power of man to comprehend or to fecure. To the fpecious reafonings of these writers, and their numerous adherents, the fhorteft and the most convincing reply is an appeal to facts. The pretenfions of the chriftian fcriptures have been long enough known to the world to have been thoroughly canvaffed. The predictions they contain do in particular bring the question of their Divine authority at once to iffue. The challenges uttered by the prophets in the name of the God of Ifrael, to all beings to disprove if they could, his exclufive and univerfal fovereignty, by falfifying their words as to the events they foretold, leave us (if their prophecies have been accomplished) no medium be. tween the acknowledgement of Him for the only true God, and the adoption of Atheism. The feem inconfiftent with the publick intereft, is thereby precluded, how much more effectually is univerfal mutual benevolence enforced by the fimple precept, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy felf" The appeal made by the Apoftles of Chrift to the predictions of the New Testament as the teftimony of God in favour of his Son, leave us (if they have proved true) only the alternative of acknowledging the Son, or denying the Father. And that they have not failed of their completion, the sceptical reader may be convinced if he carefully perufes the following Tract, by the evidence of Infidelity itself. Still, though his fcepticism should be thus cured, there will remain for him, as well as for those who already confefs the truth of the Gofpel another confideration: That God having provided mankind with fo wonderful a fyftem of evidence, calculated to prove in every step the gradual approach of that judgement for which, the Gospel affures us, He hath appointed a day; having given it in charge to us to watch for the events foretold, and pronounced a bleffing on those who shall read and keep the words of the prophecy; how furely the guilt of wilfull difregard to the kindeft admonitions, and of ob ftinate ftinate difobedience to the highest authority, will be our own, if we continue to treat His word as a thing fo foreign to our concerns, that we look into it cafually only; If when furrounded by a scene the most awefully accordant with His menaces of judgement on the earth, we awake not to the thoughts of preparing for the confummation He hath promised; if experiencing, as we do, His inflictions for the tranfgreffion of his precepts, we continue to go with the maltitude to do evil, and because the bulk of mankind choose to think lightly of commiffions moft cxprefsly threatened with His wrath, and actually attended, even now, with penalties ordained by Him, we shut our eyes to the vengeance impending on those, who not having been killed by the past plagues yet repent not of the works of their hands, 66 "that they should not worship Devils and I"dols-nor repent of their murders, nor of "their forceries, nor of their fornication, nor "of their thefts. Το To ftop, as far as in me lies, the course of guilt fo aggravated; to prevail on those who will listen to my call, to recur for protection to Him who alone can protect them from the evils now poured on a world almost ripe for destruction, is my wifh in making publick the instance contained in the following sheets, of an enemy of the Gofpel being forced to bear witnefs unto it, and having his mad purfuit after fame, in attacking the Lord of All, rewarded with the severe and most just rebuke, “Out "of thine own mouth will I judge thee, O "thou wicked Servant, |