Christ's certain and sudden appearance to judgment. By Thomas Vincent, sometime Minister of Maudlins…

2. Moreover and especially, the Scriptures appear to be from ⟨p. 139⟩divine inspiration, insomuch as they bear such evident marks and characters of divinity beyond all other Books.

1. The first character of Divinity in the Scriptures, in the clear discoveries and high praises, which they give of God, and the chief design of the whole Book, which is Gods glory. […] Heathen Philosopher or Writer could think, of speak so highly of God, as the Scriptures do speak. However God hath put characters of himself in the Book of, the Creatures to be read of all, making known by his Works his eternal Being, his infinite Power, Wisdom and Goodness; yet most of the wisest Men, who have lived in the Heathen World, and have been the greatest Students of the Book of the Creatures, and have had no view of the Book of the Scriptures, have been so gross in their conceptions of God, that as the • postle said, Rom. 1,22,23. When they professed themselves to be wise, they became fools; and changed the Glory of the incorruptible God, into an Image made like to corruptible Man, and to Birds, and four footed Beasts, and creeping things; They have figured to themselves and worshipped many Gods, unto the dishonour of the true God: And if some of them have arrived by the light of nature, unto the notion of one God; yet their conceptions of him have been low, mean, and unworthy of him: and in no Book in the World is God set forth so fully and highly in his glorious attributes, and superlative excellencies, as he hath set forth himself in the Book of the Scriptures. We may find in heathen Writers high Elogi•m's and Panegyrics of some men and Women, famous in their time, for their valour, and so••• moral virtues, whom they have deified in after ages, and given room amongst their feigned Gods and Goddesses, dedicating Temples, and giving worship unto them: but in no Heathen writings shall we find the praises of the true God, and rules given for the service and worship of him alone, as we shall find in the Scriptures. Large Volumes some Heathens have left behind them, the design of which hath been their own glory, and (as much as in them lay) the eternizing their Fame, which is an evidence that themselves were Authors of them; because we cannot rationally think