Page images
PDF
EPUB

that great wonder was clearly foretold by the prophets, and as a work to be performed by the glorious power of God. And accordingly it is accomplished. For who, but God, could have inspired the apostles to undertake an enterprise so contrary to human prudence, being equally dangerous and impossible? And who else could have made it successful beyond all imagination? When the pride of Pharaoh was humbled, and his strength broken by the most despicable creatures, even the magicians were compelled to acknowledge it to be the finger of God: but his arm was revealed, when the spiritual Pharaoh, with all his powers of darkness, were overcome by such weak instruments. What furious winds from all parts of the world, conspired to extinguish the first springing light of the Gospel! The heathen emperors destroyed innumerable persons, presuming to drown the memory of Christ in the blood of the Christians. But such were the faith and love of believers of all conditions to their crucified Redeemer, that with the same joy they ran to suffer the most terrible punishments, as if they had been to receive crowns. In vain the strongest combinations were made against the truth. For the knowledge of the only true God, and his incarnate Son, Jesus Christ, overcame impiety, with all its idols, and ignorance, with all its numerous masters. What is become of all the heathen deities, so honoured, so feared, so obstinately defended? Where are their altars, their statutes, their sacrilegious priests and sacrifices? They are buried in the ruins of their own temples, in the darkness of eternal oblivion. Where are all the sects of philosophers,

the Platonists, the Peripatetics, the Stoics, the Epicureans, and the rest, that filled Greece with their fame, and so many volumes with their fancies and errors? Like a torrent that rolls down with great noise from the top of a mountain, so, for a time, the speculations of their lofty minds poured along in a flood of swelling frothy eloquence; but now (and for how many ages since!) the very channel is dried up wherein they ran, so that scarcely any visible ruins remain in Athens itself of the schools where they taught. The greatest among them, Plato, adorned with the title of Divine, could never see his commonwealth, framed by him with so much study, established in one city. Whereas, if we consider the Gospel of Christ, it is hard to determine whether the doctrine be more simple, or the apostles, the first masters of it, to outward appearance; yet, without learning or human strength, in a short space they triumphed over the eloquence of the Greeks, the power of the Romans, the rage of barbarous nations. They abrogated laws, changed customs, and renewed the face of the world. In this the prophetic parable was fulfilled, "The kingdom of heaven," that is, the dispensation of the Gospel, "is like to a grain of mustard-seed;" one of the smallest grains, but of that spirit and quality that it suddenly springs up and spreads abroad.

This happy and stupendous success of the disciples of Jesus Christ, considered in itself, is an unanswerable proof that the Christian religion came from heaven. For it was only possible to the divine power. It is no wonder the religion of Mahomet extended and established its conquests in many coun

[ocr errors]

tries for that seducer persuaded the barbarous people by force of arms, they must be his disciples or slaves. And can the mind form a clear judgment, or the will make a free choice, when under a tyrannical necessity of compliance, or losing all the comforts of life?

Can violence and cruelty produce

a rational faith? That may force them to a counterfeit compliance, but cannot make men sincerely believe; it is apt to breed form without, and atheism within. Now, that a persecuted religion should live and flourish in the midst of flames, is as truly admirable, as if a little stream should pass through an arm of the ocean, retaining its freshness and purity in the midst of salt and turbid waters. That when the minds of men were prepossessed with inveterate opinions, contrary to its supernatural mysteries, and their wills overruled by carnal affections, utterly averse to its holy precepts, the world was captivated to the belief and obedience of it, is the most noble effect of Omnipotence. For other miracles, though above the laws of nature, yet were on the lower order of creatures without life and sense; but this internal miracle was wrought on the minds and hearts of men. To raise the dead, to calm a storm, to suspend the force of fire, to change waters into blood, is not so glorious a work as the converting rebellious souls to God, and making them a willing people to his holy laws. And if we further consider the prophecies so many ages before, concerning it, and observe the harmony betwixt the works and word of God, there results a demonstration as clear and strong as is possible. The prediction and accomplishment are equally divine. The success jus

tifies the truth of the prophecy, and the truth of the prophecy justifies the divinity of the Christian religion. For by the apostles, and their successors, the heathens were turned from idols, to the service of one God, the Creator of the world: which was foretold by the prophets, not only as a thing that should arrive, but to be performed by the power of God. To ascribe, then, this glorious work to human artifice, as if his providence had been prevented by others, from doing that which he promised should be done by his own power, is so directly contrary to his wisdom and his truth, that common reason abhors the thoughts of it. Therefore, the Christian religion is divine, having God for its Author. Thus the truth of the Gospel is victorious over the Jewish, or the profane infidel.

It may be argued against the Jews, that their God foretold his Messiah should convert the nations. No other but one authorised from above could do it.

Jesus Christ has done it, therefore he is the Messiah. And, consequently, they are either blind with prejudice, or maliciously deny the known truth. To profane infidels, it may be urged, none but the divine providence could foretell so great and marvellous a change of the world, none but the divine power could effect it, therefore it was the true God that made the prediction and event so exactly to correspond in all things.

Add further, that by comparing the prophecies of Christ and his kingdom with their accomplishment, the two sorts of enemies against the Gospel are made useful to convince one another. The Pagans by the Jews, that these things were fore

told; the Jews by the Pagans, that these things were fulfilled. St. Austin relates, that the hea

thens, seeing the exact agreement between the prophecies in the Old Testament, so clear in words, and their accomplishment in the New, so clear in the effects, had nothing to reply, but that they were written after the things were done, and feigned to be predictions of ancient date. In answer to this pretence, he breaks out with wonder and joy, The cause is gained! and the victory of truth could not be more glorious. For, whereas the many nations in Europe, Asia, Africa, subdued by the arms of the Romans, were compelled to observe the rites of their religion, the Jews only were permitted to enjoy their sacred books, and their own worship, and were dispersed into all countries. And thus, by the admirable counsel of God, they Gospel among the Gentiles.

give credit to the For if we consider

the reverence they bore to the writings of the Prophets, that, with the greatest care, they have preserved them as the most precious inheritance left by their fathers, and their mortal hatred of Jesus Christ and his Gospel, that willingly they would spend their blood to deface the memorials of it, it is an invincible argument that the predictions concerning the state of the Christian church, recorded in their Scriptures, are sincerely delivered, and of divine authority. This their malice is an advantage to the faith of the Gospel, and by constraint they are the great confirmers of it. This is sufficient to reduce the heathens to silence and confusion. And the Pagan being convinced by the books of the Jews, the Jew may be convinced by the testimony of

« PreviousContinue »