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A Paffige in 2 Pet.

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which my Father hath given me to finish, the fame Works that I do, bear Witness of me, that I am the Meffias, or, which is all one, that my Father bath fent me. St. Peter indeed, fpeaking of our Saviour's Transfiguration on the Mount, xii. 19. and the miraculous Voice from Heaven declaring him to be the Son of God, feems to give the Preference to the Evidence of Prophecy, above any other Method of Conviction, We have alfo a more Jure Word of Prophecy, fays he, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a Light that fbineth in a dark Place, until the Day Dawn, and the Day Star arife in your Hearts. But, whatever the Senfe of the Words may be, 'tis obvious that the Apostle never intended to give the Evidence of Prophecy a Superiority to all the other Proofs, we have for the Truth of the Gospel; because he not only compares it to a Light Shining in dark Places, but tells us exprefsly, that it is fo far from being the beft, that we are to expect a better, being to attend to it no longer, than until the Day Dawn, and the Day Star arife in our Hearts: which is a plain Argument that the Apoftle never looked upon the Word of Prophecy as the beft fupport of the Chriftian

2 Pet. xii. 19. of Prophecy.

Vid. The Ufe and Intent

ftian Faith; for then instead of limiting the time for our attending to it, he would have recommended it to our conftant Study and Meditation, as long as Life and Thought remain'd.

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To find out the true Sense and Meaning of the Words then, we must obferve, that the Defign of this fecond Epiftle of St. Peter was to support the Hopes and Expectations, which he had raised in the firft. In the firft he had given the Chriftians, to whom he wrote, (then in a State of fevere Trial and Perfecution,) Affurance of a speedy Deliverance, of a Salvation ready to be revealed, and of that Honour and great Glory, which their Afflictions would yield them at the appearing of Jefus Chrift; and, to juftify this Affurance, he reminds them of that Glory and Power, which Chrift, the Author and Finifber of their Faith, had already received, and wherewith he would return, to effect their Rescue and Deliverance. This is the main Point, whereon St. Peter, in his firft Epiftle, has placed the Hopes and Expectations of true Believers; and, to the fame purpose, he tells them in the fecond, We have not followed cunningly devifed Fables, when we made known unto you the Power and Coming

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1 Pet. i. 5.

Ver. 7.

2 Tet. i. 16.

Coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift. But, because the coming of Chrift was a future Event, and depended entirely (as to any Knowledge that could be had of it) upon the Authority of Prophefy; he therefore refers them, in a both his Epiftles, not only to the antient Prophets, but to the infpired Preachers of the Gospel, in order to juftify the Hopes he had raised; bidding them be mindful of the Words, which were spoken before of the Holy Prophets, and of the Commandments of the Apoftles of the Lord and Saviour, or (as it is in the former Epiftle) of them, who have preached the Gofpel unto you, with the Holy Ghoft fent down from Heaven.

The Power and Coming of Chrift then being the only Point in Queftion, the Apoftle, to evince that, produces his own Experience; that he had been an Eye-witness of his Majefty, and of that Honour and Glory, which he receiv'd, when there came a Voice to him from the excellent Glory, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleafed. But, because feeing Chrift in Glory and Majefty on the Mount, did not neceffarily infer his returning in the fame manner to deliver his Servants, the Apostles, to convince us that he will so come, and so use his Power,

Vid. 1 Pet. i. 10, 12. & 2 Pet. iii, 1, 2.

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Power, tells us farther, that we have alfò a more fure Word of Prophecy, i. e. we have the very Word of God (fpeaking by his Prophets) to whom all Futu rity is known, to affure us of the Certainty of this future Event. So that, if, according to this Interpretation, the Word of Prophecy relates only to the Coming of Chrift, here is no Pretence to say, that Prophecy is a better Argument for the Truth of the Gofpel, than all the Miracles of Chrift and his Apoftles; because the Truth of the Gospel is not the Point here in Queftion: And yet, if by this Word of Prophecy we are to understand, not merely the Prophefies of the Old Teftament, but those of the New likewife (as it seems highly probable by St. Peter's appealing, not only to the ancient Prophets, but also to the Preachers of the Gofpel) this, of all others, is a most unhappy Text, for fuch as are minded to fet up ancient Prophecy in Oppofition to Gofpel-Evidence; fince the Prophecy, here intended, is probably it felf a Gofpel-Evidence, and fo far from being fuperior to all the Miracles of Chrift and his ApoAles, that it owes all his Authority to them.

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Vid. The Ufe and Intent of Prophecy.

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Luke xvi.

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In the Parable of the rich Man and ther in Lazarus, f the rich Man is represented 27, &c. as being in Torments, and defiring of explain'd Abraham to fend Lazarus, who is faid to be in his Bofom, to his Father's Houfe, to convert his furviving Brethren; whereupon Abraham tells him, They have Mofes and the Prophets, let them hear them: Nay, replied the rich Man, but if one went to them from the Dead, they will repent. To which the Patriarch rejoins, If they hear not Mofes and the Prophets, neither will they be per-· fuaded, though one rofe from the Dead. But, befides that there is no ftrict arguing from Parables, where fo many Circumftances are ornamental, and thrown in purely to beautify the Narration; the whole Design of the conclufive Words in this, is, to fhew the fufficiency of a ftanding Revelation, and the probable Unfuccefsfulness of any extraordinary Means to effect the Converfion of thofe, who have been long habituated to their Sins. But what has this to do with the Evidences of the Gofpel, or the pretended Superiority of Prophecy above Miracles, to confirm the Truth of a Divine Revelation? A Man, that is wedded to his Lufts, and intoxicated with Pleasures,

f Luke xvi. 27, Exc.

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