Imatges de pàgina
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SERM. 3. Should we fuppofe, that fuch a VII. glaring Proof of his Resurrection could not have been refifted by them, yet it ought not to have been indulged to them for this very Reafon; because it was irrefiftible. God never intended to compell, but only to perfuade us into a Reception of Divine Truth; and we are properly faid to be perfuaded, when we close with fuch Motives and Arguments as are sufficient indeed to convince us,but fuch however, by which we need not be convinced, unless we pleafe. All beyond this is Force, not Perfuafion; and is very unfit therefore to be applied to Creatures endued with Liberty and Reason, and who are to be rewarded, or punished, according as they employ it. The Belief of the Gospel was defigned to be the Teft of fincere and ingenuous Minds, and, as fuch, was to be attended with John xx. mighty Bleffings and Benefits; for blef fed are they which have not feen, and yet have believed. But what Reason, what Room is there for bleffing those, who fhall on that Account alone believe the

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Gofpel,

Gofpel, because they are furrounded every SERM. Way with fo much Light and Conviction, VII. that it is absolutely impoffible for them not to believe it? Such a Faith can have no Degree of Defert in it; and is therefore abfolutely incapable of any Reward.

The true Queftion in this Cafe is, Whether the Proof of Chrift's Refur rection, by the Teftimony of the Apoftles, be not fatisfactory and full, abundantly full to all the Purposes of Conviction? If it be, are we not very unreafonable, and abfurd in complaining, that a Fact was not attested with ten times more Evidence than was needful? Nay, but who art thou, O Man, who, whilst thou acknowledgest the Wisdom and Goodness of God to be fufficiently juftified in his own Method, wilt yet prefcribe to him the Ufe of thine, because it seems to thee more fit and convenient? At this rate,

how many things

are there, which we, (full of our own Wisdom and Schemes) fhould think fit to have been done, which yet God hath not thought fit to do for us? We per

haps

SERM. haps may think it very convenient, that VII. we should at firft have been made impec

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cable, and fecured from falling: We, upon a View of the feveral Herefies that have fprung from the Milinterpretation of Holy Writ, may judge, it would have been much better for the Church, if the Scripture had been fo clear in every Point, that no w meaning Man could have mistaken the pense of it: At leaft, we might be apt to imagine it highly expedient, that God fhould have appointed fome Infallible Judge, to whom we might have reforted for the clearing up of all Difficulties, and ending all Controverfies. But in all these 1 Cor. iii. Cafes the Wisdom of Man is Foolishness with God; for he hath ordered things quite otherwife. He placed us indeed in fuch a State at firft, from which we could not fall, without the utmost Folly and Weakness; but from which however fall we did, as soon almost as we were poffeffed of that Happinefs. He gave us a Rule of Faith and Manners, eafy enough to be understood by boneft

19.

humble

humble Minds; but capable of being SERM. ftrained, perverted, and abused to ill VII. Purposes, by proud opinionative Readers. He left every Man to judge for himself in Matters of Religion; and yet fo, as to leave him without Excuse also, if he made an ill Ufe of that Judgment. And in like manner hath he dealt with us, in relation to thofe great Matters of Fact, upon which the Truth of our Religion is founded: He hath built the Belief of them upon fuch Proofs as cannot fail of convincing those, who are fincere, and willing to be informed; and yet fuch as leave room for little Exceptions and Cavils, to Men of perverse and difputative Tempers, who will not allow of any Evidence, in behalf of Chriftianity, how ftrong and irrefragable foever, if they can but imagine to themfelves any Circumftance, whereby it might poffibly have been made yet fomewhat ftronger; and do, therefore, pretend to doubt of the Truth of Chrift's Resurrection, because he did not appear to all the People, to his very Profecutors

and

SERM. and Murderers. I have proved, that it VII. was highly improper, unneceffary, and unreasonable, that he should so have appeared; and that it was expedient, highly expedient, (because in all respects fufficient) that he should appear only to his Friends and Followers, and, amongst them, chiefly to his Apoftles, upon the fingle Credit of whose Testimony, the Belief of this great Article was to depend. It remains that I should, in the

Third and last place, confider, How our Saviour spent his time with them.

The Text tells us, that he employeu it, partly in giving them many infallible Proofs of his being returned to Life, and partly in difcourfing to them of things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. By the one he enabled them to prove the Divine Authority of his Miffion, and by the other he inftructed them in all the Parts of his Heavenly Doctrine; and by both together he qualified them for a fuccessful Propagation of Christianity.

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