excited by these typical inftitutions, were built upon a fure foundation ? Such were the miracles frequently wrought among them, the manifeftation of the divine prefence in the Shechinah, their Urim and Thummim, their frequent oracles, their fucceffion of prophets, whose predictions refpecting the Jews themselves, and the nas tions round about them, were continually fulfilled and fulfilling before their eyes: and the accomplishment of many of them, are apparently open and visible to us also.

Would you fuppofe, that near the predicted time of the Saviour's appearance, not only the Jewish nation, but all others that were acquainted with their facred books, would live in rais'd expectations of this great and wonderful event? You will find in the Gospels, in Jofephus, De Bell. Jud. Lib. vii. Cap. 31. Tacitus, Hift. Cap. 13. and Suetonius, In Vefpaf. Cap. 4. that this was the cafe in fact.

Would you expect, that when the Saviour did appear, he would by the holiness and beneficence of his life, and by numerous open and uncontested miracles, give fuch atteftation to his divine miffion, as would be sufficient evidence, that he was indeed the Meffiah fo frequently predicted, and fo earnestly expected? Dont the facred hiftorians anfwer your highest expectations, in this refpect? In them you find, that the dead were raised, the fick healed, the maimed restored to the use of their limbs, the fight of the blind recovered, the deaf brought to their hearing, the lepers cleanfed, the demons ejected; and in a word, that the whole time of his miniftry was a continued fucceffion of the most beneficent and aftonishing miracles; miracles as furprifing in their nature, as their number, fuch as vaftly exceeded the power of all created beings; and were therefore the ftrongeft teftimony from heaven, that this Saviour most certainly was, what he profeffed himself to be.

Would you expect, that this Saviour should verify his divine miffion, to future times, by prophecies of fucceeding events? Dont the Evangelifts afford you many inftances of fuch predictions, which have been clearly and fully accomplished? In thefe hiftorians you will find, how he foretold the treafon of Judas, the shameful

fall of Peter, with the flight of all bis difciples, in that gloomy, dreadful night, when the fhepherd was fmittent and the sheep fcattered. In thefe vou will find, how he foretold the time and manner of his own death, the term of his continuance in the grave, with his glorious refurrection and afcenfion. You will there alfo find him foretelling the Miflion, divine infpiration, miraculous powers, and glorious fuccefs of his apoftles; and their fellow-labourers in the Gofpel-miniftry. These historians do likewise fet before you, his particular prediction of the deftruction of Jerufalem; and the abolition of the Temple, with the prodigies which preceded, the tribulation which accompanied, and the difperfion of the Jewish nation which followed, that amazing defolation. And don't it furprize you to find from Jofephus, that the twenty fourth chapter of Matthew, and the twenty first Chapter of Luke, are more like a history than a prophecy of that dreadful event? If you should yet further expect fome predictions from him, that extend to the present times, and are now vifibly accomplished be. fore your eyes; has he not foretold, and do you not find it true, that Jerufalem fhall continue to be trodden down of the Gentiles, untill the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled?

Would you expect, that when this Meffiah, according to the Prophecies concerning him, was cut off, he fhould declare himself the Son of God with power, by his refurrection from the dead? And has it not appeared true, that no precaution by fealing his tomb and fetting a guard over it, could prevent his triumph over the grave; and his appearing to great numbers of his difciples; and frequently and familiarly converfing with fome of them, for forty days together; and finally afcending up to heaven before their eyes.

Would you expect, that his difciples, who were eye and ear witneffes of his life, death, refurrection, and afcenfion; and could not poffibly be deceived in facts fo open to all their fenfes, fhould at their peril preach this Saviour to the world; and continually undergo a life of painful travel and fatigue, poverty and reproach, oppofition and perfecution, to propagate his Gospel;

and that they would finally facrifice their lives in the caufe, and feal their doctrine with their blood? This they have done, and it is impoffible that more could be done, to raife their truth and fincerity above all fufpicion.

Would you expect, that these difciples fhould be ex-' traordinarily and peculiarly qualified for their great work; and fent forth to the nations with fufficient credentials, to confirm their teftimony and make their doctrines credible? What greater furniture can you fuppofe needful in fuch a cafe, than for a number of unlearned men and women, to be instantaneously endued with an intimate and familiar acquaintance with all forts of languages; and (not, as pretended by fome energuments and the modern French prophets, have their organs of speech improv'd by the devil, in pronouncing languages which they did not understand; but) capable constantly and familiarly to converfe with every nation in their own proper fpeech; and with the greatest propriety to write, and tranfmit to pofterity, the history and religion of their Lord and master in a foreign language which they had never learn'd. Can you, Sir, poffibly imagine a greater and brighter difplay of the immediate agency and omnipotent power of the glorious author of our beings, than thus at once to enlarge the mind, and furnish it with fuch an amazing extent of Knowledge, while God himself has born them witness, with figns and wonders ; and with diverfe miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

Suppose, you should fee fome unlearned rufticks with whom you are acquainted, pretending to a new revelation; and confirming their pretences, by fpeaking familiarly all the languages of Europe, by healing the fick and decrepid with a word, raifing the dead to life, and ftriking men dead by a word, revealing the fecrets of other men's hearts, communicating these and fuch like powers to others by the impofition of their hands; and declaring to you that it was not by their own power or holinefs, that they perform'd thefe works: fhould you find the ftricteft holiness and conformity to the divine nature, join'd with these miraculous powers: Would you not believe the truth of their pretenfions? Would you not acknowledge, that God was in them of a truth?

Would you expect that those men, who were fent out to preach and propagate a new religion in the world, fhould themselves be infpired with a prophetick Spirit; and capable to foretel future events? And is not this also visibly fact, in the cafe before us? Have they not diftinctly foretold the state and fate of the church in all its periods, until the confummation of all things? Don't we ourselves fee their predictions exactly and circumstantially verified, with respect to the rife, reign, and rage of Antichrift; and with respect to the Jews ftill continuing a distinct people; and remaining in their unbelief, until God fhall again graff them into the olive tree, from whence they have been cut off?

Would you expect that the Meffiah fhould profper and fucceed thofe difciples, whom he should send out to propagate the Gospel among the nations, by the converfion of multitudes to the faith? And do we not find in fact, that he has affifted a few mean and unlearned fishermen, without riches or power, art or eloquence, to triumph over all the prejudices in men's minds against the doctrines of the crofs, over all the bitter oppofition of the rulers of the world, all the riveted prepoffeffions amongst both Jews and Gentiles, to their ancient religion; and all the learning of Greece and Rome; and to bring fo great a part of the world into a profeffed fubjection to the cross of Chrift!

Would you expect, that the religion of fuch a Saviour should be every way worthy of God, agreeable to all his glorious perfections; and every way fuitable for man, perfective of his nature, and adapted to his welfare, in every ftation, relation, and capacity that he fuftains in this world, as well as to his eternal intereft in the world to come? All this (I think) is what the Deifts themfelves are forced to allow.

Would you expect fome apparent influence of this religion upon the hearts and lives of those who fincerely profefs it; and who commit their fouls and eternal interests into the hands of this Saviour? And don't you yourself fee this continually exemplified? Don't every body fee, that they who cordially receive the Lord Jefus Chrift for their prince and Saviour, are distinguish'd

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from the reft of the world, by the exercife of love both to God and man? Is not the change wrought in the hearts and lives of fuch, vifible to every obferver, in the bleffed fruits of holiness, righteousness, charity, and beneficence? This change they themselves profess to have experienced, by their exercife of faith in the Lord Jefus Chrift. This experience they justify to the world, by the steady conduct of their lives. And thus the great redeemer approves himself indeed the great physician of fouls, by recovering all from their spiritual maladies, who apply to him, and depend upon him for a cure.

Would you expect a confiftent and harmonious scheme of religion, through all the parts of divine revelation : And is it not wonderful to obferve, how the New-Teftament every way answers the defign of the Old; and how all the numerous writers of thefe facred books, notwithstanding their very different manner of writing, the very diftant ages in which they wrote, and the very different circumftances of the church in their respective times of writing, have yet all taught the fame doctrines, all defcribed the fame dangers, and all pointed out the fame way to eternal falvation!

Thus, Sir, I have fet before you, in the closest and moft connected view, fome brief hints of the credentials of Chriftianity. I know, you are capable of extending your demands yet further; and of propofing something elfe, that may ftill ferve to reflect new light upon the Christian revelation: And there is yet much more at your fervice, when you'll be pleased to make your de mands. You must however in the mean time allow me the freedom to fay, that the evidence now in view is fufficient to fill the mind of every unprejudiced perfon, with a neceffary and infallible certainty of the truth we are enquiring after. Deliberately confider each of thefe arguments feparately and particularly; confider them all in their connection and relation to each other; and then try whether you can refuse your afsent to the Gofpel of Chrift.

There is (I'm fenfible) one objection ready to offer itfelf to your mind againft all this; and that is, How do I know that the great and principal facts, upon which