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calculated to confirm the faith of the believer, than to convert unbelievers, the prophecies I have enumerated, though few in comparison of what might have been adduced, will fatisfy any reasonable person, that they must have been dictated by a forefight more than human, and therefore that the Jewish and Christian religions, having the fame author, must be of divine authority

DISCOURSE

DISCOURSE XII.

Internal Evidence of Jefus being no
Impoftor.

We are in him that is true, even in his Son
Jefus Chrift.
I JOHN V. 20.

BESIDES the evidence of miracles, including that of prophecy, which is the proper feal of God to any thing that is alledged to come from him, with which we become acquainted by history, or tradition, and which is usually called the external evidence of divine revelation, there is another kind of evidence properly denominated internal, which, to those who have a fufficient knowledge of human nature and human life, is hardly lefs fatisfactory. For knowing what men are, and what men have done, we readily judge what is probable or improbable, poffible or impoffible, with respect to the designs and actions of men; and if thing be afferted of a man, and especially of a number

any

a number of men, which we well know could not be afferted with truth of any man, or any number of men, with whom we were ever acquainted, or concerning whom we have had any authentic information, we do not hesitate to pronounce it to be highly improbable, and perhaps abfolutely impoffible.

It is, therefore, of the greatest importance, that we apply the knowledge we have of human nature, and human life, in our study of the evidences of divine revelation, to attend accurately to the characters and circumftances of Mofes and the prophets, of Christ and the apostles, that we may form a judgment whether what is related of them, on the fuppo-. fition of their having had divine communications, or of their having been impoftors, be probable or otherwife. Having in a former fet of difcourfes confidered the circumftances of the hiftory of Mofes, I shall in this confider the history of Jefus; and I think it will appear, that, if what is, and must be, allowed concerning him be true, it was abfolutely impoffible that he should have been an impoftor, every thing related of him being perfectly natural on the idea of his being confcious to himself, or fully perfuaded in his

OW!

own mind, of his having a divine miffion, but in the highest degree unnatural, and even impoffible, on the idea of his having been an impoftor. That he was a mere enthusiast, and really imagined that he had a divine miffion when he had none, is another question, which I shall confider only incidentally. This indeed was evidently impofiible in such a case as this, and will not, I am perfuaded, be fuppofed by any unbeliever; fo that if Jefus was no impoftor, and did not know that he was deceiving his followers and the world, his divine miffion must be acknowledged.

1. If we confider the nature and extent of the undertaking of Jefus, it must appear highly improbable that it should have occurred to a perfon of his country, and of his low birth, and education. Had his views, whatever they were, extended no farther than his own country, his undertaking any thing that should bring him into notice, and advance him in life, (which is all that an impoftor can be supposed to aim at) must have appeared very unlikely to fucceed, and confequently must have been very unlikely to enter into his thoughts, and have been undertaken by him. With the Jews, the place of a man's birth

was

was a circumstance of no small moment, and Jefus was of Nazareth, efteemed a mean place, in a despised part of the country, fo that, on this account, he must have lain under great disadvantage; and his occupation, which was that of a carpenter, without any advantage of education, fuch as his country afforded, must have made his undertaking much more difficult. In thefe circumstances, ambition fo prepofterous as that of Jefus, must have bordered on infanity or infatuation, which must have appeared in his conduct. But nothing of this kind does appear in him. Exclufive of the language suited to his undertaking, there was nothing like extravagance in his words or actions. On the contrary, his whole behaviour fhewed a mind perfectly compofed and rational, and, what is more, there was not in him any thing of oftentation, but the most amiable humility and modefty, though accompanied with becoming dignity.

Whatever we may think of a Jewish education, and Jewish literature, they were highly valued by Jews, and must have been necessary to gain general esteem, especially with the higher claffes of men, and for the purpose of acting any confpicuous part in that country.

Jefus

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