Selves, before we can Prevent Trembling, under the least Thought of Irreverence towards His Sacred Word. What Miferies then may we not expect to follow the Provocations of thofe Mifcreants, who Dare in their Words and Writings, to Oppofe and Explode it? If the Air fhould become Peftilential, have we not too much reason to think, that Their breathing in it, is a Chief Thing, that hath made it fo?

As the Revelation of God's Will, is the Highest Inftance of his Mercy; fo do the Defpifers of it, and all Thofe who do either Approve and Encourage them, or, do not Deteft and Bewail Their Impieties, provoke him to punifh the Abuse of the Greatest Bleffing, with the Sharpeft Judgments. The Wife and Pious Martyrs Willingly laid down Their Lives in the Defence of the Gofpel; And Our's are Like to fall an Unwilling Sacrifice to the Contempt of it,

2dly, The Impieties of those, who, though they do not throw off All Revealed Religion, do yet contend against the Neceffity of Believing the Great MyᎢ 4

fteries

fteries of it, fuch as the Doctrine of the Trinity, or, the Divine Nature of our Blessed Saviour, Chrift Jefus, God Blessed for ever: Their Impieties do as Properly call for our Abhorrence, as their Perfons do for our Compaffionate and Tender concern for their Salvation. The Abhorrence of their Impieties is as Confistent with the Intire Love of their Perfons, as the Abhorrence of our Own Sins is with the Love of our Selves.

Since the Author of Religion, is likewise the Governour of the World, it must be Reasonable and Juft to expect, that he will rule the Nations with a Rod of Iron, if they refolve to be Obftinate in Denying the Things, which he expreffly Commands them to Believe. God's Difpleafure is Highly provoked by all Open Inftances of Unbelief, and by all the Arguments Devised and Offer'd to fupport it, how Artful or smooth soever they may be; And that Provocation is increased by every man, who does either Approve, and Abett, or, who does not Difapprove. and Deteft them. For, God Judgeth of men by the Inward State of

*

their Minds, as well as by their Outward Actions and Profeffions; and therefore thofe, who, on account of fome Temporal Confideration, do not Openly Declare themselves in Favour of Unbelief, and yet are fo far Friends to it, as not to Difapprove, and, upon all proper occafions, Declare against it, are, in the Judgment of God, reckon'd amongst Unbelievers; For he that is not with me, is against me. They who Sit Still, as Unconcern'd, upon fuch Occafions, may perhaps account their Unconcernedness and their Silence, a Safe and Notable piece of Management; But they would find this a Groundless and a Dangerous Opinion, if they did but fufficiently weigh the force of our Saviour's Declaration; + Whofoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, in this adulterous and finful Generation; of him alfo fhall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his father, with the Holy Angels. Such Texts as These ought to be Continually revolved in the minds of

Matth. xii. 30.

† Matth. x. 38.

Thofe

Thofe Perfons, who are Apt to stand Neuter in a cafe, where Neutrality is Culpable and Pernicious; who are fuch Slaves to their own Fears, and to this adulterous and finful generation, that they will not venture, even to Speak in the Defence of their Lord's Honour, or to fhew any Diflike to the Contumelious and Reproachful, the Violent and Pertinacious Oppofition, which is made to the Great Articles of Faith, by a Race of men, who are fcarce more a Scandal to the Gospel it felf, than to a Countrey, Profeffing the Belief of it.

'Tis High time for us to be Affected with a Due Sense of these Things, when we are in manifeft Danger of being Undone by Them. Let us fearch.the Scriptures and Learn, how Heinous a Sin Unbelief is, and then Impartially confider, if we can yet be Impartial in Any thing, whether it is not to be accounted a Leading Occafion of the Heaviest Punishments that fall upon Mankind. Mankind. Can we Doubt the Malignancy of the Difputers against the Divinity of our Lord, and the other Articles of our Faith, after the Caution

given, by God's Holy Spirit,* against False teachers, who fhall Privily bring in Damnable Herefies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themfelves fwift deftruction.

Wonderful is the Difference of Different mens Difpofitions and Behaviour, under the Profeffion of the Gofpel. At Ephefus, the Sorcerers, upon their Converfion, were fo Pious and Ingenuous, that they brought their books together, and burnt them before all men: Rather than the Records of their Curious Arts, their Sorceries and Incantations, fhould stand in the way of the Gospel, they chose, in Obedience and Honour to the Faith they embraced, to offer them for a Burnt-Offering to the Lord. And fhould it not move our utmost Compaffion to think, that there should be, amongst Us, any Authors or Advocates of Blafphemy and Unbelief, fo Hardy, and fo Tenacious of their Impiety, as Incorrigibly to Perfif in Bewitching the People, and, rather than Burn, or Retract their Curious Books, run

2 Pet. ii. 1.

the