Serge. f:,4 XXXVII. of the Chriflian ,`Religion. Made had ir been` to negleét the pretent Advantages of this World, Which he was capable of 'enjoying ; and to lay out for a' Fame and Re- putation, after lie- was dead and extinguish d, and confequently when he should not be capable of having any Sence and Enjoyment of it! And the in lance of the Romans, who ventur'd their Lives out of Vain- glí ry, to get a Name after they were dead, will avail nothing in this Cáfe ;"'beçaure it plainly appears from all the Heathen Writers, that they did this Upon a Prefumption of their Immortality, and a Perfwafion that they fhould live in another World, and enjoy the Pleaiurc of the Fame by which their Names fhouldbe c :lebrated in this World : but had they not been perhvaded of this, it would have been the greateft Folly in the World, to have ventur'd their lives to gain a Fame after Death, and to be fpoken of with Honour when theywere nor, a :d confequently colud take no Pleafitre in.it. This may fufhce to be raid in fhort, to this malicious and ablurd Objection. But, (3.) This was ftrange and unlikely, that the Gofpel fhould have fuch Succefs in the World. And the more likely it was, that it fhould meet with fo much Oppofition and Refi(lance, the mare unlikely was ir that it fhould prevail, efpecially by filch Means, and in fuch Manner as it did; that a few unlearned men, deflirute of fccular Arts and Learning, oppofed by all the Wit and Power that the World could exert, fhould be able in the [pace of a fewYears to propagate and plant all over theknown World a Dodìrine fo defpifed and profecuted, fo contrary to the almoft inviaci- ble prejudice of Education in another Religion, fo oppofite to thole two great Govcrnours of the World, the Lulls and the Interefts of Men ; no- thing could have been foretold fo unlikely and improbable as this is; ef- pecially if we take in this, that the chief Inflrumenr of fpreading this Doctrine in the; World, was the fierceft Oppofèr and Perfecutor of it, I mean Sr. Paul, who by a Light and Voice from Heaven, was taken off from perfccuring Chriffianity, and became the molt active and zealous Inftrument of its propagation. The wonderful Succefs and prevalency of the Gofpel by fuch Means, and in fuch Circumftances of Difficulty, and potent Oppofition made again[} ir, are a plain indication, that this Doctrine was minted and countenanced fromHeaven; that it was of God, and therefore could not be overthrown. Nothing but the mighty force of Truth could, naked and unarm'd, have done fuch Wonders in the World. And thus 1 have, I hope, fully (hewn that thofe who lived in the Age of our Saviour, were capable of having fufficient Affàrarice, that Jens Chrift who declared the Chriftian Religion to the World, was fent of God. From the Prophecies concerning him ; the Teftimonies that were given him by an immediate Voice from Heaven ; the Miracles that were wrought by him, and on his behalf; and by the Prophetick Spirit that gave Evidence of his InCpiration. And if any one doubt whether he gave thefe Teflimonies of his divine Authority ro the World, let him confider that it is almoft as great a Miracle as any of thofe, that a Doctrinepre+ched by one that gave no Teftimony of his divine Authority to the World, fhould be fo ftrangely propagated, and maintain its poffeffion fo long in the World ; I fay, let him confider this, and methinks this fhould convince him of the Truth of Chriftian.ty. 595 S E R-
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