lent nature and tendency of the doctrine itself, and to its peculiar dignity and importance, we appeal for the high probability of its being true; and to attestations of a preternatural kind we appeal for the certainty of its coming down from God. The facts on which the gospel is founded, are reported to us by credible witnesses; and their testimony has the ample support of prophecy and miracle. God, who, at sundry times, and in divers manners, spake in time past to the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son a, whom he hath raised from the dead, and received up through the clouds into heaven. Nor have the apostles reported to us cunningly devised fables, when, having been themselves eye-witnesses of his majesty, they made known to us the power and coming of the Lord Jesus Christ b. The Word of life, whom they heard, whom they saw with their eyes, whom they looked upon, and whom their hands handled, they declared unto us c. And their declaration we may, upon the surest grounds, conclude is truly conveyed down to us. The gospel, therefore, is THE TRUTH. Again, it is so styled to express perhaps, Secondly, Its Simplicity. Men have, indeed, differed in their reasonings about the gospel of Christ. Some have interwoven with it fancies of their own, clouded it with a thousand unavailing subtilties, and disgraced it with strange mixtures of fully and error. But it is, as we usually say of first principles, one plain simple thing, namely, That God is in Christ reconciling sinners to himself d; -That he is offended, and that we are accepted in the beloved e; -That whoever believes in him shall be saved f;-And that there is no escaping, if we neglect this great salvation g. Doubtless, there are innumerable glories to be espied in the gospel, in the facts it relates, and in the many doctrines that are connected with it. But the grand thing is to be collected in one point. And hence the questions the apostles put to the primitive converts at their baptism, were plain, short and simple. If thou believest that Jesus is the Son of God, thou mayest h. Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God a. Once more, Thirdly, It is called THE TRUTH, emphatically, and by way of distinction from every thing else, to denote its Importance. There are many truths in nature and morality, of no small consequence to the well-being of society; truths which require a good deal of pains to investigate; and which, when discovered, afford both pleasure and profit. But none are so momentous as the gospel: upon this our main happiness in the present life is suspended, and all our hope in the world to come. Should the gospel fail us, every other source of comfort and support will prove insufficient in a time of imminent temptation and danger, and in the hour of death. And hence the apostle exprésses himself with so much warmth and earnestness upon this matter in his epistles: God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world b. I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified c. And again, yea doubtless, I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord d. It is called THE TRUTH then, to express its Authenticity, Simplicity, and Importance. We proceed now, SECONDLY, To inquire how we are to become HELPERS to the truth. Truth, strictly speaking, requires no assistance; for whether it is countenanced or opposed, it is, and ever will be the same. Yet a right knowledge of the gospel, a cheerful reception of it, and a due obedience to it, are matters, through various causes, attended with such difficulties, that not only the help of all the wisest and best of men, but that of God himself is necessary. Hence the ministers of the truth are said to be workers, or helpers, together with God e. And the gospel is the power of God unto salvation, to all them that believe f. When, indeed, we consider the commanding authority of divine truth, and its infinite importance to our present and everlasting interests, we cannot help wondering that it has not instantly the same effect on men's minds and hearts, that the great luminary in the hea a 1 John v. 1. d Phil. iii. 8. b Gal. vi. 14. c 1 Cor. ii. 2. f Rom. i. 16. vens has upon their persons; that it does not at once convince their judgments, and conciliate their affections. But when we turn our eyes to the false maxims and corrupt manners of this vain world, look narrowly into the human breast, and discern its perverse reasonings, wretched prejudices, and depraved passions; and, when we farther recollect what the Scriptures assure us of the God of this world, that he worketh in the children of disobedience a ; we cease to wonder. What before induced a transient doubt of the truth of the gospel, the effect not being answerable to what we hastily expected, serves now to confirm our faith in it, since the fact, sad as it is, is thus naturally accounted for, and is exactly conformable to the predictions and histories of God's holy word. But, while these reflections establish the point just now asserted, of the necessity of a divine influence to render the gos pel successful, they by no means preclude the obligations that lie upon us, by instructions and persuasions, to become helpers to the truth. For, averse as men are, through prejudice and sin, to receive the gospel, it is by a kind of reasoning suited to their frame, as intelligent creatures, that they are to be convinced of its truth; and by motives which approve themselves to their judgment and consciences, that they are to be persuaded to embrace it. There is therefore full scope, in a dependence upon the blessing of God, for every possible exertion on our parts. How then are we to help the truth? I answer, by possess ing men of the means of knowing it-by removing, so far as lies in our power, every obstruction to a free and full examination of it-by properly stating and defending it-by offering suitable motives to engage men to a cordial reception and profession of it-by adorning it with a holy life and conversation-and by earnestly imploring the blessing of God upon our endeavours. First, We help the truth, by possessing men of the means of knowing it. The Scriptures are the only pure and inexhaustible fountain of divine knowledge; wherefore the powers of Rome and Hell have spared no pains that it might be a spring shut up, and a fountain sealed; or, however, that the people should have aca Eph. ii. 2, cess to it through their means only. But these their iniquitous designs are defeated, by opening the avenues to this fountain, and diffusing the water of life, by every possible channel, through the whole known world. To have the Scriptures in our houses, to put them into the hands of our poor neighbours, and to teach them to read, and otherways to civilize them, in order to dispose and enable them to converse with the word of God; these are noble means of assisting the truth. Faith comes by hearing; but how shall men hear without a preacher a? To do, therefore, what lies in our power towards raising up, qualifying and sending, those whom God has endowed with grace and gifts for preaching the gospel, is another mean of helping the truth. To which must be added, the settling of churches, the administering holy ordinances, the regularly attending upon them, the sending missionaries into remote parts, and into our own neighbourhood where ignorance and sin prevail, and the comforting the hearts and strengthen- . ing the hands of such faithful and laborious men, amidst all their numerous discouragements. This last particular comes up directly to what the apostle recommends and urges in our textWe ought to receive and encourage such, that we might be fellow-helpers to the truth. And then, discoursing of the truth as opportunity offers, in which I include the exhorting and admonishing one another, catechising our children, and giving them not only the bible but other good books to read; this is another way of propagating the gospel. For, surely, it is the voice of Christ as well as of Moses, Thou shall diligently read the words I command thee unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thine house, and on thy gates b.' Secondly, We may, we ought to become helpers to the truth, by removing, as far as lies in our power, every obstruction to a free and full examination of it. a Rom. x. 17, 14. b Deut. vi. 7-9. There are many prejudices in the breasts of men against the gospel, arising not only from corrupt affections common to all mankind, but from the various kinds of education, connexions, and worldly interests peculiar to some persons. The utmost attention, therefore, should be paid to these prejudices, and the most kind and prudent endeavours used to remove them; either by shewing that their prejudices have no real foundation, or that if men suffer in their temporal interests by receiving the truth, this only happens through the malevolence of the wicked, that Providence permits it for the good of them that fear him, and that there are considerations enough in the gospel to balance all these evils. To enumerate all the prejudices which obstruct the progress of the gospel, would carry me too far. I must not, however, omit to mention some, which appear to me to have a very fatal tendency. As for instance, An apprehension that it is criminal to propound their doubts respecting the truth, has a direct tendency to prevent men's paying any attention at all to it. If I tell a man, that what I affirm is the truth, and that his business is implicitly to receive it, and not to urge any difficulty or objection to it; it is much if he do not instantly conclude, that what I propose to his faith is error, instead of truth; that I myself suspect it to be such, or, at least, that I mean this way to relieve myself of the trouble of solving his doubts. And thus, at the very outset, he is hindered from considering the truth; and I, instead of helping it, become injurious to it. That this has too often happened is not to be questioned; and thus hath the truth been betrayed by some who yet, in the judgment of charity, have meant to be its friends. But this surely is wrong: we ought to give persons full liberty to propose their difficulties, remembering that if we do not, they may be prejudiced against considering it at all; or, if they are rash enough to acknowledge it, their difficulties not being obviated, they do not truly believe it, but are only hypocritical professors of it; and, in this case, we become accessary to their hypocrisy. When our Lord bade the Jews search the Scriptures, he meant to give full scope to their inquiries, well knowing that the truth would not suffer from any objections offered to it, but rather from thence derive additional clearness and splendour. Farther, |