Saviour for committing his life and doctrines to writing; yet when he gave his disciples a command to preach the gospel to the whole world, they were fully justified in taking the most effectual way for the information of posterity. And though they might be defired to write the Gofpels, it by no means follows, that they intended to teach and gratify no others, than thofe, who lived in the fame age, and had the benefit of their difcourfes. The words and acts of our Saviour were published from the beginning. And if St. Paul wrote the fame doctrines, they are not to be neglected, because they had before been spoken by our Lord and his Apoftles. Preaching is intended not only to inftruct mankind in what they do not know; but to prevent them from forgetting useful truths. And it is not only evident, that writing is a more probable method of conveying doctrines pure to diftant generations, than tradition; but we have good reason to think, that the latter alone would before this time have loft most of the facts of our Saviour's life, and fome of the peculiar doc trines of the Christian religion. We should therefore equally efteem the neceffary and useful writings of the Apoftles and Evangelifts, when compofed at the latter end of their ministry, as if they had been published at the beginning, whilft they contain the fame truths. For if we are inclined to reject the doctrines of the inspired writers for fuch flight caufes, we may never want a pretence for difavowing their authority. The truth of the Scripture is also proved internally by the agreement of all its parts with right reason, as far as they can be at prefent comprehended, and their confistency with each other. Fable and imposture commonly betray themselves by fome detected falfhood, or manifeft contradiction. Whereas the adverfaries of chriftianity are obliged to distort the doctrines, and mifrepresent the facts, of the Old and New Testament, before they can perfuade even themselves, that they are falfe or abfurd. The length of time, which the scheme of christianity required, the variety of its parts, and the number E 2 number of prophets and other persons, who contributed their affiftance independent of each other, all confpired to make deception difficult. And the final accomplishment by means naturally fo inadequate amounts to a demonftration that it proceeded from above. The Scriptures contain the only articles, which concern the whole world; man's creation, fall, and redemption. Their account of the power, knowledge, purity, justice, and mercy of God is far beyond the inventions of poets, or the discoveries of philofophers amongst the Heathen, where they were not affifted by accidental hints from divine revelation. And if we defcend to the history of mankind, it is much more reasonable to fuppofe, that man was created innocent, perfect, and happy, than to imagine with fome of the Heathen poets and orators, that he was deftitute of all conveniencies, deprived of fpeech, and rescued from thofe evils by the ufe of that reason and eloquence, which can scarcely be cultivated, except in fociety. Such a state is unfit for the first fituation of the only rea fonable fonable animal; and if it had ever been univerfal, must naturally have been attended with the destruction of a species, the individuals of which are fo weak, and subject to fuch a long and helplefs infancy. The general promife alfo of our redemption was given at the fall, opened by degrees with various circumftances, and fulfilled at last by a fingle person. The feveral distances between Abraham, Mofes, the Prophets, and Christ destroy all suspicion of any collufion. And the concurrence of all the prophecies in the perfon of our Saviour prove that he came from God to fulfil his will. Since then the Holy Scriptures are proved to be the word of God by a variety of the ftrongest evidence; fince both the law and the gospel were ushered in by a number of well authenticated miracles; fince the doctrines they teach are fublime, pure, and beneficial; fince the characters of their authors are able to stamp a credit upon any writings; fince they are so closely connected with each other, that we cannot refufe our affent to parts without difcrediting the whole; and fince their authenticity is fupported by the testimony of so many nations, and such dis cordant fects; let us firmly believe the truth of this revelation, and return thanks to God, who has not left us to the light of our imperfect reafon, but has clearly fhewn the way to everlasting life, |