It might be particularly urged, in confirmation of the truth of Christianity, the wonderful success with which it has been attended, and the surprising propagation of the Gospel in the world.

We have endeavoured, under a former head, to shew, that the Gospel met with so favourable a reception in the world, as evidently proved, that its first publishers were capable of producing sufficient evidence of its truth; evidence absolutely incompatible with imposture. But we shall now carry this remark farther, and assert that, considering the circumstances of the case, it is amazing, that even truth itself, under so many disadvantages, should have so illustrious a triumph; and that its wonderful success so evidently proves such an extraordinary interposition of the Almighty in its favour, as may justly be called a miraculous attestation of it.

There was not only one of a family, or two of a city, taken and brought to Zion; but the Lord so hastened it, in its appointed time, that a little one became a thousand, and a small one a strong nation. And as the apostles themselves were honoured with very remarkable success, so this divine seed was propagated so fast in the next age, that Pliny testifies, "He found the Heathen temples in Achaia almost deserted:" and Tertullian, afterwards boasts, "That all places, except those temples, were filled with Christians; so that were they only to withdraw, cities and provinces

would be depopulated." Nor did the Gospel only triumph thus within the boundaries of the Roman empire: for long before Tertullian was born, Justin Martyr, in his dialogue with Trypho the Jew, which seems to have been written not much above an hundred years after Christ's death, declares, "That there was no nation of men, whether Greeks or Barbarians, not excepting those savages that wandered in clans from one region to another, and had no fixed habitation, who had not learned to offer prayers and thanksgivings to the Father and Maker of all, in the name of Jesus, who was crucified."

Now how is it possible to account for such circumstances as these, but by saying the hand of the Lord was with the first preachers of the gospel, and therefore such multitudes believed, and turned to the Lord? How was it possible for so small a fountain to have swelled immediately into a mighty river, and even have so extensively spread itself on the face of the earth, if it had not sprung from the sanctuary of God, and been rendered triumphant by his Almighty

arm?

Had this new religion, so directly contrary to all the prejudices of education, been formed to soothe men's vices, to countenance their errors, to defend their superstitions, or to promote their secular interests, we might easily have accounted for its prevalence in the world. Had its preachers been profound philosophers, or polite and fashionable orators, many

might have been charmed, at least for a while, to follow them: or had the princes and potentates of the earth declared themselves its patrons, and armed their legions for its defence and propagation, multitudes might have been terrified into the profession, though not a soul could by such means have been rationally persuaded to the use of it. But without some such advantages as these, we can hardly conceive, how any new religion should so strangely prevail; even though it had crept into the world in its darkest ages, and the most barbarous countries; and though it had been gradually proposed in the most artful manner, with the finest veil industriously drawn over every part which might at first have given disgust to the beholder.

But every one knows that the very reverse of all this was the case of Christianity. It is abundantly evident, from the apparent constitution of the religion of Jesus, that the lusts and errors, the superstitions and interests of carnal men, would immediately rise up against it as a most irreconcileable enemy. It is known, that the learning and wit of the Greeks and Romans were early employed to ridicule and obstruct its progress. It is known, that as all the herd of the heathen deities were to be discarded, the priests, who subsisted by the superstitious worship paid them, must in interest find themselves obliged to oppose it. It is known, that the princes of the earth drew the sword against it, and armed torments and

death for the destruction of its followers. And yet it triumphed over all, though published in ages and places celebrated for learning and elegance; and proposed, not in an ornamental and artificial manner, but with the utmost plainness; the doctrines of the cross being always advanced as its grand foundation, though so notorious a stumbling-block both to the Jews and Gentiles; and the absolute necessity, not only of embracing Christianity, but also of renouncing all idol worship, being insisted on immediately and in the strongest terms, and which must have made the religion of the gospel appear to them the most singular that had ever been taught in the world.

Had one of the wits or politicians of the present age seen the apostles, and a few other plain men, who had been educated amongst the lowest of the people, as most of the first teachers of Christianity were, going out armed with nothing but faith, truth, and goodness, to

encounter the power of princes, the bigotry of priests, the learning of philosophers, the rage of the populace, and the prejudices of all; how would he have derided the attempt, and said, with Sanballat, What will these feeble Jews do? But had he seen the event, surely he must have owned, with the Egyptian Magi, in a far less illustrious miracle, that it was the finger of God; and

might justly have fallen on his face, even among those whom he had insulted, with an humble acknowledgement that God was with them of a truth.

The most eminent and signal instance under this head, is that of our Lord's prediction concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, as recorded by St. Matthew, in his twenty-fourth chapter. The tragical history of it is most circumstantially described by Josephus, the Historian, who was an eye-witness of it; and the description which he has given of this sad calamity so exactly corresponds with the prophecy, that one would have thought, had we not known the contrary, that it had been written by a Christian, on purpose to illustrate it. And one can never enough admire the series of amazing providence, by which the author was preserved from most imminent danger, that he might leave us that invaluable treasure which his writings contain.

We have no need of further evidence than we find in Josephus, of the exact accomplishment of what was prophecied concerning the destruction of Jerusalem. But our Lord had also foretold the long-continued desolation of the temple. And we cannot forbear mentioning the awful sanction which was given to that part of the prediction. For it is well known, that a heathen historian has assured us, that when Julian the apostate, in deliberate contempt of that prediction, solemnly and resolutely undertook to rebuild it, his impious

The prediction of St. Paul, concerning the man of sin, and the apostacy of the latter times, is so well worthy of our remark; and though a great part of the book of Revelation be still concealed under a dark veil, yet the division of the Roman empire into ten kingdoms; the usurpation, persecution, and idolatry of the Romish church, and the long duration of the papal power, with several other extraordinary events, which no human prudence could have foreseen, and which have happened long since the publication of that book, are so clearly foretold there, that we cannot but look on that part of the scripture as an invaluable treasure: and it is not at all improbable, that the more visible accomplishment of some of its other prophecies, may be a great means of reviving the Christian cause, which is at present so much on the decline.

The preservation of the Jews, as a distinct people, is another particular, under this head, which well deserves our attentive regard.

It is plain that they are very numerous, notwithstanding all the slaughter and destruction of this people, in former and latter ages. They are dispersed among various and most distant nations, and particularly in these parts of the world, where Christianity is professed; and though they

are exposed to great hatred and contempt, on account of their different faith, and in most places subject to civil incapacities, if not to unchristian severities; yet they are still most obstinately tenacious of their religion; which is the more wonderful, as their fathers were so prone to apostatize from it; and as most of them seem to be utter strangers entirely to piety or humanity, and pour the greatest contempt on the moral precepts of their own law, while they are so attached to the ceremonial institutions of it, troublesome and inconvenient as they are. Now let us seriously reflect, what an evident hand of Providence is here, that by their dispersion, preservation, and adherence. to their religion, it should come to pass, that Christians should daily see the accomplishment of many remarkable prophecies concerning this people; and that we should always have amongst us such a crowd of unexceptionable witnesses to the truth of those ancient Hebrew records, on which so much of the evidence of the Gospel depends; records which are many of them so full to the purpose, for which we alledge them, that, as a celebrated writer very well observes," Had it been represented that the whole body of the Jewish nation had been converted to Christianity, men would certainly have thought the assertion had been forged by Christians; and have looked upon them in the same light with the prophecies of the Sybils, as made many years after the events which they pretended to foretel."

people, evidently leaves room for the accomplishment of those Old and New Testament prophecies, which relate to their national conversion and restoration whereas, that would be impossible in itself, or at least impossible to be known, if they were promiscuously blended with other people. On the whole, it is such a scene in the conduct of Providence, as we are well assured, cannot be paralleled in the history of any other nation upon earth and affords a most obvious and important argument in favour of the Gospel.

Thus had Christianity been further confirmed since its publication, by what God has done to establish it. It only remains that we consider,

2. What confirmation it receives from the methods which its enemies have taken to destroy it.

And these have generally been, either persecution, or falsehood, or cavilling at some particulars in the revelation, without entering into the grand argument on which it is built, and fairly debating what is offered in its defence. Now, who would not think the better of a cause for being thus attacked?

At first, it is known that the professors, and especially the preachers of the Gospel, were severely persecuted. In every city bonds and imprisonment awaited them. As soon as ever the apostles as ever the apostles began to preachy Jesus and his resurrection, the Jewish rulers laid hold on them; and having confined and scourged them, strictly prohibited their speaking any more in his name. A little while

the apostles. Now certainly such a conduct evidently betrayed a consciousness that they were not able to answer the apostles, and to support their own cause by the fair methods of reason and argument, to which, so far as the history informs us, they made no pretence: but attempted to bear them down by dint of authority and to silence them by brutal force.

It would be needless to attempt shewing, particularly, how these unrighteous methods were pursued in succeeding ages and distant countries. The savage cruelties of Nero to these innocent and holy men, were such as raised the pity even of their enemies. Yet this was one of the least extensive and destructive of the ten general persecutions, which arose in the Roman empire, besides several others in the neighbouring countries, of which ecclesiastical history informs us.

These early enemies of the gospel added falsehood and slander to their inhumanities. They endeavoured to murder the reputations of Christians, as well as their persons; and were not ashamed to present them as haters of the whole human species, for no imaginable reason, but that they would not associate themselves in their idolatrous worship. Nay, they charged them with human sacrifices, incest, idolatry, and all the crimes, for which themselves and their false gods were indeed justly detestable; but from which the Christians knew how to vindicate themselves, highly to their own honour, and the everlasting reproach of these malignant and pestilent accusers. And they have not failed to do it in many

noble apologies, which, through the Divine providence, are transmitted to us, to us, and are incomparably the most valuable of any ancient unin-spired writings.

Such were the infamous, the scan-' dalous methods, by which the Gospel was opposed in the earliest ages of the church; and it must be added, that the measures more lately taken to subvert it, especially among ourselves, seem rather to reflect a glory on it. The unhappy enemies of the Gospel of the Son of God have been told, again and again, that we put the proof of it on plain facts. They themselves do not, and cannot deny,' that it prevailed early in the world, as we have shewn at large. There must have been some men, or body of men, who first introduced it; and even themselves, notwithstanding all their obstinacy and perverseness, generally confess that Christ and his apostles were the persons; which is a manifest acknowledgment of the most forcible argument they can give against their own debased principles.

Now which of these schemes will the unbelievers take? It seems, that the deists of the present age fix on neither, as being secretly conscious they cannot support either: but they content themselves with cavilling at some circumstances attending the revelation, without daring to encounter its grand evidence; that is, they have been laboriously attempting to prove it to be improbable, or absurd, to suppose that to have been, which nevertheless plainly appears to have been facts. One of them, most weakly and sophistically attempts to prove, in defiance of the common sense of