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SER M.the Miracle was fet forth, confifted in This; that Matters were fo difpofed by the Wisdom of Providence, that the bitterest. Enemies of the Apostles, did themfelves, by their own Teftimony, remove the only Objections that could be brought against it. For, all that could poffibly be alledged against the Truth of the Miracle, was, either that the New Tongues wherewith the Apostles began to speak, were not real languages; or, if they were, that then the Apoftles, who fpake them, had ftudied and been taught thofe Languages before. But now the former of these Sufpicions, was removed by the Strangers then present; and the latter was taken off, by the Inhabitants of Jerufalem themfelves. The Strangers then present, who understood the Languages, took off that foolish Objection, Acts ii. 13; that the Apoftles were full of new Wine; for they heard and underftod them fpeaking in their own Tongues, the wonderful Works of God; ver. 11. And the Inhabitants of Jerufalem themselves, removed the other Sufpicion of their having been taught the Languages; for they knew them to be il

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literate men, and faid, Are not all thefe,SER M.

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that speak, Galileans? ver. 7; just as they m had formerly faid concerning Jefus himfelf; How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? Joh. vii. 14: And, whence has this man these things? not this the Carpenter, and Son of Mary? the Brother of James and Jofes and Juda and Simon? and are not his Sifters bere with us? St Mar. vi. 2. Both the Strangers therefore, and the Inhabitants of Ferusalem themselves, bore Teftimony to the Truth of the Miracle, even at the fame Time and with the fame Arguments by which they opposed it; and they were of all Others the best and most competent Witneffes, for that very Reason, because they were prejudiced against the Thing, and Enemies to the Men. Befides all which: the Miracle itself (as I before obferved) was permanent in its Continuance, as well as publick in the manner of its being worked: So that in all refpects, it was both the Greatest in the Nature of the Thing itself, and the Clearest in the Evidence of its being really performed; that can poffibly be imagined. To Us, indeed, who live

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This Diftance of Time, the Evidence of a Fact done fo many Ages fince, cannot be fo perfectly and entirely clear, as to those who were themselves Eye-Witneffes and Ear-Witneffes of it. But if there are Matters of Fact fo attested, even at much greater Distances of Time, as that no reasonable Perfon can in the leaft queftion the Truth of them; and This, of all Other diftant Facts that are recorded in any History, has the greatest and most remarkable Atteftations; the Evidence of it even to Us, can with as little Reafon be rejected, as that which was offered to those very Persons who lived at the Time. Nay, in fome refpects, we may feem even to have the Advantage over them, in Point of Certainty of our not being deceived. For, befides that we are Now free, from many of those inveterate Prejudices, which both Jews and Gentiles then laboured under; and which we cannot af fure ourselves we should less obftinately have adhered to, than They did; We have moreover, what They at that Time could not have; We have the concurrent Examination of many Ages, and the Advantage

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of confidering and comparing the Objec-SER M. tions of Adverfaries on all Sides; We have the additional Proofs, arifing from the continued Effects of this miraculous Power, in different Times and Places; We have seen the Truth of the Apostles Doctrine confirmed, by the accomplishment of feveral Prophecies; by the Deftruction of Jerufalem; by the final fcattering of the whole Nation of the Jews; by the incredible Succefs, and univerfal Propagation of the Gospel over all the World,

Now Thefe additional Confirmations, of the Truth of the Doctrine delivered by the Holy Ghost in the Revelation of the Gospel, are to Us; (what the Strength of the Evidence arifing from the Nearness of the Time, was to Them who lived in the first Ages;) a proportionable Aggravation of the Guilt of Unbelief, in thofe who, notwithstanding all reasonable Proof, yet obfinately reject the Counsel of God against Themfelves, by disbelieving or (which is the fame thing) difobeying the Gofpel. For the Sin of Unbelief, does not confift in not believing what men have no fufficient Reason to believe; but in refufing to atB 4 tend

SER M. tend to reasonable Evidence; in being un

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willing to examine into a Doctrine, which would oblige them to amend their Lives; in hating the Light, and fearing to come into it, left their Deeds fhould be reproved thereby. This is the Condemnation, faith our Saviour, that Light is come into the World, and men loved Darkness rather than Light, because their Deeds were evil; Joh. iii. 19. They are of thofe (as Job elegantly expreffes it) who rebel against the Light; they know not the Ways thereof, nor abide in the Paths thereof; ch. xxiv. 13. Upon this Account ; (that Knowledge, or, which is all one,) the Means of Knowledge fairly proposed to men, is the great Aggravation of the Sin of Unbelief; fhewing plainly, that in fuch Cafe nothing but Obstinacy and the Love of Sin, is the real Cause of their rejecting the Truth: Upon this Account, I fay, it is, that our Saviour thus declares concerning the Jews, St Job. xv. 22; If I had not come, and spoke unto them, they had not had Sin: but now they have no cloke for their Sin: and ver. 24; If I bad not done among them the Works which none other man did, they had not had Sin;

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