out any oftentation or vain-glory. In all his most publick miracles there was always fome circumftance or other, which plainly thewed that they were intended for the conviction of thofe who faw them, and not to gain applause to himself.

But befides thefe extraordinary works, he anfwered all thofe characters which the prophets of former ages had given of the Meffiah. As he was promifed under the Character of a prophet like unto Mofes, but whofe office was to be more general and extensive than that of Mofes, as one who was to be a light to lighten the Gentiles, as well as the glory of bis people Ifrael; he accordingly came furnished and commiffioned to inftruct all mankind, Jew and Gentile, in every important truth, that they were concerned to know, in order to their obtaining the divine acceptance, and the happiness of a future ftate; commanding all nations to be difcipled, taught and profelyted, that all men might come to the knowledge of the truth, and be faved.

As he was foretold under the Character of a King, as the Son of man to whom should be given a kingdom, dominion and power; fo Jefus came aflerting his right to a kingdom, fetting up the kingdom of God amongft men, and claiming and exercifing a rightful authority, over their hearts

and confciences.

He appeared juft at that time when a perfon of fuch a character was generally and reasonably expected; juft as the Scepter was departing from Judah, and at the period fixed and determined by the prophecy of Daniel.

He came of the nation, tribe, and particular family, from which it was prophefied he should defcend, being of the feed of Abraham, the tribe of Judah, and houfe of David; and by a wonderful interpofition of providence born at Bethlehem, the Place from whence was to come forth be who was to be ruler in Ifrael.

When he appeared and converfed amongst men, his difpofition and behaviour were fuited both to the character he fuftained, and to the prophecies that had been given out concerning him. He was meek and lowly in heart, holy and without blame, fo that his moft inveterate and malicious enemies could not convince him of fin.

His circumftances in life were exactly fuch as they were foretold they fhould be. He was despised and rejected, a man of forrows, and acquainted with grief. He lived in want of many of the conveniences, and fometimes of the very neceffaries of life, and was fubject to reproach, and the most ungrateful and inhuman usage. At laft he was led as a lamb to the flaughter, fuffered death as a malefactor, and was cut off for the tranfgreffions of the people. All this he endured without murmuring, complaining, reviling again, or threatning. His enemies and accufers, his judges, executioners and guards, his friends and relations, and a numberless multitude of curious and inquifitive fpectators, judged, faw and knew him to be dead. He was taken from the crofs, buried in his fepulchre, and yet rofe again from the dead, and by this refurrection he was declared to be the Son of God with power, beyond all poffible contradiction.

During his life and miniftry he had often mentioned this great event : as what should certainly come to pafs, refting and laying the ftrels of

his

his pretenfions upon it; fometimes in plain words, at other times in figu rative expreffions, declaring how long he should continue in the grave, and in the ftate of the dead, viz. three days and three nights, i. e. part. of three days and three nights Accordingly on the third day he rofe, and thewed himself alive to his difciples, whom he had chofen to be his stated companions, with this particular view, that they might be quali fied to testify the most remarkable facts which occurred in his life, and that they might be proper and unexceptionable witneffes of his RefurFrection from the dead.

And as they have unanimoufly declared this to the world, there is no juft reafon to object to their teftimony. For in afferting this, they affert what they fo knew themfelves as that they could not be deceived in. They knew the perfon, features, manner and speech of Jefus. They were allowed to handle him, that they might be fure they were not imposed on by an airy Phantafm, and delufive appearance only. They had free and familiar converfe with him, and that repeatedly in the space of forty days. He difcourfed to them largely on fubjects, of which he had before his death given them more general hints, and renewed the great promife he had made them in his former life, of pouring out his fpirit on them, with this additional circumftance, that it should be made good to them not many days from the time of his speaking to them.

Upon these accounts it can't be fupposed that thefe witneffes could be deceived themselves in what they relate, nor is there any reason to think that they attempted to deceive others, by bearing witnefs to the truth of a known impofture. For as to what appears, they were perfons of honeft minds, not crafty, covetous, ambitious and defigning: they had no temptation to invent fuch a story, or publish it if they had not known it to be true. They had no profpect of gain or worldly grandeur, however fuccesful they might prove in propagating the ftory. The doctrine they taught enjoins the ftricteft regard to veracity, and the greatest abhorrence of fraud and guile, under the most folemn and awful fanctions. Their teftimony was uniform and confiftent in all the parts of it. If the ftory had been forged, those who oppofed and endeavoured to ftifle it, might eafily have detected the forgery; the fureft, neareft, and plainest way to expofe the authors, abettors, and believers of it, and to prevent its spreading in the world. But instead of this, they loaded the witneffes with hardships of every kind. Reproach, fhame, proverty, bonds, imprisonments, fcourgings, &c. were the arguments made ufe of by their enemies to stop their mouths. Nothing of this kind filenced them, or made any one of them to retract. They chearfully underwent the feverest perfecutions, and fubmitted to death itfelf, rather than they would deny or conceal what they knew to be a truth of the last importance to mankind.

In short, a teftimony fo circumftanced as this is, in any other cafe, never did, nor ever can be difputed or difbelieved, but in any age and place would, and in any time or country ftill will meet with a general credit and reception from all reasonable and fair men, without any cavil, hefitation, or demur.

As Jefus Chrift did in his life-time, and after his refurrection, pro

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mife his difciples, that they should receive his fpirit, or power from on high, he accordingly poured it down upon them, in all its extraordinary and miraculous gifts, and thereby manifeftly proved his afcenfion to the right hand of power and glory.

Befides this the divine milion and authority of Jefus Chrift is farther eftablished by the actual and exact accomplishment of thofe important events, which he exprefsly and clearly foretold many years before they came to pass.

He publickly declared before multitudes that heard him as well as his own difciples, that the city of Jerufalem, and its glory the temple, fhould in a few years be utterly laid waste and destroyed, and that the gofpel which was at first offered to the Jews and rejected by them, fhould be taken away from amongst them, and be tendered to the Gentiles; and that persons of all nations and languages under heaven should receive and become profelytes to his religion; and that the gates of hell should not prevail against his church, but that he would be with it to the end of the world.

These remarkable events, tho' at the time when he foretold them they were far from being probable, tho' there appeared no figns or tokens that should lead to fuch a conjecture, did nevertheless come to país exactly according to his prediction. Before the generation of men to whom he addreffed himself had paffed away, Jerufalem became defolate, and the nation was deftroyed; and the history of that dreadful calamity, as it is related by Jofephus, doth remarkably agree with the prophetick account given by Jefus concerning it, as it is very circumftantially recorded by the evangelifts.

And after the Apoftles had in vain attempted to perfuade the Jewish nation and people to receive the Christian Religion, they turned themfelves to the Gentiles, who in almoft every place, where the gofpel was preached to them, fhewed a better difpofition, and minds more open to evidence and conviction; multitudes of the Gentiles receiving the word with gladnefs and all readinefs of mind.

And notwithstanding the tares that have been fown, the ftrifes and divifions, which have been excited and fomented, the declenfions and degeneracy of many chriftian profeffors, the perfecutions with which the avowed enemies of the chriftian church have frequently worried ity and the antichristian spirit that for many ages hath fhewn itself amongst the greater part of thofe who have born the chriftian name; notwithftanding christianity hath been often moved from one place to another, and in many nations entirely fupprefied; notwithstanding the objections that have been urged against the doctrines of christianity, and the contempt, ridicule, and infolence with which the perfon and miracles of Jefus have been treated; yet ftill the religion of Chrift continues unto this day, in its external profeffion and internal efficacy: Not by might nor power, but by the fpirit and favour and bleffing of God, and its own native excellency and intrinfick worth.

From thefe confiderations, I am even forced to acknowledge and reverence the divine character and miffion of the Son of God, and to receive his religion in all the parts and branches of it as a revelation immediately from God,

X. As Jefus Chrift himself, the great founder of the Chriftian Religion, had this full evidence and fubftantial proof of his own authority and commiffion from God; and that he was a man approved of God, by wonders, figns, and miracles, which God did by him; and as he was fent to publish a new inftitution of religion, not only for one nation and people, but for all, nations and people of the earth: fo the, fame books which fhew this, farther fhew that he took care to propa-, gate and confirm the religion he taught by chufing the moft proper means and inftruments to carry on and perfect it, and perfuade men to, receive it.

And therefore, before he left the world himfelf, and ended his own perfonal miniftry, he chofe feveral perfons to be his Apoftles and mef fengers, who fhould afterwards publifh his religion to the world with fufficient authority, and qualifications for fo great a work as the delivering a new revelation and rule of religion to mankind.

By a near acquaintance and constant converfation with him, they were proper perfons to be credible witneffes of all his miracles, and in particular of his Refurrection, that great evidence that he was approved of God; and farther to acquaint the world what were the truths he taught, and what were the rules of worship he appointed, having had fuch opportunity to know them by his perfonal and private inftructions.

To give the greater weight to what they fhould teach the world as his religion, he gave them authority by a folemn commiffion, in virtue of that full power that was given him in heaven and earth, to teach all nations, and make them his difciples, and to enter them as fuch by baptifm, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, requiring them to obferve all things whatsoever he had commanded them. And fuch authority and commiffion from one already approved a teacher fent from God, juftly gave credit to what they fhould teach, in his name, or declare concerning him, either as to what they had seen themselves, or received in command from him to deliver unto others.

But befides this, their authority and qualifications to publish this reigion to all nations are evidenced by many other plain and convincing proofs. For they had not only the benefit of his perfonal inftructions and directions, all the time of their converfation with him, but he had promised to fend to them the spirit of truth after his removal from them, and that this fpirit, when he came, fhould guide them into all truths, farther neceflary to perfect his inftitution of religion. This promife was again folemnly repeated after his refurrection to his Apoftles, whom, being affembled together with them, he commanded, that they fhould not depart from Jerufalem, but wait for the promife of the father, which, fays he, ye have heard of me; for fohn truly baptized you with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghoft not many days hence; and ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghoft is come upon you, and ye fhall be witneffes unto me, both in Jerufalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth.

This remarkable promife was foon after accomplish'd; for whilft they were together upon the day of Pentecoft, there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it fat upon each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghoft, and began to speak with other

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tongues as the fpirit gave them utterance, tho' before they had been utterly unacquainted with them. Their minds were in an inftant illuminated, and filled with a clear and diftinct knowledge of thofe important truths, which to that time had been abfolutely, or in a great measure unknown to them. They had at the fame time convey'd to them a power of healing all manner of difeafes, of doing miracles, even of raifing the dead to life, of prophecy or predicting future events, and of conferring these extraordinary gifts and powers of the Holy Ghoft upon others; which was fo commonly done, and fo well known, that Simon, who by his forceries had deceived many to account of him as the great power of God, offer'd money to the Apoftles, that he like them might have the power to give the Holy Ghost by laying on of Hands.

Thefe gifts of the fpirit of God were fuch in their nature, as no humane power or wisdom could confer, fuch as none of the exorcifts or forcerers of thofe times, with all their cunning and art, management and reputation amongst the people, could counterfeit. They were fo many and publick, as gave the moft clear and undeniable evidence of the Apostles miffion from God and Chrift, greatly animated them is the work they were called to, and contributed much to their fuccefs. This effufion of the fpirit was a publick affirmance of their private teftimony concerning Chrift, and added the weight of prophecy and miracles to the credibility of true and faithful witnesses.

But befides all this, the manner of their inftruction greatly recom mended the teftimony they gave, and the doctrines they taught. This was in all refpects fuch as it became the beft of men, and the wifeft of religions to ufe. Never did men give greater inftances of honefty and fincerity, and a firm perfuafion of the truth of what they taught, Never did men appear more difinterefted and faithful in what they de clared they had received from God. In all diftant places, and on many different occafions, there ftill appeared an exact harmony of doctrine, and a conftant union in promoting the fame caufe, fo that the fame fpirit of truth appeared to direct them all, as they had all received the fame fpirit of power. Their hearts and lives were under the constant direction and influence of the power and fpirit of real religion. As they had all receiv'd the fame miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghoft, they were all animated with the fame juft and regular zeal. All fhew'd the fame firmness of mind, tempered with the fame modefty, meekness and humility. Their own religion gave them the nobleft fupports under the many a great fufferings they endured; and that no proof of their fincerity and faithfulness might be wanting, they fealed the truth of the doctrines they taught with their blood, and gave up their own lives to the hopes of that future happiness, they propofed in the name of their mafter to others.

And lastly, as truth and religion ftand in no need of artifice and violence, the Apoftles openly renounced all fuch methods of propagating the religion of Chrift, directing men to hold the mystery of faith in a pure confcience. They impofed on no man's judgment, they openly difclaimed all dominion over their faith and confciences, they reafoned with them out of the fcriptures, and instead of forcing their own inter

pretations