In explaining this matter, which the importance of the subject requires us to do more at large, it will be neceffary just to repeat what has been observed before; that, in the first propagation of a new Religion from Heaven, the Will of God must be attested by MIRACLES; fince nothing lefs than this inftant Evidence is fufficient to affure us of its divine original.

But when this hath been fully and largely afforded, the power of Miracles (where Miracles do not make a conftant and effential part in the nature of the Dispensation," as they did in the Jewish) is with good reafon withdrawn from the Servants and Minifters of Religion: And the CHURCH is from thenceforth left, at least for fome time, to fupport itself on the TRADITIONAL EXEMPLIFICATION of this evidence; fomething lefs forcible than the ORIGINAL RECORD, of which the first and better ages of Christianity had been in poffeffion.

But by the time this MIRACULOUS power began to fail, another was preparing to fupply its place, of ftill greater efficacy; I mean, that of PROPHECY.

For the fovereign Mafter, who no less manifefts his conftant PRESENCE to the moral than to the phyfical government of the World, has been graciously pleased to give to the later ages of the Church more than an equivalent for what he had beftowed upon the earlier, in beginning to shower down on his chofen fervants of the NEW COVENANT the riches of PROPHECY as the power of working MIRACLES abated, So early, I fay, was this preparation made for that stronger and more lafting fupport; a fupport not yet, indeed, improved into Evidence; nor was the Evidence wanted, while Miracles, in a fort, remained. Befides, it could not, in the nature of things, become Evidence, till fome time after its firft enunciation: for till the more confiderable events of a PROPHECY, which contained the future and later fortunes of the Gospel, had arifen, and been brought, by degrees, into EXISTENCE, the Prophecy. could afford no conviction of its truth.

Yet, in this wonderful difpofition of things, we fee the divine Hand by which they were conducted.

To

To proceed. PROPHECIES were now more clearly and fimply, now more obfcurely and enigmatically enounced, just as the nature of the fubject or the circumftances of the time required.-Yet ftill we have ventured to call PROPHECY a ftronger and more lafting Evidence than MIRACLES. And this will deferve our attention. The evidence from MIRACLES feems, by its nature, to lessen somewhat by time; while that from PROPHECY gathers ftrength by it, and grows more and more convictive, till the gradual and full completion of all its parts makes the fplendour of it irresistible.

Hence the wisdom of the divine Difpofer is ftill further feen, in making PROPHECY, not only the strongest, but the LAST and CONCLUDING Evidence of a Religion, which, as it was the completion of the whole scheme of REVELATION, fo having (as it would feem) the largest portion of its courfe yet to run, that species of Evidence which does not lofe, but gain ftrength, by time, was best fitted to accompany it to its utmost period.

But to go on with our more general reflections on the whole.

This DOUBLE EVIDENCE, in fupport of Revealed Religion, hath always been the fame throughout every mode of God's moral Difpenfations. The records of facred Hiftory confirm this Truth.

Under the Jewish economy, although MIRACLES, by reason of the peculiar form of the Republic, were neceffarily attendant on its administration, throughout a course of many ages (that is, during all the time in which the affairs of this people were conducted by an extraordinary Providence), yet God's infpired Servants were, together with the power of working MIRACLES, endowed with the gift of PROPHECY. For, although the extraordinary Providence, and confequently MIRACLES, which made a part of it, continued much longer than would have been neceffary, had MIRACLES amongst the Jews been of no other use than they were in the Chriftian Church, viz. to evidence the divinity of the Revelation; yet as that Providence, and confequently this miraculous attendant on it, were to cease

long

long before the abolition of the THEOCRAcy; the other evidence of PROPHECY, in the abfence of MIRACLES, was gracioufly: bestowed on the Jewish Church likewise.

Hence the inspired Ministers of it, DaNIEL in particular, foretold more circum-: ftantially and minutely than the reft, the various fortunes of that Church and Republic, from its decay, in their own times, to the entire diffolution of it by the intro. duction of a better SYSTEM.

In the like manner St. JOHN, under the NEW COVENANT, did, by the fame divine, Spirit, predict the fortunes of the Chriftian Church, from the flourishing condition of it, in his own time, through all the difafters of the corrupt ages that followed, to the happy confummation of all things.

In both cafes, for the reasons above given, PROPHECY Could not be urged as inftant evidence, at the time it was delivered, but was kept entire and referved for the use of thofe ages, when MIRACLES having longceafed in the Christian Church, and were declining in the Jewish, feemed to need this other and further fupport..