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.CH. XL1: evidence along with them, and rendered their doctrine fo furprisingly fuccessful.

And as Jefus did not fend his Difciples to preach to all the world, till after his death, and as he then, after his death, did actually furnish them with all miraculous powers to render their doctrine effectual, this is the most conceiving proof that his doctrine was divine, and that he himfelf was actually gone to heaven, and lived there in the higheft intereft and favour with God. For that an impoftor, a deceiver, hateful to the God of truth, should, after his death, be able to animate, inftruct, authorize, and empower a company of men, otherwise deftitute of all affiftance, and labouring under all poffible difficulties, to throw down all the religions of the world, and to erect a new one in their ftead, is utterly impoffible. It is therefore certain, beyond all doubt, that Jefus Chrift was fent from heaven to reveal the Gospel to the world. And as we are very fure that we have in our hands the writings of his Apoftles, we may be as fure, that they contain a revelation from heaven, or that doctrine which Chrift received from God and delivered to his Difciples. And if fo, then the writings of the Old Testament are alfo the word of God, for Christ and his Apofties declare them to be fuch. Therefore all Scripture is given by infpiration of God.

The fame thing may be proved by the long train of miraculous cperations which could be effected only by a Divine power, and which were wrought in confirmation of the miffion of Prophets and Apoftles; as alfo from the fpirit of prophefy predicting future events at a great diftance of time, which no human wisdom or fagacity could poffibly forefee, and yet were actually and punctually fulfilled in correfpondence to the prediction. But as a minute detail of particulars would perhaps be fomewhat tedious, I fhall fingle out one inftance of the Divine miraculous power, and the truth of the prophetic fpirit; which inftance has been in all ages a ftanding proof of revelation, and which ftill exifts, and is before the eyes of the prefent generation, in almost all countries of the world; I mean, the prefent fate and being of the Jews. For this people, as they were originally choca to be the repofitory or ftorehoufe of Divine knowledge, by the revelation which was given to them, fo they were alto intended to be vifible proofs of the truth of it in all ages and parts of the world. Our Lord, contrary to all human probability, while he was on the earth, foretold the deftruction of the Jewish temple and polity, and their difperfion among all nations, which was exactly accomplished in about 40 years after. And in this difperfed state they nae now continued about 1700 years, in great numbers, and in great i nominy and contempt, and yet quite diftinct and feparate from all the people among whom they lived.

This appears to me a standing miracle; nor can we attribute it to any other caufe but, the will and extraordinary interpofition of heaven, when it is confidered, that of all the famous nations of the world who might have been diftinguifhed from others with great advantage, and the most illuftrious marks of honour and renown, as the ancient Egyptians, Affyrians, Pefins, Macedonians, Romans, who all in their turns held the empire of the world, and were, with great ambition, the lords of mankind;

mankind; yet thefe, even in their own countries, are diffolved into the bulk of mankind, nor is there a perfon upon earth can boast he is defcended from thofe renowned and imperial ancestors.

Whereas a small nation, generally defpifed and hated, and which, though now upon pretty good terms with us, both Pagans and pretended Chriftians have for many ages treated with the utmost infult, indignity, outrage and cruelty, and which therefore, one would imagine, every foul that belonged to it fhould have gladly difowned, and have been willing to have loft the odious name by mixing with any other nation; yet, I fay, this hated people, harraffed and butchered more or lefs by all mankind, banished and bandied from one country to another, and who fcarce had any peace till trade and traffic brought the world to a better temper, and more favourable treatment of them-I fay, this hated people have, under all temptations to the contrary, and against the ordinary courfe of things, continued in a body diftinet and separate from all mankind, even in a ftate of difperfion, for about 1700 years.

This demonftrates, that the wisdom which formed them into a peculiar people, that they have almoft ever fince the deluge, for about 3600 years, remained in a diftinct and feparate ftate, and are ftill likely to do fo, is not human, but Divine; for no human wifdom or power could form, or however could execute, fuch a vaft, extenfive defign. It must be the wifdom and power of that God alone, who is the fame in every age, and who in every age has exercifed a peculiar providence over his peculiar people, the defcendents of Abraham his fervant. And thus the prefent state and being of the Jews is every where a public and standing evidence of the truth of revelation, in two refpects.

1. With respect to their long difperfion, or captivity, as they call it, and the various calamities they were to fuffer therein.

among

This is foretold in feveral places, particularly, Deut. xxviii. 63, 64, 65. The Lord will rejoice over you to deftroy you, and bring you to nought, as to their fingular privileges and enjoyments; and ye shall be plucked off from the land, whither ye go to poffefs it. And the Lord fhall fcatter thee among all people, from one end of the earth even unto the other—and thofe nations thou shalt find no eafe, neither shall the fole of thy foot have rest; but the Lord fhall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing eyes, and frrow of mind. Ezek. xxxvi, 19. I fcattered them among the heathen, and they were difperfed among the countries. I will featter thee among the heathen, and difperfe thee among the countries. And our Lord predicts, Luke xxi. 24. And they, the Jews, fhall fall by the edge of the fword, and fhall be led away captive into all nations, and Jerufalem fhall be trodden down of the

Gentiles.

2. With refpect to their being preferved in their difperfion, and preferved as a diftinct and feparate body, this alfo was plainly predicted. Deut. xxvi. 44. Yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not caft them away, neither will Iabber them, to deft oy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them. Jr. xxx. 10, 11. Fear not, O my fervant, Jacob; neither be difmayed, G Ifrael; for lo, I will fave thee from afar, and thy feed from the land of their captivity; for though I make a full end of all nations, whither I have feattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of

thee. Jer. xxxi. 10. Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the ifles afar off; and fay, he that fcattered Ifrael will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. Ver. 35, 36, 37. Thus faith the Lord, who gives the fun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the fars for a light by night; who divides the fea when the waves thereof roar; the Lord of Hofts is his name. If thofe ordinances depart from before me, faith the Lord, then the feed of Ifrael also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever. Thus faith the Lord, If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth fearched out beneath, I will alfo caft off all the feed of Ifrael, for all that they have done, faith the Lord. Rom. xi. 25, 26. Blindnefs in part is happened to Ifrael, umtil the fulness of the Gentiles be come in; and fo all Ifrael fhall be faved; as it is written, there shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.

Thefe, and many more paffages, too numerous to be now quoted, plainly fhew that it was the defign of Divine Providence to preserve the Jewish nation, in their difperfion, and to preferve them a distinct and feparate people in order to their future restoration. And we, and many other nations, at this day, fee these predictions made good in the prefent ftate of the Jews, who have been fo long, and ftill are miraculously preferved feparate from all other people. Now this is, in my opinion, a ftanding miracle, a wonderful work of Divine Providence, and as ftrong a proof of revelation, as if we were to fee the dead, every year, rife out of their graves in confirmation of it. For we have ftill among us, after fo long a time, and fo many various revolutions in human affairs, the peculiar people whom God, above three thousand years ago, feparated unto himfelf; the very people who are the principal fubject of revelation, and who are faid there to be the principal objects of his providence; and we fee them at this day to be fo in a very furprifing

manner.

'Therefore in their prefent ftate we may plainly read the ancient promife made to Abraham, the head and root of the nation, the many wonderful works wrought for them from first to laft, and the truth of prophetic predictions; in the prefent ftate of the Jews we may read the truth of the Gospel, for the rejection of which God rejected them, and fcattered them over the face of the earth. In fhort, we are sure there was fuch a people as the Jews, to whom God delivered the revelation of his will in ancient times; for this very people exift among us at this day, and preferve among them that very revelation, with the most facred and religious care. And we are fure the numerous predictions of Scripture, both in the Old and New Teftament, relating to their future ftate, are true, for we see them made good in the prefent ftate of the Jews: and therefore we may be as fure that the holy Scriptures are given by infpiration of God; for only the Spirit of God could foretel fuch events; and the fame Spirit which foretold thefe events, fpake in the Prophets and Apoftles, and infpired them with all that Divine wisdom and knowledge which we find in all their writings.

I might add the long apoftacy, and general corruption of the profeffors of Christianity, fo plainly foretold, and under fuch exprefs and particular characters, in the Apoftolic writings. This, all the world may fee, has been abundantly fulfilled in the church of ROME. Now, only

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the Spirit of God could forefee fuch a diftant and deplorable ftate of things, which no human probability could have conjectured would have rifen out of the pure and heavenly doctrine of Chrift. But the Spirit which predicted this event, is the very fame which was poured out upon the Apoftles, and enlightened their minds with the knowledge of the Gofpel; therefore the Apostles, who wrote the New Teftament, had the Spirit of God, and were enlightened by it.

By these arguments I am pointing out to you the only fountain of life and happiness, a mine infinitely more valuable than of gold and precious ftones, a plentiful magazine of heavenly and everlasting wealth, an inexhauftible fund of folid comfort and peace, the holy Scriptures, the word of the ever-bleffed God; a treasure of immenfe value, which we have in our poffeffion, if we are wife to make a right improvement

of it.

There remains yet another argument to prove the Divine Authority and Original of Scripture, taken from the internal excellency of it. This I fhall confider in the following chapter.

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The internal Worth and Excellency of SCRIPTURES confidered, as containing the best Principles of Knowledge, Holiness, and Comfort.

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HE arguments which I have already advanced, are taken from the external evidence that the Scriptures are the word of God. Proceed we now to confider their internal Worth and Excellency, which more fully and directly demonftrates their Divine original, and falls in with the fecond part of my defign, which was to confider the use and importance of the holy Scriptures.

Confidering the Scriptures as a gift and bleffing from God, the Father of lights and the Fountain of all good, for our improvement in knowledge and holiness, in order to our being advanced to eternal glory and happiness, we may in general conclude, that the Scriptures are in worth and usefulnefs fully proportionable to the wisdom and goodness of the Donor, and to the noble and beneficent end for which they are intended. They are a glorious display of heavenly light, irradiating the darkness of the world, which otherwife would have been involved in the blackest night of ignorance. Let it be obferved, to the honour of the Bible, that it is the book which, under the Divine Providence, has preferved in the world the knowledge of the one true God, which otherwife must have been loft and extinguished. For when God in his infinite wildom was pleased to call Abraham, and feparate his family to the purposes of revelation, idolatry, even in thofe carly days, not long after

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the flood, was fo far fpread, that even Abraham's family were idolaters, and ferved other gods; and fo far did the corruption of religion pre vail, that all nations, lofing the true idea of one God and Father of all, fell into the fouleft idolatry, the groffeft fuperftition, and all the abominable vices in connexion with them, except the nation of the Jews, who enjoyed the word and revelation of God. And it was the word and revelation of God, at the time our Saviour came into the world, which enlightened the Gentiles, and fo generally reduced them to the worship and obedience of the everlafting Jehovah, the Creator of the ends of the

earth.

Wt knowledge of the living God, what deteftation of idol-wor fhip, what belief of a future ftate of rewards and punishment, MAнOMET has propagated in the world, he received partly from Jews, and partly from Chriflians, who had learnt thofe things from revelation; though, as he could not read himself, with much confufion, and a large mixture of fiction and falfehood. Is any part of the Chriftian world funk into fuperftition and idolatry? It is because they have fhut up the Scriptures, forbidden the free use of them, and commanded the people under pain of damnation to follow other guides. Is any part of the Chriftian world reformed from the grofs errors and monftrous corruptions of Popery? It is because they have afferted the authority of the Scriptures, refumed the ufe of them, and opened them again to free and common perufal. Nay further-Is the Deift, or the man who in a Chriftian land denies or difparages revelation, acquainted with the firft caufe, the Fountain of all being, power, life, and happiness, the univerfal Sovereign? Has he a clear idea of the fyftem of duties which we owe to our Maker, and to one another; or any expectation of a future state of felicity? It is because he has lighted his twinkling candle at this refplendent Sun, which he unnaturally, ungratefully, and weakly endeavours to extinguifh. I fay weakly, because this Sun, which God, ever fince the creation of his church and kingdom, has caufed to fhine in the moral world, fhall by his Providence be preferved, and shine with a growing luftre, fo long as the fun in the firmament fhall endure.

Under God, it must be owned the inftrumental caufe of all the true religion and piety that is to be found in the world, which, for aught we can fee, notwithstanding all the philofophy and wisdom of man, would have been totally loft among all the nations; and it fhall be eftablished more and more, it fhall fhine forth more and more, it fhall be honoured more and more, in the truth of its doctrines, in the wifdom of its precepts and inftructions, in the accomplishment of its predictions and promifes, and in the appearing of our Lord at the last day, to receive into his joy all that know God, and obey his Gofpel. It fhall be established, it fhall fhine, it fhall be honoured, when those who now defpife and difparage it, fhall be confounded and perifh for

ever.

Thus much may be truly faid of the ufefulnefs of Scripture in general; which gives it infinitely the preference to all books of mere human compofure, that it has been the means of preferving in the world the grand principles of religion, the knowledge of the being and perfections

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