No reason to desire new revelations a sermon preach'd at the Cathedral-Church of St. Paul, October 7th, 1700, being the seventh for the year 1700, of the lecture founded by the Honourable Robert Boyle, Esq. / by Ofspring Blackall ...

(1.) I shall consider the Case of the Apostles, who both saw our Lord's Miracles, and were enabled by the Power of the Holy-Ghost to do the like them∣selves.

And that they had a surer Ground of Faith than any since, or than any besides themselves ever had, I believe must be granted; but then 'tis to be con∣sidered on the other side.

1. That the Apostles were but few in number, only twelve Persons, or if we should reckon in to the num∣ber, as in this respect, equal to the Apostles, all those that were called by our Saviour himself to be his Dis∣ciples, and who were very much, tho' not so con∣stantly in his Company as the Apostles were, we read but of seventy of them; or if we add to these all those that were convinced by our Saviours Miracles that he was the Christ,* 1.1 and that owned themselves his Disci∣ples while he was upon Earth, 'tis probable that all these together were no more than five hundred; viz. those five hundred Brethren,* 1.2 to whom when met to∣gether in Galilee, our Lord shewed himself alive after his Passion.

2. It may be also considered; that their Case was extraordinary and peculiar, and that this Advantage of greater Evidence (as we reckon it) which they had above all others was no more than was necessary to qualifie them for that special Office which they, and none but they were to be employed in; which was to bear Witness to the Men of that Generation by word of mouth, and to all future Ages by their written Te∣stimony, of the Doctrines and Miracles of our Sa∣viour; for no Man is a proper Witness of any matter of Fact, but only he who was an Eye Witness there∣of.

3. It may be further considered, that as they had a more clear and unexceptionable Evidence of the Truth of Christianity, than any besides ever had, so they had also a greater Burden laid upon them, than any Christians since have had; and it might be no more than necessary that the Grounds of their Faith should be as much surer and stronger than those on which other Men's Faith is built, as their Duty was larger and more difficult than other Men's Duty is. For a weaker Foundation is as well able to support a low Building, placed in a Bottom, and well sheltred from Storms, as a much stronger is to bear a high built Tower, situated on the top of an Hill, or by the Sea shore, and continually exposed to violent Winds and Tempests.

And this was the Condition of the Apostles in Com∣parison with ours. We have indeed several Tempta∣tions to resist by the Power of our most holy Faith, but then they are only such Temptations as are common to Men, and for the overcoming whereof a Faith grounded only upon good Historical Evidence is suffi∣cient;

for by the Power of such a Faith a great many in all Ages have happily overcome them; But the Apostles had Difficulties and Temptations of another sort to contend with; they wrestled not only against Flesh and Blood, but against Principalities, against Powers, against the Rulers of the Darkness of this World, against Spiritual Wickedness in high Places. It was their Business to go in an untrodden Path, to break the Ice and to make plain the way for all that were to fol∣low; and our Work (very easie in comparison with theirs) is only to follow in that Way, which they have made plain and smooth, to that Kingdom of Heaven, into which they could not enter but thro' manifold Tribulations.

That the Apostles therefore had stronger and more convincing Proofs of the Truth of the Christian Re∣ligion than we have, and such as they could not so ea∣sily resist, as we may those which are afforded to us, may be granted; and yet it may be unreasonable for us to desire the same, unless we were to be put to the same Trials of our Faith that they were; which in a Christian Country can hardly be.

And indeed as desirous as we seem to be of having such Evidence of the Truth of our Religion as we are told the Apostles had, I believe there are very few of us but had rather be contented with less Evidence, than have so much as the Apostles had with its ap∣pendant Burden; which was to travel all the World over, even into the most rude and barbarous Coun∣tries to plant Christianity; expecting wherever they came Bonds and Afflictions, meeting every where with the most violent opposition and roughest Usage; encountring every where the greatest Dangers, and

sure at last to be made a bloody Sacrifice to the Ma∣lice and Fury of their Persecutors. How much St. Paul alone endured (and 'tis like the Sufferings of the other Aposiles were not much less) you may see in 2 Cor. xi. 23, &c. and yet he was not then come to the end of his Sufferings; In Labours abundant, in Stripes above measure, in Prisons frequent, in Deaths oft; Of the Jews five times received I forty Stripes save one; thrice was I beaten with Rods, once was I Stoned, thrice I suffered Shipwrack, a Night and a Day I have been in the Deep; in Journeyings often, in Perils of Waters, in Perils of Robbers, in Perils by mine own Countrymen, in Perils by the Heathen, in Perils in the City, in Perils in the Wilderness, in Perils in the Sea, in Perils among false Brethren; In Weariness and Pain∣fulness, in Watchings often, in Hunger and Thirst, in Fastings often, in Cold and Nakedness; Besides those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the Care of all the Churches. And therefore he might well say, as he does, 1 Cor. iv. 9, &c. I think that God hath set forth us the Apostles last, as it were ap∣pointed to Death; for we are made a Spectacle to the World, and to Angels, and to Men; we are Fools for Christ's sake—we are weak—we are despised; even unto this very hour we both hunger and thirst, and are naked and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling Place; and labour working with our Hands, being revi∣led—persecuted—defamed; we are made as the Filth of the World, and are the Off-scowring of all things unto this Day. It was therefore plainly necessary that a Faith which was to undergo these severe Trials, should be built upon the surest Grounds; but for us, and to enable us to overcome the World, a Faith

that is founded upon less certain Evidence may be as sufficient.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Luke 10.1.
• * 1.2

  1 Cor. 15.6.