SERMON XV.

Preached October the 6th 1718.

Heb. ii. 3, 4.

How Shall we escape if we neglect fo great Salvation, which at the first began to be Spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard them.

God alfo bearing them witness, both with figns and wonders, and with divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghoft, according to his own Will.

Have, in my two foregoing Difcourses, confider'd the nature, and poffibility of Miracles in general: How we are to diftinguish

what

what Miracles are truly divine, and what are not; and likewife upon what ground we may be affured, that the perfon working fuch Miracles, in the name of God, has a divine com→ miffion, or is enabled to reveal the will of God: And in the last place, I confidered, what evidence we may now have, from the Miracles anciently wrought, that the Chriftian doctrine, contained in Scripture, is truly a divine Revelation, and to be always embraced as fuch. And whereas this depends upon our certainty of these two things;

I. That fuch Miracles were really wrought: And,

II. That the Doctrine, contained in Scripture, is the fame which was then revealed.

I obferved, that both these are contained in the fame original records of the Christian Religion, and are infeparable from each other. And for the Truth of what these records contain, we have not only as good evidence in an human way as can be fhewn for any other Historical relation of the like antiquity: But there are two Confiderations which carry the matter yet farther; and which may be fufficient, both to answer the great moment of the cafe, and even to fatisfy the fcruples, or prejudices, of fuch as are not obftinately refolved against it.

One

One is, That the Records of our Religion, both as to the Miracles and Doctrine, in refpect of the Books and their Authors, have fome particular grounds of credibility, or evident marks of Truth, above any other History of the like antiquity; of which I spoke briefly laft Difcourfe.

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The other is, That there are divers fucceffive fubfequent evidences to the Truth of Chriftianity, which more particularly affect the ages after its first promulgation, and which are a kind of standing Divine atteftation to the Truth of it, and do, in a great measure, supply to us the want of that immediate fenfible evidence of Miracles, which was peculiar to thofe who heard the first preaching of it. And I have chofen to speak to this Confideration, from these words of the Apoftle, God also bearing them witness, both with figns and wonders, and with divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghoft, according to his own will; because in these words he fets forth that general atteftation, which God was pleased to give to the Doctrine of Christ, as it was delivered by those whom he appointed to be his witnesses, expreffed by feveral words, which may be understood to fignify all the several kinds of extraordinary or divine evidence, upon which

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the truth of the Gospel was first established; not only fuch figns or wonders as were immediately wrought to gain attention to it, and to fhew that its publishers had a Commiffion from Heaven; but fuch miraculous powers, or Gifts of the Spirit of God, as were of a more permanent nature; and fuch marks of Divinity as appeared in the very Doctrine it felf, when the several parts of it came to be examined; which I fhall therefore now take occafion more particularly to confider, under these two Heads.

I. Such extraordinary and wonderful Effects, as either attended, or were consequent upon, the first preaching of the Gofpel.

II. The fucceffive accomplishment of Prophefies delivered by Christ and his Apostles.

Which two things are ftanding instances, both of Divine Power and Wisdom manifested in the Chriftian doctrine.

I. Such extraordinary and wonderful Effects, as either attended, or were confequent upon, the first preaching of the Gofpel; which were not of a tranfient nature, but of so long a continuance, as might give all its oppofers

time and opportunity thoroughly to confider, and examine into the Ground and reason of them: Of this kind we may reckon the strange and furprizing. Manner, in which the Gospel was at first propagated into all parts, fo much above all human probability; and the mar velous. Effects which it had upon those who attended to it, wherever it was propaga ted.

1. The surprizing Manner of its propagation, into all parts, fo far above all human probability, confidering the inftruments employed in it, is a plain inftance of a Divine power attending it. That perfons of fuch a mean condition as the Apoftles were, unlearned and unexperienced in worldly policy, should fet about fo great a work as that of perfuading all the world into the belief of a matter of fact, fuch as the Refurrection of our Saviour was, for declaring of which at firft, they run the greatest hazards imaginable, is a plain evidence, that they themselves were fully convinced of the Truth of it, and of the importance of declaring it, as alfo of the mighty confequences to be drawn from it.

That they fhould hope for fuccefs in this enterprize, and therefore fhould go about it with the greateft refolution and courage, notwithstanding

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