tural Talents of men's rational Facul- SER M. ties, Capacities, and Abilities; intending VI. finally to judge All his Servants, according to what every one in particular has, and not according to what he has not: And in each of these various Dispensations, giving fuch degrees of evidence and testimony to the Truth, as might be a proper Tryal of good and well-difpofed Minds, neither credulous beyond reafon, nor prejudiced against reason, but prepared always to receive the Truth, and to obey it. Thus, to That generation of the Jews who lived in our Saviour's time, the proper and fufficient evidence of our Lord's being the promised Meffias, to all fuch as impartially fearched the Scriptures, was the fulfilling of the Prophecies that went before concerning him, and particularly That most miraculous One of his Refurrection from the Dead. Which was a Sign not poffible to be refifted by Any, but by a very corrupt and adulterous generation; by a generation of fuch men, of fuch perverfe and incorrigible Sinners, the description of whom, (which was the

2d Par

SER M.
VI.

ble

2d Particular I obferved in the text,) the description of them, in one remarkapart of their character, is, that they are apt continually to require more and more Signs, and to tempt God without reafon and without end: An evil and adulterous generation feeketh after a Sign The wickedeft of men cannot bear the Thoughts of fighting openly against God; and therefore, to give some degree of Eafe to their Minds, they generally take great pains to impofe upon themselves, with fome flight objections either against the Being of God, or against the evidence of bis Laws and Commands, The Jews, fays St Paul, require a Sign, and the Gentiles feek after Wisdom, 1 Cor. i. 22. The humour of the Gentile World, was to value themselves upon their Logick and Philofophy; and therefore the corrupt part of Them could always reject any religious Truth, by drawing objections against it from the received Maxims of their Schools, The Jewish nation valued themselves upon the miraculous things, which God had done for their Fathers; and therefore

the

VI.

the corrupt part of Them, could always SER M. reject any religious Truth, by continually requiring more and greater Miracles to be worked in confirmation of it. Of This, the behaviour of That people in the Wilderness is a remarkable and very marvellous Inftance. By a continued series of Miracles, God had refcued them from Egyptian Slavery and Idolatry, and was guiding them in the wilderness like a Flock, to the poffeffion of the good land which he had promised to their Fathers. Marvellous things (as the Pfalmift represents this matter in a most elegant and affectionate description, Pf. lxxviii. 13,) Marvellous things did he in the fight of our forefathers, in the land of Egypt, even in the field of Zoan. He divided the Sea, and let them go through; he made the waters to ftand on a heap. In the day-time alfo he led them with a cloud; and all the night through, with a light of fire. He clave the hard rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink thereof, as it had been out of the great depth. He brought waters out of the ftony rock, so that it gushed out

VI.

SER M. like the Rivers. Further, ver. 24, He commanded the clouds above, and opened the doors of heaven. He rained down manna also upon them for to eat, and gave them food from heaven. So man did eat Angels food, for he Sent them meat enough. He caufed the eastwind to blow under heaven, and thro' his power he brought in the fouth-west wind. He rained flesh upon them as thick as duft, and feathered fowls like as the fand of the Sea. He let it fall among their tents, even round about their habitation. And again, ver. 53, He led them forth like sheep, and carried them in the wilderness like a flock. He brought them out fafely, that they fhould not fear; and overwhelmed their enemies with the Sea. He brought them within the borders of his fanctuary, even to his mountain which he purchafed with his right hand. He caft out the heathen also before them; caufed their land to be divided among them for an heritage, and made the tribes of Ifrael to dwell in their tents. Sufficient Signs These, any unprejudiced perfon would judge, to convince even the moft obftinate and perverfe, the most evil

and

VI.

and adulterous generation. But fo fami- SER M. liar were thefe Marvels become to them, that (it appears) they had no more influence upon Them, to bring them to true Amendment and Reformation of Manners, than the Works of Nature, (which are in Truth the continual miraculous operations of the omnipotent Power of the God of Nature,) have upon Us. This alfo is most pathetically fet forth in the fame lxxviiith Pfalm, ver. 18, Yet for all this they finned more against him, and provoked the most Highest in the wilderness: They tempted God in their hearts, and required meat for their Luft. They Spake against God alfo, faying, fhall God prepare a Table in the Wilderness? He fmote the ftony Rock indeed, that the water gushed out, and the streams flowed withal; but can be give Bread also, or provide flesh for his people? (Their Argument was exactly the fame, as that of the Pharifees to whom our Lord replies in my Text: They acknowledged that he had healed many difeafed perfons here upon Earth; But could he show them alfo a Sign from

Heaven?)