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ed their teftimony with their blood, and were enabled to add farther atteftations by a variety of miracles, and the feveral gifts of the holy Ghoft, 1 John i. 1, 2. That, which was from the beginning, fays St. John, in the name of himfelf and of the other primitive difciples, which we have heard (with our own ears from Christ himself,) which we have feen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, (with a juft care and concern that we might not be mistaken in a matter of fuch importance,) which our bands have handled, of the word of life; i. e. concerning Chrift: referring probably to that evidence already mentioned, which Chrift was pleafed to offer to Thomas and the reft of his difciples of the truth of his refurrection ; which though it was occafioned by an unreasonable incredulity in Thomas, yet was made by providence an occafion of giving a confiderable affiftance to the faith of after-chriftians. That, fays the Apostle, which we have feen and heard, declare we unto you. And this teftimony given by the first difciples, is conveyed down to us in the written records of the New Teftament, which have been withe ffed to, for the fubftance of the facts contained in them, by friends and enemics from age to age.

If yet it fhould be faid, that we ftand not however juft upon the fame foot for these things, as the firft Chriftians did; yet while we fall fhort one way, we gain another. We have feveral evidences of the truth of the chrif tian religion, which they of the firft age could not have, in the accomplishment of many prophefies contained in the New Teftament:

Such

Such as the deftruction of Jerufalem, with all the minute circumstances of agreement between the prophecy and execution: the rejection of the Jewish nation for fo many ages, and with the most eminent marks of diftinction: the extensive and quick propagation of the Gospel, answerable to what was foretold, notwithstanding the greatest oppofitions, and by inftruments very unlikely to conquer the world to the obedience of faith: the many fufferers of the profeffors of it, their courage and conftancy, and yet the maintenance and growth of Chriftianity under all: the rife and progrefs of the man of fin: and other fuch proofs.

We have alfo the ftanding evidence of the power of the Gofpel, in the mighty change it produces in the tempers and lives of fome in every age would to God there were more fuch inftances in our degenerate times to ftrike the world around with conviction and admiration! Bleffed be God that there are fome. Thofe who actually feel the virtue of it, have the witnefs in themselves.

These things may fhew, that in our present circumftances, faith in Chrift is most reafonably claimed from us, though we have never feen him.

3. Faith in Chrift, upon the foundations we now have, is fufficient to fupply the want of fight, for all practical purposes. If we are willing to believe the teftimony of God, upon as full atteftations that it comes from him, as we are entirelý fatisfied with in other cafes, "we cannot want confiderations fit to influence

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us to every part of the chriftian life. object of faith, the doctrine of the Gospel, contains abundant "evidence of things not seen," a full proof of them, though we see them not: by faith we receive that evidence or proof as God's teftimony; and if we do it fincerely, we fhall act and govern ourselves by it. We have thofe truths recorded in the Scripture which our Lord delivered by word of mouth; and the fame credentials enrolled there for the ufe of all ages, which Chrift then gave. If we are infenfible of the obligations arifing from these things in our prefent circumftances: whatever we may imagine, it may justly be concluded, that we fhould have been among the unbelievers in Christ's own time; that the fame prejudices and corrupt affections would have prevailed with us to reject Christ in person, which hinders us from entertaining him as offered in the Gospel.

4. We are called to believe many things, concerning Chrift, which none ever faw; and therefore for those things at least we are upon a level with those who converfed with him in our world. His life and death, and refurrection and ascension, were indeed made objects of fenfe to fome; but his divine nature, and the defigns of his death, were entirely matters of faith to them as well as to us. What Chrift is now in heaven, what he is doing there, and what he will do when he fhall come again the second time, ever were things out of the reach of sense, as they are now eye hath not seen them, though the ear hath heard them; they

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were believed upon the word of Chrift and of his infpired apoftles, and fo they fhould be by us. Thefe things which are as important in chriftianity as thofe which were once obvious to fenfe, and which have as great an influence upon the christian temper, were folely matters of faith to the firft Chriftians as well as to us.

5. There is a peculiar excellence in the faith of Chriftians, as thus circumftanced; that it is a faith in a Saviour whom they have not feen. The goodness of faith confifts in a readiness to believe and govern ourselves by the teftimony of God, as far as we can difcern it. There was nothing commendable in perfons believing that fuch and fuch facts came to pass, that fuch mighty works were done, which they faw with their eyes, and therefore could not but believe: but all that was morally good in their faith was, that they were led by these evidences to believe unfeen things upon the teftimony of God. The cafe is the fame now; the grace of faith is altogether a different thing from fight and if our fenfible evidence be lefs than that of the firft Chriftians; yet as long as it is fufficient, our faith thus circumftanced fhews a more prompt inclination to take God's word, where we have ground enough to believe that he fpeaks, though we fhould not have fuch overbearing evidence as fome have had. The language of it is; "I am willing to know the

mind of God, how foever he pleases to make "it known to me; I prefcribe not to him the way I acquiefce in the method which

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this wildom, and goodnefs, and fovereignty "chufes, for making me acquainted with it: 66 as long as I am convinced that I have his "teftimony, I would fall in with it, and guide myfelf by it and therefore I receive a Saviour, who I am well affured comes from "him, though I have never feen him, as fome "did." This is a temper of mind honourable, to God, becoming a reasonable creature, and one who is in earnest concerned for the interefts of his foul.

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6. We have encouragement to hope, that our faith in an unfeen Saviour will be peculiarly acceptable. We not only find Chrift praying before his fufferings for those "who fhould afterwards believe in him through the word" of his apoftles, as well as for bis fent difciples: John xvii. 20. but allo after his refurrection pronouncing a peculiar ble!fedness upon thofe who fhould “believe in him, though they faw him not," John xx. 29. Hereby we give glory to God, as ftrong in faith; and God will accordingly honour fuch a faith. The apostle writing to the Theffalonians, who were called into the kingdom and fellowship of the Lord Jefus after his leaving the world, tells them, 2 Theff. i. 10. that "he should come to be glorified in his faints, and to be admired in all them that believe, because (fays the apostle) our teftimony among you was believed."

INFERENCES.

1. We may fee the wisdom of divine providence, in adjusting the circumftances of

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