254 SERMONS typon Serm,28, 4 Hay, Stubble : Every Mares Work (hall be made manifefi. For the Day ¡hall declare it, becaufe it Aril be revealed by Fire, ane4the Fire flea!( try every Man's Work, of what fort it is. TheWorld hath had time enough to enquire into the Scripture, and to difcover the vanity and falfhood of it, if there were any. Nay, not only the main 'Do&rine of the Scripture hath been continued, but no part of it is falfified, corrupted, or de- ftroyed. The World wanted not Malice, nor Opportunity ; the Powers of the World were bent againft ir, and corrupt Perfons in the Church were always given to other gofpelling. Gal. I. 6, 7. I marvel that ye are fo foon removed from him that called you into the Grace of Chri, unto another Gofel: Which is not another, but there be firm that trouble you, and would pervert the Gofpel of Chrifi. a Tim. 6.3. If any Man teach ot her- wife, and confect not to wholfome merd.,, &c. But ((ill the Scriptures are wonderfully preferved, as the three Children in the Furnace, not an Hair was Pinged ; not a jot or tittle of the Truth is peri(hed or corrupted. If it were corrupted, it mutt be before Chri(t's Time, or after it : not before, then Chrift would have noted it ; not after, for then the Parts would not agree ; but we find no fuch thing but an exalt Harmony : Nor is there any loft, for here is a fufficient Inftruâion and Guide to Happinefs. Chrift hath promifed not a tittle (hall fall to the ground. The Word path been in danger of being loft, but the Miracle of Prefervation is therefore the greater. In Minds Time there was but one Copy of the Law. In Dioclefian's Time ; - there was an Ediet to burn their Bibles, and Copies were fcarce and chargeable, and yet Rill it hath been kept. Seventhly, By his Judgments on thofe who have reviled, abufed, and perfecuted this Truth. The Records of all Ages witnefs to this. The whole Jewi(h Nation was deltroyed for oppofing the Doctrine of the Gofpel. After the [laughter of the Pro- phets, and murder of Chrift, God let them alone for forty Years, and then Wrath came upon them to the uttermofi ; the People were carried captive, contrary to the Roman Cu- ftom; the Land loft its fertility. Look into fucceeding Times, very few Perfecutors went to the Grave by a natural Death. Particular Stories are full of the Judgments of God executed on them. yulian the Apoftate confeffed Chrift had the belt at lait, Yi cfi Galilee, and fo died blafpheming. Lucian, that railed againft God and his Word, . as he returned from a Supper, his Dogs fell mad, and tore him. in pieces. Eufebius re- ports of a certain Jew, that took upon him to apply a fentence of the Word to a prophane End, to make a Jell of Scripture, was ftricken with blindnef , till he made confe[fion of his Fault. Ippion fcoffing at Scripture, and at Circumcifion, had an Ul- cer growing in the place of Circumcifion, as Jofephus reporteth. God is very angry when Men aje partial in the Law, tho they do many good things. Rev. 22. 18, 19. For I teflify unto every Man that heareth the words of the Prophecy of this Book, if any Man ¡Ball add unto thefe things, God ¡hall add unto him the Plagues that are written in this Book. ...Ind if any Man fbai take away from the words of the Book of this Prophecy, God ¡hall take away his part out of the Book of Life, and out of the Holy City, and from the things which are written in this Bock, SERM.
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