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truth of it, they had power to work innumerable miracles in the name of Jefus of Nazareth, as a teftimony that he was alive, and confequently the Son of God, and Saviour of the world. And they gave up all their worldly intereft in this caufe; and fubjected themselves to poverty, hatred and reproach of men; and to various hardships and cruel fufferings, and even to death, in bearing witness to this truth, and those that are implied in it, and preaching the gospel. Which was attended by an invifible mighty power, purifying and renewing the hearts of multitudes, and leading them to renounce their former delufions and wicked ways, and to believe in Chrift, and obey him; who became fo many witneffes of the truth and power of chriftianity.

A hiftory of these things was written by those who had the most certain knowledge of them, and intimate acquaintance with them, giving an account of the birth, life, death and refurrection of Chrift; and of the doctrines which he taught, and the inftructions and commands he gave, and the miracles which were wrought by him, &c. &c. Alfo, a history was written of what took place for a number of years after the ascension of Christ to heaven -The promised gift of his spirit to the Apostles and others, whereby they were enabled to speak different languages, and to work miracles-Their bearing teftimony for Chrift, and preaching with great fuccefs, not only to the Jews, but to the Gentile nations, and erecting churches in many parts of the world, &c. This hiftory of Chrift and his Apoftles, is written in a manner remarkably dif ferent from that of any other hiftory written by men not inspired. It is fimple, plain and concife, confifting only in the most intelligible narration of facts, of what was faid and done, without juftifying or condemning any perfon; not giving the leaft encomium, or beftowing any praise on Chrifl himfelf, or any of his friends, nor

faying a word in their favour; not reproaching or condemning their enemies, or any perfon, or speaking against them: but confining themselves to a plain history of simple facts, without any comments of their own, against any one, or in favour of him. This, by the way, is a striking evidence, among others innumerable, that these writings "came not by the will of man"; but were, composed under the direction and fuperintendency of the Holy Ghoft, the authors being infpired and moved by him.*

We have also the writings of feveral of the Apolles of Chrift, containing a number of letters, which they wrote to churches, and to some particular persons, in which the doctrines and duties of chriftianity, and the inftitutions and laws of Chrift, are more particularly explained and inculcated. And last of all, there is a book, called "The Revelation of Jefus Chrift, which he sent and fignified by his Angel unto his fervant John." This the Apostle John wrote in his advanced age, after the deftruction of Jerufalem by the Romans, when he was fuffering for the cause of Chrift, being banished to a defolate island, after his character had been long established as an Apostle of Chrift, by miracles, and a holy life. He says, he received this revelation from Chrift, and

was

"It is remarkable, that through the whole of their hiftories, the Evangelifts have not paffed one encomium upon Jefus, or upon any of his friends: Nor thrown out one reflection against his enemies; though much of both kinds might have been, and no doubt would have been done by them, had they been governed either by a spirit of imposture, or enthusiafm. Chrift's life is not praised in the gospels; his death is not lamented; his friends are not commended; his enemies are not reproached, nor even blamed: But every thing is told, naked and unadorned, just as it took place; and all who read are left to judge, and make reflections, for themselves. A manner of writing which the hif torians never would have fallen into, had not their minds been under the guidance of the moft fober reason, and deeply impreffed with the dignity, importance and truth of their subject."

Macknight's Harmony of the Gospels.

was by him directed to write it, just as he here has done. It contains, among other things, a representation of the ftate of the church, and the great events that should take place respecting it, from that time to the end of the world, and of its perfect and glorious state from that period forever and ever; and of the endless punishment of all her implacable enemies. And many of the predictions in this book have been already accomplished; others are daily fulfilling before our eyes, which is a constant miracle, of the moft indisputable kind, evidencing the divine original of this prophecy; and that the things therein foretold, which are not yet come to pafs, will all be accomplished in their season.

And as the divine inspired writings given to the Jewish church, conclude with an intimation that they fhould have nothing more of this kind, till the promifed Meffiah did come; and a command carefully to keep and obferve what they had received: So this book concludes with a declaration, that there fhould be no addition to divinely infpired writings, given to the chriftian church; and therefore mankind must look for no more; but are commanded carefully to observe and obey what was then revealed, without adding any thing to it, or taking from it, until Chrift shall come to judgment.

God having thus completed a revelation, containing every thing he faw neceffary and proper, to make it a fufficient, perfect, and unerring rule for his church to the end of the world; and every way adapted to answer all the defired ends of a divine revelation; attended with all the evidence that can be reasonably desired, that it is from God, and the whole that he ever will give; the use and end of miracles has of courfe cealed; and therefore the church is to expect no more, or any more Prophets inspired to foretell things to come, not already foretold in the holy fcriptures. And whatever pretences any may make of working miracles, and whatever miracles may be

really

really wrought, in support of any pretended truths or inftitutions, or system of religion, the church of Chrift has no liberty to pay the leaft regard to them; but ought to renounce all fuch pretences with abhorrence: And to hearken to them, and regard them in the leaft, is to renounce the Bible, and the God who has given it to his church. Nor have we any warrant to pay the leaft regard to any who pretend to a spirit of prophecy; even though the things they foretell, come to pass; but, on the contrary, ought wholly to difregard and renounce fuch pretences, being certain from divine revelation, that they are not from God, and cannot in the leaft ftrengthen the evidence of the divine authority of the Bible, or of any truth contained in it; but have a contrary tendency: And to pay any regard to them is really to flight the Bible, and may give Satan an advantage, and opportunity to introduce the moft grofs and fatal delufions.*

THIS general view of the holy fcriptures, and the observations that have been made, are defigned to exhibit no inconfiderable part of the evidence we of the evidence we have, that they do indeed contain a revelation from God, the greatest safety be relied upon as fuch.

and may with But there are

many

The church of Rome claim it as the mark of a true church to be able to work miracles, and affert that this is effential to the true church of Christ, and pretend to have this evidence that they are the only true catholic church, viz. that a multitude of miracles have been, and still are wrought by them. But this is to far from being an evidence of a true church, that their pretending to fuch a power is an infallible mark and evidence that it is a falfe church; and this is warrant fufficient to condemn and renounce it as fuch, without being at the pains of examining all their pretended miracles, to fee if they be real miracles or not.----If that church could be fupported and proved to be right, by the holy scriptures, we ought to own it as a true church; but if not, a thousand miracles will not prove any thing in its favour; but even their pretending to work miracles, and appealing to thefe, is a demonstration that it is not a true church, as this is a flight and rejection of the word of God.

many other evidences of this, fome of which ought to be brought into view, when this fubject is confidered. And it may be proper now to mention a number of arguments to prove that the writings contained in the Bible are a revelation from God, in which several things that have been already hinted will be included.

I. THE feries of miracles which have been wrought, as a teftimony that this revelation is from God, is a standing, undeniable proof of it. These have been in some meafure brought into view, in the obfervations above; from which the propriety and importance of these miracles, and the end for which they were wrought, appear. That these miracles were really wrought, we have as great evidence as the nature of the cafe will admit; and not the leaft ground of fufpicion and doubt; especially when we confider the times and circumftances of them, and their apparent defign, and the nature and contents of the revelation, the credit of which they are defigned to establifh. These things have been particularly and largely confidered by many, and therefore are only mentioned here, except the laft, which will be attended to in the fequel.

II. THE numerous prophecies which are contained in the Bible, with their exact accomplishment, are a flanding, clear evidence, that it is a revelation from God. The certain independent foreknowledge of future events, or of any thing to come, all will grant, belongs to the true God alone. Therefore we find Jehovah challenging this as his own prerogative; and his declaring what will be, and bringing it to pafs accordingly, is afferted to be a demonftration that it is the true God who speaks. And he fays, that he who can do this, does prove himself to be God. "Produce your caufe, faith the Lord;

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