AS to the GLORY, MAGNIFICENCE, and UNIVERSALITY of the MESSIAH'S KINGDOM, which is to be established in RIGHTEOUSNESS and PEACE; his SECOND COMING, and the FINAL JUDGMENT; thefe are fully described both in the Old and New Teftament: to which I muft refer the * Reader.

THUS have I endeavoured to draw a fhort but imperfect Sketch of the FACTS, DOCTRINES, PRECEPTS, PROMISES, THREATNINGS, and PROPHECIES Contained in the Four Gofpels.

I ONCE intended to clofe this INTRODUCTION, with fome Thoughts of my own, concerning the Excellence of the HOLY SCRIPTURES; but finding that this has been fet in fo ftrong and clear a Light, by that most learned Prelate, Bishop Stillingfleet, the fame is here inferted.

See Origines Sacræ, pag. 599.

"WHAT is there which doth more highly CONCERN Men to KNOW, than GOD him"felf? Or what more GLORIOUS and EXCEL"LENT Object could he difcover than him"felf to the World? There is nothing cer"tainly which should more commend the SCRIP

TURES to us, than that thereby we may grow more acquainted with God; that we may "know more of his Nature, and all his Peric fections,

See in this ESSAY, pag. 287, and 363. and in the Harmb ny of the Pfalms, pag. 87. and allo in the Gohelution of the Book of Deuteronomy, pag. 284. in the ABSTRACT of the OLD

TESTAMENT.

fections, and many of the great Reafons of "his Actings in the World.

"IN the SCRIPTURES, we read the most "rich and admirable Discoveries of DrvINE "GOODNESS; and all the Ways and Methods "he ufeth in ALLURING Sinners to himself. "With what MAJESTY he COMMANDS; With " what CONDESCENTION he ENTREATS; with "what IMPORTUNITY he wOES Mens Souls " to be RECONCILED to him; with what FA"VOUR he EMBRACETH; with what TENDER"NESS he CHASTISETH; with what BowELS "he PITIETH thofe who have chofen him to " be their God! With what POWER he sup" PORTETH, with what WISDOM he DIREC"TETH, with what CORDIALS he REFRESH"ETH the Souls of fuch who are DEJECTED "under the Senfe of his DISPLEASURE; " and yet their love is fincere towards him! « With what profound HUMILITY, what Ho"LY BOLDNESS, what becoming DISTANCE, " and yet what reftlefs IMPORTUNITY, do we therein find the Souls of God's People "ADDRESSING themfelves to him in PRAYER! With what CHEARFULNESS do they SERVE him, with what CONFIDENCE do they TRUST « in him, with what RESOLUTION do they AD"HERE to him in all Streights and Difficulties! "With what PATIENCE do they SUBMIT to " his Will in their greatest Extremities! How FEARFUL are they of SINNING against GOD, "how CAREFUL to PLEASE him, how regard"lefs of SUFFERING, when they must choose "either that or SINNING? How little. appre

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"henfive

"henfive of Men's DISPLEASURE, while they enjoy the FAVOUR of God!

"NOW all these Things, which are fo "fully and pathetically expreffed in Scripture, "do abundantly fet forth to us the Exube

rancy of God's GRACE and GOODNESS to"wards his People; which makes them DE"LIGHT so much in him, and be so fenfible of "his DISPLEASURE. But above all other Dif"coveries of God's Goodness, his fending his "Son into the World to DIE for Sinners, is "that which the Scripture fets forth with the "greateft Life and Eloquence!

WAS there ever fo great an EXPRESSION " of Love heard of! Nay, was it poffible to be imagined, that that God, who perfectly "HATES SIN, fhould himself offer the PARDON "of it, and fend his Son into the World to "SECURE it to the Sinner, who doth fo hear

tily REPENT of his SINS, as to Deny himself, "and take up his Crofs, and follow CHRIST: "Well might the Apostle fay, This is a faithful Saying, and worthy of all Acceptation, that Jefus Chrift came into the World to SAVE Sinners.

"AND is not this an inestimable Benefit we enjoy by the SCRIPTURE, that therein we can read and converfe with all these Expref"fions of God's Love and Goodnefs, and that "in his own Language? Shall we admire and

praife what we meet with in Heathen Poets "and Philofophers, and fhall we not adore the "infinite Fulnefs of the SCRIPTURES, which run over with continued Expreflions of that "of a higher Nature?

"NOW

"NOW is not this an ineftimable Advan"tage we enjoy by the SCRIPTURES, that there" in we understand what God himself hath " discovered of his own Nature and Perfec"tions, and of his readiness to pardon Sin up" on those gracious terms of FAITH and RE"PENTANCE; and that which neceffarily fol"lows from these two, hearty and SINCERE "OBEDIENCE?

"THE Scriptures give the most faithful "Representation of the State and Condition " of the Soul of Man.

"THE true Original of all that Disorder "and Discompofure that is in the SOUL of "Man, is only fully and fatisfactorily given us "in the Word of God.

"THE nature and working of this CORRUPTION in Man, had never been fo clearly "manifefted, had not the LAW and WILL of "God been discovered to the World; that is "the Glass whereby we see the secret work

ings of Corruptions of our Natures; that "fets forth the FOLLY of our IMAGINATIONS, "the UNRULINESS of our PASSIONS, the DIS"TEMPERS of our WILLS, and the abundant "DECEITFULNESS of our HEARTS.

"WHAT a great Discovery is this of the "FAITHFULNESS of God to the World, "that he fuffers not Men to undo themselves, " without letting them know of it beforehand, "that they might avoid it! God doth not rejoice in the Mifery and Ruin of his Crea "tures, but fully declares to them what the Confequence and Iffue of their SINFUL PRAC"TICES will be; affures them of a JUDGMENT

to

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"to come, delares his own future SEVERITY "against CONTUMACIOUS SINNERS, that they

might not think themfelves furprifed; and "that if they had known there had been fo "great danger in Sin, they would never have "been fuch Fools, as for the fake of it to run "into ETERNAL MISERY.

"NOW God, to prevent this, with the greatest Plainnefs and Faithfulness, hath "thewed Men the Nature and DANGER of all "their SINS, and asks them beforehand what

they will do in the end thereof; whether they " are able to bear his Wrath, and wrestle with EVERLASTING BURNINGS. If not, he bids "them bethink themfelves of what they have "done already, and REPENT and AMEND their "Lives, left Iniquity prove their ruin, and De"ftruction overtake them; and that without "Remedy.

"NOW if Men have caufe to prize and "value one that tenders their good, and would prevent their RUIN; we have cause exceedingly to prize and value the SCRIPTURES, "which give us the trueft Representation of "the State and Condition of our SOULS.

"

"THE Scripture difcovers to us the only way of PLEASING God, and ENJOYING "his FAVOUR. That clearly reveals the WAY "(which Man might have fought for to all Eternity, without without a particular REVELATION) whereby Sins may be PARDONED, and "whatever we do may be ACCEPTABLE unto "God.

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