PART III. ofgracious 4fèTions. 193 Age to Age, cannot fee the clear Evidence from Hillery, of the Truth of Facts, in diflant Ages ; but there will endlefs Doubts and Scruples remain. But theGofpel was not given only for learnedMen. There are at haft Nineteen inTwenty, if not Ninety-nine in an Hundred, of thafe for whom the Scriptures were written, that are not capable of any certain or effe6tual Convietion of the divine Authority of the Scrip- tures, by fuch Arguments as learned Men make ufe of. If Men who have been brought up in Heathenifm, niuft wait for a clear and certain Conviuion of the Truth of Chriflianity, 'till they have Learn ing and Acquaintance with the Hiftories of politer Nations, enough to fee clearly the Force offuch Kind of Arguments ; it will make the Evidence of the Gofpel, to them, immenfely cumberfome, and will render the Propagation of the Gofpel among them, infinitely difficult Miferable is the Condition of the FIouffatunnuck Indians, and others, who have lately manifefled a Defire to be inftruaed in Chriftianity F: if they can come at no Evidence of the Truth of Chriflianity, fuffici- ent to induce 'em to fell all for Chriff, in no other Way but this. 'Tis unreafonable to fuppofe, that God has provided for 1 i> People, no more than probable Evidences of the Truth of the Gofpel. He has with great Care, abundantly provided, and given them, the moil convincing, aWuring, fatisfying and manifold Evidence of his Faith- fulnefs in the Covenant of Grace ; and as David fays, made a Cove- nant, ordered in all Things and Pure. Therefore it is rational to fug, - pofe, that at the fame Time, he would not fail of ordering the Mat -- ter fo, that there fhould not be wanting, as great, and clear Evidence, that this is his Covenant, and that thefe Promifes are his Promifes ; a which is the fame Thing, that the chriftian Religion is true, and that the Gofpel is his Word. Otherwife in vain are thofe great Affu rances he has given ofhis Faithfulnefs in his Covenant, by confirming it with his Oath, and fo varioufly eftablifhing it by Seals and Pledges, For the Evidence that it is his Covenant, is properly the Foundation on which all the Force and Effect of thole other Affurances do Rand. We may therefore undoubtedly fuppofe and conclude, that there is fome Sort of Evidence which God has given, that this Covenant, and thefe Promifes are his, beyond all meer Probability ; that there are fome Grounds of Affurance of it held forth, which, if we are not blind to them, tend to give an higher Perfwafion, than any arguing from Hiftory, humane Tradition, &c. which the Illiterate, and Un- acquainted with Hiftory, are capable of ; yea, that which is good Ground of the higheft and molt perfect Afíurance, that Mankind have in any Cafe whatfoever ; agreable to thofe high Exprefrions which the Apofle ufes, Heb. Io. 22. Let us draw near in FULL ASSURANCE OF FAITH. And Col. 2. 2. That their Hearts might be comforted,being knit together inLove,andunto ALLRICHEs, OF THE O FULL
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