REASON is the dignifying and distinguishing property of humane nature; whereby Man, above the rest of the lower creation, is qualified to know, obey, and enjoy his Creator: By which alone he is capable of that Faith, without which it is impossible [Page 2] to please God; and even of believing that first Article, That God is, as well as that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. Whence it follows, that He who has made us rational Creatures, expects from us a reasonable Service; and cannot be pleased with that faith, practice, or hope, that is grounded on education, or common opinion; and not the result of rational re­flection, or enquiry.

IT must therefore be agreable both to our duty and interest, to enquire into the grounds of our holy Religion; and reasona­bly to establish our selves in those precious Truths, on which we build our hopes; and not to take them upon trust, as I'm afraid too many do. For which cause, I shall en­deavour (God willing) to offer you some rational evidences of the truth of Christi­anity: and (I hope) full conviction, that we have not followed cunningly devised fables, in embracing the Christian Religion; but a light shining in a dark place, whereunto we do well to take heed. And my first work is, to lay the corner-stone of this building; and to take a brief prospect of some of those Demonstrations of the Divine Being and Perfections, which we are so plentifully furnished with, from the works of Creation [Page 3] and Providence. For which end, I have pitch'd upon the words before us, as the ground of our present meditations: where­in we may Note;

1. THE Subject here treated of, which is the GLORIOUS GOD; denoted by the relative HIM, which relates to, & is con­nected with the foregoing verse, where the Being and Nature of God are expresly con­sidered.

2. THE sublime immense Nature, and glorious Perfections of the Divine Being. [The invisible things of Him] The things of God are not only invisible to the bodily eye; but infinitely above the search of the most exalted understanding, inscrutable, and incomprehensible, to the most saga­cious of created Beings. For who can by searching find out God?

3. THE clearest and most infallible cer­tainty of these incomprehensible perfecti­ons of God. [Are clearly seen] Though we can't soar to the interminable heights, or dive to the boundless depths, of this Infinite Nature; we have demonstrative evidence of His Eternal Power and Godhead, with many of his essential perfections. We may be infallibly certain, that there is a God, Infinite in Holiness, Justice, Goodness, and [Page 4] Truth, &c. tho' we know not the manner of His existence, and operations.

4. THE foundation of this certainty, or the means of our obtaining this clear vision of the Invisible things of God. [Being under­stood, by the things that are made.] We see the cause by the effect; and have brightest evidence, that this vast and spacious World, with its amazing magnificence, lustre and harmony, was not its own efficient; did not proceed from chance, nor could be the pro­duct of an Author unequal to the Work: And must therefore be the Workmanship of an Infinitely wise, & powerful Being.

5. THE consequence of this evidence, [So that they are without excuse.] The hea­then world, who know nothing of God, but what is visible from the works of creation and providence, may there observe such bright displays of Infinite Wisdom and Power, with other Divine Perfections, as will leave their infidelity inexcusable.—But we may more concisely sum up the words, in this OBSERVATION, That the glorious Being, and infinite Perfections of God, are evi­dently manifest, from the works of Cre­ation.

[Page 5]THIS I shall endeavour to demonstrate, by these following Arguments.

I. I think it unquestionably evident to all men, that they themselves have a Being. This case admits of no debate; no man be­ing capable to call in question his own ex­istence, or doubt of his Being. Whence,

II. IT is equally certain to every man, that he has not always been, what he now is. Within the compass of a few years, we were first begotten, conceiv'd, & born; and have passed the several stages of time, unto the age, to which we are now arriv'd. This no man can doubt of. Therefore,

III. IT'S most sure, that we must have our Original from some cause. An effect without an efficient, or a real Being pro­duc'd by nothing, is the most palpable ab­surdity, and the boldest affront to common sense.—This then is indisputable, that we did not make our selves. For [...] we had a Being, we were nothing, & could do nothing. And it is equally certain, that we are not the product of blind unactive chance. For how could so noble a Being happen to spring out of nothing, without any creating power or energy? Whence [...]en do we derive our Original? Not [...] Parents: they were not omnipo­tent, [Page 6] to command us into Being by their powerful word. Nor could such noble, immaterial, thinking substances, as our Souls, proceed from them in a way of natural generation. For its the height of absurdity to suppose, that a material substance, could give Being to a spiritual one; as we shall hereafter consider. But were it suppos'd, that even our whole man, soul and body ▪ was begotten by our immediate parents ▪ whence had they this power? Or whence their own existence? If it be said, that they proceed in a continued chain of succession from their predecessors, the difficulty ye [...] remains: For whence came the first link of this chain? It is equally absurd, to apply self-existence, or self-origination, to the firs [...] of our species, as to our selves.—Thu [...] from the consideration of our selves, we are led to the clearest views of an efficient cause; by which we are what we find ou [...] selves to be. It is just arguing, Psal. c. 3 It is He that hath made us, and not we ou [...] selves.

IV. IT'S also clearly evident, that all those other Beings, which are in the world▪ were produc'd by some cause. We are not only certain of our own Being; but by the same intuitive certainty, we perceive mul­titudes [Page 7] of Beings beside our selves.—If we look upward, we behold a vast magni­ficent Arch, replenish'd with innumerable multitudes of bright and glorious Orbs; all of them performing their revolutions, and discharging their appointed functions, with the greatest harmony, beauty, and order. If we look downward, we see this huge massy ball of Earth, upon which we tread, abounding with a surprizing variety of animals and vegetables, each carrying in 'em the marks of consummate Art & Skill.

AND can we imagine, that this im­mense canopy of the Heavens was stretch­ed out, those mighty globes of light hung up in the air, and whirl'd round in their respective circuits; or this Earth, with all its furniture, created and founded on nothing, by their own efficiency? Can we, upon the view of a most stately & curious building, overlook the workman that made it, suppose it to spring out of nothing; or to make it self? No surely! the work shews the workman, and the effect the cause.

HENCE then, the consequence is inevi­table, that there is some great & glorious Cause of our selves, and of every thing we see & know: And this Cause is what we call GOD. And hence, the very heathen [Page 8] world may discover the God that created the Heavens, and stretched them out; tha [...] spread forth the Earth, & that which cometh out of it; that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein, Isai. xlii.5. For the Heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth Hi [...] handy work, Psal. xix.1.

I know of but one considerable Objecti­on, against this reasoning and conclusion that seems worthy of an intelligent mind which is this,

THE World, in all its parts, may have E­ternally existed; All the mutations and revo­lutions in nature, may have been effected [...] an Eternal law or propensity; and all th [...] kinds of Beings in the World, continued [...] an Eternal succession.

THIS Objection, at first view, may fill th [...] minds of some enquirers with confusion while their thoughts are lost in the bound [...]less Abyss of Eternity. I shall therefor [...] take liberty to be something particular, i [...] answering it.

THAT the World has not Eternally ex­isted, is demonstratively evident from the consideration,—Had the Universe bee [...] eternal, it must have had a necessary ex [...]istence: and it would have been impossible [Page 9] that either the whole, or any part of it, should not have been, or have been any o­therwise than it is. For, if not necessarily self-existent, it must derive its Being from some cause, and consequently have a begin­ning: and it must also have continued by an Infinite and Eternal series and succession of necessary causes and effects. For if all the causes and effects in an eternally existing World, are not necessary, but contingent; that is, if they from their own nature might be, or might not be what they are: Then the World in all its glory and magnificence, in all the symmetry, order, and perfection of its several parts, has for ever continued by meer accident, without any cause or rea­son: Which is the height of absurdity. This then is most certain, that if the World be Eternal, it derives both its being and conti­nuance from absolute necessity. —But is it not most absurd and unreasonable to sup­pose the necessary self-existence of things that are evidently in their own nature con­tingent; and for whose existence, there is no more apparent reason or necessity from the nature of the things themselves, than for their non-existence? Is it not even ri­diculous to imagine, that from the nature of things, the World must consist of just [Page 10] so many, and just such kind of parts as it now does, without any possible addition, diminution, or alteration? That the Earth, for instance, could not have in its compo­sition, one particle of sand more or less, than it has, nor produce one plant or ani­mal, worm or fly, different from what it does? And yet this is the inevitable con­sequence of such necessity: For if the whole be necessary, every most minute particle is equally so.

BESIDES, If the World be from its own nature necessary, it is every where necessary, to every point of real or imaginary space. For what may from the nature of the thing be absent from one place, may notwith­standing any necessity to the contrary, be absent from any other, and consequently from every place. It being impossible that there should be any thing in one place more than another, to make it necessary. What therefore is necessary, must be every where so, and so be Infinite, as well as eter­nal. Nay and even every part and parti­cle of the whole World, must by the same Argument be infinite: For there must be the same necessity for all the parts, as for the whole, as is before observ'd. Whence, there must be (upon this supposition) more [Page 11] Infinite Beings than there are atoms of sand, or rays of light: Which is the grossest ab­surdity.

AGAIN, If the World exist from neces­sity, and all the parts of it necessarily per­form their various functions & operations: Then it is also necessary that they for ever do so, without any diversity, variation or change. Nature must always act by inva­riable and immutable laws, in the same order, with the same force, and to the same effect. For what is from the nature of the thing necessary to day, will be so to morrow and for ever. And thus that man that necessarily lives to day, must by the same necessity live always; he that is in health to day must be so for ever. And in a word, there can be no change in any part of the Creation: which is so contrary to our con­stant experience in this World of change, that it need not be insisted on.

I will just mention one Argument more against the eternity of the World, which possibly may be more intelligible, & more adapted to the capacity of my hearers, than what I've already offered.

THE supposition of the World's eternity does necessarily contradict the possibility of a succession in any thing whatsoever. [Page 12] For a succession does in the nature of it im­ply a first and last, which are altogether incompatible with Eternity, and cannot without greatest absurdity be predicated of a perpetual and unchangable duration. To exemplify this, The succession of day and night could not have been eternal; such succession naturally supposing, that either the day was before the night, or the night before the day: If either preceeded, there was a first, a beginning of the succession, on this side Eternity. Supp [...]sing the day was before the night, it must either have had a temporal beginning, or an eternal existence: If the latter be granted, there could yet have been no eternal succession of day and night; but an everlasting day must have preceeded the night, had the night com­menc'd never so many Millions of ages ago; there being an infinite distance be­tween eternity and the remotest time: Nay more than so, had the day been eternal, there could never have been (upon the supposition before us) any night at all: For from whence could there be so great a change in the eternal and immutable course of Nature? How could there be such new revolutions in nature, when under the same invariable laws, that had continued from eternity?

[Page 13]I might offer many other Arguments to obviate the Objection; but what has been said is sufficient, & possibly in the opinion of my hearers more than sufficient; I therefore reassume the former conclusion.

IF the World has had a beginning (as is demonstrated) there must have been some Author, some efficient cause, by which it was created and made.

HAVING thus by a view of the creature, discover'd the Creator, and found evident demonstration of a Divine Being from the works of His Hands; Let us next consider some of those invisible things of Him, which may be clearly seen and understood, by the things that are made.

V. THEN the Eternity of GOD is ungain­sayably evident from the works of Crea­tion. We are not capable of a greater certainty of any thing whatsoever, than of this, that there has been something from Eternity; ‘since what has not eternally existed, had a beginning; and what had a beginning must be produced by something else.’ There cannot be a more unreason­able supposition, nor a more glaring con­tradiction, than that there was a time wherein there was perfectly nothing: For if so, there could have been nothing t [...] all [Page 14] Eternity. It being rather madness, than weakness, to attribute Creating power and energy to meer nothing. This consequence therefore forces it self upon us, that the Cause of all things, is an eternal, uncaused, independent Being. Whence we may just­ly declaim with the Psalmist, Psal. xc.2. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the Earth and the World: even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God.

VI. IT'S likewise demonstrable from the works of Creation, that this Glorious Au­thor of all things is a Spiritual Being. We certainly know, that we our selves are thinking substances: The very meditatior before us makes it evident, that we are capable of Thought, Reason, and Reflecti­on; that our Minds can suddenly soar to the fixed Stars, compass the vast circuit of the Heavens, and even launch into the boundless Abyss of Eternity, where they have just now been.—And whence d [...] we derive this power? Is it from dead unactive matter? Impossible! for matter is it self utterly uncapable of thought, and therefore certainly unable to produce a thinking Being. This may be brought to strictest demonstration.—If we allow [Page 15] thought to any matter whatsoever, we must allow it to every particle of matter; and thereby suppose as many thinking Beings as there are atoms in the Creation (the properties of all matter being the same) The absurdity of which supposition lies o­pen to every eye; and it would be no less absurd to imagine, that some certain com­position or modification of matter can pro­duce thought. For unthinking particles of matter, however put together, are matter still; and if there was no thought in any of the parts, there can be none in the whole, whatever be its composition; since the whole can have nothing, but what it receives from the parts ^*. The conse­quence is therefore inevitable, that since all matter is from its own nature necessa­rily destitute of thought, our thinking ra­tional souls must derive their Being from some immaterial Author: It being utterly impossible for that to be produc'd in the effect, which was not in the power of the cause. —And by the same Argument, this [Page 16] glorious Spirit must have eminently i [...] Himself, all the perfections of all the in­numerable intelligent beings that now are, or ever have been in the World, were they all contracted into one Intelligence: Since they all depend upon Him for their Beings ▪ capacities, and operations. And then cannot be more in the streams than in the Fountain.—It is rational arguing i [...] Psal. xciv.9, 10. He that planted the ear▪ shall he not hear? He that formed the eye shall He not see? He that teacheth ma [...] knowledge, shall not He know?

IF these speculations are too Philosophi­cal for some of my hearers, the Argumen [...] may be proposed in a more easy and fa­miliar manner.—It is plain to every ca [...]pacity, that we have souls as well as bo [...]dies, that our more noble part is a thinkin [...] intelligent spirit, that there are and hav [...] been multitudes of spiritual Beings besid [...] our selves; and that these all proceed from some cause, at least equal to the effect, wh [...] must therefore Himself be a Spiritual Sub [...]stance, possessed of all the excellencies of al [...] other spiritual substances in the World: o [...]therwise He must give what he has not and the effect must exceed the vertue of the cause; which is manifestly absurd.

[Page 17]THUS by a reflection upon our own Souls, we have discover'd the necessary truth of our Lord's Doctrine, Joh. iv.24. That GOD is a Spirit. Let us now go on to consider some other of the Divine Per­fections, legible in the Book of Creation.

And,

VII. IT further appears from the things which are made, that the first Cause of all things must be an Infinite Being.

THE prodigious magnitude and amazing extent of the Universe do loudly proclaim the Infinite nature of its glorious Author.—Tho' we can have but an imperfect view of this scene of wonders, we may yet gaze our selves into admiration and surprize, by what obscure and distant glances we are capable of. If we go no further from home than this globe of Earth upon which we dwell, we have here a vast body, computed at near Eight Thousand Miles Diameter, and a­bove Two Hundred Thousand Millions of Miles in its bulk or solid content; which must appear to every eye a Mass worthy of an Infinite Creator. But as great as this seems to be, it is (as Astronomers inform us) exceeded in Magnitude by most of the heavenly bodies, and must be esteem'd but small in comparison of some of the [Page 18] Planets; especially if compar'd to tha [...] stupendous Globe of Fire, the Sun. No [...] if we are fill'd with just admiration at the massy bulk of these huge bodies, how sur­prizingly great must be the space in which they perform their revolutions! The Su [...] being esteem'd above Eighty Millions [...] Miles distant from the Earth, and much further from some other of the Planets which at those vast distances, are all ob­serv'd to move round the Sun, and yet ne­ver to interfere, or clash with one another▪

HERE we might make a stop, and ado [...] the infinite perfections of the glorious Au­thor of this spacious system of the Sun and Planets: But there are yet more distant▪ and greater Objects of Astonishment, tha [...] invite our attention, the fixed Stars [...] mean, which seem to fill the spangle [...] canopy, and appear innumerable to the na­ked eye; and yet vastly more numerous when view'd through a Telescope, which discovers Myriads of 'em not otherwise visible. These being supposed at due di­stances from each other (as they certain­ly are) how Immense must be the space which they occupy! And if our modern Astr [...]nomers are not mistaken in a matter which they think themselves pretty cer­tain [Page 19] of, there is a new scene before us, which will captivate our understanding, and utterly lose our thoughts; they suppose the great multitude of fixed Stars to be so many Suns, all of 'em endued with native light and heat; of like Dimensions with our Sun; and each of 'em accompanied with a system of Planets, as our Sun is; and con­sequently each of 'em occupying as great a space, as was formerly supposed in the whole Firmament.—This account of the Universe makes it appear many thousand times greater than is ordinarily imagin'd, and should answerably excite our admira­tion and praises of the glorious Creator and Contriver of such a magnificent World.

BUT having thus long gazed at the pro­digious Masses of these heavenly Bodies, and the immeasurable space possess'd by them; it's time to apply these considerations to the present purpose, and see if we can't discover the Infiniteness of the Creator, from this view of the Heavenly regions: Which, if we will but open our eyes, must appear in the clearest light. For it's manifest to e­very observation, that the Maker, Guide, and Governour of the Universe, must be al­ways present in every part of this incom­prehensible space; (He could not else have [Page 20] made, nor could He otherwise superintend, order, and direct all the parts, operations, and influences of this stately fabrick) which is impossible to conceive, of any but an in­finite Being.

BESIDES, He that made the World, must also of his free will and choice, have or­dered and appointed the place of its resi­dence; and nothing but His own pleasure could circumscribe it to these limits, or confine it to this particular space, in the boundless void, rather than any other. He must therefore Himself be equal to all space, whether real or imaginary; that is, He must be an Infinite Being, whom the Hea­ven, and the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain, as 1 King. viii.27. Which was the thing to be prov'd. And thus we see the Immensity of that glorious Being, that sitteth upon the circle of the Earth, that stretcheth out the Heavens as a curtain; and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in, Isai xl.22.

I might here have urg'd the simplicity and uncompounded Nature of GOD, as a further evidence of His Infinity: But this would be to go out of the way of my Text, which confines me to the consideration of the Divine Perfections, as visible in the [Page 21] works of Creation; and I think what is said is sufficient upon this Head. I therefore proceed.

VIII. THE Unity of the Godhead is also clearly seen from the works which are made.

FOR if there were more Gods than One, they could not be Infinite; two infinites being a palpable contradiction: And if finite, they could not be the first cause of all things; as is before demonstrated.

BESIDES, If there be more Gods than One, they must all be either supreme, subordinate, or co-ordinate. Two supreme Beings is a contradiction in terms: for either one must be superior, or both equal; and therefore neither supreme. A subordinate God must be himself dependent, and could not have all things depend upon him; or in other words, could not be the creator nor upholder of the World. It remains therefore, that if there be a plurality of Gods, they must be co­or­dinate, which is equally absurd: For were there several co-ordinate Gods, they must either create the World conjunctly or sepa­rately; not conjunctly, for if they join'd together in Creating the World, they would all make but one first Cause, and each severally but part of the Cause; which be­ing supposed, there could be no perfect [Page 22] Being, and consequently no God: Nor could a plurality of Gods make the World sepa­rately; there would then be no first Cause of all, if each caused but a part of the World.

I might further urge the Unity of God, from His necessary existence.—I have already demonstrated, that the first Cause of all things must be Eternally necessary: And nothing can be capable of plainer de­monstration; for if there ever had been a time wherein He had not existed, He could have had no existence to Eternity, unless we suppose a Cause of the first Cause, which is absurd.—Besides, if all things were created by Him, He must necessarily be Himself uncreated, and being uncreated He must necessarily be Eternal: For what at any time did not exist, can never come into Being without being created, either by it self or by something else. Now if we suppose God to have created Himself, we attribute to him action before existence; which is the grossest absurdity. If we sup­pose Him created by any thing else, we suppose a Cause of the first Cause, as before. He must therefore be Eternally necessary; and consequently can be but One: For if it be possible that the World could be [Page 23] created by one Efficient Cause (which can't be doubted) there can be but one necessary cause of all things. Every thing else may be derivative and dependent, and therefore can't be necessary. Whence it's certain there can be but one God, who (as I've already prov'd) must be a ne­cessary Being.—Thus we have clearest evidence of that truth, Deut. vi.4. The Lord our God is one Lord. And of that 1 Cor. viii.6. But to us there is but one God the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him.

IX. IT is moreover apparent from the works of Creation, that this glorious GOD is an Omnipotent Being. I've already prov'd, that the Heavens and the Earth, in all their amazing magnificence, curious frame, and regular order, sprung out of nothing, at the powerful command of the great Creator. Wherefore since there is an infinite di­stance between perfectly nothing and any real Being, there must be Omnipotence im­ploy'd in this glorious work. The united powers of every finite Being would in vain endeavour to create from N [...]thing the most despicable worm, or even a particle of sand. For (as I observ'd) there is an infinite and eternal opposition between meer nothing and [Page 24] the most inferior creature; and therefore the vilest insect, or smallest particle of dust, could not be brought from non-entity into Being, but by an Omnipotent arm.—What a surprizing scene then do the Heavens and Earth afford us of the great Creator's power? What less than an ALMIGHTY GOD could first find matter for an endless train of such vast bodies, and then compose the stately fabric!

AND I might further observe, that the creation of the World cannot be the ex­tent of the Creator's power: For if once possess'd of creating skill and ability, He must always retain it; and therefore could (had He pleased) have spent Millions of ages in creating new Worlds, until their number had exceeded the utmost stretch even of an Angel's thought.—And from this view of His Omnipotence, it also ap­pears, that he could (had it been His plea­sure) have created a like number of World [...] in a moment: For there can be no limits to Almighty power. Let us then dismiss this Head, with Elihu's admiration upon a like occasion, Job xxxvii.22, 23. With Go [...] is terrible Majesty. Touching the Almighty, we cannot find Him out; He is excellent i [...] power.

[Page 25]X. THE Infinite Wisdom of the Creator, is also clearly manifest from the things that are made.

WE have already observ'd, that what­ever perfection is found in the creature, must be first eminently in the Creator: For it's clearly evident, that what had its Being and beginning from another, must have all the properties of its Being from the same source. If we apply this to the present case, we shall find it necessary that He who has animated our dust and endued us with so much wisdom, must have more Wisdom in Himself than all the men in the World, ‘since all depend upon Him, and can have no other ways of knowledge, or extent of power, than what He gives them.’ The same may be said with respect to all created Wisdom in Heaven and Earth, which equally flows from the same foun­tain, who must therefore Himself be Infi­nitely Wise.

THE glorious art and contrivance in the admirable frame of Nature, do likewise loudly proclaim the infinite Wisdom of the Creator; while the whole, and every part, do so visibly conspire to answer the great ends of their Being.—Should we confine our speculations to the most inferior parts [Page 26] of the Creation only, how many marks of Divine Skill, that would nonplus the thoughts of the most sagacious enquirer, might be found in the least pebble! What a great variety of shapes, colours, smells, qualities, and uses, are there in the smallest herbs or flowers, not to be imitated nor e­ven fully understood by created wisdom! And how are they propagated by an un­searchable seminal vertue! How curiously form'd, and admirably adapted to their several ends and uses, are the most con­temptible insects! What industry, conduct, and seeming government, are there found with so inferior a creature as the Bee, that even rivals the policy of Princes Courts! With what wonderful beauty are the smal­lest birds and beasts adorn'd! And with what apparent sagacity do they subserve the ends of their creation; especially in their own preservation, and the propagating their kind!—These and such like con­templations, do sufficiently discover the Infinite Wisdom that has thus order'd, and does thus superintend and direct all those minute and disregarded parts of the creation.

BUT if we continue our view, and lift up our eyes to the superior parts of the World, the scene will yet further open, and [Page 27] flash brightest conviction into our minds, of the unsearchable Wisdom of God.

How came the parts of the Earth to co­here together, and not separately fly in the boundless space? Who has given the Sea his decree, bounded it by the shore, & said to its proud waves, Hitherto shalt thou go and no further? Who has hung the Earth upon nothing, and plac'd it in such due di­stance from the Sun, that it is neither by too near approaches to that orb of Fire scorch'd up and consumed, nor by a too remote station made a continent of ice? Who is the father of the rain, or hath begotten the drops of the dew, whereby the Earth is water'd & replenish'd? Whence are those amazing & innumerable Orbs that spangle the Sky, plac'd and kept at due distances, and whirl'd in their several courses, with­out interfering and dashing together, to the destruction of the World? Don't all these, and innumerable more wonders of Nature concur, to proclaim that man even mad as madness it self, that can suppose any lower cause of these things than Infinite Wisdom? especially if he considers the whole frame of this stately fabric, with the disposition of its several parts; together with that sub­ordination, dependance, relation, and mu­tual [Page 28] society, which is in the whole, and which each have to other.

BUT we need not go so far from home to find the truth we are seeking; we being our selves so bright a discovery of it. If we consider our bodies, how wonderfully are they made! what astonishing art and skill appears in the variety of the parts, in their beauty, symmetry, and proportion, their connection, dependance, and use! Who can search out the wonders of this frame, or fully account for so much as the motion of a leg or finger? But if we re­flect upon the wonderful operations and faculties of the Mind, the surprize sti [...] grows upon us. The nature of the Soul ▪ with its powers of Understanding, Memory▪ Will, &c. are beyond our search, and co [...]ver'd from our view with thick darkness ▪ like their glorious Author.—Well may these and the like reflections strike us with astonishment.

AND there are doubtless vastly superio [...] marks of art and skill in the Creation, whic [...] we know nothing of. How can we the [...] but join with the Psalmist in his holy admiration of these things, in Psal. civ.24 O Lord, how manifold are thy works: i [...] WISDOM hast thou made them all!

[Page 29]XI. WHAT hath been said under the last head, doth likewise clearly discover the Divine Omniscience: And shew us plainly, that He that contriv'd and made, that does direct and govern this magnificent World with such order and regularity, must have all things present and future in His view at once.

FOR had not the whole plan of these a­mazing works, been before the Architect, He could not have contriv'd and dispos'd all the innumerable parts with such admi­rable glory, and surprizing harmony. And did not his Omniscient eyes inspect every atom of the Creation, and clearly behold the darkest recesses of nature, it would be im­possible, that His providence could take care of the whole World, and all the minutest parts thereof, as we see it does. How else could they all subsist? And what else could keep them from destruction and con­fusion?—Nay, had not all things future been eternally naked and open to His all-searching eye, it would have been impossi­ble, that He could have so dispos'd 'em all, that they should have for ever con­spir'd in their own mutual good and pre­servation, and their Author's glory.—It is therefore the natural result of these spe­culations, [Page 30] in Psal. cxlvii.5. Great is our Lord, and of great power, His UNDER­STANDING is infinite.

I might still continue the thread of dis­course, and by necessary deductions from the works of Creation, find brightest evi­dence of all other Divine perfections, which we have any notion of.

I might clearly prove, that the Author of all created goodness, whether natural or moral, is Himself infinitely Good; that the fountain of all created justice, is Himself in­finitely Iust; that He whose Nature i [...] highest perfection, cannot be chargable with any defect (as all sin and immorality is) and must therefore be infinitely Holy; and that He who has made, does so carefully preserve and bountifully provide for al [...] the parts of the World, is Himself infinite Mercy and Love. But the time would fail me to particularly insist upon these things; and these and the like conse­quences, are so natural and easy from what has been already observ'd, that they don't require to be largely insisted on.

I shall therefore now hasten to some practical Inferences from the Doctrine.

And,

[Page 31] I. IF there be a God of such infinite per­fections, it's a natural Inference, that He should be worship'd in a manner agreable to His glorious Nature.

THIS is a truth so plainly legible in the law of Nature, that the most barbarous Heathen and salvage Pagans have always assented to it; and it's even impossible for a rational mind to refuse an assent. Can we consider Him as the Author both of our essence and subsistence, as the fountain of all our mercies and comforts, upon whom we depend, in whom we live, and unto whom we are beholden for all things; and yet suppose we owe Him no reverence or ho­mage? Don't even Nature it self teach us to look to the Rock whence we are hewn? A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master; if then He be a Father, where is His honour? If He be a Master, where is His fear? Mal. i.6.

BUT to be more particular;

WE are hereby instructed to manifest our dependance upon God, by praying to Him.

IF our life and breath are at His dispose; if all the good we want or hope for, is treasur'd up in Him, and must flow from Him; the very first principles of reason will teach us to repair to Him for a supply [Page 32] of our wants; not only because we have no where else to go for any supplies, but because it's a rational acknowledgment of the fountain of our mercies, to look to Him for all our good; and to receive all as com­ing from His bountiful Hand. This is an acknowledgment that a Parent expects from his Children, a Prince from his Subjects: and much more may the Eternal Majesty ex­pect it from such vile warms, and indigent creatures as we.—We should therefore come to Him with a deep impression of our own nothingness: For what are such clods of animated dust, if compar'd to the Im­mense fountain of all glorious perfections? We should come to Him, with a humble sense of our natural unworthiness. For be­sides our moral pollution (which I may hereafter have occasion to consider) we are but poor potsherds of the Earth; but clay in the hands of the sovereign Potter, and can therefore have no claim of favour from Him. We must come to Him with a humble resignation & submission to His will: For He is an Eternal Sovereign; and we at His absolute and uncontrolable dispose.

THE ends of this proposed duty of prayer, are not to give God a new acquaintance with our circumstances and necessities, or to [Page 33] make any change in His counsels. No! there can be nothing hid from the flaming eye of His Omniscience. And touching His counsel, He is in one mind, and who can turn Him? And what His Soul desireth, even that He doth. But we should pray to Him, that we may be our selves fit recipients of His Mercy: This being a direct means to keep us humble, and to awaken in us a sense of our indigent, helpless, depending state: It being likewise a means to keep us reli­gious, to actuate our love to Him, from whom we implore, and obtain all our good; And to encline us to live to Him, as we live from Him.

THAT prayer has a direct tendency thus to excite, and enliven our religious contem­plations and affections, is self-evident. And it's plainly obvious to every man's reason, that he is not qualified for the receipt of Mercy, that forgets both his God and his own soul; that regards neither the bounty nor the Benefactor; and that will no way testify his dependance upon God, nor his subjection to Him. The very light of na­ture does therefore preach that doctrine, Psal. xcv.6, 7. O! come let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the [Page 34] people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hands.

IF against this it be objected, that the glorious Nature of God is so highly ex­alted above such poor worms of the dust as we, that we are too inferior creatures to be the objects of His care and regard:—This Insinuation discovers thoughts, al­together unworthy of such an Omniscient, Omnipresent, and infinitely Perfect BEING, who without any pains or difficulty, in­spects and orders every atom in the Crea­tion, takes care (as we may plainly see) of every worm and fly, arrays the lillies of the field, with their beautiful cloathing, and provides food even for the ravens of the valley.—Were any thing below His notice, whence could it subsist? What could uphold it in being, or prevent its re­turn to its original causes?

FROM what has been said, it further ap­pears, that we should not only manifest our dependance upon God by praying to Him, but our Gratitude by Thanksgiving & Praise ▪

THAT Gratitude is a natural debt to a Benefactor, and that our thankfulness should be proportion'd to the benefits received, are truths every where acknowledged. How then should our hearts and mouths be for [Page 35] ever fill'd with praises to the infinite Foun­tain of goodness; from whence so many streams of mercy are continually flowing to us, and from whom we are continually receiving such a variety and affluence of what is fit for our use, comfort, support, ornament, and delight!

BESIDES the wonders of Redeeming love, and the mercies which refer to another life (which I hope to have a further oc­casion to consider) the good things of this World only, which we all enjoy, give us cause to rouse up our grateful resentments, in that language, Psal. ciii.1, 2. Bless the Lord, O my Soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy Name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.

I might further observe under this head, that the consideration of the Divine Per­fections, should make us most serious, hear­ty, sincere, and spiritual in all our religious devotions. It's most evident, that this Om­niscient eye can't be flattered and deceived, with any formal shews and superficial pre­tences: For He knows our thoughts afar off, searches our hearts and reins; and has clearest views of our most inward motions and retirements of soul: Nor can He be pleased with our mock-shews of devotion, [Page 36] while we flatter Him with our lips, and lye to Him with our tongues, and have our hearts far from Him: No! God is a Spirit, & they that worship Him, must worship Him in spirit and truth, Joh. iv.24.

To Conclude,

II. THIS Doctrine teacheth us the last ne­cessity that we are in, of an interest in the favour of this glorious God. Horror & sur­prize accompanies the very thought of be­ing at odds with this dread [...] Majesty; who has made us, does preserve us, and can crush us in pieces in a moment; or fill us with un­utterable anguish, at His pleasure. Better would it be for us, that the whole Creation should conspire our misery and ruin, than that the God that made us, should refuse to have mercy upon us; and the Rock that form­ed us, should shew us no favour: For if God be for us, who can be against us? It is there­fore a case worthy of our most solicitous enquiry, What are the means of obtaining the favour of God? But the answer of this enquiry must be deferr'd to a further opportunity.

HAVING already demonstrated the Being and infinite Perfections of God, and from thence inferr'd our extreme necessity of an in­terest in His favour, I am now (according to my promise) to enquire into the way and means, of becoming fa­vourites of this glorious Majesty: And in [Page 38] order thereto, to consider, whether we are naturally in g [...]od terms with Him: And if not, whether He has made any provision for our reconciliation, and re-obtaining His lost favour. Both which considerations offer themselves, in a manner worthy of the Divine Nature, and agreable to humane reason, in the words before us: Wherein we may Note,

1. THE fallen apostate state of mankind Christ died for the UNGODLY, i. e. for such as were in an estate of distance from God, of enmity and opposition to Him.

THE Text indeed gives us no light into the cause of this guilt and wo; but reason as well as revelation plainly dictates, that it is inconsistent with the merciful nature of our glorious Creator, and natural Lord, either to create us in an estate of sin and misery; or to reduce us to those wretched circumstances without just provocation▪ And therefore that rebellion and apostacy must necessarily be the source of this cor­ruption and pollution, as we shall more par­ticularly consider.

2. WE may note the awful consequences of our apostacy. We were without strength. The original word here rendred without strength, is very emphatical, and represents [Page 39] us in most languishing, helpless, & distressed circumstances. It alludes to and is taken from the imbecillity of those that are redu­ced to the last extremity, and brought to the brink of the grave, by sore sickness.

3. WE may note the Remedy provided for this distress; and the means of our re­covery from this languishing helpless state: Christ died for us. When all humane help fail'd, and we might have utterly despair'd of recovery by any created power, then the glorious SON OF GOD stept in to our rescue, and purchas'd our deliverance with his own blood.

4. WE may note the seasonableness of this remedy provided for us. In due TIME Christ died, &c. which must either refer to the time pre-ordained of God for this glo­rious deliverance, as some understand the words; or rather to the fitness of the sea­son, wherein our blessed Redeemer under­took and accomplish'd our ransom.

THE misery of the World at the time of Christ's appearing, by their universal de­pravation of manners, and by the deluge of Idolatry, that cover'd the face of the Earth; makes it appear to have been a fit season, for the glorifying the Divine com­passion. And the union of the nations un­der [Page 40] the imperial government, made it a fit season to publish the salvation procur'd for them.

BUT for a more distinct handling the words, I shall consider them as consisting of these two Propositions.

I. THAT mankind is brought into a sin­ful, miserable, helpless state.

II. THAT our Lord Iesus Christ did in due time die for their deliverance out of this state.

THE method I propose to my self, in dis­coursing upon these Propositions, is to distinctly shew, that they are not only re­vealed truths, but also most consonant and agreable to the light of reason: And then as I pass along, make some brief Reflections by way of Improvement.

Prop. I. THAT mankind is brought into a sinful miserable and helpless state.

THIS may be illustrated, by first offering some rational evidences of this awful truth; and then by enquiring into the cause or reason of it.

FOR evincing the truth of the Proposi­tion, I shall offer these following con­siderations.

1. IT'S plain to every intelligent mind, that a rational creature may sin against God. [Page 41] Every one must upon first thought acknow­ledge, that our glorious Creator sustains a near relation to us as our common Parent, and the Author of our Being, on which ac­count He justly claims our love and reve­rence: And that He has an absolute sove­reignty and dominion over us, as our Lord and King; whereby He is entitled to our subjection and obedience. If then instead of that love and reverence which we owe to our Heavenly Father, we set light by o [...] disesteem any of His infinite Perfections: Or if instead of that obedience, which is due to this gl [...]rious King, we do those things which we know to be contrary to His will; we violate the first laws of nature, and sin against God. This is a plain case, and ad­mits of no dispute.

THE only difficulty before us is, how we shall know what is the Will of God concern­ing us. If there be no law, there can be no transgression; and if God has given us no manifestation of His will, He can't ex­pect or require our obedience.

IN answer to this Objection, I must not take it for granted, that the Scriptures are a Divine revelation; that is yet to be prov'd. But must consider, whether we cannot by the light of nature, discover such manifesta­tions [Page 42] of God's will and our duty, as will render our nonconformity thereto crimi­nal and sinful.

AND if we do but contemplate the per­fections of the Divine nature, this will ap­pear in the clearest light. For whatever is contrary to any of them, must be dis­pleasing to God, and repugnant to His Will; His own Attributes being what He cannot but eternally and unchangeably love and delight in. To exemplify this, The light of nature enjoins the belief of one God alone; and thereby teacheth us, that He is the only Object of properly Divine and Religious Worship: And consequently that it is a violation of the law of nature to wor­ship other gods; Or that any idol of our imagination should be esteem'd, lov'd, trusted, obey'd, or honour'd as God.

MOREOVER, our own reason dictates to us, that God is Himself infinite Rectitude and Iustice, and therefore, that every act of injustice whether it respects God or man as its immediate object, is contrary to His Na­ture and Will.—Thus likewise does God appear to the eye of reason, to be a Being of infinite Goodness and Mercy, whence it's manifest that an imitation of this Divine perfection in beneficence, clemency, love, [Page 43] and charity is acceptable in His sight; while bitterness, wrath, hatred, cruelty, or any acts of unkindness, are as contrary to His Will, as to His merciful Nature.

BY a particular reflection on these men­tion'd Attributes, much of our duty towards God and man might be discover'd. And by a survey of His other perfections, we might find further acquaintance with His will concerning us; and thereby further evidence, that we are capable of sinning against Him. The same thing might be demonstrated by several other Arguments; but I think few men in their right wits can call this into question.

WHAT man will teach his neighbour, that treachery, fraud and violence are sinless and innocent? What Parent will instruct his eldest son, that he may innocently, if he can secretly, take away his life to possess his estate? What Prince will teach his Subjects, that they are under no religious bond to obedience; but may without sin a­gainst God, turn rebels, traytors and re­gicides? ‘If man be under no duty to God, and if nothing be sin against Him, what a creature would man be, and what a hell would Earth be!’

UPON the whole, it's most evident, that [Page 44] there are such things in nature, as vertue and vice, right and wrong; this is what our own consciences continually remon­strate, and what all Nations have always agreed in. Whence that appears agreable to the very first dictates of reason, in Gen. iv.7. If thou doest well, shalt thou not be ac­cepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.

2. WE have all a sad experience, that our first and chief inclinations, are to those ways that are most repugnant unto the ho­liness of the Divine nature; and to that recti­tude that God reasonably expects from us.

AS soon as ever we are capable of action, the leading affections and passions of the mind are manifestly irregular and vicious, the appetite exorbitant, and the whole bent of soul after what is most opposite to our duty and happiness: That if our tender age were without restraint and government, and a loose given to our natural inclina­tions; we should be worse than the wild asses colt, and be authors of destruction to our selves, and one another▪ With what care and pains must our first years be cul­tivated▪ With what perpetual instructions and admonitions must the seeds of vertue be sown in our minds! And with what [Page 45] diligence and vigilance must the poyson sprouts of vice and immorality be weeded up, in order to prevent our headlong pro­gress in impiety towards God and man!

THUS we begin our course: And in our more advanced age, what combat does eve­ry thinking person find, between his reason and passions, whereby he is even distracted with this perpetual struggle and contest for victory! With what difficulty do we form our minds to any reverence of our glorious Creator, or conformity to His justice, good­ness, or holiness! How difficult a task is it to regulate our appetites, or to hold the reins of our inordinate inclinations and de­sires!—This is what the heathen World have from the eldest ages observ'd in them­selves; whereby they have been fill'd with great vexation and inquietude; and put up­on vain enquiries, after means of compo­sing these jarring principles in their minds; which have issued in this ancient and com­mon complaint, Video meliora, proboque, de [...]eriora sequor. Agreeable to that of the Apostle, The good I know, I do not; and when I would do good, evil is present with me. These things ly open to every observer, whereby they cannot but discern, that the [Page 46] imaginations of the thoughts of their hearts are evil continually, as Gen. vi.5.

3. WE cannot but observe, that the greatest part of the World do, against the light of their own reason, live in courses of sin against God, and of disobedience to Him

HOW great a part of the World bow down to stocks and stones, worship the hos [...] of Heaven, or ly prostrate at the altars of some vile pagods; while they forget the God that made them, and the Rock tha [...] formed them! And tho' custom or education may so darken their understandings, as to satisfy their minds in this stupid idolatry, yet their own reason (were that consulted) would certainly teach them the sin & folly of thus worshipping and serving the creature, more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever ▪

AND besides this superstition and idolatry, whereby the Eternal Majesty is thus dis­honour'd, by the much greatest part o [...] mankind; How does lust and passion ge [...] the victory of reason and principle, even in the most enlightened parts of the World▪ Whence else are the ambition & tyranny, the ravages, massacres, convulsions and confusions, that render the Earth an Acel­dama? Or whence the enormous actions, and flagitious lives, the injustice and fraud, [Page 47] the malice and envy, the luxury, riot and excess; or other like sinful and sensual pur­suits, that the most of the World are charge­able with? Can the perpetrators of such impieties plead ignorance? Don't they sin against light, and against the frequent re­monstrances of their reason and consciences? Yes certainly! Tho' they know God, they glorify Him not as God, but become vain in their imaginations, until their foolish hearts are darkened, as Rom. i.21.

4. IT'S evident that this promptitude to sin, flows from the corruption and pollution of our natures.

WHENCE can such corrupt streams proceed, but from a polluted fountain? And whence such a progress of impiety, but from a wicked and depraved nature? What reason can be assign'd, why men should chuse irregular and sinful, rather than innocent & rational plea­sures & satisfactions; and gratify their lusts at the expence of their comfort, health, re­putation, estates, and every thing else that is pleasant and precious, as we see they do? Why do bold daring wretches, without any apparent prospect of pleasure or profit, with an effronted bravery, defy Heaven it self, profane the Divine Attributes, and curse their own souls? And why do they rush [Page 48] on in their sinful and irrational courses, a­gainst contrary convictions, and against all restraints, Divine and humane? What (I say) can be the cause of all this, but the pravity of our natures; and the cursed enmity of our hearts to God, and all that is good?

THOUGH there needs no other Argument to give us full assurance of this sad truth; yet a particular view of the faculties, habits and dispositions of our Souls, would give us further evidence, that our hearts are de­ceitful above all things, and desperately wick­ed, as Jer. xvii.9.

5. THIS state of sin and pollution, which we find our selves in, must necessarily be a state of guilt and w [...].

SIN in its formal nature is directly repug­nant unto all the properties & perfections of God; and is the highest affront and indignity to Him. It is a contempt & denial of His propriety in us, and dominion over us; as it is a refusing subjection to His known will.

IT is a contempt of His goodness & mercy, in chusing base and brutish pleasures, be­fore His favour; and refusing to be allur'd to His service, by all the sweet attractives of His graci [...]us providence.—It is a horrid slight and disregard of His Omniscienc [...] [Page 49] and Omnipresence, that we dare sin in His very presence, & act contrary to Him, tho' we know that our actions are open before Him.—It's a daring defiance of His Omnipotence, for such worms as we to op­pose, as tho' we could make our party good against the God, who made the World, and can make us fewel to His flaming vengeance, at pleasure.

IT is a vile contempt of His Holiness and Purity, in preferring the pollutions of our own irregular appetites, before the rectitude of His Nature. —In a word, it is a contempt of all His Attributes, and di­rect enmity and rebellion against Him.

FROM this contemplation, it's most ap­parent, that we wretchedly deviate from the great end of our Creation, both by the habits and acts of sin. For it's the height of stupidity to imagine, that Infinite Wisdom should make so noble a Being, for no high­er purposes, than to contemn His Attri­butes, spurn His Authority, and maintain a course of opposition to Him. And the same consideration lays open before us the guilt of a sinful state. For if rebellion and trea­son against an earthly Sovereign be by all men voted so black a crime, as to involve the rebel in deepest guilt, and expose him [Page 50] to sharpest revenges; how much more cri­minal and guilty must he be, that maintains a rebellion against the King of kings, and lives in a course of open enmity & defiance both to His Being & Government! which we have seen to be our case.

WHAT kind or degrees of punishment, an offended Sovereign will inflict upon such rebels, is not so easily discover'd by the light of nature. But that we are justly ex­posed to punishment, is visible from the na­ture of our crimes. None calls in question the equity of penal rewards to traytors in the State: how much less can we reason­ably expect to escape unpunish'd for our treason against Heaven! If it be justice in man to punish the delinquent, it must ne­cessarily be so in God; who is the fountain of all created justice, and whose holy Na­ture is the only pattern of our vertues and regular conduct. It is therefore but rea­sonable to expect, that those who prefer the ways and fruits of sin, to the favour of God, should be left to their unhappy choice, and be shut out of His favour for ever. They may not, they cannot suppose, that such guilty and polluted creatures, such enemies to God and holiness should be the objects of the Divine love and complacency; [Page 51] or be admitted to the favourable presence, and delightful fruition of a holy God. No! He is of purer eyes than to behold evil, or to look upon sin with approbation.— Thus we see, that the loss of God's favour, and thereby the loss of all happiness (which can only consist in His favour) is the na­tural and necessary result of our state of sin and enmity to Him. And tho' we can­not discover by natural light, to what manner or measure of positive penalties our sins expose us: Yet we have greatest rea­son to expect and fear some terrible mani­festation of God's righteous displeasure.

IF it be objected against all this, that the contrary is evident, from the dispensa­tions of Providence; it being a constant ob­servation, that the most impiously wicked and profane are often in happy & flourish­ing circumstances, and seem to be the dar­ling favourites of Heaven, while the more holy and vertuous are under greatest af­flictions, and press'd with many calamities, as tho' they were the especial objects of God's wrath:—I answer, this Objection does nothing militate against the awful conside­rations before us, but rather confirms them; For how dark and inexplicable soever the present dispensations of providence may be, [Page 52] God is a God of justice; and the Iudge of all the Earth will do right. Whence it's [...] natural conclusion, from the present seem­ing inequality in God's dealings with us, that this life is not the place of reward [...] and punishments; but that there will be [...] future retribution, wherein these crooked things will be made straight, and th [...] flourishing prosperity of wicked men, wil [...] appear to be but a preparation for their ruin, and a fatting for the slaughter. W [...] may reasonably conclude, that God wil [...] first or last discover the justice and equalit [...] of all His dispensations. And since this does not appear from the present face o [...] providence, we may look for a future season, for the manifestation of His just aversatio [...] to sin and sinners, and for the execution o [...] His deserved wrath upon them.

THAT we are made for a future state, wil [...] appear from the contemplation of our own natures: Whereby we may certainly find, that we have spiritual and immaterial sub­stances within us (as I have fully demon­strated in a former discourse) and that ou [...] Souls being immaterial, must be likewise incorruptible, & naturally immortal; made to survive their earthly tabernacles, and to live and act when our bodies return to [Page 53] their dust.—Now can it be imagin'd that God has made so superior a creature as man, endow'd him with a rational and immortal S [...]ul, and with such elevations of mind, only to act a short part in this World, and to just propagate his kind, and then re­turn to an eternal state of insensibility and inactivity? No surely! these low and mean views are altogether unworthy of infinite Wisdom. It's therefore evident from the immortal nature of our Souls, and from the shortness of our continuance in this World, that we are here but in a state of probation; but candidates for another World, where we are like to meet with the rewards of our present behaviour, whatever it be. And what will be the re­ward of that sin and impiety, which we are all chargeable with, we have already seen.

THUS we discover our guilty miserable state by sin, that God is angry with the wicked every day, Psal. vii.11. And that there is destruction to the wicked, and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity, Job xxxi.3.

6. IT'S certain that we are naturally helpless and without strength or skill, to re­cover our selves out of this plunge.

WE see our selves in the pit, but can't [Page 54] find the way out, by our own power o [...] wisdom. We have lamentable experience, that our nature is polluted, and all our fa­culties deprav'd, that our passions rebel a­gainst our reason; and that we are conti­nually sinning against God, and provoking Him to anger. But which way shall we conquer our lusts, regulate our affections, and get reconciled to God? Here reaso [...] is non-plus'd, and our best rational enqui­ries fruitless, and in vain.

HERE let the Deist try his skill: Let him without the assistance of revelation, draw up a perfect system of the laws of nature: Let him consult the means of restoring our lost innocency; and of keeping our affecti­ons and passions, under the government of religion and reason: Let him call in the help of all the Philosophers of Greece and Rome, for his assistance in this arduous un­dertaking: And in the conclusion, he'll have but his labour for his pains, and con­tinue in the same inextricable labyrinth.

THIS is apparent from the fruitless pains of all the wisest moral heathen in this case; who, tho' all sensible of our pravity and misery, could never find out the cause nor cure. They have indeed, some of 'em, given excellent moral rules, for the govern­ment [Page 55] and conduct of human life. But then, these were all very defective in many essential articles; and their best systems have countenanc'd and encourag'd, even the grossest and most unnatural impieties. But what light have any, or all of 'em given, in the present enquiry? What re­medy have any of their schools propos'd for our misery? What means to restore unto reason the empire of the mind, and to reduce the exorbitancy of the passions and appetites? What way have they contriv'd to shake off our guilt, and to re-obtain the Divine favour? Hic labor, hoc opus est. Here they have run themselves out of breath to no purpose, while every Sect have propos'd a contrary, or different scheme; and all have left the difficulty as they found it. And had all human wisdom been collected into one head, the case would have been the same. For we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteous­nesses are as filthy rags, and we do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities like the wind, have taken us away, Isai. lxiv.6.

HAVING thus discover'd our misery, we may next consider the cause of it, under this enquiry, —

[Page 56]WHENCE is it so, that mankind is thus brought into a sinful, miserable, and helpless state?

To which I answer;

1. WE could not at first come out of the hands of our holy Creator, in such a corrupt, polluted, and sinful state.

HAD God at first created us in this state of defilement, He must have taken pleasure in our sin and pollution; and where then would have been His holiness? Had He at first made us with a natural necessity of being guilty and criminal, He must have been the Author, as well as punisher of our guilt; and where then would have been His Iustice? Or had he been the original and necessary cause of our misery, where would have been His goodness and mercy? Therefore, to suppose God to be the Author of that nest of sin and uncleanness, in our wicked hearts; the cause of our vile affections, ungovernable passions, and exorbitant ap­petites; and the fountain of all these poy­son streams; is to attribute to Him worse than the worst of human affections. It is implicitly to say, that He made us on pur­pose that He might delight Himself in our misery: Which shocking blasphemy must be far from every imagination. Whence it [Page 57] appears, that God made man upright, tho' we have sought out many inventions, Eccl. vii.29.

AND hence,

2. THE state that we find our selves in, makes the account of this matter in the third of Genesis very probable.

I shall not now concern my self with that debate, whether this story be literally, or allegorically to be understood: Be it which it will, it is a natural and rational supposition, that our first Parents, through the power of temptation, were guilty of disobedience against God; and thereby both for themselves and their posterity, lost the innocence and happiness of their first state.

IT appears very likely, from the consi­deration of our present degeneracy, that we are the branches of a corrupt stock; and the offspring of rebellious parents And let those that question this account of our apostacy, either assign some more probable cause of it; or for eve [...]ly under the just imputation of obstinacy and unreasonableness.

THOUGH we may meet with some diffi­culty, in reconciling the imputation of O­riginal Sin, to the rectoral holiness and justice of God: Yet as much as may serve to our present purpose, and clear up the [Page 58] consideration now before us, may be set in a plain and easy light. It is not diffi­cult to suppose, that God should punish an ungrateful rebel, with the loss of all his original excellencies and perfections, both of body and mind. And it is a natu­ral and familiar supposition, that a dege­nerate st [...]ck will have degenerate branches; that the offspring will be like the parent; and the streams partake of the nature and qualities of the fountain.

BESIDES, God may justly impute the sin of Adam unto his progeny, by way of at­tainder; as when a rebel among men for­feits his estate and honours from himself, and his seed, to his offended Sovereign. And this will be a more easy supposal, if we consider these two things, (1) That we were all seminally in our first parents, and in that sense partakers with 'em in their transgression. And (2) That they acted as our publick representatives, and therefore were to stand or fall for us, as well as themselves: Which being allow'd, the difficulty vanishes. And I see nothing in the nature of the thing, that can make it incredible, that God as an absolute Sove­reign should constitute Adam the moral, as he was the natural head of all his posterity, [Page 59] to represent and act for them all, in what he did. We don't esteem it a hardship in our temporal affairs, to be equally obliged by what our representatives act in our name and stead, as if they were our own personal actions. Nor should we in the present case have thought it unjust, to have par­took of the blessed fruits of Adam's obedi­ence, had he stood. What cause then can we have to complain of the imputation of his disobedience in this public character?

AFTER all, whether we can throughly reconcile this matter, to our own ways of thinking or not; we can't find a more probable reason of our lost miserable cir­cumstances, than that by one man sin entred into the World, and death by sin, as in Rom. v.12.

BUT whatever be the cause, we cannot doubt the malady. We have too sad ex­perience of our misery, to call that into question: And since we see the house on fire, it does not so much concern us to anxiously enquire by what means the flame was kindled, as to consult a method to ex­tinguish it.

THE Improvement therefore, that I would make of this Proposition, is, That it is of infinite importance for us, to consult [Page 60] some way of obtaining a pardon of our sins, a sanctification of our natures, and a reconciliation unto God. Our present state is not to be continued in. It's a dreadful condition to be God's enemies, a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. And whither shall we flee for help? From what quarter shall we look for deliverance from the miseries we feel or fear? Will the pagan religion afford us relief? We have already heard, that the best schemes of their wisest Sages have been utterly in­sufficient to this purpose.

AND a thinking person will hardly be persuaded, that the worship of a herd of vile deities, with rites as vile and detestable as the gods themselves; should be well pleas­ing unto that Eternal Majesty, who will not give His Glory unto another; nor His Praise unto graven images.

SHALL we then repair for help unto the Mahometan religion, and consult the Alcoran in our present distress? Alas, in vain! For no wise man can trust in such a rhapsody of nonsense and confusion, and in such a medly of inconsistent, and absurd doctrines of re­ligion and tyranny, twisted together, with­out some better evidence of its Divine au­thority, than the bare word of the volup­tuous and ambitious author.

[Page 61]BESIDES, that book makes no pretences to shew a way how our sins can be par­don'd, our natures renew'd, and we re-in­stated into God's favour. Nor does it pro­pose any other happiness, than a fool's para­dise of sensual pleasures; most disagreable to a vertuous and rational mind.

WHITHER shall we next go? Shall we consult our Oracles of wit, and seek some rational scheme of religion and happiness, from our modern pagans, the Deists? These libertines can vainly boast of unprejudic'd Reason and Science, as tho' they were the men, and wisdom must dy with them. They can put out the eyes of conscience, & brave­ly scoff at reveal'd religion, as an idle dream, and the effect of a melancholly imagina­tion, enthusiasm or Priestcraft. But which of 'em has ever pretended to propose a method of our obtaining inward peace and purity, happiness here, and salvation here­after?

THUS far our search has been vain and fruitless. And must we now yield the cause, and sit down in despair? By no means! We are miserable indeed, if we can find no end of our enquiries, no Religion to trust in, no foundation to fix upon.

[Page 62]LET us then examin the Christian Reli­gion, and see if there be no more reasona­ble satisfactions to be found in that; whe­ther that has made any adequate provisions for the recovery of fallen man, and for se­curing our present and future happiness. And our entrance into this enquiry, does immediately bring us to the consideration of the second Proposition:

Prop. II. OUR Lord Iesus Christ did in due time die, for the deliverance of sinful man, out of his miserable and helpless state.

THE glorious and eternal SON OF GOD beholding our apostate and perishing state, look'd down with Divine compassion upon a miserable World, delug'd in sin and guilt, and undertook their ransom. And that God might be just, in the pardon and justi­fication of sinners, He is become their Surety; that so by His bearing the punish­ment due to their sins, He might atone of­fended Iustice, and by His Sponsorial Righ­teousness, He might purchase for them glory and happiness.

THAT this glorious Mediator might be qualified for this great undertaking; He was the Eternal God, that so the dignity of His person might give sufficient merit to [Page 63] His obedience. And He likewise became man, like our selves, that so He might be able to suffer the penalty due to our sins; and that satisfaction might be given to Iustice, by the same nature that offended. He was moreover both God and man, that repre­senting both the parties at odds, He might mediate between them.—And since Death, in the largest signification of the word, was the just and natural demerit of our sins, our almighty Saviour has for our sakes, and in our stead, encountred this King of terrors, in his most terrible appear­ance, in all his pomp, with all his darts and poyson. Thus hath He tasted Death for every man; and redeem'd us unto God with His own Blood.

THIS is summarily the meaning of the words of our Text, and of the Proposition before us. And if this Doctrine be true, it reflects a glorious light into our dark minds, plucks us out of the jaws of despair, and proposes a happy means of life and peace. It is therefore well worth our while to distinctly consider the verity of the Christian Institution; and see whether its precious and comfortable Doctrines may be confided in.

[Page 64]THAT I may assist you in this enquiry, I shall at present, only offer you some strong probabilities on the side of Christianity; and then (if God permit) in some future discourses to that purpose, offer you full, plain, and ungainsayable evidence of these blessed truths.

THE strong probabilities, that I would now take notice of, may be propos'd un­der these two considerations;

• I. THAT the Christian Revelation, if true, is every way worthy of God.
• II. THAT it every way answers the mi­serable circumstances of fallen man.

I am first then to consider, That the Christian Revelation is every way worthy of God.

THIS consideration, if fully pursu'd, might d [...]scover to us, how all the Divine Attributes and Perfections most gloriously harmonize, and shine forth with brightest lustre, in this way of our salvation by Ie­sus Christ. But the time before us will allow only some very brief hints upon this Subject: However, I would willingly say enough to establish you in the present truth; and assist your contemplations upon this delightful theme.

[Page 65]THIS way of salvation appears worthy of God, in that herein was a glorious mani­festation, and illustration of infinite Good­ness, Mercy and Love. An Eternity is short enough to admire, adore, and praise the surprizing wonders of redeeming Love: For if we consider the objects of this Mercy, poor apostate rebels; there could be no motive but Divine compassion, for mercy to take place of justice, in the deliverance of such criminals from deserved wrath. If we consider the freeness of this love, not only without any obligation, or possibility of retaliation from us, but against highest provocations to the contrary; It will ap­pear infinite, like the glorious Fountain of it. If we consider the nature of that sal­vation thus procur'd for us, that it contains not only a freedom from sin and guilt, but a title to God's favour, and to an eternal state of glory and happiness: We may with just admiration cry out, What is man that thou art thus mindful of him? But if we consider the Author and price of this salva­tion, that God has so loved the World, as to give his dear Son for us, and has redeem'd us with his own blood; the surprize still encreases, and Mercy appears in its highest exaltation. How then do all these con­siderations [Page 66] together, with the many others that might be propos'd, give us cause with ravish'd souls to acknowledge, that the breadth, and length, and depth, and height of the love of God in Christ, passeth know­lege, as Eph. iii.18.

THE bright display of infinite Iustice in our redemption by Christ, makes it also appear worthy of God. Were justice swal­low'd up of mercy (as it must have been, had God sav'd sinners without a satisfaction) we might reject the doctrine, as unworthy of an infinitely just and holy God. But since He has shewn Himself inexorable in His demands of satisfaction, by requiring the utmost farthing of the surety, that was due from the principal debtor; and by punishing His own dear S [...]n with a bitter death, as the sinners representative: His work appears perfect, and all his ways judg­ment, as Deut. xxxii.4.

IF it be here objected, That it cannot be just, to transfer the punishment from the guilty to the innocent:

I answer, That God by right of His su­preme jurisdiction, might relax the law, and transfer the penalty. And tho' justice re­quires full satisfaction, He might in abso­lute sovereignty, accept it from a surety. [Page 67] True indeed, the Redeemer as He was the Lord from Heaven, was not liable to any constraint or compulsion, to this un­dertaking. But I see nothing either in the Nature or Law of God, that should make it unequal, to accept of full satis­faction from Him, when voluntarily offer'd.

I acknowlege, that it would be un­just among men, to accept of the life of an innocent for a guilty person, because we have not the disposal of our own lives. But this nothing affects the present case, since our Lord had in Himself, power to lay down His own life, and power to take it up again.

BUT I must hasten to observe, that

THE most glorious manifestation of God's holiness and purity in this work of our Re­demption, makes it likely to be a Divine contrivance. Nothing could give a brighter discovery of God's implacable antipathy to sin, than the amazing sufferings of His own dear Son, when imputatively guilty. This discovers sin to be a weight that even infinite mercy could not bear, in that the blood of His well-beloved Son must be the only sacrifice to appease His displeasure a­gainst it; and that He could without re­lenting, behold the bitter agonies of Him, with whom He was well pleased, when He [Page 68] was made sin for us. This shews us, that He is glorious in Holiness. Exod. xv.15.

THE Omnipotence of God does likewise appear in its highest perfection, in this glorious work. God's creating the World out of nothing, and His upholding and governing all things by the word of His power, are not greater evidences of Omni­potence, than our Redemption by His in­carnate Son. The incarnation of Christ, and the union of the Divine Nature with the human, is such a miracle of power, as exceeds all finite thoughts, in their highest elevation. And the same Almighty Agent is discover'd in our Lord's miraculous con­ception of a Virgin, without the help of man; in the triumphs of His cross; and the victory over all our spiritual enemies, obtain'd by His death; as well as by His resurrection from the grave, and His ascen­sion into Heaven. In a word, the whole transaction of our salvation by Christ, is a manifestation of Omnipotent grace. But I may but hint at things, and shall only add;

THE glories of the Divine Wisdom do also shine forth with brightest splendor in the work of Redemption. The very pro­jection of this scheme, was beyond the ca­pacity [Page 69] of any finite understanding. The method (tho' most reasonable and agrea­ble) is so deep and mysterious, that it could not have been the product of human in­vention: Which consideration alone, is enough to convince us of the Divine ori­ginal of the Christian institution. The end of this contrivance, viz. the exalting God's glory, and restoring man's happiness, was worthy of infinite counsel: And the means of accomplishing this vast design, could be adjusted only by God Himself.—Infinite the Wisdom! Unsearchable the Counsel! that took occasion from our sin, which was the highest opposition to the Divine Perfections, to make all His Attributes shine forth with brighter glory; hereby not only to bring infinite Mercy and inflexible Iustice into the sweetest harmony; but to manifest both in greatest lustre, the one in punishing the sin, the other in pardoning and saving the sinner! Who but God could have found the means for Mercy and Truth thus to meet together, and Righteousness and Peace to kiss each other?

AND we may still with greater admira­tion, adore the miraculous contrivance for the reconciling God and man, by uniting the infinitely distant Natures into one person; [Page 70] and thereby ordaining such a Mediator, who by partaking of both Natures, is in­terested in both parties; and so every way fit to reconcile God to man, and man to God! But I must not enlarge upon this copious subject, which would take a large Volume, to the distinct consideration of it; and a whole Eternity, in the just admira­tion of it. The short glance we have al­ready had of this contemplation, makes it appear, that God hath herein abounded to­wards us, in all Wisdom and Prudence, Eph. i.8.

THUS I have with all brevity consider'd how the Christian revelation is worthy of God. I am now to observe:

II. THAT it every way answers the mi­serable circumstances of fallen man.

WHAT could be more agreable to the perishing circumstances of guilty condemn­ed sinners, than the joyful tidings of pardon and salvation, of a deliverance from the depth of wo, and a title to joy unspeakable and full of glory; upon such easy and ho­nourable terms? This justly recommends the Christian Religion above all others, that ever were or could be contriv'd.

AND if we take a view of the tenor and properties of this institution, we shall find [Page 71] it so adapted to the nature of man; to his various stations and relations in the World; to his comfort here and happiness hereafter; that as no other Religion could ever claim like regards, on these accounts, so this a­bove all others, appears to be of Divine original.

THE Doctrines of the Gospel are all holy and spiritual, agreable to the ennobled na­ture and faculties of our Souls. The pre­cepts are most just and reasonable, directly tending to make us holy and happy, chari­table and beneficent. The motives are most noble and sublime, fit to work upon our affections and passions, to deter us from sin, and enflame our desires after the re­ward of holiness.—Here the vices of pride, worldliness and sensuality; of in­justice, fraud, persecution or oppression, fierceness or impatience, are justly con­demn'd and prohibited; and a flaming sword brandish'd before us, to prevent our commission of these and such like sins.—Here we are taught self-denial, justice and mercy, brotherly love, unity, peace, and kindness one to another; with the most sweet and endearing attractives to such a blessed life. —Here we have most excel­lent rules, for order and government in [Page 72] the World; for the peace and stability of Kingdoms and Commonwealths, for the re­straining ambition and tyranny in the Prince, and rebellion or sedition in the subject. —Here we may find choicest cordials and supports, under all the troubles and afflicti­ons we can conflict with; and even against the fears and terrors of death it self.—Here we have all rational pleasure and sa­tisfaction indulged us, tho' the sinful cra­vings of our corrupt and vitiated appetites, are prohibited, as most hurtful and per­nicious. —Here may our minds be spiri­tualized and exalted to the highest eleva­tion, they are capable of in this life, and yet raised with expectations of higher perfections in the World to come.—In a word, the Gospel-scheme is every way per­fective of human nature, and calculated for our present and future happiness; and is therefore worthy to be esteem'd the Wisdom of God, and the Power of God, as 1 Cor. i.18.

HAVING thus seen some of the strong probabilities of the truth of Christianity; which cannot but reflect a convincing light, into the mind of every serious and impar­tial enquirer: I must defer the further demonstration of this truth, till another [Page 73] opportunity; and conclude my present Discourse, with some brief practical Infe­rences.

And,

I. WE have cause with raised affections to adore and praise the infinite mercy of God, for revealing this glorious salvation to us in the Gospel.

LIFE and Immortality were purchas'd by the obedience of Christ; but they are brought to light by the Gospel. And it would have been as well for us, to have had no salvation purchas'd, as none reveal'd. In both cases a thick cloud of despair had cover'd our Souls, that we could never have seen through. But now from the distinguishing Mercy of God, the sun of righ­teousness hath arisen upon us; and the day spring from on high hath visited us. The light of life blazes into our Souls; and the way to Heaven like the path of the just, is as a shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day: That we are under the most happy advantages possible, to se­cure an interest in this Saviour, and a title to the glories that will be revealed.

LET us but consider, how great a part of the World are yet groping in thick darkness, have utterly lost their way, in [Page 74] the mists of ignorance and error; and are without God, without Christ, and without hope in the World: While the grace of God that bringeth salvation, having appeared to us, we are even lifted up to Heaven by our privileges: And it will surely appear, that this special favour calls for special thankful­ness; and loudly summons all the faculties of our Souls, to be closely engaged in that inquiry, Psal. cxvi.12. What shall I render to the Lord, for all these benefits towards me?

AND if we yet further consider, how un­worthy we are of such discriminating fa­vour, it will give us cause to reflect upon these Divine obligations, with a rapture of Soul. Had there been any thing in us, that could have been any incentive to this distinguishing mercy, 'twould have lessen'd the obligation: But there was nothing in us, more than in the darkest regions of the earth, to move God's compassion to us; or to excite Him to make known to us, the riches of the glory of this mystery, among the Gentiles. Free sovereign grace only de­serves the praise. And our ingratitude will be of the blackest dye, if these re­flections don't make the fire burn in our breasts; and inspire us with most exalted [Page 75] sentiments, and thankful resentments of such special and signal mercies.

II. LET us hence be exhorted, to make it our sedulous concern, to obtain an in­terest in this salvation, in such a wonder­ful way provided for us, and so freely tendred to us.

LET us with flaming ardour of soul, and with most undeniable importunity, wrestle with God for an interest in Christ by Faith; that He may become of God unto us, Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemp­tion. And that we through Him, may be heirs to an inheritance with the Saints in light.

WE should be awfully careful, that we don't perish from under the Gospel, lest this enhance our guilt, and aggravate our future condemnation, that light is come in­to the World, and we chuse darkness rather than light.

HAVING in our last Discourse con­sider'd our apostate and misera­ble circumstances, and the hopes of recovery from this state of sin and guilt, by our Lord Iesus Christ: I am now to add to the strong probabilities then urg'd, some full and clear demonstra­tions [Page 77] of this precious truth, that God has so loved the World, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. For the proof of which, I shall first con­sider the clear evidence of this Doctrine, from the Prophecies of Christ in the Old Testament; and then shew you how it's ratified by God Himself, with the great Seal of Heaven; by the miracles, I mean, performed by Christ, and by others in His name.—The latter proposal must be deferr'd to a future opportunity: The former falls under present consideration from the words of our Text. In which we may Note;

1. SOMETHING supposed and taken for granted, viz. that the Scriptures of the Old Testament did prophesy of Christ; That the Messiah was written of in the law of Moses, in the Prophets, and in the Psalms; which expressions, according to the Iewish mode of speaking, include all the sacred and canonical Books of the Old Testament.

THIS was a truth [...] universally receiv'd among the Iews ▪ both before and at the time of our Lord's incarnation, that it wanted neither illustration, nor confirma­tion.

[Page 78]2. WE may note the Divine authority, and undoubted veracity of these prophecies of Christ. They must all be fulfilled.

THESE sacred prophecies being the Ora­cles of God, are founded on His truth and faithfulness, are immutable as God Him­self; and therefore cannot fail of accom­plishment.

3. FOR the clearer understanding the words before us, we may note the end and design of our glorious Lord, in this Argu­ment, which was to confirm and establish the Faith of His Disciples in Himself, as the hope of Israel and the Saviour of the World.

THIS appears from the connection of these words with the foregoing context.—In the 37th verse, we find the Disciples terrified and affrighted with our Lord's miraculous appearance among 'em; suppo­sing they had seen a spirit. And we are told in the 41st verse, that their surprize not only continued, but was accompanied with incredulity and unbelief. Our Lord therefore to obviate both their difficulties, first takes meat and eats before them, to convince 'em that He was not a spirit; and then urges the present Argument, as sufficient for ever to silence all their doubts [Page 79] and scruples, about the cause of His suf­ferings, and His Resurrection from the dead. This Argument He had before in­culcated upon 'em, and now again leaves with 'em, as a standing confirmation of their Faith, in that important Article. The sum of which Argument is this, That all the sacred writings (which could not fail of accomplishment) did unanimously pre­dict the manner of life, the death, and re­surrection of the Messiah. And that there­fore they could have no room left for sur­prize or diffidence, with relation to Him, in whom they had seen the accomplish­ment of all these prophecies: This being an attestation from God Himself, of His Di­vine Mission.

OR we may more summarily take up the words, in this DOCTRINE, That the accomplishment of the Old Testament Prophecies concern­ing our Lord Iesus Christ, are a sure evidence, that He is the Messiah.

FOR the illustration of this Observation, I shall endeavour to shew;

I. WHAT a prophecy is.

II. HOW a prophecy may be said to be fulfilled.

[Page 80]III. THAT there were prophecies of Christ in the Old Testament, which are fulfilled.

And,

IV. THAT the accomplishment of these prophecies, is a sure evidence, that Christ i [...] the Messiah.

I. I am to consider, What a prophe­cy is.

I mean not in this enquiry, to consider the word in its full latitude, nor to take notice of the various acceptations it obtains in Scripture: But briefly to shew, in what sense it is to be understood in the present Argument. And as it affects the case be­fore us, I understand a Prophecy to be a Divine prediction of future contingent events.—I call it a Divine prediction, because it's the sole prerogative of Omniscience, to foresee future contingencies: And it can­not come within the compass of any finite understanding, to foretel those things, that have no foundation in nature, nor depen­dance on natural causes.—And I con­sider contingent events, as the only object of prophecy; because it requires in ordina­ry, no prophetic spirit, to predict those e­vents that are in themselves necessary, or that depend upon the nature of things.

[Page 81]BUT I need not insist upon this descrip­tion, the case being plain, familiar, and universally agreed in. I proceed there­fore,

II. To consider, How a prophecy may be said to be fulfilled.

And,

1. A prophecy is sometimes said to be fulfilled, by way of accommodation only: when a prediction of one thing, may by reason of some eminent parity or similitude between them, be aptly accommodated to another.

IN this sense, the word fulfilled was in frequent use among the Iews: who af­fecting to speak in Scripture-language, would frequently mention the fulfilling of Scrip­ture, when they meant no more by it, than a parity or agreement of circumstances, between the case consider'd, and the quo­ted Text; or an example parallel to some­thing foretold, or spoken of in Scripture.

IN this allegorical sense, the sacred Pen­men of the New Testament, do also some­times speak of the fulfilling of prophecy, where there is no direct or literal accom­plishment, nothing but an agreement, or accommodation of the event & prediction. Thus our Lord's return from Egypt is said [Page 82] to be That it might be fulfilled, that was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my Son, Mat. ii.15. And thus the destruction of the young children by Herod, is said to be a fulfilling of that which was spoken by Ieremy the Pro­phet, saying, In Rama was a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourn­ing, Rachel weeping for her children, &c. Whereas it is evident, that the first cited words of the Prophet, did immediately re­fer to the deliverance of the children of Israel, from their Egyptian bondage, and the latter to their distress and anguish from the Babylonian carnage and captivity.

FROM this use of the word Fulfilled, our modern Infidels have, unreasonably enough, taken occasion of insult & triumph; thence insinuating the weakness or unfaithfulness of the Evangelical Historians. But a due consideration of the case will discover more of spleen, than argument, in these ir­religious fleers. Was there any thing more common among the most famous Greek Orat [...]urs, than to adorn their discourses with flowers taken from Homer, Hesiod, Euripides, or other of their P [...]ets, when they never intended, nor could their Au­ditors understand any more, than a bare [Page 83] accommodation of the citation to the mat­ter treated of? Or is there any thing more common among our selves, than to cite Scriptures in this allusive manner, which have no direct or immediate reference to the subject-matter of the Discourse? To exemplify this, It is consonant to the re­ceiv'd modes of speaking, to call these un­believing Gentlemen, mocking Ishmaelites, or insulting Edomites; although those Scrip­tures, Gen. xxi.9. and Psal. cxxxvii.7. which are fulfilled in them, did not origi­nally and primarily refer to Hobbs, Blount, Collins, or of any of their admirers. And I must tell them that continue in their in­fidelity, after such full and clear evidences of the truth of Christianity, as have been from time to time offer'd 'em; that there is fulfilled in them, what was spoken by the Prophet Ieremy, chap. v. ver. 21. that they are a foolish people, and without un­derstanding, which have eyes and see not, which have ears and hear not. Though I don't think the Prophet had them in view when he spoke those words.

2. A prophecy is more strictly and pro­perly fulfilled, when a prediction, accord­ing to its direct meaning, and primary de­sign [Page 84] and intention, meets with an exact and full accomplishment. And,

3. A prophecy may be said to be fulfilled, when it has a double accomplishment; and is completed both in the Type and Anti-type, in the Sign, and the Thing thereby signified.

IT has been indeed question'd by very learn'd and judicious men, whether any prophecies may in strictness of speech, be said to have such a double reference: They rather suppose, that those prophecies that have been so understood, do look unto Christ, and Him only: But then it must be acknowledged, that there is a sudden transition, from some other person or thing, unto the Messiah: And that two different events are predicted, in the same continu'd Discourse. Thus was that prophecy in the 2 Sam. vii.12, 16. fulfilled, both in Solo­mon, and in one greater than Solomon. The promise to David in ver. 12, That when his days were fulfilled, and he should sleep with his fathers; God would set up his seed after him, that should proceed out of his bowels; and establish his kingdom: this was literally verified in Solomon: But then the promise in the 16 ver. That his House and King­dom should be establish'd for ever, and that [Page 85] his Throne should be established for ever; though it might first refer to, could not ultimately terminate in Solomon; but pointed to a more stable and durable Reign than his, even to an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away; and to a king­dom which shall not be destroy'd. In this sense the Psalmist understands this promise, in Psal. lxxxix.36, 37. His Seed shall en­dure for ever, and his Throne as the Sun before me. It shall be establish'd for ever as the Moon, and as a faithful witness in Hea­ven. And agreably, from this prophecy, the tradition universally obtain'd among the Iews, that the Messiah must be the Son of David. Which interpretation we see justified by the event.

BUT I don't design to insist upon this Head, my present purpose leading me to consider the accomplishment of prophecy, on­ly in the second and strongest sense. In order to which, I proceed to observe;

III. THAT there were Prophecies of our Lord Iesus Christ in the Old Testament, which are strictly, literally, and exactly fulfilled.

THE time before us will not allow, that I should enter into a distinct consideration of the multiplied prophecies of the Messiah, [Page 86] every where found in the Old Testament; and shew how they are verified in Christ. I shall therefore only consider four or five of those, that exactly point out the time of our Lord's coming, and then just take a cursory view of some of those predictions, that describe the circumstances of His ap­pearing.

I begin with the blessing of dying Iacob to his son Iudah, Gen. xlix.10. The Scep­ter shall not depart from Iudah, nor a Law­giver from between his fe [...]t, until SHILOH come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be. It is generally allow'd, even by the Iews themselves, that by SHILOH here, is meant the Messiah: And thus their three Targums expound it ^*. But there is not such a joint agreement among In­terpreters, in the meaning of the word SCHEBET or Scepter. The modern Iews, in despight to Christ, do perversly under­stand it a R [...]d of correction. But this is to do utmost violence to the whole scope of the context, which every way gives Iu­dah the preference above the other Tribes; [Page 87] and does not mark him out for special correction. And it equally militates against the event, which shews us, that Iudah has not drunk so deep of God's fierce displea­sure, as the other Tribes; whose name and remembrance are long since blotted out from under Heaven. —Besides, it's evi­dent, that an emblem of Dominion and Government is hereby design'd, from the following clause, nor a Lawgiver from be­tween His feet: For, how I pray, does a state of correction, debasement, and af­fliction, constitute them a Legislature?

BUT leaving these Rabbinical dreams and dotages; I must take leave to observe, that the generality of Interpreters, have (I think) mistaken the meaning of this word, supposing, from the use of a Scepter in our times, that it must imply an ensign of Royal or Imperial power; and thence understand the prophecy, that a Kingly do­minion should remain in the hands of Iu­dah, until the coming of Christ. But there are such objections in the way of this In­terpretation, that I cannot come into it: Particularly, it seems very inaccurate, to speak of the Scepter's departing from him who never had it. Iudah at this time had no Kingly power, and therefore could not [Page 88] lose it. And the Kingdom was so far from continuing in that Tribe, from the time of the prophecy, until the coming of Christ; that there was no Royal authority in any of the Tribe, for much the greatest part of the time: It commenc'd in David, and ended in Zedekiah. It not only ceas'd, but perish'd at the Babylonish captivity. For though there was a regal authority, af­ter their return from Babylon, exercised by the Maccabees and Herod; yet the former were of the Tribe of Levi, and the latter was an Idumean, and none of 'em of Iu­dah's posterity.

I therefore chuse with Mr. Mede, to un­derstand the word SCEPTER to signify, ‘not Kingly dominion only; but any power or Majesty of government, un­der what form or name soever; whereof a Rod or Staff was anciently the ensign. Whence every Tribe is called SCHEBET (the word here used) as being united together under one Staff, or power of Government. The meaning therefore, is not, that Iudah shall never cease from having a King, or being a Kingdom; but that it should not cease from being a State, a Body Politic, or Common­wealth, having a power of Government [Page 89] or Jurisdiction within it self, until Messiah come.’ Thus Mr. Mede. In favour of whose construction of this word SCHEBET or SCEPTER, it is remark­able, that the word is not only frequently used for Tribe, and particularly applied to every of the Tribes of Israel, Numb. xiii; thereby not obscurely intimating, that it was such an Ensign of Government as per­tain'd to each of the Tribes: But it's also used in the sense I contend for, in this very C [...]ntext. Thus verse 16. Dan shall judge his people, as one of the Tribes (or SCEP­TERS) of Israel. From which use of the word in the 16th verse, it appears plain to me, that not only Dan, but each of the other Patriarchs, then had the Scepter of judgment in their hands. And I can't see that there was any other Scepter pro­mis'd to Iudah in the 10th, than to Dan in the 16th verse of this Chapter. The difference between them consisted not in the formal nature of their Government or Dominion; but in the duration or conti­nuance of it. They each had, according to this pr [...]phecy, their Princes, Rulers, Judges, or Heads of their Tribes, for a long time after, even until the captivity of the Ten Tribes, when Dan lost his Scepter.

[Page 90]NOW if this Interpretation be allow'd me (as I cannot see why it should not) it's obvious to every eye, that this famous prophecy has had a literal, full, and per­spicuous accomplishment. The Scepter ne­ver departed from Iudah, until the com­ing of Christ. Even in the time of the Babylonish captivity, they yet had their Lawgivers from between their feet; they be­ing indulged the use of their own Laws, when remov'd from their own land, as appears from Esther iii.8. And Haman said unto Ahasuerus, there is a certain people scattered abroad, and dispersed am [...]ng the people, in all the provinces of thy Kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people, neither keep they the King's laws.

BUT how soon after the Incarnation of our blessed Saviour, did Iudah lose all au­thority; both their Civil and Ecclesiastical State being utterly subverted! And they instead of swaying a Scepter, are become an astonishment, a hissing, and perpetual de­solations.

AND are not we our selves, as well as the other Christian Nations, a happy evi­dence of the gathering the people unto this predicted Shiloh, according to the prophecy before us?

[Page 91]THUS we have blazing evidence, that the Patriarch Iacob did foresee Christ's day, and foretel both the time, and con­sequence of His appearing in the World: And that this prediction is punctually and exactly verified in our glorious Saviour.

I shall now proceed to the consideration of another prophecy, which likewise pre­cisely points out the time of the Messiah's manifestation: It is that in Dan. ix.24, 25, 26 Seventy weeks are determin'd upon thy people, and upon thy holy City; to finish transgression, and to make an end of sin, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting Righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the MOST HOLY. Know therefore, and un­derstand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Ieru­salem, unto Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks and threescore and two weeks. The streets shall be built again and the walls, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks, shall Messiah be cut off; but not for Himself. And the people of the Prince that shall come, shall destroy the City and Sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood; and unto the end of the war, desola­tions are determin'd.

[Page 92]HERE is a plain prediction, that within the space of Seventy prophetical Weeks, or weeks of years (that is 490 years, as the Iewish Rabbins themselves expound it) the great things determin'd upon the Iew­ish people and the holy City, should be accomplish'd, transgression finish'd, recon­ciliation made for iniquity, everlasting Righteousness brought in, the vision and prophecy seal'd up, and the MOST HOLY anointed. And within seven weeks and sixty two weeks (that is 483 years) after the going forth of the Commandment to restore and to build Ierusalem, the Messiah should appear, and be cut off; but not for Himself: And that after His death, the City and Sanctuary should be destroy'd, and the people given up to desolations. Now every one skill'd in Chronology, may see a most exact accomplishment of this prophecy.

THOUGH we have not so plain and ex­press direction, when to begin the seventy weeks, or 490 years; within which term, all those transactions relating to the MES­SIAH were to be accomplish'd: We are plainly told, that the sixty nine weeks, or 483 years, were to commence with the going forth of the Commandment to restore or to build Ierusalem; and to terminate at [Page 93] the excision, or death of the Messiah. Let us then begin this reckoning on the twen­tieth year of Artaxerxes Longimanus (the date of the Decree for building Ierusalem, as appears from Neb. ii.1.) and it will end on the thirty third year after Christ, the year of His death. Thus exactly did the event answer the prophecy, as to the time of His manifestation, and crucifixion. And were not the predicted consequences of His coming, also most exactly fulfilled? Did not the R [...]mans, the future people of this Prince (as the 26th verse might be translated) destroy the City and Sanctu­ary; and bring the determin'd flood of war and desolations on the Iewish State?

NEVER did face answer more exactly to face in a glass, than this prophecy and its accomplishment in our Lord Iesus Christ answer one another; that to refuse our assent to this glaring evidence, is not only stupidity, but obstinate blindness.—Even a Pagan Porphyry was long since so con­founded with this prophecy, that he could with all his learning and craft, find no o­ther answer, but that it was spurious, and of a later date.

ANOTHER prophecy, which evidently fore­tels the time of our Saviour's appearing, [Page 94] may be found in Hag. ii.7, 9. And I will shake all Nations; and the desire of all Na­tions shall come; and I will fill this House with glory, saith the Lord of Hosts. The glory of this latter House shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of Hosts; and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of Hosts. These words consist of a three­fold prediction, (1) The convulsions and confusions that all Nations were to be ex­ercised with. (2) The appearance of the desire of all Nations in the Temple then building, whereby it should exceed the former Temple in glory. And (3) The peace that should be consequent upon the manifestation of the Prince of Peace. Now as to the first, none acquainted with Histo­ry, is ignorant of the bright accomplish­ment of it, by the ravages and devastations made in the World, by Alexander and his followers; By the perpetual bloody wars and desolations, continued in the four Kingdoms, that succeeded to, and stood up in the place of the great horn of that rough Goat; And by the Romans, whose conquering sword at last brought 'em all into subjection.— And then, how soon after the end of this concussion of the Na­tions, did the desire of all Nations come [Page 95] into the Temple; and by His sacred pre­sence, make that House more glorious than the former, though it was in every thing else inferior to it! And as to the last of these predictions, how exactly was it fulfilled, in the peaceable Reign of Augustus, wherein all Nations seem'd to have forgot their former fierceness and rage, as well as the use of their Military Armour!

THUS we are irresistibly constrain'd to acknowledge the accomplishment of this prophecy, in our Lord Iesus Christ, by His coming at the very time here foretold, im­mediately after the shaking of all Nations, during the continuance of the second Tem­ple; and in that remarkable time of uni­versal peace.

A fourth famous prediction of the time of our Lord's Incarnation, is that in Mal. iii. 1. Behold, I will send my Messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: And the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His Temple; even the Messenger of the Covenant, whom ye delight in: Behold, He shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts. That this prophecy did relate to the Messiah, is clearly mani­fest by the Titles and Epithets here given Him, The Lord whom ye seek, The Messenger [Page 96] of the Covenant, whom ye delight in. And that it was fulfilled in our Lord Iesus Christ, is equally manifest, by his appearing in the Temple, before the destruction of it, sud­denly after the Messenger, viz. Iohn Bap­tist, was sent to prepare his way, by Bap­tizing, preaching repentance, and warn­ing the people to believe in Him that should come after him. But this is so plain that I need not insist upon it.

I might here have also urged Nebuchad­nezzar's Dream, in Dan. ii.31,—46. as a prophetical indication of the time of the Messiah's appearing. By which is fore­told, that after the expiration of the Third, and during the subsisting of the F [...]urth Mo­narchy, a stone should be cut out of the Mountain without hands, that should break the Fourth or Roman Monarchy to pieces, and become a great Mountain, that shall fill the whole Earth; or as the Prophet ex­pounds it, a Kingdom that shall never be moved.—The exact verification of which prophecy is too obvious, to escape the no­tice of any observer. None that has but dipt in the Roman History can be ignorant, that our Lord did appear in the height and glory of that Empire; that after His advent, the Fourth Monarchy did gradually [Page 97] moulder away, until 'twas utterly subvert­ed, by the inundation of the Goths and Vandals; and that this stone, against all opposition from that Kingdom of iron, has grown to a great Mountain; and will (as we may surely conclude from this pro­phecy) in His own time, fill the whole Earth. But the time before us will not allow me to particularly insist upon these things.

BEFORE I proceed to the consideration of other prophecies of our Blessed Saviour, I would here take liberty to observe, that not only the Iews, but all the neighbour­ing Nations, did about the time of Christ's coming, entertain raised expectations of some glorious Monarch, that should bring great Revolutions upon the World. And from whence should they derive these no­tions; or whence form these expectations, but from these cited prophecies?—If it be alledged, that they might find these predictions in the books of the Sybills, the supposal adds force to our Argument: For if these were really distinct prophecies, their accomplishment in the Person of our Lord Iesus Christ, is additional evidence to His Divine Mission. But if these Sybilline pro­phecies were (as they are thought by very [Page 98] learned men to be) ‘a Iewish compo­sition, design'd to propagate the belief of the Messiah, and to prepare the way for His reception by the Gentiles; and called Sybilline, only from a Hebrew or Chaldee word of the same sound, which signifies to prophesy ^*.’ This convinces us that these Divine Oracles under consideration, were understood by the Iews before Christ, not only to refer to the Messiah, but to point out the very time of His manifesta­tion.

THAT there were such expectations a­mong the Nations, about the time of our Lord's incarnation, is set in a clear light, by many learned Writers, particularly by the Bishop of Coventry and Litchfield, ^† ‘No sooner (says he) was the Kingdom of the Seleucides (one of the remaining branches of Daniel's third Kingdom) extinguished by Pompey, in the person [Page 99] of Antiochus Asiaticus; but the Iews every where lifted up their heads, as if they saw the sign of their Redemption, in the dawnings of the Fourth Monarchy. Then rumors went about, no body knew how (tho' indeed originally from the Jews) that nature was in pangs to bring forth a King for the Roman people. At which the frightned Senate decreed the strangling of every child that should be born within that year; But their vain hopes of having that King in their own family, spoiled the execution of the Decree; and so Augustus was suf­fered to live. Then Lentulus, thinking this to be the fatal year of the Roman Government, and that he might be the man intended for the new Empire, became principal in Cataline's con­spiracy.’ Thus he.

To which I may add, that Iosephus in a base servile flattery to the Emperour Vespasian, applies these prophecies to him, and says, That which chiefly excited the Iews to war, was an ambiguous prophecy found in the sacred Books; that at that time, some one within their country should arise, that should obtain the Empire of the [Page 100] whole World ^*. And Tacitus ^† and Suc­tonius ^‖ two Roman Historians report, That it was contained in the ancient books of the Priests (according to one) or in the Fates (according to the other) that one from Iudea should at that time (the time of Vespasian) obtain the Dominion. Much more might be added, to shew the common expectation of the Messiah, about the time of Christ's coming, both by the Iews, and also by the Gentiles now made acquainted with the Scriptures, by the Greek translation of them.

BUT it's time I should return to the con­sideration of some other prophecies, that predict the circumstances and consequents of our Lord's appearing.

IT was foretold, that the Messiah should be born of a Virgin, Isai. vii.14. In the Town of Bethlehem, Mich. v.2. That he should reside in Galilee; and particularly in Zebulon and Naphtali, Isai. ix.1. That He should enter Ierusalem upon an Ass, and a colt the fole of an Ass, Zech. ix.9. That by His miraculous operations, the [Page 101] eyes of the blind should be open'd, and the ears of the deaf unstopped, the lame restor'd to the use of their limbs, and the dumb to their speech, as Isai. xxxv.5, 6. That He should appear in low, mean, and afflicted circum­stances; be despis'd and rejected of the Iews, be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, Isai. liii.2, 3. That He should finally be cut off but not for Himself, Dan. ix.26. And the particular circumstances of His death, with the opprobry and ignominy that attended it, were likewise foretold by the Prophets. And I need not tell you from the Evangelical Historians, how all these circumstances of His life, and death, were exactly fulfilled in our Lord Christ.

AND as to the consequents of the Messiah's coming, it was prophesied, that after His death, the Iewish sacrifices and oblations should cease, their holy City and Sanctuary be destroy'd; and they made desolate, Dan. ix. 26, 27. That He should bring forth judg­ment to the Gentiles, who should come to His light, and see His Righteousness and Glory, Isai. xlii.1. and lx.3. and lxii.2. Which were so visibly accomplish'd, in cutting off the natural branches of the Olive-tree, and graffing the Gentiles into the same stock; that it must be wilful blindness, not to see it.

[Page 102]I might largely insist upon this subject, and shew you, that there is scarce any passage of the birth, life, sufferings, death, resurrection, ascension, or glory of our Sa­viour; or scarce any circumstance of the state of His Kingdom here in the World; but what are particularly prophesied of in the Old Testament. But the time will not allow, nor does the case require, that I should enlarge upon this Head. I there­fore proceed to consider,

IV. THAT the accomplishment of these prophecies is a sure evidence, that Iesus Christ is the Messiah.

I confess indeed, that the accomplish­ment of some single prophecies in our Lord Iesus Christ, is not convincing proof, that He was necessarily the Person predicted, and pointed out by them. There were (for example) many others, beside Iesus of Nazareth in Iudea, before the Scepter departed from Iudah, who descended from the Tribe of Iudah, from the loins of A­braham and David, were born at Bethlehem, at the same time that the Messiah was to be expected, &c. But then, the united ac­complishment of all these Prophecies in our Blessed Lord, renders the evidence clear and incontestable, that the characters of [Page 103] the Messiah, in the Prophets, belong'd to Him, and him only. There was none but He, that with any colour could claim the characters of descending from Abraham, from Iudah, and David; of appearing just 483 years after the Decree for build­ing and restoring Ierusalem; of being born of a Virgin, in the Town of Bethlehem; of working so many miracles; of dying and rising again; of setting up a Spiritual Kingdom, whereunto the Gentiles should be subjected; And all the many other prophetic descriptions of His Person and Government, too many to be here distinct­ly enumerated; which all agreed to our Lord Iesus, and therefore (as I observ'd) prove Him to be the Messiah. This will plainly appear, if we consider,

1. THAT the accomplishment of these pro­phecies is a clear and certain indication of their Divine original.

FINITE understandings can have no means of foreknowlege, but either con­jectural, from the nature and reason of things; or by inspiration from Him, who has all things present and to come in His Omniscient eye. By one of these means therefore all the events we have been con­sidering, must have been foretold; or else [Page 104] they were all a juggle and imposture. Mere conjecture they could not be; for what resemblance could be found, in all the face of Nature, of an Incarnate God; or what even obscurest hints of the time, manner, and consequences of His manifestation? Nor could they have been an imposture; for if so, they could not be justified by the event. We see 'em fulfilled; and thence are ascertain'd that they were pr [...]phetically foretold. We see that God Himself ac­knowleges the prophecy, by its completion; which He would not have done, in justi­fication of most audacious and impudent deceivers. The consequence therefore irresistibly forces it self upon us, that these were the Oracles of God. It is a just chal­lenge, and reasonable Argument, in Isai. xli.22, 23. Let them bring forth and shew us what shall happen. Let them shew the former things what they be, that we may con­sider them; and know the latter end of them: or declare us things for to come. Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are Gods.

I know of but one Objection that can with any colour be offer'd against this ar­guing; which is, that Diabolical predicti­ons have often been fulfilled, as appears by [Page 105] the ancient Oracles of the Heathen, so frequently consulted; and so frequently verified by the event. In answer to which, I need not insist upon the craft and collusion used in those Oracles; or the dark and doubtful meanings, in which they were usually deliver'd, seldom to be understood, but by the issue. But I allow it to be possible (as the Scripture also sup­poses it (Deut. xiii.1, 2, 3.) that God may, for the trial or punishment of a peo­ple, let the Devil into an acquaintance with some of His future purposes. But then GOD is the Author, though the Devil be the communicater of these prophecies. God only reveals the event, though an accursed Balaam be the Prophet. HE, who adjusts all future things in His own breast, and whose sovereign pleasure and purpose make them possible, can only foresee what, how, or when they shall be. To ascribe a foreknowlege of future contingencies to the Devil, is to place him in God's Throne, and to give him the glory of the Divine perfections. But I proceed to consider,

2. THAT it's hence necessary, that all the characters of Christ in the Divine pro­phecies, are true, since God can neither de­ceive, nor be deceived.

[Page 106]THE accomplishment of these prophecies discovers their glorious Author; the Author, their necessary truth and faithfulness. If they are of Divine original, they have a Divine veracity; and can no more be charg­able with falshood, or mistake in any in­stance, than God can deny or contradict Himself.

THUS have we strongest and most un­questionable assurance from the holy Pro­phets, that our Lord Iesus Christ, whom they have foreseen, and of whom they have so particularly foretold, is the Won­derful Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Ever­lasting Father, the Prince of Peace; that He is God's own Son; and the Man that is His Fellow; that He is Immanuel God with us, the Lord our Righteousness; and the Salva­tion of the ends of the Earth: And in a word, that all things are fulfilled that were written in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets, and in the Psalms concerning Him.

I am aware that Porphyry's ancient ob­jection may be urged against all this, That these prophecies were all written since the event; and so are indeed rather histories of what is past, than predictions of things to come. But this is absolutely impossible, the sacred Books having been kept in the [Page 107] hands of the bitterest enemies of Christi­anity (the Iews I mean) whose malice against Christ would not have allow'd 'em (had they been capable) to have con­spir'd in such a forgery and interpolation.

CAN it be imagin'd, that they would have devis'd these prophecies on purpose to have brought a perpetual infamy upon themselves? Could they thus frame wea­pons against their Religion, and study the confusion of their own faces! —Besides, if they had been willing, they could not have been able thus to have impos'd upon the World. Had it been possible that all the Iews in the World, in their most di­stant dispersions, shou'd have to a man com­bin'd in this undertaking; had they corrup­ted all their Bibles; and not left one copy to detect the fraud (which is unreasonable enough to suppose) This blessed Book was in the hands of multitudes beside them; and every where dispers'd among the Gentiles, especially in the Greek transla­tion of it; who must also have been in the conspiracy, if any such thing had been done. In a word, the World must have conspir'd in this cursed imposture; and no copy of the Bible be left to bewray the villainy; nor any man know how, why, or when it [Page 108] was done. But it's time we proceed to some Improvement of the Doctrine.

And,

I. WE hence learn, that as the foregoing prophecies of the Messiah are by their ac­complishment in our Lord Iesus Christ, a Testimony from Heaven that He is the predicted Saviour of the World; so like­wise is the completion of His own predicti­ons, an attestation unto and confirmation of His Heavenly Mission.

THE Messiah was foretold to be a Prophet like unto Moses, whom we should hear in all things, Deut. xviii.15. And our blessed Iesus has justified His claim to that character, by His many prophecies of future things, which have been so punctually verified. He not only discover'd the most secret thoughts of men's hearts; and foretold the treason of Iudas, while confin'd to his own breast, and perhaps before it was conceiv'd in his mind: But also particularly fore-shew'd His own death, with the manner and cir­cumstances of it, the time of His continu­ance in the grave, His resurrection, and glorious ascension. He promised to the Apostles and others the gifts of the Holy Ghost; with His miraculous powers and operations. He predicted the destruction [Page 109] of Ierusalem, and the utter abolition of the Temple, with the preludes of that amazing desolation. And I need not be particular in shewing you the exact accomplishment of all these prophecies; nor have I time to consider the many prophecies in the New Testament, professedly received from Him, and spoken in His name. I shall there­fore select one only from among them, the verification whereof is at this time vi­sible to all the World: The prediction of Antichrist I mean; the time of whose com­ing was foretold to be upon the downfall of the Roman Empire, when that could no longer let, or restrain his Tyranny, 2 Thes. ii.7. The manner of his coming was to be with pride and arrogance, exalting himself above all that is called God, and worshipped; and yet under the guise of a minister of Re­ligion, sitting in the Temple of God, and there strengthning his interest by all power, and signs, and lying wonders, 2 Thes. ii.4, 11. The place of his residence was to be in a great City, built upon seven moun­tains; that is, in the City of Rome, which only answers this description, Rev. xvii.9, 18. His Reign was to be tyrannical, with horrible persecution of the Saints. Rev. xiii 7, and elsewhere. Now who can help but [Page 110] see an exact accomplishment of these, and many other characters of Antichrist, in the Pope and Roman papacy; and thereby a full evidence of our Saviour's Omniscience, in foretelling these events?

II. HENCE are we instructed in the Di­vine Authority of the sacred Scriptures.

THE Spirit of prophecy, which every where appears in them, must necessarily be the Spirit of God; who only (as we have heard) can be the Author of a true pro­phecy.

THE Old Testament has this attestation to its verity and Divine original, it being throughout a continued series of accom­plish'd prophecy. A great part of that blessed Book consists, either of more direct, clear, and express, or more dark and allu­sive predictions, of the hope of Israel, and salvation by Christ.

BESIDES the more explicit prophecies of this great salvation, interspersed through almost every book of the Old Testament; What were all the typical persons, the typical actions and ordinances; and what the whole Mosaic Institution, with the Le­vitical Priesthood, Rites and Ceremonies; and especially their Sacrifices, and bloody Oblations; but Types and Shadows of our [Page 111] Blessed Saviour, to keep alive their Faith, Hope, and Desire of His Salvation, before His coming? There are indeed some Historical parts of this holy Book, not pro­perly prophetical: but these have also their reference unto Christ, and not only repre­sent God's care, guidance, and government of His Church; but also shew us His faith­fulness in securing the promis'd Seed, in the promis'd line; and in preserving the Tribes entire, that our Lord's descent might be, as was promised, from the loins of A­braham, the Tribe of Iudah, and the fami­ly of David.

THUS was a great part of the Old Testa­ment an Index, to point out the Person of Christ, with the time, manner, end, and consequences of His manifestation. And the full and bright accomplishment of all these things, is not only a verification of the promises and prophecies; but a declara­tion from Heaven, that these Scriptures were given by inspiration of God.

I might here also, as a further evidence that the Old Testament is indeed the Word of God, consider the many other prophecies that had no special reference unto Christ. Such were the particular predictions of the vastly numerous posterity of Abraham; of [Page 112] the children of Israel's sojourning in Egypt; of the time of their continuance and state of bondage there; of their deliverance, return to Canaan, utter extirpating the In­habitants; and their flourishing circum­stances during their obedience in that hap­py land.—Such likewise were the pre­dictions of the Ten Tribes destruction; of the Babylonish captivity, with the term of its duration; of the circumstances of the Iews after their return, and of their deso­lation and dispersion, for their rejecting of Christ.—And such also were the nu­merous prophecies relating to particular Persons, Kingdoms, or Countries; as well as the prophetical description of the Four successive Monarchies; and of the state of the World, during the continuance of each of them, and after the subversion of 'em all. There are, as you all know, innume­rable accomplish'd prophecies of this kind, every where in the Old Testament, and therein innumerable evidences, that those holy Books were the dictates of God Himself.

THE New Testament has likewise, from hence, surest confirmation of its Truth and Divinity; not only by the multiplied pro­phecies therein contain'd, many of which are fulfilled, and some are yet to be expected; [Page 113] but also by the glorious light reflected upon it, by the predictions of this New Dispensa­tion in the Old Testament. The Old Testa­ment has foretold the coming and Kingdom of the Messiah; the New Testament assures us that He is come, and has erected His spiri­tual Kingdom, as was predicted of Him. The Old Testament Dispensation consisted of many Types, Shadows, and mystical Ce­remonies; the New Testament shews us how they were compleated in Christ, the Sub­stance of 'em all. The Old Testament de­scribes the time, circumstances, & manner of this new Dispensation; the New Testament every way answers the description, as a copy the original, or the face a well drawn picture, in all the parts, features and lineaments.

THUS we see the Old Testament illustra­ted by the New, and the New confirm'd by the Old, and both contriv'd by Infinite Wisdom. For, is it possible that any created understanding could devise and foresee so many and various representations of Christ and His Kingdom of Grace, all agreeing with the event, at such a distance from their completion? No surely! this must exceed the foresight of every created in­telligence. Is it possible that the Religion should not be of God, which has been pre­dicted [Page 114] and confirmed, by a successive se­ries of prophecy, from the very earliest ages of time; and joyfully beheld through the prospective glass of the promises, by all the faithful, since man's first apostacy? No certainly! our infidelity would debase us below humanity.

III. HENCE, from the accomplishment of past prophecies, we have greatest assurance that those yet future shall be also fulfilled. For they have all the same glorious Au­thor: all depend upon the same power and veracity.

FROM hence may we entertain certain expectations of that flourishing state of the Church, when Antichrist shall be destroy'd, by the Spirit of Christ's mouth and the brightness of His coming; when the fulness of the Gentiles shall be brought in, and all Is­rael be saved; when Christ shall have the heathen for His inheritance, and the utter­most parts of the Earth for His possession: and when the kingdoms of the Earth shall become the Kingdoms of the Lord, and of His Christ.

FROM hence may impenitent Sinners surely expect a swift approach of their dreadful and eternal wo. They may justly entertain trembling expectations of the [Page 115] accomplishment of those terrible predictions, of indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish; of snares, fire, and brimstone, and an horrible tempest, for the portion of their cup: And of their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second Death.

FROM hence also may Believers lay down their heads in the dust with comfort, under a blessed prospect of Christ's glorious Ap­pearing, to change their vile bodies, and fashion them like to His glorious Body: And from a view of that glorious reward, which when He comes He will bring with Him. They may with courage encounter the King of Terrors, and pass through the dark valley of the shadow of death, keeping their promis'd inheritance in view; and looking to that blessed hope, and the glorious appear­ing of the great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ. They may joyfully make this echo to the promise of His coming, Even so, come Lord Iesus, come quickly. Amen.

THESE words directly lead us to the consideration of the last evidence propos'd, for confir­mation of the Divine Mission of our Blessed Saviour. They were successfully urg'd by the Apostle Peter, as an irrefragable Argument of this [Page 117] important truth; and if duly consider'd, cannot fail of yielding us also full and compleat conviction of it.

FOR the right understanding the words, we may note in them,

1. A declaration of a matter of fact, that God did work Miracles, and Wonders, and signs by Iesus of Nazareth.

THE Apostle here considers our Lord Iesus Christ in His human nature only, ac­cording as He had appear'd to the Iews, and was by their wicked hands crucified and slain: And thus consider'd as a Man, He could not be the Author of these Mi­raculous operations. These were (some of them) effects beyond the capacity, not only of men, but of Angels; and therefore the necessary products of Divine power and energy. Upon which account these Mi­racles, Wonders, and Signs (words of like signification) are justly here ascrib'd unto the Deity, as the sole Efficient; not exclu­sive of Christ, as the second Person in the Godhead; but only as He was Iesus of Nazareth, or the Man Christ Iesus.

2. WE may note the end and design of this declaration, viz. To convince the Au­dience, that our Lord Iesus Christ was by these Miracles approved of God. [Ye men [Page 118] of Israel, hear these words: Iesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you, by Mira­cles, &c.] Peter here takes the advan­tage of a vast concourse of people, con­ven'd from all quarters, to the feast of Pentecost, to preach a crucified Saviour; and by irresistible Arguments, to convince them, that Iesus of Nazareth was indeed the expected Messiah. This he evinces, first, by the accomplishment of Prophecy, now surprizingly visible to 'em all, in the gift of Tongues, newly confer'd on the Apostles and company: And then, as a concluding Argument, urges the miracles of our Lord, as a declaration from God Himself, of His heavenly calling; and as a Testimony from Heaven, that the same Iesus whom they had crucified, was sent, authorized, and approv'd of God, and by Him constituted both Lord and Christ.

3. WE may note an appeal to the Au­ditors themselves, as Witnesses of the Facts alledged, [As ye your selves also know.] The Argument was founded upon matters of Fact; and was therefore more or less forceable, according to the truth or fal­shood, notoriety or uncertainty of the Facts on which it depended. If they were false or uncertain, the conclusion drawn from [Page 119] them must be very precarious; if true and publickly known, it must be most just and necessary. The Apostle therefore concludes the Argument with these words; thereby intimating, that it must needs be of irre­sistible force to them, who were themselves spectators of these Miracles. But we may more particularly consider the Argument, in speaking to this DOCTRINE, That the Miracles wrought by our Lord Jesus Christ, are a full and clear evidence, that He was ap­proved of GOD, and had His Mission from Him.

IN speaking to this Doctrine, I propose this method;

• I. To consider what a Miracle is.
• II. To prove, that there were real Mi­racles wrought by our Lord Iesus Christ.
• III. To make it appear, that these Mi­racles are full and clear evidence of Christ's Divine Mission, and that He was the pro­mised Messiah.

I. THEN I'm to consider what a Miracle is.

AND for explaining the nature of a Mi­racle, in the common Theological sense of the word, I may observe to you, that a [Page 120] Miracle has been ordinarily described, An extraordinary operation of God in nature, ei­ther stopping its course, or producing some effects, that are above its laws and power. And it has been the received Doctrine of Divines, that the working of Miracles is the sole prerogative of God Himself. But some very learned men, who have lately written upon this subject, have justly found fault with this Description; and made it evident, that a true miracle may be wrought by the instrumentality of Angels. They therefore chuse thus to define a Miracle, A work effected in a manner UNUSUAL, or different from the common and regular me­thod of Providence, by the interposition either of God Himself, or of some intelligent Agent superior to man; for the proof or evidence of some particular Doctrine, or in attestation to the Authority of some particular person. But how just soever this description may be of Miracles in general; yet there were certainly such miraculous works perform'd by our Blessed Lord, as exceeded the pow­ers of all the Angels of light; and it is upon such operations only, that I shall put the stress of the present Argument: And shall therefore in illustrating the truth before us, consider Miracles as extraordinary, [Page 121] and immediate operations of God, in produ­cing effects, either contrary to, or different from the common course of Nature and Pro­vidence. I call them extraordinary and im­mediate operations of God, exclusive of all finite power: For allowing that Angels may be able to work some true Miracles; yet there are many of those operations, whereof we are now to treat, that are as much the peculiar prerogative of God Him­self, as the creation of the World; as we shall see more particularly hereafter.—I describe Miracles to be effects contrary to, or different from the common course of Nature and Providence: For though the power of God is as much discover'd in the ordinary works of Nature and Providence, as in those effects that are most contrary to, or different from their common course: Yet those only that are extraordinary, are pro­perly miraculous; as they are evidences, that God suspends the common motions of nature, for some uncommon or extraordi­nary purpose.

II. I am to prove, that there were real Miracles wrought by our Lord Iesus Christ.

THIS may be fully confirm'd by the following considerations:

[Page 122]1. THE sacred Writers report, that many such Miracles were wrought by our Blessed Saviour.

IT would take up more than all the time before us, to particularly consider all these demonstrations of His Mercy and Power, recorded in the Scriptures; and yet their number doubtless far exceeded the parti­cular account of them: But were they more or fewer, if such as were the ne­cessary productions of Omnip [...]tence, they will sufficiently serve the present purpose, and prove the point under consideration. I shall therefore select some few (and I need mention but a few) of those indispu­table instances of the miraculous works perform'd by our Lord Jesus, both before His death, and after His resurrection; and recorded in the sacred Writings.

WE read Ioh. ii. begin. of our Lord's honouring a wedding with His presence; and manifesting the glory of His Omnipo­tence, by turning water into wine better than the natural blood of the grape. Now though it be possible, that created spirits might invisibly remove the water, and substitute wine in the place of it; yet the Historian plainly intimates, that this was immediately done by our Lord's powerful [Page 123] Word; and that it therefore was what no less than a Creating Power could possi­bly effect.

A like instance was His feeding five thousand men, beside women and children, with five loaves and two fishes: And four thousand men, beside women and children, with seven loaves and a few little fishes: And causing the bread to increase by be­ing eaten, and the fragments to exceed the quantity of the loaves, at first set be­fore the multitudes, Matth. xiv.19. and Chap. xv.34. Tho' in this case it may like­wise be easily supposed, that an Angel might invisibly bring a fresh supply of bread and fish, in the place of what was eaten; yet the sacred story represents it as Christ's own immediate work, and therefore as a clear manifestation [...] His omnipotent power.

AN equal evidence of His immediate and omnipotent agency, was His forcing the Elements to acknowlege their Sovereign Lord; and the Wind and Sea to forget their tempestuous ruffle, and to become calm and quiet at His Word, Mark iv.39. Tho' it may be possible for created Angels to raise or lay storms; yet this must neces­sarily be a work of time: and I can as [Page 124] easily conceive them capable of doing E­VERY THING, as of quieting the trou­bled Air and Sea, without the intervention of time or means; and of making them instantaneously obedient to their command: As was the case before us, as appears from ver. 37. where we find the ship fill'd with water, and ready to sink, by the impe­tuosity of the storm; and they yet rescued from the brink of destruction, by an im­mediate calm.

I might add to this, His curing so many diseases, in their own nature desperate, without any visible means, but His own powerful word. And the multiplied in­stances of His casting out Devils; and even forcing the unclean spirits themselves to acknowledge and proclaim Him the Son of God, as Matth. viii.29.

BUT if any shall except against all these instances, as what might (for ought we know) be the agency of created Spirits: There are others yet to be consider'd, that did certainly exceed the utmost stretch of angelic power. Such were His giving life unto the dead, and commanding their de­parted Souls into their bodies, by the same powerful word, by which they at first had their being. Thus he raised Ia [...]rus's [Page 125] daughter to life, to the just astonishment of the spectators, Mark v.41. Thus he stops the mourning train, that were carry­ing the widow of Nain's son to the grave, and delivers him alive to his sorrowful Mother, Luk. vii.14, 15. And thus He speaks life into Lazarus, that had been four days dead, and was now corrupting in his grave, Ioh. xi.43, 44. I might here also add the testimony born to His heavenly Mission, by the resurrection of many at the time of His crucifixion, Matth. xxvii.52, 53. Though it be not expresly told us, that these were raised by His power; yet their resurrection was plainly done in honour to His sacred character, and an express declaration from Heaven, that He was verily the S [...]n of God.

BUT the greatest Miracle of all was His own Resurrection from the grave, which he assures us was perform'd by His own power, Joh. x.18. Which (if true) gives brightest evidence of His Omnipotence; and that it was true is certain, in that God would never have justified a false preten­der and impostor, by raising him from the dead: We have therefore a plain decla­ration from God Himself, that Iesus Christ [Page 126] our Lord is the Son of God, with power, by His Resurrection from the dead.

UPON the whole, it appears plain to me, that all the Angels in Heaven, or Devils in Hell, could not break the bars of the pit asunder, summon the dead from their graves, and cause 'em to reassume life and action. This must be the work of Him only, who holds the keys of life and death in His hands.

BUT after all, were it admitted, that all these mentioned Miracles might be per­form'd by the interposition of Angels; they are nevertheless God's seal, to justify Christ's Person, and render his Commission au­thentic. They were at least Extraordinary works of Providence, wrought in justifica­tion of our Lord's Person and Doctrine; and therefore a Testimony from Him, who either mediately or immediately governs all the wheels of Providence, to that Truth, which they were wrought in confirmation of; as we shall see more particularly here­after.

IT'S true, that if these wonderful works were the agency of created Spirits, they would not agree to the Description of Miracles, upon which I proposed to found the present Argument. But then, there [Page 127] are multitudes of miraculous operations, professedly performed in the Name, and by the Power of our Lord Iesus Christ, that do not, cannot lie open to any cavil or exception; and in which we have all the assurance of God's immediate agency, that is possible to be obtain'd in any case whatsoever.

WHAT I mean are the Miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghost, confer'd not only on the Apostles and other Officers in the Church, but upon many (if not upon all) true Be­lievers, at the beginning of the Gospel-Dispensation. The excellent Author of Miscellanea Sacra, hath handled this sub­ject with such strength and perspicuity, as to give infidelity a fatal wound, and lay it gasping at his feet. What I now propose is to just give you a few hints out of that admirable Author, to convince you, that God has born witness to Christianity, not only with signs and wonders and diverse Miracles (such as we have already treat­ed of) but also with these Gifts of the Holy Ghost.

IOEL prophesies in Chap. ii.28. And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your Old [Page 128] men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions; and also up [...]n the servants, and upon the handmaids in those days, will I pour out my Spirit. And agreably Iohn Baptist, Christ's forerunner, bare record, I saw the Spirit descending from Heaven like a dove; and it abode upon Him; and I knew Him not; but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, the same is He which BAPTIZETH WITH THE HOLY GHOST, Joh. i.32, 33. The material part of which record, the three other Evangelists give us: Thus Matthew says of Iohn Baptist, Matth. iii.11. I indeed baptize you with water unto Repen­tance; but He that cometh after me, is migh­tier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; He shall BAPTIZE YOU WITH THE HOLY GHOST AND WITH FIRE. To the same purpose in Mark i.8. and Luk. iii.16. Here are plain pre­dictions of a prophetic Spirit to be pour'd out upon all flesh; and of our Lord's bap­tizing His Disciples with the Holy Ghost and with Fire: But when should this be? Not while tabernacling here in the flesh, but after His ascension to the Father; as He Himself assures His Disciples, Joh. xiv.12. [Page 129] Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth in me, the works that I do, shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; be­cause I go to my Father. ver. 16. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever. ver. 26. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my Name, He shall teach you all things; and bring all things to your remembrance, what­soever I have said unto you. Our Saviour adds, Chap. xvi.7. Nevertheless I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go a­way: For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you: But if I depart, I will send Him unto you. And after our Lord's Resurrection, He renews the same promise unto them, Luk. xxiv.49. And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but tarry ye in the city of Ierusalem, until ye be endued with Power from on high. And, Acts i.4, 5. And being assembled to­gether with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Ierusalem: but wait f [...]r the promise of the Father; which, saith He, ye have heard of me. F [...]r Iohn truly baptized with water; but ye shall be BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY [Page 130] GHOST, not many days hence. See also Mark xvi.17. Ioh. xx.22.

THUS we have seen the prediction and promise of the gifts of the H [...]ly Ghost. Let us next consider the accomplishment of these prophecies, which will appear in the clear­est and strongest light, by reflecting upon the representation of this matter in the Acts and Epistles.

THESE gifts of the Spirit were commu­nicated two different ways, either imme­diately by the H [...]ly Ghost's falling upon them; or mediately, by the laying on of the Apostles hands. Those who received the Holy Ghost in the former way, were said to be baptized with the Holy Ghost, to have Him poured out, or shed down upon them; or to be filled, or anointed with the Holy Ghost. See Acts xi.15, 16. Chap. ii.23. and iv.31. and x.38 And probably none ever received the Holy Ghost in this immediate way, without the visible sym­bol of cloven T [...]ngues like as of Fire. When the Holy Ghost did not so visibly descend, but was communicated by the imposition of hands, it is called the giving and re­ceiving the Holy Ghost, Acts viii.15, 17, 18, 19. And the ministring of the Spirit, Gal. iii.5. And imparting Spiritual gifts, [Page 131] Rom. i.11. I shall endeavour briefly to exemplify both these kinds of Inspirations or Illuminations of the Holy Ghost, in some few instances.

THE Holy Ghost is said to fall or to be poured out upon the Disciples, but five times only. The first instance of this miraculous effusion of the Holy Ghost, was upon the Apostles and their company. Acts. ii.1, 2, 3, 4. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place: And suddenly there came a sound, as of a rushing mighty wind; and it filled all the house where they were sitting; and there appeared unto them cloven Tongues like as of Fire; and sat upon each of them: And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other Tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. This company, upon whom the Holy Ghost thus miracu­lously descended, were about an hundred and twenty Men and Women, as appears from Chap. i.14, 15, who are here said to be ALL with one accord in one place, when the Spirit fell upon them. [From the mixture of Men and Women in this inspired Society, we may remark, as we pass along, the bright accomplishment of Ioel's prophecy, that the Spirit should be [Page 132] poured out upon the handmaids as well as servants of the Lord; and that daughters as well as sons, should prophesy.]

THE second instance of this kind was a new (and probably a like) effusion of the Spirit upon the same Apostles and company, in answer to their prayer for BOLDNESS and Courage, when they were brought before the Council. Acts iv.31. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled toge­ther; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost; and they spake the Word of God with BOLDNESS.

THE third instance was in Saul, who (as a qualification for the Apostleship, unto which he was design'd) was FILLED with the Holy Ghost, Acts ix.17. compar'd with Chap. xiii.9.

A fourth instance was in Cornelius and his houshold, who (that there might be no prejudice against admitting the proselytes of the gate, into the fellowship of the Gospel) had the Holy Ghost poured out upon them, Acts x.45, and FELL upon them, as on the Apostles and company at the beginning, Chap. xi.15.

THE fifth and last instance of the effusion of the Holy Ghost, without the imposition [Page 133] of hands, was on the first harvest of Idola­trous Gentiles, that were converted to the Christian Faith; which was at Antioch in Pisidia, Acts xiii.16. ad fin. For it is said of them verse 52, that they were FIL­LED with the Holy Ghost. And there is no mention of any imposition of hands to that purpose.

WE are next to consider how the gifts of the Holy Ghost were received, in a more mediate way, by the laying on of the A­postles hands. Under which Head I shall only observe, that these miraculous gifts of the Spirit were confer'd upon very many; and probably upon all true Believers, wherever the Apostles came. This will appear from these considerations:

OUR blessed Saviour promised this suc­cess to the Apostles Ministry, That these signs shall f [...]llow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out Devils, they shall speak with new Tongues, they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them, they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover, Mark xvi.17, 18. And the Apostle P [...]ter promises the three thousand, Acts ii.38, That up­on their Repentance & Baptism, they should receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. And he [Page 134] likewise speaks of the Holy Ghost, as given to them (i. e. to all them) that obey him, Acts v.32. Where he could not mean the sanctifying influences, but must intend these miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost: For the Holy Ghost is here spoken of, as a witness of the Resurrection and Exaltation of Christ, whereof these gifts were an un­questionable evidence (see Acts ii.33.) But not the common sanctifying gifts of the Spirit: these could be no evidence at all of these truths unto others.

AS soon as the Samaritans were con­verted by Philip, the Apostles send Peter and Iohn to them, that they might re­ceive these gifts of the Spirit: And they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost, Acts viii.14,—17. When Paul came to Ephesus, and found certain Disciples there, he asked them (as a questi­on of course, which he constantly propos'd to all that he did not know) Have ye re­ceived the Holy Ghost? And finding they had not, he laid his hands on them; and the Holy Ghost came upon them, and they spake with Tongues and prophesied, Acts xix.1,—6.

ALL the members of the Church of Co­rinth seem to have had these gifts in a very plentiful manner. They spake with Tongues, [Page 135] they prophesied, they interpreted, 1 Cor. xiv. throughout. EVERY ONE of them had a Psalm, a Doctrine, a Tongue, a Reve­lation, an Interpretation, verse 26. And that these gifts were not peculiar to the Corinthians, but were at least frequent in other Churches also, appears from 1 Cor. i.7. where the Apostle tells them, that they came BEHIND in no gift. And from 2 Cor. xii.12. where he tells them, that they were not inferior to OTHER CHURCHES, i. e. in these signs, wonders, and mighty deeds, the evidence of his Apostleship among 'em, as appears from verse 11. Which plainly shews us that these gifts were in the other Churches also, tho' not in a su­perior degree. The same thing appears from most of the other Epistles to the Churches, as may be seen from Gal. iii.2, 5. Eph. i.13, 17. 1 Thes. i.5. and v.20. 2 Tim. i.6, 14. Heb. vi.4, 5. 1 Pet. i.12. 1 Ioh. ii.20. With too many other Texts, to the same purpose, to be now distinctly enumerated.

THESE gifts of the Spirit, whereof I am treating, were sudden Illuminations of the mind whereby the recipients were instan­taneously endued, with the knowlege of a vast variety of languages, Acts ii. begin▪ [Page 136] and Chap. x.46. With a large extensive knowlege of all needful Doct [...]es of Re­ligion, whereby they were able to teach the mind of God clearly, and powerfully, Rom. ii.10, 11, 12. and 1 Pet. i.11, 12. With the Gift of Prophecy, whereby they could foretel future events, Acts xi.28. and Chap. xx.23. And could discern the spirits of others, and tell the secrets of their hearts, 1 Cor. xiv.24, 25, 32. And also judge of the fitness of persons for peculiar service in the Church, Acts xiii.1, 2. and 1 Tim. i.18. They were frequently in­spired with new Revelations, 1 Cor. xiv.30. With the Gift of Interpreting, as well as speaking foreign Languages, 1 Cor. xiv.27. With courage and fluency of speech upon all occasions, 1 Cor. i.5. To all which, and many other Gifts that might be men­tion'd, I may add, that some of these had the gifts of working Miracles, and of heal­ing Diseases, as appears from 1 Cor. xii.29, 30. And all the Apostles were instru­mental by laying on of their hands, to im­part these gifts to others, wherever they themselves came.—A more summary exemplification of these several Gifts, may be found in 1 Cor. xii.8, 9, 10. For to one is given by the Spirit, the Word of Wisdom; to [Page 137] another, the Word of Knowlege by the same Spi­rit; to another, Faith by the same Spirit; to another, the gifts of Healing by the same Spirit; to another, the working of Miracles; to another, Prophecy; to another, Discerning of spirits; to another, divers kinds of Tongues; to ano­ther, the Interpretation of Tongues.

THOUGH these gifts of the Holy Ghost are sometimes in Scripture distinguished from MIRACLES, particularly in Heb. ii.4. yet as they are elsewhere expresly so denominated (see Gal. iii.5. and 1 Cor. xii.29.) so were they certainly in their own nature, Miracles of the highest kind, such as could not have been wrought by the united power and skill of all created Spirits: For though we know not what power Angels may have; yet we may cer­tainly know, that it is the peculiar prero­gative of the Father of Spirits, so to enlarge the faculties of the Soul of Man, as to communicate those degrees of knowlege in an instant, which probably the most capa­cious mind could not contain, without these Divine Inspirations; and which cer­tainly the most sagacious of human beings could not obtain in an ordinary way, without spending his whole life in the closest application to those studies. No [Page 138] man living can conceive how so many Arts and Divine Sciences could be at once imparted to them, by any but Him, who is the Author of our Souls, and can enlarge their faculties as He pleases.

To exemplify this in two of these Gifts, which seem to have been common to most of the first Believers; the Gift of Tongues, and of Prophecy. Was it possible for unlearned Men and Women, to instan­taneously possess such a vast variety of languages, in such perfection, as to be a­ble to use them with readiness and pro­priety, upon all proper occasions; without having their minds enlarged, and this knowlege communicated to 'em, by an In­finite Agent? Was it possible that any but He, who only foreknows all future e­vents, could inspire these Disciples with a spirit of prophecy, whereby they could fore­tel things to come? Or that any but He who knows the mind of the Spirit, and searches the heart and reins, could enable these to discern the Spirits, and know the secret thoughts of other mens hearts? No surely! we may as well attribute all the incommunicable Perfections of God to a created being, as these miraculous gifts and operations.

[Page 139]THUS I've consider'd some of those Mi­racles perform'd by our blessed Lord in His life, and by His Power and Authority af­ter His crucifixion; which are an evident attestation from Heaven, not only to His Divine Mission and Commission, but to the whole Christian Institution. But it's time I proceed to the consideration of some fur­ther evidences, that there were such Mi­racles wrought by our Lord Iesus Christ.

2. The Reporters of these Miracles have all the marks of honesty, integrity, and ho­nour.

THE Doctrines they taught, shew the innocence and divine excellencies of their Faith. The unexampled pains and fa­tigues they underwent to propagate these Doctrines, shew 'em sincere and in earnest in their profession; and make it evident, that they themselves both believed and practised what they taught to others: And the most spiteful and malicious of their enemies never did, and therefore we may be sure never could charge them with any impiety and immorality of life.

THAT they were eminent for their sanctity, as well as other extraordinary en­dowments, appears from their success. What irresistible charm so suddenly conquer'd [Page 140] the mighty opposition, and insuperable ob­stacles, in the hearts and lives of men, a­gainst the Gospel? What torrent bore down those seats of luxury and voluptu­ousness, those sanctuaries of Idolatry and Devil-worship, that were subjected to the Cross of Christ? How came so many Peo­ple, Cities, and Countries, converted from the opinions and manners which they had embraced from their infancy, to those not only different, but contrary? The despi­sed Doctrine of the Cross had no such charms in it, in the eye of carnal reason, as to produce such wonderful effects. The un­letter'd Fishermen, by whose instrumen­tality this amazing change was wrought, had no advantage of military Power, or of learned Art and Eloquence, to force 'em to submission. These things therefore loudly proclaim the innocency and sanctity of their lives, without which they could not have been regarded. Nay more than so, these things clearly evidence that the Apostles and other Disciples, had them­selves miraculous Gifts; and did con­firm their Doctrine by miraculous opera­tions; without which Seal of Heaven ' [...]would have been impossible to have per­swaded so many to forsake their lusts and [Page 141] pleasures, their comfort, ease and safety, for a persecuted Religion, and a Crucified Saviour.

THUS we see that the Witnesses were a­bove reproach. And if we always allow for truth, what is confirm'd by a number of faithful Witnesses, we may well depend up­on the joint Testimony of such a number, who could all truly appeal to the World, that they had renounc'd the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness; nor handling the Word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth, had commended themselves to every man's conscience, in the sight of God, as 2 Cor. iv.2.

3. THESE miraculous works and spiritual gifts reported by the sacred Writers, were matters of fact, in which it was impossible that they themselves could be deceiv'd.

OUR Lord's Miracles were not matters of speculation or science, wherein the un­derstandings of the Disciples might be im­pos'd upon: but matters of fact, that came under the immediate cognizance of their senses; such as they could see, hear, and feel; and be ascertain'd of, by all possi­ble means of certainty.—They were not dark and obscure performances; they were not done in a corner: but most visibly, in [Page 142] the open light, and view of the World; so that there could be no possible oppor­tunity of Legerdemain, juggle or deceit. —They were not only some few and doubtful, but multitudes of unquestionable Miracles, repeated again and again, in view of the same persons, who daily wait­ed on their Master, and saw His wonder­ful Works.— Nor were these things done before some few ignorant, and brain-sick persons; but in the face of the World, before multitudes of all sorts (beside the twelve Apostles, seventy Disciples, and many others that followed our Lord) who all acknowledged the facts; though they were not all converted by them.—And to sum up all, these same Witnesses assure us, that they and many others beside them, had themselves the miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost; and were employ'd in work­ing the same or like Miracles, in Christ's name, and by His Power and Authority.

AND now, will it not out-do the utmost strength of imagination, to find out the means by which these Witnesses could be deceiv'd? Is it possible for any man to be more certain that he ever saw the sun, than these could be that they saw the sick healed, the dead raised, their Lord expiring [Page 143] upon the cross, restored again to life, eat­ing drinking and conversing familiarly with them forty days together, and as­cending up to Heaven before their eyes? Is it possible to have greater assurance of any thing we do, or can do, than these could have, that they themselves, and mul­titudes beside them, had the gifts of Lan­guages, Prophecy, and other Miraculous Powers; and did perform many Mira­cles in the Name of Christ? The Apostles therefore justly refer to these means of knowlege, as sure evidences, that they could not be deceiv'd in the Doctrines they taught. 2 Pet. ii.16. For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Iesus Christ: but were EYE-WITNESSES of His Majesty. And 1 Joh. i.1. That which —we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon; and our hands have hand­led of the Word of Life.

4. As these Witnesses were uncapable to be deceiv'd themselves, in the facts reported by them, so were they without any possible temptation to deceive others, by obtruding falshoods of this kind upon the World.

[Page 144]THE common springs of great actions lay altogether out of their way; and could be no motive to 'em, to impose upon man­kind in this matter.—They could not hope for honour or worldly grandeur, by appearing in the head of a despised Party; and by being of a Sect every where spoken against. They could not make their court to Princes and the great men of the World, by a Religion, which they all oppos'd and persecuted. They could not ingratiate themselves with the Iews, nor gain esteem and applause from them, by subverting their darling constitution, and charging the guilt of most precious innocent Blood upon 'em. They could not expect honour and reputation from the Gentiles, by con­demning their manners, decrying their Religion, and vilifying their gods. No! they had nothing to expect from their Doctrine of the Cross, but to be (like their Master) despised and rejected of men, and every where loaded with contumely and re­proach, stripes and imprisonment. This in­deed was what their Lord had foretold 'em; and in just expectation hereof they undertook His service.

AND now let us see whether Riches and Wealth could be their incentive, to publish [Page 145] these Miracles, and preach a crucified Sa­viour. So far from it, that poverty and penury, distressing indigency and want of all things, were the necessary consequences of their extreamly difficult and perillous travels through the World (to preach this Doctrine) where they had nothing to de­pend upon for sustentation; but that Pro­vidence which giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens when they cry.

OR could a view to worldly Ease and Pleasure animate them to their undertak­ing? Could these be expected, by for­saking their country and kindred, by tra­velling from Nation to Nation, both by Sea and Land, and running upon the pikes of all difficulty and danger? Did they not know before-hand, as well as find by experience, that they should be hated of all men for Christ's Name sake; and that in every city bonds and afflictions did abide them?

UPON the whole then, when we can find men in love with misery and ruin, when we can see Men court poverty and hugg contempt, fetters and bonds; and prefer both a miserable life and death, to riches and honour, liberty and ease, then may we imagine that the Apostles [Page 146] had some forcible motive to impose for­geries and lies upon us, in the case before us.

BUT what sets this matter in the clear­est light is, that they sealed this Testimony with their Blood. Though it be possible that men may be Martyrs for a false Re­ligion; yet it must be when they think the Religion true, for which they die, and so are equally acted by the dictates of Conscience, in their sufferings, as if it was indeed the cause of God. But now there were multitudes, who parted with their lives in confirmation of the Christian Religion, that were themselves the coiners and forgers of the Doctrine, if it was an imposture. They could not themselves be deceived (as I have already prov'd) and therefore their report must necessarily be true: Or else they must be charged with sacrificing their lives to confirm a lie of their own inventing; and a lie which the most exquisite torments could never cause any one of 'em to retract, or repent of. In a word, they must be sup­posed to part with all temporal comfort, with all worldly satisfactions, and even with life it self; nay and even to destroy both body and soul for ever, without any manner of reason or motive. And I'm sure this is what every body must allow, [Page 147] to be so repugnant to humane nature, as to be altogether impossible.

THUS we have seen the strongest evidence of these truths, that any Facts in the World were ever capable of: And have thereby stripp'd infidelity of all its armour, and found just satisfaction, that the Apostles and other promulgators of the Gospel have approv'd themselves the Ministers of God, in their pa­tience, in their afflictions, necessities, distresses, stripes, imprisonments, tumults, labours, watchings, and fastings, 2 Cor. vi.4, 5.

5. THE reported Miracles were matters of Fact, in which it was impossible that these Historians could deceive the World at the time when their Narratives were pub­lish'd.

LET us first consider this case, with re­spect to the Miracles perform'd by our Lord, while tabernacling in the flesh. These (as we observ'd before) are said to be done most publickly and openly, in the eye of the World, before the most ma­lignant and implacable enemies to Christ, who by all their vigilance and subtilty could not detect any deceit or imposture; nor did they charge the Sacred Story with falshood or forgery. The Narratives were written in the place where the Facts were [Page 148] said to be done, immediately after the per­formance of those wonderful transactions, when they were fresh in every bodies me­mory; and when no body could be igno­rant of their truth or falshood. Had there­fore these Histories been false, they must have been so far from gaining repute, and making Proselytes, that they had been censur'd, confuted, and testified against, as the most wicked and impudent forgeries that ever the sun saw. They could not have been neglected or disregarded, as too mean and trivial for particular notice: For as they were themselves of greatest importance, so were they esteem'd by the Iews (among whom these Miracles were both acted and published) of two great moment and consequence, to be slightly overlook'd. This appears by their forti­fied prejudice, flaming rage, and malicious opposition, both to the Doctrine and Pub­lishers of the Gospel. Whence it plainly appears, nothing but full conviction of the truth of these Miracles, could silence all opposition, that not a Dog should move his tongue against them.

BUT what very much strengthens this Argument, is not only the adversaries tacit assent to these matters of Fact; but their [Page 149] explicit attestation to some of 'em. Thus [...] Iosephus, the Iewish Historian, give us an Epitome of the life, death, and re­surrection of our Saviour, whom he ac­knowleges a worker of great Miracles. Tacitus the Roman Historian informs us al­so of the time and circumstances of his death; and Tiberius the Emperour, upon a letter from Pilate, informing him of the Miracles, death, and resurrection of Christ, mov'd in Senate, that He might be num­bred among their gods, which was rejected by the Senate, because the motion was not first from themselves ^*. I shall pass over many other Remarks of the like kind; and only observe, that the Iews univer­sally from that time till now have acknow­leged the truth of these miraculous opera­tions; and inform us of many of them, whereof there is no mention in the Gospels. They indeed sufficiently manifest their spite and malice against Christ, by ascri­bing (in a most ludicrous manner) His miraculous works, to wicked and unlaw­ful [Page 150] Arts: But the Facts themselves they have never denied.

AND now let us take a short view of the case, with respect to those miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost, of which we have before treated. These, at the first effusion of the Spirit, are said to have been most openly manifested, in the view of devout men, out of every Nation under Heaven, in a most public time, place, and manner: The whole World therefore had the advantage of discovering the fraud, and of contra­dicting the Story, if this Narrative had been false.—Besides, the Apostle in al­most all his Epistles to the Churches, not only mentions these Gifts, as what they themselves had experienced, and were vested with: But frequently directs and exhorts 'em to a right use and improve­ment of 'em; which implies an appeal to the Churches, that there were such Gifts exercised among them. And what adds strength to the evidence is, that the Apostle reproves the Romans and C [...]rinthians for their pride and conceit about these Gifts, which occasion'd contentions and parties amongst them (see Rom. xii.3,—8. and 1 Cor. xii, xiii, xiv Chapters.) Now can [Page 151] it be imagin'd, that any man in an Epistle to a Society, where there are heats and parties, would so particularly have direct­ed 'em to the use, and so largely have re­prov'd them for the abuse of such Gifts, as they must all know were not in any of them? This were not only ridiculous conduct, but perfect distraction. And what yet further strengthens this evidence is, that the Apostle puts the truth of his Doctrine and his Apostolical authority upon this proof, when some of the Churches were in a great measure drawn away from his Gospel, and prefer'd the Iewish false Apostles with their licentious Doctrines before him. This was evidently the case of the Corinthians and Galatians, and espe­cially the former, unto whom the Apostle urges this Argument again and again in his First Epistle to 'em: And shews 'em that if he was not an Apostle to others, yet doubtless he was to them: For (says he) the Seal of mine Apostleship are ye in the Lord, Chap. ix.2. What this Seal or evi­dence of his Apostleship was, appears from his Second Epistle, where he resumes the same Argument, particularly in Chap. xii.12, 13. Truly the signs of an Apostle were [Page 152] wrought among you, in SIGNS and WON­DERS and MIGHTY DEEDS: For what is it wherein ye were inferior to other Churches? And thus he puts the truth of his character and his Gospel upon this single evidence. Gal. iii.1, 2, 5. O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the Truth, &c. This only would I learn of you, Received you the SPI­RIT by the works of the Law; or by the hearing of Faith? He therefore that mini­streth to you the SPIRIT, and worketh MIRACLES among you, doth He it by the works of the Law, or by the hearing of Faith? Now can it be conceiv'd, that the Apostle would put the proof of the Truth of his Gospel, and his Apostolical character, upon Gifts of the Holy Ghost, confer'd upon 'em by his instrumentality; and that in a dispute with false Apostles, rivalling him in those Churches, when there were no such Gifts among 'em? Such a sup­position is the height of absurdity. It was utterly impossible, that these Churches could be impos'd upon in this matter: And it was also impossible to impose upon the World about 'em, who had all imaginable advantages and opportunity to examine [Page 153] these Facts, and to discover their truth or falshood ^*.

UPON the whole, it's as clear as the light, that the World was not, could not be impos'd upon by these reports, when they were first publish'd. Whence the Apostle boldly makes that appeal to King Agrippa, Acts xxvi.26. For the King know­eth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: For I am persuaded, that none of these things are hidden from him: For this thing was not done in a corner.

6. WE have also good assurance, that these Narratives are handed down uncor­rupted unto the present time.

THE actions recorded by the sacred Writers, were notably famous in the World, such as procur'd great revolutions and alterations in States; and even turn'd the World upside down, by the conversion of so many from Superstition and Idolatry, to the true worship of God. Whence they were worthy the critical notice of every one. The Records have been kept pub­lickly [Page 154] in all ages; and publickly preach'd by the Ministers of Christ, which has given the most negligent enemy advantage to dis­cover & detect any fraudulent depravation, or interpolation, had there been any such.

AND what makes this clearer, multitudes of most bitter Adversaries have in every age been converted to Christianity, who could not want means to discover any fraud of this kind; nor could they profess, and even suffer and dy for a known falshood.

BESIDES, the Doctrine taught in this blessed Book, rendred the professors of Christianity uncapable to corrupt it: No less than eternal damnation is therein de­nounced against him that shall add or di­minish one jot or tittle of the Sacred Canon. Should an Angel from Heaven teach any o­ther Doctrine than what is there taught, he is pronounced accursed. What temptation then could any have to vitiate these Re­cords, who kept them as their Rule of life, and Charter for future Glory?

THEY that were friends to Christianity and believ'd the History of these Miracles, could not corrupt them, on purpose to procure damnation to their own Souls. They that were enemies to Christianity and disbe­lieved these truths, would not corrupt [Page 155] them, on purpose to prepare Armour a­gainst their own Infidelity. From whence then could such a depravation come, when the interest both of friends and enemies was every way so strongly against it?

BUT had any man, or Society of men, never so earnestly desir'd, and never so artfully attempted such an interpolation, it must have been without success: For these Records in the very words of the sacred Penmen, were immediately in the hands of multitudes of People, translated into various Languages, and dispers'd through all Nations, which rendred it impossible for the World to be impos'd upon, by such fraud and villainy. 'Twere easier to suppose, that a designing Knave could corrupt our Magna Charta, frame a new body of Laws for England, trump them upon us, and wheedle us into the belief, that these are and always have been the Statutes of the Nation; than to imagine the like corruption in these Sta­tutes of Heaven. For the Statute-Books are in the hands of but one Nation only: the New Testament (as I observ'd) di­spers'd through the World, and found in every copy of it to agree, in attesting these miraculous Facts.

[Page 156]THUS have we utmost certainty, that the Accounts of these Facts, now in our hands, are the uncorrupted Writings of the Apostles and Evangelists. And thus do we see the promise hitherto fulfilled, that the Word of the Lord shall endure for ever, even that Word which by the Gospel is preached unto us, 1 Pet. i.25.

WE are now prepar'd to consider,

III. THAT these Miracles, which I have prov'd to have been wrought by our Lord Iesus Christ, both before and after His passion, are a full evidence that He was approv'd of God, and had His Mission from Him.

THIS may be evinced by the follow­ing considerations.

1. THESE Miracles are certainly the work of God Himself: His direct agency is plain­ly visible in them.

IF it be possible for any created beings to work a true Miracle, yet such their agen­cy must be always under God's controul: otherwise the infernal powers might inter­rupt the revolutions of Nature, and bring the World into a chaos. Such Miracles therefore, whosoever be the instrumental agent, must be acknowledged the works of God▪ God is Himself as near to the effect [Page 157] when He useth Instruments, as when He acts immediately without 'em. But I have put the present issue (as you heard before) upon such Miracles only, as are the im­mediate effects of Omnipotence; that there can be no room either for ignorance or malice, to raise any cavil in this case. If the Facts are true (as I've already prov'd 'em to be) all the World must own, that the wonderful works which did shew forth themselves in our Lord Iesus Christ, were the mighty works of God; that those sa­cred gifts which we have consider'd, were certainly Divine: And that these did as certainly discover God's immediate efficien­cy, as the works of Creation. Whence it's certain, that our Lord Iesus had this ap­probation of the Deity, and this seal to His Commission, that God did by Him, and He by His Apostles, perform such stupen­dous works, as justly amazed the World, and infinitely exceeded the power of all created Angels. And it was therefore a just and natural inference, made by Nico­demus, Joh. iii.2. Rabbi, we kn [...]w that thou art a Teacher come from God: For no man can do these Miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

[Page 158]2. IT'S contrary to the goodness and faithfulness of God to justify an Impostor, or confirm a falshood by Miracles.

IT is impossible that we should in this imperfect state, have better evidence, that any Person or Doctrine is from God, than these Miracles are. By these we have vi­sibly before our eyes, God's own immediate agency; We see the extraordinary display of His Omnipotent power; we certainly know that there is the immediate finger of God in these mighty works. And our Lord Iesus produces this seal of Heaven, as a voucher to His Doctrine and Authority: He declares Himself to be the expected Messiah; and these surprizing Wonders are wrought to confirm it. He publishes by His Disciples, His Resurrection from the dead; and His Ascension into Heaven, which are also confirm'd by the same evi­dence. Both He and His Disciples appeal to the senses of mankind, that He is indeed what He declares Himself, the Son of God, and Lord of Life and Glory; and that He has indeed been declar'd the Son of God with power, by His resurrection from the dead. God justifies the appeal from Hea­ven, and gives the visible Testimony of Miracles, both before and after His cruci­fixion, [Page 159] that He is His beloved Son, in whom He is well pleased. Infidelity can therefore have no place of retreat. We must be­lieve in this Saviour, or disbelieve the At­testation of the God of truth. If we are deceiv'd, the deceit is inevitable; and the best men in the World, who have the most sincere love to God, and despise whatever is desirable or terrible, for His sake and service, are deluded in their most impor­tant concerns by God Himself. Now can it be imagin'd, can we entertain the least thought, that infinite Holiness would thus justify a fraudulent Imposture; that infi­nite Truth and Faithfulness would thus seal to a lie; and that infinite Wisdom and Goodness would thus give up the World to unavoidable error and delusion? No surely! To refuse this Testimony, is not only stupidity and madness, that trans­forms men into bruits; but obstinacy and malice, not far distant from the nature of devils.

THUS we see two most faithful Witnesses, the power and veracity of God, depos'd to the truth of our Saviour's heavenly Missi­on. Whence we must divest our selves of reason and humanity, or yield to the ir­resistible force of our Lord's Argument, [Page 160] Joh. x.37, 38. If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not: But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works, that ye may know and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in Him.

I may add to all this:

3. THERE is no Religion under Heaven, that can bring the attestation of Miracles for its confirmation, but the Christian Re­ligion only.

HERE all the Patrons of Infidelity may be challeng'd, to produce one instance since the creation of the World, that looks any thing like a parallel to the case before us. Let 'em search all the Histories of the pagan deities; let 'em call in the help of the Alcoran, or what other legendary fa­bles they please; and bring convincing proof of but one single miracle wrought in confirmation of any other Doctrine.—I'm sensible they can produce romantick and fabulous Histories enough, that will discover the fruitful invention of the ob­scure deceitful Authors; such as Phi­lostratus's Life of Apollonius Tyanaeus, Mahomet's night-journey to Heaven, and the infamous Popish Legends: But what attestation have they to the truth of these Facts, and what to confirm our belief of [Page 161] 'em; but the bare reports of the unknown Authors? Just as much as can be brought to prove the seventy years sleep of Epime­nides, Lucian's true History, or any other idle Romance.

IF the wonders wrought by the Egyptian Sorcerers be here objected; the answer is easy. They were none of 'em Miracles of this superior kind, which we have now been considering: none of 'em necessarily discover'd the immediate agency of Di­vine Omnipotence. Besides, they were im­mediately controlled by greater miracles, in which the Magicians themselves were forc'd to acknowlege the finger of God: And therefore they were an attestation to nothing else, but Satan's impotent malice and shameful foil. God serv'd Himself of these Wonders; thereby taking occasion to glorify His own superior power. And He might probably permit them for that very end. No man could be deceived by 'em, when there was such an obvious preserva­tive. Upon the whole, I may sum up this evidence, by applying of that Text to the present case, in Joh. xv.24. If Christ had not done such w [...]rks as none other man could do, we had n [...]t had sin; but now we have no cloak left for our sin of unbelief.

[Page 162]BEFORE I proceed to a particular Appli­cation of this Doctrine, I would here more particularly observe, that whatever has been said to verify the Divine Mission of our Lord Iesus Christ, may equally serve to confirm the truth and heavenly origi­nal of the whole Christian Religion. The Doctrine, and the Person of Christ, are au­thorized of God, by the same seal of Hea­ven. If the Lord Iesus be indeed the Son of God and Redeemer of mankind, His In­stitutions must be worthy of His glorious Nature and Office. If the Apostles, and other holy Writers, were indeed com­mission'd and inspir'd of Him, they were e­qually uncapable to deceive us, in an affair of everlasting consequence.

IF it be demanded, how can we be cer­tain that the sacred Penmen were Divinely inspir'd, in writing the New Testament? I answer, we have the same assurance of this, as of the matters of Fact by them re­ported. They themselves attest it. They have prov'd themselves persons of probity and integrity. They could not be de­ceiv'd in this matter, but must certainly know whether they were acted by a hea­venly Inspiration, or not. They could have no temporal inducement, to obtrude false [Page 163] Doctrine, any more than false History upon us; but sealed both with their blood. And we have the same security, that both have been handed down uncorrupted to our times.

To all which we have this additional evidence, that God declared from Heaven his approbation of their Doctrine, by the gifts of the Holy Ghost confer'd upon them. Christ promised them this seal to their Commission, that the works that He did, they should do also; and greater works than these, when He was gone to the Father, Joh. xiv.12. And that He would send the promise of His Father upon them; and endue them with Power from on high, Luk. xxiv.49. Which promise was visibly verified to 'em. The Holy Spirit did (as was promis'd) descend from Heaven upon 'em, and in­stantly invest them with the knowlege of various Languages (so that they could speak them with their peculiar idioms and accents) and with the several other gifts, which we have before consider'd; where­by they were qualified to travel through the Nations, and universally publish the glad tidings of Salvation. And where­ever they went, they made the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed, through mighty Signs and Wonders, by the Power of the Spirit [Page 164] of God, Rom. xv.18, 19. They every where confirm'd their Doctrine, by leaving be­hind 'em some miraculous blessing, either upon the body, or mind, or both. Ser­pents were tamed, devils ejected, the sick healed, and the dead raised at their word. And we have the most unquestionable evi­dence of these Facts, that we can have of any thing not done in our own sight, as you heard before. We are therefore con­strain'd to give a full and entire assent to all the Doctrines of Christianity, as what God has born Witness to, both with signs and wonders; and with divers Miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His own will, Heb. ii.4. But it's time we draw to a