Tenour of the New Teftament turns upon the Praise of Virtue and Purity of Life, and a manifeft Abhorrence and Prohibition of all kind of Vice and Wickedness, that nothing can be more abfurd, than to imagine it proceeded from the Devil, and not from God, from whom alone fuch an excellent Doctrine could be expected. (7.) There is no Poffibility of feeing which way thofe Authors could make any Advantage of fuch an Imposture to themselves, or others; and to fuppofe they would take the Pains to invent and fpread one for none at all, is abfurd and filly. (8.) On the contrary, they fuffer'd many Afflictions, and Death itself, in Defence of their Doctrine; which muft either argue them to be true and fincere, or infatuated with the Love of what all the World befides abhor. (9.) The manifeft End and Purpose of the Chriftian Religion is the Glory of God, and the present and future Happiness of Man; which things are only worthy of God, and could therefore only come from him. (10.) The New Testament contains nothing contrary to Reafon, though it improves our natural Reafon very much; and is therefore good, and worthy our Belief. (11.) The Account of our Saviour Jefus Christ, the Burthen of the New Teftament, is in all refpects conformable to the Predictions of the Meffiab in the Old Teftament; and therefore the Story of him must be true. (12.) Laftly, Several of the principal Facts related in the New Teftament, are likewise mention'd in the profane Hiftories of thofe Times, and alfo by the Jewish Historians themselves; by which Means the Truth of them is fufficiently confirmed. The Scriptures THE facred Writings then of the Old and are the Oracles New Testament are the Oracles of God, or his of God. revealed Will to Mankind. They therefore con tain every thing neceffary for us to know concerning God and ourfelves; and to enable us with Certainty to conduct our moral and religious Life in fuch wife as fhall render us acceptable to him whilst here, and to fecure our future and eternal Happiness in the World to come. But to be more particular, the great Use of the Scriptures, or Revelation, is most remarkable under the following Heads, viz. First, By the Scriptures we learn that the The great Ad Worlds were framed by the Word (or Power vantage of the and Wisdom) of God; that the Heavens and Scriptures, by the Earth were of old, together with the Sun, the universal informing us of the Moon, and the Stars, the Handy-work of State of the na that great God, whofe Power and Wisdom are tural World. infinite and unfearchable. From thence we learn the original Formation of Man, and the Produ&tion of Beafts, Fowls, Fishes, Trees, and Plants; which the Heathen in vain fought after. From thence only we have any Memoirs of the innocent and lapfed State of Man, and Manner thereof. From thence only we have an original and perfect Account of the univerfal Deluge, and the Caufe and Manner thereof: Alfo how theWorld was again reftor'd and re-peopled; with the Dif ference between the Ante-diluvian and Post-diluvian World in many Refpects. Again, from thence we know God's Government of the natural World: and, laftly, his Defign to bring about its final Catastrophe by a general Conflagration, or Burning: And its Renovation thereafter, or new State of the Heavens and the Earth. None of which The fecend great Points could be known from natural Light, great Use of the Scrip by the wifeft Heathen Philofophers. tures, in in Secondly, The Scriptures give us much clearer forming us of and more adequate Notions and Sentiments of the metaphyfi God, and of his various Attributes and Perfe, cal Nature of tions, than is discoverable by the mere Light and the pri God, Angels, D 2 of tual World. ditional Force of the Santions of Re wards and Punishments. of the most rectified Reason. They alfo acquaint us much with the metaphyfical Nature of Spirits, and immaterial Beings: As of God himfelf; of the various Orders of Angels, as Seraphims, Cherubims, &c. and the great Defection of fome of them from their firft State of celeftial Glory, and their Condemnation to the perpetual Horrors of the infernal State. We farther learn from thence the Intercourse and Minifry of Angels and good Spirits, for the carrying on the State of the moral World, as well as the natural; and confequently of the more immediate and fpecial Providence of God, with respect to Mankind. The Scriptures Thirdly, The Scripture not only contains the very much ilmoft perfect System of Morality, but refines and luftrate and illuftrates every moral Virtue, and recommends inforce the Practice of all and enforces the Practice thereof, with the admoral Virtues, ditional Motives of temporal and eternal Felicity. with the ad- If then the Heathen could advife to a moral and virtuous Life, only because Virtue feem'd its own Reward, with how much more Force and Power doth it stand recommended in Scripture, when, befides its own eligible Qualities and Merits, it has all the Happiness entail'd upon it, which the Nature of Man is capable of, or can defire? Add to this, that though Vice and Wickedness, in every Degree, be in itfelf directly oppofite to the moral Rellitude of Man's Nature, and therefore fuch as a reafonable Man muft naturally abhor and deteft; yet the more effectually to deter Man from defiling his Nature therewith, the Scriptures prohibit every Species thereof with the Penalty of God's Wrath and Vengeance. Thus Virtue is encouraged, and Vice prohibited, with the Sanctions of Rewards and Punishments; and that from the Authority, not of an Heathen Philofopher, but the great Author of Nature, Fourthly, From the Scriptures we learn the From them we Repeal and Abolition of the Jewish Law of Types, learn the Re-. Ceremonies, and Carnal Ordinances; and the In-peal of the Jewish Law, ftitution of a more perfect, rational, and noble and the InftiScheme of Religion and Devotion, by JESUS tution of ChriCHRIST, the promised MESSIAH andЛtianity. SAVIOUR of the World, the SON and ANOINTED of God, who delegated and fent him with full Power and Commiffion fo to do. And this is the greatest and most momentous Point of Revelation. THE Doctrine of the Scriptures concerning The ScriptureJefus Chrift is, (1.) That he is the Son of God, Account of and was with God before the World was made. He is the Son Chrift. (2.) That in Time he took upon him a Body of of God. Flefb, was born of a Virgin, and was, to all ap- His Incarnapearance, an buman Perfon. (3.) That he grew tion. to the State of Manhood, and liv'd a perfectly pure and righteous Life, abfolutely free from Sin, Without Sin. or culpable Actions. (4.) That he declared him- The true felf to be the predicted or promifed Meffiah, or Meffiah. the Anointed of God, whom the Jews expected from their Writings. (5.) That he came to re- The Revealer veal the Mind of God his Father, and to en- of God's Will. lighten and reform a dark and degenerate World. (6.) That he was the great Antitype defign'd The great Antiand prefigured by the Jewish Law of Types and type. Ceremonies, and that therefore in him their Law was completed and fulfilled; and fo, the End being answer'd, was not to fubfift any longer. (7.) That he went about doing Acts of Charity Taught the and Beneficence; that he endeavour'd to bring true Worship Perfons off from their Corruptions, Superftitions, of God. and Idolatries, to the fpiritual and true Worship of God. (8.) That he foretold his own Death, His Prediand Refurrection, after three Days, from the tions. D 3 Grave, ment. That he bimfelf was appointed Judge He wrought Miracles. Chufes bis twelve Dif ciples. Taught the Re- Grave, and his Afcenfion into Heaven. (9.) That furrection and he was fent to declare to the World, that God future Judg has defign'd, at the final Period of the World, to raise the dead Bodies of all, both good and bad, from their Grave, and to judge them for the Things done in this Life, and to award and affign every one his Doom, according to the Merit or Demerit of their Lives. (10.) That all who are alive at that great Day fhall be changed; and that He himself was appointed by God his Father to be the awful Judge of Quick and Dead, (11.) That God had made it the indispensable Duty of every Man to believe the Doctrines which he preached; and to confirm the Truth of all his Pretenfions, he wrought divers Miracles in the open View of all Men, by the mighty Power of God his Father. (12.) That he made choice of twelve felect Men, call'd his Difciples, and fent them forth to preach and promulge his Do&trine, and gave them Power to work Miracles His Baptifm. alfo in Confirmation of it. (13.) That being about the thirtieth Year of his Age, he was baptized by his Prodromus, or Fore-runner, Jobn the Baptift; and was in that Action recogniz'd Recogniz'd the the Son of God, by an audible Voice from Heaven; Son of God. and confecrated by the Defcent of the Holy Spirit in the Shape of a Dove. (14.) But notwithftanding the invincible Power of heavenly Eloquence, of fupernatural Works and Wonders, of Purity and Perfection of Doctrine, the Jews would not believe him, nor receive him; but remain'd incorrigibly obftinate and inimicable. (15.) That by conftantly reproving their Incredulity, Superftition, Hypocrify, and other innumerable Vices, they conceiv'd an Hatred against him; and at laft confpired his Death, which they foon after effected; he being hanged on the Crofs, as a Malefactor to his Prince and Country, (16.) That The Jews re jea bim. They conpire, and put him 40 Death. |