44 . THE REASON OF FAITH. [BOOK VI., PART I.
power in its administration, whereby the world was subdued unto the obedience of it ; and the time will come when he will revive the same work of power and grace, to retrieve the world into a subjection to Jesus Christ, And although he doth not in these latter ages cause it to run and prosper among the nations of the world who have not as yet received it, as he did formerly, yet, considering the state of things at present among the generality of mankind, the preservation of it in that small remnant by whom it is obeyed in sincerity is a no less glorious evidence of his presenqe with it and care over it than was its eminent propagation in days of old.
3. The righteousness of God is in like manner to be considered in these things: for whereas he had granted the inestimable privilege of his word unto many nations, they, through their horrible ingrati- tude and wickedness, detained the truth in unrighteousness, so that the continuance of the gospel among them was no way to the glory of God, no, nor yet unto their own advantage ; for neither nations nor persons will ever be advantaged by an outward profession of the gospel whilst they live in a contradiction and disobedience to its precepts, yea, nothing can be more pernicious to the souls of men. This impiety God is at this day revenging on the nations of the world, having utterly cast off' many of them from the knowledge of the truth, and given up others unto " strong delusions to believe lies," though they retain the Scriptures and outward profession of Christianity. How far he may proceed in the same way of righteous vengeance towards other nations also we know not, but ought to tremble in the consideration of it. When God first granted the gospel unto the world, although the generality of mankind had greatly sinned against the light of nature, and had rejected all those supernatural revelations that at any time had been made unto them, yet had they not sinned against the gospel itself nor the grace there- of. It pleased God, therefore, to wink at and pass over that time of their ignorance, so as that hjs justice should not be provoked by any of their former sins to withhold from them the efficacy of his divine power in the administration of the gospel, whereby he " called them to repentance." But now, after that the gospel hath been sufficiently tendered unto all nations, and hath, either as unto its profession or as unto its power, with the obedience that it requires, been rejected by the most of them, things are quite otherwise stated. It is from the " righteous judgment of God," revenging the sins of the world against the gospel itself, that so many nations are deprived of it, and so many left obstinate in its refusal. Wherefore, the pre- sent state of things doth no way weaken or prejudice the evidence given unto the Scripture by that mighty power of God which ac- companied the administration of it in the world. For what hath
CHAP. III.] EXTERNAL ARGUMENTS FOR DIVINE REVELATION. 45
since fallen out, there are secret reasons of sovereign wisdom, and open causes in divine justice, whereunto it is to be assigned.
These things I have briefly called over, and not as though they were all of this kind that may be pleaded, but only to give some instances of those external arguments whereby the divine authority of the Scripture may be confirmed.
Now, these arguments are such as are able of themselves to beget in the minds of men sober, humble, intelligent, and unprejudiced, a firm opinion, judgment, and persuasion, that the Scripture doth proceed from God. Where persons are prepossessed with invincible prejudices, contracted by a course of education, wherein they have imbibed principles opposite and contrary thereunto, and have in- creased and fortified them by some fixed and hereditary enmity against all those whom they know to own the divinity of the Scrip- ture,— as it is with Mohammedans and some of the Indians, — these arguments, it may be, will not prevail immediately to work or effect their assent. It is so with respect unto them also who, out of love unto and delight in those ways of vice, sin, and wickedness, which are absolutely and severely condemned in the Scripture, without the least hope of a dispensation unto them that continue under the power of them, will not take these arguments into due consideration. Such persons may talk and discourse of them, but they never weigh them seriously, according as the importance of the cause doth require ; for if men will examine them as they ought, it must be with a sedate judgment that their eternal condition depends upon a right deter- mination of this inquiry. But [as] for those who can scarce get liberty from the service and power of their lusts seriously to con- sider what is their condition, or what it is like to be, it is no wonder if they talk of these things, after the manner of these days, without any impression on their minds and affections, or influence on the practical understanding. But our inquiry is after what is a sufficient evidence for the conviction of rational and unprejudiced persons, and the defeating of objections to the contrary; which these and the like arguments do every way answer.