528 `I he Evidences of the Truth, Vol. II. The Firfi is by the Teftimony of our own Senfes ; and this was the Advantage of thofe who heard our Saviour's Dottrine, and faw his Miracles. TheSecond by the Report and Relation of credible Eye and Ear witneffes ; and this Advantage thole had who heard the Apostles. The Third by a conftant and uncontroi'd Relation derived down fucceflìvely from one Age to another, either by Word or-Writing, or both ; which is the way whereby theAges, linee the Apostles to this day, have had the Chriftian Religion derived down to them. Firfl, To confider what Evidence thofe, who heard this Doftrine of theGolpe! immediately from our Saviour himfelf, might haveof his Divine Authority. Now there are butfour ways that I can at prefent imagine (fetting afide an internal Re- velation in every Man's mind) whereby Men may be fufhciently fatisfied of the Divine Authority of any Perlon. I. If it be Prophefied of him, and foretold by Perlons divinely In(pired, that God will fend fuch an one as his Mellinger and Prophet into the World, and af- terward fuchaPerfoncomes, - to whom all the Circumftances of thofe Prophecies do agree. H. By the Teflimoñy of an immediate Voice from Heaven. III. By a power of working Miracles. IV. By the Gift of Prophecy proved and made good by the accomplishment of his own Predi&ions. Now I !hall Phew that thofe who lived in our Saviour's time, and tonersd with him, were capable of'fatisfa&ion concerning his Divine Authority all thefe four ways. I (hall begin with the ' L They were capable of being Eye Witneffes that Chrift was the great Prophet and Mellinger of God, the Mefaa Prophesied of, and foretold in the Old Tefta- anenr. And here I do reafonably take for granted the Divine Authority of the Old Teftament, and that the Prophecies therein contained are of Divine Inspira- tion ; becaufe thofe to whom our Saviour ordinarily preached, were only the Jews, who acknowledged the Divine Authority of thofe Books ; and therefore the accomplishment of thofe Prophecies in the Perlon of our Saviour, muff needs be a fatisfa&ory Argument to them, that he was the Mesas foretold. Now to Thew that the Difciples of our Saviour, and the reft of the Jews, were capableof receiving full fatisfa&ion in this, that Jesus Chrifl was the Melia Prc- phefiedof in the Old Teftament, I shall proceed by thefe Reps. r. That the Prophecies of the Old Teftament fix a time for the coming of the Mesas ; they give certain Marks andSigns whereby it may be known when the Mesas would come ; as that he should come when the Government thould ut- terly be loft from Judah, Gen. 49. re>. The Scepter 'hall net depart from fudah, Jill Shiloh come; bywhom the Ancient Yews did underftand the Meffias, and no- thing but plain Malice againft Chrift, and the Chriftian Religion, makes the mo- dern Jews to depart herein from the fenfe of their ancient Matters. That he should come before the Deftru&ion of the Second Temple. Hag. a. 6, 7, 8, g For that faith the Lord of Hells, yet once, it is a little while, and I will (hake the Heavens, andthe Earth, andthe Sea, and the dry Land. And I will (hake all Nations, and the defire of all Nations fhall come, and Iwill fill this Houfe withGlory, faith the Lard of Hefts. The Silver'is mine, and the Gold is mine, faith the Lordof Hells. The glory ofthis latter houfe (hall be greater than of the former, faith the Lord of Hoffis : and in this place will Igive peace, faith the Lord of Hofis. From whence it is plain, that this Houle should remain when the d.fire ofall Nations, that is, the Was (according to the interpretation of the ancient Jews) thould come, and his pre- tence should be theglory of this fecond Temple, and make it excel the first. And much to the fame purpofe. Mal. 3. a. Behold, I will fend my Meffenger, and he flail prepare the way before me : and theLord, whom yePeek, (that is, the Mesas,) (hall fuddenly come to his Temple; even"the Mefinger of the Covenant, whomye de- -light is: behold, he (hall come, faith the Lordof Ho'ls. That he thould come at the end of fo many weeks ofTears, from the going forth of the commandment to reflore and build Hierufalem, and after fo many weeks of Tears should be cut off, and after that
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