be preached only to the Sons of ABRAHAM, but to the Sons of ABR AHAM's Faith, wherever they may be difperfed throughout the whole World; fo, in his Seed fhall all Nati ons be bleffed: Then he fhall afcend with Victory up to the Heaven of Heavens, triumphing through the Air over his Foes and thine: There he fhall furprize the Serpent, the Prince of the Power of the Air, drag him in Chains through all his Region, and leave him there confounded: Then enter into Glory, and take his Seat again at the Right-hand of GoD, honoured and exalted above all Names in Heaven; and thence, when the Time fhall be for the Diffolution of the World, he fhall come with Glory and Power ta judge both the Quick and the Dead; to condemn the Unfaithful, but to reward the Faithful, and receive them into Blifs, whether in Heaven or Earth, for then the Earth fhall be all a PARADISE, a far happier Place than this of EDEN, and where there fhall be tar happier Days

to

CHAP

CHA P. II.

Adam recomforted, defcends the Hill with Mi

T

chael.

HUS fpoke the Arch-Angel MICHAEL; then paused, as at the great Period of the World; and our firft Father ADAM, quite full of Joy and Wonder, replied thus :

O INFINITE, and inmenfe Goodnefs! that fhall produce all this Good out of Evil, and turn Evil to Good! more wonderful than that Power, which by Creation first brought Light out of Darkness! I ftand full of Doubt, whether I fhould now repent of the Sin done and occafioned by me; or much rather, if I fhould not rejoice, that thereof fhall fpring much more Good; more Glory to GOD, more Good-will to MEN from GOD, and Grace fhall abound and overcome Wrath. But tell me, if our REDEEMER afcends again up into Heaven, what will become of his few faithful ones, left among the unfaithful Crowd, who are the Enemies of Truth? Who fhall then guide his People? Who fhall defend them? Will they not deal worfe with his Followers, than they did with him?

THAT (faid the Angel) they will certainly do; but he will fend from Heaven, to thofe who are his, another Comforter, as was promifed by the FATHER; who shall dwell in Spirit within them, and write upon their Hearts the Laws of Faith working through Love, to guide them in all Truth; and also arm them with ipiritual Armour, able to refift the Affaults of SATAN, and to quench his fiery Darts; making them not afraid of what MEN can do againft them, though it should be Perfecution to Death; being recompenfed

compenfed for fuffering fuch Cruelties, with inward Confolation, and oftentimes fhall be supported fo, as will amaze their proudest Perfecutors; for the SPIRIT, which firft he will pour forth upon his Apostles, (whom he fends with the glad Tidings of the Gospel to all Nations, and then upon all thofe who are baptized) shall endue them with wonderous Gifts; tofpeak all Tongues, and do Miracles, as their LORD had done before them. Thus they gain over great Numbers of each Nation, joyfully to receive the News of Salvation brought from Heaven: At length, they having performed their Miniftry well, and run well the Race that was fet before them, writing their Doctrines and the Actions that they did, to ferve for Edification, they fhall in Time die: But in their Room, as they themselves forewarn, grievous Wolves (d), fhall fucceed for Teachers, who fhall turn all the facred Mysteries of Heaven to their own vile Advantages of Lucre and Ambition, and taint the Truth (which, though left pure in those written Records, is not to be understood but by the SPIRIT) with Superftition and Traditions. Then they shall feek to aggrandize themfelves with Names, Places, and Titles; and with thefe to join fecular Power, though ftill feigning to act by spiritual; affuming to themselves only the Spirit of GOD, which is promifed and given alike to all Believers: And, from that Pretence, fhall force upon every Confcience fpiritual Laws, by carnal Power; Laws! which none fhall find written in the Law of GoD, nor engraved by his Spirit within upon the Heart.

(d) Wolves; Sax. Dut. Teut. Gr. i. e. Pernicious, lying bid, or white; because Wolves are fierce, ravenous Beafts of Prey, that foon grow white; from the Heb. Lakach, i. e. To ravifh, or fnatch away violently. Here, falfe Chrifls, falfe Apoftles,

What will they do,

which foon appeared, even in the Days of the Apostles: did then, and have done much Mischief fince to the Church in all Ages; by devouring the Souls, Bodies, and Substance of Men, by their pernicious Cruelties; as Wolves deftroy their Prey. Fff

then

then, but force the Spirit of Grace itself, and bind up Liberty, which is infeparable from it? What, but deftroy GoD's living Temples by Martyrdom, built to stand by Faith, that is by their own Faith, and not another's? (for who can we admit to be infallible upon Earth, against our own Faith and Confcience?) Yet many will take upon them, and prefume to give Law to others Faith; whence heavy Perfecutions (e) fhall arife upon all, who perfevere in the Worship of GOD in Spirit and in Truth: The reft, which will be far the greater Part, will think Religion fatisfied, in the Performance of outward Ceremonies and fpecious Forms: Truth fhall retire, ftruck with Reproach and many Slanders, and Works of Faith be very feldom found among MEN. So fhall the World go on, groaning under its Burthen, and good MEN fhall be oppreffed and perfecuted, while bad MEN flourish; 'till the Day come, when juft MEN fhall reft from their Labours and Sufferings, and the Wicked shall be awaked to Vengeance; at the Return of HIM, who is to be the Seed of the WOMAN, fo lately promised to be given to thy Affiftance; then foretold obfcurely, but now more fully known to be thy SA VIOUR and thy LORD; who at laft fhall come down from Heaven, in the Glory of the FATHER, to dif folve the perverted World, and totally to fubdue the Devil: Then, after the Conflagration, the whole