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An Exhortation to the Exercise of it
in the Participation of the blessed
Sacrament.
SERMON VIII.
199, 200
Miracles the most proper Way of
proving the divine Authority of
any Religion.
MARK XVI. 20.
And they went forth, and preached every
where; the Lord working with them
and confirming the Word with Signs
following.
The Success of the Apoftles preaching
owing to a divine Power and Affi-
ftance that accompanied them. 204
Miracles the Foundation upon which
both the Mofaic and Chriftian Reve-
lation ftand. 205, 206
I. Miracles, according to the common
Senfe of Mankind, the proper Me-
dium of proving a Religion to be
divine Appointment.
207
Tho' all Religions have at their
firft Rise equally pretended to them,
one.
it does not follow that they can be no certain Argument of a true 208-210
11. The Reasonablenefs and Neceffity
of this Sort of Evidence, fhewn
from the general Nature of it. 210
A Doctrine, tho' pure and holy,
cannot be itself an Evidence of its
own divine Original. 211-213
Tho' Miracles are not neceffary to
induce a Belief of Moral Truths,
yet they are to atteft fuch as are
of pofitive Inftitution. 214-216
III. The Propriety of this Sort of E-
vidence fhewn from the peculiar
Characters and Properties of it. 216
1. Miracles extremely fit to awa- ken Mens Attention.
217
The Fathers of the Eastern Miffion
endeavoured to make up this Dif-
advantage, by fome curious and
furprising Works of Art.
217, 218
2. They are the fhortest and most
expeditious Way of Proof.
218
-
- 220
3. And of univerfal Force and Effi-
220
222
cacy.
Since the Proof the Chriftian Faith
is found and fatisfactory, it is our
Duty
Duty to adhere to it ftedfaftly.
Credulity and Weakness has much
the Advantage of Infidelity, with
regard to the Eafe and Peace of
Mind it affords in this World,
and is more likely, if it errs, to
be pardoned by God in another.
SERMON IX.
223, 224
The difficult Paffages of Scripture
vindicated from fuch Objecti-
ons as are usually made to them,
and proper Directions given
how we are to use them.
2 PET. iii. 6.
In which are fome Things hard to be un-
derstood, which they that are unlearned
and unstable wreft, as they do alfo the
other Scriptures.
The Defign of St. Peter in this Epiftle,
and the Connexion of the Text
cleared.
227-231
I. Seve-
237
I. Several Particulars in St. Paul's Wri-
tings, and in the other Scriptures al-
fo, hard to be understood. 232-235
II. To account for thefe Obfcurities
even in the Apoftles Time, it is to
be observed, That the Writers of
them, tho' under the immediate In-
spiration of the Holy Ghoft, were
left to express themselves after their
own particular Manner. 236
The Nature of fome Things they
delivered was so obfcure, that the
Language of Men muft needs
fall fhort of them.
If fome Paffages were of uncertain
Meaning at that Time, there must
be more fo to us who live at this
Distance from the Age of the A-
poftles. 238,239
The Eastern Manner of thinking
and speaking, at the Time efpe-
cially when the Scriptures were
writ, widely different from ours,
who live in this Age, and this
Quarter of the World.
And the particular Occafions, upon
which fome Parts of them were
writ, entirely unknown to us.
239
240
The
The Multiplicity of Commentators that have ftarted all poffible Senfes of Scripture, have cast a Mift over many Places of it, that of themselves were plain and clear.
241
III. Thefe Obfcurities are no Reflecti-
on on the Goodness of God, which
is not obliged to do every Thing
for us that is poffible to be done,
but only that which is fitting and
fufficient for the End it defigns.
243
244
Scripture fufficient for the End to
which it was defigned, because
though not equally perfpicuous
throughout, yet is in the Main
and for the moft Part fo.
And wherever it is hard to be un-
derstood, is on that Account not
neceffary to be understood. 245
Nor are they a Reflection on the
Wifdom of God, because they are
none of them fo difficult as to be
utterly unintelligible.
They answer several wife Ends of
Providence, particularly they ferve
to humble the Prefumption and
Pride of Man.
246
248
To