and happiness. This doctrine he publifhed in his life-time, confirmed it with miracles, fealed it with his death, and put it beyond doubt and controversy by his refurrection and afcenfion. And because his death was confeffed by all, but his refurrection and afcenfion was, by the malice of the Jews, as much difcredited as lay in their power; and because if once the truth of the Refurrection of Chrift were admitted, it gave fuch a teftimony to the truth of this miffion, and of his doctrine, that exceeded all poffible contradiction or difpute; and because the doctrine of Christianity that was now offered to the world, must neceffarily, if entertained, overthrow all the errors and fuperftitions of other religions, and confequently meet with as many enemies in the world as there were earnest profeffors of other religions; and because the great business of the apostles of Christ was in a special manner to bear witness to the truth of his refurrection 1, and they were to be the common publishers unto the world of these great truths; and because the fame Chrift, whofe apoftles they were for the vindication of that truth that was delivered by himself, and was after to be published by them, had, before his afcenfion, promised a fignal teftimony and manifestation of the Spirit of God, that fhould bear witness to the truth of Christ and his doctrine 2; there fore upon these, and fuch as these important confiderations, the bleffed Spirit of God bears witness to the truth of the testimony, doctrine, and miffion of the apostles, in their very firft entry upon this great work, of converting the world with fuch marvellous figns and appearances as thefe, fuch as were obvious to all the fenfes of difcipline, to be true and real; and yet fuch as were of fuch a nature and kind, as could be no other but fupernatural and miraculous. And hereby the divine power of Almighty God himself, did fet to his own feal and teftimonial to the truth of the doctrine and miffion of Christ and his apostles, ! Acts i. 22. Luke xxiv. 49. John xv. 16. Acts i. 4. 8. with with the greatest evidence that it is poffible for reafon or fenfe itfelf to expect or have to the afferting of any truth. And the great enforcement of this evidence refts not fo much, that thefe ftrange and miraculous things were done in grofs, or for themselves; but in that they were done in order, and upon defign to justify and evidence the truth of fact and doctrines that were delivered by Chrift and his apoftles, which had they not been true, we cannot imagine that the glorious God of Heaven would fend out his own power, and fet to his own feal to justify and affert them; and yet befides all this, they are fet to the justification and making good of thofe truths which were not without a ftrange evidence of credibility otherwife; as, namely, the excellency of the doctrine, concurrence of prophecy, and the concurring teftimony of many credible perfons that were eye-witneffes of the refurrection of Chrift, which alone, if admitted and believed, gives a testimony of the truth of his doctrine and miffion beyond all contradiction. And this great teftimony given by the Spirit of God, in this great, evident, and fenfible demonftration, is given out in the firft beginning of the apoftolical miniftry, and that in a fignal and public manner, that it might gain a prefent, and powerful, and fuccefsful progrefs in the world. And it was not disappointed in the event it defigned, as the teftimony of the primitive and all enfuing ages abundantly prove; fo mightily grew the Word of God and prevailed. That which we may learn from this, and other instances of the like kind, is, first, to settle and establish our hearts in the true faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, and his holy doctrine, fince we have all the evidences imaginable to juftify our faith, our reafon, our fenfe to believe it; and have all thofe demonftrations that any man of common reafon can expect to fatisfy us thereof. 2. To render all humble thanks for the goodness goodness and bounty of Almighty God, who thus deals with us human creatures, condefcends unto our natures and capacities, complies with our common fenfe and reafon, giving us evidences of all forts to convince and perfuade us to the entertainment and belief of thofe things that are our happiness and felicity to believe, and omits not any topic that may affure us: applies to every avenue of our fouls and hearts for the admiffion and reception of thofe truths, in the belief whereof confifts our everlasting blessedness CON |