the belief and obedience of it; and though it found the minds of men prepossessed with a contrary religion, and consequently had mighty prejudices to combat before it could come to lay siege to their reason; yet it charged like a thunderbolt through all these obstacles; and with its spiritual artillery battered down all opposition before it, and wrought such strange alterations in the world, that the world scarce knew herself, and stood admiring at her own change: she saw the thronged temples of the heathens unfrequented, the adored gods derided, the celebrated oracles ceased, the wise philosophers puzzled, the enraged magistrates disheartened by the unsuccessfulness of their own cruelties, and all this done by a few despicable and illiterate fishermen. And yet all this had not been so strange, had it won men only to an opinion or a faction: for such chaff will soonest catch small birds, a giddy and a hairbrained multitude: but the wonder of it was, that Christianity converted men from folly and vice to a sublime pitch of virtue and substantial goodness; and of vicious, debauched, and dissolute, made them sober and temperate and righteous; which is so clear an evidence of that extraordinary power and efficacy that accompanied it, that the heathens attributed its successes to the power of magic, as St. Austin hath observed, concluding that it was impossible for it to conquer through so many difficulties without the assistance of some mighty and powerful spirit: and though it doth not now convert men so miraculously as it did at first, but proceedeth in more rational and human methods, by joining in with our understandings, and leading us forward by reason and sobriety, by instructing our faculties in the right perception

of things, and by discovering a fuller evidence and stronger connection of truths; so that whatsoever assistance it now affordeth us, it worketh in the same way and after the same manner as if they were all performed by the strength of our own reason`; yet still there are mighty assistances accompanying all its ministrations, and it is enlivened with a divine power and efficacy: for still those promises are in force, To him that hath shall be given; and, He will give his Spirit to every one that asketh: so that God's grace is wanting to none, but to those that are wanting to themselves: for if we will be so ingenuous as to do what we can, God will be so gracious as to help us to do what we cannot. If therefore we do not do all, it is our own fault, since we may do all through Christ, who will strengthen us, if we do what we can. What therefore may we not do, who are thus armed with divine assistance? What sins are there so strong that we may not mortify? What passions so violent that we may not tame? What habits so inveterate that we may not vanquish, who are thus backed and aided with auxiliaries from above? And thus you see what impenetrable armour the Christian religion is against all the darts and weapons of sin, and how able it is to render us shot-proof and invulnerable against all its temptations.

I come now to the second thing proposed, which is to shew you that Christianity is armour of proof against the evil of misery, that is, against all those cares and fears, those griefs and sorrows, vexations and anxieties, wherewith we are here encompassed on every side and indeed there is nothing in the world can give so much ease unto the minds of men,

the belief and obedience of it; and though it found the minds of men prepossessed with a contrary religion, and consequently had mighty prejudices to combat before it could come to lay siege to their reason; yet it charged like a thunderbolt through all these obstacles; and with its spiritual artillery battered down all opposition before it, and wrought such strange alterations in the world, that the world scarce knew herself, and stood admiring at her own change: she saw the thronged temples of the heathens unfrequented, the adored gods derided, the celebrated oracles ceased, the wise philosophers puzzled, the enraged magistrates disheartened by the unsuccessfulness of their own cruelties, and all this done by a few despicable and illiterate fishermen. And yet all this had not been so strange, had it won men only to an opinion or a faction: for such chaff will soonest catch small birds, a giddy and a hairbrained multitude: but the wonder of it was, that Christianity converted men from folly and vice to a sublime pitch of virtue and substantial goodness; and of vicious, debauched, and dissolute, made them sober and temperate and righteous; which is so clear an evidence of that extraordinary power and efficacy that accompanied it, that the heathens attributed its successes to the power of magic, as St. Austin hath observed, concluding that it was impossible for it to conquer through so many difficulties without the assistance of some mighty and powerful spirit: and though it doth not now convert men so miraculously as it did at first, but proceedeth in more rational and human methods, by joining in with our understandings, and leading us forward by reason and sobriety, by instructing our faculties in the right perception

passion. But wheresoever these brave qualities are wanting, it is impossible a man should be truly courageous: for intemperance, impatience, and diffidence will let in every trouble that assaults us, to spoil and ravage us at pleasure, and expose all the peace and tranquillity of our minds to the mercy of every trifle; so that we shall not be able to abide the shock of any cross accident that encountereth us, but, like cowardly poltrons, shall lie down vanquished at the feet of every trouble that befalleth us. And there is no greater sign of cowardice and weakness of spirit, than an aptness to be discomposed with trifles: for as sick persons are offended at the light of the sun and the freshness of the air, which administer pleasure and recreation to those that are in health, even so persons of weak and pusillanimous spirits are easily offended; their minds are so tender and effeminate, that they cannot bear the least air of trouble without disturbance; and what would be a diversion to a courageous soul grieveth and incommodeth them. But when we are once arrived to a due pitch of patience, temperance, and confidence in God, all the troubles of the world will be but like fleabites to a sleeping lion; and we shall no more be concerned with these little crosses and mischances, than the moon is with the yelping of those whiffling curs that bark at her from below. For true Christian courage is the most heroic of all other for courage is merely brutal, consisting in heats and ferments of the blood and spirits, in which gamecocks and mastives outvie the greatest heroes in the world. But the courage of a Christian is truly rational and manly, founded in religion and true principles of reason, and so is a thousand times more

manageable and useful, than that which ariseth only out of temper and complexion: for this sort of courage is headstrong and unruly, and, like an hotmettled horse, doth oftentimes run away with the rider, and instead of securing us from, carries us headlong into mischief: but true Christian courage is gentle and obsequious to the commands of reason, and upon that account is far more useful in our extremities, and is more applicable to our necessities. Since therefore Christianity inspireth us with such an excellent courage as this, it cannot but render us invincible, and effectually shield us against all the blows of fortune.

Secondly, It armeth us against the miseries of the world, by reconciling us unto God. It is impossible a man should be free from trouble and anxiety of mind whilst he is in a state of enmity with God: for there is grafted within our very natures such a natural awe and dread of a divine power, as doth necessarily alarm all that fear and horror that is within us, whensoever we knowingly provoke that power we so much dread and tremble at; and our conscience being thus in a tumult and uproar will give a sting to all our miseries, and render all our dangers more terrible and amazing; it will represent every cross accident to us as a messenger of God's vengeance, and every little danger as an approaching storm from heaven: and then how must every danger affright, and every misery oppress us, that comes with a commission from that Almighty vengeance which we so naturally dread and tremble at ! How can we but sink, even under our crosses, when we think what a load of wrath there is in them! How can we but quake at our dangers, when