SER M. it be confidered fairly in One View; ÈXIII. vidence given by fo many different Per

I.

Jons, repeated at so many different Times, diverfified with fuch variety of circumtances, yet all agreeing in fuch a perfect Uniformity as to the Thing itself. And was there ever more undeniable Proof given, of any matter of Fact in the World? Neverthelefs, after All This, he appeared again to St Stephen, Acts vii. 55. Acts ix. 3. And again to St Paul, as he himself te1 Cor. ix. ftifies, 1 Cor. xv. 8. Last of all (fays he) Gal. i. 15. he was seen of Me alfo, as of one born out of due Time. Befides all which Cloud of Eye-witnees, the Truth of our Lord's Refurrection continued moreover to be proved, by the Miracles which the Apofles worked in his Name, i. e. through his Power and Authority; Alfo by the Prophecies he himself delivered, both before and after his Suffering; The gradual fulfilling of which Prophecies in all fucceeding times, has been and is a standing Proof of our Lord's being truly risen, and that he is invefted with all Power, to accomplish whatever he has foretold.

He

He clearly predicted, in the fulleft and S ER M most distinct manner, the Deftruction of XIII. Jerufalem, and the Defolation of the whole Jewish Nation: Which Nation fhould yet nevertheless continue in Being (as we fee in fact it does at this day,) till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled, Luk. xxi. 24. He foretold, that his Difciples should be hated both by Jews and Gentiles, and perfecuted from one City to another. That nevertheless their Doctrine should spread over the whole Earth, and, by the mere Force of Truth and Reafon, of Goodness and Charity, should prevail over all the Violence, and be established against all the Oppofition of humane Authority. That after having fo prevailed over all outward Enemies, it should, by an unaccountable corruption within itself, be over-run with almost a total Apoftacy; the Power and Authority of Men, taking upon themfelves to fit in the Seat of God; and compelling all men by Force and Violence, to fubmit to, Doctrines of their own Invention; and turning Chrift's Religion of Peace and Love;

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SERM. Love, of Meeknefs and Charity,' into a XIII. worldly Religion of Dominion and Power, of Contentiousness, Hatred and Oppreffion. All which predictions having been already exactly and particularly fulfilled, in the plainest and most remarkable manner; give abundant reason to expect, that what ftill remains, fhall likewife in its time be no lefs punctually accomplished. That when the just pleasure of God has been performed, and the Christian World fhall for its great Corruptions have been justly punished by thofe Corruptions themfelves; at length the Kingdoms of the Earth, fhall become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Chrift; and men leaving off to contend about their own vain Notions and unreasonable Pretences of Power and Dominion, fhall agree in the original Simplicity of that pure and undefiled Religion, the Sum of which, our Lord himself tells us, confifts in loving the Lord our God with all our Heart, and our Neighbours as ourselves.

THE Truth of our Lord's Refurrection being thus attefted by fuch a Multi

tude

tude of Witnesses, and confirmed by fuch SER M a Number of confequent Facts, that 'tis XIII. hardly poffible the firft Preachers of his Doctrine fhould either Themfelves have been deceived, or be Deceivers of Others; we may now eafily Answer that obvious Objection, suggested Acts x. 40. why Christ after his Resurrection showed himself openly, not to all the people, but unto Witnesfes only, chofen before of God. And the Reafon hereof is the fame, as why in all other cafes God does not all that he is able to do, but all that is fit and right for him to do. There is in every Means, a certain Fitness and Proportion to the End it leads to; wherewith if men will not be fatisfied, there are no limits to unreasonable expectations, and no bounds where groundless imaginations may stop. The Wisdom of God provided as many unquestionable Witneffes of the Refurre ction of Chrift, as the Nature of the Thing required; as was fufficient, to make the Fact unconteftable; as was fatisfactory, to any reasonable and unprejudiced perfon. To work more miracles

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for

SER M. for the fake of obftinate and vicious UnbeXIII. lievers, God was not obliged. And, if he

had done it, the Objection would still have increased without End. For if it was not fufficient, that Chrift fhowed himself openly to a Number of Witnesses; but it had been neceffary that he should appear perfonally to the whole City of Jerufalem; for the fame Reason it might be fanfied neceffary, that he fhould have shown himself also to the whole Jewish Nation: and for the fame Reason, to all other Nations likewife; and to Thefe, in Every Age of the World, as well as in One Age; and that, to every fingle Perfon, if one miraculous appearance was not fufficient, he might have shown himself oftner and with more miraculous circumstances; and fo on, without End. Which fhows plainly the unreasonableness of all Such Expectations; when men are not fatisfied with that Evidence which is fit and fufficient in its kind.

I SHALL conclude This Head, concerning the Evidence of the Fact of Christ's being rifen from the Dead, with

only