t46 SERMONS upon Serro. 2 $. SER M O N XXVIII JOHN XVII. 17. S &unify them through thy Truth, tly Word is Truth. 7 O W I proceed to the Arguments, that prove the Scriptures to be the Word of God. Fuji, Some are Extrinfical, and do lie without the Scriptures. Secondly, Some are Intrinfical, and lie within the Scriptures them- felves, as being taken from the Matter and Form of them. Firfi, Extrinfical Arguments. There I (hall thew you b I. That God bath owned the Scriptures for his Word. H. The Church hath owned them as God's Word. III. The Malignant World in their way bath owned them; that is, upon that refpe& they have oppofed them. I. God bath owned them feveral ways. By the wonderful Succefs of that Religion which the Scriptures eflablith; Prefervation 5 Miracles ; Accomplithment of Prophe- cies, Promifes, and Threatnings ; by Concomitancy of Grace ; Teffimony of the Spi- rit 5 by particular Judgments and Punifhments of thofe which have abufed the Scriptures. Firft, $y the wonderful Succefs of that Do &rine and Religion which the Scriptures do eflablifh. Certainly, if we think that God hath any care of Humane Affairs, we cannot but judg that Dotlrine to be Divine, which God bath fuffered to diffufe, and fpread it felt far and near in all parts of the World. Nay, if he bath any care of his own Glory; for this Doctrine pretendeth to be his, and his permitting it to be propa- gated, theweth, that he owneth the Claim and Pretence: to right himfelf, and to undeceive the Nations, he would otherwife have difclaimed them. Herod was fmitten with Worms, and died, when he aflumed Divine Honour to himfelf. Afts 12. 22, 23. /índ tie People gave a fiant, faying, it is the Voice of a God, and not of a Man. .find immediatly the Angel of the Lord fmote him, becaufè he gave not God the Glory, and he was eaten of Warms, and gave up the Ghofi. It is agreeable with the goodnefs of Provi- dence, that that which is bell, thould be difrúfed. Now what Religion hath been fo diflulèd,ras the Chriflian, through Europe, Aria, Egypt, Ethiopia, and other parts of Africa, and now in America? It is true, Paganifm is of a vat} extent, but it includeth many Religions under one Name : Some worfhip a Star, Come a Dog or Cat, Come a Plant. Kites differ with Nations and Countries : But Chriftianity alone, like the Leaven, bath pierced the whole Lump. Mat. 13.33. The Kingdom of Heaven is like Leaven, which a VVoman took and hid in three Meafures f Meal, till the whole was leavened. Within the (pace of thirty Years,or thereabout,it fpread fir and near throughout the Roman Empire, and much further. Hefierni fumes, (faith Tertullian) b tar en vefira omnia implevimm, 2irber, In(alao, CafeUa, Municipio, Conciliahula, Catira ipfa, Tribue, Decurias, paulatina Senatum, Forum, ,Cola voli; relingsiimus Templa ; ' We are but of Yetlerday,and yet how are we increafcd ? the Chriflians are found in all Places, Cities, Villages, Wes, Ca- ' [Iles, Free Towns, Councels, Armies, Senate ; mark, every where but in the Idols ' Temples. Such a wonderful Increafe and Succefs was there in a thort time. So I (hall
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