and is ftill carrying on; these being the pro- SERM. vidential Means of its Progrefs. And it is, I XVI. suppose, the Completion of this Event, which St. John had a Representation of, under the Figure of an Angel fiying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people *. OUR Lord adds in the Text, that this fhould be for a Witness unto them: for an Evidence of their Duty, and an Admonition to perform it. But what would be the Effect, or Success of the general Preaching of the Gofpel, is not here mentioned. And therefore the Prophecy of the Text is not parallel to those others in Scripture, which feem to foretel the glorious Establishment of Christianity in the laft Days: nor does it appear that they are coincident; otherwife than as the former of thefe Events must be fuppofed preparatory to the latter. Nay it is not faid here, that God willeth all men fhould be faved, and come unto the knowledge of the truth † : though this is the Language of Scripture elsewhere. The Text declares no more, than that it was the Appointment of God, in his righteous Rev. xiv. 6. Y 4 † 1 Tim. ii. 4. SERM. righteous Government over the World, that XVI. the Gospel of the Kingdom should be preached for a Witness unto it. THE vifible Conftitution and Course of Nature, the moral Law written in our Hearts, the pofitive Inftitutions of Religion, and even any Memorial of it, are all spoken of in Scripture under this, or the like Denomination: So are the Prophets, Apostles, and our Lord himself. They are all Witnesses, for the moft Part unregarded Witneffes, in Behalf of God, to Mankind. They inform us of his Being and Providence, and of the particular Difpenfation of Religion, which We are under; and continually remind us of them. And they are equally Witnesses of these things, whether we regard them, or not. Thus after a Declaration, that Ezekiel fhould be fent with a divine Meffage to the Children of Ifrael, it is added, and they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious houfe) yet shall kne that there hath been a prophet among them* And our Lord directs the feventy Difciples, upon their Departure from any City which refused to receive them, to declare, Notwithstanding, be you fure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto SERM. you The thing intended in both these Pas- XVI. * sages is, That which is expreffed in the Text by the Word, Witness. And all of them together evidently fuggeft thus much, that the Purposes of Providence are carried on, by the Preaching of the Gospel to those who reject it, as well as to thofe who embrace it. It is indeed true, God willeth that all men should be faved: yet, from the unalterable Conftitution of his Government, the Salvation of every man cannot but depend upon his Behaviour, and therefore cannot but depend upon himfelf; and is neceffarily his own Concern, in a Senfe, in which it cannot be Another's. All this the Scripture declares, in a Manner the most forcible and alarming: Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wife may be profitable unto himself? Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to Him, that thou makeft thy way perfect? If thou be wife, thou shalt be wife for thyself: but if thou forneft, thou alone fhalt bear it. He that heareth, let him bear ; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear. And again, He that hath ears to hear, let *Luke x. 11. Ezek. iii. 27. + Job. xxii. 2, 3. + Prov. ix. 12. SERM. let him bear: But if any man be ignorant, XVI. i. e. wilfully, let him be ignorant *. To the fame Purpose are thofe awful Words of the Angel, in the Perfon of Him, to whom all judgment is committed: He that is unjust, let him be unjust ftill: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy ftill: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous ftill: and he that is holy, let him be holy fill. And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his Work fhall be ‡. The righteous Government of the world must be carried on; and, of Neceffity, men shall remain the Subjects of it, by being Examples of its Mercy, or of its Justice. Life and death are fet before them, and whether they like fhall be given unto them. They are to make their Choice, and abide by it: but which foever their Choice be, the Gospel is equally a Witness to them; and the Purposes of Providence are anfwered by this Witnefs of the Gospel. FROM the foregoing View of things we fhould be reminded, that the fame Reasons which make it our Duty to inftruct the ignorant in the Relation, which the Light of Nature 1 Cor. xiv. 38. † Joh. v. 22. ↑ Rev. xxii. 11, 12. Eccluf. xv. 17. Nature fhews they ftand in to God their SERM. Maker, and in the Obligations of Obedience, XVI. Refignation and Love to him, which arife out of that Relation; make it our Duty likewife to inftruct them in all thofe other Relations, which Revelation informs us of, and in the Obligations of Duty, which arise out of Them. And the Reasons for inftructing Men in both thefe, are of the very fame Kind, as for communicating any useful Knowledge whatever. God, if he had fo pleafed, could indeed miraculoufly have revealed every religious Truth which concerns Mankind, to every individual Man: and fo he could have every common Truth; and thus have fuperfeded all use of human Teaching in Either. Yet he has not done this: but has appointed, that Men fhould be inftructed by the Affiftance of their Fellowcreatures, in Both. Further: though all Knowledge from Reafon is as really from God, as Revelation is: yet this laft is a diftinguished Favour to us, and naturally ftrikes us with the greateft Awe, and carries in it an Affurance, that thofe things which we are informed of by it, are of the utmost Importance to us to be informed of. Revelation therefore, as it demands to be received |