Ver. i 7. the 17th Chapter of St. J O H N. i 5 7 them, becaxfe they are fpiritnally difierned. Now that which all wicked Men do univer f.ally and conftantly oppofeand malign, certainly that is of God. As Chrift faith of his own Difciples, John 15. 19. If ye were of the World, the World would love its omn but becaufe ye are not of the World, but I have chofen you out of the World, therefore the 14'orld hateth you. So may we reafon ; If theScriptures were of Men; if deviled by them, and fuitable to their Lufls and Humours, the Men of the World would receive them with a great deal of flillnefs,Flefh and Blood would love its own. But carnal Men have conftantly and univerfally oppofed the Do &rine of God, and always have beett afi&ing the Church, and feeking to oppofe the People of God, becaufe of their pro - felling the Truth. Mark it, before Chriflianity began to be generally propagated in the World, the Jews were the Mark and Butt of Malice, whereat all Nations did (hoot their envenomed Arrows of Malice and Rage; and therefore it is very notable, that the Romans, tho they conquered many Nations, yet they never put down the Idolatry of the Nations, as they put down the Religion of the Jews, and fought to oppofe that, and molefted that And when the Chrians began to be difcovered, then all their Malice was turned off from the Jews to Chriflians. Certainly it was not meetly becaufe of the Difference of Worfhip, for they tolerated the Epicureans, but took a- way all the Worfhip of God ; yea, they burnt the Chriftians, and made them to be Torches, to give light to Rome in a dark Night. Therefore there was fo fpecial a fpight at the Ways of God. Secondly ; I am now to prove the Truth,or Divine Authority of the Word,by Intrin- lick Arguments,or fuch Arguments as are taken from the Scriptures themfelves: Either, I. From the Manner and Form of thefe Writings. Or elleq II. From the Matter of -them. I. In the Manner and Form of there Writings, you may obferve thefe things. r. The Majefty of the Style. Look, as there was a difference between drift's teaching, and the teaching of the Pharifees, Mat.7. 29. He taught them as one having Authority, and not as the Scribes : Such a Soveraign Majefty is there in the Scriptures, They fpeak, not as confcious of any weaknefs, and fo begging Affent, bùt as com- manding it. Thus faith the Lord ; it is the great Argument in Scripture, hear it, or you are loft for ever. Pray mark, it is not laid, Not as the Prophets, but, not as the Scribes : they had nothing but what was humane, out of the Jewìlh Rabbies ; but Chrift fpeaketh like an extraordinary Meffenger, as one that came to increafe the Ca- non and Rule of Faith, with filch an awe, that the High Prieft's Officers were afraid to meddle with him. John 7. 45, 46. Why have ye not brought him ? The Officers faid, Never Man fpake like this Man, with fiièh an infallible Spirit. Te have heard, faith Chrift, but I fay, and his great Argument is, I fay unto you, Mat. 5. 21, 22. Te have heard, that it path been faid of old Time, Thou Jsalt not kill, &c. But I fay unto yòui That whofoever is angry with his Brother without-a caul, &c. So, Verfis 27, 28, 33, 34, 38, 39, 43, 44. There is fuch a Majefty breathing forth, from one end of the Scrip= tures to another. Men can only beg affent, not command it by their own Authority ; and therefore in all Matters which they would inforce, they ufe Inhnuation and Argu- ment : but the Prophets fay, Thus faith the Lord ; and Chrift who had Original Au- thority in the Church, I fay unto you. With what a Majeftick Contempt doth Chrift (corn his Oppofers ! He that bath Ears to hear, let him hear ; He that is filthy, let him be filthy flit!. God will not regard the lof of fach, that do not regard to underftand and obey his Word. Longinus an Heathen admired the Majefty of Mofes his Writings; ytvd9v rZ l y!ve ro, Let it be done, and it mas done; the Style of mighty Princes and Em= perors. 2. The Simplicity of the Style. Tho it be full of Majefty and Authority, yet the naked Truth is reprefented in a plain manner to the capacity of the meaneft. Pfal. t 9. 7. The Law of the Lord is perfil?, converting the Soul : the Teflinìony of the Lord is fares making wife the Simple. As there are deep Myfteries which may exercife the greateft Wits; fo in Points neceffary, the Scriptures are fo plain -and clear, that they may be underftood by thole of the dulleft Underftanding. Such Simplicity, with filch Maje- fly, is a Chara &er of their Divine Original ;they fpeak in fach a manner, as to feed the greateft, and inftru& the meaneft ;, a Child may wade, and an Elephant may fwim. But this is not all I mean by Simplicity, the plainnefi of the Style, but the native Beauty, Kkkk of
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