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Go then, and learn of Nature to value thefe great Gifts: Attend to her filent Voice within you: It will fpeak in the Language of the Apoftle, and tell you, This Saying is worthy of all Acceptation, That Chrift Jefus came into the World to fave Sinners.

DISCOURSE

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I THESSALONIANS i. 9, 10. For they themselves fhew of us what Manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from Idols, to ferve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from Heaven, whom he raised from the Dead, even Jefus which delivered us from the Wrath to come.

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N the Verfe before the Text the Apostle tells the Theffalonians, that not only the Word of the Lord had founded out from them in Macedonia and Achaia, but their Faith alfo towards God was spread abroad in every Place; so that there is no Occafion, adds the Apostle, for me to say any thing of the Doctrines deli

vered by me, and received by you: The Thing is well known, and notorious to all the World: They themselves fhew of us what Manner of entering in we had unto you.

It is evident from hence what Notion the World entertained of the Chriftian Religion, and the principal Doctrines of it, in the carliest Days. All who had heard of our Apostle's Teaching knew his Business to be to turn Men from Idols to ferve the living God, to give Evidence of the Refurrection of Chrift Jefus from the Dead, and to establish a certain Expectation of his coming again with Power and Glory to judge the World. This common Report St. Paul allows to be so just and adequate an Account of his Doctrine, as to leave no Room to enlarge or correct it: In every Place your Faith to Godward is spread abroad; fo that we need not to speak any thing.

If we confider this early Account of the Christian Religion, fo univerfally received, and fo well approved by the Apostle, we shall find it to consist of two principal Parts: The first relating to the Service owing to the living God: The fecond to our Faith in Christ, and our Hope and Expectation grounded on that Faith.

Religion,

Religion, confidered under the Notion of a Service we owe to God, can be no other than Natural Religion, or true uncorrupted Deifm. This was the old original Religion of Mankind, but had been fo corrupted and abused, that there was hardly any Sign of it left when our Saviour appeared in the World. However rightly fome few might think, yet they found themselves obliged to follow the World, and practise with the Vulgar. Not many attempted, and none fucceeded in a Reformation of the public Religion. No Antiquity affords an Inftance of any People, great or fmall, who served God upon the Principles of Natural Religion. The only general and effectual Reformation of the World was brought about by the preaching of the Gofpel; which revived and introduced the true antient Religion of Nature, and prepared Men for the Reception of it; and has, by the additional Supports of Revelation, maintained it for many Ages, and probably will maintain it to the End and Confummation of all Things.

These additional Supports make the fecond great Branch of Chriftian Doctrine: They are revived upon the Authority of Revelation,

Revelation, and stand upon the Evidence of external Proofs. That we ought to turn from Idols, and ferve the living God; that we ought to ferve him in Holiness and Purity, in conforming ourselves to the Example of his Juftice, Equity, and Goodness, are Truths which every Man may feel to be fuch, who has any Reason or natural Feeling about him: But that we have been delivered from the Wrath to come by Jefus the Son of God; that God raised him from the Dead, and hath appointed him to be Judge both of the Dead and of the Living, are Articles which no Man's Reason can fuggeft; which, when fuggefted, Reason cannot receive upon any internal Evidence, but must take them upon an Authority fufficiently confirmed and established upon external Evidence.

This Distinction, conftantly attended to, will go a great Way in fhewing us the true Temper and Genius of the Chriftian Religion, and the End proposed by its divine Author. Confider the Gospel in its Precepts and Morality; and is there any Doctrine advanced, any Duty required, but what Reafon must admit and approve, or which it can reject without doing Violence

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