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ught I know, and may do many things which would appear true miracles to me, and so might deceive me. And all I have to trust to in this case, is the restraining power of God, that he will not permit the devil so to do. And were it not for this, I doubt not but the devil could take away my life in an instant, or inflict terrible diseases upon me, as upon Job.

And I think this consideration is the strongest motive in the world to keep us in a constant dependence upon God, that we may live in the midst of such powerful enemies as we can by no means resist of ourselves, ar.' are in their power every minute, when God shall withdraw his protection from us.

prophecies exactly fulfilled in him. And till he can do this, he cannot have that evidence . which our Christ has, and he must be a false Christ to me, and all the signs that he can show, will be but lying wonders to any that is truly established in the Christian faith.

But it may be a trial too strong for those careless ones who will not be at the pains to inquire into the grounds of their religion, but take it upon trust, as they do the fashions, and mind not to frame their lives according to it, but are immersed in the world, and the pleasures of it.

(3.) And it will be a just judgment upon these, that they who shut their eyes against all the clear evidences of the Gospel, should be given up to believe a lie. And the reason is given (2 Thess. ii. 12,) because they “had in unrighteousness." They loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

And it is in their power likewise to work signs and wonders to deceive us, if God permit. And herein the great power and good-pleasure ness of God is manifest, that he has never yet permitted the devil to work miracles in opposition to any whom he sent, except where the remedy was at hand, and to show his power the more, as in the case of Moses and the magicians, &c.

And this is farther evident, because God has, at other times, and upon other occasions, suffered the devil to exert his power,-as to make fire descend upon Job's cattle, &c. But here was no cause of religion concerned, nor any truth of God in debate.

De. But your Christ has foretold, (Matt. xxiv. 24,) that false Christs and false prophets shall arise, who shall show great signs and wonders, to deceive, if possible, the very elect. And it is said, (2 Thess. ii. 9,) that there shall be a wicked one, whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders; and it is supposed, (Deut. xiii. 1, &c.) that a false prophet may give a sign or a wonder, to draw men after false gods. Here, then, is sign against sign, and wonder against wonder, and which of these

shall we believe?

Chr. The first, no doubt. For God cannot contradict himself, nor will show signs and wonders in opposition to that Law which he has established by so many signs and wonders. Therefore, in such a case, we must conclude, that God has permitted the Devil to exert his power, as against Moses and Christ, for the trial of our faith, and to show the superior power of God more eminently, in overcoming all the power of the enemy.

But, as I said before, we have a more sure word, that is, proof, than even these miracles exhibited to our outward senses, which is the word of prophecy. Let, then, any false Christ who shall pretend to come hereafter, show such a book as our Bible, which has been so long in the world (the most ancient book now extant) testifying of him, foretelling the time, and all other circumstances of his coming, with his sufferings and death, and all these

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So that I must repeat what I said before that there is a preparation of the heart (as of the ground) to receive the truth. And where the doctrine does not please, no evidence, how clear soever, will be received. God cannot enter, till Mammon be dispossessed. cannot serve these two masters. He who has a clear sight of heaven, cannot value the dull pleasures of this life; and it is impossible that he who is drowned in sense can relish spiritual things. The love of this world is enmity against God. The first sin was a temptation of sense; and the reparation is to open our eyes to the enjoyment of God. Vice clouds this eye, and makes it blind to the only true and eternal pleasure. It is foolishness to such a one.

This, this, Sir, is the remora that keeps men from Christianity. It is not want of evidence, but it is want of consideration. I would not say this to you till I had first gone through all the topics of reason with you, that you might not call it cant. But this is the truth. As David says, "To him that ordereth his conversation aright, will I show the salvation of God." And our Saviour says, "If any man do the will of God, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." And "No man can come unto me, except the Father draw him."

This was the reason why Saint John the Baptist was sent as a forerunner to prepare the way for Christ, by preaching of repentance, to fit men for receiving the Gospel.

And they who repented of their sins upon his preaching, did gladly embrace the doctrine of Christ. But they who would not forsake their sins remained obdurate, though otherwise men of sense and learning. As our Saviour told the priests and elders, (Matt. xxi. 32.) "John came unto you in the way of righteousnes, and ye believed him not; but the publicans and the harlots believed him. And ye,

when ye had seen it, repented not afterwards, that ye might believe him.'

And when Christ sought to prepare them for his doctrine, by telling them that they could not serve God and Mammon, it is said, (Luke, xvi. 14,) "That when the Pharisees, who were covetous, heard these things, they derided him." But he instructed them in the next verse, (if they would have received it) that "what is highly esteemed amongst men, is abomination in the sight of God." And enforced this with the example of the rich man and Lazarus. And said, (Luke, xviii. 25,) "That it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." And (xiv. 33,) that "whosoever he be that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple." Now take this in the largest sense, that he who is not ready and willing to forsake all, as if he hated them, as Christ said, (verse 26,) "If any man come unto me and hate not his father and mother," &c. (that is, when they come in competition with any command of Christ) and take not his cross and follow me, he cannot be my disciple." How few disciples would he have had in this age! Would all his miracles persuade some to this! The world is too hard for heaven with most men!

Here is the cause of infidelity. The love of the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, darken the heart, and, like shutters, keep out the light of heaven. Till they are removed, the light cannot enter; the spirit of purity and holiness will not descend into an heart full of all uncleanness. If we would invite this guest, we must sweep the house and make it clean.

For God is gracious and merciful, long-suf fering, and of great goodness: and those who come to him in sincerity, he will in no wise cast out. Therefore pray in faith, nothing doubting; and what you pray for, according to his will, believe that you receive it, and you shall receive it.

To his grace I commend you.

(9.) And with the fulness of the Gentiles, oh that it would please God to take the veil off the heart of the Jews, and let them see that they have been deceived by many false Messiahs since Christ came; so none whom they expect hereafter, can answer the prophecies of the Messiah (some of which I have named) and therefore no such can be the Messiah who is prophesied of in their own Scriptures.

And let them see and consider how that fatal curse they imprecated upon themselves, "His blood be upon us and on our children," has cleaved unto them, beyond all their former sins, and even repeated idolatry, from which (to show that is not the cause of their present dispersion) they have kept themselves free ever since; and for which their longest captivity was but seventy years, and then prophets were sent to them to comfor them, and assure them of a restoration : but now they have been about seventeen hundred years dispersed over all the earth, without any prophet or prospect of their deliverance; that the whole world might take notice of this before unparalleled judgment, not known to any nation that ever yet was upon the face of the earth! So punished, and so preserved for judgment, and I hope, at last, for a more wonderful mercy! "For, if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? For God hath concluded all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things. To whom be glory for Amen."

But this, too, is of God; for he only can make a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within us. But he has promised to give this wisdom to those who ask it, and lead a godly life. Therefore ask, and you shall have; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. But do it ardently and incessantly, as he that striveth for his soul.ever.

THE END.

A

SHORT AND EASY MET HO D

WITH

THE DEISTS.

BY THE LATE

REV. CHARLES LESLIE, M. A.

WITH

A LETTER FROM THE AUTHOR TO A DEIST, UPON HIS CONVERSION

BY READING HIS BOOK.

PREFACE.

THE "Short and Easy Method with the Deists," originally published in the year 1697, contains a simple and most convincing demonstration of the truth of revelation, and has ever been esteemed an invaluable treatise on the Evidences of Christianity. The reasoning is so short and clear that the meanest capacity, with a little attention, may understand it, and so forcible that no candid mind is able to resist it. The sum of the argument is briefly this :The Christian religion consists of Facts and Doctrines, the one depending on the other; so that, if the facts are true, the doctrines must be true. The truth of a matter of fact may be certainly known if it be attended with certain marks, such as no false fact can possibly have. These marks, as stated by Mr Leslie, are four. It is required, first, That the fact be a sensible fact, such as men's outward senses can judge of; secondly, That it be notorious, performed publicly in the presence of witnesses; thirdly, That there be memorials of it, or monuments and actions kept up in memory of it; fourthly, That such monuments and actions begin with the fact. It is the design of Mr Leslie's book to shew how these four marks do all meet in the facts of Christianity.

The Short and Easy Method is said to have been written at the request of Thomas, first Duke of Leeds, who told Mr Leslie, that although he was a believer in the truth of the Christian religion, he was not satisfied with the common methods of proving it that the argument was long and complicated; so that some had neither leisure nor patience to follow it, and others were not able to comprehend it: that as it was the nature of all truth to be plain and simple, if Christianity were a truth, there must be some short way of shewing it to be so; and he wished Mr Leslie would think of it. Such a hint to such a man, in the space of three days, produced a rough draught of what was afterwards published under the title of “ A Short and Easy Method with the Deists." This he presented to the Duke; who, after perusing it, said to the author, "I thought I was a Christian before, but now I am sure of it."

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