might be performed by juggling tricks, or by the power and affiftance of evil spirits; and that therefore, there is no certain nor fufficient rational evidence of the truth and divine original of the gospel.

THEN it will plainly follow from this fcripture principle, that mankind lye under a fatal neceffity of being deceived in things which are moft obvious both to fenfe and reafon; and that our eyes, and ears, and judgement, and underftanding are of no real fervice to us in diftinguishing between truth and falfehood, between realities and appearances ;—then farewell all credit to human teftimony, all belief in ancient history, and all dependence upon occular demonftration!-Then error and delufion can be no fault, because there can be no certain mark to know truth from falfehoods, nor any certain method to diftinguish between the works of God, and the works of the devil!--The plain confequence of this will be that we can have no good reafon to believe either what we fee or what we hear and then there is an end to all human judgement, and to all reward and punishment! What monftrous abfurdities flow from this principle of infidelity? And were it to take place as well in civil, as in religious matters, what confufion, anarchy and defolation must it necessarily introduce into the world!—But if we allow that there is a GOD, who governs the world, and that he has made us fubjects capable of religion, and endued us with faculties of difcernment agreeable to our prefent circumftances: Then we will be obliged to acknowledge, that if Christ and his apostles really did the works recorded in the hiftory of the gofpels and acts of the apof

;

tles,

tles, in confirmation of that excellent fyftem of morals and divine truths contained in the new teftament, they were moft certainly sent and affifted by GOD; and confequently, that the gofpel of Chrift is not a cunningly devifed fable but a DIVINE REVELATION Coming from God,' the father of lights: for to fuppofe that the holy and wife GOD would furnish impoftors, with

fuch

undoubted credentials of divine power and authority, and set his feal in so folemn and aftonishing a manner to a LIE, would be the vileft blafphemy !-And to suppose on the other hand, that the devil, even if GOD fhould grant him the power and permiffion, would enable Chrift and his apoftles to work fuch miracles, in confirmation of a religion which, in its nature and tendency, is fo evidently destructive of his power and kingdom among men, is really as incredible as the other fuppofition. For were this poffible, then delufion could be no crime, feeing the temptation would be too strong for humanity to refift; so that the devil could expect no advantage by promoting fuch imposture.

HENCE I think it follows, that if the gospel history be true, which has certainly been proved beyond refonable doubt, then the new tefta

ment is a TRULY DIVINE REVELATION.

SER

might be performed by juggling tri power and affiftance of evil therefore, there is no certain tional evidence of the truth and .. the gospel.

THEN it will plainly follo ture principle, that mankind neceffity of being deceived in most obvious both to fenje ar our eyes, and ears, and jud ftanding are of no real Jers guishing between truth and realities and appearances ;—-* dit to human teftimony. history, and all dependence u ftration!-Then error a fault, because there can know truth from falfeh thod to distinguish betw the works of the devil! of this will be that to believe either what and then there is an ment, and to all What monstrous al, ciple of infidelity? well in civil, as in. fufion, anarchy and .. troduce into the w there is a God, y that he has made and endued us with able to our pref will be obliged to and his apostles re the hiftory of th.

because none of the new teftament scrip-
tures were written at this time.

IT is therefore beyond doubt, the old tefta-
ment, which Chrift and his apostles every
where refer to as the SCRIPTURES, and the
ORACLES OF GOD. These are the fcriptures
mentioned with fuch high encomiums through-
out the whole new teftament, as the oracles of
GOD committed to the cuftody of the Jews".
As given by infpiration from GOD, and as able
to make wife unto falvation through faith in
Chrift.-As fpoken in old time, by holy men of
GOD, who were moved thereunto by the holy
ghoft.-As written for our learning, patience,
comfort and hope, Rom. xv. 4.-These are the
fcriptures, which Chrift expounded to his two
difciples on the road to Emmaus -And which
he diftinguishes, according to the Jewish divi-
fion of the old teftament fcriptures, into the
law of Mofes, the prophets and the pfalms
And these are the fcriptures which he every
where appeals to, as teftifying of him; and
which he every where declares are punctually
fulfilled in him.

с

THE learned and pious Doctor Doddridge, in his differtation on the inspiration of the old teftament, has collected above forty paffages in the new teftament, in which the old teftament scriptures are recommended to Jews and Chriftians as divine oracles, written by the infpiration of the holy ghoft, and containing a revelation of the laft importance to the eternal hap

a Rom. iii. 2.

с 2 Pet i. 21.

b

2 Tim iii. 15, 15, a Luke xxiv. 27.

e See verfe 44 of the fame chapter.

VOL. I.

I

piness

1

SERMON IV.

The credibility and divine original of the old teftament proved.

Ο

JOHN V. 39.
Search the fcriptures.

UR bleffed faviour in these words addreffes himself to the Jews, and recommends the fcriptures to their careful fearch, and attentive ftudy, as thofe divine oracles of truth, which not only contained the words of eternal life, but also gave full, fatisfactory and convincing teftimonies of himself, as the promifed meffiah and faviour of the world.

THAT the word SCRIPTURES in our text, and every where else in the new teftament, fignifies the old teftament fcriptures, is very evident; firft, because the Jews, to whofe ftudy and attention the fcriptures are here, and in moft places elfe recommended, acknowledged no other divinely infpired writings but the fcriptures of the old testament. And, fecondly,

because