so often been brought to the brink of ruin through the greatest part of six thousand years—has yet been upheld, most remarkably shows the hand of God in favor of the church. If duly considered, it will appear one of the greatest wonders and miracles. There is nothing like it upon the face of the earth. There is no other society of men that has stood as the church has. As to the old world before the flood, that was overthrown by a deluge of waters; but yet the church of God was preserved. Satan's visible kingdom on earth was then once entirely overthrown; but the visible kingdom of Christ never has been overthrown. All those ancient human kingdoms and monarchies of which we read, have long since come to an end; the Moabites, the Ammonites, the Edomites, &c. The great empire of proud Babylon was overthrown by the Persians; then the Persian empire by the Greeks; after this the Grecian empire was overthrown by the Romans; and finally, the Roman empire fell a sacrifice to various barbarous nations. Here is a remarkable fulfillment of the text, The moth has eaten them up like a garment, and the worm has eaten them like wool; but God's church remains.

Never were there so many and so potent endea vors to destroy any thing else, as to destroy the church. Other kingdoms and societies of men which have appeared to be ten times as strong as the church, have been destroyed with a hundredth part of the opposition the church of God has encountered: which shows that it is God who has been its Protector. For it is most plain that it has not upheld itself by its own strength. For the most part, it has been a very weak society. The children of

Israel were but a handful of people, in comparison of the many who often sought their overthrow. So in Christ's time, and in the beginning of the christian church, they were but a remnant, whereas the whole multitude of the Jewish nation were against them. And so in the beginning of the gentile church, they were but a small number, in comparison with the Heathen who sought their overthrow. In the dark times of Antichrist, before the Reformation, they were but a handful; and yet their enemies could not overthrow them. And commonly the enemies of the church have not only had the greatest number on their side, but they have had the strength in other respects. They have commonly had all the civil authority on their side. So in Egypt, the civil authority was for the Egyptians, and the church were only their slaves, and in their hands; and yet they could not overthrow them. And so it was in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes and Julian the Apostate, the authority was all on the side of the persecutors, and the church was under their dominion; yet all their cruelty could not extirpate it. And for a great many ages the civil authority was all on the side of Antichrist, and the church seemed to be in their hands.

And not only has the strength of its enemies been greater than that of the church, but ordinarily the church has not used what strength they have had in their own defence, but have committed themselves wholly to God. In the time of the Jewish persecutions before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, and of the heathen persecutions before Constantine, the Christians did not pretend to make any forcible resistance to their heathen persecutors

So it has been for the most part under the popish persecutions; and yet they have never been able to overthrow the church of God; but it stands to this very day.

And this is still the more exceedingly wonderful, if we consider how often the church has been brought to the brink of ruin, and the case seemed to be despe rate. In the time of the old world, when wickedness so prevailed that but one family was left, God wonderfully appeared, and overthrew the wicked world with a flood, and preserved his church. At the Red Sea, when Pharaoh and his host thought they were quite sure of their prey, God appeared, destroyed them, and delivered his church. Under the tenth and last heathen persecution, their persecutors boasted that now they had done the business for the Christians, and overthrown the christian church; yet in the midst of their triumph the christian church rises out of the dust and prevails, and the heathen empire totally falls before it. So when the christian church seemed ready to be swallowed up by the Arian heresy, when Antichrist rose and prevailed, and all the world wondered after the beast; when the church for many hundred years was reduced to a small number, and the power of the world was engaged to destroy those little remnants; yet they could never fully accomplish their design, and at last God wonderfully revived his church by the Reformation, made it to stand as it were on its feet in the sight of its enemies, and raised it out of their reach. And when the popish powers plotted the overthrow of the reformed church, and seemed just about to execute their design, then God wonderfully appeared for the deliverance of his church, as at the revolu

tion by King William. Presently after the darkest times, God has made his church most gloriously to flourish.

If such a preservation of the church of God, from the beginning of the world hitherto, attended with such circumstances, is not sufficient to show a divine hand in favor of it, what can be devised that would be sufficient? But if this be from the divine hand, then God owns the church, and owns that revelation and those Scriptures on which she is built; and so it will follow that their religion is the true religion, or God's religion, and that the Scriptures, which they make their rule, are his word.

3. We may draw this further argument for the divine authority of the Scriptures, that God has fulfilled those things which are foretold in the Scriptures. I have already observed in general, as I have proceeded, how the prophecies of Scripture were fulfilled: I shall now single out but two instances.

(1.) One is in preserving his church from being ruined. I have just now shown what an evidence this is of the divine authority of the Scriptures in itself considered; I now speak of it as a fulfillment of Scripture prophecy. This is abundantly foretold and promised in the Scriptures, particularly in the text. There it is foretold that other things should fail; other kingdoms and monarchies, which set themselves in opposition, should come to nothing: "The moth should eat them up like a garment, and the worm should eat them like wool." It is here

foretold that God's covenant mercy to his church should continue for ever; and so it has hitherto proved, though the church has passed through so

many dangers. The same is promised, Isa. 54: 17. "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment, thou shalt condemn." And again, Isa. 49: 14, 15, 16. "But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can

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a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands, thy walls are continually before me." The same is promised, Isa. 59: 21; 63: 1, 2. Zech. 12: 2, 3. So Christ promised the same, when he says, this rock will I build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Now if this be not from God, and the Scriptures be not the word of God, and the church of Christ built on the foundation of this word be not of God, how could the persons who foretold this know it? for if the church were not of God, it was a very unlikely thing ever to come to pass. They foretold great opposition and dangers, that other kingdoms should come to nought, and that the church should often be almost swallowed up; and yet that the church should remain. How could they foresee so unlikely a thing but by divine inspiration?

(2.) The other remarkable instance is the fulfillment of Scripture prophecy concerning Antichrist. The way that this Antichrist should arise is foretold, viz. not among the heathen, or those nations that never professed Christianity; but by the falling away of the Christian church into a corrupt state. 2 Thess. 2: 3. "For that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man