things commended here in this Parable to our faith are things future, it may be unreasonable to expect an ocular demonftration of them. All therefore that they require is fufficient evidence, or fuch a teftimony as is credible. This they pretend is yet wanting, and one from the dead, might it be obtained, would fatisfy them, and nothing lefs will do it.

How little reason we have to believe, that such a Teftimony as this would win belief among this incredulous fort of People, we fhall fee hereafter, when we come to Abraham's Anfwer. In the mean time let us take into our confideration a few things, which being well weighed, let us refolve to choofe as wifely as we can for our felves, and as reafon directs us to do in other cafes; and I am confident it will appear, that we need no more testifying to the truth, than already we have; nor can, with reafon, demand it.

First, Let us confider what was before said, That the things propounded to our faith, are things of the weightieft moment, whereof we cannot, with any fafety, be ignorant, and the belief or disbelief whereof are of eternal Concernment. All comes to this, What fhall become of us when we die? For die we must, and if there be any thing after death, for, or against, which we are whilst we live to prepare our felves, nothing can more concern us than to understand it. If it fhould please God that we die this Night, can we be unconcern'd, whether we fhall be happy, or miserable, in Joy or in Torment to morrow, or whether we fhall be infenfible of any thing for ever? Can any thing in the World now fo much concern us, as to be informed what we shall be eternally when we go hence.

Secondly,

Secondly, That as greatly as we are concern'd to understand this, yet, feeing it is a thing to come, and wholly in God's ordering, we cannot poflibly understand it any other way than by Divine Revelation. For God alone can tell us what he will do with us, or what he hath prepar'd for us; none but He can reveal unto us things to come, and things which depend altogether on his own Will and Determination. Yet,

Thirdly, Such is the nature of God, and the nature of Man too, that when both are well confidered, it appears very agreeable to both, and therefore is most probable, even tho' we had never had any fuch Revelation of it as now we have, that there fhall be Rewards and Punishments for Men after Death, which they fhall receive accordingly as they did behave themselves in this World. And therefore this hath been the general belief of Mankind, as was faid before.

Laftly, Seeing then we have now in our Hands a Book, which is faid to be written by thofe, who fpake as they were infpir'd by the Holy Ghoft, the Spirit of Truth; and theref God hath made known to us all that, which may make us wife unto Salvation, thro' Faith, which is Chrift JESUS; and feeing that moft things herein reveal'd unto us are fuch as appear agreeable to our own natural Sentiments of Good and Evil; and this Revelation hath been fo well confirm'd and attested to, that wherefoever it has come, the most learned and civiliz'd parts of the World have been convinc'd of the Truth of it; and the beft Men have rather chofen to die, than to part with it. I would fain now know why this thould not be enough to perfuade any rational Man to believe, what if it be true, and he believe it not,

he

he muft certainly be tormented for evermore, and what tho' it were false, could do him no more hurt by his believing it, than the lofs of fome few brutish Pleafures for a very short Life on Earth amounts to. I hope every one will have the wit to judge it better for him, and a much wifer courfe to fecure himself, and be safe at least from torments to all eternity; than to be merry only for a few days in this World, when after all his utmost care and endeavours, he cannot affure himself he fhall be fo any one day of his fhort Life. What need then can there be of fending one from the Dead to teftifie unto reasonable Men, that it is beft for them to take as much care of, and to provide as well for themselves, as 'tis poffible for them to do? And may we not all do this, by living as we fuppofe we should Live, had we fuch a Dead Man's Testimony? Yeà, are we not Fools if we do it not? Muft one come from the Dead, to teach us fo much wisdom as to do the best we can for our own fafety? But of this Teftimony of one from the dead, we shall hear again anon e're we have done with Abraham's Anfwer to this Requeft. Which let us now confider.

LUKE 16. V. 29.

Abraham faid unto him, They have Mofes, and the Prophets; let them hear them.

TH

He only proper means to bring Men out of all danger of Hell, and into the sure way to Heaven, is to hearken to, and obey the Word of God. The Rich-man in Hell would have had Lazarus sent to convince his Brethren by his Teftimony. But Abraham would not be perfuaded to take that course. They have, (faith he ) other means to make use of for their Conviction, fuch as God hath thought good to give them; they bave Mofes and the Prophets. Thefe have already by God's order, and in his Name, teftified unto them. If thy Brethren be not convinced, it is becaule they will not bear them. Whatever want of Evidence thou mayft pretend, or they complain of, it is without caufe. They have Mofes, that is, the Law which God by Mofes gave them, with fuch Demonftrations of the Divine Prefence and Authority, as never any Law befides was given. They have the Prophets, that is, the Books and Doctrine of thofe holy Men, whom God from time to time, as there was occafion either of Encouragement, Correction, Warning, or better Information, fent into the World, with Authority to interpret that Law, and refolve all Doubts a

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bout it. These are Witnefes beyond all Exception; Men, who by the holiness of their Lives, by their Courage and Patience, by many wonderful Works, and by the manifeft truth of their Predictions, have left you all without excufe. They have all that God, who best knows what's fit for Men, hath, in much Wisdom and Goodness, provided for their Conviction and Converfion. And Men must not expect, that God should be at their command, and minifter just as they would have him to their Humours and Phant'fies. It is enough, that He hath graciously provided for all their Needs. They need no more to convince them, than what they have in the holy Scriptures of Mofes and the Prophets, let them but bear, and like Men of Senfe and Reason, confider what they hear from God by them, and they will be asham'd to call for one from the Dead to teftify unto them.

In this part of Abraham's Anfwer we may learn thus much.

First, That the Scriptures of the Old Testament, are confirm'd by the Teftimony of thofe of the New one.. If therefore we can find fufficient reason to believe the Scripture of the New Tefta ment to have Divine Authority, we have also the fame reafon to believe as much of the Scripture of the Old Testament. Nay, we cannot believe the New, and disbelieve the Old, because the New bears witnefs of the Old. The Writings of the Evangelifts and Apostles teftify of the Writings of Mofes and the Prophets.

It is true, indeed, That the Scriptures of the Old Teftament are in many things out of date to us Chriftians, and, indeed, to all the World; but till they contain, never the lefs for that, Divine Truth. And tho' they do not now oblige Men

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