A history of the work of redemption. Containing the outlines of a body of…

INFERENCE. From what has been said of the success of the gospel from Christ's ascension to the time of Constantine, we may deduce a strong argument of the true Christian religion, and that the gospel of Jesus Christ is really from God. This wonderful success of it which has been spoken of, and the circumstances of it which have been mentioned, are a strong argument of it several ways.

1. We may gather from what has been said, that it is the gospel, and that only, which has actually been the means of bringing the world to the knowledge of the true God. That those are […] gods whom the Heathen worshipped, and that there is but one only God, is what, now since the gospel has so taught us, we can see to be truth by our own reason: it is plainly agreeable to the light of nature: it can be easily shown by reason to be demonstrably true. The very Deists themselves acknowledge, that it can be demonstrated, that there is one God, and but one, who has made and governs the world. But now it is evident that it is the gospel, and that only, which has actually been the means of bringing men to the knowledge of this truth: it was not the instructions of philosophers. They tried in vain: "The world by wisdom kn•w not God." Till the gospel and the holy scriptures came abroad in the world, all the world lay in ignorance of the true God and in the greatest darkness with respect to the things of religion, embracing the absurdest opinions and practices, which all civilized nations now acknowledge to be childish fooleries. And so they lay one age after another, and nothing proved effectual to enlighten them. The light of nature, and their own reason, and all the wisdom ⟨p. 209⟩of learned men, signified nothing till the scriptures came. But when these came abroad, they were successful to bring the world to an acknowledgement of the one only true God, and to worship and serve him.

1. We may gather from what has been said, that it is the gospel, and that only, which has actually been the means of bringing the world to the knowledge of the true God. That those are gods whom the Heathen worshipped, and that there is but one only God, is what, now since the gospel has so taught us, we can see to be truth by our own reason: it is plainly agreeable to the light of nature: it can be easily shown by reason to be demonstrably true. The very Deists themselves acknowledge, that it can be demonstrated, that there is one God, and but one, who has made and governs the world. But now it is evident that it is the gospel, and that only, which has actually been the means of bringing men to the knowledge of this truth: it was not the instructions of philosophers. They tried in vain: "The world by wisdom knw not God." Till the gospel and the holy scriptures came abroad in the world, all the world lay in ignorance of the true God and in the greatest darkness with respect to the things of religion, embracing the absurdest opinions and practices, which all civilized nations now acknowledge to be childish fooleries. And so they lay one age after another, and nothing proved effectual to enlighten them. The light of nature, and their own reason, and all the wisdom