be treated perhaps as the effect of mere fancy and imagination; for there are many prejudices which lie in its way. All that I shall say more upon that fubject, is only this: if you allow the account, it carries on the feries of God's difpenfations towards mankind in a natural gradation, and opens a new scene of providence, where there seems to be great reason to expect one, at the beginning of the new world: if you reject this account, there seems to be a great gap in the facred hiftory, and the new world fets out just where the old one left off; and yet who would not expect that fo great a change fhould be attended with some new degree of light, to comfort and fupport the poor remains of mankind? If the notion is not approved, it is at least an innocent one; and I am not fo fond of it as to enter further into the defence of it.

As to the Differtations which I have added, the relation they have to the fsubject of the Discourses will appear to those who think them worth the reading; and there is no reafon to trouble others with any account of them.

DISCOURSE I.

2 PETER i. 19.

We have alfo a more fure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-ftar arise your hearts.

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THERE being evidently a comparison in the text between the word of prophecy, and fomething before mentioned or intended, it is neceffary to look back to fee how the relation ftands, and what the thing is to which the word of prophecy is compared and preferred. At the fixteenth verfe the Apoftle fays, We have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift. And after thus difclaiming all art and deceit in fetting forth the promifes and expectations of the Gofpel, he proceeds to declare upon what evidence and authority he had raised fuch expectations in them: But (we) were eye-witnesses of his majefty: for he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came fuch a voice to him from the excellent glory; This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleafed. And this voice which came

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from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. Immediately follow the words of the text, We have also a more fure word of prophecy.

You fee upon what foundation their inference ftands, who affert, that the evidence which Chriftians have from prophecy for the certainty of their hopes and expectations, compared with the evidence they have from the preaching of the Apostles, who were eye-witneffes and ear-witneffes of what they report concerning the majefty of Chrift, is the greater and furer evidence ; or, in the words of a late author, that a prophecy is a stronger argument than a mi"racle, which depends upon external evidence and " teftimony." This author has taken great pains to fhew, that the argument from prophecy for the truths of Christianity, as managed and applied by the writers of the New Teftament, is abfurd and ri-' diculous; and, that we may not flatter ourselves with hopes of affiftance from other arguments, he gives us this text of St. Peter, to fhew, by the authority of our own Scriptures, that prophecy, as bad an argument as it is, is nevertheless the very beft that our cause affords. But his views be to himself; what truth there is in his expofition and application of this part of Scripture, we fhall foon fee.

Interpreters differ very much in expounding this paffage; but all, as far as I fee, agree in rejecting this fenfe, which gives a fuperiority to the evidence of prophecy above all other evidence, by which the truth of the Gofpel is confirmed; and

a A Difcourfe of the Grounds and Reafons of the Chriftian Religion, printed 1724. P. 27.

indeed the text, expounded to this meaning, contradicts not only the general fenfe of mankind upon this fubject, but will be found likewife inconfiftent with itself, and many other places of Scripture. For, first, let any man confider, and fay upon what proof and evidence the authority of prophecy itself depends. Can any prophet give greater proof of his divine miffion, than the power of working miracles? And if this be the last, and the greatest proof he can give of his being fent by God, can the evidence of prophecy ever rife higher than the evidence of miracles, upon which it ultimately depends for all its authority? When Gideon was called to the deliverance of Ifrael, the angel of the Lord came and faid unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour;―go in this thy might, and thou shalt fave Ifrael from the hand of the Midianites; have not I fent thee? Here now was a prophecy delivered by the angel of the Lord to encourage his undertaking. What fays Gideon to this? He defires a fign; If now I have found favour in thy fight, then fhew me a fign that thou talkeft with me. A fign is given him, a miraculous fign, he is fatisfied, and undertakes the work appointed; to which he is again encouraged by two miracles wrought at his requeft, Judges vii. What think you now? the prophecy delivered by the angel was as much a prophecy before, as it was after miracles wrought in confirmation of it: but was the word of prophecy more fure before the miracles than after? if so, why was a fign defired? and when defired, why was it granted? Does God work miracles to humour men in their folly; or is it to confirm their faith? If it be to confirm their faith, then our

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