REVELATION. 



his name, as a proof that he fent them ; works of fuch a 

 nature, and fo circumitanced, as manifeftly to tranfeend all 

 human power, and bear the evident marks of a divine inter- 

 pofition. (See Miracle.) He can alio eadue them with 

 fupernatural gifts, and enable them to deliver exprefs pre- 

 dictions of future contingent events, which no human faga- 

 city could forefee, and which yet (hall be a'ccomplifhc-d in 

 the proper feafon. (See Prophecy.) It mould alfo be 

 further obferved upon this fubject, that not only they who 

 live in the age when the revelation was firft pubhfhed to the 

 ■world may have fuch proofs of it as may be fufficient to con- 

 vince them of its divine authority and original, but that it 

 may be tranfmitted with fuch evidence to thofe who live in 

 fucceeding ages, as may lay them under an obligation to re- 

 ceive and fubmit to it as a revelation from God. Although 

 oral tradition is not a very fure conveyance, yet it is unde- 

 niable, that writings may be tranfmitted with fuch a degree 

 of evidence as to leave no room for reafonable doubt. This 

 is the moit limple and natural way of propagating the know- 

 ledge of revelation to fucceeding ages. Such is the tact 

 with regard to the revelation contained in the holy lcriptures : 

 nor is it difficult to prove, that we have greater evidence of 

 the fafe tranfmiffion of thefe facred writings, without any 

 general and material corruption and alteration, than we have 

 concerning other books, the genuinenefs of which is univer- 

 fally acknowledged. To this kind of argument it can only 

 be objected, that moral evidence is uncertain, and hillorical 

 human teftimony fallible ; but to the objection the reply is 

 obvious, that this kind of evidence may be, and frequently is, 

 fo circumitanced, that the man would fcarcely be thought 

 in his fenfes who (hould ferioufly deny or doubt of it. It is 

 by moral evidence, and the teftimony of fallible men, capable 

 of deceiving and of being deceived, that a man who hriS never 

 been at Paris or Rome knows that there are fuch cities, and 

 yet he can no more reafonably doubt of it, than if he had 

 feen them with his own eyes. It is by moral evidence, that 

 we have all our laws and records, and the affurance of any 

 pad facts. And yet is there any man of fenfe, who does 

 not as certainly believe many facts which were done in former 

 ages, as he believes any event that has happened of late 

 years, and within his own memory ? It is by this kind of 

 evidence of teftimony that we are necefTarily guided and de- 

 termined in many cafes of great importance : and why (hould 

 it be thought abfurd to fuppofe, that it ihould be fo ordered 

 by the Author of our frame and the great Ruler of the 

 world, that our knowledge of fome important matters re- 

 lating to religion fliould be obtained by this mode of con- 

 veyance ? He that receives divine revelation upon this kind 

 of evidence acts a wife and good part, becoming a reafonable 

 being and a moral agent. 



Having (hewn that a revelation from God is poflible, the 

 fecond fubject of coniideration is the great ufefulnefs and 

 advantage of divine revelation, and the neceffity of it in the 

 prefent (late of mankind, for fupporting and promoting the 

 mterefts of religion and virtue in the world. Such a reve- 

 lation may be of great ufe even with regard to thofe truths 

 and principles which lie at the foundation of all religion ; 

 fuch are the truths which relate to the excellent and unparal- 

 lelled nature, the perfections and attributes of the one fu- 

 preme God. (See God.) A divine revelation may alfo be 

 very ufefulin eftablifhing the belief of the providence of God ; 

 and further, in communicating inftruction even to thofe, who 

 allow that fome kind of religious worfhip and homage Ihould 

 be rendered to God by his reafonable creatures. What 

 kind of woriliip will be mod acceptable to the Supreme 

 Being, and what rites are moft proper to be ufed in his fervicr, 

 ?.':e queftjons which unaffifted reafon cannot pofitively and 



with certainty determine. The doctrine of the immortality 

 of the foul, and of a future (late of retribution, is imquellion- 

 ably of very great importance to mankind ; and the natural 

 and moral arguments to prove it have certainly great weight ; 

 but they are aflailed by difficulties and objections which 

 weaken the evidence, and may occafion fufpicion and doubt, 

 if natural reafon be our only guide and umpire. Accord- 

 ingly fome of the moft eminent ancient philofophers either 

 denied this doctrine, or expreffed themfelyes doubtfully and 

 waveringly concerning it. If then God himfelf (hould, by 

 a well-attelted revelation, allure us, that death (hall not 

 put an utter end to our being ; that the prefent life is only 

 the firft ftage of our exiftence ; that we (hall be raifed again 

 from the dead ; and that God will call all men to an account, 

 and reward or punilli them in a future ftate according to 

 their behaviour in this ; and fliould alfo fignify to us the 

 nature of thofe rewards and punilhments, and the qualifica- 

 tions of the perfons on -whom they (hall be conferred or 

 inflicted : this mull needs be of high advantage, and tend to 

 give us fatisfaction in a point of considerable importance, for 

 encouraging men in the practice of virtue, and delivering 

 them from vice and wickednefs. Moreover, we are led by 

 the light of nature and reafon to entertain fome hope, that 

 God will (hew mercy to tinners upon their repentance and 

 amendment ; but how far this mercy fhall extend, whether 

 he will pardon fins of every kind, even the moll heinous, 

 frequently repeated, and long perfifted in, merely upon re- 

 pentance and amendment ; and whether his pardon in this 

 cafe will be only a mitigation or remiflion of the threatened 

 penalty, without a full reftitution to grace and favour, and 

 how far he will reward an obedience attended with failures 

 and defects : — thefe things might create anxious doubts and 

 perplexities to ferious and thoughtful minds. Efpecially 

 when it is further confidered, that reafon leads us to regard 

 God as juft as well as merciful, a wile and righteous govern- 

 or, who will therefore exercife his pardoning mercy in fuch 

 a way as feemeth moft fit to his rectoral wifdom, and will 

 bell anfvver the ends of moral government ; and of this fuch 

 fhort-lighted creatures as we are cannot pretend to be com- 

 petent judges. A revelation from God fatisfying mankind, 

 and efpecially anxious penitents, with regard to thefe inte- 

 relling queitions, and alluring them by exprefs promife, a? 

 well as by its reprefentations of the placability of God, and of 

 the provifion which he has made for the pardon of repenting 

 tranfgreilors in perfect confillence with all the attributes of 

 his nature and laws of his government, mull be a very great 

 benefit to the world. The affiftance promifed and certified 

 by revelation, to thofe who ufe their own earned endea- 

 vours in the performance of their duty, mull further 

 evince its importance and utility. Befides, the benefits of a 

 divine revelation further extend to thofe laws and duties 

 which we owe to God, our neighbours, and ourfelves, and 

 which are comprehended under the clafs of moral obliga- 

 tions. But though revelation is thus eminently ufeful, and 

 even neceflary, it is not defigned to fuperfede the ufe of our 

 own reafon, or to render the exercife of it needlefs, but to 

 guide, improve, and perfect it. Revelation, fo far from 

 difcarding or weakening any argument that can be juftly 

 brought from reafon, in proof of any truths relating to re- 

 ligion or morality, adds to them the atteflation of a divine 

 authority or teftimony, which is of great weight. This 

 both giveo us a farther degree of certainty with regard to 

 thofe things which are in iome degree difcoverable by the 

 light of reafon, and alfo furnifties us with a fufficient ground 

 of affent, with refpect to thofe things which mere unaffifted 

 reafon, if left to itfelf, would not have difcovcred, and which 

 yet it may be of ufe for us to know. 



6 By 



