have been foretold fo unlikely and improbable as this is; efpecially if we take in this, that the chief inftrument of fpreading this doctrine in the world, was the fierceft oppofer and perfecutor of it, I mean St. Paul, who, by a light and voice from heaven, was taken off from perfecuting Christianity, and became the most active and zealous inftrument of its propagation. The wonderful fuccefs and prevalency of the gospel by fuch means, and in fuch circumftances of difficulty, and potent oppofition made against it, are a plain indication, that this doctrine was affifted and countenanced from heaven; that it was of God, and therefore could not be overthrown. Nothing but the mighty force of truth could, naked and unarmed, have done fuch wonders in the world.

And thus I have, I hope, fully fhewn that those who lived in the age of our Saviour, were capable of having fufficient affurance, that Jefus Chrift, who declared the Chriftian religion to the world, was fent of God: From the prophecies concerning him; the teftimonies that were given him by an immediate voice from heaven; the miracles that were wrought by him, and on his behalf; and by the prophetick fpirit that gave evidence of his infpiration. And if any one doubt whether he gave thefe teftimonies of his divine authority to the world, let him confider that it is almost as great a miracle as any of those, that a doctrine preached by one that gave no teftimony of his divine authority to the world, fhould be fo ftrangely propagated, and maintain its poffef fion fo long in the world; I fay, let him confider this, and methinks this fhould convince him of the truth of Christianity.

VOL. X.

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62

SERMON CCXLII.

The evidences of the truth of the Chriftian religion.

2 COR. iv. 3, 4.

But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are loft: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, left the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, fhould fhine unto them.

IN

The ninth fermon on this text.

N difcourfing of the evidence of our Saviour's divine authority, I proposed the confidering three things:

Firft, What evidence they had, who heard the doAtrine of the gofpel immediately from our Saviour. Secondly, What evidence they had, who received this doctrine by the preaching of the Apostles.

Thirdly, What evidence after-ages have, until the prefent time.

The first of these L have handled at large; and now proceed to the

Second, viz. To confider what affurance those who heard the doctrine of Chrift from the Apoftles, were capable of having concerning his divine authority: And of this I fhall give you an account in these three particulars:

First, They had all the affurance concerning this matter which men can have of any thing from the teftimony of credible eye and ear-witnesses.

Secondly, They had this teftimony confirmed by

miracles.

Thirdly, They had yet a farther evidence of the

divinity of this doctrine, from the wonderful prevalency and fuccefs of it, by fuch improbable and unlikely means.

Firft, Thofe who received the doctrine of Chrift from the Apostles, had all the affurance of Christ's divine authority, that men can have of any thing from the teftimony of credible eye and ear-witnesses. The Apostles who immediately converfed with our Saviour, and heard his doctrine, and faw his miracles, they had the teftimony of their own fenfes for his divine authority; they heard and faw the atteftations which God gave to him: And those to whom the Apostles preached, received all this from them, as from eye and ear-witneffes. So that those who received the doctrines of Chrift from the Apoftles, had all the arguments which the Apostles had, to fatisfy them. concerning Chrift's divine authority, only they were not conveyed to them in fo immediate a manner. The Apoftles faw and heard thofe things themfelves, which gave them fatisfaction that Jefus Chrift came from God: Thofe to whom the Apostles preached, received these things from their teftimony.

And this alfo was a fufficient ground of affurance, as will clearly appear, if we can make out these two things:

I. That the Apoftles were credible witneffes. And, II. That if they were fo, then their teftimony was fufficient to perfuade belief.

:

I. That the Apoftles were credible witneffes. Of their knowledge there can be no question, because they gave teftimony only of what themselves had feen and heard fo that if they falfified in any thing, it could not be for want of fufficient knowledge, but for want of fidelity. Now thofe who heard them, had all the arguments that could be to fatisfy them of their fidelity. They delivered things plainly, and without artificial infinuations; they all agreed in their teftimony, and were always conftant to themfelves in the fame relation; there was no visible interest to fway them in the leaft to falfify against their knowledge; they gained nothing by it; nay, fo far were they from that, that they run themselves hereby up

that

on the greatest hazards and difadvantages; and which is the highest evidence that this world can give of any man's fincerity, they ventured their lives for this teftimony, and fealed it with their blood. For though martyrdom be no fufficient argument of the truth of that for which a man lays down his life, yet it is a very good argument of a man's fincerity; it fignifies that a man is in earnest, and believes himself; and if the thing be not true, yet he thinks it to be fo, otherwife he would not dy for it So that if we have no reafon to doubt of the knowledge of thofe witneffes, (as certainly we have no reafon, the things which they teftified being plain matters, what they faw and heard, in which every man knows whether he fpeaks true or not; I fay, if we have no reason to doubt of their knowledge) we cannot queftion their integrity and fincerity, having the higheft evidence of that, which this world can afford: For there cannot be a better

argument of the integrity of witneffes, than to lay down their lives for their teftimony.

II. If the Apoftles were credible witneffes, then was their teftimony fufficient to perfuade belief. For what greater evidence can any man have of any thing which himself has not feen, than to receive it from credible eye-witneffes, that is, from fuch perfons as we have all the reafon in the world to judge worthy of credit? This evidence men are contented to accept in other cafes, as fufficient to induce belief, and if we will not accept it in matters of religion, we are very partial and unjuft. We find that upon the evidence of credible witneffes men generally proceed with good affurance in human affairs the chief temporal interefts of men, of their eftates and reputation, and lives, are determined upon no better evidence than this. Now if in matters of religion we will reject the evidence which fhall be fufficient to fway our affent in other things, it is a plain fign that we have lefs mind to religion than to other things; that we have fome intereft or picque against otherwife we would not refufe to yield an equal affent, where the evidence is equal.

it ;

This reafon tells us; and our Saviour in effect fays the fame thing, when he chargeth those who rejected this evidence of credible witneffes with the fin of unbelief: Mark xvi. 14. Afterward he appeared unto the eleven, as they fat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had feen him after he was rifen. But now if the teftimony of credible witneffes be not a fufficient ground of faith, it could have been no fin in the difciples, not to believe those who had feen Chrift rifen from the dead. Secondly, Those who received the doctrine of Christ from the Apoftles, had not only the teftimony of credible witneffes, but they had this teftimony confirmed by miracles. Because the Apostles were to go abroad into the world, and to preach to many who never faw nor knew them before, and confequently had no reafon at firft to believe their teftimony, till they were fatisfied of the value of the witneffes; and this would require long time, and frequent converfation, fo that the gospel must have made but a very flow progrefs at this rate and becaufe they were like to meet with great oppofition from the powers and wits of the world, from the prejudices of education, and from the lufts and interefts of men; therefore for the fpeedier and more effectual propagation of the gofpel, God was pleafed to confirm this teftimony by miracles, to endue those who were to preach the gofpel to the world, with miraculous powers and gifts, of fpeaking all languages, and healing difeafes, and cafting out devils; of foretelling things to come, and raifing the dead that being accompanied with thefe vifible and fenfible figns of the divine prefence and power, their tellimony might more eafily be believed.

And that this was the end of those miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghoft, the feripture frequently tells ts. Hence it is that our Saviour forbad them to preach the gofpel abroad, till they were furnished with this power, Luke xxiv. 49. But tarry ye in the city of Jerufalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. And Acts i. 8, 9 our Saviour tells

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