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ftyle; its candour in relating the faults as well as excellencies of its great men; the generally apparent fuitablenefs of its tranfactions and precepts to the attributes of the fupreme Author of all; its confiftency with the best ancient history and with itself; and other topics of this kind which have been fo often amply and excellently enlarged on; or laftly, that which should be regarded in a different and fuperior light, the relation between the ritual of the Law and its antitypes in the Gofpel, between the feveral prophecies under the old dispensation and their accomplishment, under the new; which are so perpetually and fo intimately connected with each other, that it would be abfurd to fuppofe the two fyftems feparable, or the one true and the other false,

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To conclude: if it can then be fhewn that, from the External Evidence of both fcriptures, their claim to the title of God's Word is founded on reafons fo clear and strong, that it is impoffible that they should not be received as fuch by honeft mind; we may venture to afcribe to this evidence a conviction as fatisfactory as the conclufions of Science, agreeably to what was faid before of the higheft degree of credibility in matters of Faith. And we are perfuaded that the Veracity and Ability of the witneffes, in refpect

fpect to the Authenticity and Fidelity of the facred volume, and to the Pretenfions of the Gospel-Difpenfation, will ftand, on the fulleft investigation, afcertained to us by the concur rence of all the proofs that are applicable to the cafe. And thus, in a concern of such high moment, it has pleafed God to afford fuch teftimony to mankind, that neither the ignorance nor weakness of any man might debar him from perceiving the force of it, when offered to him. This we are taught to expect, not only from reason, but from his declarations in * Holy Writ. Of the Gospel it was peculiarly foretold, a prediction exprefsly declared by our Lord to have been fulfilled, that it was to be preached unto "the Poor." On the fame account alfo, a great acceffion of Internal Evidence has certainly been bestowed, to give every argument in its favour that the nature of the cafe would admit.

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But to the Critic and Philofopher all thefe various proofs, as it hath been intimated, were not neceffary. To them, who were raised above the bulk of mankind in wisdom and learning, and could have leifure from the cares of life to revolve and eftimate in their minds the different arguments in favour of Chriftianity; to them a

* Deut. xxx. 1014, 15, 19, which is applied to the Gospel, Rom. x. 8. + Matt. xi. 5. Luke iv. 21.

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few eflential ones would have been fufficient, to cut off from them all excufe and reafon of unbelief. Nay, to proceed yet farther; it will become at least such to confider what ought to have been their conduct, if it had pleafed God that these evidences, in their case, should have amounted to a much flighter conviction; or even if they had been fuch, that the arguments for and against the authenticity of the Gospel had been very nearly balanced: even then they would have to reply to the argument of an excellent Writer,* which has proved that it would be utterly unwife, according to every idea of human wisdom, to hesitate between the admiffion or rejection of a plan, that if followed, might poffibly lead to an eternity of celestial happiness, and, if not adopted might doom to accursed, everlasting misery. For it is well known, that matters of the greatest importance to our earthly welfare often reft on a flight preponderation of probability in favour of the choice which we have made; and that a man's wisdom is never called into question because he acts on fuch an evidence. He would certainly be esteemed to act against his reason, if he refused or neglected to follow the light of that evidence, though ever fo faint and glimmering, when his view on the opposite fide is at least more

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• Bp. Butler's Introduction to the Analogy of religion, and part ii. c. 6. See also Pascal, Pensées fur la Religion, c. 7.

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dark. And particularly is this reasoning just, if we reflect that here he has only an alternative, and no medium; cannot fteer a neutral way, or keep back from both, but must choose the one or the other; must tread the path that points to endless glory and blifs, or fall into the way that threatens to lead unto endless ruin,

We must now therefore, I think, inevitably conclude in this cafe with the great Evangelift, that he who refufes or hefitates to follow the light that shines before him, must have some secret motive for doing fo, different in its kind from reafon and conviction: that therefore his paffions, evil habits, or worldly interest incline him to the other fide. But I should not say with the Evangelist alone, for the conclufion is warranted by innumerable texts, and indeed the whole tenor of both Scriptures.* This is that most important object of confideration which has been before noticed, and deferves to be ever deeply entertained in our minds; which we shall still, as we proceed, fee more reason to dread as the great and criminal caufe of Mental Perverfion. May we be induced by reflection on its tendency and power to guard against its influence; and to draw fearfully back from the fellowship and reasonings of those who mifled by this in

* One inftance may be fufficient. Heb. iii. 6-14.

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ternal guide, thus alas! walk through the mists of error and difbelief unto the fhadow of death! who are pronounced to be under the dreadful condemnation of fuch as "hate the light, nei"ther come to the light left their deeds be "reproved;" on this account "loving darkness " rather than light, because their deeds are " evil*."

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SERMON

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