Earth to the other, and shall become an SERM.III. Aftonishment, a Proverb, and a By-Word among all Nations.

The

Our Saviour foretels, that not one Stone
of the Jewish Temple should be left upon
anather: And, when Julian the Emperor
endeavoured to rebuild it," dreadful Balls
"of Fire breaking from the Foundation,
"made the Place inacceffible,
"Workmen, as oft as they repeated their
"Efforts, were at feveral Times destroyed;
"and, the Element repulfing them so of-
ten, as if it were defignedly, the En-
These last are

<< terprize was baffled."
the Words of Ammianus Marcellinus, an
Heathen Hiftorian, who was an Officer
under Julian. Thus this Emperor, by
endeavouring to invalidate our Saviour's
Prediction, concerning the Deftruction of
the Jewish Church and State, till the Ful-
nefs of the Gentiles should come in, only
confirmed it the more.

These Prophecies, and many others, to which the Events exactly correfponded, give an incontestable Proof, that the Scriptures are the Word of God; fince none but God can discover future Events, which depend upon the Determination of free Agents. VOL. II.

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SERM. III.

A partial Inspiration, is to all Intents and Purposes the fame as no Infpiration at all. For Mankind would be as much embarrassed, to know what was inspired, and what was not; as they could be to collect a Religion for themselves: The Confequence of which would be, that we are left, just where we were before; and that God put himself to a great Expence of Miracles to effect nothing at all: A Confequence highly derogatory and injurious to his Honour. It is much more confiftent with God's Honour to suppose, that, when he thought fit to interpofe himself, he took Care to display Truth in it's genuine and native Simplicity, without any bafer Alloys; that he made his Revelation all of a Piece, and, like himself, pure unmixed Light, in which there is no Darkness, no Error, no Falfhood; than to fancy he did his Work by Halves, let others adulterate his Suggestions with their own impure Mixtures, and, in a motley Piece, blend, what ought always to be kept diftinct, the Doctrines of God, and the Inventions of Men. Had any one Point of Doctrine been falfe or erroneous, God would not have authorifed their Doctrines in the Grofs by Miracles. For God

can

can no more authorise Falfhood in Part, SERM.IIÏ. than he can, what is wholly and entirely fo. He wrought with them and confirmed the Word with Signs following, Mark xvi. 20. He did not imprefs the Sanction of his Authority upon this or that Propofition exclufively of others, but confirmed the whole of what they delivered without Distinction ; and therefore we must receive the whole without Diftinction, and not think ourselves at Liberty to fingle out fome Points as obligatory, and reject others.

It is no Argument againft univerfal Infpiration; that St. Paul declares, to the Reft fpeak I, not the Lord. For the Meaning is not, that he was deftitute of Infpiration; but that the Lord (our Saviour) had not, during his Life, fpoken and determined concerning the Point in Debate, concerning unequal Marriages, of a Believer, for Inftance, with an Infidel. That this is the Senfe appears from what goes before: To the Married Speak not I, but the Lord. That is, though our Saviour had left the Point of unequal Marriages undetermined, yet he had decided the Cafe of Divorces. St. Paul does not declare he was uninfpired; but that our Lord had not pronounced a definitive Sentence on certain Points

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SERM.III Points. As little can be gathered from these Words, I think, I have the Spirit of the Lord: For they are an Irony, in answer to thofe, who called in Question the Truth of his Miffion, as much as to fay, "What

tr

ever you may imagine, who oppose my "Miffion; yet I, who fhould know beft, "with humble Deference to your Judg

ment, suppose, I have the Spirit of the "Lord."

Whatever Disputes may be raised about the Degree of Inspiration; it is an obvious Conclufion of Reason; that when God defigned to notify his Will to Mankind, he would take Care that the Perfons commiffioned by him, for that Purpose, should publish what was his Will: and Nothing contradictory or disagreeable thereto. Take this Key in your Hand, and you unlock all the Difficulties, that have been raised formerly, and revived of late, against Infpiration. For the Bible must be allowed to contain an infallible Rule of Faith and Practice; unless it can be proved, which has not yet been done, that the Authors of it have omitted fome Truth effentially neceffary to Salvation, or advanced fomething flagrantly abfurd, and manifeftly repugnant to the Will of God. No other Objections are of

any Force or Significancy : Because no SERM. III. other Objections can fet afide the positive Evidence for fuch an Affistance of the Spirit, as was fufficient to preserve them from Error and guide them to all neceffary Truths.

Now, as to the Charge of Inconfistences, Abfurdities, and Contradictions; whatever has been urged on this Head, has been fatisfactorily answered by feveral able Writers. But, fuppofing all Objections of this Kind could not be folved; it is much more reasonable to fuppofe, that they may admit of a rational Solution, though we at this Distance of Time, who want an adequate Knowledge of the Cuftoms, Peculiarities, and Genius of the Eastern Nations, cannot hit upon it; than that a Religion attefted by Miracles, confirmed by Prophecies, and recommended by it's own internal Excellency, fhould be false. God would not have fuffered an Imposture to come recommended to us with such strong and commanding Evidences, as have deceived (if they were deceived) as rational, inquifitive and difinterested Men as ever lived in the World; Evidences fo ftrong, that no Inftance can be given of any Thing else, that was ever fufpected to be falfe, which had fo

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many