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my discourse folely to this, as being the only re- SERM velation which we are concerned to enquire after.

And therefore in the third place, to fhew you what advantages this standing revelation of the fcriptures hath above private revelations made to particular perfons, and frequently repeated and renewed in several ages; that fo it may appear both agreeable to the wisdom of GOD to fettle revelations in this way, as being more commodious; and likewife to his goodness, it being a real privilege which these latter ages of the world enjoy, that they have a more fixt and certain way of being acquainted with the will of GoD, than those ages had, which were govern'd by fuch private revelations, as were now and then made to particular perfons. And the advantages are these :

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1. It is a moft certain way of conveyance of things, and more fecure and free from impofture. Suppose a revelation made to a particular person, which is of general concernment; that this may have a general and lafting effect, he muft impart it to others, ás many as he can, and give them the beft affurance he can of it; and these must relate it to others; and fo it muft pafs from hand to hand, to be delivered from parents to their children. Now this way of conveying a revelation by oral report, muft needs be liable to many uncertainties, both by involuntary mistakes, through weakness of memory or understanding; and wilful falfifications and impoftures, out of malice and defign. So that the effect of an unrecorded revelation can neither be large nor lafting; it can but reach a few perfons, and continue a little while in its full credibility; and the farther it goes, the weaker, like

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SER M. circles made in water, which the more they enlarge 'CHIV themselves and the longer they continue the les

difcernible they are, 'till at length they quite difappear. Whereas being once recorded by perfons fecured from error by fupernatural and divine af fiftance, they are not liable to those easy falfifications or mistakes, which traditional reports and relations are neceffarily, thro' human malice or weakness, liable to.

2. It is a more general and universal way of conveyance; which is evident from the common experience of the world, who have pitched upon this way of writing things in books, as that which doth most easily convey the knowledge and notice of things to the generality of men.

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3. It is a more uniform way conveyance; that is, things that are once written and propagated that way, lie equally open to all, and come in a manner with equal credit to all; it being not morally poffible that a common book, that paffeth through all hands, and which is of vaft importance and concernment, fhould be liable to any material corruption, without a general confpiracy and agreement, which cannot be, but that it must be generally known. So that confidering the commonnefs, and univerfal concernment of this book of the fcriptures, all men are in a manner equally, that is, every man is fufficiently and competently affured of the credit of it; that is, that we are not in any material thing imposed upon by falfe copies. But in traditional revelation it is quite otherwife; tradition being a very unequal and ununiform way of conveyance. For feeing it may be of general concernment, and all cannot have it at the first hand, that is, immediately from him

to

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to whom it was made; but fome at the fecond, SERM, others at the third, fourth, or fifth hand, or much further off; the credit of it will be neceffarily weakned by every remove. A report that comes through many hands, being like the argument we call induction; and as the ftrength and goodness of that depends upon the truth of every one of thofe inftances that make it up, fo that if any of them fail, the whole argument is naught; fo the credit of a report that paffeth through twenty hands, depends upon the integrity and fufficiency of all the relators, and whatever there is either of falfhood and malice, or of incapacity of understanding, or frailty of memory in any of the relators, fo much of weakness is derived into the report or teftimony; and confequently the affurance which we can have of a private revelation, which is deliver'd traditionally through a great many perfons, must needs be very unequal.

4. It is a more lafting way of conveyance. Which likewise appears by experience, we having now nothing at all of the hiftory of ancient times, but what is conveyed down to us in writing.

5. It is a more human way of conveyance, which requires lefs of miracle and fupernatural interposition for the prefervation of it. This book of the scriptures may with ordinary human care be tranfmitted intire, and free from any material error, to all fucceeding ages: but revelations unwritten, if they have any lafting and confiderable effect, they must at least in every age be renewed and repeated; otherwise in a very short space, either through the unfaithfulness, or careleffness and frailty of men,

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SER M. they will either be quite loft, or so corrupted and CXXVII. depraved, that they will fignify nothing.

From all which it appears, that we have fo little cause to murmur and repine at the providence of GOD, which in thefe latter ages of the world does not make thofe more immediate discoveries and manifestations of himself to us, that he did to former ages, that we have rather great reason to admire the wisdom and goodness of God's providence, which hath privileged us with this standing revelation of his written word, which hath fo many ways the advantage of frequent and extraordinary revelation, and in respect of the generality of mankind, is much more useful and effectual to its end. I know there are fome that have endeavour'd to perfuade the world, that doctrines may much better be preferved by common rumour and report, than by writing and record; but I hope there is no man fo deftitute of common fenfe as to believe them contrary to the experience of all men.

I come now to the fourth thing I propos'd to be confider'd; namely, that there is fufficient evidence of the divinity of the fcriptures. By the divinity of the fcriptures, I mean, that they were revealed by GoD, and that the things contained in them were not invented by men, but difcovered to men by GOD; and that the penmen of thefe books did not write their own private conceptions, but were inspired by the HOLY GHOST. Now if we can be fatisfy'd of this, we ought to receive the fcriptures with the fame reverence, as if an angel from heaven fhould declare these things unto us, or as if GOD fhould immediately reveal them

to

SERM.

to our minds; for nothing can come with greater CXXVII. authority than this, that we believe it to be revealed by GOD; and provided we be affured of this, it matters not which way; the thing hath the fame authority.

Now that we have fufficient evidence of the divinity of the fcriptures, will beft appear, by confidering what is fufficient to give authority to a book, fo that no prudent or reasonable man can queftion, but that the book was writ by him whofe name it bears. For what evidence we would accept of for the authority of other books, we must not refufe in this cafe for the fcriptures; if we do, we deal unequally, and it is a fign that we do not want evidence for the authority of the fcriptures, but that we have no mind to believe them.

Now the utmost authority that any book is capable of, is, that it hath been transmitted down to us by the general and uncontroll'd teftimony of all ages, and that the authority of it was never queftioned in that age wherein it was written, nor invalidated ever since.

And this evidence we have for the authority of the fcriptures. As for the old teftament, I fhall not now labour in the proof of that by arguments proper to it felf, but shall take the divinity of them upon the authority of the new, which, if it be proved, is fufficient evidence for it, tho' there were

no other.

Now for the scriptures of the new teftament, I defire but these two things to be granted to me at firft.

1. That all were written by thofe perfons whofe names they bear and for this we have as much authority

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