~ Chap. oo. ~ 'The Ha.rmony of the Vivine 'Artributes · CHAP. XKH. lnforwce. The, extraordinary i worl;j~g of 'the Divine Power ir a convincing proof of th~ Verity of the Chriflian Religion. The internal Excellencies of it are clear Mark.! ofitr Divinity, to·'th~ purified Mind. The external Operatio/Jt of God'r Power were requijite, to_convince Mm in their corrupt State, that the DoClrine oft.he Gofpel ca11ie from God. . The miraculous owning of Chrift by the whole Divinity from Heaven. The RefurreClion of Chrift the t110ft impor~ant Article of the QoJP[l, and the demonftration of •all the reft. How valltable the Teftiwony o(. t4e .· Apofiles it concerning it. That 'twas impoj]ible they jbould ·decei't!e, or be deceived, " "The quality of the Witneffes conjidered. There cannot be the le4}i reafonable fuJPicion of them. ·Tit HI· terly incredtble that any human.e temporal KeJPeCls moved ~hem to feign the RefurreClion of Chrift,. · The 1:/attt~t!'f theJTeftimony conjidered, It war of a matter of FaCl, and verified to .Q/hheir Senfes: The UnifOrmity of it fecures us there war nJ Corruption ih 'the 'Witne!Je.r> and tbat it was ,no Illujion. . They foaled tbe Tmth of ii wlih their Blood. •The Miracles the ApoSlles did in the N._ame, 'of Chrifl, a ftrong .de"!onjlrption !.hat he war raifed to a glorious Life.. That Power was rontinued,.in, the Church for a time. The Conclufion, how reafonable it is to give an ,entire Affint t~ the 'frilth of Chrifiianicy. 'lis defperate lnjideMj'not i,d:bfli~ve it ; and lfie higheft madnef.r to ~r~~e~d t~ .~~lifV/e it, ''ani/to (tfe.f.IJ.12iMfdief!C~ ~o ij. . , ; ~- . . '· . .., , ' , , 0 ,, '. ·u Jl:..c. 1 g· 1:11 .'J r:· e ).F Ii.. ljl'.M what hath J,;~nidifcouried, conoerning • thnxtraordinary workiiig of'1tlle Dtvi11e Power, w~ l)~v,c; a moilrl:x>nvincing proo~.of the Verily of the. Cht.i'ffiaii Religion. For iince Qo4 iJ~.~h j;ly fo manJ.miracu!dus ·E.ffefrs, the in~allible Indications of his Favour to the Perfoq_of Jefus;(;hrill>, ·,ju!nified' his lD<>ltrine-, no' reafonal\le doubt can remain concerning it. Indeed the internal Excellencies of it, which are vi~ble to the purged Eye of the Soql, are '!ear Marks of itS Divit\ity. The Myllery of 'our Redemption is made up 0f various parts, in the Union of whiCh fuch an evident Wifdom appears, that the ra!iOI.1~ .j'v!jnd, uolefs enOaved by Prejudice, mqll be ravlfu'd into (b) v;d Mr. a compliance (b). Evew~h~t which moO: .offends Senfe, the Meannefs of our Sav!o,ur's :';,f::.·~~x- Condition iD tb_.e \Yor!d,0 al)d .~he Miferies lt6 which he was expofed,_do fo perfeCljy cor- "'"" ' of th< refpond ' Yith,h•.s g1eat pefigrytp make Men holy and hea11enly , that tt 'appears to be· the Rr4'"'"'"1' Efteil of moll '' l(.ile ,Cou~(eJ.\. ,His Qeatl\ Oll' lhe (;':rofs:is fo mrich :n0t nnbecoming God, o[chrifl'""'· as an infinite 'Love 'and-\1U•OIJ<;~ivpl;>j~ &Qlllpailion is becdthing •himt • :And fticJ.. a B~UJY of Holinefs fhines in the t'nofal part, as clearly proves God to be its Auth0r. · It deiiolfnc ces War againll all Vices and commands every Verrue. All that is excellent in humane Inllitutions it delivers with infinite more Authority and Efficacy : And what natural Reafon did not reach to, it fully defcribes, in order to the Glory of God , and the Happinefs of Man. Now as God, the Author of Nature, hath by Talles and Smells, and other fenfibl e Qualities, di(\inguiUJ'd things wholefome from noxious, even to the loweft living Creatures, fo he hath much more dillinguifh'd Objeils that are faving from deadly, that is, the true Religion from the falfe, by undoubt~ Evidences.Jo any__;;>h<LWill exercife their Spititnal Senfe·s;ana fincerely defire to know and obey it. And that all the wife and holy embraced it in the face of the greateft Difcouragements, is an unanfwerable Argument that 'tis pleafing to God. For how is it poilible that the good God fhould fulfer thofe to fall into mortal Error, who from an ardent AlfeClion to him defpis'd what- • ever is amiabl e or terrible in the World? How is itpoilib!e he fhou!d deny the knowledge ofHimfelf to thofe, to whom he gave fuch a pure Love to Himfelf? • But!th' ]humane Nature in its corrupted State is contrary both to the DoCtrine of the Gofpel, that propounds Supernatural Verities hard to believe, and to the Commands of i t, that ehjoins things hard to do: For this reafon ' twas necelfary that God by fame external Operations, the undeniable Elleils of his Power, fuould difcover to the World' his approbation of it. Now
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