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A short and wonderful ACCOUNT OF THE Conversion of Three Jewish Children to Christianity. BERLIN, Aug. the 10th. 1716.
ABOUT three Weeks ago, three young Jewish Girls, whose Names were Sprintz, Guttel, and Esther, Daughters of Isaac Veits and Sophia Mos;es, Jews, came to the House of Mr. Kahman a Lutheran Minister of St. Mary's Church in Berlin. The eldest of 'em was Twelve Years old; (tho' the Mother gives out she is but Nine:) The youngest was Eight, or, as the Mother pretends, but Six.
[Page 4]These Children desir'd to speak with the Minister: As soon as he appeared, the eldest address'd her self to him first, and said: She with her two Sisters were come to request his Protection and Instruction; for that they had a great Desire to embrace the Christian Religion, whereby they likewise might have Part in Jesus of Nazareth, the true God, who dyed for them, as well as for the rest of Mankind; adding, That the sincere and unfeigned Love to this crucified God, constrained them hereto; and that they could not possibly live any longer with their Parents.
Mr· Kahman, the Minister, was much surprized at what he heard, and began to think they had, perhaps, met with some severe Usage at Home, which occasioned their speaking to him in this Manner: Wherefore he advis'd them to Return home again, and be hereafter more Obedient to their Parents. But all three flung themselves down at his Feet, begging and intreating him, in the Name of JESƲS, whom they loved and adored, to receive them; declaring withal, That nothing in this World had moved them to forsake [Page 5] their Parents House, but the sole View of becoming Christ's chosen Ones, and to belong to Him alone; and that, Let Things go how they would with them, they were fully resolv'd rather to dye, than to leave their Jesus. Whereupon the Minister took them into his House.
The Parents having searched up and down for their Children a considerable Time in vain, came to hear at last they were at Mr. Kahman's; to whom they went, and demanded their Children of him: He reply'd, he had sent already an Account of the Case of these Children to his Majesty the King of Prussia; and that it did not lie in his Power to deliver up the Children to them against their own Inclinations: However, he promised to say nothing to the Children▪ till he received Orders from his Majesty concerning them.
As soon as the King had received the Account, he appointed certain Commissioners, two of the Reformed, and two of the Lutheran Perswasion, viz. the Reverend Dr. Jablonski, Mr. Achenbach, Possard and Thering, with strict Orders, to make [Page 6] an exact Enquiry into this Matter; and particularly to consider, whether these Children might be taken into his Majesty's Protection, in order to be brought up in the Christian Religion, against their Parents Consent, without infringing the Power that Parents have over their Children, grounded on divine and humane Right.
Hereupon the Commissioners ordered the Children to be brought before them, and appointed the Parents, in the mean while, to go into another Room adjoining, where they might hear the whole Examination. Then they took the Children, and examined them one after another; who all, as with one Voice declared, They would not return to their Parents again, but would be made Christians, and Children of Eternal Salvation.
It appear'd, they could already say the Lord's-Prayer by Heart, as also several Texts out of the New Testament, with several Hymns: The youngest could also repeat the Articles of the Christian Faith: All which, they said, they had learnt whilst they were at Play with Christian [Page 7] Children. These they rehearsed with a wonderful Devotion; most solemnly protesting, that they would never live nor die otherwise than Christians.
In order to try their Sincerity, the Reverend Persons entrusted with this Matter, omitted nothing to represent the Life of a Christian as Ʋneasy and Troublesome as possibly they could: However, after having done this, and layed before them, on the one Side, how they would be despised and forsaken, even among the Christians themselves, and be forced to work hard for their Livelihood: They replied, That they would work till the very Blood spurted out from their Nails, provided they might be made Children of Eternal Salvation; [and that] though they should not be happy in this World, they hoped to be so in the next. And when it was represented to them, on the other Side, how easily and comfortably they might live among the Jews; and that their Father had made fine Cloaths for them, &c. they reply'd, They did not value that at all; the Cloaths must remain in the World; they would be Children of Salvation, [Page 8] and not return to their Parents again.
After this, the Parents were call'd in, and the Children being placed before them, they began to speak to them with abundance of Tenderness and Compassion; they fell upon their Necks, kiss'd their very Hands and Feet, and melted away into Tears.
The Children, not a little amazed hereat, declar'd with many Tears, they would become Christians, and not return to their Parents. The middlemost, in particular, as she was very much pressed by her Mother to go Home with her, answer'd: No! But you, Mother, ought rather to become a Christian also. They sought then to hide themselves behind the Ministers, who feigned to turn them off, saying: ‘They did very ill to forsake their Parents, who had such a tender Love for them, who would make them many fine Presents, and had brought some along with them: That, on the contrary, they were to expect among Christians nothing but Crosses and Afflictions; they would hardly get enough to satisfy their Hunger; but, [Page 9] in a Word, would be very Miserable.’
The Parents being retir'd, and the Children once more earnestly entreated to return Home with them, but to no purpose; it was at last proposed, to them, That provided their Parents would also turn Christians, whether then they would be content to go along with them? To which they, with an uncommon Constancy and Satisfaction, immediately answer'd: That if their Parents would but become Christians too, they should be their Parents still, and then they would go back with them, and endure with them any Hardship or Tribulation; otherwise they would never return; for that they loved Jesus above all other Views, and would, with the highest Joy imaginable, take his Cross upon them, and follow him; saying, They might if they pleased, put them into a Spin-House, where they would be heartily willing to Labour: To which the youngest further added: If you will give me nothing, let me die of Hunger, or cut off my very Head; for I had rather lose my Life, than be separated from my dearest [Page 10] Jesus, who dy'd for me; and if you refuse to take me, he is always ready to receive me into his Arms. I will live and die with Him.
'Tis certain, that no Person present could forbear Weeping at the Firmness of these Children, whose Speech was as sound, as it was artless; particularly Dr. Jablonski, who has a deeper Knowledge in the Jewish Religion than most others.
At last, their Parents were permitted to discourse with 'em alone, which they did for several Hours together; but the Children expressing all along the same Resolution, and prostrating themselves at last at the Feet of the Commissioners, they bid farewel to their Parents, that they might remain to Jesus alone, and said: That nothing had brought them thither but the Love of Jesus, and no manner of Reason should be powerful enough ever to divide them from Him, &c.
An Account of all this has been sent to his Prussian Majesty, whose Answer is daily expected. In the mean Time, the Commissioners have proposed, that these Children might be instructed publickly [Page 11] in the Church; and when they were thoroughly grounded in the Truth of the Christian Religion, that Leave should be given, not only to their Parents, but to any Jew that would come and hear them, to make what Objections they could, which should be answered by the Children so instructed.
The Baptizing of these Children will be deferr'd till they are more advanced in Age, that none may deny this to be the Work of God; and 'tis hoped, that this Affair, carried on after this Manner, will tend to the Edification of many other Jews.
These Children have such a tender Love for the very Name of JESƲS, that though they cannot as yet Read, nevertheless, knowing this Word, when they meet with it, they bow down upon it, and kiss it with a thousand Tears: And they will turn over whole Books to find this Name.
Lastly, They assured us, that several other Children were of the same Mind with themselves; but their Parents kept them close at Home; notwithstanding [Page 12] they did not doubt but they would find Means to escape: For the Love of JESƲS knew how to Counsel in all such Cases; and tho' the Parents should watch them never so narrowly, it would in the End signify nothing at all, which they three knew by their own Experience.
I. AND now, First; How many Pious PARENTS are there, who are Travailing for the Souls of their Children, to see a CHRIST formed in them? They cannot see their Children walking in the Truth, but see them walking in the Vanity of their Minds; and the sight holds them in a painful, and inexpressible Anguish. They long, they long to see their Children Live unto God; and that they may be able to say, This Child was Dead, and is Alive again. My Friends, Hold on Praying, Weeping, Believing. Indeed, nothing less than an Almighty [Page 13] Arm, can Change and Cleanse the Vicious Hearts of the Ungodly Children. But the Holy SPIRIT, who is the Arm of the Lord, is no less than the Almighty GOD. Oh! Put those Obstinate Hearts into His Glorious and Almighty Hands. He can give an Astonishing Turn unto them. There is nothing too hard for Him. O Lord, I know, that thou canst do every thing! Believers, Behold what was done at Berlin, and be animated.
II. But in the next place, How much may our Faith be now Encouraged, in the Expectation of the GREAT THINGS, which the Promises of our GOD have assured us, are to be done, for the Converting of whole Nations, to come and Worship Him, and Glorify His Name? And more particularly, for the Conversion of the Israelitish Nation; when He that Scattered Israel shall Gather him, and Keep him, as a Shepherd his Flock? There are many Good and Wise Men, who are Looking for the Kingdom of God, and those Influences from Heaven upon Earth, which will bring the Maxims of the EVERLASTING GOSPEL into a General, and [Page 14] an Amazing Operation upon a World that is now lying in Wickedness. The Intention of such Things as have been done at Berlin (and elsewhere) is doubtless to let the Faithful see, a few Drops, that may Comfort their Hopes of the Mighty Showers, which GOD in His own Time, [when the Three Years and Six Months are Expired!] will cause to fall upon the Children of Men, and He comes to dwell with Men.
III. The Words of the Excellent Person, who Writes the Preface to this Remarkable at Berlin, are well worthy to be transcribed.
The various Motions observed in several parts of Europe, tending to a Revival of Sound and Substantial Piety, do presage the Approach of Better Times, and a fuller Measure of the Divine Spirit promised to the Latter Days. But then the Intervening Night of the Judgment of GOD, provoked by a long and continued Course of Sinning, will perhaps destroy again the Flowers, which appear up and down on the Earth, and [Page 15] nip many a Tender Bud, which now begins to shoot forth. This ought, in no wise to Stagger the Faith of True Believers, but rather to Quicken it.
What Sweet and Heavenly Motions there have been particularly seen among many Children, in these Latter Years, doth appear from the seveaal Treatises published on that Account.— Particularly, whole Numbers of Children in Silesia.— All these Motions are but so many Glimpses, that Glance indeed at a Larger Power of Spiritual Gifts and Graces. But then, they wear off again, after a while, and leave an Industrious Observer of such Signs, in a Pious Expectation of those Richer Incomes of Grace, which shall succeed? They are the First-Fruits of the Spirit, and an Earnest of a more Glorious Dispensation which shall follow in the Fulness of Time. They ought therefore to Support the Hopes of those that wait for the Manifestation of the Kingdom of CHRIST.
[Page 16]IV. How is it possible to publish the Relation of the Jewish Children at Berlin, without an Address unto the Jewish Nation; and a Tender unto them, of Things that should be more thought upon?
If but one Soul of all that Beloved People, should be found, and reach'd, and touch'd, by the Things to be now laid before them, it will be well worth all the Pains of these Expostulations. It may be, the same Spirit, who wrought upon the Babes at Berlin, will fall upon some of that Beloved People, while they have these Words before them. We will Prophesy over these Dry Bones, and see what the Spirit of Life will do upon them!
What Considerations are there, which would mightily Convince them, that they do they know not what themselves, in their Infidelity; and which, Men and Brethren, Oh! that you would shew your selves Men, and suffer them to awaken you.
[Page 17]When that Just One, whom your Fathers took, and with Wicked Hands did Crucify, was offering up His Life unto His Eternal Father on the Cross, the first Thing he there uttered, was that marvellous Expression of Charity and Compassion for you; [That horrid Herod, whom some of your People flattered with Messiah-ship, when he was dying was far from treating your People so:] Luk. XXIII. 34. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And many of them, were a few Days after, brought unto Repentance, and Forgiven. Syrs, You know not what you do, in your Infidelity. You little imagine that you Blaspheme and Reject the promised MESSIAH of GOD, and the only SAVIOƲR of the World, in the Indignities, which our Blessed JESUS continues to suffer from you. I know you do it Ignorantly in Ʋnbelief: But we are Waiting and Longing for the approaching Time. Ah! Lord how long?— when you shall obtain that Mercy, to be Recovered out of your Ʋnbelief; and He that is now (but will then be much more so) the Light of the Gentiles, will then be (and they shall [Page 18] be most sensible of His being so) the Glory of His People Israel. Joseph was not known to his Brethren, at the first Interview: Anon there came a Second, at which he made himself known unto them. In the mean Time, your Infidelity, wherein you cast so many Ignorant Reproaches on Him, does Confirm our Faith of this Glorious JESUS, and Commend Him the more to our Love, our Praise, and our Adoration. It was foretold by your Prophets, [Isa. LIII. 2, 3. That when you should first see your MESSIAH, you should see no Beauty in Him that you should desire Him; and that He should be Despised and Rejected among you; and that you would hide your Faces from Him, Despise Him, and not Esteem Him. It was foretold, [Psal. LXIX. 21, 22, 23, 15, 28.] That you would Reproach Him, and give Him Gall for His Meat, and Vinegar for His Drink; and that thereupon your Table should become your Snare, and you be Ensnared by your Besiegers, at your Passover; and that your Eyes then should be Darkned, as now they are, and your Habitation Desolate; and that you should be blotted out of the Book of the Living, [Page 19] and your Genealigies be no longer preserved among you. It was foretold, [Dan. IX. 26. That about five hundred Years, after the Return from the Babylonish Captivity, the Messiah should come, and be Cut off, and then a People should Come, and Destroy the City and the Sanctuary and it should be made Desolate, by their Abominable Armies. Yea, and it was foretold by our JESUS, whom to your Cost, you find a true Prophet of God, even in this Obstinacy of yours, which does refuse to account Him so! [Luk. XIX. 43.] That the Enemies of Jerusalem, should straitly Besiege it, and lay it even with the Ground, and not leave one Stone upon another in it. And, [Luk. XXI. 24.] That your People should Fall by the Edge of the Sword, and be led away Captives into all Nations; and Jerusalem shall be Trodden down of the Gentiles, until Times of the Gentiles, and their Fourth Monarchy, now near Expired, be fulfilled. And, [Joh. V. 43.] That tho' you Rejected Him, yet there would shortly come One in His own Name, a Bar-chochab, whom you would Receive; and thereby bring upon your selves the last Confusion. [Page 20] The Veil of Infidelity, with the Chains of Darkness, holding you in the Dispersion wherein you abide many Days, must according to those Ancient Prophesies, continue upon your Nation, until the Determined Period. But now and then there comes in One of your Nation, whom God Enlightens with the Knowledge of the Redeemer; and makes part of those First-Fruits, which will e're long be followed with a mighty Harvest, when the Redeemer shall come unto Zion, and shall turn His whole favoured and preserved Name from Ʋngodliness. The Zeal and Hope of doing some Service of this Tendency, causes me now to say, Come now, and let us Reason together, upon a Point, which, O Reasonable Souls, your Everlasting Salvation turns upon. And, O Eternal and Almighty Spirit of God; Wilt thou Graciously open the Eyes of the Blind, in thy long Abdicated Nation, and cause them with a Mournful Repentance, to see and know the JEHOVAH whom they have pierced, and effectually Perswade them to hearken unto Reason, that so their Sins which are like Scarlet, may be White like Snow, and tho' they have been Red [Page 21] as Crimson, they may be as Wool. Oh! Perswade them to Repent and be Converted, that so their Sins may be blotted out, and the Times of Refreshing may come from the Presence of the Lord!
Brethren, You are Scandalized at the Cross of our JESUS: It Scandalizes you, that such a Suffering and Abased JESUS, ever should be your SAVIOUR. But was it not expresly Foretold concerning the MESSIAH, That He should suffer Stripes, and be Oppressed, and Afflicted, and be brought as a Lamb to the Slaughter, and be Bruised, and be put unto Grief, and have His Soul made a Trespass-Offering? You find all this, and much more, in the Fifty-third Chapter of your Isaiah's Prophecies: A Chapter which has been blessed of God, for the Conversion of many in your Nation; and indeed, it is to be wondred at, how any of you can shut your Eyes against the Light of so Bright a Chapter! I beseech you, Syrs, to Read it over again. It is most certain, that if the MESSIAH be not already come, yet whenever He does come, He must appear in just such, I say, just such Circumstances of Humiliation, as [Page 22] those for which your most Lovely JESUS is now disliked among you. Yea, you your selves have your Tradition, concerning a Suffering Messiah; and you speak of His Griefs, as the Greatest that any Son of Man can ever meet withal: Things most Marvellously accomplished in our JESUS! I pray, Syrs, consider of it. All your People have consented unto that Word of God, Deut. XXVII. 26. Cursed is he that Confirmeth not all the Words of this Law, to do them. Now, 'tis Evident, that not One of you have Done all Things required in the Law; and Continued in the Doing of them. You are every One of you chargeable with many Violations of the Law: It were easy to Convince you of them; yea, where is the Man so Vain, so Proud, so Foolish, as not to own, I am a Sinner! You then lye Obnoxious to the terrible Curse of God, which will shut out all the Wretched Objects of it, from all the Blessedness of the Righteous. You cannot avoid this tremendous Curse, but by presenting before your Holy GOD, a sufficient Sacrifice to make Expiation for your Offences, and Vindicate the Honour of that Glorious [Page 23] Law against which you have Offended. Obedience for the Time to come, will not be a Reparation for your past Injuries to the Law, in those Miscarriages by which you have denied the God that is Above. It will not be a Perfect Obedience: This you find by Woful Experience; when you have done your Best, you will still again, and again Miscarry. And if it could be Perfect, it will be no more than you would have Ow'd if you had never Sinn'd. The Payment of this Debt, would not Cancel that other of Punishment, which your Former Sins have Contracted, and wherein you stand oblig'd unto the Justice of God. Repentance for what is past, will not be an Attonement. For, if that would have done, why was any Sacrifice, or something Punished and Consumed by the Curse of God falling with a Fiery Indignation upon it, is by the Demand of Divine Justice become Necessary, when the Sin which does Expose unto it, has been Committed? And, O Miserables, what will you now do, that you may Enjoy the Benefit of such a Sacrifice? By being deprived of your Temple, and banished from your City, you are left utterly Destitute of your Ancient [Page 24] Sacrifices. The Prediction, [Dan. IX. 27.] That the Messiah at His coming, should cause the Sacrifice and Oblation to cease among you, has been in that very Dreadful Way, most wonderfully Accomplished. And if you could have them, yet you fall into many Presumpteous Sins, for which there were no Sacrifices provided and appointed in the Law of Moses. What will you do, when you fall into a Guiltiness, for which the Law desired not any Sacrifices, nor delighted in any Burnt-Offerings? The MESSIAH, who was promised from the Beginning, under the Character of the Broken, the Contrite, the Bruised one, is your only Refuge. Your David in such a Case found Him so. [Psal. LI. 16, 17.] Every Thing without Him, will be Despised of God. Nor indeed, can you imagine, that the mean Blood of the Fowls, and the Flock, and the Herd, could yield Sacrifices proportionable to the Majesty of the Great GOD, and the Quality of the High-Treason which there is in every Trespass against such a Majesty. No, The Ancient Sacrifices all pointed you, to that which you must be constrained now to make the only Retreat of your distressed [Page 25] Souls. When the Believers of Old, leaned their Hands on the Heads of the Sacrifices, the Doctrine of that Laying on of Hands, & the Thing they intended in it, was a Faith in the Messiah who was to come, and be in like Manner Sacrificed for us. You must have a Sacrificed Messiah to live upon; or else you Dye in your Sins, and perish Miserably. Your Messiah can do nothing for you, unless by a Sacrifice He Reconcile you to God, and so deliver you from the Curse to which your Sins have exposed you. Nor will any Sacrifice, but that of Himself, be accepted with God. You Read, [Isa. LIII. [...]0.] It pleased the Lord to Bruise Him, and put Him to Grief, and make His Soul a Trespass-Offering. A Sacrifice, which the more you consider, the more you will see all Interests most admirably Provided for! So then, The Messiah must at first come, in such Obsturity, that he may undergo Bitter Agonies, & have His most precious Blood poured out, and have the most horrid Punishment of Sinners inflicted on Him All, just exactly, just exactly! as our JESUS was dealt withal! Why then, Oh! why should you look for another! And why should the [Page 26] Cross be the Stumbling-block, in the Way of your Faith on our JESUS! A Cross which [...] Invites you to such a suitable Saviour! A Cross which even Assures you, that He is, and none but He can be your Saviour! Hundreds of Jews, have in our Days, been brought over to Christianity, by the Blessing of God, on this One irresistible Argument, managed by one Renowned Convert from Judaism, in the City of Hamburgh. Oh! that all they, who find themselves unable to answer this Argument, would be so Wise, as to submit unto the Right Words which are so Forcible! Indeed, this Consideration, That when the MESSIAH comes, it must be just exacty in such Circumstances, as those wherein our Blessed JESUS (Oh! why not yours?) exhibited Himself unto your Fathers, is further Enforced; and it will be seen extended unto so many surprizing Instances, that we shall be able to see nothing short of a Miraculous Infliction, in your uncured and persisting Infidelity. What can be more Evident than this, [Gen. XLIX. 10.] That the Jewish Nation should not be without (either Scepter or Lawgivers) greater or lesser [Page 27] Magistrates of their own, till the Peace-giving Saviour should come? And, [Mal. III. 2. Hag. II. 9.] that the Messiah should come, while your Second Temple was yet standing; and so, a greater Glory be there, than there was in the former? And, [Dan. IX. 25, 26] That the Messiah should come within five hundred Years, after the going forth of the Commandment to Restore and Rebuild Jerusalem? So then, the Messiah must come just exactly at such a Time as our JESUS came! And at the very Place too; (Mic. V. 2.) Bethlehem, which is now extinguished. In looking for Another, you look for One in whom it is impossible for the Prophesies of the Messiah to be answered. The coming of the Messiah was not promised on any Condition of your deserving such a Favour; the Promise was not suspended on any Merits of yours; it was a Blessing which tarrieth not for Man, nor waiteth for the Sons of Men. Your Expectation of Another, is nothing less than a Blasphemy against the Faithfulness of the Glorious God. But God will be True, and every Man will be found a Lyar, who says, That the Messiah did not come, at the [Page 28] Time which the Faithful God, had in His Oracles prefixed for it. Nay, you cannot mention any one Thing, in the Circumstances of our JESUS, but what you may find predicted in the ancient Prophesies of the Messiah: Nor was there any one thing in those ancient Prophesies foretold of the Messiah, but in the Circumstances of our JESUS, you find it marvellously Answered. All just exactly as it should be! The Spirit of Prophecy, has given such a Testimony for our JESUS, that you cannot refuse Him, without fulfilling another of His Oracles, which long since declared what you should be left unto; [Isa. XLIII. 10, 17.] To Rebel, and Vex the Holy Spirit, so that He turns to be your Enemy; He no more visits you; He leaves you to Err from His Ways, & your Hearts are hardened from His Fear. But that which one would think, should give a final Stroke to your Infidelity, and eternally Bruise the Head of the Crooked Serpent, would be this; The RESURRECTION of our JESUS from the Dead. Your Countrymen said, If He will come down from the Cross, we will Believe on Him! Syrs, If He come up from the Grave, will not [Page 29] this do as well? For an Holy One to come, with Maxims all evidently Calculated for the Glory of God, and say, I am the Son of God Incarnate, and my Sacrifice to God is the only Atonement that can be made for your Sins, and if you put your selves under my Conduct, I will bring you to everlasting Life. To prove all this, I will Dye, you shall put me to Death; and on the Third Day I will Rise from the Dead. This being accomplished in our JESUS, Oh! what can you reasonably desire more, to make you fall down, and cry out, Lord, we Believe and are Sure, that thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God? You your selves do in your most Celebrated Writings confess, That if JESUS be indeed Risen from the Dead, He is One, whom you ought all to hearken to, and that He may claim a Power to supersede any of the Mosaic Institutions. Indeed the Men of Ninive, who hearkened unto a Jonah, after he had come alive out of the Belly of the Fish, will condemn those who have not hearkened unto a Jesus, who comes up alive out of the Belly of the Earth, on the Third Day after he had been buried there. Now, that our JESUS is Risen from the [Page 30] Dead, is a Matter of Fact, which has been Attested with as infallible Proofs, as ever any Matter that was in the World. After His Resurrection, He appeared no less than Ten Times, and unto no less than five Hundred at one Time. These chosen Witnesses, conversed with Him, and satisfied all their Senses, that they were not imposed upon. They gave their Testimony in such a manner, so Consistently, so Coherently, with such a Conduct, as to shew, that they were no Senseless Idiots. They willingly exposed themselves to such cruel Sufferings for their Testimony, as to shew, that it was not a Cunningly devised Fable, which they now put upon the World. One of His Disciples, who Denied Him just before His Death, presently appeared, as one of the most famous Witnesses to His Resurrection from the Dead. Had it not really happened, you may be sure this Man would have gone on, as you do, (But now, Oh! do it no more!) in the Denial of Him. Their Holy, and Righteous, and Blameless Conversation, shewed, that they were no Impostors. Yea, God from Heaven testified for them, and wondrously confirmed their [Page 31] Testimony, by the Miraculous Gifts He bestowed upon them. You Affirm it, and very truly, That your Elijah was carried up into the Heavens. There was but One to Witness it: But you say, and this very truly too, That this One was a very Good Man, a Prophet of God, and a Worker of Miracles, and One owned of God, as he would not have been, if he had been a Forger of Lies. We affirm, That our JESUS Ascended up into the Heavens. There was a considerable Number of Men to Witness this. And these were all good Men, and Prophets of God, and Workers of Miracles. There is no Truth in any History upon Earth, if they did not often Speak the Great Things of God, with the Tongues of Angels; in Tongues which they never had Learnt, but now had them under Angelical Inspiration; and if they did not Miraculously Heal the Sick, the Blind, and the Lame, and Raise the Dead. God would never have done such Things for the Forgers of a Lye. And then, utterly to overwhelm your Infidelity, by casting a Ponderous Mountain upon it: The Spirit of God gave a marvellous Blessing to the [Page 32] Faith of a Risen JESUS: He so Blesses it, where it is cordially Entertained, that it fills the Souls of Men, with unspeakable Goodness. It causes them to Love God, & Live unto Him, in all the most shining Instances of Lovely Piety. It causes them to treat their Neighbours with a most sincere Love, & a very Charming Benignity. It causes them to sleight this World, and hate and shun every vitious Thing in the World: Fills them with Heaven, and fits them for it. The People are actually Saved who are made partakers of these things. 'Tis the Faith of a Risen JESƲS, which is attended with such a Saving Efficacy. Our JESUS has herein already proved a Saviour unto Multitudes, whom He has made the Excellent in the Earth. It follows, that He is THE Saviour. Oh! That you would at last make the happy Experiment! Come and see; see, see, whether you do not find Him so! Do not go on under the Blindness that has happened unto you, to treat Him as your Enemy, who is your only Saviour. Oh! That they were Wise, and would consider their Latter End.
FINIS.