Majesty did more become the Meffias, than Humility and Affliction; Poverty and Contempt, being things in their own Nature indifferent, and of no Efteem any otherwise than in refpe&t to their conducement to fome better end; which in the Meffias was the Inftruction of the World, and the Reonciliation of it by his Death to his offended Father. To the latter, Contempt, Affliction, and Suffering, were abfolutely neceffary: And to the former highly convenient. For fince our Lord was not only to reform the Errours of Mankind by his infallible Doctrine, and attone for the Sins of it by his Paffion; but alfo to deliver to us a most compleat Pattern of Vertue and Holiness in his own Perfon; it was highly expedient, that he fhould fuffer all the Calamities incident to humane Nature, that fo he might teach Men, by his own Example, patiently to endure Affliction, undergo Poverty withi Contentment, and not be affrighted by the terrour of Death from the performance of their Duty. No Perfwafion was neceffary to induce Men to admit Riches, Pleasures and Prosperity; but to fuffer all the Miseries of this World with a generous and unrepining Mind, nothing less than the Example of God incarnate could perfwade them.

The manner wherein God chofe to reveal the Gospel, might perhaps feem ftrange to the Jews, as being different from that wherein the Law was revealed on Mount Sina: But far from appearing incredible, ought rather to

have

have seemed more congruous to the Nature of God; certainly more agreeable to the Nature of the things revealed; which being Matters of the higheft Bounty and Clemency to Mankind, required not to be revealed in fuch a terrible manner as the Law, which was employed rather in denouncing the Judgments than the Mercies of God; but in a manner, which by the sweetness of it might declare the Clemency and Loving-kindness of its Author.

It can be no other than a brutish ftupidity, not to be raised to the knowledge of God any otherwise than by the Effects of his Power and Justice; as if Acts of Mercy did not eqally declare his Nature, and lay a far greater Obligation of Obedience upon us: Or if Acts of Power must be employed, as indeed they are highly necessary; in the fecond place, they were far more numerous and wonderful in the Revelation of the Gospel, than of the Law; not fo amazing, but more Divine; not fo terrible, but more illuftrious. The Jews indeed were wont to require a Sign as the last Proof of the Christian Faith; which, fince it is apparent, that Miracles were frequently wrought by the Apostles in Confirmation of the Faith, can be understood of no other, than either that great and final Miracle, which they vainly expected from the Meffias, the Reftitution of their Nation to its temporal Happinefs; or performing a Miracle as often as every fingle Perfon fhould defire it, for NA efta,

eftablishing the Truth of Chriftianity; or elfe relying more upon Miracles than the Testi mony of the ancient Prophecies concerning Chrift, and never urging their Authority to the Jews without fome concomitant Miracle. In whetherfoever of thefe Senses the Jews were wont obftinately to require a Sign of the Apoftles, nothing could be more unreasonable or impertinent.

For would it not be unworthy the Majesty of God, to violate the ordinary Course of Nature to gratifie either a falfe Opinion, or a fond Defire? The Reftitution of Liberty was never promised from the Meffias to the Jews, and therefore was in vain expected from him. The Prophecies were fufficiently clear, and needed not the concurrent Teftimony of conftant Miracles: And to gratifie the idle Curiofity of every petulant Humour, by working Miracles as often as fhould be required, would be fuch a trifling Extravagance, as would more effectually deftroy the Authority of fuch a Lawgiver, than all his Miracles would confirm it. Or if a conftant uniform Miracle attending the Publication of Chriftianity, would fatisfie fuch Men, as furely it ought to do, they may difcover one in that very Circumftance which they use to inforce their Objection; namely, that it was Successfully propagated in the World by ignorant and illiterate Perfons, who could neither impofe upon Mankind by the Crafty Artifice of Rhetorick or Infinuation, nor delude them

by

by the Authority of their Names; a Circumftance which unanfwerably argueth a Divine Power and Affiftance to have attended the firft Preachers of the Gofpel, and affected the Minds of their Auditors.

And then, what greater Argument can we defire of the Wisdom of God in contriving and ufing this Method, than thofe illustrious Advantages which it adminiftred to the defigned End, the Conversion of the World, and the Glory of God? For not only might the wonderful Succefs of it, in all Parts, even of the learned World, wrought by fuch weak and contemptible Means, convince all fober Perfons of fomewhat more than humane directing the Conduct of it; but also this method admirably conduced to secure the Honour of God, and destroy the Pride and Ambition of Men; who if they had been qualified for fuch an Office by acquired Learning, would have been apt to have afcribed their knowledge of Divine Matters to their own Sagacity, not the Gift of God; and intitled all the Glory of Succefs to their own Prudence, not the Divine Power: And further, might have induced Men to have attributed the Succefs of Chriftianity to the Sophiftry and Infinuation of its Teachers, not the Power of that Trnth, which accompanied it, and the Providence of that God, who founded it.

Thus we have anfwered the Prejudices of the Jews, and by fhewing the Wisdom of God

God in employing unlearned Perfons, defeated a like Objection of the Heathen Philofophers. But then, what the Jews admitted, that fupernatural Revelations were both con venient and neceffary to the Salvation of Mankind, these Men deny, trufting to the fuppofed Excellency of their own Learning, and imagining themselves able by the fole light of Reason to attain the highest perfection of fpiritual Knowledge; herein putting themselves into a worse Condition than those whom they treat with fo much Scorn, Idiots and Barbarians. For these are fenfible of the failures of their own Understanding, and therefore willingly admit a Remedy; whereas thofe difowning all Disease, neglect the Cure of it. Surely no great Reason is required to confute thefe Men.

For is it unworthy the Mercy of God to affift the Soul of Man by fupernatural Revelations, even although it might, (although not without great Difficulty,) attain to the knowledge of all things neceffary? This none will fay. Or is it unbefitting the Goodness of God to provide for the Inftruction of unlearned Perfons by Revelation, although moft learned Men may not want it? This cannot be doubted. Or if a Revelation must be made, could it be done in any more prudent and rational manner, than was Chriftianity? This none will affirm. So then the extraordinary Revelation of Divine Truths is confiftent with the Majefty of God and Reason