compofures. The feveral Evangelifts fometimes relate the fame story with different circumstances; an undoubted argument of their fincerity, and a certain fign that the history which they relate is not a fable of their own contrivance. Men that have combined together to put a cheat upon the world, are naturally very apprehenfive of being discover'd, and to make all fure, take the utmost care that their evidence may agree in every point and title; but honeft men need not be fo fcrupulous: And this unaccuracy of the Evangelifts, if any one pleafes fo to style it, may juftly be afcrib'd to a particular direction of providence, because it fhews that they were well affur'd, that their caufe did not ftand in need of the borrow'd helps of exact method, studied expreffions, and laboured periods.

I shall conclude this chapter with that weighty exhortation the Apoftle

postle (x), Take heed that ye defpife not him that speaks to you in the holy Gofpels, for if they escape not, who defpifed him that spake on earth, how fhall we efcape, if we turn away from him that speaks to us from Heaven? Nay, that came down from Heaven on purpose that he might speak unto us, and converse with us, and become both our teacher and our example.

(x) Heb. xii. 25.

CHA P.

CHA P. IX.

The principal matters to be obferv'd in reading the Acts and Epiftles of the Apostles.

UR Saviour confin'd his preachto the loft sheep of the house of Ifrael (a): But he chofe his Apoftles to be with him whilft he continued in the world, to be trained up under his dicipline, and be witneffes of his life and doctrine, his death and refurrection. And when he was just departing out of the world, he commanded them to testify what they had feen and heard, not only in Judea and the countries adjacent, but even to the uttermoft parts of the earth (b).

(4) Matth. xv. 24. (b) Acts i. 8.

A strange

A strange and improbable design, as it appears at firft fight! that a few men of obfcure birth and mean education, that had neither learning nor intereft, fhould undertake to propagate a new religion in the world, that was in many points contrary to mens carnal inclinations and worldly interests; and perfuade them to forfake the religion of their forefathers, which was not only deeply rooted in their minds, by custom and education, but alfo had all the external advantages of ftrength and intereft which worldly power and policy could give it. No perfons in their fenfes would have undertook such a design as this, unless they had been fully affur'd of a divine power that should affift them. And we can give no rational account of the wonderful fuccefs which accompanied their preaching, but that he who was in them was greater than he that was in the world. God chose the weak things of the world, to confound the things

that

that are mighty, that no flesh might glory in his prefence (c); and the planting of the Gospel might appear to be the work of God, and not of man. And when the Chriftian Religion prevail'd over all the strength and policy of the world, it was a demonftration that it came from God, because men could not overthrow it; and though they opposed it with their united force, yet they could not prevail against it, becaufe God was with it. Therefore the Apostle defervedly reckons Chrift being preached among the Gentiles, and believed on in the world, as part of the great mystery of godliness, and accounts it as wonderful a work as God's being manifeft in the flesh, and juftified in the fpirit (d).

Now the doctrine which the Apostles preach'd to the perfons who liv'd in their own time, they afterward by God's direction committed

(c) 1 Cor. i. 29.

(d) 1 Tim iii. 16.

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