ed, formed, and improved them. But this writing coming forth in the world, abfolutely the first in its kind, directing us in the knowledge of God and ourselves, was at first and at once fo abfolutely compleat and perfect, that no art, industry, or wisdom of man, could ever yet find any just defect in it, or was able to add any thing unto it whereby it might be bettered or improved. Neither from the beginning would it ever admit of any additions unto it, but what came from the fame fountain of divine revelation and inspiration, clearing itself in all ages from all addition and superfetation of men whatever. This at least puts a fingular character upon this book, and reprefents it with that reverend awe and majesty, that it is the highest petulency not to pay it a facred refpect.

This argument is purfued by many at large, as that which affordeth a great variety of hiftorical and chronological obfervations. And it hath been so scanned and improved, that nothing but the giving of it a new dress remains for present or future diligence. But the real force of it lies in the confideration of the people, by and amongst whom this revelation first commenced in the world, and the time wherein it did fo. When fome nations had fo improved and cultivated the light of nature as greatly to excel others in wisdom and knowledge, they generally looked upon the people of the Jews as ignorant and barbarous. And the more wife any of them conceived themfelves, the more they despised them. And indeed they were utter ftrangers unto all thofe arts and sciences, where-by the faculties of men's minds are naturally enlightened and enlarged. Nor did they pretend unto any wifdom whereby to ftand in competition with other nations, but only what they received by divine revelations. This alone God himself had taught them to look upon and esteem as their only wisdom before all the world, Deut. iv. 6, 7, 8. Now we fhall not need to confider what were the first attempts of other nations, in expreffing their conceptions concerning things divine, the duty, and happiness of man.

The

Egyptians and Grecians were those who vied for reputas tion in the improvement of this wisdom. But it is known and confeffed that the utmost production of their endeavours, were things foolish, irrational and abfurd, contrary to the being and providence of God, to the light of nature, leading mankind into a maze of folly and wickedness. But we may confider what they attained unto in the fulness of time by their utmost improvement of science, wifdom, mutual intelligence, experience, communication, laborious ftudy and observation. When they had added and fubducted to and from the inventions of all former ages from time immemorial, when they had used and improved the reason, wisdom, invention, and conjectures of all that went before them in the study of this wisdom, and had discarded whatever they had found by experience unfuited to natural light and the common reason of mankind, yet it must be acknowledged that the apostle paffeth a just cenfure on the utmost of their attainments, namely, that they waxed vain in their imaginations, and the world in wisdom knew not God. Whence then was it, that in one nation, esteemed barbarous, and really so with respect unto that wisdom, thofe arts and fciences which ennobled other nations, from that antiquity wherein it is not pretended that reafon and wisdom had received any confiderable improvement; without converse, communication, learning, or experience, there fhould at once proceed fuch a law, doctrine and inftructions concerning God and man, so stable, certain, uniform, as should not only incomparably excel all products of human wifdom unto that purpofe, however advantaged by time and experience, but also abide invariable throughout all generations, to as that whatever hath been advanced in oppofition unto it, or but differing from it, hath quickly funk under the weight of its own unfeasonablenefs and folly? This one confideration, unless men have a mind to be contentious, gives fufficient fatisfaction, that this book could have no other

original, but what it pleads for itself, namely, an immediate emanation from God.

hath had a great

2. It is apparent that God in all ages regard unto it, and acted his power and care in its prefervation. Were not the Bible what it pretends to be, there had been nothing more fuitable to the nature of God, and more becoming Divine Providence, than long fince to have blotted it out of the world. For to fuffer a book to be in the world from the "beginning of times," falfely pretending his name and authority, feducing fo great a portion of mankind into a pernicious and ruinous apoftacy from him, as it must do and doth, if it be not of a divine original, and exposing inconceivable multitudes of the beft, wisest, and soberest among them, unto all forts of bloody miferies which they have undergone in the behalf of it, seems not confonant unto that infinite goodnefs, wifdom and care wherewith this world is governed from above. But, on the contrary, whereas the malicious craft of Satan, and the prevalent power and rage of mankind, hath combined and been fet at work, to the ruin and utter fuppref-. sion of this book, proceeding sometimes fo far as that there was no appearing way for its efcape; yet through the watchful care and providence of God, fometimes putting itfelf forth in miraculous inftances, it hath been preserved unto this day, and shall be so to the confummation of all things. The event of that which was fpoken by our Saviour, Matth. v. 18. doth invincibly prove the divine approbation of this book, as that doth its divine original;

Till heaven and earth pafs away, one jot or one "title fhall in no wife pass from the law." God's perpetual care over the Scriptures for fo many ages, that not a letter of it should be utterly loft, nothing that hath the least tendency towards its end fhould perifh, is evidence fufficient of his regard unto it. Efpecially would it be fo, if we fhould confider with what remarkable judgments and fevere reflections of vengeance on its oppofers, this care hath been managed, inftances whereof might eafily be

E

multiplied. And if any will not afcribe this prefervation of the books of the Bible, not only in their being, but in their purity and integrity, free from the least just suspicion of corruption, or the intermixture of any thing human or heterogeneous, unto the care of God; it is incumbent on him to affign fome other caufe proportionate to such an effect, whilst it was the intereft of heaven, and the endeavour of the earth and hell to have it corrupted and destroyed. For my part I cannot but judge that he that seeth not an hand of Divine Providence stretched out in the preservation of this book, and all that is in it, its words and fyllables for thousands of years, through all the overthrows and deluges of calamities that have befallen the world, with the weakness of the means whereby it hath been preferved, and the intereft, in fome ages, of all those in whofe power it was to have it corrupted, as it was of the apoftate churches of the Jews and Chriftians, with the open oppofition that hath been made unto it, doth not believe there is any fuch thing as Divine Providence at all. It was first written in the very infancy of the Babylonian empire, with which it afterwards contemporized about 900 years. By this monarchy, that people which alone had these oracles of God committed to them were oppreffed, deftroyed, and carried into captivity; but this book was then preferved amongst them whilft they were abfolutely under the power of their ene mies, although it condemned them and all their gods and religious worship, wherewith we know how horribly mankind is enraged. Satan had enthroned himfelf as the object of their worship, and the author of all ways of divine veneration amongst them. These they adhered unto as their principal intereft, as all people do unto that they esteem their religion. In the whole world there was nothing that judged, condemned, oppofed him or them, but this book only, which was now abfolutely in their power. If that by any means could have been deftroyed, then when it was in the hands but of a few, and thofe for the most part flagitious in their lives, hating the things contained in it,

and wholly under the power of their adverfaries, the interest of Satan, and the whole world in idolatry, had been fecured. But, through the mere provision of divine care, it outlived that monarchy, and faw the ruin of its greatest adverfaries. So it did alfo during the continuance of the Persian monarchy which fucceeded, whilft the people was ftill under the power of idolaters, against whom this was the only teftimony in the world. By fome branches of the Grecian monarchy a moft fierce and diligent attempt was made to have utterly destroyed it; but ftill it was fnatched by divine power out of the furnace, not one hair of it being finged, or the leaft detriment brought unto its perfection. The Romans destroyed both the people and place defigned until then for its prefervation, carrying the antient copy of the law in triumph to Rome on the conqueft of Jerufalem; and whilsft all abfolute power and dominion in the whole world, where this book was known or heard of, was in their hands, they exercifed a rage against it for fundry ages, with the fame fuccefs that former enemies had. From the very firft, all the endeavours of mankind that feffed an open enmity against it have been utterly fruftrate. And whereas also thofe unto whom it was outwardly committed, as the Jews firft, and the antichriftian church of apoftatized Chriftians afterwards, not only fell into opinions and practices abfolutely inconfiftent with it, but alfo built all their present and future interefts on thofe opinions and practices; yet none of them durft ever attempt the corrupting of one line in it, but were forced to attempt their own fecurity, by a pretence of additional traditions, and keeping the book itself, as much as they durft, out of the hands and knowledge of all not engaged in the fame intereft with themfelves. Whence could all this proceed but from the watchful care and power of Divine Providence? and it is brutish folly not to believe, that what God doth fo protect did originally proceed from himself, feeing it pleads and pretends fo to do: for every wife man

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