II.

tenanced. One and the fame Proceeding SERM. manifefted God's boundless Love to Sinners, and his high Displeasure against Sin. Even in granting an Indemnity to Sinners, all was done that could be done to imprint on their Minds a lafting Senfe of the great Evil and Danger of Sin, to create in them the utmoft Deteftation of it, to convince them of the Neceffity of renouncing it, and to deter them from ever returning to it.

ALL these great and ufeful Ends (not a few of which feem to interfere, and to: be hardly reconcileable with each other) and poffibly many others unknown to us, were equally ferv'd by this wonderful Difpenfation of the Incarnation, Sufferings and Death of the Mediator. Even this, which hath been from the beginning accounted the moft exceptionable Part of the Chriftian Scheme, hath imprefs'd upon it very plain Marks of Divine Contrivance; which (however it may be ridicul'd by the Profeffors of human Wisdom as Foolishnefs) will ever be found to exceed all the Invention of Men.

Men. Nor can any thing be imagined better fitted, or more wifely calculated for the conducting Men to Happiness, than is the Syftem of Chriftian Doctrines. The Particulars, of which it is compos'd, confider'd feperately, do all of them apparently aim at this End. And they do all correfpond exactly with one another and when put together do harmoniously and uniformly confpire to accomplish this grand and glorious Design.

THE Fitness and Tendency of the Christian Doctrine to reform the Lives of Men, and to bring them to Happiness, is it felf a strong Prefumption, at least the best internal Evidence it can have, that it is True and came from God. But that Men might have no Pretence to reject the Gospel as a cunningly devis'd Fable, it pleased God to afford unexceptionable external Evidence of the Truth and Divinity of it; which was the

Second THING I mention'd as requifite to its being an effectual Means of

Salvation.

D

THE

IIJ

མམ་

THE Miracles wrought by our blessed SERM. Saviour and his Followers in Confir mation of their Doctrine, were an infal lible Demonftration of it, because they were the Atteftation of God himself to it. They were generally Beneficial, and therefore worthy of God. They were fuch as were confeffedly beyond human Power to effect. They were numerous, and of various Kinds. They were wrought, not by a few, but feveral Perfons, and those of unblemish'd Characters, very frequently, for many Years, nay for feveral Ages together, very publickly, in very many Places, in Cities and Countries the moft diftant from each other, in the Prefence not only of Friendsbut of Enemies; 10metimes upon Enemies themselves, and to their Confufion or Conviction. All which Circumftances confidered, there is no room for Sufpicion of Imposture. Nor was the Reality of them denied or queftioned by the antient Enemies of Chriftianity, who had the best Means of informing themselves concerning them. The Principal of them all

was

was the Refurrection of our Saviour him

felf from the Dead; of which there is fuch undeniable Evidence, as there is hardly of any other Fact long fince paft whatfoever; and which being prov❜d, muft be, and is allow'd to be, a moft inconteftable Proof of our Blessed Lord's Divine Miffion.

-"THEY Who liv'd in the Times of Chrift and his Apoftles were themselves Eye-witnelles of these Miracles, or knew them by the Report of credible Eyewitneffes. To us who live fince, the Knowledge of them has been convey'd by the Writings of our Lord's Apostles and Disciples, who must neceffarily know whether what they related were true or no, and gave all poffible Demonftrations of their Integrity and Veracity.

AND that thefe Writings are genuine and uncorrupt there is much better Evidence, than there is of the Genuineness and Uncorruptness of any other antient Books or Records whatsoever. We come at the Knowledge of all antient Facts by Teftimony; and no Teftimonies concerD 2 ning

SERM.

II.

ning any antient Facts whatever have been delivered down to us in fo authentic a Way, and with fo many and fure Marks of Credibility, as have the Teftimonies concerning the Miracles of Chrift and his Difciples, and the other Facts which are connected with them.

MOREOVER, The Converfion of the World to Christianity is to us a visible and standing Proof of the Truth of these Miracles, fince it is altogether incredible that the Apostles and their Companions, not only without Learning or Eloquence, or Wealth or Authority or Force, but in Oppofition to all these, and to the Errors and Lufts and Vices and Prejudices and Superftitions of all Mankind, under the greatest Difcouragements and Pref fures, fhould be able fuddenly to spread the Chriftian Doctrine thro' all Nations and Languages of the Earth; had not the Lord vouchfafed to work with them, and to confirm the Word by Signs following. Since then even at this Distance of Time we have unexceptionable Evidence of thofe Miracles, by which the

Truth