SERMONS upon Serm. 2g. That your Faith Pottle/ not Hand in the Vlri¡dom of Men, hot in the Power of God. And they were to deal with Men of excellent Parts and Learning, fome of which received the Gofpel. And pray mark, thi3 plain Doárine was opened in that part of the World where Arts molt flourifhed, and at that Time ; for about the time of our Sa- viour's coming, curious Arts, and other civil Difciplines were are at the height, and &t s 5 yet as Aaron's Rod devoured the Magician's Serpents, fo was the Gofpel too hard for all, and got ground. And pray mark again, (which is another Circumftance) it prevailed not by Force of Arms, or the Long Sword, as all Dorages and Superflitions are wont to do ; this was the way of Cain, Jude 11. The Chriftian Religion prevailed by the Word and Patience of the Saints : Chriuls Sword is in his Mouth : And, Pfl. 8. 2. Out of the Mouths of Babes and Sucklings haft thou ordained Strength, becaufe of thine Enemies, that thou mayeft frill the Enemy and the Avenger. Again, this way feemed to the World a novel Way : They were leavened with Prejudices, and bred up by long Cuflorn (which was another Nature) in the Worlbip of Idols ; 1 Pet. a. 18. 2e were redeemed not withcorruptible things, as Silver and Gold, front your vain Converfarions, re- ceived by Tradition from your Fathers. Men keep to the Religion of their Anceftors with much Reverence. Chrift did not feize upon the World, as a Wafte is feized up- on by the next Comer; Men took up with Heathenifh Rites, when they were to Peek of a way of Worfhip : But the Ark was to be fet up in the Temple, that was already occupied and poffeffed by Dagan. The Work of thofe who firlt promoted the Faith of the Gofpel, was to difpoffefs Satan, and to perfwade Men to renounce a Religion received by a long Tradition and Prefcription of Time ; they went abroad to bait the Devil, and hunt him out of his Territories ; and yet they prevailed in that manner that path been declared, and to this day doth it prevail. Now Errors are not long - lived, the day Hall declare it, r Cor. 3. 3. in time they vanifh and come to nothing; when Pallions are allayed, and worldly Interefts are changed. What Vfe (hall we make of this, of God's owning the Word by Succefs ? Betides Satisfaáion in the matter in hand, and Admiration of Providence, we may make this ufe of it, to bewail our own blindnefs and hardnefs, that the Word which bath pre- vailed over the World, doth not prevail over our Hearts. Col. a. 6. Which it come unto you, as it it in all the World, and bringeth forth Fruit, as it doth all in you, fine the day you heard of it, and knew the Grace of God in Truth: This is comfortable when we can fay fo, this Word prevaileth over all the World, and (bleffed be God) over rey Heart. But O how fad is it, when that which fubdueth the World, ftandeth frill, and getteth no ground with us ! Say, Out of what Rock was my Heart hewn ? Is my Will only the tougheft Sinew in all the World, that it can ftand out againft the Batte- ry of the Word ? In thirty Years, or thereabouts, the Word prevailed over molt of the known World. I have been an Hearer ten, twenty or thirty Years, and yet I can- not find my Heart foft, pliable to the purpofes of Grace, much Ignorance and Obftina- cy (till remaineth. As they laid, Luke 24. 18. Art thou only a Stranger in jerufalem, and haft not known the things that are come to pafs there in theft days? Art thou only a Stranger to the Power and Succefs of the Word? Thus may we bemoan our felves. Secondly, By Miracles, the known Miracles that accompanied the teaching of it. Miracles you know are a folemn Confirmation, or Letters Patents brought from Hea- ven, to authorize any Perfon or Doárine ; for they are fuch Effeás as do exceed the Force and Power of Nature, and therefore mull needs come from an extraordinary Divine Power. Now it is not to be imagined, that ever a Divine Power would co- operate with a Fallhood and Cheat ; and therefore whatever is confirmed by Miracles, bath God's folemn Teftimony and Ratification, and fo deferveth Credit and Eflima- tion. Now a little before Chrift's Time, there was a great filence and refl from Prodi- gy and Wonder, that the Mejfiah might be known : But after he had preached his Ser- mon on the Mount, they were commonly wrought, both by himfelf and his Meffen- gers, and to evidence the Truth of them, they were commonly done in the fight of the Multitude, even of them that withftood his Doárine. His Adverfaries obje&ed, That he did call out Devils by Beelzebub the Prince of the Devils ; But that could not be, becaufe all Miracles were referred to the Glory of his Father, and therDevil.cannot work beyond the Power of a natural Agent : Now by the Circumftances of Chrifl's Miracles it appeared, that he wrought beyond any natural Power. It is poffible, that by natural Power, Difeafes may be fecretly inEliáed, and fecretly cured by Satan ; but Chrift
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