than if he fhould fuffer all Mankind at once not only to be deceived by their fences, but to be poifoned by that deceit: and therefore the fpecial Providence and particular care ofGod must be concerned to preventit.If we have nothing to object but the imperfection of human nature, we may rely upon God that this fhall never mislead us, in a matter of fuch confequence, whether the imperfection be in our own fences, orin the Teftimony of others. In fhort, the Miracles related in the Scriptures will as effectually prove a divine Revelation to us, as they could to thofe that faw them; but the difference is, that they believed their fences and we believe them, and all thing's confidered, we have as much reafon to believe upon their evidence, as they could have to believe upon the evidence of their fences o

Let us confider Hiftory as a medium, by which thefe Miracles become known to us, and compare this medium with that of Sight. If a man would be fceptical, he might doubt whether any medium of Sight be fo fitly difpofed, as to reprefent ob. jects in their due proportion, and proper fhape, he might fufpect that any Miracles which he could fee, were falfe, or wrought only to amuse and deceive him, and there would be no way to fatisfy fuch an one, but by telling him that this is inconfiftent with the Truth and Goodnefs of God. So

n this other medium of History, which to us fupplies the want of that of Sight a man may doubt of any matter of Fact if he Pleafes, notwithstanding the most credible evidence, but in a matter of this nature, where our Eternal Salvation is concerned, we may be fure, Cod will not fuffer Mankind to be deceived without all poffibility of difcovering the deceit. The circumftances have all the marks of credi bility in them, and therefore, if they be duely attended to, cannot but be believed, and the Doctrine which they are brought in evidence of, being propounded to bebe lieved under pain of Damnation, require that they fhould be attended to, and confidered and that, which is in its circumftances moft credible, and in its matter is fuppofed neceflary to Salvation, must be certainly true, unlefs God could oblige us to believe a Lye. For not to believe things credible when attended to and known to be fuch, is to humane nature impoffible, and not to attend to things propofed as from God of neceflity to Salvation, is a very heinous Crime against God, and to think that God will fuffer me to be deceived

in

what I am obliged, in Honour and obedience to him, to believe upon his Authority, is to think he can oblige me to believe a Lye. But it may be objected; if this be fo, how comes it to pass that they are pronounced bleed, who have not feen," Hh & and

and yet have believed, John xx. 29. which feems to denote, that a peculiar Bleffing belongs to them, because they believe upon lefs evidence. I answer, that they are there pronounced Bleffed, whohad fo well confidered the nature and circumftanfrances of things, the Prophecies concerning the Meffias, and what our Saviour had delivered of himself, as to believe bis Refurrection upon the report of others not because others might not have as sufficient Grounds for their Belief, as thofe who faw him after his Refurrection, but the evidence of fenfe is more plain and convincing to the generality of men, though Reafon proceeds at least upon as fure and as undeniable Principles. A demonstration, when it is rightly performed, is ascertain, as the felf evident Principles upon which it proceeds, though it be fo far removed from them, that every one cannot difcern the connexion. Demonstrations may be far from being eafie and obvious, but are oftentimes, we know, very difficult and intricate, which yet, when they are once made out, are as certain as fenfe itfelt. The Bleffing is pronounced to him, who believes not upon le's evidence, but upon that which at firft feems to be less, which is lefs obfervable, and lefs obvious to our confideration, but not lefs certain, when it is duly confidered. For which

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reafon

reafon our Saviour after he had wrought many Miracles, that were effectually attested by fufficient witneffes, required Faith in thofe, who came to be healed of him, because the Teftimony of others was the means, which in Ages to come, was to be the motive of Faith in Christians, and he thereby fignified to us, that there may be as good Grounds for Faith upon the report of others, as we could have from our own fences, and generally those who came in unbelief, went away no better fatisfied. Wherefore it is faid, that in his own Country because of their unbelief, he could do no mighty work, fave that he laid his hands upon a few fick Folk and healed them, Mark vi. 5. he could not do his mighty works, because they would be ineffectual, and would be loft upon them, and he could do nothing infignificant or in vain; if they would reject what had been fo fully witneffed to them, they would not belief, whatever Miracles they fhould fee him do.

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It is very remarkable, that a midft all his Miracles, our Saviour directs his Fol lowers to Mafes and the Prophets, and appeals to the Scriptures for the Authority of his very Miracles, and that even afterhis Befurrection, he inftructs his Difciples, who faw and difcourfed with him out of the Scriptures, to confirm them in the truth

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truth ofit, Luke xxiv. 26, 27. He requires the Jews to give no greater credit to his own Miracles than that which he implies, they already gave to the writings of Mofes, fo as firmly and fted faftly to believe that he came from God. And we having all the helps and advantages which the Jews had to create in them a Belief of the Scriptures of the Old Testament, and many more and greater Motives(if it be poffible)to believe thefe of the New, must therefore have fufficient means to excite in us, that Faith which our Saviour required of those who faw his Works, and heard his Doctrine which certainly was a Divine Faith, and all the Faith, which if it be accompanied within ere fincer and impartial obedience, is required in order to Salvation.

Upon the whole matter I conclude, that the Truth of the Chriftian Reli-gion is evident even to a Demonftration for it is as Demonftrable that there is a God, as it is that I my felf am, or that there is any thing elfe in the World; becaufe nothing could be made without a Maker a Maker, or created without a Creator; and it is as Demonftrable, that this God being the Author of all the perfections in men, muft himself be infinitely perfect; that he is infinitely Wife and Juft, and Holy and Good, and that according to these

Attributes