7 which is delivered traditionally through a great many perfons, muft needs be very unequal. 4. It is a more lafting way of conveyance. Which likewife appears by experience, we having now nothing at all of the hiftory of ancient times, but what is conveyed down to us in writing. 5. It is a more human way of conveyance, which requires lefs of miracle and fupernatural interpofition for the prefervation of it. This book of the fcriptures may with ordinary human care be tranfmitted entire, and free from any material error, to all fucceeding ages: But revelations unwritten, if they have any lafting and confiderable effect, they must at leaft in every age be renewed and repeated; otherwife in a very thort space, either through the unfaithfulness, or careleffnefs and frailty of men, they will either be quite loft, or fo corrupted and depraved, that they will fignify nothing. From all which it appears that we have fo little caufe to murmur and repine at the providence of God, which in thefe latter ages of the world, does not make thofe more immediate difcoveries and manifeftations of himself to us, that he did to former ages; that we have rather great reafon to admire the wisdom and goodness of God's providence, which hath privileged us with this ftanding revelation of his written word, which hath fo many ways the advantage of frequent and extraordinary revelation, and in refpect of the generality of mankind, is much more useful and effectual to its end. I know there are fome that have endeavoured to perfuade the world, that doctrines may much better be preferved by common rumour and report, than by writing and record; but I hope there is no man fo destitute of common fenfe as to believe them, contrary to the experience of all men. I come now to the fourth thing I proposed to be confidered, namely, that there is fufficient evidence of the divinity of the fcriptures. By the divinity of the fcriptures, I mean, that they were revealed by God, and that the things contained in them were not invented by men, but difcovered to men by God; and and that the pen-men of thefe books did not write their own private conceptions, but were infpired by the Holy Ghoft. Now it we can be fatisfied of this, we ought to receive the fcriptures with the fame reverence, as if an Angel from heaven fhould declare thefe things unto us, or as if God fhould immediately reveal them to our minds; for nothing can come with greater authority than this, that we believe it to be revealed by God; and provided we be affured of this, it matters not which way; the thing hath the fame authority. Now that we have fufficient evidence of the divinity of the fcriptures, will beft appear, by confidering what is fufficient to give authority to a book, fo that no prudent or reasonable man can question, but that the book was writ by him whofe name it bears. For what evidence we would accept of for the authority of other books, we must not refufe in this cafe for the fcriptures; if we do, we deal unequally; and it is a fign that we do not want evidence for the authority of the fcriptures, but that we have no mind to believe them. Now the utmost authority that any book is capable of, is, that it hath been tranfmitted down to us by the general and uncontrouled teftimony of all ages, and that the authority of it was never queftioned in that age wherein it was written, nor invalidated ever fince. And this evidence we have for the authority of the fcriptures. As for the Old Teftament, I fhall not now labour in the proof of that by arguments proper to itself, but fhall take the divinity of them upon the authority of the New; which if it be proved, is fufficient evidence for it, though there were no other... Now for the fcriptures of the New Teftament, I defire but thefe two things to be granted to me at first: 1. That all were written by thofe perfons whose names they bear: and for this we have as much authority as for any books in the world, and fo much as as may fatisfy men in other cafes, and therefore not to be rejected in this. 2. That those who wrote those books were men of integrity, and did not wilfully falfify in any thing; and this cannot reafonably be denied, because these very perfons gave the utmost evidence that men could give of their integrity. The highest atteftation that any man can give of the truth of what he relates, is to lay down his life for the teftimony of it, and this the Apoftles did. Now if this be granted, that they did not falfify in their relations concerning the miracles of Chrift, and his refurrection, and the miraculous gifts which were bestowed upon the Apostles after his afcenfion; this is as great an evidence as the world can give, and as the thing is capable of, that our Saviour was a teacher come from God, and that the Apoftles were extraordinarily affifted by the Holy Ghoft; and if this be granted, what can be defired more to prove the divinity of their writings? But it may be faid, that though the Apostles were granted to be men of integrity, and that they did not wilfully falfify in their relations, yet they might be mistaken about thofe matters: But that they were not, we have as much evidence as can be for any thing of this nature, namely, that the things which are related are plain fenfible matters of fact, about which no man need mistake, unlefs he will; and they did not write things upon the report of others, who might poffibly have defigns to deceive, but upon the fureft evidence in the world, their own know. ledge and the teftimony of their fenfes; the things that we have seen and heard teftify we unto you. So that if they were mistaken in thefe things, no man can be fure of any thing; and by the fame reafon that we disbelieve the authority of the fcriptures upon this account, we must believe nothing at all. This is in fhort the whole force of the argument for the divinity of the fcriptures, which I might have enlarged infinitely upon; but I defign now only briefly to reprefent to you, that we, who live at the distance of fo many ages from the time of this revelation, are are not deftitute of fufficient evidence for the authority of the fcriptures, and fuch evidence, as they who reject in other cafes, are efteemed unreafonable. I fhould come now to the 5th, and laft thing, namely, that it is unreafonable to expect, that God fhould do more for our convi. tion, than to afford us a ftanding revelation of his mind and will, fuch as the books of the holy fcriptures are. But this I fhall refer to another oppor tunity, in a particular difcourfe upon the 31ft verfe, which contains the main defign, the fum and fubftance of this whole parable. SERMON CXXVIII. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Preached at Whitehall, Anno 1678. LUKE XVI. 31. If they hear not Mofes and the Prophets, neither will they be perfuaded though one rose from the dead. T The third fermon on this text. Hefe words are the conclufion of that excellent parable of our Saviour concerning the rich man and Lazarus, and they are the final anfwer which Abraham gives to the rich man's last request; who being in great torment, and not able to obtain any eafe for himself, is reprefented as concerned for his relations, whom he had left behind him upon earth, left they alfo by their own carelefsnefs and folly fhould plunge themselves into the fame VOL. VI. T mi mifery that he was in; and therefore he begs of Abraham, that he would fend Lazarus to his father's house, where he had five brethren, that he might teftify unto them, left they alfo fhould come into that place of torment. To which request Abraham answers, that there was no neceffity of fuch an extraordinary courfe to be used towards thofe who had fufficient means of conviction fo near at hand, if they would but hear ken to them, and make use of them. Abraham faith unto him, They have Mofes and the Prophets; let them hear them. But the rich man preffeth his requeft further, upon this reason, that they might not perhaps be moved by Mofes and the Prophets, nay, it was likely they would not be moved by them; for they had always had them, and yet they remained impenitent: But if a fpecial meffenger fhould be fent to them from the dead, this certainly could not fail to awaken them, and bring them to repentance, ver. 30. And he faid, nay, father Abraham, but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. To which Abraham makes this peremptory reply, If they hear not Mofes and the Prophets, neither will they be perfuaded, though one rose from the dead. In which words Abraham abfolutely denies that there is any fuch probability, much lefs certainty that those who reject a publick credible revelation of God, fuch as that of the holy fcripture is, fhould be effectually convinced by a meffenger from the dead. And our Saviour brings in Abraham delivering himself very pofitively in this matter, and therefore we may prefume it to be our Saviour's own fenfe, and may rely upon it for a truth; which however at firft fight it may not be fo evident, ye I hope in the progrefs of this difcourfe to make it fufficiently clear. But before I undertake that, I fhall premife a caution or two to prevent all mistake in this mat ter. Firft, That we are not to understand these words 100 Arictly and rigorously, as if the thing were |